Unconditional Love Journal Entry

This is my entry in Tike's journal with the theme Unconditional Love. This is one of the journals in our International Journal Swap round robin. I had fun creating this page and got the idea from work on the vintage wedding atcs earlier this week. Hope she likes it :)

Vintage Wedding ATCs

I've made these plus two duplicates for a swap on a new group I've joined. I got to thinking about a story around the bride, maybe she's lost her husband, maybe some time ago, Great War? She fell in love with him because of his way with words in the letters he wrote to her from the front. They married when he came back on leave. She's kept buttons and pieces of lace from her dress together with the family locket and charm he brought back from France when he came back on what was to be his final leave.

An Award and lots of Piccys

I've been given an award by the lovely LaaLaa at Hookin' with LaaLaa She is a lovely lady with a super blog. I just love her crochet and patchworks and her little chats, why not pop over and pay her a visit. Thank you so much LaaLaa.

Now apparently as a receipent of this award I have to disclose 7 interesting facts about myself and nominate 5 of my fellow bloggers as being worthy of an award!

So here goes, after careful, well almost careful consideration, deliberation and desperation here we go (apologies if this is not exciting but hay oh, here we go)


1. I love cats, shocker I know, you never could have guessed this one, lol. Here is Merlin in moody repose. I put it all down to having a cat wallpaper for the first few years of my life, the die was cast. If I won the lottery the first thing I'd do would be to set up a cat shelter.



2. Apparently, according to friends, I have a cushion fetish. Never noticed this in myself but on counting up I do have 30 spread all over the house and 18 in the lounge itself. I've always lived by the phrase, you can never have too many cushions! Is this not what everyone does?!


3. Now I know I'm alittle bit unusual in this pursuit - I love old cemetaries and graveyards - but I know I'm not alone, it's just we're not easy to spot in our everyday lifes but visit a cemetary.... I love the old statues, angels, the symbolism and the human history and stories on the gravestones. They are normally peaceful and serene, and if tattered and overgrown around the edges I love them even more :)



4. Whilst I hate horror movies and books I just love vampires. Can't quite define why but there you go. I love watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Gary Oldman in Dracula and more recently Bill Compton in True Blood (my young cat is named after him because he bites)! I love the True Blood novels by Charlaine Harris so much that I ration myself and have not let myself read them one after the other, they are so much better than the series.

5. No not cats again but charity shops (thrift stores I think in the States)? I love going in them. You never know what treasures you'll find such as the above book on this weeks trawl of the shops near me. It's the thrill of the hunt, the pounce on the treasure and the taking to the cash desk and running away home to gloat over the hoard, or not, and think maybe next time......



6. I'm rather partial to a big cup of tea, but it has to be black and it has to be hot. My favourite teas are Assam, English Breakfast and Lapsang Souchong.



7. Are you still with me? I love christmas. I love the cards, the presents, the decorations and the all round loveliness and goodwill of the season. Here are a selection of cards I've saved from other years that I hope to incorporate into a christmas journal.

Phew, this must be my longest post by far. Now I would like to give this award to the following bloggers. It has been a difficult choice and apologies if it is not you, I love all the blogs I read but there can only be five nominees, so without further ado -

Ta da!

1. Amanda at Amanda Makes A lovely lady who sews and crochets the most delightful things
2. Kazzy at A Mermaids Purse who does the most amazing illustrations and has a wonderful eye for charity shop treasures and shabby chic decorating. She has the most relaxing music on her blog as well!
3. Gill at Bois-Fleurie who is so creative and clever with a needle.
4. Toos at Chaotic & Creative. Not sure about the chaotic but creative definately. I've had the pleasure of doing some group swaps with Toos.
5. Karen at Tilly Rose a veritable feast for the eyes, wonderful photos and delightful words.

Ok, off to watch last night's True Blood with a cat on my knee and a cup of tea in my hand!

Marie Antoinette ATCs all finished

All finished and winging their way to the States. They were so much fun to make, really enjoyed going over the top with the embellishments, lol.

Marie Antoinette ATC

Have started making Marie Antoinette ATCs for a swap on Roses on the Table. Got a bit carried away with embellishments. ATCs may be small but my whole work table was covered in 'stuff' just to produce this. I wasn't sure whether I could incorporate a hanger, whether the rules will allow me but just been given the green light so 5 more should roll off the production line tonight. Think I'll do different ribbons and beads on each, what fun.

I just have to say that this is the first time I've used eyelets (such noisy fun) and I discovered that antique linen distress ink is just perfect for knocking back commercial scrap booking papers and aging 'normal' paper.

Two Wonderful Giveaways

Just a quick post to let you know about a couple of really great and generous giveaways happening at the moment. Kim at Tabby's Place is having a halloween goodies giveaway, lots of spooky bits and pieces to jazz up your halloween creations.

Stacy at Scrapping with Stacy is having a huge Tim Holtz goodies giveaway. I just love watching his demonstration videos and love distress inks and crackle paints, and check out his cheeky smile.

Why not check them out?

Grapes

After 4 years of being in the ground I finally have grapes on my grape vine!

I hope they are still there when I go to cut them as little Bill is most interested in them at the moment, the little tinker!

New Pencils

Just had to share my new pencils, they are all metallic colours and they have my name printed on! My sweet friend got them for me from the Cumberland Pencil Musuem, in Keswick, up in the Lake District. It is apparently well worth a visit if you are in the area. Going to take them to work with me, along with my journal and do some doodling at lunch time. Enjoy your day, whatever you are doing!

Calendar Page

Started a new fun activity, (oh no not another one, lol) doing calendar journal pages. I saw this first on The Kathryn Wheel and thought it looked like fun and resolved to join in if they decided to do it again next year but then Kate encouraged me to start anytime, quite right, why do we always have to start things in January. So here is my first page - September. I actually wanted to be working on some Marie Antoinette ATCs for Roses on the Table but as it was the end of August I had to do this so I just took that theme and had fun with it. Knew some of the wallpaper samples I always get on the visits to the diy superstore would come in handy one day, lol. If you are interested in seeing more pages then there is a Flickr group as well :)

Nature Goddess Art Doll Swap

This is the gorgeous doll I received from Toos, who lives in the Netherlands, in this swap, meet Miss Twiggy Autumn. She has a belt made out of twigs, a skirt of leaves and flowers on her hat and shoes. She is carrying a couple of crystals in her little basket. She is adorable and is now gracing my new hallway mirror, so she presides over my comings and goings. I just love her.

This is the doll I made and have sent off to Gabby. She is the Goddess of the Shoreline. She puts out all the pretty shells and rocks for you to find. She decorates the rockpools with seaweed and tiny creatures of you to marvel at. She ripples the sand for you to walk barefoot on. She spreads the perfume of the sea on the soft sea breeze to refresh you. She is the Goddess of all your seaside memories.