Nik the Booksmith's' challenge..........

......well that gave the brain a good workout. 

 Here is the very amateur video I made.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9CX5WGpw-c&t=80s

I apologise for the inky finger and the rather rude looking sponge.
It really was the best kind of mind stretching fun. Something I might try again in the future.

Nik has created a Playlist of  videos here. There some wonderfully creative people out there.

 Just in case the sound isn't clear we were  marooned on a "Deserted Island" with only the items in our "fanny pack". We were allowed paper, one type of glue, scissors and needle and thread.  We could then chose only four other items to make a journal.  I chose Distress ink,  my widest washi tape, 1 yard of sari silk and a bookcover.

Unfortunately DH has been in hospital with a couple of infections for the last week so all crafting is on hold.  Hopefully he'll be home today or tomorrow.

Right.........

........where was I?  I have just spent a lovely long weekend with my sister-in-law.

We took a trip to the ICHF supposed Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycraft show at Excel.  Never again. The "free" Christmas show consisted of a woman demonstrating a £400 exercise board and some very dubious foods. The rest was mediocre to say the least.

Monday we went up to town to "see the lights", on the whole the Christmas windows lacked imagination. These were probably the best at Ralph Lauren in New Bond Street.

Am I wrong or were the Christmas shop windows designed to delight children(eg ME) as well as sell.
We had a little adventure when we were invited into Southeby's to look at Winston Churchill's last painting and four Lowries which are about to go on sale.  I explained to the charming doorman that I didn't have Southerby's kind of money but he explained that these exhibitions are open to all  Who knew?

My next journal is nearing completion, pictures soon and I have started my "Book of Trees" workshop with Roxanne Evans Stout here

So far I have only had time to prepare my pages.

 but I am looking forward to filling them.  I love trees (the only thing I can draw) and this time of year makes them even more appealing with the colours and the falling leaves.
 

Busy, busy....

...my birthday week. We went to see our daughter in her last week in Matilda in the West End. I couldn't resist a "Matilda pose".

Sometimes you have to be a little bit silly.

For my entry of the ITAC 17 challenge which was on the theme of Africa,I made a piano hinge book with some gelli print and joy of joys some pencils I have been hoarding for at least ten years.

 You know how I love serendipity, well I have a box of cigarette cards and I knocked it on the floor.  I thought I had picked them all up and then as I was finishing the book I looked down and there was the lion card.  Love it.
The next challenge is the Americas and I don't have an idea in my head which is encouraging as the deadline approaches.

Absolutely delighted that Chris Froome has won the Vuelta, such a gentle man. Amazing teamwork helped an individual succeed. Wonderful.

 

There was somewas some amazing scenery on the tour of Spain, places that are off the usual sun & sand image of Spain.  It was a treat and is part of the joy of watching these grand tour cycle races, bit like a nice comfy car ride but with spectacular aerial shots as well. It was only marred by the dreadful commentators, obviously given explanations of points of interest that would be highlighted they, for ther most part, chose to ignore these and continued with their endless speculative repitition or made facetious and feeble jokes.  Worst commentators ever Eurosport. Thank goodness for the ipad. Rant over.

It's in the print.......

On Friday my daughter arrived for her Dad's birthday with a wonderful present for me.

A bag full of old newspaper.  The newspaper was found when she had some windows replaced and is dated May 2, 1922.   It was a copy of "The Star"  a tabloid London evening Newspaper which just happens to be the evening sister paper of the News Chronicle where I worked when I first came down from the north, unfortunately it closed a few months after I arrived.
I worked in the newspaper library. Every morning the Librarian would mark  the articles to be cut from all the newspapers and then in the afternoon these were filed in manilla envelopes. The men did the news and the girls did the people, we each had a section of the alphabet, can't remember mine exactly but I know I had the P's as I remember filing Judge Pennycuik(because of the unusual name) I hated the Daily Telegraph because it use to continue  it's stories onto another page, double cutting.
So a few memories in the bag. Breakfast in the Black and White Milk Bar on a Saturday morning.  Felt very sophisticated and exciting.

This image from Getty Images ( breach of copyright intended) is a good few years earlier but it hadn't changed much.

I have just started to try and straighten the pieces as best I can, very careful ironing,  it is very brittle of course and could take a while but today has unearthed a few treasures.  Some intriguing headlines

 and one that I sent to my "touring"daughter.

Who can do all those things. Currently playing Madge in "Top Hat"

All over the place.......

I've been away, to my hometown.  View of Piel Island from Roe Island. Glorious sea breezes.

We went to Kendal

and walked down memory lane in the Museum of Lakeland Life, a bit disconcerting to see so many things you remember, in a museum. We also loved the Quaker Tapestry.and this quilt.

Made of knitted squares and embroidered panels, I think the square were knitted by a lady (forgot the name, sorry) and the embroidered pieces were worked by her friends. Sorry about the photo quality. There are some better photographs here
We visited Sisergh Castle  I must have passed it a thousand times on journeys back and forth but it is a lovely house to visit.  Fascinating history, Jacobites and all that,wonderful wooden paneling and carved fireplaces  and the portraits, for me, are particularly fine.

 

In the gardens we found these treasures.

The owls were part of Woollen Woodlands.  A copse of trees had been decorated with literally hundreds of animals and flowers by local groups and schools. Brilliant idea, such fun,We (72 and 82) were running around shouting "Look at this one" "Come and look at this".

 

and 

I 

I actually took loads more but as this was supposed to be a quick catch up post I better move on, there are some more photographs on this blog

Another beautiful day and a beach combing walk on Walney Island

I didn't wan't to trespass here

The sea made art

Iconic Black Combe

 See how it has inspired other people here

Another view with Walney Channel

Our last trip was to see the tree that has been planted for my brother,on a grassy bank, over looking the town so he can keep it in order.

Hopefully in the spring it will have snowdrops round it and then white blossom.

So that took longer than I thought, if you stuck with it to here can you help me identify this shrub?.  I have searched but had no luck so far.

Right better get to the catching up, seem to have been doing that this whole year which is flying by. 

Wk 9..

a sad/happy week.  We were comforted by the number of people who attended my brother's funeral, good to see so many people loved him as we did. The happy part was being with family,  we had an afternoon at the zoo with my great nephews, so good to hear their laughter and we managed a quick trip up the Lakes on a glorious day with snow on the tops.  The Lake District at it's finest. This is Lake Coniston.

and this was the star at the zoo, only 10 days old.

Lakeland is the home of Derwent Pencils and having seen these recently I couldn't come home without them.

and these 

More about them soon but I am in love. I was also given some deli paper by a generous friend so as soon as I was unpacked I had to play. I created a piece of paper that looked, to me,  like the bracken and the rocks on the hills so this is my spread for this week.  Not to the brief which was "collage something you have recycled" but more a reflection of the week.
this is the cover

and this is the spread

Joy of joys you can use the inktense bars on the gelli plate. Trees are part of one of the first rubber stamps I bought.
The runner is "in progress".

Wk 8..

This is a post I never wanted to write. Wk 8 of the Documented Life saw the death of my brother.  He has fought courageously for two years against cancer of the jaw.

 I will miss him.

Just a little ...

bit proud of my daughter. Don't usuall do family here but I wanted somewhere to keep this.  She plays the part played by Deborah Kerr in the film.

J.......

gave me trouble, I didn't have the connection with just one word, as in previous weeks, instead my mind hopped from one to another so in the end my mind was a JUMBLE..........see what I did there?

 

I made the background using my new Seth Apter stencil,  I made a jumping jack which looks remarkably like Jagger. My happiest addition to my collection of useless knowledge is that this little gadget for cutting pastry was called a jagger.

Here is page with tag.

Not many letters to go now in the Craft Barn Alphabet challenge, where did this year go?  Time to start working on the cover.

I am loving the costumes on "Strictly" this year, for once they seem to be being kind to the "older" women.

Looking forward to Ally Pally on Saturday, hoping that the change from our usual Thursday will result in less traffic but I think this was the wrong time to re-visit crazy quilting.....there will be too many temptations.

 Looking forward to catching up with Lynda Monk and to seeing Sophie of What Delilah Did  who is one of my new found relations.