The Never Ending Story....

I seem to remember having my *last* appointment with the dentist on Monday....and the appointment today was going to be the very last. Then why the heck do I have to go back again on Friday???? But the dentist said this will really and definitely be the last time - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! I just hope so, this has been going on now since July 22nd, more than long enough.

We had a very stormy and blustery day yesterday, and after I came back from the dentist I got the rest of the washing done, so that was something. And it gives me some good exercise, as I have to run up and down three flights of stairs to load the washing machine and the tumble-dryer, so I had a good conscience when I started crafting again. I made another album today, and carried on working on my smash book, which got several extra pockets and some more embellishments, and is now nearly looking like it should. Here are a few more sneak peaks:

Here is the concertina album. The chipboard covers have been covered with more pictures from Claude Lorrain, taken from the ripped book I found here in the old paper bin. The pages can be used from both sides, and are large enough to take A6 photos. Some small pages have been sewn in to give lots of space for journaling, too. The album has a black elastic band to hold it shut. I registered an Etsy shop some weeks back, and after Christmas I will be putting some of my notebooks for sale there.

And before I close, some Christmas Cookie tips from Narda:
Christmas Cookie Rules..


1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!


That was all for now! Have a good day, whatever you are up to, take care, and thanks for dropping by!

*Smash* Book - WIP

I started work on a smash book yesterday, and have got the basic pages done, but still need to embellish it and add some little things as presents. I used different sorts of scrapbook paper, cut to just under A4 size, and alternated the pages with craft paper, craft envelopes and brown paper bags to use for storage, water-colour paper, some old ledger pages, little bags of goodies and some pockets to take tags and file-cards etc. I varied the size of some of the pages to make it a bit more interesting. The papers used are from Graphics 45, DCWV, Bohemia and others. There's plenty of room for the recipient to add photos, journaling or whatever!

Here are a few shots to give you an idea:

The covers have been made from the cardboard backing of a painting block, painted with white acrylic, and then toned down with antique linen DI. They have been further distressed with forest moss, vintage photo and a tiny bit of Inka gold. As I still haven't found the D-rings, I have ordered some more, which should be here by the weekend, I am sure that I will then find the *lost* packet, too....


I'm off to the dentist now, so here's wishing you all a good day. Take care, and thanks a lot for visiting!

Dentist and More Notebooks

Did I say yesterday that I was going for my last visit to the dentist? Well, it didn't quite turn out as planned, so after another hour of being worked on, I now have my last appointment on Wednesday....I seriously hope that this time it really will be the last session!

And apart from that, I didn't get too much done. Just three notebooks this time, as I needed half an hour's shut-eye in the afternoon. The first notebook has been made using book covers from Seven Gypsies, which I won some time back in a blog candy. The pages have been cut from torchon water-colour paper, so they will be nice for sketching and painting, too. I chose a ring binding so that I can add more pages as necessary, but then I couldn't find the rings. I recently bought some of Tim's antique-looking D-Rings, but they seem to have been swallowed by my bottomless pit AKA hall closet. But I did find the Xmas brads and card decorations I had been looking for....I'm finished with my cards for this year, so I will have to keep them till the next one! So I had to use some ribbon to tie the book together for the time being. The small red notebook was made using the left over leather-look paper from the pocket-book I made the day before, and the off-cuts of water-colour paper left over from the first book. I bound it with my BIA. The third note book has chipboard covers, which I covered with pieces cut from a reproduction of a painting from Claude Lorrain. The picture was torn, so I cut the pieces out round about the rip. I think I will leave the ribbon ties on this one, as rings will be too big.

And to close, I have another funny that Narda sent:

Christmas at Rock-Away Rest

Twas the night before Christmas at Rock-Away Rest,
and all of us seniors were looking our best.
Our glasses, how sparkly, our wrinkles, how merry;
Our punchbowl held prune juice plus three drops of sherry.

A bedsock was taped to each walker, in hope
That Santa would bring us soft candy and soap.
We surely were lucky to be there with friends,
Secure in this residence and in our Depends.
=
Our grandkids had sent us some Christmasy crafts,
Like angels in snowsuits and penguins on rafts.
The dental assistant had borrowed our teeth,
And from them she'd crafted a holiday wreath.

The bed pans, so shiny, all stood in a row,
Reflecting our candle's magnificent glow.
Our supper so festive -- the joy wouldn't stop --
Was creamy warm oatmeal with sprinkles on top.

Our salad was Jell-O, so jiggly and great,
Then puree of fruitcake was spooned on each plate.
The social director then had us play games,
Like "Where Are You Living?" and "What Are Your Names?"

Old Grandfather Looper was feeling his oats,
Proclaiming that reindeer were nothing but goats.
Our resident wand'rer was tied to her chair,
In hopes that at bedtime she still would be there.

Security lights on the new fallen snow
Made outdoors seem noon to the old folks below.
Then out on the porch there arose quite a clatter
(But we are so deaf that it just didn't matter).

A strange little fellow flew in through the door,
Then tripped on the sill and fell flat on the floor.
Twas just our director, all togged out in red.
He jiggled and chuckled and patted each head.

We knew from the way that he strutted and jived
Our social- security checks had arrived.
We sang -- how we sang -- in our monotone croak,
Till the clock tinkled out its soft eight-p.m. stroke.

And soon we were snuggling deep in our beds.
While nurses distributed nocturnal meds.
And so ends our Christmas at Rock-Away Rest.
Before long you'll be with us, We wish you the best!

Hope you all have a good day, take care and thanks for dropping in!

Notebooks Galore

Hi everybody, hope you are all well and fit. I stayed at home over the weekend - well, actually I had nowhere else to go! I could have spent the weekend doing H*******K, which is rather necessary, but instead I started making notebooks. I found a big pile of lovely papers, mostly from Anna Griffin, and actually managed to cut them up. I suppose this is the destiny of papers, even nice ones.

The first one is an altered spiral bound notebook; I removed the covers, covered them, and then fiddled them back onto the spiral.

The second one is like the ones I made last week, with a tag-pocket inside.

The next three each have a *built in* matching bookmark, and a bookplate on the cover. I didn't use any lace this time, as there are some strange people who prefer it plain and simple!

And the last ones are small pocket books with lots of pouches for receipts etc. They would also be nice to give with a present of money, that is, if I had any to give away this year! The covers have been made from some leather-look paper, and for the pages I used 2 coordinating papers. I used small bookplates as decorations, and added thin ribbons with beaded ends to close them.

I tried making another one, but then I started to stick the wrong sides together, and thought it might be time for a break!
I have to go to the dentist today, for the final treatment - I hope! Have a good day you all, take care, and thanks for dropping by!

Sunday, Moon and Journal Pages

Hi everyone. It's been a cold weekend here so far, yesterday when I went shopping the roads were still icy. But at least the ice on my windscreen had thawed, I so hate having to scrape the ice off!

I didn't really feel like doing anything yesterday, but in the end I made some more altered notebooks, and took photos of the journal pages I made on Friday. And once again I was fascinated by the moon. It was a bit darker than the day before when I took the other photo, but the sky was such a beautiful dark blue, I could hardly stop looking. This is the first time I have managed to get pictures during an eclipse. I am still hoping that one day I might have a proper camera instead of having to use my cell-phone, but it's still better than nothing!

My family was once again the theme in my journal pages.

I haven't taken pictures of the altered notebooks yet, so will have to save them for tomorrow. It gets dark earlier every day! Hope you all have a good day, take care, and thanks for visiting!

It's weekend once again!

After the storms had died down, we had nice weather yesterday; rather cold and windy, but sunny. At about half past three, I watched the moon rising in a sky that was still streaked with the last glow of sunset. I just love the colours of the wintry sky; I think I am a bit moon-struck just now!

Apart from that I had a crafty day. I made 3 altered notebooks, and a new journal spread, which I can't show you today as I haven't taken the photos yet. The notebooks have been covered with Anna Griffin paper, and I put a pocket for tags into each one, and used some scraps of vintage lace to decorate them.

And I played with one of the snow photos I took last Christmas; pink is in this year!

Have a good day, take care of yourselves, and thanks for visiting!

Paint Party Friday Week # 39

Good morning you all. We had a wild and stormy night here, so it looks like it's crafting weather again! Today is Paint Party Friday again, hosted by Eva and Kristin. Do try to look at what the other participants have made, too.

I am sharing a picture that I made back in 1991, that's 2o years ago! How time flies. It's was painted with tempera and felt tip pens, at a time when I was trying to come to grips with a lot of sad happenings. Painting helped me a lot then, as it still does now. The title, *Spiel des Lebens*, means *The Game of Life*. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose!

I didn't have time to finish my current painting yesterday, as I had an appointment in Bad Honnef, a little town about 100 kilometers further along the Rhine. It's situated at the foot of the *Sieben Gebirge* - the Seven Mountains, where there are lots of castle ruins perched on the top of the mountains. On the way there I spent a lot of time in a big traffic jam on the motorway, but on the way back I drove for a while along the Rhine, which is really very pretty. I never had time to take any photos today, but here are a few I took when I was there last year.

So, that was all for today. Have a great day, whatever you are up to, take care, and thanks a lot for visiting!