Bailey and Kyipo

The lovely Mike Putman who I sat next to at Ranger U blogged today about his two Lhasa Apso's Teddy and Rocky so straight after I read his blog I went and took photos of our two - that's Bailey above and Kyipo below with the toe of Colin's slipper (he wouldn't let me take his photo!!!)
If you want to see Teddy and Rocky go and visit Mike's blog - Jack and Cat curio on the right - Mike is a very talented artist and a really nice person.
That's me for today so
Bye for now
Sue

my week

a quick peek at how my 365 calendar challenge is going...

at the end of the month I will put the completed month on flickr...

This morning started off grey. cold and miserable as the rain poured down. It is meant to be set in until Thursday.
.
I finished off two projects.

The first is a Valentine's card (thanks Linda E for the instructions on construction) ...





the left panel


the middle panel


and the right panel - this has little labels to write messages on the back... "valid for a neck and shoulder massage, go to golf nag-free...etc,etc... you get the gist!!!


The other project also has a Valentine theme - it is an altered box that holds two packs of playing cards


with Friendly Plastic card suits on the lid.


and at lunchtime as it was still raining with no sign of stopping Colin picked me up from the shop and we drove 20 minutes down the coast to Benidorm and went shopping. Indoors of course and I got a dock for my i-pod. Luckily, Colin doesn't read my blog otherwise he would know the story behind my i-pod. When Tanya was here in November we also went shopping to Benidorm and I bought an i-pod for Colin for Christmas but when I got it home ...well you can guess the rest...it's mine!!! He got clothes from M&S instead!!!

...and to bring you up to date...

On Monday night I was thrown into a tizzy as I left at home the paint Dabbers meant to finish the boxes the girls had started last week...however, all was not lost as two newbies, sisters Jenny and Vivi arrived so some quick thinking off the top of my head and I showed them how to make a paper bag album and started them off rubber stamping. Whew!!!



The Saturday girls continued the theme of last week and learnt iris folding...

Rosangela


Blaithin


and on Friday Mu played some more with Friendly plastic making all these pieces...


So that's my week - how has yours been?
Bye for now
Sue x

girls, girls, girls...

These are the friendly plastic pieces I acquired from the lovely Liz Welch which I promised to photograph. They are even more beautiful in real life - lustrous and sparkly.



The girls have all been iris folding this week...

On Monday the younger girls
Emily...


Dayana...


and Louisa made balloon cards.

and tonight

Melissa...made a basket and balloons..... and brought in a marble cake she and her sister Emily had made for us all to share at break - it was delicious - so light - thank you girls...


Yaa...made a basket and completed her album (from months ago!!)


and newby Maria made a basket and a dress.


Well done girls.

I haven't done anything arty for myself this week - everybody aaahhhh! get the hankies out!!! apart from filling in my 365 calendar which I will photograph at the weekend. I have been busy making samples for classes. There is an adult box and a card both for Valentine's day which are almost finished. Story of my life really - so many unfinished projects - so little time.

I was looking at Linda Elbourne's blog when I got home and she takes part in a what's on your workdesk on Wednesday - I daren't show you my worktable - it's groaning under the weight!!! There is a half completed scrapbook page, a gessoed but unpainted canvas, the aforementioned half completed card and box, a part completed mini album for another class, a shrink plastic project at the prototype stage - need I go on...so as you can imagine with so much on there it is hard to actually do any work but tomorrow afternoon I have told Colin and Mum I am going to put up a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign and try to achieve at least one finished piece of work.

It is almost midnight and I am going to bed
Bye for now
Sue

Feliz Cumpleanos

At the end of my last post I said I was off to a doggy birthday party so I made a paper bag album for Helga who owns Bailey's girlfriend and 2 of the puppies. I won't bore you with all the pages

just a couple for their baby photos...


a double page for their Christmas piccies...


and a double page for their birthday party piccies...


ready, steady.....


...hoover up the sausages!!


Bailey, his girlfriend and 3 of their pups (including our new one Kyipo) and 2 others. aaaaaaaaagghh!

Bye for now
Sue

I went and had my hair re-styled yesterday - Gayle cut layers into my bob and flicked out the ends. It looked fabulous when I left the hairdressers



...but when I got up this morning!!! no photos of that I can tell you. I need to learn what to do with it - I have had a bob for more years than I care to mention - so easy - and now, well!!!

A couple of posts back I showed some friendly plastic atc's I had made for classes. I love working with it but am a Jill of all and master of none so my pieces reflect that.
I can't tell you how proud and amazed I am that I got a blog comment from.....the Queen of Friendly Plastic herself - yes Liz Welch - how cool is that. I feel so honoured that she even bothered to look at my blog never mind to leave a comment. I have met her a couple of times and she is so lovely to talk to. She even gave me a couple of her pieces that I showed the ladies this morning. I am so in awe watching her as she works.

This morning I carried on teaching friendly plastic and it was...friendly I mean...
and it did all I could have asked. Here are Gill, Mu and Q happily working away. Q and Gill sing in a choir so there's always lots of singing going on when Q comes - this morning it was musicals, West Side Story, Carousel and Cabaret.



here's Gill's


and Mu's


and Q's


They did well especially as it was their first time. There will be more techniques for them next week.
I forgot to photograph Liz's pieces and they are at the shop but I will tomorrow. Liz, if you are reading this I still can't master the ooze technique so any tips for it I'd be most grateful.

Must go as it is my new dog's 2nd birthday and we are off to a party at her Mum's house so
Bye for now
Sue

Dabbered, stamped and distressed...

I painted, dabbered, stamped, distressed and stickled a wooden box for the girls to take inspiration from.....





and Yaa and Melissa made theirs tonight choosing beautiful jewel colours


Emily, bless her - she is only 6 cleaned all the stamps, put them back onto their sheets, put away the stamp pads, acrylic blocks, scissors,so I think she deserved to sneak into the photo albeit holding MY box!!!

That's all for tonight so
Bye for now
Sue

It's good to be friendly...

Had good fun yesterday trying out the friendly plastic for classes later this week and next.
The atc on the left is the new one I made and the one on the right is the one you have seen before.



Thought this looked like some exotic flower...


...but then again it could be Christmas trees....


These are Inga's pieces...



Inga joined me in the shop to learn about and familiarise herslf with a few products as she may be looking after the shop while I have holidays,days off etc, if things work out. She is a talented silk batik artist with a delightful daughter Dayana who comes to Monday classes.

On Monday evening when Emily's Mum came to collect her, her big sister Melissa brought me this gorgeous scarf she had made me over the Christmas holidays.


It is actually two scarves - one red and one brown and they entwine. Lots of pompoms! I was so happy as it is lovely and soft and warm. If this chilly weather continues I can see me wearing it every day.

Gotta go as I have Melissa and other girls for Wednesday class so
Bye for now
Sue

bitten!!!

Today's class was this card...pity the photo doesn't show up the Stickles or sheen...



Q, Mu, Inga


Yesterday the weather was dreadful - it rained heavily all day - it's my own fault for showing you me having lunch in the garden on Wednesday!!! they say it can jump up and bite you on the bum if you're not careful and it looks like it just did!...so after work I snuggled up on the sofa and started my new journal...yes another one... this one is alpha doodling...






The wind has been positively arctic today - down to 6 degrees from 18 on Wednesday - severe drop - there is even snow on the top of Montgo a national park mountain near home.


and lastly here's my 365 challenge calendar up to date...


so I am off to make my hot choccy drink

Bye for now
Sue

Ice??? here in Spain...

Today was Three Kings (Spanish equivalent of Christmas) and so I spent the laziest of days blog-hopping and have seen more white photos on UK blogs than I care to contemplate...I feel for those of you who have to battle every day with the British weather - why is snow always so unexpected?

My grandchildren live in Dunfermline and when I speak to them it always seems to be cold or raining or windy - its a wonder anyone is healthy there - I suppose all that cold doesn't give the germs a chance!!!



Anyone that knows me knows I don't do cold and having endured snow and slush and ice in the UK over Christmas knows that living here I have thrown away my blue badge and my fibromyalgia has eased enough for me to work, walk my dogs, and just enjoy life.
I miss M&S and WH Smith's but little else.



this is my ice photo taken today at lunchtime in 18 degrees



I sincerely hope the weather warms up there - I know log fires are romantic but when you have to battle to get to work, the kids to school (that's if they're open) and with transport in general in the UK romance doesn't always seem a top priority.

Stay warm
Sue x