Paint Party Friday again

Good morning you all. We had another cold and frosty night here, followed by a typical Autumn morning mist, but it's supposed to be getting warmer over the weekend - sure hope so.

Yesterday I decided to paint an autumn spread in my journal for PPF, hosted my Eva and Kristin. I started off my spraying the background with different colours, dried it, and then sat down and wanted to start drawing some leaves. But then, without thinking what I was doing, I doodled round some of the drips from spraying, and it made a face. One thing led to another, and before I knew what I was really doing, I had sketched a whole sea of faces in black ink. I then coloured them with water colour pencils, and painted over them with water. Not quite what I had planned, but I had great fun with it. Sometimes it's good just to let your feelings take over.

And then while I had my journal out, I decided to make a collage. I found a load of ready cut pictures and photos and paper scraps while clearing up the day before, and so I used some of them. After sticking them onto the pages, I painted over them with some diluted gesso, and then wiped some of it off again. After it had dried I added a second layer of pictures and paper scraps, and a photo of my Mum with my older brothers and sisters during the war. The quotes were also a discovery from clearing the table. Anyway, I very much enjoy making collages just now, so all in all, I had a fun afternoon.

Here's wishing you all a great day. Hope you have time to pop over and visit some of the other *Party Guests*. Take care, and thanks for visiting!

Clearing up is hard!

Hi you all, it's really misty outside just now, but the weather people have promised us good weather once the mist clears, so I hope they are right. It will be good to see the sun again!
Now, you won't believe this easily, but yesterday I spent 3 hours clearing everything off my working space. I think it's the first time I have really seen the wood of the table for about a year. The kitchen is not yet looking how I would like it to, but it's definitely better, and I will carry on this afternoon. As a reward, I finished off the 2 albums I had on the go, and played a bit in my journal, so it was not just dull clearing away. I found quite a lot of things which had been missing - several rulers, rubbers, scissors, a packet of sticky backed canvas ATCs, another packet of ready cut ATCs, and several packets of paper and card in various sizes, which has now been stacked tidily and ready for use. Please, if I start moaning that I need more paper, or this or that - just tell me to clear off the table first!

I have made 2 more pull-out albums, one in black and the other in autumn colours. The chipboard covers have been covered with tissue paper, using mod-podge to give it more stability. The black one has been finished with inka gold, and the other one with different distress inks, and inka gold in gold and bronze. Sorry that the photos are not good , it was such a dark and dismal day yesterday, and I try to avoid using flash.

And my journal pages are once again all about Halloween - what else?

And to end, I have a little tip for you. If you decide to do a draw, and put the names in your cap before pulling one out - PLEASE remember to remove all those little slips of paper before you put your cap on again....I am speaking from experience!

Have a great day you all, take care, and thanks a lot for visiting!

ATCs and mail-art sent

Hi you all! Once again the week is racing by, there is never enough time to do everything I want to, and I wonder how I ever managed when I had to work and look after my family etc. Perhaps I used to be quicker....
I spent a nice day yesterday with my friend Inge; as usual, we talked non-stop, played cards, drank a lot of coffee, and still found time for breakfast, lunch and some sweet treats in the afternoon. The day flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to go home again. I need to drive home while it is still light, as I can't see well in the dark, and try not to drive then. Better safe than sorry.
Yesterday evening I was intending to tidy the kitchen, and then I started crafting. Once again my good intentions went speeding down the road that leads to perdition, while I made 2 ATCs and did more work a little album that I can't show yet. How 2 tiny ATCs can take up so much time, I do not know, but that's my excuse that the kitchen is still in a mess! I put another tiny book of *Spells most evil* on the yellowy one, and the moon has been cut from a piece of matte, silver metal which was the seal on a coffee tin.

I posted off some mail art envelopes yesterday, and nearly forget to take a picture of one of them. It was already *stuffed* by the time I realised, so the photo looks rather lumpy, sorry!

Well, I'm afraid that's all for today. I hope to have a little more to share with you tomorrow, if it's only the photos of a tidy kitchen instead one that looks as though it has been ransacked and vandalised....Have a good day, take care and thanks for dropping in again!

Tuesday and the winner is....

Good morning you all! Just a quick post today, as I have a lot to do....
Had a busy day yesterday, hope I didn't get caught in another radar trap coming home from the Doc's, I think I didn't exceed the speed limit this time.

I have finished my challenge for JFF, this week we had to recycle something from a book or magazine. My piece is called *The Tombsday Book*. The witch's head has been die cut, and her skirt has been cut from the pages of a rather boring, decaying book about the economics of the 19th century, which I discovered in my book-case. I stuck the pages together at different points of the 'skirt, so they opened up nicely. I used different DI and sprays to distress the pages even more, and made a spell book out of the little left-over strips. I sandwiched the witch between 2 *tombstones*, added a hat and skull, and that was it. It was fun to make, and will be another decoration for my Halloween party.

An I made this little album at the weekend, it's a pull-out album, with plenty of space for pictures or drawings or whatever. The chipboard covers have been covered with black tissue, scrunched up a bit, and given 2 coats of mod-podge. Then I used some inka gold to brighten it up, and added some flowers and part of an old brooch, which I fixed on with silicon glue.

And now to the WINNER! The names were all put in my hat, and one was pulled out, and it is....drumroll.....






Yvonne of Meggymae








Congratulations! Yvonne will be getting 3 tags, a mini-book and some surprises all packed in a nice mail-art envelope. Please contact me with your snail-mail addy etc!

The prize will be sent off by the end of the week. I'm sorry you couldn't all win, but I will do a new draw soon, it's fun to celebrate!

Okay, time for me to get ready to go out. Have a great day you all, take care, and thanks for visiting!

500th Blog-post & Giveaway Today!

Well, I never thought I would get this far when I started blogging just under 2 years ago. I have met so many nice people in this time, made a lot of friends, exchanged art, cards, postcards etc with people all over the world, and enjoy being part of the blogger family. Thanks to all those who have visited, written words of encouragement, cheered me up when I was down and just been there. It means a lot to me.

So, to celebrate I want to do a little Giveaway. It is open to all members of blog, and to those who join! and all you have to do is to leave a comment on this post. Tomorrow morning I will put all the names into a hat, and and one will be randomly chosen. Please tell me how to contact you if I don't yet have your contact details! The winner will receive 3 tags and a mini book made by me, some ephemera and other crafty bits and bobs, all packed in a mail-art envelope.

Today I had a nice, crafty day at home, made my journal pages & a tag, and some other things which I don't want to show yet.

For the journal pages I started off with different colour mists, home made using re-inker and a touch of perfect pearls. Then I rubbed a bit of ink direct from the ink pad here and there.

Then I put the pictures onto the page, as at this time of year, especially when it's windy there are always lots of people - adults and kids - flying their kites. I often tried, but mine never started flying, there must be a trick to it, but I never got it!

The tag has been made for *Dragon's Dream TIO*. Poor Frankie - the dragon boss - is having a rough time with injuries and illness in her family, so get well soon Frankie, and lots of hugs and sparkles coming your way. The challenge was to show the full moon!

So, that was all for today. You have until tomorrow morning when I roll out of bed to add a comment and join in the Giveaway, that will be about 9 a.m. German time.

Have a great day, take care, and thanks for being with me over such a long time!

Time for Sunday Sketches

Hi everybody, hope you have all slept well and are feeling fit. I slept till really late - 10 a.m., and enjoyed getting a bit more rest.
I had a nice day out with my friend B yesterday, even if the journey to Bonn did turn out a little differently to how we had expected it. The weather was not good - a mixture of wind, rain and hail stones, but that was not the worst. The drive usually takes about an hour, this time we needed nearly 3 1/2 hours. The first few kilometers went by quickly, and then there was a 10km traffic jam, which caused the usual frustration of only being able to move a few meters at a time, but in the end, after taking a detour to escape the motorway, we managed to get to Bonn and find *Irish Teddy's*. Everybody there was very friendly, there was nice food and sweets, coffee and Sekt for all who wanted it. And of course, lots of nice, crafty things to look at and buy. I couldn't spend much, as the dentist is eating up my money just now, but did succumb to some embossing powder, a stamp, 2 TH texture fades and a few embellies. The shop is also very conveniently situated next to a *Döner* shop - a Kebab takeaway - so we didn't starve, either! We met some nice people there - Iris, who has started the shop, and her husband, and some very friendly helpers, especially Kerstin, who fell in love with little Emily, so it was a good day out. We managed the way back in less than an hour. B's little dog, Emily, accompanied us, slept in the car, and was much petted and admired in the shop, so I think she enjoyed it, too.

Today I want to show you some little notebooks I made using cardboard, a BIA and some scraps. Two of them have lined paper inside, and 2 post-it notes. These are fun and easy to make, don't cost much, and make nice little presents.

And today is time for Sunday Sketches over at Sophia's *Blue Chair Diary*. She has had a very hard time with the illness and death of her dear Father, so I am sending her lots of hugs and sparkles.
The first and last piece are vases (in case you can't recognise them) and the other 2 everyday things which were on my table. Sometimes I think I am making progress, and then I get days where nothing turns out right, but the main thing is for me, that I am sticking to it!

So, that was it for today. Now I am going to have a nice crafty day, do some challenges, and not go anywhere. Have a good day you all, take care, and thanks for dropping in!


PS - Tomorrow I will be having a little Giveaway!

Happy Weekend!

Hi everybody, just a quickie today, as I am going to Bonn with a friend today for the opening of a new scrap and craft shop there; should be fun!

These are the journal pages I made yesterday. I seem to be fixed on playing patchwork with pieces of paper just now. For these ones I used two pages cut out of a home decoration magazine, which I cut into different sized rectangles and mixed with some white and gold paper scraps. I put some other cut outs on top, and the first verse of *Mack the Knife*, which seemed to fit...

And I have received the last of my postcards from Lenna's postcard swap, a beautiful card made by Lynda Roddy Ozzanto. Thanks Lynda!

Okay, that's all for now. Have a good Saturday, take care, and thanks for visiting!