A TEXTures Dragonfly Dreams Journal page

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

Well yesterday was the 'straw that broke the camels back'  (as they say)!  The heat made the symptoms of uti and theses bloomin antibiotics even worse.  I popped to shops with Lucy in the morning and felt awful in the supermarket,  we came home,  I tried laying on the bed with fan and my cool towel to try and relax but I couldn't relax at all.  So I got up and tried to distract myself by crafting 😂                         Sorry for moaning,  I just believe in being real with you all, I could just say "I'm ok" I guess 🤣

I'm glad it's okay as I do it often 🤣

I bought some of Lou Collins (TEXTures) Dragonfly Dreams collection.  I was drawn to it by the geometrical design if the stamps. 

I used the background stamp from this collection with Kitsch Flamingo & Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide for the background, I spritzed it with water and then dried it before stamping the floral kite shaped stamp from above.  

 

To embellish the card I used a jar of flowers from the paper pad collection,  I wrapped some twine around the jar and added a now.  I fussy cut some of the same flowers from another jar and added some foam pads to the back to raise it up,  I popped another one at the base of the jar.  I added some splatters of both the oxides and blake ink.  To finish I stamped and fussy cut the 'Beautiful ' and added the 'Just the way you are' at the bottom.  

I am looking forward to playing with these stamps more.  

I hope that you all have a lovely day,  especially as its forecast to be cooler,  

My love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx

Winter Journal page

 

Good Wednesday Morning Ladies,  

Lucy and I had a lovely afternoon yesterday,   Mammogram was a straight forward as usual,  we did have a laugh with a couple of the Ladies in the waiting room though,  we had a wander around Cheltenham afterwards followed by a lovely lunch.

A question we often ask 'are you ok', we often answer "yes I'm ok" because its easier than explaining how we really feel,  partly because we don't want to burden our friends with the truth!       I think that most of us are ok about speaking frankly about how we feel, whether its mentally or physically.  

We shouldn't have to hold back on our true feelings, it really is ok not to be ok!   😘

Today I am sharing a journal page I made on Monday using Stamperia Dewdrops collection.  

I used a piece of background paper and used a lovely snowflake stencil that Sonia bought me to add some texture and interest to the background.  I created the focal piece by using an adhesive frame adding the girl in the frame and using other bits of ephemera to build the scene.

I hope that you all have a great Wednesday 

Love and hugs to all of the, 

Sandra xxx

Stamperia Classic Christmas collection Card

Good Morning Ladies,  

We had a calmer day yesterday,  the wind has dropped,  I felt that the temperature was higher again though,  unless it's my uti symptoms,  Its so frustrating that I have the Uromune here to take but I can't take it until I have this current infection cleared up,  as per usual the surgery are a let down,  because my liver wasn't right the nurse only gave me three days if Nitrofurantoin,   she asked me to go straight in for bloods to recheck my liver,  she was going to call me Friday with blood results to let me know whether to carry on taking them,  she never called (shock 🙄), so I took them,  they feel like they were working but 3 days were never going to work, she said herself that it was a nasty infection,   so I have checked my app and called and heard nothing back,  the last thing on the tast results tab was urine sample from before our holiday.  I will call again this morning,   although we will be out as I have Mammogram this morning,  it seems like it was only last year that I had one,  Lucy is taking me so we will probably go for lunch afterwards,   there are lots of good places in Cheltenham.  

You ALL know what I'm going to say!  So just in case you forgot here is a reminder 🤣

I sat and crafted all afternoon yesterday,  well part crafting part Pinterest browsing 🙄, today's card is one of the things I made.  

I used my new Stamperia Classic Christmas collection,  I took a 6 x 6 inch Kraft card and added a piece of patterned paper from the Junk journal and cut it 1/4 smaller than the base card, I lightly inked the edges and adhered to the card base.  Then I picked out some of the die cut elements from the journal and inked round each one and arranged them on the card front.  I placed the sentiments on bits of hessian and adhered them in opposite corners.   I finished with some white splatters.  

I hope that you all have a good day,  

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

An art inspired journal page

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies,  

We had another really windy day yesterday,  slightly cloudy, it was cooler though so better for being out in the garden.  It was a perfect day for getting washing dry though,   got all of our bedding washed, even the super thick quilted mattress topper.   I love lined dried bedding,  I was excited to go to bed 🤣😂

How lovely is this artwork 😍, great sentiment too,  you are so incredibly worthy ❤️ 

I had almost forgotten about this journal page, I made it a couple weeks before holiday,   I hadn't made anything for today so quickly checked my 'Holiday ' folder.  

I used the Stamperia All Around collection for this page, I added both lilac and white paint on the background and then  stamped and used embossing paste for texture and interest. 

I picked out a collection of die cuts from the junk journal and the Focus journal too.  After creating the composition I added some sketchy lines on the die cuts and added some splatters.  I frayed a piece of hessian to put the sentiment on. 

I hope that you all have a great start to your week, 

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

A look back at our makes this week..

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

I hope that you are all having a good weekend,   we had a bit of a change in weather yesterday,   we had quite a strong breeze,  it was still very warm in sheltered areas of the garden,  the wind made it a lot more bearable, I had a lovely hour or two out there with Paul,  I managed to pot up all of the plants left over from refilling the wall baskets at the front of the house,  we used ten plants to fill the three baskets,  its lovely to look out and see pretty flowers rather than the distress of looking at the dead plants hanging there.    

What are you all up to today?  

Another great reminder,  it takes a lot of patience to recover from anything whether its a simple Uti or surgery,  anxiety and depression,  it all takes time,  one day at a time is difficult but it's very true 🥰

Let's look a your makes from this week....

Karen

Karen's Description:  

I had these pieces lying around since before cruise and had a go at finishing it this afternoon 

It’s number 25 in the A&C challenge- birthdays 

I did the inking an embossing folder technique which I was really pleased with I decided to be “brave” and use all shades of blue just to see 

Afterall it’s my journal so a record of ideas etc

Karen your experiment worked out brilliantly,  sometimes its hard to take risks, especially if we are making cards for someone for a certain date,  that's one of the major bonuses of an art journal where we want the results of both good and bad experiments,  we learn by both experiences,  occasionally getting a happy accident.  

Your Braveness triumphed my lovely,  thank you so much for sharing your page with us all XXX

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Here is my card for this week’s challenge 

Stamperia ephemera, background from the junk journal.

A few dot of outliner paste. Brown in around the edge.

Oh Lilian that tree is stunning, it looks 3D! and has so much detail. Adding the shading around the edges brings that lovely vintage warmth. As with all Stamperia products everything works together beautifully. 

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful Christmas card card with us XXX 

Maria 

Maria's Description:

Hi, here is my first Xmas card for Sunday 😊

I used this stamp from Woodware, then used TH inks in green tones to colour a background. Little bit of use of a glitter pen over the snow flakes. Layered on a piece of green card and then onto the white card.

I don't think I will use this stamp too often because it took me seven goes before I was happy with the imprint. So frustrating aargh 🙄.  

Maria your first Christmas card is amazing,  I love the stamp you have used and the colours really work, I understand your frustration though, Silhouette stamps can be a pain to get a good stamped image with.  Did you stamp the image first and then colour?  I only ask because stamping on Oxides can be a total nightmare.  

The mixed media style of the stamp is lovely,  so I hope you do use it again,  do you use Versafine Clair ink, it is a bit wetter which it makes it better to get a good image with,  I was struggling earlier this year so treated myself to a new one and it made such a difference. 

Thank you so much for making and sharing your first Christmas card of the year with us XXX 

Sonia 

Sonia's Description:

Here’s my card for tomorrow lovely 😊

I created the images and ephemera on ChatGPT

I distressed and inked edges with Milled Lavender distress oxide ink

I added some stencilling using a snowflake stencil from Temu, and added some clear gems.

Absolutely gorgeous Christmas card Sonia, the view the girl is looking out over is beautiful just like the rest of your card.

The snowflake stencil is lovely giving just enough detail without dominating the delicate background.  All of the elements you have created come together to create an amazing Christmas card my lovely.

Thank you so much for sharing it with us XXX 

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Thank you my lovely friends, for supporting today's Blog post ❤️

I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday, 

Love and hugs to all of you   

Sandra xxx 

Happy Saturday!

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies, 

Welcome to the weekend,  although this week has absolutely flown by,   probably because I fretted the week away stressing about yesterday's appointment 🙄,  I felt confident (ish) that I could manage it, until I got ready for bed last night,  got set up , all seemed ok until I switched the air on, my anxiety went through the roof and I pulled it off,  it's going to be a process I think, he did say wear it while you are distracted (like watching tv etc) to help you get used to it quicker, so I might give that a try.    On the way we detoured to Gloucester Royal hospital to collect my Uromune,  which has to below 8 degrees,  luckily we always have cool bags in the car!  It's 2 pumps under the tongue daily.  Fingers crossed it's a miracle cure🤞🤞🤞

Something will all need to remember,  especially in this hot weather x 

This is the very last minute Nappy Cake that we put together with about 10 minutes notice,  I love the little sock roses that Becca and Soph made by rolling baby socks on to bamboo skewers.  I hope that Becca's sister in law Helen likes it.  

I hope that you all have a good weekend,  

Love and hugs to all of you 

Sandra xxx

Friday Festive Throwbacks

Good Friday Morning Ladies, 

A busy day today,  with an early start,  we have to be at Coventry Hospital by 9.30am latest,  it's a good 1 hour 45 minute journey, so we will leave at about 7.30 am 😔

I ended up having to take a sample in to surgery yesterday morning, Bridget called to say that she had never seen a test strip light up so fast and so strong in colour!   I explained that I had finished the last of 3 courses of Antibiotics on Tuesday and within 24hrs the symptoms were back with a vengeance!! She has given me 3 days of Nitrofurantoin reluctantly,   she asked me to go in for bloods as my liver functions were not right in May,  not that they bothered to let me know!!  Fingers crossed she doesn't call me back this morning to say I can't take the antibiotics 🤞

Some good news though....My Uromune UTI medication is finally ready for collection!!  This should prevent further Uti's.  

Love this sentiment,   you all know that you 100% Belong Here!  I don't know what I'd do without you ❤️ 

I have shared some older Christmas cards today as I was feeling rough yesterday and Becca turned up wanting me to show her how to make a Nappy Cake for her sister in law.  I say 'show her' she watched me for most of it 🤣😂

I hope that you all have a good day, 

Love & hugs to all

Sandra xxx