Better Late than Never

Well here at last is my January art journal page for Kates challenge.  You all know why it's so late, but I was discharged from hospital late Friday night after pleading with the consultant to let me out for the weekend.  At last I have a diagnosis and I've got Cryptogenic Organising Pneumonitis which apparently is very rare, only 0.01% of the population catching it.  Caught something nasty whilst in Cuba in November and had this blasted thing ever since.  However, after many tests, scans, x rays, and not having much blood left, some bright doctor at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital did a lot of research and hey presto the meds can start.  On the highest dosage of steroids (which make you very hyper and have insomnia) and lots of other drugs, I'm on the road to recovery which they tell me will be 6 - 12 months.  So after a total of 3 weeks in hospital I'm ready to start creating, I think????

Haven't even started on the Feb page but I have been writing in my diary every day so will soon be able to sort that out.  Then need to start thinking about March.  Hope I now get some inspiration back because it seems to have left me completely.  Whilst I was in hospital I told everyone that I was going to sell all my crafting stuff and turn the craft room back into a bedroom.  Must have been one of the days when I was hallucinating.

Anyway I would like to thank all my many friends who have been a huge support and comfort to me over the last 3 months, I am really humbled by all the good wishes I have received.  I'd particularly like to thank all my friends from the Craft Den Studio for their lovely gifts and all their generosity.  And Lynne,what can I say she texted every morning to cheer me up and came to see me, what a friend. Also Pat, Jill, Pat and Sandy Poppins who all took the time to visit me regularly. Can't wait to see you all again.

Back home!

Just to let all you caring people out there that I'm now out of hospital and back home.  I would like to thank everyone for their kind wishes.

I've not been feeling too well since the beginning of December, good days, bad days.  Rushed in hospital last Thursday with what turns out to be double pneumonia, don't do things by halves, lol.  Been told it will take 6/8 weeks to recover fully, but am now getting bored, so must be feeling better.  Can't wait till I feel like crafting again.

Gingersnap Creations C37 - Time

Guess what?  Snowing again.  It started last night and has snowed most of the day.  Getting really, really, fed up of it now.  Still look on the bright side, plenty of time to craft!  I'm not sure whether this is suitable for GCC37, the theme is Time, but you know what, I enjoyed messing around doing it.  I got my inspiration from Kate, she has used doll images on a couple of journal pages now and although I wasn't sure at first, I love them now.  I've had this Cher song, If  I Could Turn Back Time, in my head for days, it just won't go away, so perhaps it was meant to be that I use it.  I'd had, what I thought was a fabulous idea of using a couple of images of Cher, a sort of years ago and now, which would have been perfect for the song, but decided as she was still alive, I'd better not because I didn't want to be sued.  Are you allowed to use images of people who are still alive?????

Pat's birthday card

This is a birthday card made for my friend Pat.  Before I retired I had my own business and Pat was my PA for years.  We know each other inside out.  Pat and Jim have moved down to Hampton in Middlesex to be near their children and grandchildren and we both agree we miss each other, but we can pick up the phone and continue a conversation we may have had a couple of weeks ago.  She's very organised, I'm not, she had done all her Christmas shopping before the end of November and I always get my birthday card and present well in advance because she would be very upset if they weren't here on time.  However, as the wording says 'a friend is someone who knows you as you are', so she'll not be surprised when she doesn't receive a pressy in the post on Tuesday.  They've not had as much snow 'down south' and we have 'up north', so she will understand that I have been unable to get to the shops.  As I said, I'm not as organised as she is otherwise I would have already bought it and given it to her on New Years Eve.

The background is Glimmer Mists, then stamped over with acrylic paint, using sequin waste and T!ms's stamps.  The main images are Paper Bag Studio and Innovative Stamp Creation. Finished off with three pearls and a piece of sari silk.

PDCC11

This is my entry for PDCC11 challenge.  The rules are to use the colours silver, gold, black and white.

I sprayed the background with various colours of glimmer mists, including gold, I made the flowers out of silver and copper metal, covered with black acrylic paint, then wiped it off so that little bits were left on.  I hand stitched the stems with white thread, finished off with a black and white bow, then machine stitched around the edges in white.

It's started snowing again!  Just put a couple of inches down in an hour.  I'm fed up with the snow now, doesn't even look attractive anymore, boo hoo.

Still Snowing

Well hope everyone is coping with all this snow.  It started here around 6.45am and it's never stopped.  We now have a couple of feet and are still snowed in.  Decided to get out the Melt Pot and have a go at the porcelain flowers that Jennie has done over at The Artistic Stamper, I will have to practice more because although they looked quite good in real life, when I see the photos and I can see where I've got ink on them.  I think I need to put more UTEE on them as well.

I put a bit of Stickles on one, and the colours, believe it or not are turquoise and pink, must be something wrong with the colours on my camera!

I've also been decorating the front of my Art Calendar and was going to put the flowers on there, but on reflection think it would be more appropriate to put on a butterfly.

Play Date Cafe Challenge 10

Feeling much better today, so decided it was time to do a bit of crafting.  Here's my entry for PDCC No. 10.  I found the colours a bit difficult to use in more grungy type things, but I've got to get going some how.