LOOOOOOOOK!!!! ---> --->

I've got a Guestbook! That means if you don't have anything to say, there's a special place for you to say it!! Seriously, there are times I'd like to say "Hi" on a blog, but I don't have anything to add to a specific thread. Know what I mean? That's what the guestbook is for. Just pop in and say hello. If you want to tell me where you're from and how you found me that'd be great.
Off to bed now coz I've been out on the razzle and I can't keep my eyes open any longer

More stuff!

At last! A craft blog with some crafting stuff on it. These are a set of ATCs for a swap entitled "Trees". This is just the way my mind works sometimes. . .

Inchies

Just popping by to gloat as I have FINISHED my first batch of inchies for a swap. 26 of us are each doing a full alphabet and will get one back with one letter from each participant. I'm glad I'm not organisingTHAT!
Here they are - painted the background with ink, then lettered with a calligraphy pen, hand-drawn flourishes and a bit of gold to finish.

JANUARY MEMORIES

Finally got around to my first layout from my memory jar - February under construction!!

I've wound the saturation up a bit as the blue is really a pale ice colour and didn't photo well. One positive memory for each day - some better than others!

Emily's Art Journal Journey 2007

I've been doing this since the beginning, but not as consistently as I might. With a bit of a push, I am now up to date, so here are the first eleven weeks!! If you know ANYTHING about me, you know how I love to talk, so it won't surprise you that every card has scads of writing on the back of it - emphasis on the "JOURNAL" bit - specially as my artwork ain't the best in the world!! Here you go, then.

Week One
I am so proud of my Family
I am proud of the way they have coped with tragedy - the loss of their father, the death of their sister and now my illness. Three remarkable children, and a husband in a million
The writing here is a bit wobbly coz I wrote it backwards on the transparency overlay!

Week two
What is powerful to you?
One of the most pwerful things on earth - the human mind. Powerful in imagination, in invention, in ingenuity. If you can harness yours, you'll be invincible!



Week Three
I am - alive!
In June 2004 I was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma - kidney cancer - which had spread to my lungs. The realistic expectation was about 18 months to live. I am heading for three years with no appreciable symptoms so far. THAT'S LUCKY!




Week Four
A Symbol I Love


My Subversive Elephant!
I spent several YEARS trying to turn "JAN" into an elephant. At long last I had a brainwave, tried my initials, and the Subversive Elephant was born,

Week Five
Ephemera
Apart from BUS TICKETS, my most frequently aquired piece of ephemera would be receipts from bookshops, WHAT a surprise!!





Week Six
Love Love Love
We lost Giz this week. Nearly 18 years, and 17 on from losing Abigail. There's a small black furry hole in our hearts nothing will fill. I hope he and Abi are together at last. Missing the loudest PURR in the world.


Week Seven
Shoes
On my 40th birthday I decided that I would NEVER have uncomfy shoes again. 20 years spent in flat shoes and trousers, and I'm still happy with my decision. This year I have discovered CROCS, so I now have comfy RED shoes

Week Eight
I Miss -
My lovely mother and my darling daughter.
Mother died in 2000, Abi in 1990. One calm, quiet and hard-working - one loud, fiesty and dynamic, but both strong, both well-loved, and both much missed

Week Nine
Inspiration Found
I've always liked KLIMT paintings and more recently I've found the work of the Austrian Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Look at his wonderful buildings and enjoy!



Week Ten
Note to self
Since I was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 I have tended to ignore my mortality. I am becoming aware that my time is not to be WASTED!



Week Eleven
My initial
I enjoyed my calligraphy classes and I sometimes wish I had persisted with them. Apart from anything else I might have improved my handwriting!!

The UPS and DOWNS of February

Good grief. Is it really over a month since I posted?? How dreadful! I did say I'd post more often didn't I?? Some resolution that turned out to be. Anyway, here's February. A good in patches month with some serious UPS and DOWNS.
UP
At the beginning of the month I managed to catch a Dolly bead for Beth, Dom came to spend the night and we went to a great 18th birthday party. We also went to watch Phobe as Dorothy in her drama group presentation of The Wizard of Oz


DOWN 12th
Concern about little cat grew and grew and although he did pick up a bit - the infamous purr returned - in the end we decided enough was enough and we let him go. We'd had him for just under 18 years, so it was a terrific wrench and there is a little black furry hole in our lives. I feel as though I have lost another link with my daughter. She loved him so much: I hope they are together at last - she waited a long time for him to join her. She wanted him buried with her, and 17 years and two days later he joined her. I'm planning to scrap his life. maybe if I can do HIM I can get up courage to do HER. .


DOWN 15th
My trip to the consultant. Things are gradually getting worse, and this time I was asked if I wanted to start treatment. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! We agreed to give it another three months and monitor things. I've made up MY mind not to start until after my birthday in June - I want to enjoy the party!
UP 15th
Phoebe's 9th birthday tea. We went straight from the hospital, so were a bit shell-shocked for a riot, but the kids had fun and there was cake, and she is BEEEautiful!
DOWN - 16th
My aunt invited me to go to Folkestone with her so she could visit a recently bereaved cousin. I really didn't want to go right then, leaving my poor DH lonely in the house missing Mog and worrying about me, but I felt I had to go. Miserable trip as I don't fit into coach seats, but nice to see places that are writ large in my childhood memories. Aunt did warn me that she snored - but not quite how loud, so I had very little sleep for the two nights we were there!
UP - 17th
Visiting the cousin I hadn't seen for over 40 years and finding another scrapper! Actually she does MASSES of stuff, especially flower-arranging, but she had family photos I'd never seen before and will get copies for me, HOORAY! She's coming this way in April so we will meet again then.
Aunt also visited an old friend - again someone I have known forever, except I didn't know she worked at Bletchley Park during the War and gives talks on the Enigma Machine.
UP 19th - 21st
Home again and off to watch Phoebe dance at the local Festival. She really is good. She danced in 7 classes and got 3 second places and 3 third. One of the seconds was for a tap duet for under 12s - her tap partner is 11 - It was SUCH fun and they were really good together. they looked as though they were having fun.

DOWN
Just feeling so tired after all this that I stayed in bed. That's ridiculous. There's SO much I want to do, and then I just sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
UP 24th
Out for a Chinese with friends
UP 26th
Waterlooville Happyscrappers with two new members. The talk was about Beth's Crop on Saturday, and the possibility of moving venue if it's cheaper/ nicer

So that was February 2007. It looks as though March may be going along the same lines. we already have two funerals and two birthdays, plus Mother's Day, a family photo shoot and Phoebe's next show. And I wonder why I am tired. . .
OH, and I did some scrapping. Four layouts for Beth's class here, as well as a lot more ATCs. Now off to do some inchies for a swap. . . WHAT possessed me - INCHIES - how small is that!!