WOYWW 745

 I showed you a couple of the wedding photos last week and forgot to show you the wedding card `i made.  Remember I could not get the flowers to look realistic so I gave up and put words on the front?  Well, here is it - including all the decoupage I did

excuse the wonky photo

7 layers of stamping for her dress

and the box

Jayne had included a red rose in every bouquet, every buttonhole, and there were touches of red at the reception.  This was in memory of 'Grandma' a much loved figure who was the groom's mother who had passed not long ago.  Grandma meant so much to her family and Jayne, so Jayne wanted to include her in some way and this was with a touch of red.  That was why I had a red heart on my box.   

Wasn't last week warm?  Thank goodness for the seaside, it was lovely to walk along the prom and get a bit of breeze from the water's edge.  Well, that led me to doing some crafting as you saw last week (well the start of it).  Here are the finished cards - I did two of each design from a class with Jo Rice. (whoo hoo - a "C" card done - one is in my journal.)

When I got home I had a delivery of more Lavinia stamps.  I love Halloween and so could not resist getting one or two of the new collection.  I added a couple of other stamps that I have been wanting and so I ended up cataloguing them yesterday:

I stamp the images on a piece of paper and then laminate it, then they are stuck to the laminated sheet and put in a box, itemised of course.  You can see the Pumpkin ones I have stamped but the others are just placed on a piece of paper ready for stamping.

Well I had better leave it there and link in to WOYWW.  Hope you all have a lovely week and weekend as what the weather is like where you are (dull here).

Jeudi Journal - Procrastination

Another week working in my square journal and today we have Mrs Marmalade Cat and her little one who is always by her side.  She was not usually one for putting things off but today the sun had shone and she had got up, Mr M had gone off to work and she and little Joey had the whole day to themselves.  

"Bother the housework" she said to herself, "Joey, do you want to go out for the day?  We can go to the seaside or to the zoo, or one of those sculpture parks you like so much."

"Sculpture Park, Sculpture Park" shouted Joey, whilst jumping up and down for joy.  He hadn't been there for a long time but he loved the open green spaces where he could run and the fun of finding the various sculptures that were dotted here and there.

And so Mrs Marmalade Cat put on her pretty yellow dress with the cherries all over it and off the two of them went.  It was a lovely day, the sun never stopped shining and parts of the Park had lots of trees providing the essential shade that was needed on such a day.

Joey loved going out with his mother, it was always a good day with lots of ice cream and treats along the way.  Father Cat did tend to put a stop to so much spending but with Mum he managed to have the time of his life.

They set off with a map and spotted all of the sculptures in the park, had a lovely lunch and finished off with strawberries and ice cream.  Joey was allowed to choose a toy mouse from the shop at the entrance to the Park and all in all it was a fabulous day for him.

Mrs Marmalade Cat loved going out with their son too, she loved being able to do all the things she used to do in her childhood and it was so nice to have a change from the usual routine.  Had they stayed at home Joey would have played in the garden with the kitties from next door whilst she would have been doing the washing, cleaning, cooking and million other jobs that befell her daily.  Maybe even Grandma would have called and held her up with the jobs whilst she entertained her and listened to how wonderful her sister in law was.  Yes, it was good to have a day out with Joey - "from a procrastination point of view, today has been wildly successful" she said to herself as they made their way back home.  A  good day out for the two of them, and she felt so much better for it, Mr Marmalade Cat would enjoy the kippers they had bought and it would take no time at all to cook them.  

This is my entry for Elle's challenge at Art Journal Journey which is 'books, cats and tea'.  You don't have to include all of them, just one will do and so I decided to go with cats.  Next week I will try one of the other things, but in the meantime why don't you pop over and see what everyone has done and then you could join in yourself - providing it was a journal or altered book page and not a card.

Wendy and myself have set ourselves a challenge and that is to use Dylusion figures and include a snarky comment - this then has to link in with the theme at Art Journal Journey.  Today we have to remember that "Procrastination is the thief of Time".

WOYWW 744

 Wow, it's hot.  What a surprise this hot weather was.  Was almost expecting a wet day for the wedding on Saturday but the sun shone and my jacket ended in the boot of the car all day.  So glad it was a lovely day for my friend Jayne and her husband Jim, a delightful couple who should be jetting off on their honeymoon today.  

Meanwhile we decided to pay a visit to the coast with the weather proving so hot and I thought I had better take some crafting with me 

Top of the photo is the box that I carried my stuff in and some samples on the top - the top one is one that Jo Rice gave to me, cute isn't it?  You can just see the blue case that holds all my Inktense pencils for colouring.  Now at the base we have the piece I was working on when I took the photo last night, then the moon masks from Lavinia and peeking in are the stamps I took with me for these pieces I wanted to try out.  All from a class with Jo Rice.

There ar two other pieces wo maybe next week you will get to see all three completed.  And one is a "C" card - ooer!  But now I will show you a couple of photos from the wedding.  Fist of all- the beautiful bride

and the two of them

had to include one of the beautiful bridesmaids, Alicia

with her boyfriend Ryan

Must get Jayne to lighten this photo for me when when she gets back from honeymoon and settled into being Mrs Whaley.

In the meantime I will leave it there, hope you all enjoyed the wedding photos, most women like a good wedding photo don't they.  Don't think you  WOYWW'ers are any different and hope you loved seeing the photos.

Despite Saturday being a lovely day with the wedding it was tinged with sadness.  Do you remember my best friend passing on my birthday in March?  Well, I had a missed call from her eldest son whilst at the wedding and when I was on my way home I learnt that her youngest son had passed that morning.  Cleaning his car he didn't feel well so rang his dad who went down and decided to take him to hospital.  Sadly he died in the car on the way.  Geoff was a happy young man (52) who always had a grin on his face and his eyes twinkled when he talked to you,  It's been hard as I've known him since he was a tiny little one and always gone to all the family celebrations.  Cannot believe he is gone.

Sorry for more doom and gloom.

Jeudi Journal - Alone

"Cindy is so excited, all she can think about is the trip she and Wayne are going to make when they get to America.  She has always loved their biking holidays but they missed out last year because they decided they wanted to do 'the big one' and go to America.   This was what they had been saving for over the past two years and she was so excited.

She and Wayne had been seeing one another for the past four years since they were in High School together and she was so sure that he was 'the one'. They had both taken Saturday jobs to help pay for the trip and next week they were flying to Chicago with Virgin airlines.  

Cindy could not wait to go and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was that she would get to see her older sister, Caroline, who had gone to live in Los Angeles and promised she would be waiting at the pier in Santa Monica when they arrived.  Caroline had arranged the hire of a motorbike for them and it would be waiting at the O'Hare when they arrived.

It was five o'clock in the evening as she packed her work station up in the office.

"Hey, you coming for a drink with us?" shouted one of her coworkers.  "We decided to go to Harry's Bar and discuss the Awards Evening and what we were going to wear."

"I'd love to talk, but I'm in a hurry to get home so I can be alone" Cindy shouted back.  "I need to have some time on my own to sort out the final details, it's only a week away and there are lots of things to sort."

"OK" said Sian, "you'll fall in with what we decide then I take it?"

There was no reply.  Cindy had already gone through the door, there was so much to do and besides which Wayne was coming over and they really needed to finalise the plans.  It had only been a little white lie about being alone."

This is the last post for Chris' challenge over on Art Journal Journey and last week Erika gave me the idea of using motor bikes with using them in her challenge.  I knew I had some Route 66 stamps somewhere but I couldn't find them.  Luckily I had some images already stamped and embossed.  A check on what colour gas pumps were in America revealed they were usually black (according to the internet) so I left all my images, except the little Michelin Man, black and white.

Thanks for the challenge Chris.

WOYWW 743

Well, I was just about to show you three cards I have made and suddenly realised that one person who has a birthday this coming Friday alway always, comments on my blog posts so I am having to hold his card back until next week.  

However I am going to my friend Jayne's wedding on Saturday and this is a card I made for her which enclosed a monetary gift from us.  She should have received it, opened it and put the cheque away/exchanged it for currency, by now and let's face it, she won't be going on my blog this week, far too busy.  So here is the gift card (Lavinia style) - the wedding card will have to wait until next week:

I bought this stamp at the show recently especially to do this gift card.  The wings were coloured and then Stickles put on for shine and shimmer, and for the centre of the sparkle from the fairy couple above but the rest of the sparkle was gold pen.

This was a quick card for her son who has just sat his GCSE's and I know she was pleased with his results.  I think I am right in thinking he likes cats and so I thought as he wants to become an accountant a cat studying the books (not cooking them) was appropriate.  It was a photo stamp and these can be tricky to get a good image so I used glossy paper and did a bit of alcohol inking for the backing piece.

So now all you WOYWW'ers and followers and maybe 'about to become WOYWW'ers' here is my desk showing all the messing about I did to try to get some flowers done for Jayne's wedding card.  I failed!  I used to be able to do flowers from cardstock but now I am too rusty (and old apparently) to do a good job so the card has now become 'classy' rather than ornate which would have been up Jayne's street.  Sorry Jayne.  (Glenda, wish you lived next door to me)

There should have been another photo of my table which was a real mess, much like above but mainly flowers of all descriptions, Orchids, Daisies, Sunflowers, Ariana Blooms etc - all white with a bit of sparkle.  Incidentally, I found a roll of what I thought was white sparkly stuff (Frosted Film?) from Tim Holtz and diecut some flowers with it - then discovered it was sticky backed stuff and not what I had thought at all.  Now binned!  Anybody used it and if so what for?

Last week I was in a bit of a 'fuddle' when writing my blogpost because the surgery had put me on a pathway (not explaining what a pathway really was) and uttered a word that we all dread as being a possible outcome.  Well, I went to the hospital last Wednesday and saw a lovely guy who really put me at ease telling me that a camera up my nose was similar to a covid test.  It really was and was over in a tick plus the results were given there and then and I was clear.  Phew!  All that worry for nothing.  It's just the lingering effects of  a serious bout of pneumonia from April which will clear in time.

That's it for this week.

Jeudi Journal - Tomorrow

 "Well, here we are, with two sisters, who are planning their holiday to Scotland.  The weather reports have been off-putting about going abroad with so many countries in Europe suffering from Forest Fires and some parts of America being flooded that the girls decided it was best to stay nearer home.  Ok the weather was not so good but as they intended doing lots of sight seeing it didn't matter.  Besides which they knew of some lovely beaches just outside Edinburgh, their mother had talked about her younger days spent in a place called Portobello and walking up to Musselburgh with her father when she was small.  So if they decided they wanted a beach day there was always there.  And if they went further afield St Andrews was another place mother remembered.

It was the night before the planned trip, several places had been marked out on the map, a book with mileage/directions in it was packed and the girls felt ready.

"What are you wearing to travel in?" enquired Bernadette.

"I didn't see anyone today so I'm wearing this again tomorrow" came Rachel's reply.

"You can't travel all day in something you wore today" 

"Why not?  I didn't get up until well gone past lunch time and I'm going to get in my pyjamas shortly."

"Oh I give up" said Bernadette, adjusting her glasses which had slid down her nose.  "At least I hope you are putting new tights on"

"Of course" replied Rachel, and I will wear more suitable footwear for driving, never could get on with the pedals in my car and my Doc Martins."

"I can see this is going to be a great holiday if you are not taking that many changes of clothing"

"No, I will change daily, it's just I like this dress and wish I had not worn it today so I thought I could get away with it tomorrow.  Besides which mother will be pleased, less washing"

And with that Rachel pranced off to their bedroom to get into her PJ's.  Tomorrow was going to be super - a holiday without parents!"

As you can see I tore a map page up (the only one I could find) to make my background and laid it down with gaps between various parts to indicate some of the roads the girls might take on their holiday.  Having just had a few days in Scotland I really enjoyed thinking of these two off for a trip - and without grown ups!  This now enables me to enter into Art Journal Journey's challenge, set by Chris, which is "Where in the World".

The snarky comment was "I didn't see anyone today so I'm wearing this again tomorrow."

WOYWW 742

 Hope I got the number right - my head is not working at all today - too much on my mind.  It's Tuesday night and I don't want to waken early in the morning so taking an extra tablet.  As you can see my desk is in a bit of a turmoil (like my head) and I have a special card to make as well.

Here is my normal desk

The aftermath of time away and a search for a suitable die to use for a special card which I should have done weeks ago.  It's for a special friend and I am so annoyed with myself that I did not start earlier.  His birthday sort of got in the way and I extended the week of celebrations into two.  Here is my table where I am working.

So cross as one of my boxes for my Lavinia stamps got broken in travelling.  That is it top left.  below it is the card I am working on, suitably covered with a new stamps and that's the other new stamp on the right.  That one covers the wooden stamp I used for the card.  There are my pens brought back from the caravan, a stamp pad and some scissors.  Sum total of this morning's work.

Anyway, we ventured north of the border and had some time in Scotland.  Surprised to see how Gretna Green had changed since we were last there - and we saw four weddings that had taken place in the blacksmith's cottage.                   

This spells LOVE and is composed of locks that people have written their names on and placed on the structure.  It goes around the back as well and, obviously, they sell locks in the shops.  The two 'owd codgers in the photo did NOT put a lock on.

This is the Blacksmith's cottage where marriages take place and above is the piper who stands there most days playing his bagpipes.

That's it for now, see you at Julia's desk later.