Project without end....

Some projects we start have an obvious ending...

 they may feel like they are going to take forever...

but a final bit of sparkle marks completion.

For other projects we can see no obvious end, yet we know when we are there.

My Piece a Week "Duet at Dawn"

BUT....some projects can never reach an end....some projects are designed to grow with us and remain part of our arting life indefinitely....

 Like this one from Darcy :D

How long do you spend trying to decide which paints in your collection will combine to give the effect you are after? (and these are just my craft paints : /)

Making swatches of randomly splatted paint (and writing notes on them) can be a fabulous time saver :D

 Especially when you have different "finishes" of paint too...

and it is a fabulous excuse to get messy :D

Why not pop over to PaperArtsy and see what else Darcy has been up to this week?

Enjoy :D XXX

Final 4 pages for 2011!!!

As we draw ever closer to the end of 2011, Darcy has given us the final 2 prompts for our journal pages....grief!!! It doesn't seem a year since I started this journey with her, I guess it's because it has been such an enjoyable experience :D

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Darcy so much for encouraging me to do this project. It is great fun, and often very moving to look back through the pages and remember moments of contemplation.

So here goes with my final 4 pages for 2011;

page 46#Grow ....(the gardener's prayer)

Page 47# Gratitude...who are you grateful to?
I am and will ever be grateful to the antiquarians of this world :D

Page 51#Celebrate... Christmas, love it or hate it?
not sure where I stand on this one, I always feel so trapped in other peoples expectations that I struggle to enjoy myself :S

and finally

Page 52 for 2011........Anticipate...

(this is a piece of scrap paper I have been using whilst making my journal pages :D)

I for one am anticipating another year of messy creative fun with my blogging buddies !!! :D

Thank you for joining me on this journey :D

4 more pages ...steaming on to 2012!!

Definitely on a roll with these pages for Darcy's "52 pages for 2011" :D

Page 37# Release: why you should let your children have there freedom...much as you want to keep them safe and protect them from the world....

"How will they thrive if they are held too tight?"

Page 41# Desire

Who or what is the object of desire in this picture :D?

Yep, you went for shiny red shoes too didn't you :D

Page 45# Listen

Are you listening to the earth's heart beating? Or do you just trample her underfoot?

Page 50# Utopia

I had quite a bit of trouble on where to go with this one. Call me a grouch, but I can't see how this state of existence that others crave can actual be! Unless we all spend eternity in a drug imposed stupor. I like the rawness of life as it is....that's how we know we are alive :)

Are free thought and paradise compatible??

Phew!! 4 more to go and we will be steaming on into 2012's Postcard prompts...yay!! :D XXX

4!!!! catch up pages, and a mystery.....

Since January I have been using Darcy's prompt challenge 52 Pages for 2011 to make art journal pages...we only have 2 weeks left!!!

For 2012 Darcy has agreed to do another years worth of prompts, but in a slightly different format...we are doing Postcards...between 2 people. The prompt each week will be the name of the country one of them is visiting, and sounds great fun. The idea is to build up a story/relationship between these 2 people.

I bought these blank postcards from the post office(50 for £1.69), and am already excited to learn the 1st country :D
In the mean time I am desperately trying to catch up on my 52 pages for 2011(a bit geeky about finishing one task before starting another :S)

So here are the latest 4...

Page 38#Author
I wrote a little ditty. It says;

Authors are my heroes,

They open up our minds,

And show us lots of lovely things

All colours, shapes and kinds.

They take us to the farthest lands,

They scare us and they bless,

And mesmerise us with their hands

By Magical "WORDINESS" :D

Page 43# First....the 1st stamp I ever bought was a tiny bee. It was to be 1st of many :D

Page 48# Floating....boats on water in Newquay harbour, just before a storm
Page 49# Evolve.....to transform from one thing into a better and improved version...Blossom to fruit to alcohol :D Nicely evolved :D

Now to the mystery.....Where has page 48 gone???? I made all 4 pages this afternoon on my desk. I took photo's as I made them. But when I came to put them in the box.........No 48 was gone!!!

Shorty says the poltergeist has moved it( I prefer the title lodger) He likes to torment us by moving things(only in fun). It will turn up, I'll tell you when it does :D XXX

Yay! 3 more journal pages for Darcy..and a poem what I wrote :D

Still on catch up with my art journal pages for Darcy's 52 Pages Challenge, so here goes with the next 3 :D

Page 31: Compromise

I have chosen to stop compromising with my life, after all, none of us knows how long we have got. Don't keep putting of til tomorrow what YOU want to do today!!!
Page 32: Discover (what did you learn at school)

I learnt that I am very good at "reading " people :D If I choose to call you friend, believe I truly mean it :D
Page 35: Wilderness

This dp made me think of swirling icy winds. Possibly Arctic/Antarctic, possibly depths of space. But then I added a bit of coloured pencil as it started to speak to me of the vast emptiness of sky, filled with the spectacular wildness of the Northern lights :D
For all 3 pages I used some free papers I got from Magpies Nest, cutesy of Inspiration Avenue (just added a hint of colour to the blue and white swirl)

The next page I need to work on is called "Author", which reminded me of this poetry book I made a few years back
And I thought I'd share one I wrote about this time of year, while making Christmas gifts. I think most of you have someone you could read this too :D

Yuletide Joy

I screwed up my eyes

and snuggled in bed,

to dream of the heroes from books that I've read.

Of hiding from Dragons

in caves that are dark,

or drifting through meadows to the song of a lark.

Warm, balmy evening

walking on sand,

while my heart skips a beat

as he's holding my hand.

In ballroom and sparkle

I twirl and I dance,

just hoping he'll spare me

one soft, sultry glance.

Sat in a station

the train I will miss,

as he's bending towards me....

I wake as we kiss.

But I'm glad that I've woken.

My dreams all came true.

I won't pine for a stranger....

My hero is you!

Enjoy :D XXX

A bit of coolness and 2 more pages :D

First a bit of fun :D Sent hubby out for some "light refreshment" in the week, and instead of wine he came back with beer!!!!

Oh! thinks me, but a change is as good as a rest, so enjoy :D

An hour later, hubby says " there is a reason I bought you beer instead of wine tonight".......oooow me thinks bad thoughts :D

"I thought you might want the bottle tops for your arty stash"

Now I'm impressed but a little confused.....til he held them out to me....

...a black crow and a bumble bee!!!! How cool are these??? And how cool is hubby that he even had those thoughts :D

So now to 2 more pages for Art and Sole's 52 Pages for 2011....

Page 34: TRIBAL

I'd love to think of myself as celtic, but can't find any ancestral links, in fact gone back 300years and haven't got outside a 70mile radius of wear I was born :S

Got some gorgeous Celtic knotwork stamps from The Stamp Man(Celtic Christmas collection, Virginia!!!) , and used the 5 point star as my starting point.

Chose 3 colours red/dark blue/gold and coloured and doodled....
was going to fill whole page as a tangle, but liked the "glowiness" the colours were making :D

The next is Page: 36 UNIQUE

I like to think I'm pretty unique...I like to feel different....I dress how I want.....and I WANTED this hat!!!!
It goes perfectly with my new woolly winter coat :D Amy! It has ears!!! And yes I am expecting a long cold winter :S The style of the page was inspired by Dawn of Journal Journeys, who's latest challenge is "New Look", so this is my new look for this winter :D

Enjoy :D XXX

The pages came in 3x3 hoorah!! hoorah!!

With only 8 weeks left, I am determined to catch up with my art journal pages for Darcy of Art and Soles 52 Pages for 20011.......did I just say there are only 8 weeks left of 2011????

Page 40: Invoke

As a pagan/wiccan I firmly believe in the power to call up help, and I also believe you must be extremely careful in what you ask for.......!
Stamps used by Marion Emberson (dandelion) , and Papermania Urban Christmas(Faerie)

Page 42:Direction

No matter how much fun it is to run round and round the mulberry bush...we must remember the dance leads to a purpose,i.e wash your face, get a job, enjoy your life ....:D
Stamps used: Large Bee from The Stamp Man, Hinge from Angel Company

Page 44:Spark

Something that is garunteed(that doesn't look right?:S) to light my fuse, is idiots discarding "hot stuff"(matches /ciggies/ bar-b-ques/broken glass) in open countryside, and not understanding the consequences. And to those who deliberately light forest fires...."woe on you!!!" :(
Mirri card "messed up" with Tim Holtz alcohol inks

Off to make more............:D XXX

Rush job :D

I am so behind with my art journal pages for Darcy, but managed to grab some time today and did 3 :)

The 1st is page 30: SMILE

Perhaps not the right time of year for this one?!?

The legend reads "Beware the welcome in his grin...!" (and there are lime green highlights and eyes but they haven't shown up on this pic??)

The 2nd is page 33:Bargain.

This week I went to the Stamp Fair at Doncaster, and got these 3 wood mounted stamps for 50p each....now that's a bargain! My favourite is the heart shaped earth(I drew one of these in my sketchbook, and now I have a proper stamp....spooky!) The motto reads "Love your Mother" over the planet so very appropriate to me :D I also consider the backing paper a total bargain, as it is made from the scraps of paper I clean/test my stamps on.

The 3rd is page 39:Crayon

Having read Amy's post about encaustic art, I thought "I wonder how wax crayons feel about being ironed?" It seems they quite like it :) They didn't melt and smudge about like the proper wax does, but the heat seem to have "fixed" the surface and made the pic chalky looking.(Do not iron directly onto wax, put a layer of paper over it first. I now have a cool bit of backing paper from where the excess wax transferred onto the other paper)

Stay tuned....only 10 pages to catch up.....!!

Reasons to be cheerful part..........?

What's rocking my world this friday????

I had real fun making this front page for my art journal#2, after finding my home decor sponge stamps earlier this week :D. I stamped the bee onto paterned paper and then zen doodled it, great fun on a grey rainy day!( I luuuuurve buzzy bees :D)

This is the layout form last nights scrapbook class at Craftden, the pic is "Chunky Monkey" laughing his self silly, I think his dad was pulling faces, but I can still hear him laughing whenever I look at this pic :D
And this is my journal page for this week. Darcy gave us the word ILLUMINATE= to give knowledge to...

I always associate that word with studious monks, lovingly decorating manuscript (my perfect lifestyle choice, art and rare books....mmmmmmm...)

And finding a new challenge starting up this week for Journal pages!!! Check out Dawns Journal Journeys challenge and find some extra inspiration :D

Thank you to my Butterfly Bush, for flowering beautifully, even though the weather has been so strange, and the weather for providing some of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen :D

I'd also like to take this oppurtunity to say thank you to June Mac at Dezinaworld, who 1st inspired me to have a go at collage work, and is such a generous loving person :D

Challenges I am entering are;

Journal Journeys challenge#01 Pink and Orange (illuminate page)

Theme Thursday# Wings (buzzy bee page)

Flutterby Wednesday#161 open theme(don't know if bees count)

Take a word#36 Stars and Stripes(scrap layout)

Linking to;

Dezinaworld Fun Fridays

Rocking Your World Friday

Rocking my world this week are...

A celebration of lovely moments in my week with Rocking Your World Fridays

I think everyone knows now that I'm a bit of a tree hugger, I find the natural world fascinating beyond belief, so when I spotted a puff ball fungus growing at the bottom of my garden I was thrilled. And today I measured it at 6inches across!!! Can't wait for it to pop open, the picture should look like something out of an alien movie hehe!

A second fascinating occurrence in the nature thing is those fishy foot spas that have appeared in most shopping precincts. So yesterday I tried one......

IT WAS SOOO COOL!!!! like sitting with your feet in a bowl of fizzy champagne! The fish don't bite, they actual feel like they are kissing your toes...wicked:D

The word Darcy gave us this week for our journal page was ALLIANCE. Now I tend to avoid making alliances(present company excepted). I never join gangs or groups, as after a while I start to feel that people try to control and change me. Once upon a time I belonged to a very honourable group of people, then they started telling me who I should or shouldn't associate with. My parents never picked my friends, so I sure wasn't going to let anyone else and I walked away.But this allowed me to study and research things for myself, and I am in a very happy place now :D

So this is my take on alliance. The swastika symbol is in mirror images, because originally it was a symbol of great love and peace. Then the Nazis "reversed" it and used it for it's opposite meaning. So I try not to react to "holy" symbols, just judge the individuals by their behaviour.

On a lighter note, some of you know that hubby is getting made redundant next week...well...He's been driving me nuts, applying for jobs on a daily basis, and the upshot is he had his 1st interview on wednesday, and got the job! WAY TO GO HUBBY!!!! So all in all a seriously rocked week :D

Midsummer Blessings!!!

May Mother Earth flourish and be bountiful under the reign of the Holly King!

Blessed Be XXX

The word Darcy gave us this week is ILLUSION...do you show your true face to the world? Or do you hide your true self, creating an illusion to protect yourself from the rest of society?

Well I'm a "what you see is what you get" kind of girl, but I do possess the skills to get my own way when necessary(don't we all?)

I am a VERY typical pisces, wandering through this world making the best of whatever situation I find myself(and anyone else) in. But it has always intrigued me, as to why people think I am a helpless little housewife!! Yes, when I want a job doing around the house, I run to put the kettle on and ply the menfolk with biccies and bacon butties, but that's how it works right!

There are 2 fish in the zodiac symbol for pisces, hence 2 sides to the personality. Pisces do not just have to fulfil other peoples version of the sparkly, skittish fishy. Sometimes the water is murky!!! Some fishies have sharp teeth!!!

So beware when you try to catch this little fishy, as I remind my kids "I'm not as soft as I'm cuddly looking!!"

The image is mine, and the font for the main title is called Angellic Wars, pretty apt I thought :D XXX

Challenges I would like to enter this piece for are;

Take a Word#34 Fantasy

HDH Macabre Mondays#94 Menacing Mermaids(second entry)

What's Rocking your World??

Virginia, over at Celtic House, runs a post ever friday celebrating everything from the week before that made her smile... I finally got it, and have decided to join her!! What better way to start the weekend than filling your mind with those sometimes brief but highly motivating moments? So here goes....

This week, I am grateful to the following people for making me smile;

my youngest sister, for trusting me with the safekeeping of her precious baby daughter(I love baby sitting:D)

I am thankful for the good news reports daily from my blogging buddy Stef (aka Glitterbabe) on the improving health of her hubby, and some of the wickedest jokes online :D

I am glad in my heart for the existence of The lady of The Dreads, Amy. Her infectious "get stuck in and give it ago" nature is so refreshing :D

To Darcy at Art and Sole, for encouraging me to have ago at art journaling, a fabulous way of expressing yourself, just for yourself. It is certainly making me think about my needs more.

This is page 24 of my journal about me!! I know it seems a bit depressing , but it isn't! I chose to be a "facilitator", it's part of who I am, it's just when I look back at my life I wonder "what if?"

But "if" would have left me without my fabulous youngest son, who at 12years of age makes me laugh and cry on a daily basis....

We live in the city, and just sometimes I have to get out!! So... on wednesday, hubby got home early and we grabbed some sandwiches, picked up sonshine, and headed out of town to sit on the roadside in the peak district above Hathersage and have an impromptu picnic dinner. Yay!! The sun was shining, I felt totally freed and hubby was very relaxed :) ....

Then the sheep arrived....

it had learnt to beg from tourists.....

it wanted my sons "ham " sandwich....

My strapping lump of a 12 year old boy was totally intimidated by a SHEEP...with a LAMB....

He stared at the sheep..it stared back, without breaking eye contact he passed me the sandwich saying(in a hushed voice) "I don't want this anymore...the sheep wants it....that sheep is evil!!!"

Haven't laughed out loud so much in ages..:D

Needless to say, after 45 minutes of the sheep playing "hidey boo" with him around the car we gave up and went home, but it was definitely the funniest 45 minutes I've ever spent in derbyshire :D

So what's rocking your world this friday? :D XXX