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