Jeudi Journal - No Desire

I made this background a week ago - well, started it by doing some brayering and using my Amsterdam paints.  Almost out of Sky Blue so must get some quickly - and my favourite Turquoise Green which is the closest to Teal for me to use.  I used those two and Cyan Blue and Sap Green then I stencilled with the Cyan Blue and Titan Buff which you can hardly see.

Next I did a bit of stamping using the ever juicy Catherine Poorler "Lime Rickey" and "Something Borrowed" - a bit of pen work and the background was finished.  Cath had mentioned last week that I should enter my journal page into Try it on Tuesday - Make A Mark but I didn't and so I thought of entering this week with some pen work on and around the circles.

Wendy had chosen "I have absolutely No Desire to Fit In" as the quote for us to use and I was stumped again.  In the end I chose the figure with the log on top of her head and I put her with the body of the barely clad woman in a kind of cerise bathing suit.  She is my "Odd One Out".

The other two figures I tried to get as normal as possible (what is normal?) and dressed them both in shades of brown - no bright colours as I usually have.  Does it work?  Well, my other half understood it so that was good enough for me.  Over to you dear blogger.

WOYWW 522 A Joyous Occasion - Keep it Short - Not a Chance, Sorry!

"Didn't we have a Lovely Time, the day we went to Shrewsbury" - pinching Jan's idea of using a song to start my post.  What a wonderful day was had by all in Shrewsbury, in a beautiful bright room filled with love.  It was a chance to meet up with friends both old and new for six hours, but felt more like two - the time just whizzed by.

Can't thank the sisters enough for all the work they put into making the day so special, Annie "and her much older sister" Jo, really did us proud with the venue and the finger buffet ... but it didn't stop there - we had a well thought out quiz (Jo I think) and Julia and Jan (not sure which one or whether it was both of them) had brought along a photo booth and props for us to enjoy.

Of course there was the usual raffle, with proceeds going to 'Research into Alzheimers', a favourite charity of mine.  Somehow I was not around when the raffle tickets were being sold so I did not buy any but have sent a small donation to Jo to add to the total received on the day.  However not to let the day go by without me having a prize, the lovely Caro 'gifted' her prize, a scented candle to me.  What a lovely thing for someone to do.  Thank you Caro, so much.

Had to smile as Heather and I had not done any crafting by 2 pm so we had a quick race (she won) at stamping some images before husbands arrived to find we had spent the whole day nattering.  She did 12 and I did 7 but mine were all different so I declare it really a tie.  Mind you, probably Anne won as she did some images and coloured them in.  Lovely images too, a hostess gift I think from Stamping Up, am sure Anne could show you them on her blog.

At some time in the afternoon we were all delighted by the appearance of Zsuzsa who had left her family sitting in the car park.  I don't think she intended staying as long as she did as hubby was out in the car park with their son but everyone wanted to meet and have a hug with her.  

Here we all are:

EM (Elizabeth's husband) was so kind in taking photos with my tablet so that I could be in the shots, he even managed to use some kind of hand waving messaging to get me back into the shot and not hidden behind Catriona's head.  This is one that shows Heather but unfortunately Margaret is not on so I have included another without Heather but with Margaret.

Back row left; Shaz, Christine, Chris, Canu, Zsuzsa, Heather, Caro, and lastly me

Middle row: Sarah, Annie, Jo Anne, Elizabeth, Catriona

Front row: Helen, Chris (Mrs D) Julia, Jan, Dolores, Maggie

on this one you can see Margaret between Caro and Heather

Thanks a lot EM, you are a treasure

And this is a shot of all my goodies brought back from this magical day and those received by mail which I took down to show others:

The atc's on their own:

Starting top left: Diana, Christine, Shaz, Heather, Me

Elizabeth, Dolores, Helen, Maggie, my alternative and Julia, 

Marit, Zsuzsa, Chris, Caro, Margaret

Jo, Debbie, Angela, Jan

And other things not atc's that were given by some of the deskers in lieu of an atc or as an addition  (note the badge top left by Caro which I will wear with pride now when I might go somewhere I could meet up with a desker):

OK so this is a long and photo heavy blog.  You don't have to read/look - just scroll quickly though but here are one or two, not brilliant, photos taken on the day by me sitting quietly in my chair but I hope they catch the essence of this fantastic day:

Zsuzsa, Caro, Shaz, Sarah (Margaret with her back to you)

Annie, Heather, Zsuzsa, Sarah, Julia, Shaz, Caro

Anne (talking to hubby), Chris, Julia and Heather stood up

and in background Annie, Jo, Doug, Jan

and sat at a table busy crafting at the back is Dolores

Sarah, Julia, Helen, Caro, Christine, Mrs D, Zsuzsa, Chris 

and in forefront Anne

The sisters, not sure which, or both, had made a cake for Julia.  Someone had once referred to her as 'Queen of Snoop' so the two tiered cake reflected this nickname and had a tiara to finish off.  Here's Annie presenting both Julia and Jan with a gift (suspect there is another "G" word in there) for all the work they have done over the ten years, with the cake in the forefront.  Notice Julia is not letting to of her Prosecco (Yes we all got a glass of Prosecco).  So a fabulous day had to come to a end.  We really should have a weekend of it.  Thanks to everyone - the hall buzzed with love and my heart sang.

💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓

Here's my desk today (see I didn't forget):

"Dumfing"

You all know of my friend in America who died just a year ago, well, this arrived yesterday from her daughter.  We had chatted about her enjoying a new found craft, dumfing, and I said I had never done it but would like to try.  She said she liked the Sara Fina tutorials and kits and today I got one from her (hedgehogs) - all the way from America.  Plus a needle tool, three spare needles and a lovely little rabbit Cindee had made for me.  Watch this space for a hedgie appearing shortly.

I know this is a long post but I am sure several of them will be - but I must show you this other desk.  This is what I should have done on Saturday

My little figures that I stamped on Saturday (last minute)

and for whoever I tried to explain to

This is what I like my Misti for.  Stamping flower heads in three stages so that you get the dimensional look.    You can do other things, I have some goldfish and a stork to name just a couple.  Yes, this is posed, so you can see my teeny Misti, the stamps for the flowers, the actual flowers and a corner of my Misti bag which you all saw on Saturday.  (I had these in my bag on Saturday but didn't realise until I went to look for something else in the bag when I got home).  Bye!  Better get off quickly.

Jeudi Journal - Increasing in Value

"I'm not Getting Older, I'm Increasing in Value" is Wendy's quote for this week. Didn't find this one easy but in the end I used Jenny Joseph's wonderful poem "Warning" - perhaps better known as "When I am Old, I Shall Wear Purple".

In my search for the words, yes I wrote it out around the outside of the blog page, I came across a super blog by James Milson.  I loved the pictures he used to illustrate the poem and the information about Jenny Joseph.  I had not realised she passed twelve months ago last January.  Well worth a look at him!  But don't stop there!!  Give this blog a try, please.

I went on to read about Dandelions (see the side of his blog - "Featured and Favorited Posts) and then got a little curious about 'Little Red Bear' so clicked on the link.  Love the story - I can see I like his style of writing and will be reading much more as time goes on, both of, his favourite posts, and stories of Little Bear and the family.

Anyway, my Jeudi Journal.  I decided for some reason to make the background brown, starting off with an orange and going on to use brown and somewhere I must have decided on green?  As so often happens I wanted to do some stencil work and it fell to my 'Diamonds in the Rough' - a firm favourite of mine. Jenny Joseph's poem came after I decided to use a figure I rarely take out, aptly called "Sunday Best" and so I hastily began scribbling the words all around the edge of my page.  I did not intend to do it all but somehow it happened.  Maybe I was enjoying reading it too much and got carried away.

Another figure was needed and this time I decided to use the boy.  He was going to have a stick in his hand and some railings (die cut) behind him but when I got down to reading the poem I realised there was a bit too much to be included if I was going down the route of including things from the poem.

So here it is - my page for today:

Today is a special day for me, it would have been my mum's birthday so, tradition says I have to have some flowers for her.  Miss you mum. xx

The Crop is Nigh - 521 WOYWW

Super excited The Crop is almost here.  If you are not going I don't think it is too late to change your mind and roll up.  I have about 30 ATC's ready and waiting, still need to make my SW cake, pack my clothes and decide what to take to do.  I will take all kinds of things and then spend my time just nattering, I know I will, but hey ho you have to put the pretence on don't you!

My desk has been littered with my lace teabags again as I have put some together with hooks and eyes but the others I still cannot work out how to make them into a book.  Maybe I should take those with me to the crop and get some advice from all the talented ladies (and men) who will be there.  I did a video yesterday showing my teabags here - all off the cuff, no prep or anything so take it as it comes.  It's ages since I did a video so I had completely forgotten how to upload one - thank goodness I have a man who works these things out for me.

My desk today is as it was yesterday when I actually took the photograph.  I was starting to do a Journal page.

The stencil on the left is the one I used, but in actual fact you would not know I had used the faces in random places all over the page.  It is an Andy Skinner stencil as is the one you can see in my file.  Underneath the file is my tiny Misti and some stamps and blank atc's - just in case I need more than I have made.  To the left of the Misti is a green waste bin Jo (Pritchard) once made me and then my cut down wine bottle case containing all manner of things - pens, pencils, scissors, stencil brushes, droppers, pokey tools, dental thingies - all kinds of things I use on a day to day crafting session.  Next is a kitchen roll, then the big silver thing which is my A4 Gelli Plate and behind that is a whole host of things.

Going up a layer, so to speak, we have a book we once made as a group (we all made a page and Cath (our group mom) put them all together to remember a friend who had died).  You can just about see the tips of various scissors, mainly deckle ones which I confess never get used.  Then there's a thermometer hanging with a couple of distressers and some more tub containers with, again all manner of things inside.  Next you come to my Carousel - we won't go there but will jump to my Distress Ink Pads and Monkey and two Koalas both from Shaz in Oz.  There is the Australian flag there too but you can't see it  Perhaps another time I should do a shot of the window and all that rests on the sill.

Well, will leave it there as this is getting L O N G and for some reason my photo has jumped to the side and my writing is not justified as I like it and I swear I never touched a single button - must get it sorted.  See you Saturday if you are going to the Crop, otherwise see you next Wednesday via cyber-space.

(done, now fully justified as I like it, Phew! Just hope the video link works)

Jeudi Journal - Overnight

"I didn't get to be this fabulous overnight" is this week's quote from Dyan chosen by Wendy again.  One which I thought of fairly easily, as far as the figure was concerned, well, thought of two figures and decided on this one in the end, but had no idea what to do as the background.  Again it is a background done with Distress Inks, simply because that is easiest for me to use at the moment,  A bit of stencilling (again DI's) and some stamping at the base

In the end I decided she could be outdoors, lounging in the garden showing off her fabulous long legs and spotty tights.  Her friend is not as glamorous as she is with rather a large head for her body but no doubt amused at the little caterpillar who is looking at the glam girl.  I adore that caterpillar and just had to use it - thankfully the spectacled figure, on the right, was pointing to something so why not use the caterpillar?

Because of Erika's challenge on Art Journal Journey I decided to add some little butterflies, bees and bug type flies in the sky - the theme is "In the Sky/In the Air".  I haven't been able to enter as much as I would have liked to owing to my being busy with my teabag workshop which is thankfully now over, so grasped the opportunity with this challenge page.

The other idea I had was to use the body-suit figure with tights and high heels on but it would have been more or less the same with another figure alongside and a similar background - a bit more obvious I thought for the quote.  Most times I find it difficult to think up a scene to match a quote but that is part of the challenge - makes a change when you are stuck between two.

Can't think what to do for next week but am ok with the week after - well, in my head that is - just got to execute it!  That is if I remember what I thought of!

WOYWW 520 - 10th Anniversary

All hail Miss Julia - she is responsible for bringing so many people together from around the world - some staying for ten years - what an achievement that is!  I think it was July 2010 when I first joined in, a year late, and I try not to miss a single Wednesday - hope I haven't!  I do know I have made lots of friends around the globe as a result and I have met up with several of them, both here in the UK and then mainly in America, but also dear Shaz in Oz whom I met a few years ago when she came to stay in Manchester.  Some of them no longer join in and I miss them but often they pop back for a visit or I see them at CHA and friendships are renewed once more.  Its like being part of a Big Family when you start playing at WOYWW.

Well, this week has seen the lace put away, the workshop is over and tidied up but I will take some photos and show you all what I actually did.  I just needed a break - and to do some atc's for the 'Crop and Swop' (I know the latter is really spelt with an "a").  So my desk this week is different than it has been.  If you are going to The Crop on the 1st June I will be taking around 25 - 30 atc's for swapping.  Can't wait, it is so exciting!

On my glass mat are some blank atc's waiting to be made for the Crop.  To the left is my teeny tiny Misti and left again my big box of Dylusion figure stamps.  To the right of my glass mat you can see some figures that I have been quietly colouring in whilst sat in my comfy chair and beyond them some stamps still waiting to be put away from Port Sunny.

Behind is an assortment of bottles, don't ask, and on top some old work that hasn't got a place to be displayed so just sits idly on top of the boxes.  An assortment of ink pads and then my Adirondacks are next along the line, then a swap which was in honour of someone in one of the groups I am in, and some scissors (which never get used),  Below - the shiny tin is my large Gelli plate and there's all sorts of stuff behind it and then my kitchen rolls.

Well that's it for this week.  I will have some spare atc's if anyone wants to swap and they are not going to the Crop.  Just give me a shout and I will put one away for you.

Happy Anniversary!

Jeudi Journal - Succeed

"If At First you Don't Succeed - Give Up" is Wendy's choice this week for our Jeudi Journal.  This one really had me stumped!  If only there was a figure that had hands up in the air, or clutching at face ...

Thankfully I had a page already done, not a clue what I used - I suspect Distress Inks and that looks like an Andy Skinner stencil or two.  As it turned out the page was busy so I did not need to do any more to the background.

On Saturday I was talking to my friend Cath and she came up with a suggestion of ripping half a page and sticking it back - giving up because whatever I was doing didn't work.  That was great but when it came to execution I was stuck - again!

I had had an idea earlier in the week, something to do with fish and an under water scene but my addled brain stopped working and I could not, for the life in me, remember what I had thought of doing.

So come Monday I got to thinking, merging ideas, and came up with this

ok, so it needs some explanation!

The top corner shows our little caterpillar day dreaming about becoming a beautiful butterfly and he is wishing with all his might that this will be him.  The bottom corner is when he realises his wish has not come true and he is still a little old caterpillar.

Now you and I know he will eventually turn into a beautiful butterfly but he just needs to be a little more patient.  Now what is on the cards next week?