Giving Mr Tim Holtz and his inky inks a workout!

My best bud Eileen and I always used to have a cup of tea on Thursdays after school. Eileen has Thursday off from work and it was a day that suited me to pop round. But going to work for longer hours and much further away has put paid to our little afternoon tea sessions.

See we really shouldn't be allowed to see each other
we can't be trusted to be sensible! (Blue tongues after sucking blue M&Ms)

So we came up with a cunning plan, (far better than any Baldrick would come up with) as David goes out on a Thursday night we decided that it would be a jolly jape if Eileen came round on Thursday evenings. This has proved to be very successful as we now have far more time than before and a host of options to take up. For example three weeks ago Eileen played with some pretty paper and glue and I sorted out the digital bit for the remaining LSNED pages on my laptop. We spent a happy evening drinking tea and chatting. The week before last we decided that we would watch Pirates of the Carribean 4 instead of playing with paper and we both really enjoyed that option. This week Eileen and I both played with some paper. In fact, as promised, I played with white card, acrylic paint, stamps and Mr Tim Holts's very inky inks AND I didn't need rubber gloves or therapy!


At the last crop Sue (see this post) taught us how to use the inks that we had all bought and never knew what to do with them. She demoed a fantastic technique and I was inspired to have a go. If you wish to know how to produce the lovely things Sue does read Sandie's post here where she gives detailed instructions. Well I inked and stamped and stamped and inked and then inked some more and was absolutely delighted with the results, I even inked the ribbon for the bunting. I was enjoying my self so much that I had to text Sue to say I was having a go and really excited with the outcome. I cut my pieces of inked card into pennants,


punched out butterflies and made a journaling mat. I then constructed the layout using the papers from the class kit.


I had chosen a photo of myself (not because it so flatteringly shows how wide my nose is or how many wrinkles I have) taken in our kitchen as the orange paint effect on the walls is similar to the pattern on the paper.


I am so delighted with the technique that Sue taught us that I certainly will be getting my fingers inky again very soon. In fact I am investigating buying some new stamps - I never thought that those words would ever be seen on my blog!

Have a super week.

Reasons to be cheerful.

1. Being able to text Gracia the story of how I spent a frustrating 10 minutes wondering round ASDA car park this morning looking for my car only to realise that I had in fact taken David's one shopping. Once I had remembered I found that one in seconds.

2. The window for our bedroom (the one that we haven't been able to use for the last 8 years) is being made, as I type - so being able to move out of the smallest bedroom in the house into the largest looks like it may be on the cards soon, ok lets be realistic - in the next couple of years!

3. Anticipating Downton Abby tonight.