Jeudi Journal - Love

Today we set off on a new set of quotes and the first one is "I am looking for someone to love me in spite of who I am" and we are marrying this again with the challenge set by Erika and Valerie at Art Journal Journey - Poetry and a figure from the Dylusion range of stamps.

I split my page and the top half has a scene relating to the poem which I made using some of my Lavinia stamps, below we have Ann looking quite forlorn and the quote as above with the poem "And I'll meet you in my dreams somewhere only the two of us know in the meadow beyond the stream where the wild roses grow."

"Ann was an only child, quiet, somewhat timid, and with very few friends when she was at school.  The sort of girl who could easily get bullied but who managed to avoid anything like that because she had always kept herself very much to herself.  Her parents absolutely doted on her and either mum or dad would always collect her from school in the evenings, not wanting her to walk home on her own for fear of something happening to her.

Ann was now in her final year, just 16 and such a pretty girl with long eyelashes and a lovely slim figure.  She would stand in the corridor and listen to the other girls talking about their boyfriends and what they were getting up to that weekend.  Plans were made to go to the end of year Prom and most seemed to have boyfriends to take them.  Even the ones who didn't had had some boy ask them if he could be their escort for the evening.  Poor Ann just stood there on the fringe listening to all the excited chatter.

She loved English lessons, in particular poetry and one of her favourite poems talked of meeting up with someone secretly in a beautiful place by a stream.  Many nights she would sit in her bedroom and dream of the boy who was waiting for her by the stream.  He would pick one of the wild roses and present it to her and tell her how much he loved her.  

"Oh if only" she sighed one particular night.  "I am looking for someone to love me in spite of who I am."

Just then the doorbell rang and her mother shouted up to her "Ann, someone has put a note through the door and it is addressed to you.  I got there as soon as I could but there was nobody around.  Can you come down and see what it is, it might be important."

Ann went down the stairs slowly, who would be writing a note to her?  "I'll take it up to my room mum" she said.  And with that she slowly walked back to her bedroom and threw the letter onto the bed, not recognising the handwriting.  

She began tidying around, mum wanted to take her shopping for a lovely dress for the Prom but she wasn't that bothered about going to be honest.  "Guess I'd better start looking on Pinterest for some ideas for a dress" she said to nobody in particular, afterall there was nobody there!

It started to go dark and Ann suddenly remembered the letter on her bed.  Sitting down she slit the envelope open and began reading the torn piece of paper inside.  It was from one of the boys at school.  He was the one who had won the Science Prize three years running.  Tall, dark, not particularly handsome but definitely more than passable - and he was asking if he could take her to the Prom.  

Ann could not believe her eyes.  Someone was taking her to the Prom, she wasn't going to have to go alone after all.   What would her mother say?  What would the other girls say when she turned up with Giles as her escort?  Could this be the start of a romance?

Ann's face lit up, she whirled around and around in her room smiling and thinking about her dress with more enthusiasm than she had shown in years."

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 First of all, thanks to Michelle for being my newest follower.  I hope I can produce a bit more in the coming weeks for you to enjoy.  Thanks for following.

It's Wednesday and time for another snoop around the desks of the world.  Gosh, I've been nosing around desks for so long now it's a wonder my nose isn't long and bendy, perhaps as long as Pinocchie's when he tells lies.  Well, I was not there at the very beginning, was there early on but 15 years of desk snooping certainly means I have been a very nosey person.  Congrats to Julia who started all this fifteen years ago.  Happy Birthday WOYWW and all that.

Well, we made the most of the good weather and took off for a few days having a long weekend of rest and sunshine.  Took lots of crafting to do but did n't get it done, did some 'housekeeping' in the evenings and stamped some images on paper ready to file away.  These were all images I had been buying whilst laid up with the knee.

So today I have started on the lamination of them ready to put into their respective file boxes.

My worktop.  Stamped images married with the actual stamps and just popped in a plastic wallet awaiting laminating.  The white box is what I usually store all my Lavinia stamps in and the Parisian designed box is a sort of suitcase that I used to carry my stamps in when I was travelling.  It's empty now.

This is my small table where I sit and stamp.  I've stamped some of the images that didn't get done whilst away.  Still got to finish off but my back is aching so I've called it a day.  I've had a bit of an upset tum today, probably the curry I had last night (not home made) and I've developed an open sore just below my scar on my knee so I didn't get discharged today.

At weekend we made a trip to the Derwent factory as I fancied trying some Chromaflow pencils.  On their site on the internet it suggested buying a few of their various products to try out.  If you bought six or twelve and so on you got a free tin which is why we made the trip up.  A day out, me getting my pencils and hopefully a nice meal somewhere.  Imagine my disappointment when I got to the checkout desk to be told I had to buy a tin, they did not give them away.  Not wishing to be embarrassed I just paid for them and left.  Had I seen this offer on a retailers site?  Got it wrong?  No, it was there on the Derwent site when I got back and nowhere did it say it was not available in their shop.  So I have written and told them how disappointed I was especially after we had to pay £3 parking charge for 5 minutes of parking.

However, I loved the pencils and would like more but will have to wait a bit before I can buy them at £1.85 a pencil.  So I think Saturday will see me come armed with various colouring mediums and some images to finish off, be they cards or in my journal.  I do have two silhouette cards to make for a swap I entered so maybe I can do those and then get them off before the end of the month.

Hopefully next week I will have a few different things to show you as I have quite a bit unfinished work hanging about.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.  Save me a seat as I might be a little late seeing as I don't move as fast as I did before Christmas.  Are you all excited or what?  I am.

Jeudi Journal - Sleep

 Once again I was tasked, along with my friend Wendy, with a quote from Tim Holtz Snarky Comments "The fact that I have more clothes to sleep in than I go out in says a lot about me as a person" and the challenge by Erika and Valerie on Art Journal Journey "Poems" so Wednesday afternoon was spent thinking about how to get around this one.  The trouble was with a pending visit to The Lakes my head was reciting William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" over and over again as I thought of a day in Grasmere that was on the agenda.

A hasty scrabble through my stamps showed that I did not have any daffodil images apart from a huge one which would not go with a Dylusion figure I also had to use in the mix.  Come to think of it I didn't have a Dylusion figure that would work in PJ's either!  It was a choice between back to the drawing board or think around it.  I chose the lastter.

"Rosa was sat having her morning coffee as usual squatting on the floor.  It was good for you to sit on the floor she thought as her mind wandered to her exercise classes.  Teacher always said that it was good to sit on the floor and hold your back up straight, 'strengthens the pelvic floor' she remembered being told.  Rosa was conscious of how she looked  and did her Pilates exercises every chance she got.  Her friends all thought she was pretty, had a good figure and she was a lovely girl both inside and out.

Jinxy came wandering along, he was the love of her life, her four legged friend and confidante.  By the look on his face it was time to get showered and take him for a walk.  But what should she wear?

"If only I could go out in these lovely pink silk pyjamas" she said out loud, "they are so comfortable and feel so lovely against my skin.  I think they compliment my skin colour too, but then people say I can wear most colours and look good.  I have mum to thank for that and her genes.

"Oh Mum" she uttered out loud, "she will be wanted me to decide what I am wearing for the girly weekend that is coming up.  The fact that I have more clothes to sleep in than I go out in says a lot about me as a person.  I love lounging about in PJ's when I come in from college."

As if both minds were working together telepathically her mum shouted up to her "Rosa, what are you going to take with you up to the Lakes this weekend?  You need something warm for the evenings and you had better be prepared for wet weather as well."

"Oh Jinxy, I wish you were coming with me this weekend, it would be lovely if we were staying in a little cabin in the woods and I could live in my PJ's the whole time, even take you out for a walk in them with a large coat over the top and my boots on.  I am going to miss you whilst I am away with my friends but I promise I will bring you some lovely gingerbread from that famous shop in Grasmere back with me."

Jinxy gave a little yap as if he understood, or was it to remind Rosa that he was waiting for his morning walk and she needed to shower and get dressed quickly."

I could not find a suitable Dylusion body and so I just used a Dylusion head on a clip art body that I found and added a little dog by Dyan as a nod to her images on this page.  

I wasn't surprised that I did not have any small daffodil images and so I just did a cloud, using ink pads and some white pastel clouds showing that Rosa was thinking about a weekend away with friends in the Lake District based around William Wordsworth's poem written when he and his sister were walking in the countryside of England's Lake District.  I added two Daffodil images at the side and tried to show some yellow pastel 'scribble' to imitate the flowers at the base of the thought cloud.   

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Wow, even the north of England is having some sunshine at last.  It's been a glorious Bank Holiday weekend but sadly we didn't make the most of it.  Old age, aches and pains put paid to that but nevertheless we had a lovely weekend and it was great to have some sunshine in the garden to enjoy.  Sadly the wind, days before, had taken care of my tulips but there were other flowers to enjoy and the gentle hum of a bee could be heard as we sat outside.

Knee is doing much better, it's at the almost healed stage and I am finding I can bend it more and more as I do my exercises.  The other half is finding his back is improving and he is up to driving around again much to my delight yesterday morning when it was clinic day.

Did an online workshop with Jo Rice at weekend but could not keep up and had to sit and watch the last card as Jo deftly wielded her brushes across the cardstock whilst I sat watching and colouring in one of the ones I had managed to do.  Hopefully will have them done by next week ready to show you.  I discovered it's difficult when you cannot move around your tiny craft room as normal.

I substituted one of the house images but was disappointed with what I did so am turning it into a birthday card for a friend.  Luckily she doesn't come on here so won't see it as it's on my desk at the moment waiting to be completed along with some old ATC's, ATC blanks, my baby wipes and some pockets for storing polymer stamps in.  Oh, the round thing - it's my collapsible water pot - collapsed.

Now to get on with my ATC's for the Crop.  If I say 'see you next week' it'll be true in some ways, all being well.  Have a good week everyone.

Jeudi Journal - Bad Mood

 My journal page for Art Journal Journey today features Walter de la Mare's "Five Eyes".  Now that is something a bit different to usual but in order to do the challenge at Art Journal Journey as set by Valerie and Erika I had to include a piece of poetry.  And so my journey began with a search on the internet for one of Walter de la Mare's poems as I remember studying his work when I was at school.  "Five Eyes" immediately stood out in my mind when I saw it and I thought maybe I could link it to my page using Dylusion images and somehow bring in the quote from 'Tim Holtz' Snarky Comments "I thought I was in a bad mood, but it's been a few years so I guess this is who I am now.".  

As the poem is set in a windmill you can see a CBeebies short film about milling grain here: -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4my5CdWyYCo

"A long time ago in Holland there lived an old miller called Hans.  He had three cats, Jekkel, Jessup and one-eyed Jill.  The cats lived happily in the mill chasing rats to keep them away from the grain that went into the milling for Hans to turn into flour.  All of their activity took place at night when it went dark as that was the time the rats were most likely to come out.  Most of the time during the day they would curl up and sleep and live normal cat lives.

Jekkel, being the only male cat, was most protective of one-eyed Jill, the baby of the family.  You see their mother cat had crossed the rainbow bridge a while ago, but before she went she made Jekkel promise he would look after his two sisters, especially the youngest, one-eyed Jill, who had lost her eye in a cat-fight with another kitten.

Jessup was a real tom-boy type of female cat.  She was always competing with her brother, Jekkel, to catch the most rats each evening.  Sometimes she could be quite aggressive in her approach to rat catching and this often led to her and her brother having an argument.  In fact only the other morning when they were totting up the number of rats each had caught she and Jekkel had a big argument.  Jekkel began throwing out all kinds of accusations and bringing up past indiscretions of Jessups.

"I have enough to do looking after Jill" shouted Jekkel as he ran around in circles chasing his tail, "it's always got to be a competition with you Jessup.  We are here to watch the grain and stop those horrible rats from eating it for Hans and his family.  They need the money and without it there would be no Mill and therefore no home for us.  Don't you see?"

"Are you saying I am in a bad mood?" asked Jessup.

"Yes, I am.  And you are always in one, always have been to be honest" replied Jekkel.

"Yes, I am in a bad mood.  I thought I was in a bad mood, but it's been a few years so I guess this is who I am now" she replied sulkily.  "Or at least that is what you are implying."

Just then little one-eyed Jill spoke up.  "Stop arguing you two.  It is upsetting to me and I know I catch the least number of rats so I feel bad when you get like this Jessup."

"Sorry" said Jekkel.

"Sorry" said Jessup.

Just then they heard the door open and the familiar 'clip clop' as Hans began climbing the stairs.  Quickly the trio sat in a line and greeted Hans with the usual "Miaow" chorus as they waited for the creamy bowl of milk they got in a morning."

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 Another Wednesday, another meeting of like minded friends on the internet.  I say 'friends' because that's what we have become even though some of us have never even met face to face, all thanks to Julia who started this WOYWW desk snoop some 14 years, 11 months and 1 week (I think) ago.  It's a happy little club to be a member of.

So, my desk.  Well, to be honest I didn't know where to start taking a photo today so I have literally stood back towards the door and taken it.  It's just been a dumping ground and as DH has now got a bad back he is using my typing chair from my craft room to sit on to give him support.  I have to be careful getting in and out as cupboards and cabinets by the door are all piled up so the chair could be wheeled out.  Ready?

I have been playing catch up with an online workshop that I watched last month but it is not finished as yet so I cannot show you what I was doing.  However I needed to do something last week to give me a kick start and so below are some cards I made in navy and white.  These are now in my stash for any birthdays that come along where I need a card.  They had to be made standing up as I was not bending my knee sufficiently at the time so they took a while, plus the images were embossed which I find is better done standing up anyhow.

The one in half should be the other way around and a sentiment will be stamped in the curve depending on the occasion.  It is a Stampendous image and the other one is a Honey Doo image.  

Well, having just read Julia's blog I guess I should make a start on some ATC's for the Crop which is to be held this month.  Great time to meet up with some of the others and a new venue this time.  Now what am I going to do?  Not a clue at the moment?

Jeudi Journal - Sarcasm

 This week the quote from Tim Holtz' book of Snarky Comments is "My level of sarcasm has gotten to the point where I don't even know if I'm kidding or not".

Because I missed a substantial amount of Valerie's challenge "Geometric Shapes" at Art Journal Journey I decided to include a few using my Aall & Create Stencils to give her 'circles, squares, diamonds, circles and semi-circles' which remind me of protractors as used in geometry.

"Jacqui woke up early that morning having had a troubled sleep filled with not so nice dreams.  Nothing scary, just 'not so nice', and they bothered her.  "Am I really that kind of person?" she asked herself, hands on hips, as she looked in the mirror.  

She had been at the gym the day before and she had overheard some of the other girls obviously talking about someone.  When she went over to join them they all had fallen silent.  Now if that wasn't an indication that they were talking about her she didn't have blonde hair.  Jen had gone a bit red in the face and so she wondered if that was anything to do with her having a bit of fun with Jen towards the end of the session.

"My level of sarcasm has gotten to the point where I don't even know if I'm kidding or not" she said to Laurie her little dog.  "I'm not a bad person really, I just make these sarcastic comments now and then but the girls all know that it's just my way of having fun".

Laurie just walked past her and she realised there was not much point in talking to the dog but who could she talk to about such a delicate matter?

"Perhaps it's time to go and see big sister" she said.  "At least Valerie will be honest with me and tell me  if I am being a bit paranoid or not.  She usually sticks up for me when I have arguments with my friends but this is a bit different, it's me asking her for honest advice."

And with that she turned to Laurie, "Go get your lead, we are off to see your Aunty Val.  I know you like going to hers because she always has a treat for you.  Hope she has one for me too."

Last week Wendy said she struggled with the quote, well Wendy - this week I did.