Jeudi Journal - Bad Ass

I must confess that I had not a clue what this quote I had to use today meant.  "I love how bad ass we think we are when we are together."  So I had to ask "him indoors" and I hope that the story fits the quote Wendy got from somewhere.

I decided to use a black background and my 'hardly ever used these days' Perfect Pearls.  First of all the powder in one stuck to the lid and when I opened it the lid remained at the bottom and the powder spilled all over the place.  Have you ever tried to clean mica powder up?  Then when I had finished it all, cleaned up and scanned the page it did not show up at all.  At this point I was ready to give up but a cuppa and a calm down later I took a photo  - joy of joys, it shows even though not greatly but I so wanted it to have this glowing autumnal effect for Alison's theme at Art Journal Journey.  Now to attempt a story:

"It was October half term and the girls had a whole week off school.  They had spent some time in the small wood near to where Bea lived and collected lots of conkers from the big Horse Chestnut tree at the bottom of the lane.  Excitedly they ran to Bea's house and began soaking the chestnuts in vinegar.

"What on earth do you think you are doing?" asked Bea's mum as she came into the kitchen and saw all the pots and pans - and mess - that the girls had made of her lovely sparkling kitchen.

"We are hardening our conkers" said Bea without looking up, "you see if you soak them in vinegar, then put them in the oven for a couple of hours it makes them harder and we want to be the best conker gang  in the area.

"There's a big match on at the end of the week just by the school yard and we want to be champions this year" explained Eden.

"Sorry Eden but if your mum will let you fair enough, but I am not cooking conkers in my oven.  Take the smelly things around to your house if you want and see if your mum will let you cook them there."

Disappointed the girls picked up the conkers, put them in a plastic bag and made their way to Eden's.

"Do you think your mum will let us put them in the oven at yours?" asked Bea.

"Not sure" answered Eden, "but I will try my very best."

Eden went in on her own, Bea stood quietly by the door waiting to see what was going to happen to their conkers.  Five minutes later Eden arrived with a smile on her face, mum had agreed.  And so the two girls went in and popped their conkers in the oven being ever so careful not to make any mess whatsoever.

"Mum, can we have something to drink whilst our conkers are cooking?" shouted Eden who was already eyeing the Parkin mum had made that morning.  A nice hot drink and a slice of mum's Parkin was just what the girls needed whilst they waited.

"Yes, and you can have a slice of Parkin if you promise to be careful" shouted mum back.

Both girls eagerly made a drink and helped themselves to the Parkin, sat down and began planning what they were going to do when the conkers were threaded on string and ready to play with.

"I think we will definitely win the competition with these conkers" said Bea, "they are the biggest and bestest we have ever seen and baking them in the oven like this will make them well hard.  A bit like us two, well hard!" she said with a giggle.

Yeah" replied Eden, "I love how bad ass we are when we are together,  And this year we are going to prove it to all of them at school.  We are going to be the best, the champions."

WOYWW 802

Another week has flown by and it will be Christmas before we know what happens.  Another four cards done in an on-line workshop with Jo Rice added to my growing pile.  At this rate I will be ready to get them out early enough.  Here are the latest four 

They were all done in various shades of brown - Versafine Clair Pinecone, Portobello and Sand Dune with Elements Sahara for shading.  At the moment, in my TV watching time I am trying to make lovely little bows.  Sometimes these old fingers freeze and make it impossible,

These need mounting on some card bases and then they can go in the box with the others.  In the meantime I have one or two things that need starting.  One is my art journal for tomorrow where the theme is 'autumnal colours' and the other is a Halloween card which I want to make for someone who I know celebrates it in a big way.  Then there is my swap card for an internet group I am on - not a clue what to do with this one. I also have my window sill Halloween Display to do.  I'd love to make something new for it but there isn't that much time.  Oh, and I have two birthday cards to get out this month.  Now have I any in the box suitable for those recipients?  Here's my table with the craft things on that I got out in readiness.

Left we have my box of Greek/Roman /Egyptian rubber stamps then some of my halloween stamps from the box behind and next to them is a set of stamps suitable for autumn.  In front right we have some inkpads ready for making a Halloween background.  Why do I always want to do the one thing that can actually wait?  It's the birthday cards and the journal page that need doing.  Maybe I should get those things out on the counter behind me. 

As I can't make my mind up here is a short video of the tumbler I did for Chas

Next week you will find which way I went with the various things in my head.  In the meantime why not join me over at Sarah's Craft Shed to see what others are doing - see you there in a short while.

Jeudi Journal - Crazy

This was written A MONTH OR SO AGO  so the hand is fine now and I have had to make some changes to the story and the journal page to fit in with the current theme.  Had to keep the bit in about my hand as someone saw the post before I had chance to delete it and she had commented.  Just ignore the first paragraph as it is irrelevant now.

What a morning!  I cut my hand on Tuesday on a trolley at the supermarket and this morning woke to find it still bleeding quite a bit and it is so sore to touch.  Held me up a bit sorting it out.  I think I am accident prone.  Not to worry I had to get my blog page done for Art Journal Journey.  Could I find the strip of paper that had all the quotes I had to use - no. It was nowhere to be seen and my desk was not that tidy, so hand throbbing and stemming the bleed with a piece of lint I set about looking for it.  To cut a long story short I could not find it and then I had a lightbulb moment.  Was it in my Journal?  Yes - found it so off to get started.

Cutting, colouring sticking I got it done eventually and then I realised I still had to write a story.  What had I done?  Well, the quote says "crazy" and the page is "crazy" so I need to pen a "crazy" story for you all.  And if I want to link it to Art Journal Journey where Alison has chosen 'Autumnal Colours and Inspiration" I need to make some changes to a page I did a while ago when Wendy moved house and I held this one back.

"Harold and Sidney had been at the same school for most of their lives but hadn't really struck up a friendship as such.  They weren't enemies, spoke to one another, even played games together now and then but it wasn't a real friendship and that is what Sidney wanted -  special friend - to be Harold's friend.

Harold was keen on science and he had a sort of 'set up' in his father's old shed.  Often there could be heard bangs and shrieks coming from the bottom of the garden.  It had even been known for the door to suddenly blow open and a green mist to come surging out.  His poor mother, Mrs Brown, looked out in despair most days when Harold was in there.

"I'm afraid, one of these days, Harold is going to blow himself up" she said to her neighbour.  "I have visions of the shed suddenly taking to the air, all kinds and colours of smoke following and my poor Harold lying prostrate on the floor when he lands back down.  Maybe even in your garden."

Mrs Brown was ever so pleased when Sidney called one cold damp autumn day to see if Harold was playing out.  

"He's down in his shed" she said, "you can go down there but please be careful.  I hope you are not another mad scientist."

Sidney made his way down.  "Hya" he called out at the door, "it's me, Sidney Black from school.  I wondered if I could come in and play with you.  Your mum said it was ok, she asked if I was a mad scientist, what did she mean?"

"Oh, that's just my mum" said Harold, "she thinks I'm crazy when I come down here.  You don't have to be crazy to be my friend - I'll train you" he went on to say with a grin.  "Come on in."

Sidney walked through the door.  Oops, what on earth was going on he thought to himself.  There were all sort of weird objects in the shed, what on earth were those things that looked like green eyeballs?

"Here, meet Fred and Stan" he said  pointing to some critters with weird pop out eyes, "oh, and that's Cuthbert on top of the glass cloche."  Cuthbert being the cutest little caterpillar you ever could wish to see.  "Ready to play?"

Sidney hesitated a moment as a great big orange spider dropped from above..  He had always wanted a special friend, he wondered what it would be like to have a 'weird friend' as someone special in your life.

"Right, Yes" he said as an eyeball attached itself to him.  This was going to be fun.  What an adventure the next week promised to be.  No school but lots of playing with Harold and the critters in his shed at the bottom of the garden where it was nice and warm away from the cold October days."

Apologies to Erika if I have got the glass dome name wrong and to Alison if it is not autumnal enough, I did try to alter some of the clothes and critters to fit in with your theme.

WOYWW 801

Sore arms- covid and flu jabs last Friday so sleepy from a couple of nights disturbed sleep when I turned over.  Luckily I did not post anything last week that I had made so I can get away with showing you what I have been up to without much effort.  It was nice to find out how many people had been with WOYWW for a good number of years and are still here or just popping in now and then to say hello.  I was surprised to find I had only missed 59 weeks of WOYWW, I thought it would be closer to the 100 mark.

I had been on another workshop with Jo and we made a Christmas Cracker, a card, decorated a brown paper bag and made a tag for a canvas wine bottle.  

Sorry the photo is a bit dark

I think the cracker will make a great gift bag so I need to buy something for my dh, probably a small bottle of whisky and wrap it in a pair of boring socks or undies - just need to check which he he is most in need of.  Or can any of you think of something better please?

My Christmas cards are mounting up nicely and I found another two cards I had recently made on another workshop with Jo that will be great with a little bow and a "Merry Christmas"greeting.  With the way that I am going I won't have a rush on this year although I am on the lookout for a 'special' card for himself.  I like to make one with a bit of movement, a kinetic card for dh.

Called to see my friend Jayne on our way to the caravan and she made me two more tumblers.  One for me to leave up there and one for Chas.  They really are super and keep your drinks hot for hours (or cold, even keeping the ice cubes intact if you include them).  I've found this mermaid one perfect for my overnight drinwhich I sit on the floor where it is easy to reach in the dark, take a sip through the metal straw (yes, it is a cold drink) and pop back on the floor until the next time.

I now wish I had made a Halloween one just because I love those witches but I really love the mermaid scenes so I went with that - whose to say I won't splash out on another but this time Halloween.

Here is my Mermaid one - it's only a quick twirl so takes seconds

Next week I will show you the one I made and Jayne put onto a tumbler for me to give to dh for a present.  Poor Chas, it had to be a Lavinia design but he chose what he wanted from my stamps and he is quite happy with a nice hot drink when out walking.

Have a good week and hopefully see you week 802 at Sarah's for another WOYWW.

Jeudi Journal - Autumn Woodland

 Looks as if Wendy is still having problems with her internet connection so here is another page from my Lavinia Journal for Alison's theme at Art Journal Journey - Autumn Colours and Inspiration.

The background uses Elements Sahara ink with Violet Chalk around the edges darkened in the corners and used very lightly with Mini Hill Masks towards the base.  I used a moon mask and darkened around the edges with emphasis on the bottom edge.

Tree Den and Tree Stem were then stamped using Versamark Claire Nocturne with a second generation Tree Stem stamped to give depth to the page.  Tree of Hope is the stamp with the branches that cross the moon.  Silhouette Foliage and Orchard Grass were stamped in the foreground again using Nocturne, some in second generation.

Berry Wreath was stamped across the top edge and the berries were coloured with a yellow Gel Pen as were the vines on the two Tree Dens.  It is a shame you cannot see the glitter from a scan.

Finally using a yellow Pastel Pencil I then put the effect of light from the moon down the sides of the Tree Den stamps.

Sorry there is not a story attached to this week's page but I will be back next week with one.

WOYWW 800

Wow, Oh WOW this is the 800th time WOYWW has been on the internet.  Sadly not for me as I did not join in at the very beginning. I have always tried to never miss a weeks posting.  Not sure if I have managed it but I've tried.  Didn't know how to find my first post but messing about I discovered I could go back to my early blogging days and there on the 29th JULY 2010 I did my first WOYWW.  

Week 60 my desk shot was this

This was my desk - according to what I blogged I had some lace pieces drying on my spray box but the rest of my desk was taken up with claywork which I rarely do these days.  The lace pieces were for an album I was making for my friend who had the most adorable little girl ever.  Gosh, I loved that little girl.  Here is the album

I used to love making things like this.  The lace pieces were all put in the rings of the spine and there were lots of pearls and silk flowers on the cover.

I found this blog hop was the best thing ever for making friendships.  Immediately I joined I felt surrounded by friends.  I had internet friends all over and some of them in other parts of the world I got to meet when I went to CHA in America.  

I grew to  love the Crops when members would meet up.  I think my first was Llandudno with Margaret hosting and it was marvellous to put faces to names.  To get to meet people who had become a big part of my life and certainly joy to Wednesday mornings.  So THANK YOU Julia for starting this blog hop, and THANK YOU Sarah for continuing with it. (and thank you to LLJ for all the times you stepped in to keep us together).

Jeudi Journal - Still Solo

Wendy is still having problems with the computer connection at her new home so once again I am grateful to Aimslee for her 'Anything Goes' theme at Art Journal Journey and once again I am using a page from my Lavinia Journal.

I do hope she gets sorted by next week or we could be "up creek without paddle" in that I don't have that many journal pages in my Lavinia Journal and what I have may not fit in with the theme.  As it is October next week when we meet up again I am using one of my pages that is very autumnal.

It is already feeling like autumn and time to get the woolies out and put the summer clothes away.  Yesterday I watched leaves falling on our back lawn and thought of days of 'leaf picking' were drawing ever closer.  The house down the road from ours has lots of beech trees and unfortunately we get all of their leaves blowing into our garden.  So it's not just our own but theirs as well that we end up raking.

Well, it looks as if someone is having a visitor as Tilly is knocking on the blue door.

"It was around 4 pm, the sky was just starting to darken and the enchanted wood was quite busy for a Thursday.  Tilly had decided to call on her good friend Tango who lived in the second Pumpkin House by the old tree where the Wallace family lived.  Mrs Wallace was just scurrying along to the shops as fast as her little hog feet would take her and Kernal the fox was keeping his eye on something high up in the trees.

Suddenly a little voice could be heard "Hello"said someone a little nervously.  "I don't mean to be nosey or anything like that but I think Tango went out earlier.  She usually leaves the lamp lit for when she gets back if she goes out in the early evening light."

Tilly turned and she saw a little hare standing there, ears pointing down.

"I think she said she was going out to buy a birthday present for someone."

"Oh, thank you very much" said Tilly, "I don't think I've had the pleasure."

"I'm Pippin" the little hare replied, "I live underground, just behind that tree.  Tango is a good friend of mine and I heard her going out when I was clearing out my garden ready for Autumn.  We exchanged pleasantries so that is how I know where she was going."

"Well, I was just coming around to tell her, well, to remind her, that it was Moo's birthday tomorrow and to remind her to go and get a present for the party we have been invited to."

"Ooh, how exciting" said Pippin.  "I love a good party."

"Right, then why don't you come along.  I am sure Moo wouldn't mind me bringing someone."

"That would be lovely but I am sorry I can't come along with you.  You see my twin sister lives with me and we always, but always, do everything together."

Just then Tilly noticed another little hare standing just beyond the pathway.

"I am sure Moo could fit another two in at her party" said Tilly, "She loves to be surrounded by lots of woodland friends and always says 'the more the merrier' so please, the two of you come along."

"What about me?" came a loud voice from the left.  It was Kernal the friendly fox.  He acted as a kind of policeman in the woods, making sure all the tiny animals were safe and sound.

"Oh dear" thought Tilly, "this is getting to be a big party, I do hope Moo can cope with us all."

And I hope that next month here at AJJ the theme is one that my post that is sitting here waiting to be published can be adapted to.  I had my post ready at the beginning of the month and it was so easy with 'Anything Goes' but I don't remember anything about it so guess I had better go and check, or maybe leave it until the 1st October.