Jeudi Journal - Animal

"Every animal knows more than you do" is the quote for today and as I am using the new Blogger for the first time it is probably quite true as I have not got much idea what I am doing whenever I try to do something new.  I hadn't a clue how to start a new blog for instance, then my OH pointed out the red button with the plus sign - Bingo!  Doesn't look as if I can have it fully justified any more - ah well!  Not to worry.

For my page today we have a scene in the Jungle.  Our two intrepid travellers have ventured into a clearing, both feeling hot and bothered and more than a little annoyed with the heat.  They have come to see what the plant-life is like and hopefully take some specimens back home with them but as per usual William was more bothered about what he looked like than what he was supposed to be taking.  Wearing his fancy jacket and waistcoat he left all the specimen jars back at the tent which was quite a few miles away.  Jack was suitably annoyed and an argument had taken place in which he lost his temper telling William that the animals knew more than he did, and that they would certainly not have left specimen jars and bags back at base.

Thankfully, as you can see, the jungle afforded them some shade in the clearing and the animals looked on peering at these two legged creatures with some amusement.  Thank goodness there were no lions or tigers about.

To begin with I painted my page with a neutral cream all over because there were some marks on it from somewhere.  Then I went over the top with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink followed by Rusty Hinge to give it that hot look and finally Peeled Paint at the base to represent the ground.  I used Mowed Lawn through a stencil to give the canopy for the clearing.

Then I used various Dylusion Figures, leaves and flowers coloured with Promarkers for setting the scene.

I hope this is hot enough for Erika's challenge at Art Journal Journey which is almost at its end so if you want to enter into the challenge with your journal page you have just today and tomorrow to get it in.

WOYWW 582

The week has flown by again and once more it is time to reveal my desk in all its glory.  Did intend showing you a bit more of my craft room for a change but bad back stopped it.  If you want to see the desks of others just click here and join in the fun each week.

Well, weekend saw me doing another workshop with Tracy Evans, this time on a canvas, but it hasn't been touched since then.  Not got anything stuck down but everything placed where I intended it to go.  Now I might just change my mind so that is why it is in a state of undress at the moment.  This is my desk and you can just glimpse a teeny weeny bit of the project at the end on the pink mat.

Starting left are the stamps I used then comes an assortment of ephemera on my glass mat and then some poly bags with lots of bits and pieces like watch parts book pages, arrows, film strip etc in them.  Behind them are my Distress Inks and Oxides and the texture paste and gel medium which we used.  

The class started on Saturday morning for about two hours and then we had the same on Sunday.  it has been good seeing all the different interpretations that people have done.  Some carried on more or less the same as Tracy did but some ventured out into other colours and even themes for their canvasses.  I'll try to remember to show you mine next week.  I just want to alter the flow of the ephemera to be more of a pronounced sweep.

Made a card earlier in the week for a friend but forgot to take a photograph of it and must make one later and get it in the post for another friend who has a birthday the day after.  Got to get my journal finished - sorry, started, ready for Thursday too so will be busy all day.

Health Update:

No news from the hospital so will not be having the op this month as told.  Will have to have it next month or the battery will be out and I notice I am falling asleep all the time as it is.  Going to the chiropractor on Saturday so hoping the back will be a bit better after that.

Leg healing nicely, now got the ulcer stocking and wearing it each day which reminds me I have two of them to wash so better get to it.  See you all next week all being well.

Jeudi Journalling - Moving On

"Here's a straw, suck it up, get over it and move on " is the quote for this week.  I still wanted to portray something warm so I could enter into the challenge set by Erika at Art Journal Journey but my thoughts on the picture I wanted could not be a beach scene as it was set indoors.  Then I thought of a way around it.  Picture this:

On holiday the two youngsters had both decided to enter a talent show.  Bertie was reciting his funny bit of verse whilst his sister was doing her usual singing and a bit of tap dancing.  Poor Bertie had got part way through his verse when he forgot his lines.  He was so embarrassed.  And to make matters worse his sister, Beyonce, had come in second in the competition.  He was in floods of tears!  Beyonce, in true older sister style, had turned to him and said "Here's a straw, suck it up, get over it and move on" - just as mother appeared to come and console him.  

I should think they both ended in tears when mother heard what had been said.  Poor Bertie was already hot under the collar with embarrassment and I am sure after a good ticking off for being so rude to her brother and the sarcasm she showed in handing him a piece of straw, Beyonce also felt a bit of heat around her face.

For the page this week I did a stage scene.  It is just a simple stage set on the beach - the curtains were the heavy pink velvet I seem to recall from the back of my mind somewhere as being the type of thing these resorts had in their day, the stage floor had been newly varnished and the backcloth was simply the sunny beach.  (So I could enter it as 'something hot' for the challenge).  I do hope Erika and the moderators will accept this as my entry for this week.  Why don't you think of something nice and hot (or cold if you read the prompts from Erika) and join in with the others.

WOYWW 581

It's Wednesday and that is another WOYWW Day where I meet up with friends a d share what is on my desk - crafting that is.  Why not pop along and join us, you'll make lots of friends and have something to do every Wednesday, just click here.

I made a tag the other week for Vicky Stampers and forgot to show it on here and I almost forgot to show my latest workshop make - which ended up as a box to keep some Dylusion figures in.   It was a class done by my bff Lorraine which should have been a folio but when I had almost finished it I decided it would make a nice box and so I am now making another one which will be the "real" folio.

here it is - decorated with some of the figures

I did make another thing - a book, but I can't show you that yet as it went into a challenge which is anonymous so until it ends you will have to wait.  Bet I forget all about it! 

I have been keeping up with my iCAD's but some days it has been a bit difficult so I have taken the easy way out and used a diecut, as you can see.  I also had a go with my Gelatos but I can't say I had much success with them.  In fact I almost threw the striped one away - then I thought I would just stick a Dylusion figure on and call it done.  You will have to excuse the dirty craft mat underneath.

As you can see, some days I did not have much time to spend on them but the ones where I coloured figures in were the ones I enjoyed the most, this blooming back has a lot to answer for.

Anyhow, you have come here to see my desk, not the index cards, so showing no evidence of anything here is my desk - nothing to see but my Pan Patel's that were waiting to go back on top of the cupboard.  I have my journal to do for tomorrow, luckily I know what I am doing for it and then I need to do a real good clean up and get ready for a workshop with Tracy Evans at weekend.  She asked us to get everything out and ready so as there are a few things want cutting and stamping in readiness I had better get to it.

Gosh, when I think of the money I spent on buying these and the trays to put them in - along with so much other crafting stuff that lies idle - I could be much richer (or have bought more from AALL & Create's Weekend Birthday Bonanza!).  Would have not had such a crowded craft room either!  Btw the bit about buying more at weekend was said rather tongue in cheek as i did get a bit carried away with the tv.

See you all next week!

Health Update:

The leg has been healing really well and the District Nurses are so pleased with its progress that I am signed off from having to go again.  Well, almost.  I have to go on Friday just to collect my stocking!!  I have reached that old age where I will have to wear an elastic stocking on my leg all the time.  Asked did I want "sand" or "black" I am glad now that I chose "sand".  Thought it was only a temporary thing but the nurse explained that the wound could break down at some time in the future and the wearing of this stocking would help circulation and prevent this.  Great!  Still, better than the alternative.  Must say those girls down at the clinic are doing a marvellous job.  Hats off to them!
Another week and still no call to the hospital.  It's going to be the end of the month before long.  

Jeudi Journal - Thin Ice

Well this week's quote was "If you're already walking on thin ice you may as well dance" and two day's ago I had not a clue what I was going to do for this, but then on Tuesday when I sat down to start inspiration hit.  The trouble was I wanted to do another beach scene - I so enjoyed the colours in the one last week that I wanted to use them again.  

Here we are, not quite the same, not as dramatic a sky, but a hot beach scene again for my journal so that I can fulfill the criteria for Erika in her challenge at Art Journal Journey, "It's Hot".  If you pop along you can see that Erika gives you lots of ideas so that you can use cold things as well as hot - why not give it a go and join in.

My little story this week is about three young girls who have gone on holiday to a lovely hot beach resort.  Having just escaped the reins of homelife they are eager to hit the beach and sample the bar, even though they are all not really old enough to be drinking.  (Well, that is apart from the cool one in the shades who is lying on the beach hoping she looks cool.  She is the oldest one of the three and the others look up to her.) 

The poor girl in the middle of the trio is a bit bewildered as to why they are hitting the beach straight away when their luggage has not yet arrived and they are still dressed more or less as they were when they left home.  She has not even thrown her coat off, and why is she wearing that beret?  Well, the other one is already dancing her way to the bar at the far side of the beach putting the middle girl in a quandary.  "What is happening" you can almost hear her say as she holds her hands out .  Well, as the other one says "If you're already walking on thin ice you may as well dance" .  And dance she does, on her way to the beach bar.

For this once again I used my Distress inks, Tumbled Glass for the little blue patch of sky, Spiced Marmalade for the orangey bits and Wild Honey for the sun.  What else but Salty Ocean could I use for the sea and Tea Dye gave a very light colour for the sand.  

I chose to do the beach bar and the palm tree just in pen and ink as I didn't want them to dominate the picture.  Apart from the girl at the end nearest to the bar I didn't do any alterations of heads or body parts but for her I chose a different head to make her look young and chopped a pair of legs up to try to make them look as if she was dancing in some way.

I think I am getting quite attached to orange as a colour - maybe another beach scene next week, or will I go cool?  I do like blue!  

(the other ideas I had were:  of a girl and her mother with mother reading her daughter's report card from school - she could have been skating on very thin ice there; or a female on a shopping spree who kept charging things to her  card - she'd be skating on thin ice before long if she did that. Finally I was going to have girls using fake id's to get into a bar - but then I wanted a beach so that last one  kind of got changed)

WOYWW 580

I am sure these Wednesdays come around far quicker than ever they used to.  It's time once more to join in with Julia and her merry band and show what is on our workdesks.  If you want to join in click here and find out all about it - then post and show us what is on your desk.

Well this week I think I am going to find a struggle with this blog posting as everyone seems to be having problems with the new format.  I think it is the placement of photographs that has got to folks out there and if that happens I might have one big meltdown because I like my photos to be centred.  Now if they are, all will be good.  So I cannot wait to post this and see what happens, hence I will keep it short and sweet.

Need to build up my stash of birthday cards so once again I have opted for a Laurel Burch type card.  The members of the club will all get the same card, maybe different colourways but in essence the same card.  That's what you can see on my desk - all I have been doing is colouring in with my Promarkers and fussy cutting inbetween trying to make a folio as instructed by my bff for the club class this month (virtual).

My Tracy Evans book is lying there waiting for the cover to be glued on and then I can put it to bed.  Otherwise there is just my journal open at last week's page but, despite all I said there is still tomorrow's page to be started.  Oh woe is me I have not a clue where to start with the quote for this week.  Better get my skates on - quick!

Health Update:

Leg still wrapped up like a turkey for Christmas, the lovely nurse I saw on Saturday explained that it is being kept wrapped so that it will heal quicker.  She had replaced the steri strips on the  previous appointment but on taking the bandage and dressings off it was still showing signs of bleeding two weeks down the line.  So it was back wrapped and an iodine dressing applied.  Fingers crossed for this afternoon when I go again.

As you are reading this I am probably in Preston having obtained a cancellation for the chiropractor.  it's the first appointment of the day in order to try to keep me as safe as possible from contact with others.  Boy oh boy do I need a bit of manipulation.  However, I'll play catch up later with the comments.

Well that is it for this week, see you around!  (not sure what's happened, it looks just the same as always)

Jeudi Journal - Shut up

The quote today is "Shut up and Colour" - another gem of Dyan's in her Dylusion range.  As I wanted to relate my journal page to Erika's "Hot" challenge at Art Journal Journey I decided to do a beach scene and try to make it look "Hot".  I had a great time with my Distress Inks playing about with the different colours to make the sky.  I used an ordinary pencil to create the horizon line as I thought black was a bit too severe and I also used it to make marks on the sand where people had walked.

You will notice that my palm trees are not green but are in actual fact a charcoal grey colour.  I didn't want them to be green so I chose to use my Pitt Pen which has a lovely nib for colouring without too much colour, and it does not bleed through the paper either.  (My Promarkers do so I can only use them on cut out figures)

Here we have big sister who is very fashion conscious at all times and is wearing, of all things, her Louboutin shoes down on the beach (note the red soles).  She is so inappropriately dressed it is almost comical and what on earth is a dog doing in her hat?  Anyhow she has had to look after her younger sister who is having a 'bit of a moment' and is sulking as she has to wear her dress on the beach but big sister is having none of it and has told her in no uncertain terms to "Shut up and Colour".  Imagine being a child on a beach and having to wear your best clothes just because big sister wants to look, what she thinks is, good!  No wonder she has thrown her book on the floor with her crayons.  You would too wouldn't you?

Now to see what else is in Art Journal Journey, if you want to join in you just follow this link and make a journal page that suggests When It's Hot.  This month Erika is asking you to journal about the summer heat or things you do when it's hot.  She suggests you may even journal what you do to stay cool when its hot - ie think about July and summer (unless you are in the UK lol).  See you with my page next week.

WOYWW 579

Well, update on last week's post is that the treatment room rang me on Sunday to go through some questions with me and check that I would not arrive before five minutes prior to my appointment and I would wear a mask.  I was also asked all the questions related to Covid to make sure I did not think I had it.  Why?  Because they have had people attending with Covid and people without masks.  I told you last week about the non mask wearers.  Mind you, IMO, the security woman down there should be in the foyer, checking these things.  Oh, and you have to be alone, which I was, Chas waiting in the car.  More on my health at the end :( 

Why have they opened bars and things when they know people will not obey the rules?  It seems so silly to me, guess it is to safeguard the economy but it is a worry.  Some towns are seeing spikes (ours was one of four mentioned on the national news) already, presumably from the beach visits, raves, parties and marches that have been happening.  It is probably going to get worse and worse now.  Worrying!

Anyway, not done as much crafting this past week as before.  However, I did make a tag today - just need to put some fingers on the clock and it is ready to photograph and put on Vicky Stampers.  So as it is time to show our desks for WOYWW I had better show you mine.  Here  is the tag on my desk with my pencils

So this is all that is on my desk.  Cropped, it as it is just a dirty mat that you would be looking at.  However, I realised I had not been showing you my iCads for the past few weeks so yesterday I set them out on my desk and here they are:

As you can see, some days I got a bit busy and just used a diecut that I had around the place.  You will also probably notice that there has been quite a bit of influence by Tracy Evans and her "Lives" on the internet.  A lot of them are stamped with Tracy's flowers and then coloured in using my pencils whilst sat with a hot water bottle on my back.  Bliss!

Health Update:

Well the news is that my pacemaker is cream crackered and I have to go in THIS MONTH to have a new one fitted.  I have always said this would not bother me but to be honest it does.  Not from the operation but from the fact that numbers are really on the up and up in our town.  We've gone from having 1's, 2's and a few zero's to figures like 5, 9 and the latest one - 12.  It scares me silly.  Here am I going to the clinic for my leg twice a week and an operation pending in the hospital.

Went to the chiropractor on Friday but did not get treated.  She had double booked and as I had no proof that I had an appointment I was the one who had to leave.  I did get ten minutes attention as fortunately the other lady had got lost with the traffic system in Preston (lots of roads closed to make cycling and walking safer in the town centre).   Came home and tried to book something but the earliest I could get was the 4th August - no good to me if my operation is this month.  Now got a cancellation appointment for the 15th so fingers crossed nothing goes wrong before then, I so need some treatment.

Jeudi Journal - Believe

This morning we are looking at a lovely quote "I Believe in Unicorns".  Thankfully I happened to have a Unicorn by Dylusions that I could use and then just create something to illustrate it.  As Erika had chosen "summer heat" as the theme for the challenge on Art Journal Journey I painted my page in a hot pink and then began choosing characters to use.  

Mum has taken the kids out for a walk around the park and the little girl is being picked on by her older brother.  You know how siblings are, arguing all the time, especially older brothers who like to pick on their younger sisters - and to make matters worse it is hot hot hot and so sunny.  And all the little girl had said was that there was a unicorn hiding behind a bush.  Big brother said there were no such things and the little girl in a very teary voice said "I believe in unicorns".  Poor mum is frazzled, her hair is not quite as bouffant as she would like, her umbrella is a bit too small to shade her completely from the sun and her sunglasses are a bit too dark, she cant see what the kids are up to.  But she can see a lilac unicorn peeping from the bushes! 

So there you have it, my journal page for today and my entry for Erika's challenge on Art Journal Journey.

WOYWW 578

Another week has flown by, to be exact another month has gone, and we are into flaming July (with the central heating on here) and we are back with Ms Julia and the WOYWW Gang.  Want to know more about it?  Click here and all will be revealed.

What a day I had yesterday.  The world and his wife decided to ring me and for a time I had phone calls queuing up - and one from my little Sis in Oz.  I sent a message to her to say I would ring in 40 minutes but she said it would be midnight there and she would be asleep.  I will have to ring her when I get back from my Pacemaker check tomorrow, well actually we will probably have a Facetime.  The others, except one, I did ring back but the missing one will now be on Friday.  Life has suddenly got so busy and the scare of hospital visits has been taken out of my hands, as most of you know from Facebook.

Well, this is my desk as it stands at the moment.  I got some new stamps yesterday - Stampers Grove had an offer on a bundle similar to Hochanda, following Tracy Evans' weekend Wow, so I could not resist.  But it has to stop now, I have spent so much money recently I cannot really justify buying any more.  Well, maybe some paint colours I want!!!  (Shhh!)

During lockdown I was not spending on podiatry, chiropractic or haircuts so I convinced myself I could spend the money saved on crafting - and I did!  With a vengeance!  Now I have to start paying for these services I will have no excuse so will have to stop.

You can see I bought one of the big A4 stamps with the feather, the camera and a suitcase on, then there was the Beetle stamp which I honestly thought I would never buy but I fell in love with the way Tracy used it so it had to be bought.  I also said I would not buy the bee stamp as it was too much like the Pink Ink set I had, plus I have four others and two dies of bees but then I liked Tracy's bee so that fell into the shopping basket too.

I could not wait to use the bee stamp and so you see the result of my efforts on my desk with the book I made the other week standing just behind it.  I still have not finished the book off as I wanted it to be all Tracy's stamps in it so was waiting for the beetle and the bee.  It can now be completed - hurrah!  I have some circles on my desk with paint on them - they are things that went wrong and so are just waiting to be chopped up and used somewhere in the future.  The craft mat bits underneath are for covering journal pages up when I am painting on them - ie to protect past and future pages from paint spots.  This is the card in close-up:

Behind my new stamps is a box with bits of card that might also come in useful like the circles you see, and next to it is my spritzer and some glues I use.  That's a new inkpad (Wendy Vecchi Forget Me Not) next to the book then it is paint water, brushes, scissors etc.  The roll, from a Kitchen Roll ,houses some lovely mop up sheets that I intended to use but haven't - might end up throwing them out as they have been there for months.

That is it for this week - see you next week with a bit of luck.

Health update:

Most of you will have seen my leg is bandaged from knee to toes via Facebook.  Spent Saturday morning in A&E having taken a chunk out of my leg.  It's a skin tear but quite a deep one and it got down to a vein which was bubbling out.  I now have the beautiful bandage off but still bandaged from knee to toe and having to sit with it up as much as I can.  This time it is a tubi-grip type thing and not half as nice as the proper bandage was.  Now I cannot get my clog on so am walking about on a bedsock and today, Wednesday, it will have a poly bag around it later so I can go to cardiology for the pacemaker check.  Not scared any more of going - I had my christening on Saturday.  What will be will be.

You probably want to know how I did it so: 

because of my bad back and the new mattress being a bit softish we put a board underneath the mattress on my side.  (Well it slowly slides out.)  It was sticking out - one corner of it, and I walked past and the corner dug in and ripped my skin/flesh off.  Well, not really off as it was still attached and the nurse managed to unfold most of it and drag it over the open wound, now it should heal better.

When I went to the clinic on Monday for them to look at it I was surprised at the number of people not wearing a mask.  Two girls got out of the lift not wearing them and I thought "they have most likely been talking to one another, so spittle may have come from their mouths and be in that lift".   In my book it is NOT ON.  There is a pharmacy attached to the clinic and people in there did not seem to have masks on either.  Why do people not think of others?

Apart from the leg as I said I am at Cardiology for a pacemaker check this morning, I know the battery is running low so will have to see, fingers crossed I get another three months out of it, or six?

Thursday is back to leg dressing clinic and Friday it is the chiropractor - cannot wait for that one.  I have so missed her,  Just about coping.  Think that is it - so long folks!