Jeudi Journal - Oreos

 Now I must confess that these biscuits do nothing at all for me.  Oreos are a cream biscuit but the biscuit itself is black.  Give me a Bourbon or a Custard Cream any time.  However, our quote from Time Holtz this week is "Cleaning with children in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos."  Who on earth would brush their teeth whilst eating any biscuit ... but Oreos??

"We are back with the cat family and Mrs Cat is tearing her hair out, it's the end of the Christmas holiday and the children are "wild".  Tom, her husband is bringing some clients home for dinner so the place needs to be spick and span and the children on best behaviour and ready for bed when 'pop' arrives home.  She realises that they need to tire themselves out so that they will go to bed and hopefully sleep but how the dickens is she supposed to get the house sorted - and dinner made?  What she really needs is a fairy with a magic wand.  Well, that isn't going to happen so she needs to make a cuppa, sit down and plan what move is next.

Mrs Cat goes off into the kitchen, puts the kettle on and makes herself a nice cup of tea, then sinking down into a favourite armchair, just for a moment's calm, she allows her eyes to close for a moment.  Or so she thinks.

"What's that bright light" she asks herself.  "It can't be, surely not, there's no such thing as a fairy" she says out loud.  But sure enough there is a little fairy hovering above her, wand poised and a twinkling of stars around her.

"Can I be of help?" the fairy enquires.  "You seem to be ever so stressed, and the children are having a wonderful time next door, is the noise too much for you?"

"N n n no" stammers Mrs Cat, "I was cleaning up, you see my husband is bringing some important guests home and the children are so full of energy I can't get on.  Cleaning with children in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos."

"Would you like me to help you?" asked the fairy.

"If you could it would be wonderful" Mrs Cat replied.  And with that the fairy gave two shakes of her wand and the room was immediately transformed.  All the children's toys had been put away and it was so much tidier.

"Thank you" said Mrs Cat, and she stood up, but the fairy had vanished.  "So it was just a dream" thought Mrs Cat.  I'm no closer to being ready and I don't know what to do.  With that she walked into the other room to find that it was, indeed, much tidier.  The children were nowhere to be seen and there was a wonderful smell coming from the oven.  Just then the kitchen door opened and in walked Grandma Cat.

"Hello my dear" she said.  "Feeling better for that sleep?  You work so hard you know. We've got the little ones to tidy their toys away and Grandad has taken the kiddies off to play in the park and I've started that casserole you love.  Tabby said that you were making it for some special people tonight."

"Oh Mum, I do love you.  What a saint you are, coming along at the right moment and saving me like this."

"That's what mum's are for" replied Grandma Cat.  "Now come on, we have the table to set and I've brought a lovely dessert for you all to enjoy."

The background was made using Oxides on an acrylic background, spritzing and transferring to the page.   I used all pale colours, Spun Sugar, Milled Lavender etc.  Accessories are from Aall & Create, the fairy is unknown, but the cat figures are Dylusions.

My thanks to Erika for the delightful challenge this month at Art Journal Journey, it was nice to be able to use our Jeudi Journal posting with it incorporated.

WOYWW 764

 Well, my desk hasn't changed since last week except what was on it last week has been kind of packed up.  Well, the journal is in the cover and other things are 'parked'.  As some of you know I had a bit of a fall last week and spent most of the day in the hospital where it was found I had broken ribs and I had an almighty gash right across the middle of my knee.  Both were x rayed because the doctor (a wee Scottish lassie who was the sweetest person you could wish to meet, I landed lucky there) was worried there might be internal bleeding.

Anyway I got home and have been sat in a chair since then with my leg permanently up.  I have a sore throat at the moment and am hoping I am not coming down with an infection picked up in the hospital.  It was so busy, those poor doctors and nurses, but they were all nice.  (not so much the radiographer)

Anyway, we don't want to dwell on it so here is my desk.  Chas took the photo for me and it will probably remain like that for some time but I will get him to take shots of various parts for my WOYWW which is something I refuse to miss.    Hope you are all well and happy.

My old calendar (not going to get one done this year am I?), my handmade Christmas cards, a canvas that wants repainting and my mat that I sometimes stamp on.  Yes, those leaves I picked up in Preston are still there.  And my old guillotine just peeking in at the back.

Jeudi Journal - Revolution?

Sorry I am so late, had an accident Tuesday and I forgot to link.  Broken ribs and left knee is a bit of a mess. 

The quote this week, that I and Wendy have to marry up with Erika's theme at AJJ (It's on the Calendar) is "I don't mean to brag, but I finished my 14 day diet in 3 hours and 12 minutes".

"Imelda was one of life's "dieters", she'd tried them all, not that she was really overweight either.  Joining up with WeightWatchers, Slimming World, etc etc, and the hundred and one diets that you see online and in magazines.  The funniest one her friend had heard about was the 'banana diet' where Imelda had lived for a few days on nothing but bananas.  She had had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner - nothing else but bananas.  How many she ate in those few days is anyone's guess.  Patty was not surprised that diet had not lasted long. 

The friends had met up, as usual early in the year to have a chat about family, Christmas celebrations and life in general.  Patty was not at all surprised to hear that Imelda had been on another diet she had read about, since the Christmas eating fest that we are all guilty of.

"I don't mean to brag, but I finished my 14 day diet in 3 hours and 12 minutes" said Imelda, who was dressed up with the latest fashionable pixie hat on top of her head.  

"What you mean is that you gave up as per usual" replied Patty.  "Don't forget I have known you for years and been through so many diets with you, I know you inside out".

"Oh you can be so cruel" said Imelda, but even she had to grin, she knew exactly what she was like for dieting, and her husband had the same attitude as Patty so she had to admit, only inside her head, that she was the world's worse for dieting.  Perhaps one day .....

I started off with a page I had used the reverse stencil technique on and then I decided to give it a spray with some ink.  Big Mistake!  The ink completely covered most of the stencilling.  Plus it was very dark.  Anyway I stamped one or two little bits on it, gave it a squiggly border and added some calendar pieces plus some years to signify Imelda's struggles with dieting.  Erika's theme certainly helped me think up a story to go with the quote from Tim Holtz.

WOYWW 763

 Well, so many enquiries about sublimation last week - my friend put my Christmas card design on a mug for me and sent me a little video of it.  I will get the mug and the tumbler (when I have done the design) in February when we next meet up at the AGM at craft club.  Excited!  Look up sublimation in You Tube for a good video that explains it.  (Basically transferring pictures to things like pottery, fabric etc - no Jan, don't get excited it sounds quite expensive)

This is my mug

and my desk below

As you can see I have made a start on my new journal.  I just wanted to try out the Oxides and the Distress Inks on it but am disappointed with the paper.  It shows little white specks that won't cover,  and the edge of the page where there is a fold has started to peel off.  I think it is going to be a 'paint only' and 'collage' type of journal.  I was thinking I could maybe mask it off along the edge with some washi tape but I do like my Distress Inks for backgrounds so it's not good.

To the left you can just see a recipe book.  We have some friends coming over for a meal on Thursday so we are doing a curry night - this is a Bhoona Gosht recipe that we like.  (Bhoona means 'fry' and Gosht means 'meat').  We bought some starters and another meal from an Indian Shop in Preston centre.  I am not into making starters and the meals looked good so we are trying their Lamb Rogan Josh.  Was going shopping yesterday morning for some other bits but this was what I woke up to

Our Christmas tree has grown

the fence is 5' so you can see it is some size

and the snow was about 2" thick at 10 am when I took the photos

Because we live on the side of a hill we did get out much later but now I must get on with my 'bog standard curry' which is the third alternative.  See you back at WOYWW next week all being well.

Jeudi Journal - Cinderella?

 "It's on the Calendar" is the theme that Erika has chosen for this month over at Art Journal Journey and today's snarky comment (which I need to marry with Erika's brilliant theme) is "life is not a fairy tale, If you lose a shoe at midnight, you're drunk."

My mind immediately went to the fairy tale "Cinderella"  with the quote and I thought that a calendar is full of numbers and so my page became full of numbers and some steps (where Cinderella lost her shoe, remember) and 'time', because it was midnight that poor Cinders lost her glass slipper.

"Well our heroine, by coincidence, is called Ella and the story begins one morning when Ella calls around to see her friend Sophie.  Ella is feeling a bit queasy because last night she was out until the wee small hours with some friends from work celebrating the promotion of one of the girls in the accounts department.

"It was almost three o'clock when I got in and I have not had that much sleep," she said to Sophie.  "The party went on and then the girls decided to find somewhere to go and eat and we ended up in an Indian restaurant.  Mum doesn't know what time I got in so please don't say anything if you see her."

"You've got a hangover" said Sophie.

"No, I haven't" replied Ella.  "I didn't have that much to drink, I was too busy dancing, it's just lack of sleep that is making me feel like this."

"Give over, life is not a fairy tale, if you lose a shoe at midnight you're drunk."

"I wasn't" shouted Ella, and I didn't lose a shoe.  You have it all wrong, I was dancing as I said and then we went and had something to eat."

"And you got in at almost three o'clock?  Anyway, you silly thing, I didn't mean you had lost a shoe, it's just a saying."  And with that Sophie went and gave her friend a big hug.  "Come on, I'll fix you something to help you feel better.  You just sit on the chair and I can guarantee in next to no time you will be fine."

Sophie disappeared into the kitchen, thank goodness she hadn't been at that party, she knew she couldn't cope with losing her sleep."

My background was a mix of acrylic paints trying to get a certain shade but it didn't work out and so it came a bit of an apricot colour.  I put it on with a large brush and left it looking quite patchy with some of the cream page peeking through.  Then I used Vintage Photo Oxide ink to stamp various numbers and time pieces all over.  

WOYWW 762

 I still haven't got my head around what day it is, Christmas and New Year have got me still in a muddle.  I've been busy getting the Agenda and all the stuff that goes with it ready for sending out today so my desk has been full of files and things.

I decided I wanted to get some crafting done, plus my friend Jayne is into sublimation and wants to make me a tumbler with my own design on. She has already made me a beaker with my Christmas card on it (the one she got from me).  So now I have to do a design for my tumbler which is a heated one that she is doing for me,

In order to try to stir myself and get some inspiration I dug out my Lavinia Journal  and decided to stick the two Christmas designs in, then changed my mind as they are too similar.  I will probably end up with the one on the right hand page.

Well, that is more or less all I have to say, particularly as I am in a hurry to get this posted.  Off to the cardiologist this morning but I will be back and ready to start commenting on the WOYWW posts just after lunchtime.  See you later then.

Jeudi Journal - Battle

 The snarky comment that turned up today  is "I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."  So coupled with Erika's new "it's on the calendar" theme at Art Journal Journey we have a story featuring Trixie and her cousin, Bart.

"It was a grim, snowy day, the first of the New Year 2024, when Trixie called around to see her Aunt.  Aunt Jemima was quite elderly and it was only because her mum had asked her to call with some goodies for her Aunt that Trixie had ventured out.  The wind was howling and the snow was swirling about so she had wrapped up in her hat and coat with a scarf to keep the cold out from around her neck.  She would much rather have stayed in and read one of the books she had got for Christmas, but being the dutiful daughter that she was she had walked the half mile to her Aunts.

It was lovely and warm in Aunties kitchen, the kettle was on the stove and cousin Bart was stood there waiting for it to boil so he could make himself a cup of tea.

"Hello Bart" she called out cheerily as she let herself in the back door, "how are you?"

"OK" he replied, with the silly grin that always seemed to be on his face.  "Have you come to see Aunt Jemima?"

"Yes, mum has sent some cakes over and some of the lemon curd she made yesterday.  I think she said there were some scones in the basket and they would go well with the lemon curd."

"Ooh, goody, I could just eat a scone" he said.

"They are not for you" said Trixie crossly, he was always the same, thinking of himself and his voracious appetite.  "Mum made them for Aunty not for you."

"Nobody need know" he said, "surely one or two won't be missed, stupid."

"Who are you calling stupid?" shouted Trixie across the kitchen, "I would challenge you to a battle of wits but I see you are unarmed."

"Eh?" Bart mumbled.

"Oh, nothing" replied Trixie with a smile, "You are not having any scones, in fact I am taking them straight through to Aunty so you just get on with making yourself a cup of tea, if you think you can manage it."  And with that Trixie went off to find Aunt Jemima complete with the basket of goodies.