Spent the morning painting papers ready for making some more journals. Although I haven't posted for a week (how time flies!) I have been busy. Got up to date with lots of swaps for the UK Embellisher and UK Mixed Media groups. Also finished (I think) a piece using hearts for the main centrepiece, lots of brown paper painted and cut out and machined sections. I won't post a picture until I'm sure it's really finished.

I've now finished the quilties swap 'Shades of White' that Lenna Andrews has been organising. This was harder than I thought - and doesn't photograph well! Still I'm quite pleased with what I've done and will get four 6" square quilties off to Lenna in the morning.

I've used old lace (of course) some white cotton with seeding on it to break up the whiteness a little and, on all four, a section from something I did years ago with Val Campbell-Harding and found in my box! We cut strips of different white fabrics - lace, velvet, cotton, cord, everything we had, then sewed them together with zigzag stitch. Then we cut the rough square we had made diagonally, moved everything around and re-stitched, again with zigzag. Cut a different diagonal, moved all the strips around again and re-stitched and kept on doing this until we were left with very small triangles. It made a really interesting fabric and I'm delighted that I've been able to use it. I knew there was a good reason not to 'de-clutter' my workroom!




Had number two child at home feeling ill all day so I've spent part of the day playing games, doing jigsaws, etc and also managed to get an hour to paint some more brown paper. I've just finished one piece based on Hinterwasser (?)'s circles and was rather pleased with it - all painted papers and silks. I do love machining on brown paper. So I decided to do more while I was in the mood. Hopefully I'll get them all dry and finished this evening ready to do some machining tomorrow.

I've been working hard getting up to date with all the swaps I've put myself down for. Hopefully now I can concentrate on work for Artweeks but I have just got an e-mail from Angie Hughes at Ledbury Artplace about a bookwrap challenge which sounds quite fun ...

Got very involved over the past few days doing Traci Bautista type printing and then making journals. I love making journals - the problem is that I now have so many I shall have to give them away or start doing a lot more sketching! I do keep a journal/sketchbook which I enjoy but I've got a stack now, enough to keep me going for a couple of years. Actually the photo doesn't do

them justice (modesty) 'cos I can't get rid of the

glare.

I'm being taken out to lunch today by my nearest and dearest - it's our 15th wedding anniversary! Amazing how time flies. I've dropped hints about it being a 'crystal' anniversary and how 'roses are the flowers for this anniversary' but I don't think the penny dropped. Never mind, lunch will be good.

Haven't blogged in a while - Christmas seems to take over an entire month. Having flu and an op didn't help, but hopefully over all that. My New Years resolution must be to do some art every day.

Found http://www.judywise.blogspot.com/ this today - I usually buy my sketchbooks and decorate the covers but inspired by Judy I will add another New Year resolution and start making my own. I've done it before (for my Dad) and it's very satisfying and somehow starts the thought processes.

Hope everyone has a great 2008!