WOYWW 376

This is going to have to be a Julia "special" post - ie short.  I am up to my eyeballs in getting ready for doing a presentation later this morning.  As per usual I am at the last minute and certainly not looking my best.

Yesterday was my day out with my friend Naomi and her little girl (who is growing up so fast and maybe not so "little" these days) so I did not begin what I should have done until this morning.  Woe is me!

We went out but later came back and sat in the garden under the shade of a big umbrella.

That was not until we had had a rummage in my craft room.  Result was Chloe wanted to "draw faces like you do aunty".  So out came the paper and pencils and we spent a happy hour or so learning how to draw whimsical faces.  I dread her asking for painting sessions next time. But I tell you, she did a superb job and for a nearly nine year old her work was impressive.  Now I just need to get her using her pencil lightly.  Wish I had taken some photographs of her work.  

Sorry but this is my desk - no time to clear it from yesterday when Chloe told me in no uncertain terms she thought my art journal was "weird" apart form the cat and dog page which she liked. Animal mad!

close up showing new paints

journal page and my old faces

Well, that is it, must get my shower and up and ready.  Hope you all pop along to see Julia and follow on with some of the links (if not all ...).  Enjoy!

btw if you have time Julia's post from Monday was really informative - great idea re presents.

WELCOME to Mi Schra my newest follower - hope you find something of interest on my blog.

Three Posts in One Week!!!

Unheard of in ages.  Me doing three posts in one week.  OK so Wendy has spurred me on to doing two a week in that we have this personal challenge going on for 'Jeudi Journal' but for me to post something else is amazing.  For me to do something else and remember to take a photograph is amazing.

My niece has this adorable little boy and it is his second birthday today so I had to make him a card. Could have bought one but as I made all her birthday cakes when she was small I think the least I can do now is to make his birthday cards.  Was late making this card, well, in starting it, so it was on my mind on Wednesday when I went to bed.  Woke up around 3 am and decided I could not get back to sleep so got up and began his card.  Here is the result - although it was finished off much later in the morning.

it is an easel card so here it is open

I really struggled for an image for a little boy.  Have lots of little girl things because of Chloe (friend's little girl who is 9 now so have had lots to buy along the way) but little boys are a different thing altogether.  I thought at two he was a bit old for teddies, not old enough for the couple of boy images I have so I went down the road of 'Gnomes'.  Thought it was an opportunity for "colour" which he could maybe relate to.  Just hope mummy realises how it goes together.  I'm sure she will, she is a bright young mummy and it isn't exactly rocket science.

It took me longer to do the bunting and get it to fit than it did to do the images.  Or so it seemed by the time I was finishing the second attempt.  Me and my bright ideas.

Because the Gnomes and their gardening skills make me smile when I am looking at them I am linking this to Annie's Smiles this week.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Jeudi Journal Challenge

Another Thursday, or should I say Jeudi?  This time the topic chosen was to do a Double Page Spread.  Last time I was down at Wendy's I stamped a couple of Dyan's characters that I hadn't got and so I have used them in my DPS for today.

Am beginning to regret having done the background pages, or so many at any rate, as I would have made the background much less intense than it is.  Perhaps a different colour too.  It was difficult for the inked images to show up.  Anyhow, here goes:

Hope I am not insulting anyone but does the bulldog not remind you a little bit of the late Warren Clarke?

WOYWW 375

Here we are, another Wednesday visit to WOYWW Queen Julia's Blog which leads us to all corners of the earth.  Try it - you might get hooked - you will certainly make lovely friends along the way.

Well, what is on my workdesk today?  Last Saturday we had the lovely Tracy Scott at our workshop at Victoria Stampers which was quite a stray away from what is normally done.  Despite not being ladies who paint I think they all enjoyed the day, certainly Tracy's infectious love of painting whimsical faces permeated throughout the room and got to us all.

Always one who never gets to the end, but I hope I am improving, my journal came home with an unfinished face in it.  On Monday I was suffering with an upset tummy, so, unlike me, I spent most of the day in bed.  Yesterday it was up and off to the doctors (for a blood test with the nurse) and then on to Ikea for the mirror we wanted - that had gone and was now discontinued!!!  Then on for Chas's wireless headphones - no longer stocked!!!

Feeling glum we came back and I fell asleep, woke up, had some poached fish and then got stuck into my journal and the face.

So here it is - do you think I am improving?  Be honest, brutal even ...

OK, she has rather a long neck, but I wanted something different and my little redhead was born with a long neck to show off her pretty pointy chin and turban.  Or so I say. Will I leave it there?  That remains to be seen, I cannot stop playing around if I am honest, and I wonder whether to put some stamping or stencilling around her. Only time will tell.

Oops!  You came for the desk ...

My paints are out of shot but you can see my lovely Prisma's that Chas bought me a couple of years ago for Christmas.  Not used nearly enough but I had coveted the box that my friend Mary had (in America) for too long so when the offer came on at Dick Blick's he made the most of it.

The pages are the ones I took from Craft Stamper when Tracy did a four part article on how to do her faces - really good for reference. Tracy has just got a set of her NEW stamps that she has designed for Stampotique and they are gorgeous.  Just look at the little character she made at one of her workshops based on George, one of her Stampotique characters.

Isn't he adorable?  You can see all of her stamps here and they can be preordered - but not until I have got mine.

See you later, I have a card to make for a two year old - and clear my desk up.

Jeudi Journal - An Insect Other Than a Butterfly

Who ever considers a butterfly as an insect anyway?  They are too beautiful to class them along with beetles and 'roaches etc.  Although some would say beetles are beautiful too - anyway, enough of that, sorry, I cannot be a beetle fan unless they are on display in a glass case.

Last week I felt a bit of a cheat with an almost completed page being used for my challenge with Wendy so here I have done a double page spread in my large journal.

The page was already painted in pink from my time down at Wendy's when we tried to use up some of my Ranger Dabbers.  I have since stencilled the leaves using the bump technique and then mixed some of the Dylusion Images which I love doing, to make different characters.  The feet of the speaker are from a magazine but everything else is stamped and painted.  Don't you just love those caterpillars at the base of page two?

Now I am off to see what Wendy has done.

374 - WOYWW That Is

Here we are again, these Wednesdays don't half come around quickly.

Well the kitchen is now finished and we have emptied other rooms that housed 'kitchen stuff' and put things in drawers and cupboards but still learning where some things are.  Am sure we will get the hang of it.

The guys finished last Friday and I made both of them a quick card. Knowing Daniel had a cat I did a CC for him and Max got a CB.

Just simple backgrounds in Rusty Hinge and Broken China and both with a simple "Thankyou" stamped on white cardstock.  (Max used to be a chef but is having a break from"cheffing" at the moment, hence the hat on the bird)

Apart from that and dashing a journal page off for my 'Jeudi Journal' commitment last week and one in readiness for tomorrow that is about all I have had chance to do in crafting.

Bought some purple fabric to make a new table cloth and am hoping I might be able to cover the chair cushions in it as well - don't wait to see the sewing finished, it will probably be another year. Might get the cloth done though as that is simply hemming (but it won't be circular like the table - too complicated for me.

You came here to see my workspace!  Well, I now have everything back in its place and have stacked my drawers up so that I have more space.  This will be good when friends come as it means we can squeeze together on the L-shape bit of worktop. That is providing we don't use the table in the utility which, incidentally, still needs moving from the study.

More Space to Work

the journal on the left is the big Dylusions one

Stamp Towers

From the left you can see my two bags, TH one and Dyan one which houses some of my paintbrushes, hanging from a rail which has BIG punches resting on it.  Pink box is full of ribbons, various things on top in pots, carousel with inking tools in window followed by Distress Inks in my homemade cupboard.  Monkey and Katy are sitting at the top along with the globe showing where Flat Susan has visited. Excuse the 'mucky' heat gun, it once sported bright colours from alcohol inks. Maybe I will redo it one day soon.

Starting left you see my punches standing on rails from the Swedish Company, my 'towers' which mainly house mounted stamps and a photo of me and the Big Strong Boys from years ago when they did my craft room.  Stood against the Blue drawers is my MS board, foam stamping mat and other bits and bobs, then my carousel with all sorts in it.  You can just see my Tim Holtz bag on the right which houses all my pencils for drawing and above are some of my huge Spellbinder Dies  On the wall you can see the Palooza I once did with Tim Holtz at CHA and then my tag display from various swaps/friends etc.

Well, that is about it for today, long post, sorry Julia.  Pop along to Julia's blog and see what she has been up to before you follow the links from all over the world.  Have a wonderful week.  Mwah!

ps last week I went along to Knutsford to meet up with Darnell for lunch.  Because of the ulcer in my mouth I found it difficult to eat so had a doggy bag in the end (but the soup I slurped was delicious). So lovely to meet her and what a fabulous lady she is.  Whilst on her trip she is meeting up with 60+ blogging friends and I am so honoured to have been one of them.  I didn't recognise any of the names from WOYWW and I only knew Anne and Jenny but I sat between some lovely ladies so it did not matter.  Unfortunately I had to leave early because of the workmen but I still had fun!

Shirley B, Me, Darnell, Pat & Ros

Jeudi Journal

Oh heck, forgot all about this with all the upheaval at home - and the excitement of meeting Darnell yesterday (more on that another day).

Wendy and I had "stencils" written down on our list but then we both realised that we probably had used stencils on all of our pages.  What do we do?  Wendy then thought of using the Dylusion range that are either figures or playing cards or shapes cut out, afterall they are still stencils, just a bit different.

Being perfectly honest I already had a page with keyholes on where I had used the positive (the actual shape) over a ready inked and patterned page to define the shape by swiping black paint around it. This moved to another place until I had four keyholes.  You will notice the top left one is slightly off the page - something I like rather than uniformity.

but I think you will forgive me with all that is going on in the house and with my mouth (think I mentioned yesterday I have developed an ulcer following my extractions and it is so sore).

So I selected four eyes from Dylusion Stamps, stamped them on white cardstock and just added either a blue or green iris, then I stuck them down on the keyholes to give the idea of "someone is watching you."

Lastly I took a white pen and put a line of tiny dashes around each keyhole.  And that my dear Readers is all I had time for.  Next week I promise more work ... now what is the topic?