Jeudi Journal - Animals (or is it Humanals?)

Why did I suggest this?  What animal stamps have I got that fit in with the Dylusion themed figures?   Not that it really matters as I could have used magazine pictures, maybe a human being with an animal head - or body? After-all my journal is a mix of different styles because it is my first big journal and experimental in that way. All I could think of were my "bird" stamps - but I have done birds before and I even looked on the internet to see if 'birds' were classed as 'animals' - they are, and what do I do with them, they are small and I like to link things up rather than have them dotted about. Plus I do not have the wit of Wendy who seems to be able to put sentences on which are funny and just brilliant!

Well, yesterday I could not think for love nor money what to do for "Animals".  Made it worse that I didn't have a full day (hairdressers, shopping, out for a meal etc).  Thank goodness it was a good day for the back.

Then, this morning, I had an idea, think maybe Wendy's interpretation last week of 'strips' helped and I decided to make a zoo but with the humans on the inside, hence my title saying "Humanals" (Animals/Humanals get it?).  Now where had I put those cat and dog stamps of Tim's?

Memory into gear and I found them, chose two dogs that I could stamp, used a couple of new figures but did a bit of swapping (new head on one, new legs on both).

So the two humans are supposed to be the exhibits in the zoo and the dogs are visiting and having a look at this particular cage (see where Wendy's crate came in useful for me from last week?).  I have purposely let the bars go over things like 'eyes' and the brown dog's hat links to the cage on purpose as does the nose and ear of the grey dog to the brown one.  It makes it more cohesive in my eyes, than bits dotted here and there.

Must say my lettering needs a lot of working on, I do need a black pen a bit thicker than most I have but not as thick as some I have. Shopping spree?  And I should have remembered that my black Sharpie bleeds through to the other side - now I need something to cover up the mess on an already started page.  Bother!

WOYWW 408

Almost April already!  Will be, come weekend, April Fools Day, and the day I fly off to Holland for two days with my bessie, Lorraine.  We are not living it up, on a booze cruise, a hen party or anything like that but we are off to see the Dutch Stamping Show which I have talked about for a few years. More next week no doubt.  Fingers crossed my back holds out!

In the meantime here is my desk to show all you WOYWW'ers out there and anyone else who cares to join in,  Btw if you want to join in just visit Julia who is our leader and initiator over at "The Stamping Ground", just click here.

The blue box to the left contains all my Dyary stuff, the pink drawers have some of my ribbons in and there is a chest at the front of the photo which is on my blue chair containing my Dylusion dies. Below is a closeup of the main part of my desk:

A set of new stamps and then my journal open at an old page with tomorrow's page covered with the Aldi catalogue.  To the right is my box of Promarkers and at the back are some watercolours and an ink pad.

That's it for this week but see you next week with a new WOYWW.

Jeudi Joournal - Strips

Am now wondering if Wendy interpreted this as stripes or strips?  I have done strips anyway and you will see it is another of my cookie magazine ones.  Think I must try to make some sensible ones in the future but I enjoy being a bit cookie now and then.  Also it is a challenge when I use a perfume bottle, for example, as a part of the body.  Nothing exceptional here though - straightforward dress, head etc.

OK so here it is - now who was the star underneath (head only)?  It sticks in my mind I've seen him on TV and I sort of recognise him but who was it?

Off to see Wendy now ... toodle pip!

WOYWW 407

Happy Wednesday to you all.  Hope the sun is shining like it seems to have done for most of the past few days, well in the afternoons at least.  It is "Julia Day" too, so that makes it sunny in itself.  Want to join in?  Follow this link to WOYWW and away you go, it's all explained there.

So what is on my desk?  Well, I have been journalling but this time in my Dyary.  No, not a typo, it really is spelled that way - a play on Dyan Reaveley's name.  I have so enjoyed it and I can sit and colour with my back up straight in Chas's chair with little or no effort.  Don't think I am giving any secrets away (not a soul baring journal) by letting you see the first page, not the one I am working on at the moment as it is a bit bare.

I collected it last weekend when I did a workshop with Tracy (Scott) and ended up spending a fortune, but a happy spend with birthday money.  Plus my bezzie mate bought me some stamps especially for this Dyary! 

If you didn't see my birthday cards they are in the post beneath this one, take a look - great inspiration!

This is the canvas I made with Tracy - 

Really enjoyed the day - and my back held out ... until I got home.

Can I please ask that you put your number against comments, makes life so much easier to get a comment back.  Sorry, not meaning to nag but if you have several blogs and we have to go to your bio it can take a while to find the correct one.  Have a great week!

Friday Smiles

Once again joining Annie with her smiles.  Today is just a week after my birthday so it is the day I took down my lovely birthday cards.  It is such a shame to have them put into a drawer or disposed of like any other piece of card so I usually give them to a friend who turns them into cards for a nursing home where her brother resides.  She makes quite a bit of money for the residents by doing this and the residents can also buy some beautiful cards at good prices.

I thought I would share the handmade ones with you all and hope they make you smile as you admire the work that ha gone into them.

Top to bottom - Alexis, Ann (and John), Anon (no name inside) and Carmel

Chris, Christine, Darlene, Dot, Enid

Gill, Hazel, Jacqui, Janet

Jeannie,  June, Liz, Lorraine

Mary, Mo, Nikki, Renate

Sue, Margaret and finally Wendy

Am sure you will have enjoyed these as much as I have - and I hope they have put a smile on your faces like they have mine all week. And now, off to see Annie and the other 'smiles' for this week. See you over there.

Jeudi Journal - Circles

Well, it was all change this week as I had begun doing some circles using a couple of my stencils but the paste I put through reacted with the black paint underneath.  It turned an ugly shade of yellowish brown!  Ugh!

I had intended doing some circles with Tracy Scott images on them and fully intended cutting them out by hand but then on Sunday I went to one of her workshops where we did a canvas (not posted yet) and the previous day she had done a journal page which was utterly gorgeous.  It gave me the idea of using a sheet of card that I had already coloured in and stamped in readiness to make a card for someone special.  Card not done yet!

Anyway I then die-cut some circles and stamped some of Tracy's images on some of them and voila, the page was born, in my head.  It then evolved into two pages as I decided to use a big stamp I had not used since buying it.  A bit of paint on the small circles I had already put on through a stencil, the larger circles stencilled on were covered with the new ones along with some small circles.

So here you have it - my page for Wendy to see using circles but calling them "Bubbles".

Sorry I chopped a bit of the "B" off in the scan

Not at all like the ones Tracy taught - wonder if she will repeat that page - I would love to do hers. Now what is the topic for next week?

WOYWW 406

First of all a big welcome to Andrea C - my latest follower.  it is so good to get new followers, especially when you have been blogging for quite a while.  Hope you enjoy what I have to show Andrea.

Here we are again and what have I to show you?  Well, this card should have arrived by now so I can show it to you all

I thought I would try doing the Dancer stamp in a line up so had to do a bit of masking here.  I used Kraft card so the Promarker colours were a little more muted than they would have been on white.  I rather liked the sentiment, which was stamped in black and then clear embossing powder over, as it was for someone who had been poorly and was recovering.  You can see once again I have used a white crayon but this time just on the ground around their shoes.

As for my desk, well, once again it is in the throes of Journalling.  I am contemplating using this huge stamp which I bought ages ago and have never used.  I saw it used on a clock and I bought the clock ready to do it but then I chickened out as I don't really know if they used the stamp directly on the clock or on paper and cut it out. Hmmmm needs some thinking about.

Why on earth am I showing you my desk?  Some of you may wonder but the majority of visitors here will know it is WOYWW day when we all bare our souls desks to one another.  Join in by visiting our Julia and reading all about it at the top of her page.  In the meantime a quick view (or two) of my birthday cards received last week:

Friends and family cards (cheeky Prosecco one from my son!!)

and below - handmade cards from friends who make cards

Sorry you can hardly see them, must scan and upload before long. Cheerio for now!

I am entering my card into these challenges:

Daisy Chain Challenge - Make it Feminine
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Ladies and Girls
Penny Black and More Challenge - Anything Goes

Gosh, it is such a long time since I entered any challenge I have struggled with connecting with the challenge sites.  Hope I have done them ok.