The Reveal!

On Thursday, I attended a Claudine Hellmuth workshop at AFTH...
....where to start? Well, don't you just love the blogging community? I met a few people I 'knew' who speak the same language as me (bloggish from blogland!) I met Mell for the first time, she lives in Doncaster so only a few miles from me, I met Teresa from Belfast (where our son lives) Christine was there, Pat who I know through my mate, Ann , (by the way Pat made the most divine carrot cake for our afternoon tea.... who needs Betty's?)
So it was great, chit chatting before the class started (Upon arrival, Dy allowed us to drop our bags and then kicked us out of the studio area, so we congregated in the shop ((heh heh... bliss with all the new goody arrivals!))
At this point, I had to give myself a talking to because I'd forgotten my camera (yes BIG blunder Sandra!) and I was cross with myself...I had to let it go because what could I do to change it! I had wanted to take photo's of the day so Ann, who should have been attending the workshop but unfortunately is ill in hospital, could have felt a flavour of the day.

Claudine showed us some the techniques she uses for collage work and then unleashed us to get on with our own....
Have you ever used Claudine's paints? They are so gorgeous to work with, they are kinda transparent and give this wonderful sheen... mixing the colours is sheer delight! Anyway, after layering the canvas with old papers and book print, we played with the paints and messed around with a few techniques before adding our own images.....
(these photo's were taken at home)

I had a gorgeous tag sat in this space here, but I obviously didn't attach it very well 'cos its disappeared!

...And I still have some work to do on 'mind over matter man' as I'm calling him

I drove home feeling replete - well satisfied with my day!

And it wasn't over yet.... most Thursday evenings, we visit our friends Stan and Shelley (you've probably seen piccies of Shelley on my blog). Well I 'phoned her, told her about my day (Shelley had been unable to make the workshop) and asked if she fancied 'a play night' She has a fantastic room with plenty of space and a chair with my name on it! so I took along my journals, paints, stamps, pencils.... !! (went pretty loaded up actually - Andy had to carry the box it was so heavy!) And we played..... Shell is preparing backgrounds in her journal for when she goes on holiday, I made these.... this one in my A5 journal....

And this in my A4....

Funny story here.... when I journal, I don't work in order through the book, I just open it and start anywhere. (I do put a date on the page so I know when I did that piece of work)

Anyway, I had only done one other (well a double page spread) in this journal, so I thought I'd do the first page, so I opened the book and painted....great....added the fun image (remember those bouncy hoppers when you were a child?)...all good so far.... had fun painting with my inktense pencils... "Lovely page Sandy" says Shelley.....

It was only when I flicked to the other page I had in the journal that I found out it was upside down!!! All good fun....I'm not going to worry about it.


Last night we had our good friends Dave and Jayne round.... it was Dave's birthday, so I had cooked a special meal. It has to be good because both Dave and Jayne are Chef's and make delicious meals so I like to return the compliment....

Menu:

Starter -Goats Cheese brushetta on a bed of tender salad leaves and scattered with pickled walnuts.

Main - Fillet of pork stuffed with Apricot, Leek, Mushroom and Bacon served with Steamed asparagus, green beans and broccoli spears and potato dauphinois

Dessert - Rum and Chocolate Cheesecake served with crushed raspberries

Andy was the wine waiter....

"Happy Birthday dear David...."

But you get to wash up at the end!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, Dave is always going on about how I'm older than him..... by six months! We have known each other for more than 40 years, lived in the same village and went to the same schools as children, but I was always in the year above him.... well he has caught up to me and keeps pointing out that while he is 50 next year, I am going to be 50 this year!

Ah but David....for now we are both the '49 ers'!