15 months?!?!? You must be 'avin a giraffe!!

Hiya!

Thanks for stopping by.

“Much more better today,” said the little girl. 
“My friend Paul came round and played.
It’s always more fun when he’s around.”

Thursday’s blog is something blue, 
and I have just finished a neat card for Sunday’s show,
so thought I would share it with you - or at least the front piece!
You’ll have to tune in on Sunday to see how I made faux giraffe skin....

Anyway, let’s take a look.
Our lovely Mel drew a fantastic Mother and Babes animal series,
which we have converted into super stamps.
On Sunday we shall bring out the giraffes, zebras and lions;
there are some fantastic tigers as I recall, and monkeys, and elephants - but we’ll save those for another day...

Let’s make a little topper..
Stamp the giraffe and her calves into the corner....

I just looked up what baby giraffes are called and got caught up in some amazing giraffe facts!

Did you know that they reckon a giraffe came about when a camel mated with a leopard?

Blimey.

That must have been something to behold!

Anyway, moving on swiftly....
Pop a mini moon mask into place and make a moody sky
using blending tools and ink pads.

Flip the masking tape and copy paper and add the lower colour.

We have got some fabulous little ink pads on the show.

Delightful storage box and a great price.

The quickest way to colour in the giraffes is by using 

the outside mask 

and a make up sponge.

The little tree and giraffe are also NEW stamps.

Wait till you see the Wee Africa stampsets! They are superb.

Well done Jim.

Add a little interest  underneath the tree and daddy 

with torn copy paper and a make up sponge.

Bit of matting and layering, 

which always takes me longer than making the artwork!

And on Sunday I’ll show you the faux giraffe skin trick.

Giraffe facts:
Giraffa camelopardalis (told ya!!)

At an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.), 

the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world.

Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb.) of leaves and twigs a day.

Giraffes sleep less than two hours a day. 

Female giraffes can become pregnant at 5 years old. 

They carry a baby for 15 months and give birth while standing up.

(That’s a 2 metre drop for the baby. Ouch! )

They live up to 25 years in the wild.

Must dash.
Safari-sagood!

love and hugs,
Barbar 
xxx

Mum Mum Mum!! Are you sure I’m not a giraffe???

This too shall pass....

Hi there!
Good of you to drop in.

Running late again, I’m afraid.

I’ve got what looks like an insurmountable pile of work to do before bedtime, so decided to have a break and chat to you for a bit.
Look at the state of this worktop!

Somewhere in there are the next New Design Club projects.
Have to be completed tonight, so we can move forward with the write-up and graphic layout. 
But this Groovi one is taking sooooo long! 

I got into a mild panic at around 6pm, because the artwork I had been working on for hours went wrong.
And I mean totally to shit. 
You know me well enough by now, to know that I can bring most artwork back from the edge and turn it round.
But not today. Nope.
So that was over 6 hours wasted which I can ill afford to waste today. Ain’t that always the way?!
I’ve got 7 hours of live TV on Sunday and Monday.
And tomorrow’s Thursday.

Ask me whether I have started my prep, I dare you!!

So there you have it. I can easily see why I am getting panicky.
Who wouldn’t?? But does it help the situation?
And there is that little monkey on my shoulder who keeps whispering,
“well, that’ll learn ya! This is what happens if you clear off on holiday for weeks on end, and then go romping round in the mud at Glastonbury for another week!”

Whatever.

I’m seriously considering booking another one!

Much more fun than this!!!

In the wise words of Melodie Beattie:
“It is never the event,
but how you respond to it which will ultimately affect you.”

Frustrating that I lost a day, bit worrying that TV is looming and I haven’t got my head round it yet,
but actually not worth getting upset about.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

Nobody’s dead.
The house didn’t burn down.

Admittedly, the Prime Minister’s resigned, 
the Shadow Cabinet has collapsed,
the pound has plummeted and the country is completely rudderless.

But I can’t even make a Groovi card today, 
so there’s no point in worrying about the future of the nation as well!

There comes that moment when Acceptance kicks in.

It is what it is. 
No point in crying over spilled milk.
No point in getting my knickers in a twist.
Nothing for it but to deal with what’s in front of me.

And again I have to remind myself, 
THIS REALLY IS NOT LIFE CHANGING.
Get over it.

Sorry if I am a bit batty today.
It comes of having to be creative when you don’t feel like it. 

Must press on.
I take comfort in the fact that you good people will be chatting away to one another here, while I complete my tasks tonight.

Love and hugs,
Barb
xxx

Yupo Paper Landscape....

Hi there!
Sorry I’m late!
Work got in the way...

Thanks for popping in though.
Another rainy day in the south.

Thought I’d have a play with the new YUPO paper, to unwind.
It really is THE most therapeutic unwinder!

All you need is a pack of A5 Yupo paper

some alcohol inks:

and some felts

Ready?

Let’s make a landscape.

It’s a piece of cake.

Drip some Stonewashed Alcohol ink on the felt

and using an applicator, dab dab dab away.

Go round the edge with the light blue.

Get a clean felt and add some Lettuce alcohol ink.

Dab dab dab over the blue.

Next drip a little Wild Plum on a clean felt 

and add some flowers at the front.

Let’s start some hills,

Swipe the side of the green felt across the opening.

Shatter the stripe with the pink and green felts.

Just dab dab dab along the edges.

If you add a little more Stonewashed 

over the top of the pink and green,

the colours blend wonderfully

Now for a sun.

Drip some yellow alcohol ink directly onto the Yupo.

Let it spread....

Use a paper stump to tidy up the edge of the orb.

By dabbing over areas, like the sun, 

you can push objects into the background instantly. 

Time to get my favourite little boy out. 

I think I shall call him Mark.

He always works perfectly. 

Boy and branches stamp kit

Ink up Mark in Black Archival and gently stamp him into place. 

I want to try something.

Let me do this before you do, just in case...

Use a cloth to wipe Mark off,

leaving a grey shadow.

Now aren’t you glad I did this before you?!?!?

Hahahaha.

Now for a drop shadow. 

Reink Mark in the black Archival, 

and then lower him back into the same place,

only up a tiny tad.

If you wear bi-focals, it will happen automatically!

See the grey drop shadow?

More luck than judgement!

Stepping away for a moment though...

The large boulders at the front are created by twisting the inky felt on the Yupo and then letting it spread.

So now I need a hand....

Which background colour is best, do you think?

 Pink?

White?

Dark Purple?

Or grey?

Hope you enjoyed that one.

I certainly did.

There’s something almost magical about shattering the layers of ink with more ink, and building landscape layers. 

I think we will try Alcohol inks on the Yupo paper at the retreats.

This is something everybody should try.

Take care.
Love and hugs,

Barb
xxx

It’s Limerick time for a competition!

Hi there!

Good of you to pop in.

We just got back from a crazy week in Glastonbury.

And I mean C R A Z Y .
Great music, amazing vibe, hooking up with friends along the way.

But the mud!!!! T H E  M U D !!!!!!!

Apparently, the muddiest, wettest Glastonbury on record.

Even the woodchip sank.

According to Michael Eavis, the Festival founder,

who ironically sang “I did it my way” with Coldplay for the finale,

“I’ve never seen mud like it in my whole life. 

This is worse than 1997. In all 46 years, it hasn’t been as bad as this”

Typical. 

Our maiden voyage with a new caravan too!

Hahahaha x

There had been talk of moving the festival to Longleat,

but apparently, Mr and Mrs Longleat came along this weekend,

to see how it goes, and needless to say, they weren’t too impressed!

Yeah about 180,000 people will descend on your land,

pretty much churn it up and destroy it.

Many will get completely wasted, 

there will be an inordinate amount of alcohol consumed, 

and illegal substance abuse will be rife.

In fact, you can get high on the fumes. 

Then after a week they will clear off again, 

leaving tons and tons of garbage, 

even their tents, chairs and wellies. 

My guess is Longleat’s not gonna happen - especially if they used the long drop loos!

Heard about one girl losing her phone down the toilet.

Not going in for that one....

The sheer scale of the debris mop-up is staggering.

Armies of litter pickers are now faced with the job...

I can’t help the thoughts that have come into my head during the last few days, but I am not going to voice them.

Just know that I had them.

Best personal investment of the year thus far?

These little puppies:

When we dashed over to East Grinstead on the way out of town to buy a pair, I nearly choked on the price.

£100 for a pair of wellies?!?!?!

Blimey! For that money, you want a personal piggy backer!

However. They were the last pair of turkeys in the shop which fitted me, so I swallowed hard and bit the bullet.

Dave had his hardy farmer’s wellies, so off we went.

I can only tell you, that was the best £100 I have spent all year. 

Vive Le Chameau!!!!

According to my fitbit/app, I walked over 45 miles !

Through the mud and s**t !!!

And believe you me, your boots get stuck and it’s slippery too.

We saw several people faceplant.

Either their wellies stayed behind and they tried to keep walking,

or they were just plain pissed.

And you daren’t laugh, because it might be you next!

But imagine walking 4 miles in a pair of £5 wellies, 

let alone 45 miles!!!

These pricey styley ones were deluxe, comfy, 

not too hot, not schvetty at all.

Just blimming lovely. 

Great buy after all.

And at £100 the pair, 

there was no way no how I would ever have left them there !!!

And that sets us up perfectly for a limerick!!!

Are you up for this?

I will give you the first 2 lines,

then you copy-paste them below, 

and finish the limerick.

On Friday, we will get out the Laughometer, 

and the winner will receive a £20 Clarity Gift Voucher....

Right.

Ready?

Here goes...

There was a young hippy called Flo,

Who to Glastonbury did go;

........

can’t wait to hear what you come up with....

And how about a caption for this picture?

Best Caption winner will receive a £20 Gift Voucher too xxx

Time to empty the caravan...

Peace man!

Love,

Barb 

xxxx

Sunday at Glastonbury....

Hi there!

Thanks for popping in.

Getting ready for the final day of Glastonbury.

Missed Adele yesterday, but we saw her at the O2 in March - otherwise I would have waded through mud to singalong with my fave!  Actually, must have picked up a bug at the Open Days, and have been cough cough coughing all week, so probably would just have mimed. Don't think anyone would notice here somehow....

Looks rather cloudy out there, but we really must go for day 3!

Here's one of my favourite pictures and moments from Friday...

The Acoustic Stage with Barclay James Harvest...

We sat outside, eating homemade apple and summer fruit crumble from the famous Cakehole next door. The music from my teenage years spilled out of the tent like words rolling off the pages of a good book. 

So today, KT Tunstall, Laura Mvulla, Newton Faulkner and Coldplay are on my list, and Dave has a whole other list I've never heard of!  But I'm sure we'll come to some arrangement. If I miss a few, it's not the end of the world! We've got their albums anyway! And there's no way we're splitting up! Where would be the joy in standing alone in a crowd? No no no. Better to watch him watch a band he loves.

Have a great Sunday.

Love peace and joy,

Barb xxxx

Far from the Madding Crowd...

Hi there.

Thanks for popping in. 

Had an absolutely radio rental day at the festival yesterday, watching some epic musicians, and culminating in a headbanging session to Muse on the Pyramid Stage last thing.

So we decided to kick back today and give the mud and chaos a miss. There's only so much of that noise and crowd level a sane and sober person can take!!

Walked across the fields into Glastonbury to clear the heads. Happened upon a magical underground spring quite by chance, called the White Spring, where we lit a candle and said a prayer.

Had a late lunch at Knights, a 5th generation family run fish n chip shop. Best fish n chips I have eaten in years! And then headed for Glastonbury Abbey, a huge old relic of what was once clearly a very important place. Apparently King Arthur and Lady Guinevere were buried there, but were also dug up and relocated. So no bones, just the plaque where they should have been laid to rest.

Sat in the grounds, and watched the young children playing hide and seek in the gardens. Ah the innocence!

Walked back to the campsite in the mid summer's evening, and am very happy to have avoided the festival noise for a day. Happy to be going back in for another pounding of the senses tomorrow, but today was just the ticket. 

Actually, I have really enjoyed the crafty intermezzos at the show too! The first day, I made a basket, and yesterday Dave and I whittled spoons! 

The internet is a bit iffy here, but I will see if I can show you the basket being born....

Amazing what we humans can make with our hands, with a little guidance and the right materials.

The spoons? Well, they will take a bit more practice and time. But it's ok!! we bought the knives to try at home! Yep, we got the starter kit!!!

I look forward to making spoons and giving them to friends....

Love, peace and happiness,

Barb xxx