Feelin' groovy!

I keep singing the first line of this song, as the time just seems to be running away!
I've been quite busy - making things and having time with my grandchildren and the days just seem to have run into each other. At least I know I'm not on my own though as I'm sure quite a few of you are experiencing what I call gingerbread clock lol.


I made some friends some needle felted flowers which they seemed to like.

                 My favourite
I've also made a few cards but with limited time I limited my stamps and made several on this theme

Using one of Lindsay Mason's stamps from her fabulous winter themed stamps 'Build a snowy scene'
I also made several similar to this....

....using a snowman from a set that I think was Inkadinkado from a few years ago. I love him so much I thought it was time he came to play again!


Finally I must show you this, my son gave me this as a surprise present for my birthday this week(I've reached that Beatles song age!) I had requested no presents(it's ok I will get presents at Christmas) but I was so pleased with this - it's a dull old stone cut in half and has the feature carved out and polished...isn't he cute?

 here is the bottom, although the poor light and shaky hand doesn't show it up very well.

Right off to get ready, we're off to see Santa with grandchildren tomorrow. I feel strangely excited.....the magic is getting to me!
Thanks for looking, Chris

Little monster!

My youngest grandson loves Moshi monsters so when I picked him up from school and the usual question came up -"Are we crafting today Gran?" I told him we were going to do something different but "yes we we were crafting!" I had taken my needle felting bag with me, he chose his favourite monster and we cut out some felt and looked for wooltops in an appropriate colour. He is only 6(and 3/4!)but managed amazing well after having 'the safety talk' - mind your fingers etc. 

We did use my little holding tool for starting off but once he got going as you can see he did quite well


We then came up with a combined effort of an imaginary monster which he stuck to the fridge with a pair of magnets as soon as I had photographed it!

                     Cute huh?


On Wednesday my other grandchildrens' school closed for the strike so I had a lovely day with them too! My eldest grandson loves playing football on the WII(he has to have a time limit or I think he would do nothing else all day!!)so of course it was challenge Gran time - I lost count of the number of own goals I scored lol!
My grand-daughter was able to play with my new toy. 

I had bought her a child's version a while ago but she couldn't manage it(having tried it myself I'm not surprised) but this one she managed quite well, with a bit of help!It makes the most fantastic thick tubes! 
I had some lovely fluffy wool with rainbow colours through it so we made two bracelets on to which I then sewed coloured buttons (she was quite fussy about the choice of colours too)

I only took one photo but they were very similar. She wore them with pride when we picked Daddy up to go out for some tea!
 So....today - get on with making some presents, but what an awful grey light and rain pounding outside, might need chocolate as well....


Thanks for looking, Chris.

Not too late am I?

Phew!!!Only just got around to taking photos so just a few days late with the last of the year's 365/2011 journal. This is organised by the talented Kate Crane and if you want to see more look here.
It has been a busy month with one or two traumatic moments but I'm slowly getting back to normal(well, normal for me lol )
Here are November's pages complete

and I've already started to fill in December's pages.

Hopefully a better month, although I'm not looking forward to the cold weather - weren't we lucky to have the mild days we did?


One thing we have to look forward to is getting our flat on Saturday. We will be getting alterations arranged, we hope to have a new kitchen and bathroom and some decorating done before we move in sometime next year(have to sell our house first)I will have to remember to take 'before' pics won't I?


Thanks for looking, Chris

Jogging along!

Things still a bit wobbly but I am getting on with things! Year books for grandchildren almost done, some presents started and some journaling too. Books are still secret as are presents but here are a couple of journal pages!

I had convinced myself that I could  live without chocolate -but realise that sometimes it's a staple food!!

Just playing around with pen, paint, ink and getting a 

few thoughts down made me feel better! Just added a bit of lace and mop up baby wipe to give a bit of texture afterwards.

I went for a bit of retail therapy yesterday, Abakhan had 15% off everything so I came back with wool, beads, some fabric and a new toy which I'll show you soon!

Thanks for looking and Thank you again for all your encouraging comments which are greatly appreciated.

Chris

Wishing!

Sometimes I wish I had a magic wand or a time machine that could take me back to a time when I could see trouble coming and that maybe I could head things off. Unfortunately I have neither and events that have happened recently have turned my world upside down. I don't feel it fair to talk about these events as they are not really about my world so much as members of my family but I feel so helpless!


I have been trying to carry on as I had a commitment to provide some things for a charity stall at a craft fair but haven't taken any photos. I have also been trying to keep up with the scrapbooks for my grandchildren. I try to make a memory book of events we have shared over the year. Sorry, can't spoil the surprise there!


So here are some pics of some of the things I did back in October.   

These two are made using a template from Molly Makes magazine. I couldn't resist the pear shape, but decided they needed a bit of needle felting into them.

This was made by just sitting playing one day. The stripy heart shape was cut from a piece that I just felted random threads into. 

I hope I can get myself back to normal soon, I have been sitting at nights needle felting and knitting with a little bit of journaling but just haven't felt like taking photos the next day -not sleeping well:( 

I hope you will come back to visit soon. Thanks for looking, Chris

October over, November new

There was I, all set to show you my new pages when I realised I hadn't taken a photo of October's pages and it was too dark to take any photos 'til today.

This is for Kate Crane's 365/2011 journal challenge. I am amazed that I've kept up with this, but like lots of others I really enjoy doing it! 

Here is how November's pages started, I was thinking 'fireworks' and just started by smooshing in distress inks in black soot, faded jeans and dusty concorde then a quick spray with Perfect Pearls mist -blue smoke, then splashed a water brush over the end of some NeocoloursII to make splashy fireworks. I then ran the brush over the page in swooshes. When it was dry I rubbed some black soot ink around the edge.
I then chose some bright papers stamped with a little snowy, starry stamp from Hobbyarts using a Big and juicy pad.
It was only as I started to stick the papers down that I started to recite the old rhyme, Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot...and thought that Remembrance day should have place in these pages, especially as we have a special date 11.11.11. 

Hence, along with the stickles fireworks I have Mort with a poppy!

It looked a bit empty so I drew in some silhouette houses

 Had to use the computer for the words as when I was writing it  I made a spelling mistake,he'he!!Two identical words and I make a mistake....

I'm still busy trying to sort the 'stuff' we seem to have collected over the years and I'm almost ready for the boot sale on Sunday(thank goodness it's indoors as the forecast isn't good) I know that is by no means all we have to sort - I've only been looking for potential boot sale items recently. Meanwhile there is no news on the flat front, just waiting for paperwork to be completed.

Will try to get back soon with some more of what I've been up to, meanwhile I hope to get to have a peep at how others see November. Thanks for looking, Chris

Yes,yes,yes....

It's ok I haven't gone all When Harry met Sally, this is because I've completed my pages in time for Dawn's Journal's Journey challenge. I love being part of this, if you want to know more either click here or on the button in my sidebar (thanks Dawn - I did it, yay!)
This month the theme was Autumn and Nature. As I'm a big Kinks Fan this had to be my starter!!!

 Layers using distress inks and perfect pearls over a mask(whoops, can't remember what, I started this ages ago), a peel off, then drew in leaves and berries, words written onto a page from an old gazeteer.


This last two weeks have been just a little busy, and with hubby off on half term last week too. We did get away for a few days but came back to a pile of sorting out so we can do a boot sale this weekend - a bit of an ongoing job too as I'm determined to have a big clearout while we can - I was quite shocked to find that boot sales now start 6.00 in the morning!


I did find some time to craft while we were away and will try to get to show what I've been doing later this week.


Thanks for looking, Chris

Tag(s)

I don't often make tags, no particular reason why not it's just not the first thing I turn to when I just feel like playing. However, yesterday while having a bit of a sort out I came across some I'd started but not finished. Didn't feel in the mood for anything else this morning, so while waiting for the washer to finish a cycle I finished them off.

This one had been stamped and heat embossed using a Tim bird stamp and a Wendy Vecchi leaf stamp onto a distress inked and spritzed background, so I just darkened the edges with Tumbled Glass ink over a stencil and drew in  a branch.

This was just an inked and spritzed stamp so I used a Brilliance orange over a leaf stencil then added Spiced Marmalade and Brushed Corduroy around the edge, stamped with Tim birds, Lost Coast bird, and Kaisercraft word. 


We've been told there will be a bit of a delay with the flat - red tape stuff - so instead of sorting stuff this weekend we're going to get away for a few days. We've already got enough for a boot sale so hopefully we can get a pitch in a few weeks time at a local indoor one.I haven't done a boot sale since the boys were in primary school and hubby has never done one - I understand they start so much earlier these days - used to be 9.00 back then!!


Hope you all have a lovely weekend, thanks for your lovely, encouraging comments, Chris

So forgetful!

I keep forgetting to take photos of cards, I have made several cards in the last two months but only remember on the way to the post that I haven't got a record of what I've done!!

I must confess to making this in a bit of  a rush and it's definitely pearshaped!

This one was for one of my sons who now works for a bank and I used this image from a Graphic 45 sheet I bought at AFTH just for this image, which reminded me of how he used to look!!

I made a little concertina card for my sister-in-law.

I used Graphic 45 images along with Crafty Individuals stamps and paper, tissue tape, old dictionary definitions and a dress form from Craft Stamper with a bit of net!!

Been learning a few new things about blogger thanks to Dawn and I can now add new things to my blog -yaaay!!!

Off to the HUGE ironing pile now, thanks for all you lovely comments, Chris

Does it matter?

Thank goodness for journaling! Sometimes days don't quite pan out as you would like them to do they? Yesterday I spent more than two hours in  a bank - yep!and I thought I was just going to pop in and out! I must say by the time I came out I felt so bad I went to my son's shop for a hug!!!
Anyway came home, ate the cake I'd bought(it's ok, I bought one for hubby too!)and began to feel better and no, I'm not getting on the scales today lol!! After a rant and a chill (catching up with Downton Abbey), I began to feel a little calmer so took to my little journals after tea to complete the process!

 This one was started some time ago but I thought I would just add a little to it! This was originally lurid green into which I had stamped but then didn't like it so a few weeks ago I used distress stains and heirloom gold perfect pearls mist to cover it up - the rest is just doodling with sakura pens!

I have had this picture for some time, cut from a magazine and just knew I would use it sometime! The door was an experiment in image transfer onto acrylic paint, the key stamp is new from Lost Coast stamped onto tissue paper dabbed with antique linen distress ink, the other bits and pieces from a scrap box. This background was again another lurid green-whatever was I thinking lol! I went over it with Silkies and then at a later date stamped with various bits and pieces, the latest stamping was the gold lettering (another Lost Coast from Port Sunlight!)I will journal onto this page sometime but wanted to get on with this.....

This was started by being used as a mop up page! The little Lost Coast figure was stamped onto a paper bag, the journaling words were from a freebie sheet, bit of tissue tape, a perfume bottle insert that gives a gorgeous linen look when inked, some scraps and doodles and I began to feel much calmer - thank you journal!


I looked at Dawns blog this morning and she confirmed my idea that sometimes you have to journal your negative thoughts! She has a brilliant challenge at the moment and I'm sure she would love to hear from you!
Off to sort stuff now, would love it you leave a comment, thanks for looking, Chris

Late again!

The story of my life, however well intentioned I invariably end up late! I love taking part in Kate's 365/11 journal and at last I have taken photographs of my pages.

October's pages, which I've had to start filling in already, started out like this

I used my lovely Dylusions paints, I only have a few colours so lots of mixing involved, splodged on to the page with fingers then stencilled over using(mixed) shades of brown, then sprayed with Perfect Pearls heirloom gold.
Cut squares out of some scrap and some free papers, Stampotique mushrooms, coloured with promarkers, lettering written onto Hero Arts leaves. I will probably add some more to this, not sure what though, maybe see what the month brings!!!
My completed September pages...

Off now to look at as many others as I can!
Thanks for looking, Chris

A journal page..

 a birthday card and a sneaky peek!
I started these pages some time ago in my little moleskine but it's taken me until now to finish it. I thought it would be just right for Dawn's 'inclusion/tags' journal challenge. 

It started out by being a mop-up page for a flower stencil to which I added some watercolour paint, flowers dabbed through a small flower that I had used on a card,some ripped leftover paper and some hearts cut out of some more mop-up paper(anyone would think I don't own any paper he! he!)I made the tag by swiping with distress stains and dabbing more paint through the flower shape and then turning it over to make a further flower shape. I was going to stamp the words but then decided that Sakura pens might look nicer(not sure about that tho')
I sent this card to a good friend the other day, I hope she liked it even though it was made from scraps!!

The stamped image is part of a Crafty Individuals stamp, which I stamped onto some more mop up paper using Adirondak ginger ink. This was then mounted onto  scrap of fabric from a bundle I bought in a sale, little flower cut out and then built up with more cut out flowers and all mounted onto a script stamp from Kaisercraft. A leftover peel-off(I've given loads away)and a coloured insert and I was quite pleased with this one.
I'm still battling away with sorting 'stuff' but took time out this morning to prepare a background for my 365/11 journal (see Kate's blog here)so here's just a sneaky peek at what I've started.

 Right back to work, I can't take everything!!!
Enjoy the sunshine!! Thanks for looking, Chris

Waiting!

When I knew I was going to have to wait for the car to be fixed I got my paints and made a background I could doodle on. I used water colours and just splodged them on to a double spread in my smallest journal. I took a little bag of bits and pieces with me and I was able to relax while I waited and waited until they finally diagnosed the problem - Oh Dear! the steering column has to be totally replaced, I was told that we shouldn't really have been driving the car! Anyway I had to come home without my car and hopefully it will have fully recovered by later on today! When I came home I thought I may as well finish what I started!

 I had left two spaces for writing but then added a quote from a download from here from generous Darcy. Just as I thought 'done!' I found the little heart which I realised reflected one of my little doodles.I know it looks a bit busy but it certainly kept me calm and isn't that part of what journaling is all about?
Here's hoping the bill won't break the spell.....
Thanks for looking, Chris 

Glorious Mud!

I hope this makes you smile! Yesterday we set off with some family members to walk up Rivington Pike,near Bolton, weather was fine if a little windy! Halfway up and I was getting just a little weary and saw this which cheered me up - no fairies though!

I also seemed to get a "second wind" and we seemed to reach the top fairly quickly to see this view

A few clouds blowing over but you can see for miles!

We got the kite out and my grandchildren(and grown men)had great fun flying it..... and waiting for it to fall!!

We could see the signs coming........

as we started the walk down, but of course the ground was slippery and we couldn't rush too much so we got caught in a short but sharp shower. Someone decided that we should take a different route back - yours truly trooped along obediently until we came to very muddy path - which way to go? The bottom route was right above a steep slope so middle son and I(with me leading and being 'guided' by hubby who had already passed the problem)took the top route - very boggy and was just debating going back when whoooosh! gloop! slurp! my foot disappeared almost to my knee and I had to drag my leg out with much squelching and clawing at anything I could grab!!

Once out and with much laughter this is how my leg looked...

But as you can see I was still smiling!

My sons were laughing about what I would blog today so here it is lads!!

The next time I go up the pike will not be on a day following several rainy ones!!

Thanks for looking, Chris