WOYWW842

 Morning, time to join Sarah and her band of followers at Sarahs Craft Shed once again.  I hope it has been a bit cooler for all of you down south who have been struggling with the heat these past few weeks.  Climate change is certainly affecting the lives of many UK'ers.

Nothing much to report except health issues again.  I knew the wound on my ankle wasn't right, had a real go on the phone at getting a doctor to look at it but he/she refused a couple of weeks ago.  Saw my favourite doctor (who I haven't seen in about six years) last week and she straight away referred me to the District Nurses again.  This time I saw a decent one and she was aghast at the state of it - it is now an ulcer as I thought.  I wonder would it have got to this state had I been diagnosed/treated earlier?  Annie, you were a nurse, what do you think?

Now it's going to be continual visits to the DN's, until it heals.

Nothing else to report so here's my desk

A corner of my craft room, almost half of it to be honest.  Tiny eh? You can see I am working on the grey table but I have hidden my card as it is only going on the mail today. Actually it is one of two identical ones for a swap I am in . 

Ob my table are some stamps, a Twilight and Nocturne ink pad, my baby wipes in the big white tub, and a red and a white pen.  Some stamps down the bottom end.

My counter has all kinds of things on it including my Pan Pastels, stencil brushes, colouring pens and pencils, ink pads, foam blenders, lap top, more ink pads, poly stamps and papers.  Underneath you can see my paper storage rack.  Back up on top there are the usual ink pads etc that never move and in the window you can see on the left my collection of bears from Shaz in Oz along with a flag.

That's about it, I am busy and must get on. See you at Sarah's?

Jeudi Journal - Exception

 The quote for this week is "I never forget a face, but for you I'll make an exception" - the quote must appear on my page and in my story and there have to be some botanicals on my page to comply with Halle's theme at Art Journal Journey.  The two elements make up the rules for my journal page with Wendy which we have been doing for simply ages.

"Jacinta had taken herself off to the local Botanical Gardens in the City.  It had proved be too hot a day for wandering around and she had decided to give most of the hot houses a miss which was a shame because they had the most spectacular specimens in them.  She just about managed to go in the Temperate House mainly because the Lotus flowers were in there and were quite a sight to see.

It was whilst in there that a young woman had turned rather quickly and stood hard on Jacinta's left foot.

"Ouch" shouted Jacinta, "that hurt."

"Pardon" said the young woman who was much taller than Jacinta, "are you speaking to me?"

"Yes I am, you stood on my foot and it darned well hurt." said Jacinta.

"I don't think so" came the reply.

"You jolly well did.  If you look you have left a mark on my shoe and I think my heel is bleeding  as a result."

"Nonsense, I was nowhere near you" said the woman in the white dress.  

Jacinta was, by this time, feeling a tad annoyed, there was nobody else about and she hadn't managed to stand on the back of her own shoe.  If this woman wasn't twice her size she would have a right go at her.

"You need to watch where you are going and not walk into people in the future, and just remember I never forget a face, but for you I'll make an exception and make sure we are never in the same room together again." and with that Jacinta turned and wincing a little, as her heel really was smarting, she hobbled out of the Temperate House and went and found a bench to sit on to examine her heel.

Luckily the woman didn't follow but she really had spoiled what could have been a lovely day.  "Think I will go and get a cuppa and a cake to cheer myself up" she thought as she stood up, a bit of sugar was good for shock wasn't it."

I took great care to make sure my words were straight but the scan was skewy as you can see if you look down the left side where the ring binding is.  Just not time to do it again as I need to be at the doctors in 15 minutes.  Sorry.

WOYWW 841

 Another week has passed and what a glorious week it was for us up north.  We got some of the sunshine you all seem to have been enjoying although the last two days of our week on the edge of the Lakes was a bit too hot for us and so most of our time was spent in the shade.

However it was lovely to spend time meeting up with friends, having something to eat one lunchtime at a favourite garden centre and just a glass or two of rosé with nibbles one evening.

On our last evening we went down to a favourite spot of ours just sitting in the evening sun and watching the trains go by behind us.  Apart from the trains it must be a nice place to live and to wander down to the beach or walk up the lane for a bit of exercise - I guess you probably get used to the noise of the trains and hardly hear them after a short time living there.  (It is where the big house is that was featured in The Bay a couple of series ago.)  It is noted for catching the sunsets over The Bay

Monday night, at home, we had some rain, much needed by the plants and trees - and the reservoirs.  On our way home from Preston we pass two reservoirs and the first one was unbelievably dry.  It looked like the seaside with a sandy beach and I noticed the island in the middle of it, which is usually covered in gulls, was quite empty.  Wonder why and where they have gone?

Midweek I had a chiropractor appointment so we had to go into Preston.  I was so fed up with my hair (I am growing it so I can tie it up when I want to) so I went to a salon just up the road and managed to get a walk in.  Cost a bit more than I intended but I was so happy with the way she cut it whilst retaining the basic style and she just cut it as she felt it best suited me.  She certainly earned her title of "one of our top stylists" and all week I just shook my head after giving it a good brushing and it fell into place.  Sunday it needed shampooing so it was a test as to how I went on styling it myself.  Fine!  Happy Bunny!

Yesterday it rained all day.  The gardens were very grateful.  And it was that straight down rain that really wets everything.  There are some perks to living up north.

Anyway, here is my desk for this week.

This is my workspace and as you can see its fairy time.

You may remember that I was making a little book in a challenge with my friend Ann.  I decided to use fairies on the other side of the book and I chose these tall fairies to try out.  Not too convinced that this will work so I have left them all to one side.

As you can see this is completely different - paper to wool

Whilst I decide what to do with the fairy workspace I am doing a bit of needle-felting.  I haven't done enough of this to say I am paying a monthly subscription so today we have the basic shapes for the Larch Bolete.  On my table you can see, from the left, my bag gifted by a friend which is full of wool in different colours,.  You can see some samples (again gifted by a friend) bagged up and marked with the colours.  Below is my black sponge that I work on and to the right my box which my kit came in for the Fly Agaric (remember it?) which now holds odd bits of felt and my various needles.

Talking of Fly Agarics, I did three altogether, varying in size - well, I cannot find them!  Where did I put them?  I have searched all over.  I can find the picture but not the sculptures, and I loved them.  Tomorrow I am going to have to have a good old search everywhere!!!

In the meantime I will go over to Sarah's Craft Shed as usual and meet up with everyone.

Jeudi Journal - Repeating

"There's no need to repeat yourself, I ignored you the first time." is the first quote of a new set Wendy has sent for the next few weeks.  Unfortunately I am away from home and I have not got any of my Dylusion stuff with me so I am doing what I can to make a page for this week.

Luckily I found three Dylusion figures, one was headless and the other two minus legs.  I decided I could get away with the legless pair if I put them at the very bottom of the page.  Today we went to Sizergh Castle and I tried my scooter out again along the pathway which goes up to a farm.  I have never seen so many butterflies in one space for a long time.  The field had been mown but they had left a large border and sown wild flowers in.  It is a picture of pink and white but I did not know the species.  It certainly attracts the butterflies.   

Sorry you can hardly see them

Anyway here is my story for this week - again apologies for it.

"Miranda was known in the village for being a busybody.  She always knew what was going on, even behind closed doors, or so the villagers thought.

It was late Friday and poor Pip was just walking down the village green by the floral display when Mirand seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Have you heard about the young couple at number 6" she asked.

"No" said Pip.

"Well apparently they have been trying for a baby for the past few months and nothing has happened so her father has given them some money to try with VHS."

"Oh VHS?" said Pip with a smile on her face, "I think you mean IVF, but is it really any of our business and should we be talking about it?"

"Do you remember me telling you about old Mrs Dyson, well ...?"

At this point Pip wanted to get home and start tea before her husband came in from work.  She turned and started to walk in the direction of her house.

"I said" shouted Miranda, "Do you remember me telling you about old Mrs"

At this point Pip turned around and said "There's no need to repeat yourself, I ignored you the first time.  And that was two days ago.  You really are a bit of a busybody and you should keep your tittle tattling to yourself."  She turned again and marched off at a quick pace, there, she had finally told Miranda what the whole village felt.  But should she have been the one to say it?  To late!  It was done."

So that is my story, sorry it had to be done in a rush and without the proper equipment.  Must go as friends are due shortly and I need to change.  Do go over to Art Journal Journey and see what Halle has done for inspiration for her theme Botanicals.  Perhaps join in.  You know you want to.

WOYWW 840

 Lovely weather again up north, not the heat of down south but lovely sunshine and a fair bit of breeze.  Monday we went to Morecambe and fancied a ride along the prom to the Lifeboat Station with me on my new scooter and hubby walking alongside.  About half way along he was ready to turn back as the wind was so strong so I did a couple of yards more and tuned back.  It really was a bit on the wufty side.  Then I noticed people walking towards us were quite well wrapped up with jackets buttoned or zipped up to the neck and a cap of some kind on.  Not a day for the sands or for going out onto the stone jetty.

So we made our way inland, did a bit of shopping and went home.

Tuesday saw us meeting up with friends and having a spot of lunch before heading back to ours for tea and cake.  We had made an 8 oz all-in sponge at weekend and I put them into four small cake tins and iced and butter creamed each one differently (well three of them, the fourth went in the freezer).  One was lemon, one coffee and the other just jam and buttercream.  Please do help yourself to a small slice of each.  They went down well with John but Ann is gf and so I had to buy her a small carrot cake.  I only cut small pieces so John and Chas could sample them all.

I always leave the base paper on

This is my desk - Ann and I have a challenge running between the pair of us and here is my desk followed by my two pages in the album started with Jo Rice a while ago.

Now to head over to  Sarah's Craft Shed where you can link in with all the other members  to see what they are doing.  Over we go, quickly come with me.

Jeudi Journal - Diet

 "Nina and her friend from school, Diane, were meeting for the first time in years, well, about three to be exact.  They had arranged to meet outside the gardens in town and they were going to go for a coffee after Nina had had her hair done.  It was one of those heavy oppressive days where a thunderstorm is threatening so Diane was hoping that she did not have to wait for long.

Along came Nina, right on time with one of her usual fancy hairstyles.  You never knew what she was going to do with her hair, especially in their younger days when she had worked part time shampooing for a local saloon and things hadn't changed much as they got into their thirties.

"Hi" said Nina as she hurried um to her friend, "I haven't kept you waiting have I?"

"No" replied Diane, "I had only just got here myself.  I was hoping you wouldn't be long as I am ready for a spot of lunch."

"Oh" said Nina, "I thought we were just having a coffee."

"Yes, we were," replied Diane, "but you see I am absolutely starving.  I'm on two diets - one doesn't give me enough to eat so, if it is ok with you, could we have lunch please?"

"Certainly" replied Nina with a smile on her face looking at her old friend.  Diane had certainly put on weight since she last saw her, in fact, at first she had wondered if her friend was pregnant.  She hoped it was the coat that Diane was wearing that made her look like that."

I made the thundery background with some Pan Pastels and then used some Lavinia shops to create the scene behind the two girls.  To comply with the theme at Art Journal Journey which the talented Halle has set for us which is Botanicals.  I hope my trees in the background and the flowers between the two girls will qualify for this theme.

WOYWW 839

 Gosh it has been terribly hot for all of you down south, not so up north where, I am glad to say, most days the temperature was cooler than what you had.  Usually I feel that we have been dealt with a rough deal weather wise but this time - no.  I was so glad it was cooler here, apart from a few days, but even then it wasn't the same heat.  How people coped at Wimbledon I don't know.

They say we have to get used to these temperatures as it's going to get hotter and hotter as time goes on.  That's good news for hoteliers, guest houses etc as people might choose here rather than abroad of the weather is hot.

I stayed in as much as I could, my legs were swollen with the heat so they stayed as high as possible most of the time.  Did see a nurse at the doctors, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner to be exact, but when she saw the state of the (leaking and really swollen) legs she said it was beyond her to deal with it and so needed to see a doctor.  She didn't want me seeing a junior doctor (they would have to seek advice of a fully qualified doctor just as she would) so she made me an appointment  for the 17th July.  The first time I could see someone.  That was three weeks away, still two now.  We have seven full time doctors. all partners, in the practice.  What is happening to our nhs?

So the old brain has not been working very well either and legs needed to be up as much as possible so my desk is a reflection of it all

I need to do a card for a swap.  Did one but i should have just made it two of the same instead of thinking I'd do a different one for the other person.  Now I am stuck in the thought process with all these stamps out and nowhere to go.  HELP!!!

Oh, in the top right is a gift i wrapped for my friend's grandeee.  She is so adorable and on the way from the surgery the other day I called in Morrisons.  Saw this little sunsuit, fell in love with it, and bought it for her.  Her mummy liked the birthday card I made for her so I made a tag for this parcel.

Hopefully by next week I will have sorted a card out, in the meantime I will just pop over to Sarah's and see what everyone is up to.