Jeudi Journal - Organised

 Can't believe this is the last blog post from me for February and March is only a few days away.  If that month goes as quickly as this one has we will be a quarter way through the year already before we know it.

This week we are marrying the quote "I'd get organised, but it would only confuse my family" with Vicki's theme of 'Music' at Art Journal Journey and during my recent cull of stamps in my craft room I kept behind a few music related ones including this border stamp, below.

The background is just some stencil work through a Lavinia stencil called 'Foliage' using an Elements Blue Atoll inkpad and the border is unknown as are the diecuts.

"Amelia was a gifted child, always leaning towards the Arts when in Junior School so it was not surprising that she chose the Arts when it came to her making her choices of subjects to take at GCSE level.  She did well in her examinations, particularly in Music and so she went on to study her best subject at college.

She began sharing a room with a couple of other girls, Sandy and Susie but both girls could not get over the fact that Amelia was untidy.  There was music left lying about everywhere, she played a couple of instruments and those were often left on the bed, and not always Amelia's bed!

One day Susie had had enough and she confronted Amelia about her untidy ways.

"We had a little chat the other day, Sandy and me.  We love sharing with you but ..."

"But?" said Amelia "but you are fed up of my music?"

"No, it's not your music, we enjoy listening to you, especially when you sing.  We don't mind you when you have a new piece to practice, it's just the endless pieces of music you leave all over the room, and you even invade our beds with your instruments and their cases.  We would love you to be a bit more organised."  

"I'd get organised, but it would only confuse my family" replied Amelia with a little grin on her face.  "Mum was always on my case about my untidy habits.  Come to think of it my brother would probably think he had a new sister.  Tell you what, if you promise to help me keep the place tidy I will do my best.  Deal?"

And the two girls shook hands before sharing a big hug.

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 Well, the cull is still on.  A slow process which is making a mess of my craft room and a mess of the spare room - I have to find somewhere to put the stuff I take out of my craft room don't I?  So crafting is on hold again apart from doing my Thursday blog page which can be done anywhere (or will have to be).

Maybe if I show you some photos of the craft room in all its glory mess and the spare room which is now known as the "dumping room" but hopefully only for a short time en route to the garage.

I've decided to put all the rubber stamps (and polymer) in a big box (and others when the big one is full) and store them in the garage for 6 months.  If I don't need them at the end of the 6 months then I will get rid of them.  I am just bothered I have been a bit too hard on some categories and may not have enough of a particular category so in 6 months I have time to put some back.  Ready for the photos?

This photo shows 3 cubby holes that are now empty having had ink pads in them before.  What is going in them next?

The shelves on the left have my paints and journal in plus lots of other things that don't be used much.

This bookcase fits those sets of drawers in so nicely but it is easier to  use the old silver boxes to store stamps in than these.  However the bottom set is being used for some stamps that are on A4 sheets.  The photo below shows the gap where the grey sets of drawers used to be housed.  Guess I will eventually get rid of all those Martha Stewart Punches too.  The white boxes have cut card/toppers I've made in them - they were what my 'surprise cream teas' arrived in that I kept treating my other half to to thank him for helping me when my back was at it's worse.

This last photo is in the spare room where everything has got dumped that has been taken from my craft room - mainly ink pads and stamps,

The table is ideal for crafting on and it goes in the garage, underneath are household boxes leaflets for appliances etc), boxes of fabric, my sewing machine, knitting wools etc.  That big box on top of the table is full to the brim with rubber/polymer stamps as are the silver tins and the black ones - in fact most of it is stamps.  You can just see a Prime box, back right - that has ink pads in as has the chocolate box underneath.

My back has been bad (seeing chiropractor every two weeks) since Christmas so this is a difficult task to do but one only I can do on my own.  Chas comes in handy for lifting now and then but that's the reason it is taking so long to do this.  Once done it will make life so much easier but in the meantime I will do bits of crafting one way or another.

Hope to see some nice things on some desks as I go snooping via Sarah's Craft Shed.  See you there.

Jeudi Journal - Fast

 I've got my days muddled up and had it in my head this was the last day for Vicki's theme of Music on Art Journal Journey, thank goodness I have another one to do as I still have some musical items I want to use up.  In fact yesterday I started my blog saying it was the end of the month almost (had to change it in a hurry after publishing) ooer!

I just took my square journal page and used a Lavinia stencil all over (Elegance) usingWorn Lipstick Distress oxide.  I then stamped randomly over the top with Versafine Claire Morning Mist which is a grey, not as harsh as a black ink.  Characters are coloured in with Promarkers.

Today we have the quote "I try to watch what I eat but it's too fast".  Rather depends doesn't it - if I am reading Erika's blog post and she has had a lobster roll my mouth waters and I long to taste one.  I can assure you if I got one of those I would savour every. last mouthful and take my time eating it.

"Marnie and her friend Lily had gone to see a musical at the local theatre.  Both girls were fond of music and this week there was a well known harpist in the orchestra.  Both girls were eager to see her and listen to the beautiful sounds that came as she plucked, strummed and bowed the strings on her harp.  They had saved really hard to get tickets for this show as it was a little more expensive than the normal ones on account of the celebrity harpist.

"Should we get some popcorn?" asked Lily as they walked through the foyer.

"Ooh, yes, get me one of the Jumbo buckets, I'm feeling a bit peckish" replied Marnie who was always ready to eat at any time of the day, but much more than normal these last few weeks.

"Do you really think you should be eating such a lot of popcorn?" asked Lily, "I noticed how you have been putting weight on lately if you don't mind me saying so."

"I haven't" said Marnie a bit defensively, "It's you, you are too skinny, just look at your little thin legs."

"Well, I was talking to Bob whilst you were getting your coat and he made a comment about you having put some weight on these last few weeks."

"My husband needs to keep his mouth closed and his thoughts to himself.  Come on, are we getting popcorn or what?  I want to get settled before the programme starts." said Marnie with a little bit of a huff and a shrug of her shoulders.

Lily went off and bought herself a normal tub of popcorn and a ginormous one for her friend.  "Well," she said to herself, "if she wants to get fat so be it but she doesn't need to come moaning to me when she can't fit in anything decent for the works party."

The girls went in and sat down, Marnie straight away eating her popcorn as they waited for the lights to dim.  What a wonderful musical it was.  The singing and the dancing was superb and the addition of the harpist just put the cherry on top of the icing for the girls.

Linking arms on the way out Lily could not help herself.  Marnie had eaten all that giant tub of popcorn and gone out in the interval for a hot dog whilst she herself had just had a drink.

"Why don't you try to lose a bit of weight?" she casually dropped into the conversation.  "You know we have the annual Dinner Dance coming up with the office and you will want something nice to wear. I'll even go on a bit of a diet with you if it will help."

"Oh dear, I try to watch what I eat but it's too fast." said Marnie laughingly.  "I know you are only thinking of me but I promise you I am ok and it's not really fat that you need to be worrying about.  Honestly."

"I don't want us to fall out" said Lily, "but I am concerned about you.  You kept your coat on all night and it was quite warm in there, you obviously know you've got a bit of a tummy lately and that's why you are like you are.  Your legs are a bit swollen too.  In denial.  Unless you are ill or something. I hope not."

Marnie started laughing, "You know you are my best friend, my very best friend in the whole wide world and I love you so much.  If I tell you what is wrong with me you have to promise not to breathe a word to anyone.  Promise?"

Lily looked quite alarmed at this, "Promise." she said.

"Well, Bob and I are having a baby, and so yes, you are right I have put a bit of weight on and yes, I am eating more but now you know the reason why will you please not say a word to anyone.  We haven't told our parents yet and Bob will go mad if he knows I've told you first."

"Promise" said Lily, a bit breathlessly, "On one condition, can I be godmother to the little one when it comes along?"

"Yes, yes, yes" was the answer, "I am relying on you to plan the baby shower, knit lots of bootees for the baby and, most importantly be the best aunt to our baby that ever there was.  Oh, and do the occasional session of babysitting."

WOYWW 820

 Cannot believe we are half way through February already.  Seems like only yesterday we were entering the month.  It was only when I started to write this post up and enter a publish date that I realised there is only one week and two more days after this and we are in March.  Please slow down, less sleep is the only answer I can think of and I need my sleep.

Last week I pondered about the Valentine card - to buy or make?  Buying won and I cannot believe the price of the simplest of cards at a local high street shop - £3 for one line and a simple heart on the cover and one line inside.  So I opted for one a bit better, well one I liked to be honest and paid another pound for the privilege.   Going to start doing my 'special' Christmas cards now.  Even if they take a considerable while to make.

Also last week I pondered on whether to buy the latest stamp release from Lavinia.  Decided I did not want all the stamps (can I put the herb stamps in a previous garden tub instead of what is in it - well, I am going to give it a try and save on the number of stamps I want) and so bought a few and a couple of things I also wanted from my wish list.  Total spend just over £100.  And now I need (yes it is a need) some new ink pads - both Versafine Claire (don't buy the sets these days, just the ones I want eg I rarely use red or purple so don't need them all) and some Oxides.  Which reminds me I did empty my Adirondacks out (well dh did them for me as it was too high to get them) so am a bit closer to a tidy up/cull but not so you would notice.  The spare room does though, it's the dumping ground for the stuff I am getting rid of.  I need to be ruthless!

One stamp included various words for use with my bee cards so now I can show you what I did the week before in my online class.

The mono one was shaded using HB - 6B pencils

Whilst doing the "cull" I have found things that I have bought in the past and not used, some things I must admit I no longer know what they are to be used for.  Has anyone else done this?  So I am going to spend some time on the internet looking ip what some of these lotions and potions are for and then maybe use them.  In the meantime I am off to Sarah's Craft Shed for my weekly nose about.  Join me, please do.

Jeudi Journal - the job

This is the quote that I have to work with today along with Music which is the challenge at Art Journal Journey.  "The best man for the job is a woman" - do you agree or does it depend on the job?

For my page this week I used one made earlier and, finding some die cut music shapes, stuck them on around the border and put just one figure on rather than making it a picture with a background.  I liked the quote at a slant - intentional, not a slip when placing down.

"Bettina had always loved music.  Her father had done a bit of DJ'ing at local dance halls close to where they lived and she had got used to music blasting out most days.  Dad had even shown her how to use his equipment and she loved all things to do with music.

Bettina was also a bit of a tom boy as a child and she found she enjoyed the subjects at school that mainly were taken by the boys.  Technology was her favourite along with Science, and, of course, music.  Lucky for her Dad had contacts in the music industry and so, when work experience came around, he was able to find her some work shadowing with friends of his in the business.

When it came time to see the Careers teacher at school she knew exactly what she wanted to do - be a sound engineer - and so she found out all she could about the profession, studied as much as was possible and came out with good grades at 16.  

She didn't want to be in some recording studio, she wanted more involvement than that.  She wanted to be behind the scenes at live performances and deal with some aspects of lighting and stage direction too.  University would equip her for all that and so that was her short term goal

She knew that it was going to be an uphill struggle but there were lots of women out there doing similar things and she wanted to be one of them.  After all, as she said to her mother "The best man for the job is a woman" and so, equipped with her ear phones and equipment along with the backing of both her parents she entered University ready to become as good at her degree course which combined technical and creative coursework with work experience as any other student.  Who  knew where she might end up in years to come."

WOYWW 819

 I think I need to find a heart shaped card or something- it's almost Valentine Day.  Either that or go to a shop tomorrow on my way to the chiropractor.  I was so bad last week when I got there (my back started in pain as I got in the car and it took us one and a half hours to get there (traffic jam) so I was a bit of a wreck).  She has squeezed me in her lunch hour tomorrow for an extra session.

So there has been little crafting except an online class on Saturday but I haven't finished them off yet so cannot show you.  I have however continued with my clearing out and this time I attacked some of my ink pads.  The ones below I rarely use these days, seem to use Versafine Clair and Oxides most of the time, along with my Elements for backgrounds.  I still have two of those cubby holes full of Adirondack which I haven't used in a long time so I think they will be next but not until the back is a bit more settled.  The annoying thing is that they are all in good working order, not a dried out one in sight MA.

You see the Versafine at the front with with red sticker on, well that and the VersaMagic below are still fully sealed.  I have wasted money in my time.  I just wish I could get some more of the containers like the ones on the right that house my Oxides.  You can access them one by one instead of pulling a column out to get to the one at the base.  Just keep checking for them making some more.  Of course I want the same ones.  So that's my desk for this week.

Not ordered any of the new stamps yet.  Got a list but am debating (with myself) as to whether I need them or not.  Silly, of course I want them, but do I NEED them?  I think Helen might give me some encouragement as she gets hooked on Dina Wakley a bit (which reminds me she is coming to Art from the Heart this May Helen) like me and Lavinia at the moment.

Heading over to Sarah's Craft Shed now so I can do a mooch this afternoon when I get back - might squeeze an odd one in this morning. 

Jeudi Journal - Temptation

 "Lead me not into Temptation, I can find the way myself" is the quote to be used today with our Dylusion page and AJJ's theme - "Music" as chosen by the lovely Vicki from "Stamped Smiles".

To begin with I knew I had a sheet or two of card covered in music, knew it was pale blue but didn't know where it was. I also knew I had lots of sheets of actual music but again could not find them.  Then my other half found the blue sheets for me.  You see I was in agony with my back and so not up to bending and looking for things, so being the wonderful man he is he came to help.  Just wish he was artistic so he could do my crafting for me at times.  So with that and a few rubber stamped images I began:

"Diane was quite the musician.  As a child her parents had bought her a piano and she had taken lessons from a local Professor and won one or two book prizes on account of her incredible prowess at making the keys twinkle.  Well, not exactly 'twinkle' as it was classical music that she played as a child.

She was a very popular young lady, lively, vivacious, kind and understanding with lots and los of friends//.  Her love of music grew and grew and she could often be heard playing popular songs from the musicals as well as her classical pieces at a local home for the elderly.  They loved having her playing the old songs for them and many of them sang along as she played.  She could literally play any kind of music that they wanted and she enjoyed it as much as they did.  She would sit and chat with the residents who loved to tell her stories of their lives and loves.  Many a time a tear would trickle from the corner of her eye as she listened to the stories they had to tell.  

There was a young gardener who one day came to work at the home and he would listen to her playing through the open French windows that led to the garden.  Intrigued he craned his neck to see who was playing the piano and causing so much joy to the people inside but the person was always hidden from view, besides which it was probably some old guy who lived there.  "But what a wonderful pianist he was", thought Brian.

Then one day, it was a lovely sunny day in May, a young lady came through the French windows and asked him if he could pick her some roses, if it was allowed.  Brian was stunned by her beauty and wondered who on earth she was.  She obviously was a visitor, she couldn't work there, she wasn't in any kind of uniform.

"Yes, I'll take some from around the back where they don't show.  There are so many there and they need pruning" he said.  "When do you want them for and how will I find you?" 

"Oh, just bring them to the piano lounge where we are having a party for Elsie who is 90 today." she replied.  "I thought they would look lovely by the baby grand piano.  Kind of set the scene if you know what I mean."

"Will fifteen minutes do?" he asked, "I am just finishing up here and will bring them before I set off for home if that is ok."

Fifteen minutes later, his hands and face washed, hair combed, jacket and trousers on, boots removed, Brian walked through the French window into the piano lounge where they were having a good old sing song to ..... the twinkling fingers on the ivory keys of the beautiful young lady who had asked for the roses.  Brian was taken aback.  He could not believe that this was the pianist.  The person whom he had listening to as he worked outside whilst she played.  It was love at first sight.

Diane herself was quite surprised by this young man who had obviously combed his hair before he came in and had removed his boots.  He was certainly different to any of the boys she had been at school with or knew now.  He was tall, his eyes were a lovely shade of blue and he had the lovely tan of someone who worked outdoors.  She shook her head, "stop being silly" she said to herself, and looking up to heaven she muttered "lead me not into temptation, I can find the way myself".

WOYWW 818

 Here we are, in February, the days are slipping by too quickly again.  I wonder, do they go quicker as you get older?

Well, this week I have two more 'blue' cards to show you and a desk that may look as if it is set out but it really isn't.  I am looking for things I have done in the past with 'homes' on them.  My friend's daughter has just moved into her own first home with her partner and I must get a card off to her.  I was rather surprised when I went in my box and saw so many cards with houses on them.  Some need a little bit more stamping on them and some are too large for cards so will be chopped down a smidgin for putting into my Lavinia Journal.  Here's my desk

You can just see my coasters on the right hand side - they are drying as they have been coated in varnish at last.  That's my Lavinia Journal in the centre, various 'house' cards scattered about, some glues at the back left and my Metallic Gilding Polish to the top right corner of the journal.  I thought of doing the edges of some pages with the Gilding Polish before I stick my journal page down - a kind of border.  You can see my ink pads are all behind and I am going to get rid of some of them that I haven't used in ages and move the ones I use all the time into a better order.  Mind you the ones I am moving are above what you can see.  Hopefully I will get my craft room sorted (decluttered) this year.  I've been intending doing it for simply ages but my back keeps stopping me doing much.  It's a visit to the Chiro this morning so hopefully .....

Last week I showed you two of my January Blue cards, here are some more:

A bit of resist technique

Blue Hues

Well, that's it for this week, just two more cards to show you next time and hopefully some more after yet another online workshop with Jo.  Off to Sarahs Craft Shed now to catch up with other WOYWW'ers.

ps Friday is a new release day of some more stamps from Lavinia.  These seem to be on a gardening theme and there are some other lovely goodies as well as stamps.  You can enter a competition to win a bundle - doesn't cost you anything but a bit of your time to watch and link etc,