Jeudi Journal - Wings

For this month at Art Journal Journey my friend Chris has chosen "All Kinds of Weather" as her topic for the month.  I am going to enjoy this and hope I can marry it to the quotes for the Dyan inspired pages Wendy and I do each Thursday.  Today the quote I am using is "Until you spread your wings you have no idea how far you'll fly" and my page is set in a farmyard where two members of the fowl family are having a chatter.  Not sure I am happy with either the page or the story this week - sorry folks.

To begin with I used my Distress Oxides as watercolours, Rusty Hinge and Carved Pumpkin for the ground and Tumbled Glass and Broken China for the sky area.  I then stamped, with Momento's London Fog (grey), a Farmhouse and a couple of trees to represent them being in the distance.  Figures were coloured, as usual, with Promarkers and I did the writing with a Posca Pen.

"It was a lovely day in the farmyard when Dilys found young Sara in tears by the old tree.  Sara was the smallest of the chickens in Mr Swift's farmyard, the youngest too and a rather timid little thing.  She preferred to hang around the chicken coop and sit with the hens. rather than go off with the other chickens having adventures  The older hens loved having her with them for company and they would sit and applaud her as she danced around and did little somersaults in the sand on the floor for them.

She was such a good help too and when the shavings and straw were changed in the coop she would help her mum spread them about just as the others liked them.  Sometimes there would be some bits of hay in with the straw and Sara knew that it was not good for chickens to be lying in it so she would pick it up in her little beak and move it outside where one of the bigger animals would collect it and take it over it to their corner of the yard.

Sara was liked by most of the other chickens but there were one or two of them jealous of her popularity with the older hens and they would pick on her.  Flo and Agnes, a couple of Leghorns, were two much older chickens and they thought they were the best looking of all the fowl there.  This was despite Sophie, a Silkie, being undoubtedly a very attractive chick much admired by all and the pride of Farmer Swift's flock.

Dilys was one of the kindest hens, a Rhode island Red, and she asked Sara what on earth was the matter.  It turned out that Flo and Agnes had been teasing her because she did not wander around the farmyard like some of the others did, she had never been up by the apple trees, or seen the horses galloping in the field and had certainly not ventured anywhere near the cowshed.  They said she was a 'cowardy custard' and they laughed every time she went past them, calling her names.

Dilys sat her down and told her all about the farmyard, what the different areas were like, which were safe and which she should not go anywhere near.  Which, of the other animals she could play with, and which she should avoid, not that they would harm her but because they were so much bigger than she was they might just not see a little chicken as they lumbered across the cobbles.  "Until you spread your wings you have no idea how far you'll fly" she said.

"But I don't want to fly", said Sara, "I like it here with mum and the other hens".

"Yes", said Dilys, but there is a big world out there and it is waiting for you to explore it, You know how you watch the other chickens at play, well, don't you want to join in with their games sometimes?"

"Yes", said Sara, her little beak trembling.

"Well then, off you go, spread your wings and before you know it you will be flying high"

I can tell you that Sara did listen to Dilys and take her advice and before long she was laughing and playing with the other chickens, much to the delight of the older hens who certainly missed her but were happy she had at last found her wings and flown."

WOYWW 648 - A New Month

A new month and a step nearer to Christmas.  What is happening to "Time" - it seems to be gathering speed at an unbelievable rate of knots and now that the clocks have been altered the days are drawing in much faster and because of the terrible weather the mornings are not any lighter.  Daylight seems so small!

I did manage to get my Halloween decorations down (ugh, the dust) and now they are safely back on top of the cupboard in the utility room.  I am afraid I just put things out rather than did a proper display.  It was more to get them down and dusted than anything. Wanda the Witch from Prague did not make an appearance on the window display this year, she got forgotten and carried on with her evil cackling in the utility room.  Here is my display:

the dining room - I made the box and the pop up card years ago

the lounge (split in two - large window)

I made the arch in the top picture from the lounge and the square framed thingie too.  No trick or treaters again this year, not had any for about five years but who can blame parents for stopping the children doing it on their own! Plus now there is Covid to consider too.

Last week I got some new stamps from AAll & Create (via Country View Crafts, I've given up on The Craft Store) - Tracy's new release (sorry for the flash)

and straight away I had to use one for a friend who needed a hug from me.  Tracy had done a You Tube on my favourite of the stamps so I used that tutorial but changed the shape (because of the envelopes I had) and the colour (because it was more appropriate to the occasion and her favourite colours anyway).

Afraid I have still not got around to doing any videos not done any more in my Open Spine Journal either and crafting has had to go on hold because I needed to bake as we are having the hedges cut and the two men will be working in all kinds of weather so I thought they could have a nice biscuit or two with their cuppa.  The only other crafting has been my Thursday Journal page - I blame these dark nights and mornings.  Anyway, here is my desk which is what you all came to see - tidy once more.  Hopefully won't last!  (the Circus stuff is something I have had for years - got it out hoping it might inspire me to put it together)

ps Shaz in Oz - hope your card arrives in Gambia

Jeudi Journal - Dreams

Another 'fingers crossed' that Wendy and I are on the same quote, I think we should be - and today it is "A life without dreams would be just a life".  For this one I started with a plain cream page and then, using my hand carved leaf stamp (which most of you could not see last week) I stamped a border down one side and lightly across the top.  I used second generation stamping throughout and a mixture of Distress Oxides in  Scattered Straw, Carved Pumpkin, Crackling Campfire, Candied Apple, Ripe Persimmon. Fired Brick, Picked Raspberry and Rustic Wilderness.  I also used the first three mentioned to colour in my mushrooms at the base of the page and enjoyed painting them so much I stamped an extra set, cut them out and affixed them with foam stickies.

"The story concerns a young girl, Janice, who is a self confessed daydreamer, has been all her young adult life.  Sometimes it would get her into trouble at school, usually in math lessons when her mind would wander to other things much more interesting than geometry or algebra.  She was a good girl though, and always in the upper half of the class when it came to exam time.

It was a lovely autumn day, the sun was shining, the leaves were turning and falling from the trees and Janice had taken her little dog out for a walk.  She let him off the lead so he could run about, sniffing at all the different things on the woodland floor and she sat herself down on a piece of wood by the side of some toadstools.  It wasn't long before her mind wandered to her upcoming 17th birthday and she wondered what her parents would buy her - and would they let her have a party.  Just a few friends, maybe even better still, a sleepover with Pat and Lynda - now that would be ideal.  Yes, that would be what she would ask mum if she could have, just her two best friends over, something a bit sophisticated for them to eat, but still there would be balloons and presents and oh it would be fun.  

Shouting for Toby her little dog, she got up and began walking quickly back home, she needed to talk to mum and tell her what she really really wanted for her birthday,  No expensive presents, just a sleepover and it really would not cost much, she was sure mum would cook a lovely meal for them.  Maybe they would go Italian and have pizza, or Chinese with some Chow Mein and maybe dad would let them have a bottle of something fizzy, that looks a bit like champagne,

Bursting in the door she ran in to her mother and straight away began telling her what she would really like for her birthday, it was her dream to have a sleepover and a nice grown up meal for her and her friends.

Mum looked at her, smiled that knowing smile that mums often have and said "You've been dreaming again haven't you?"  She knew her daughter  was a dreamer but she also knew that a life without dreams would be just a life and where was the fun in that?"

I am entering this page in Tracy's challenge at Art Journal Journey where the challenge is 'my favourite colour is October' - I think my leaves and mushrooms will qualify it for an entry.

WOYWW 647

Another WOYWW day and I do have something to show you.  Been busy doing Christmas Cards again but had to sneak a couple of other cards in between.

This was a birthday card for a horse crazy young girl the daughter of a friend I used to work with.  I made a horsey card last year and I have another image ready for next year.  Hope at 15 she is not too old for these cards.

And this one, below, was for my niece who is one of the loveliest young mums you could ever wish to meet, she is a real sweetie.  It is much nicer in real life.  The two flowers at the top are very delicate, made with Parchment, stamped in white and embossed.  It's all very pale pink and sadly  I don't know how to darken the photo so you can see it better.

The third one is one I made for a Mingle with a Papercraft group that I am in.  We lost one of our longest serving members.  She was a lovely lady, bags of fun and so we were asked to make a humorous card in her memory.  This was mine to a lady called Wendy - I almost changed the wording to some of my own until I found out what its background was.  Let's just say the ladies are drinking tea and the recipients husband used to be a vicar.

Well, you came here to see my desk and here it is in all its glory.  I was near to the end of putting "ladies" in my Open Spine Journal so I took a couple of photographs for you:

Far left you can see a silver tin which has several small journals inside, it normally sits on a shelf.  Then there are my Caran D'Ache crayons and above it a picture I am colouring for my Journal.  The grey thing behind is a three pen set and then two of my paint boxes and some tiny paint brushes.  That is my Open Spine Journal in the front and my scalpel.  Still haven't got around to videoing my Journal so here are a couple of shots where I am at now - just one page to go

Above is the cover, at the moment just a sheet of paper and the lace hinges.  No idea what I am going to put on the front of it as yet.

Four of the pages - as you can see one is blank at the moment

I am not sure whether I will decorate the pages more than they are - maybe it will be a bit too much with the heavily patterned paper on some of the pages and I did put some borders and things on anyway.  There are a few left blank for writing on but, as in the one above with the lady in red, it does look a bit plain.  Maybe when I have something on all of the pages and do a video you can advise as to whether to leave or carry on decorating.

Got my booster on Friday - not through my GP, I feel they have let me down so I have booked through the NHS who sent me a letter instructing me how to go about it.  Chas had his on Monday so hopefully in two weeks we will both be fully covered again.  

Nothing else on the horizon so I guess I will leave it there for now and hopefully see you next Wednesday here at WOYWW.

Jeudi Journal - Adventure

 Now I might find that Wendy and I are doing different pages this week.  I have got myself in a muddle as to what we agreed and didn't.  I sent a list to her and then found another list and I had an email saying she was happy with the first four so here goes - "The journey is the start of the adventure" a Dyan quote again.

For the background I used Crackling Campfire and Wild Honey DO smooched all over an already coloured and stencilled page which I did not like.  (It was in pinks and yellows - very summer, not autumnal at all).  When dry I used an Aall & Create Stencil with Platinum Crackle Paste through it to give me a compass with eight points showing.  In order to fit more into Tracey's theme at Art Journal Journey I added some leaves around the edge with my home made stamp (yes Alison, this is the one and only I carved ).  Then I chose to have three figures for my story this week:

You all know stories by Enid Blyton featuring 'the Famous Five' and 'the Secret Seven' - well this features 'the Thrill Seeking Three' (ok you find a suitable word for me that begins with 'th' - I should have stuck with two figures and they could have been the "Troublesome Two") who are friends all living close to one another.  

"One day Georgina, George to her friends, decided that they needed to go out and have an adventure.  This time they were to go orienteering.  She didn't really know what it entailed but big brother Fred had been orienteering with the Scouts recently and it sounded fun.  So armed with map and compass off the trio set on the journey of a lifetime.  Peter never was much good with maps and things and so he said he would just go along with whatever the girls said and he would "bring up the rear" and carry the little knapsack along with the bottle of liquorice water and chocolate bar Celine brought.  His contribution to the whole adventure had been his catapult, after all there could be wild animals where they were going, you never knew what was going to be around each corner.

And so the intrepid explorers orienteers set off, heading for the woods, George carrying the map and with her *ticketed hat on to show she meant business.  She was the leader of the group and she was not just 'in charge' but totally responsible for the safety and well being of the others.  It was dark in the woods, a little bit spooky and ever so quiet apart from the rustling of the leaves beneath their feet.  George called a "reccie" and explained the rules of orienteering (the ones she made up on the spot) as they got to the edge of the woodland.  It all sounded very exciting indeed, a little scary and ever so difficult, Peter had no idea they had to collect things on the way and Biology had not been his strongest subject at school so he didn't know the difference between a beechnut and an acorn, he was more interested in finding a wolf and saving them all from it with his trusty catapult.

And so the journey began, George led the way and Celine made sure she did not stray far from any of her friends, she wasn't that keen on being on their own in the woods like this.  Any other person would have found this to be a most interesting walk as they made their way through picking up leaves that had turned rust and ruby red and orange.  Peter actually found an acorn or two and some lovely little fir cones, the tiniest he had ever seen all growing on one tiny sprig.  He knew his mother would be delighted with these, if George allowed him to keep them, as she was into papercrafting and they would be perfect for one of her Christmas cards.

Before the three of them knew it they had come out of the wooded area and were on the other side which opened out into a lovely big meadow with cows grazing and various birds flying overhead.  It was only a short walk down the lane to home now and so the three of them shared out the goodies they had collected, Celine took her little knapsack and they made their ways to their individual houses.

Fred was in the garden raking up some leaves for his mother when Georgina arrived home and he asked where she had been.  She told him they had been orienteering and explained all about the trip.  Fred smiled, there was a bit more to orienteering than what his little sister had experienced, maybe one day he would tell her, and as he said to their Mother, "George just went for a walk through the wooded area of the local park thinking she was orienteering.  I had to hide a smile when she told me about it but at the end of the day 'the journey is the start of an adventure' whether just a walk or orienteering".

*You know how fishermen sometimes wear hats, with lots of flies that they have tied, stuck in, well, George had written out, on separate cards, a list of the various meetings the Thrill Seeking Three had had over the past few months since they were formed, and most importantly one of the cards contained the names and addresses of the three of them - just in case they got captured by someone when on an adventure.

I will use this leaf stamp again next week as you can hardly see it in the picture above

WOYWW 646

Back again with another of those Wednesdays that keep coming around so fast I can't keep up with them.  Has someone put a whizz thing on "time" to make it go so quickly of late?  All I know is that WOYWW (which I love, don't get me wrong) seems to be coming around much quicker than it used to.  Is it because the nights are drawing in, the days actually ARE shorter?  Anyway, since my splurge of activity last week I can't think what I have done this week - nothing to show you.  

I have been stamping lots of ladies ready for my Open Spine Journal - the one I keep saying I will show you.  Seems little point in showing you an open book, pretty paper for the pages but nothing in it - hardly worth doing a video is it but then you can't see it all if I just do the odd photograph.  Hopefully soon (notice I do not promise next week again) you will get to see it with at least some images in.  So my desk is here after stamping lots of images:

I've actually covered up the images but you can see the red rubber from some of the stamps I have used.  These are very old stamps.  Indeed they go back to my early days of stamping but I must say they stamp beautifully - perfect clear images, even the silhouette ones stamped perfectly first time around.  I don't know who made the ones you can see but I know a lot of my stamps I have used are from Non Sequitur which may be a name some of you have never heard of.  The ones you can see are all Erte designs.  Erte was a French artist, Russian by birth, and known for his elegant fashion and stage designs.  You will recognise his designs once you see them if the name does not mean anything to you.  Anyway, I was totally into his designs so have quite a few rubber stamps I can use in my book, in fact I did not know I had so many until I came to use them the other day.  Then there are my Versafine Claire inkpads I have been using (3 shades of brown), a yellow cloth from Costco that my bff gave me for cleaning stamps (it works well) and my Christmas bits box (the pale blue with the bubbles on).

At the moment the images are all packed up ready for me to start colouring in probably with Promarkers but also with some paints as some of them are tiny and therefore intricate.  This is my "I might go away again" photo which, if I don't doesn't matter, it can be unpacked and used at home.  There's my Flesh Promarkers on the top, my Open Spine Journal (yeah), my other promarkers (ex Felix pouch box) and my two current Dylusion Journals,

A couple of weeks ago I showed you a plant growing at the side of the promenade in Morecambe.  Last week I forgot to show you the plant growing on the TOP of the rocks.  I think it is a cotoneaster.  Much nicer than the sycamore that sprouts up here and there.

You can see how close it is to the sea and that day was high tide something we rarely have seen.  It was so interesting to see all the birds waiting for it to go out so they could start picking at whatever had been washed in.

Rightio, think I will leave it there.  See you next week, all being well.

AJJ - October

I finally got around to uploading a page in my big square journal which is my entry for the talented Tracy's challenge over on Art Journal Journey - My Favourite Colour is October.  This journal is one I made myself and there are several pages that are watercolour paper - this one is a rough textured cold press one.  It is part of a pad I inherited from a painter friend of mine and I love it for the texture you get when you paint on it - shame I am no watercolourist as it does not get used as intended.

Quite a while ago I went to a workshop with Seth Apter, such a lovely guy and so full of ideas.  This time one of the things we had to do was to take photographs of places we had visited that were of interest.  We then had to select a section and scratch the surface off it in that place.  I had this photograph of a door which I saw years ago somewhere in Cyprus.  I love old doors and this one, along with the broken plaster wall, really spoke to me.  So, remembering what Seth had taught us I began scratching the windows out and I was delighted to find they came out in shades of yellow and orange - perfect for autumnal crafting.  

As a tribute to Seth I decided to use some of his diecut circles and so cut them out in Kraft card but then coloured some to be in keeping with autumn's colours.  I coloured another piece of the watercolour paper in orange and added a little stamping on top.  This worked well with a couple of scraps of orange paper I found.  As I do like orange with its complementary colour, blue, and the fact that the door is blue, I painted the background Prussian Blue and added some bits of orange and brown to it but then rubbed them off - and I liked the result.

Three blue stars and a couple of thin strips of waste paper and I was ready to begin layering my piece together, but it needed another contrast and therefore I introduced a little bit of green to the whole thing.  As it had been in a ring bound book it had the perforations along the top of the biggest/main piece so I decided to keep them and I layered a strip of rust coloured paper beneath.

I am now thinking of all the other 'scratched' photographs I have (mainly Barcelona - think Gaudi) and wondering if I should make a book entirely of them - maybe call it "Memories of Places I Love" - "Scratched but Not Forgotten" or something.