Jeudi Journal - Fish

At last we have come to the end of the topics we chose originally - but not to the end of our journals. We need to think of some more topics - anyone out there got any ideas that we have not used?

For this week we have got to include a fish or some fish.  Not feeling madly up to it because of a cold that is threatening me I dug out my stamps from Dylusions that featured fish and here is what I decided to do - on an already coloured page.

Lying in bed last night I was trying to think of a suitable comment to make on the page but nothing came forth.  This morning was just the same so there you have it folks a fishy page with no words - but do we need to put words every time on a journal page?  The answer is definitely "NO".

WOYWW 403

Another day - another dollar; another week - another WOYWW!  Gosh, time moves on so swiftly when you are having fun.

This week saw me meeting up with two of my favourite men - Andy Skinner and Seth Apter.  I was booked in to do a workshop with Seth and Andy came as a bonus when I went into the actual trade show.

So my first picture is of my desk as I had unpacked it showing you what I made with Seth -

A Window Box using his new choice of PaperArtsy paints, Buff, Mahogany, Midnight and Terracotta.  I had only booked on this one workshop as I wanted to see what the show had on offer and how it differed from cha but I got to see Andy Skinner and watch his demos.

On the other bit of my desk, the bit I work on mostly, you can see a card I am currently pondering over as to how to mount it.  This is one of the cards for Vicky Stampers next month as I am doing the workshop.  Love these stamps but am only using this one for the workshop but they do have a choice of blue or red as a scheme, or whatever other colour they want.

I don't think I am spoiling it for anyone as none of the members go on my blog.  You can see my original idea which is the red lady, reminiscent of the prints you see in the various furnishing shops around that are just black and white with a red figure in the centre. Thought I would do a blue one as well as a sample and think I will mount this differently, probably as a smaller card as I know of at least one member who prefers to send small cards.  Of course, if anyone wants to colour the whole image in it is up to them.  Other cards are being kept under wraps for the moment but I will no doubt show them to you another week.

That is it from me for now, think I am coming down with a cold which is also attacking my tummy so I am keeping warm and rested for the moment.  Please pop along to see Julia and catch up with her and the other WOYWW'ers for this week.  See you around!

Jeudi Journal - A Heart or Two

Not a clue who chose this topic but I know I asked for it to be moved to coincide with Valentine's Day so that is why it appears now two days after the event.

To begin with I used a stencil of Donna Downey's that I had seen and fallen in love with.  Now was my Gesso too runny or what, not a clue, but I know I made a bit of a mess of it.  Will have to rethink this one later but as it was another scheduled post before I went away (yes I know I have been back ages, a week really) and I really did not have time for this as my sister has been visiting from Oz.

Cut out a heart freehand in black, used a couple of Crazy Dogs and some punched hearts and the idea was born and executed.

Hope you like my rendition for St Valentine!

Hope you got some Valentine cards.  Any anonymous ones pop through your door?  Or was there just one from your sweetheart?  I left just before Valentine Day but I remember being there one year for it and I got quite a few cards from female friends over there. What a lovely way to celebrate, you don't need to miss out.

WOYWW 402 - long - sorry Julia

Guess you all want to see what I brought back from the USA?  Well, hold on to your hats 'cos here is a photo of my desk as it was when I got in last Wednesday evening after unpacking the cases:

So that looks just a jumble, right?  OK, I did think of showing you some of the bits and pieces in more detail - not all of them but some

Still a jumble?  OK here is the Andy Skinner stuff

with Andy himself looking on

Stencils were bought over here and waiting for me when I got home but we got his three new sets of stamps - wasn't getting them, or so he pretended, but on the promise of a drink at the bar from me the whole class benefitted and we got them.  Behind are the tags we did with him showing various techniques and behind them are the paints we used in his and Tracy's classes.

During one of the workshops I took with Andy and Tracy (Weinzapfell) Craig (de Souza) came in wearing a mask of Andy's face and shouting that he was "the real Andy Skinner".  There were only a few masks but I managed to get one on the promise that I would wear it at the show the next day - which I did, on the back of my head!

The Splash Booth?

Some of you may recall seeing photos of me in a "forensic scientist suit" on FB?  Well at the back are the results of the splashing about of paint that we did.  To the left (the green one) is a canvas I did with Tracy as is the one to the right.

In front are my Inktense pencils, a sticky roller and a book on journalling with some cute ribbons tucked in there that I bought from Hobby Lobby.

Did I buy any rubber stamps?  You bet I did, and I got some given by my friend Mary from her selection of SU stamps - including the 'Beautiful You' series which I fell in love with.  The butterfly is actually a die from Simon Says.

So there's my desk, both as a dump and then later cleared up and staged to show you some of the things I brought back from the "Good Old US of A".  Was I sad to leave - you bet I was. Always difficult to say 'bye' to friends and especially to Mary who has a big place in my heart.  I now have to pull myself together and remember that there are only eleven months before I am there again, God willing.

Hope Julia does not mind the desk shots, at the moment it is pretty clear in my craft room, remember my sister is with us from Australia (pictures in another post soon) and she does not craft, besides which we have so much to talk about and sleep is hitting both Karen and me.  So I will leave it there and join our leader of the pack, Julia, and see what she has been up to, throw my cap into the ring and then have a snoop about at friends blogs when Karen leaves tomorrow.  Sorry I was so late last week with comments, you do understand don't you - please say 'yes'.

Jeudi Journal - Include a Cat

Or a family in my case.

Now being brutally honest the 'P' of "Purrfect" sits on a bright orange rectangle whch was already there - why I have no idea!  Just decided to make it host the letter 'P' as I had not a clue how to cover up an obvious boo boo in the very top left corner.

A spattery background says ink was used for this, and there is a trace of a brickwork stencil having been used in some areas.   The cats themselves were coloured in with my Prismacolors over the top of Promarkers in some areas.  I do enjoy playing about with those pencils, and some of the letters sport a double line filled in with blue and green pencil.

I am rather fond of those cats and now NEED another set of stamps (Dylusions of course) to work with the cats.

Wonder what Wendy has done, I know she did not get the cats for Christmas, wonder which set she did get?

ps I am back home (yesterday) but scheduled this post just in case I was suffering the inevitable jet lag.  Plus I have a couple of medical appointments today and tomorrow.  Still, I can pop along to Wendy at the very least.

WOYWW 401

Not sure when this will get posted as there is a time difference from where I am and where Julia is.  I think that when Julia posts I will be up in the sky winging my way home to London. Well not home to London but on the first leg of my journey.  I am not even sure when I am due to land in Heathrow but I do look forward to the Executive Lounge and its buzz with all the business people (not to mention the delicious food on offer - no I will not be hitting the spirits, or the wine) around lunchtime.

This has to be my desk today.  Would be able to post much later and show you my real desk at home but it won't have changed since the day I left so not much use in showing you that again.  It will be nice to be reunited with my Peace Lily which a friend of Chas's has been looking after.  I am rather partial to that particular plant surviving when I go away as it was one given to me by 'The Big Strong Boys' when the TV company did my craft room all those years ago.  Who could fail to remember Jake and Gavin the two main men in the programme.  Not me, what a great time I had over the two days with the tv company and how kind and courteous they were with both me and my home.

Anyway, to my desk which is how I left my portion of the worktop at Mary's:

Mary had received some images in a mingle on a group she is on and I begged to colour one in and chose this one.  I just wanted to play with the Inktense pencils to see how well they blended - they did very well indeed.

Now to sit back and relax, watch a film or two, doze a bit and wonder what the weather is like at home, because this is a scheduled post.  Follow the link at the top to see what Julia has to say and visit one or two of the desks, you will be surprised what you will learn along the way.

Au revoir!

Jeudi Journal - Family Tree

Wendy's choice said "A tree, drawn or stamped.  Could be a family tree".  Well, not having a big enough stamp for a tree to fill an A4 page and not wanting it to be 'bitty' I went with the 'family tree' and stamped lots of heads making them into a family, or two. Hope I can be forgiven for turning some of the heads into male ones.

We have the Ponsby-Smythes at the top of the tree with Henry who married Abigail Fanshawe and had two children, Percival (who married Agatha Arbuthnot) and Rupert who married an Irish girl called Bronagh O'Connor.  

Percival went on to have a son, Julian, and a daughter, Priscilla whilst Rupert and Bronagh had their only daughter Sian.

The background was a pre-existing one (why did I do them, never again) with some leaves down the side which suddenly became the top, and the figures were coloured with Promarkers again.

This is nearly the end of the scheduled posts so we will see what Wendy has done for her tree - guess is that it is hand drawn, Wendy likes her tree themes.

WOYWW 400

We have that double zero number again and this time it is 400.  That means Julia has drawn together a lot of crafters from 400 weeks ago. If I start to try to ascertain how many days that has been and how many minutes, not to mention seconds, I will get myself in a right royal pickle so I won't bother. Well done Julia - I, and so many others now have lots of internet friends all over the world - and so many have actually met.  A Great Big Thank You Julia!

Before I proceed I would just like a lovely lady called Shaz know that she is in my thoughts and prayers for her upcoming operation. Sending lots of love to you and Doug who will be worrying about you.

Deskwise there is not much change again, in fact there is none but I do have a card to show you which my friend made for me and which I think is so lovely.

Just so you don't feel this post has no desk here is a shot of it although it has not changed.

Now you know why I showed you a card - would not have been interesting to see just the photo above.  Right, in an attempt to keep it short and sweet I will leave it there but urge you to join in with the link above and make lots of new friends on WOYWW.