Tuesday 2 July 2013

WOYWW - May Your Soul Thrive !

Hope you are all having a good week ?

Writing this on Tuesday night it is like a November night - I can barely see the house opposite for the thick low cloud & driving rain !

The forecast is for a hot weekend to come - but I have to say it's a stretch of the imagination sitting here tonight !

On my desk this week are my lovely new JOFY stamps - from Jo Firth Young's new range from Paperartsy. Click Here for Jo's Blog

I had great fun over the weekend stamping & painting them with Distress Inks applied with a brush ..

Then into action with a frenzy of cutting out !!






I found this quote from Sir Thomas More - when I was mooching about the internet the other day - and the two sort of clicked in my brain !!
And out came this page in my journal !




 Also over the weekend I finished off a couple of pages from our visit the RHS Wisley back in May - I really liked this photo of me with my Mum & Dad in the Orchard Fields - the blossom was gorgeous !


 I was happy with how this will look in my album with the other page I made last week - I don't get to spend anywhere near as much time with my parents as I would like - so all memories of times together are very precious to me ...

 The tulips at Wisley were stunning - some plain dazzling red - one with amazing spiky petals !
And some of the colour combinations they had put together were so "lush" as they say here in Wales - and I am keen to try them for myself next spring - so hopefully this page will remind me which bulbs to buy come the Autumn !!












Happily my parents are coming to stay at the end of next week - and Mum will be here for her birthday - so I thought I ought to get on with making her card !
She loves her garden birds and takes great care of those who come into her garden to feed at the many bird feeders she has ... so I thought this Home to Nest range would make a perfect card for her .. but I really struggled !

Somehow I couldn't get the papers and the toppers to work together - or maybe its that my card is too small ?

Anyway I'm not really happy with it - I think it looks a bit clunky - any thoughts from you card makers out there ?
Here's the inside - this works a bit better ! 
And one last project - a layout of the evening I went into Paris when I was over in France on business - on this hideous rainy night it is hard to remember what a hot Summer night was like !
Have a great crafty week ! Ali x


25 comments:

  1. Hi Ali
    Blimey you have been sooo busy and I love your AJ page. Those stamps are beautiful and so versatile. You have been busy doing and I have been busy thinking about doing! Time to get on with it!!
    Hugs Lynda xx

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  2. Love the stamps and your beauiful art journal! You have been busy! Happy WOYWW!
    #34

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  3. I hate that feeling when a card just won't pull together...I know it well!, perhaps chalk the edge of the "scallop" in red to match the top so you can see it against the bottom layer of paper on the inside of the card. Thats all I can offer from here!

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  4. Our fur has turned green with envy over your new stamps, and your journal page is stunning. We love it. No idea with the cards sorry as we usually get grumpy and start again when ours won't work.

    Waving hi from the bears @#92 we think

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  5. Those stamps are gorgeous and your journal page looks absolutely fabulous. I love the photo layouts.
    Have a great week.
    Von #14

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  6. Love your journal page and the photo lay-outs.
    Happy WOYWW and I wish you a lovely week.
    xx Monique #74

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  7. Hi Ali
    my goodness you have been so busy and I am loving the results. That journal page is amazing the layers texture and colours are fantastic
    Happy WOYWW and have a great week
    Ria #52

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  8. Loads of new stamps there and super journal page. I love Wisley too great scrapping memories you've made. Looking forward to your "Hunt" photos. Sorry I'm a bit late replying but my son had his drum exam this morning, glad that is over now. Thanks for stopping by this week BJ#13

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  9. Brilliant layouts for the scrapping and I love the journaling. I have serious stamp envy...I really NEED those JOFY stamps! Hugs. Pam#27

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  10. Ah Ali, you're right, that was a lot of cutting, but aren't they just gorgeous! Wonderful journal page. Love your Wisley LOs, what a great time. The card for your sweet Mum is lovely, I have some of this range too and I think the backing papers are too bright compared to the toppers. But don't worry, no-one else does, I thought it was just me being picky!!

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  11. I have my chair and suncream at the ready waiting for the arrival of Summer at the weekend. Do you think we are being at bit optimistic?
    What gorgeous stamps you have there, love what you've done with them too, that page is stunning.
    Your LO's are beautiful, lovely reminders of happy days and your Mum will love her card.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hugs Lisax #72

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  12. Hi Ali! Thanks for visiting me earlier. I'll trade weather with you for a day! Your pages are so beautiful. I am not a scrapper or card maker but I am getting quite curious from all the WOYWWers that are. And I think the card for your mum is AWESOME!!!! Have a great WOYWW and hope your weather clears up. Rasz #125

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  13. Hi Ali!
    Thought I would pop by and see you. Love the journal page and the scrapbook pages of your parents. My family is also from Wales--Swansea (alas, I'm the only one who was born in Canada!) Even after being here for 57 years my folks still refer to Wales as home! Gotta love them.
    Have a great week.
    Hugs,
    Michelle

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  14. Hello Ali,I'm loving your new stamps,you have colored them beautifully, now that cutting something I can't do, but your pages are gorgeous, love the background then the beautiful flowers.Love the pics of you and your parents and your right your time with them is precious, how great they are coming to visit. I love your Mother already, taking care of my fellow birds, thats lovely. Her card is very pretty, I think I would have cut the card in the shape of the red bird house, thats just an idea, your red cardstock layer would be perfect. Oh the tulips are sooo gorgeous, hope you can get some for your garden. Your Paris page is fabulous, my dream to go there.Thanks for sharing all your makes, Have a wonderful week in lovely Wales...

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  15. What a great haul of stamps. Those are very cool. I like your Paris layout. Hope the weather improves. Thank you for stopping by site earlier. April #128

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  16. Hi Ali
    You should store the misters sideways as it allows the mica in them a larger area to settle and they're less likely to get the nozzles clogged (still can happen though!) Same with the Picket White and metallic Distress Stains. Hope that explains. Hugs xx

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  17. Thanks for dropping by.

    LOVE what you have done with those stamps on those journal pages! How lovely is that!

    I have a ton of 'paperwork' ....namely jobcentre stuff to do today but seriously not in the mood to deal with it today so I am going to sit and do some stamping, haven't done any in ages and I miss it. I am going to do it in my scarily huge A3 journal...which isn't really scary, just double A4....so more space to be creative in lol!
    It was the size we used at college and i have got kind of used to working on that size now and struggle a little with A4. Can't seem to win can I lol!

    Take care

    Jackie #80

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  18. Love your Journal page it looks awesome, have fun with your parents.

    Happy WOYWW
    Eliza & Yoda 81

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  19. Happy Belated WOYWW! This was such a fun post to visit, you have been so productive, Ali, and your work is fantastic! Love the desk and stash and cutouts and layouts. Happy Birthday to your Mom next week! About her card: I tend to be really CAS, but I think you can take that second sentiment and bow off the lower half and it will be more balanced and look just fine. Those adorable nest in the DSP hold a lot of joy for the eye, without anything added to it. IMHO, of course!!

    Thanks for the visit to me and the birthday wishes! Enjoy your time with your Mom!! Darnell #77

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  20. I love how you've used Jo's stamps - so pretty! Your pages from Wisley are just gorgeous. I visited Wisley for the first time last year and immediately fell in love! Have a lovely time with your Mum! Thanks for visiting me and leaving such a lovely comment xxx Hugs Sand #131

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  21. Beautiful work! I especially love the flowers with the quote from Thomas Moore! Same weather here in Germany! Valerie

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  22. Hi Ali - those stamps are gorgeous - Im gonna head over and check them out... Thanks for popping over for WOYWW - I am only Just getting to spend the time to visit... ahh gotta love Fridays... cheers Mxx #103

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  23. The journal page is absolutely lovely! Love the different layouts too.

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  24. So pretty! I love all the flowers, and Thomas Moore to boot!
    Jean 8

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  25. Your LO's are lovely and numerous! Wow, are you productive! :) Your mum's card has me a bit stumped though...it looks pretty good from here. The only thing I could think of someone else already mentioned and that is to ink the front die cut edge so it stands out. Other than that if you think the colors are too bright or something I have found rubbing brown ink all over, like to antique it, will help tone things down and get them to blend together better. I have a specific pad I use for this as it has gotten very beaten up and the ink isn't super wet anymore...works perfect for putting on just the right amount. I suppose you could use DI and a foam blender to get the same effect...? Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment on my desk already, I appreciated it. :) Deeyll #123

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