AT LAST!!

OK the mince pies are made, the presents bought and wrapped, so I finally managed to spend time with my journal again. I started this page some time ago but never got any further than this ... and its the very last page in the book too!

So anyway, I added some green zig zags and this writing, and without having to think about it I was off again, just like I'd never been away ....
And as you can see it just sort of flowed from there. Its an internal conversation with myself, trying to remember AGAIN that I really shouldn't worry so much since Herself is in charge of it all. The trouble is that sometimes I forget, and think I have to sort everything out single handed, and then I end up feeling overwhelmed .... Daft really, but I never seem to learn!
But it turned into quite an interesting page really. I should probably have it framed and stick it on my wall less than 6 inches from my nose. Do you think then I would remember? Nah, neither do I .....

STILL AT IT ....

... painting and altering that is! I've finished the clock (see previous post) but I'm not pleased with it so it will need further treatment before I'm ready to put it on display! If at first you don't succeed, and all that! However, my bargain buys from our American holiday have all come through much improved - the little candle holder was a sort of deep maroon colour, and I forget what it had written on the side. I gave it a couple of coats of emulsion and a rub-on before putting back the candle cups and one of the stars (which I'd temporarily removed), and then chalk inked the edges and corners before it finally got a coat of sealant. Now I have an item which matches my living room colours but only cost $2!
I was particularly pleased with this little basket, another $2 bargain - it was red, white and blue before and the lid had some 4th of July type picture on it. I painted the red and blue slats in the basket itself and likewise the blue lid, added some ribbon from my stash and a metal star I'd recycled from the candle holder, et voila! It's only tiny this basket - about to the top of the handle - but you know how expensive they can be. The star similarly got a coat of emulsion and another of sealant, and I'm delighted with my budget saving efforts!

Can you believe I haven't done any journalling at all .... life seems to be a long round of mince pies and other efforts towards Christmas, but I have promised myself to get my journal out as soon as I can make time. In fact I may even start work in the brand new one I've got ready .....

BUSY BUSY BUSY

And I know its not an excuse for neglecting my blog, but I haven't been busy at the sort of stuff I could take pictures of if you see what I mean. Got a lot on my mind right now and haven't seemed able to settle to anything, but the other day I got out some stuff I'd been promising to alter for ever ... and well, this is the result! I buy bargain items while on holiday in the USA - their wooden blanks and baskets are just so brilliant - and since I'm working towards a interior look which is kind of country style/primitive (think Gisela Graham) all these items play their part. That basket in the foreground is one I must have had for a decade, and it was dark brown with green Christmas trees on it! I painted it cream, then gave it a coat of light woodstain, and it looks better already!

And below is a clock we've had for years - I've been threatening to paint it for a long long time, and now I have! It isn't finished (obviously) but I'm quite pleased with it so far.
So there you are - I may have been AWOL but not entirely unproductive, and I do have a pile of wrapped Christmas presents waiting and my cards are all made and posted! No! Don't hate me, please ...... !!

WICKED STUFF ...

This is one of my painted background pages - I still find the chalky feel of them a bit difficult, but am gradually getting comfortable with this medium. Well its just too versatile to ignore isn't it? I love pink and green, so some of my offcuts of scrapbook paper came in handy to provide a border for this page. In case you were wondering, the artistically torn bits aren't actually deliberate - I glued some motifs to the page and then decided I didn't like them, so ripped them off! The effect this left behind was quite nice really!

I'd been listening to a piece on Radio 4 which was discussing wickedness and deadly sins and so on, which had got me thinking about telling lies. Sadly I concluded that I was a simply dreadful fibber because it wasn't possible to be anything else unless you were prepared to go around hurting people all the time. And I'm not!
I just LOVE the pink boots I found to illustrate the concept of "trampling" and managed to squeeze a pinky Artchix lady in the corner too. The printed words are more of my cuttings out from magazines - I love to do that, its amazing what comes out when you try and put cut out words like this together.
And I finished it all off with some stamped flowers and drawn foliage. For once I didn't feel the need to fill every available corner (although sometimes I do go back and write some more on a page ages after its 'finished'). There hasn't been nearly enough time for journalling lately - got things on my mind which have distracted me. That's a shame because really I should be using my journal to reflect on what's going on in my life .... well I would if only there was time!!