Just messin'

Since Andy arrived home on Thursday, we've had visitor's and 'phone calls from family and friends wanting to know how his trip went, so another busy weekend flew by.

At this moment in time he is sleeping like a baby! I think the jet lag has finally hit him, so I took the opportunity to have a little play....

I did a resist technique with perfect medium and clear embossing powder on both tags, then let loose with paint and spray inks before stamping images and quotes, cutting out and arranging nicely...

Here's a journal page from last week....

I told you I'd started sorting out my supplies, well, I re-discovered stamps and images I've had for ages and like I said, my mission is to use them. Of course the paints and spray inks are Dylusions, the stamps are a mixture of Invoke Arts, Teesha Moore and Wendy Vecchi, the image is also Teesha Moore.

Andy is stirring now so I'm away to do a little packing ready to go back to Durham. I am taking my arty stuff so he's helping me pack the boxes - many, many, many of them!

Creating at Last!

Phew, what a month I've had while Andy has been away working (and playing) in the States.

Not that I've had a great deal of time to create.... I was rather busy socialising! Friends and family thought I might be lonesome and made cunning plans to occupy me...Much as I appreciated all the visits, 'phone calls and days out, I would have liked a little me time :)

I did try to have a little art time but decided some organisation was in order first :) I started sorting out my room, well, I confess - I am using TWO rooms at the moment! (Our offspring have all flown the nest and so I kind of SPREAD!) However, that project went awry - I tried to sort and I moved things around until I couldn't find anything! Aaargh!

Anyway, this weekend was my final fling to be creative as Andy arrives home on Thursday :D

I have missed him dreadfully.

Yesterday I went to a textile class at the Craft Den, taught by this clever lady - Jo

We made a sewing roll - mine is unfinished - I just have to stitch the edges. I am very pleased with the outcome and enjoyed it very much.

sew...sew like the wind...

Yep - that's my fancy stitching round those hearts - I was dead proud that I managed to make it look this good!

And this is the front - like I said, I still have the binding edge to hand stitch...

This has all been in preparation for my next project to make a patchwork quilt.... which I will begin in a few weeks... (watch this space) I have this sentimental idea that it will become a family heirloom :)

And then today, I went to my FAVE place AFTH for the regular Art Journaling class - it was great to see Dy and hear of her escapades in Chicago and Baltimore. We all loved looking at her fabulous samples and we touched and stroked them (well I did) while she was teaching her masking technique. She set us all off using her NEW stamp sets. They are all fab but if you love art journaling and you love quirky satire, you ought to be getting yourself those quote plates! Fun fun fun!

Here are the two pages I did today...

Oh, and I couldn't resist buying this stamp set while I was there....

And finally, its that time of month again - time to show and tell our 365 Art Calendars (see Kate's blog for more info) ... I was late starting July plus with all the blogger glitches, I didn't manage to leave comments on many blogs last month, I hope to rectify that this month, I enjoy seeing the different pages that everyone comes up with :D

And, going with my mission to use more purple in my art, here is August. Once I'd done the background I felt uneasy for some reason so ended up using some Spring Fling paper for the journal blocks to add a bit of pizazz.

The images are from artchix which I've had for ages - I'm on a mission to use up the stuff that I already have instead of keep buying more - that's one useful tip I gave myself whilst I was cleaning/tidying/sorting my stash!

Canvas Panel

A quickie post....

I taught a lovely class today at AFTH.... Dyan is away teaching in the States so she left the classes in the hands of myself and Kate, not forgetting lovely Pam who was teaching the kids - I assisted Pam on Tuesday as it was party day - ha - I didn't know what was letting myself in for - its a while since I did a kids party!

... I wonder if that's how Dy will look at us when she gets back? "What HAVE you been up to?" The reason I say that is because Su facebooked her during today's class telling her that we were trashing her studio!

Well, the tables did look a bit of a mess for most of the day as we were making this lovely canvas panel.... (sorry, no evidence as I forgot I had my camera until the end!)

Here are some of the ladies with their finished project... six panels (one of them was mine) only four ladies.... Clare was shopping (what else can you buy Clare!)

That's the last of my classes until September so I intend to do a little art just for me - in fact I have a day planned on Tuesday with my buddy Ann. We're going to spend the day getting inky :)

Then it will be back to the grindstone planning and preparing other projects for the preview day at AFTH and also for the other places I teach (hehehe - my job IS fun!)

On a LARGE scale!

I've had a great time today at my favourite place. I got good and inky as did the other ladies on Dy's canvas workshop.... here's Mel showing just how painty and inky we all got...

We worked on a 24x24 inch canvas - very LARGE for me and I have to say I was a bit daunted by the size but eager to 'have a go' Dyan is superb... there is no better teacher in the world who can lay your fears to rest (about all things arty at least - not sure if she could chase all your boogey men away but I'm sure she'd give it a go!)

Dy took us through the process - all 37 steps - oh but they were great fun!

We gesso-ed the canvas and used torn book text, music manuscript and lacy paper doilies to add texture....

Skip a few steps... well you didn't want to see them all did you? Well you can't 'cos I was too busy actually working on the canvas to take photo's of every step!

I chose red and brown as this is going to hang in Andy's study - perfect man colours I think :D

(Plus it will go with the décor)

The others were all fabulous - I didn't get all of them 'cos they whizzed off at the end while I was still working on mine - go and check them out on Dy's blog

This one is Clare's

Dy's and Bezzie Su's....

Emma's....

And my own....

Close up of those dribbles....

...I just love them....

Dyan has slotted in an extra workshop of this canvas on July 15th .... I urge you to get yourselves booked on - it's a great class so don't miss the opportunity - it was liberating for me to work on this large scale and I'm really pleased with the result :D

Fun, fun, fun!

I've enjoyed a creative day with some lovely folk today making this.....

Its still unfinished, I shall add a few dangling charms from those stick pins I think, but overall I enjoyed making it.

The other ladies had fantastic ideas for their torso... check them out

......fab aren't they!

Anyway, its July already and I haven't started on my 365 Calendar, a challenge set up by lovely Kate Crane, where a group of us keep a daily log of our goings on, create a page in our journal and share with like minded folk. Its lots of fun and great to look back on, this is my second year - although having said that, I didn't manage to blog my June pages due to all the blogger issues....in fact I spent many frustrating minutes trying to comment on other blogs until I walked away in frustration! Just had to leave it alone for a while :) Thanks for all the emails from my cyber friends saying they were having the same trouble.... I'm hoping all goes well with this post.

Here are my finished June pages....

...and here is July! Yep, not started yet... but I have finished my course now - no deadlines to meet, no reading to do, no essays to write, no observations.... Oh thank goodness! so the summer stretches before me and I intend to enjoy it.... doing things I like with people I love!

I'll be posting what I get up to and visiting you all in the hope that blogger is kinder to me than he has been for the last month or so... hehehe - notice that blogger is a HE!

Yoohooo!

Well that was the month that was! I've been beavering away finishing all the last minute bits for my course and I'm soooo glad to say I'm almost there - I hand it all in on Tuesday YAY!

So, not much time for creating lately - well, I have done one or two things, which I will post over the coming week :D

But for today, I'd just like to say: who wouldn't want these DVD's by the fabulous Kate Crane?




Well I do for starters, that's why I'm entering Kate's give away!

To be in with a chance, check out Kate's blog here

Our own Royal Wedding!

The day of our own 'Royal' Wedding dawned - a little windy but the sun was shining.
Some bloggy friends have asked me to share a few photographs so here they are - I was so busy socialising (I LOVE being with my family) that when I uploaded the photo's, I realised how many perfect shots I missed!

The dresses await the Bride and her bridesmaids.



Steph's hair..



I love this shot of our two girls...



Laura-Beth bought these 'I Do' blingy crystals for the bottom of Steph's shoes...



"I'm so excited Mum!" That's me in the background and yes - I had my hair straightened!



The Wedding car caused quite a stir - the races were also on in York so it was very busy and a large crowd gathered outside the church, when Andy and Steph arrived they cheered, whistled and clapped - Andy said they felt like celebrities! (Move over William and Kate!)



Jim, Laura-Beth and Charlie



Is this a proposal?
Actually, they are getting married next year :D



Mum and Dad



Andrew, Stan and Shelley



Niamh's Kurt Geiger shoes also caused a bit of a stir - not least, everyone asked how did she walk in them! (those plastic heel caps had to be worn to protect the floor of The Merchant Adventurer's - a medieval hall)



Martin and Niamh



The absolutely fantastic Ceilidh Band...



A special day was made even more special because Andy's beloved sister Marilyn was able to be there, indeed, here she is dancing!



That's me cautioning Andy not to embarrass Steph during his Father of the Bride speech! My cheeks are rosy from the wine!



Mr and Mrs Taylor!



And yet another stir was caused by the fantabulous choccywoccydoodah cake... I don't know if you've seen the tv show? Everything on the cake is edible - sculpted from chocolate! Spot those lego people on the top? It was served with coffee after the meal - I didn't even get a piece and they are away on honeymoon now so I hope its still OK to eat by the time they get back!