What's Rocking My World Friday :)

I can't believe another week has flown by. I kept meaning to do last Friday's post and then I am late for this Friday's already! Oops. So here's......on Saturday.

I'm really loving being on the Gauche Alchemy team. I'm in charge of putting the newsletter together at the moment (so sign up goddammit!) and I was having kittens when I was assigned the job - didn't think I could do it, wasn't up to par etc, etc. However - with a lot of encouragement from Amy and the other girls on the team I put together my first newsletter and proud of it. It's given me a big confidence boost. Also, after having to go buy a diary because of all the crafty deadlines involved with the team... and another "OMG, I can't do this - I don't have time to craft this much" moment. Guess what? I do. Just doing 10 minutes to half an hour a day or throughout the day I'm getting my bits done. I'm trying things I wouldn't normally try, I'm making the things in my head that always get put off to another day when I'm not so busy and have a bit more time... which never comes. I'm realising you don't need to set aside an hour or more to be able to craft. I always had that mindset of - I need a good big chunk of time or it's just not worth getting everything out... but I'm finding bits and pieces crafting is OK too - I bet you all already knew this revelation didn't you? I'm loving it and I'm loving having painty, inky hands... and clothes every day.

So part of that Rocking Friday feeling is having projects in progress all over the place. Guess what one of them is? Yaaaay - return of the duck! I have had such a smile on my face with this little fella - I hope his recipient likes him. Several more layers to go yet though.I'm not sure Craig is as pleased with my new found crafty freedom as I am - if I tell you that his nickname is Monica - fans of Friends may have an insight into part of his personality. I have an almost permanent workstation set up in the kitchen now where there is either gluing, painting or inking going on. He is trying his hardest not to tidy it all away or moan too much. I can tell it's hard for him though. Though he is pleased with my new found confidence and organisation - so one cannot come without the other eh?

Talking of my beloved, he's been brilliant this week. Listening to my rambling about hopes and dreams for the future. Things I know, I do know, can't happen yet but... you know when you want something so bad that you get a lump in your heart and you just want to cry when you realise you wont get it? I sound like a spoiled brat now... but even though you know you can't have it - you still want it and sometimes it just overwhelms you so much? I have just one major dream in my life and I do know in my heart of hearts there is no way, no how I can have it. Not yet, not for many years. Not without a lot of money, a lot of planning and a big slice of selfish pie. And instead of getting angry at my (once again) bringing it up, he listened, he listened to me going on about ways it could be done, about things I can put in motion now in preparation. And he didn't sigh, or get angry or even just ignore me. He talked and agreed that there were some things that I could do now but that there were some things would not change how soon (or not) we could even begin to think about it. It's such a simple dream in the big scheme of things but it would affect so many people... and I see that. And I understand. But it was nice to be listened to and to know there is something to focus my attentions on. Did any of that make sense at all? Probably not but I am thankful for my lovely Craig.

Next up. My poor little yard - but look, what's on the table? Anyone remember this WOYWW post when I mentioned digging up my twigs and roots? Well look! Look! I have resurrected my twigs! They be GREEN. I have brought plants back from DEATH! Never has such a thing been heard of. And my fly eater is going bonkers - look at all the new baby green tubes on there.  AND my as yet undecided weed/not weed in the blue pot has company! I believe the lilies I stole from my Mum's garden may finally be making an appearance. Reckon that's the green fingered goddess smiling down on me? I do! Thanks Mum.

Next up is quite simple - this huuuuuuge, gigantic sketchbook!Reduced from £17.50 to £4.99! WOOHOO! Only one in the shop - I reckon it's because the covers are a bit scuffed - but that's easy covered with some paint, right? Yep - very, happy with my bargain. Oh and I'm hiding because my hair is a disaster zone at the moment. I have been growing it since April at the request of Craig and Devvie. It's no good, I can't do it anymore - it's getting the chop on the 7th. It's falling out, flicking up everywhere in every direction. it makes my head hot... am not a girly girl, I have no clue what to do with it. So I'm hiding behind my lovely gowjuss sketch book.

And you - my lovely fabulous bloggy friends - you always Rock My World. What rocked yours this week? Why not drop by Virginia's and play along?

Thank you as always for stopping by.

WOYWW?

Hi everyone. If you've landed here looking for the Bombshell/Gauche Alchemy blog hop then please scroll to the post below this one or click here . If you are a nosey desk voyeur come to rummage through my mess then you're in the right place.

From across the room - Closer up -

Any questions, holler! The blue sparkly case has my pens in which are my 8 Copics - love 'em, my one set of Pro Markers, hate 'em with a passion - my girls mainly use those. My sparkly Spica's, some fluorescent highlighters and a few biros.

The red skully case was my bargain today. It's £1 job from the local pound store - I've been sitting attaching Alice badges to it on and off today - Craig nearly got a slap when he said I had now seriously devalued it! Cheek!

I was going to add another pic of myself in some provocative pose just for Doone & Gail (seeing as my desk is not enough and is soooo boring) but time ran away with me so I'll share this instead...

Hubba hubba!

Happy WOYWW people, I'll try to make it round more people than I did last week. If you want to join the heaving thrall of nosy parkers then come join us over at Julia's gaff. Always room for one more ;)

Thanks as always lovely peeps for stopping by!

What a Bombshell :P

Ooer - I think this is the first time I've participated in a blog hop... This one is hosted by Bombshell Stamps in conjunction with Gauche Alchemy! WHOO! WHOO! WHOO!
Thanks to the lovely Nicole having sent me some Bombshell images not long ago, (thank you, thank you, thank you Nicole!) I was able to finally have a play with these little beauties.

The theme for the hop is 'Some like it hot, hot, hot!' I used the Gauche Alchemy kit Scarlet Fever to create the sparkly tutu and Purple People Eater to create the flower for her hair piece.Of course she is a smokin' hot Alice fan - a burlesque laydee of taste fo sho! I love this image so much and am saving her for a journal page when I finally do one I like.

I think I'm safe sharing this page too - it's the latest one I created for the Rock In Peace circle journal I'm in. I'm almost certain the recipient doesn't read my blog so this wont spoil the surprise.I finally had a proper play with my huge collection of Copics too - I have 8! I know! You are stunned at the vast size of my collection aren't you? I can tell. Also the sparkly Spica pens that I won not long ago - I believe they are from the Copic family. (I may be wrong) I SO would not have bought them had I seen them in a shop but let me tell you this; I will be hunting them down when I've used these up!  I don't know if you can tell from my pictures but Burlesque Alice laydee's hair is sparkly as is Skellie's tux and his girlfriends hair. It might not show up so well in the pictures but it has a lovely shimmer.

If you'd like to play along in this blog hop these are the rest of the motley crew:
Kas
Gauche Alchemy
Kelli
AnitaMarie
Maggi
Katie
Cheryl
Angel
Erika
Kathi
Pam
Meredith
Merdrey Chew
Yvonne
Steph
Carmen ~ You be here. Arrr!
Alaine
Alison

If you play along you have two chances to win. Now you're paying attention eh? Gauche Alchemy will pick a random commenter from the comments on the Bombshell post on their blog. The winner will receive a triple colour kit containing: Banana Hammock, Lady Marmalade and Scarlet Fever. and the Bombshell gals will pick a monthly winner from all the comments received on the blog hop posts.

So, if anything, your generosity in sharing the images with me Nicole has only made me even worse. I need some Bombshells of my own. In particular the sets containing these two images as they were so much fun to play with.

Thank you as always for stopping by :)

If you are wondering where the flip my WOYWW is and why I'm rambling about nudies (as Ruby calls them) I'll be back later - am going to try and schedule this to post at 5am as I *think* that is when Wednesday starts in America. I'm most likely horribly wrong so in fact although it's Wednesday now as you read this it's still Tuesday in my physical reality and as I don't have a Tardis I couldn't take a piccy of my Wednesday desk for this post... ya get me? Come back and see me later, Pwease?

The Artist's Tools

Hi all, I thought I would show you my new masterpiece. I call it "The Artist's Tools" My first 3D assembled art piece.

View from the front...And the back...What do you think? Genius? I know!

It was really easy to assemble too. You need an ice-cream pot, crammed with various pots and tubes. Rest a tub of book binding glue on the top, lid not tightly sealed. Make sure you follow that last point or your 3D structure will be, well, pants.

Forget that said tub is balanced on top of the ice-cream tub. Shove the tub none to gently back into your box of paints.

Leave for one month to prove itself. Shoogle it around several times throughout the month just for good measure.

Go back to your box, reach in for a tube of paint - stand back in awe and wonderment as a fully formed finished 3D work of art comes out attached to the tube of paint.

Stand gob open, catching flies for a moment before showing everyone in your household the wondrous piece of art you definitely INTENTIONALLY created.

You're welcome ;)*Ahem!*Methinks I should have a hazard warning flashing above my head when I use that glue. The first pot is still welded in a huge see-through glue mountain to the bottom of one of my drawers.

WOYWW?

Boring, boring boringness on my desk today! *yawn* Well, the jiffy is interesting, that's the latest R.I.P circle journal to arrive this morning... and the diary is interesting because it means the disorganised Queen of Chaos is finally (out of necessity) getting organised to keep up with commitments. Scatterbrains-R-us!.. and um - yeah, just pretend you haven't spotted a Tetris game open . Never really 'got' Tetris before but Craig's Mum managed to get me addicted to her DS version last week so am now getting my fix on Facebook. *ahem*
Swing to the left and what's this on my chair? Oooooh TREASURE me hearties! My Gauche Alchemy DT kit has arrived and much mixed media scrumptiousness there is too. Can't wait to dive in and have a play! My picture is rubbish, there be loadsa bounty there. Arrrr!Leaving Pirate Cam indoors... This is my table outside.I've done the same as I do every year. Looked at the twigs in my pots for weeks. Got fed up of the twigs in my pots. Snapped off the twigs in my pots... only this year I decided to dig up the roots too... which had fresh shoots on them. Ah! So I've been re-potting my roots and bulbs because we are getting rid of that bed of earth you see in the background, our dogs and the neighbourhood cats are using it as a communal loo! Nice! We are just going to have a few pots. Any of you gardeners know what this is?I found it sprouting in my fly catcher plant pot... not the nice red one you see. The dead Venus Flytrap that I have wanted for years and killed within 2 weeks of finally getting. I thought it looked kind of plant like and not weedy? Anyway I've re-potted that too. Go on, now tell me I've re-potted a weed!

I've been able to move round a bit more today - neck is loosening up and I can move my head without having to move my whole upper body now. Still hurts though... and still don't know what I did to it either. However copious amounts of Movelat cream, Whiskey in diet coke/diet lemonade and lots of Ibuprofen seems to have helped. Don't worry - not at the same time as the Whiskey. Because that would be naughty...

If you'd like to play along with WOYWW and show us your work area - be it arty, crafty... whatever be sure and link up with She Who Must be Obeyed here so that we can all find you :) Thanks as always for stopping by.

P.s This was going to be such a short post - I don't know what happens every time! Sorry. You may leave now.

Monday Meanderings...

Hello everyone :)

We got back from sunny Hastings late Saturday afternoon and have been in catch up mode ever since. It sounds like we didn't do to bad on the weather compared with what some have had - one seriously rainy day and a couple of showers but otherwise sun and warmth... not to hot, so I was happy.

I must admit that apart from missing my firm mattressed bed and my bath (dodgy caravan shower) I really enjoyed it and didn't want to come home. But then,as many of you will know, I have been badgering my Craig to move for various reasons on and off for years. and He knows by now that after each holiday he has to put up with weeks of 'ohpleaseohpleaseohpleasepleasepleaseplease can we moooove'  from myself. It does get irritating even to me. Anyway... until we win the lottery or I become a world famous artiste...  that ain't gonna happen. I shall badger you with holiday pics instead. No it is NOT optional and yes you do have to look. But I have a dodgy neck and back at the moment, no sudden movements - so if you should choose to run away  - I probably couldn't chase you. But that wouldn't be very nice now would it?

Fabby art in Hastings Old Town...I wont repeat the joke that made him chuckle... Some people are so talented - how gorgeous are these?Fun in the aquarium...Alexandra Park...

There was a free council organised craft & sport event on in the park, in conjunction with Change4life, the girls loved it. Turned out one of our best days out cost us just the price of a picnic. There was so much there we didn't get around everything... it's on every Wednesday throughout the holidays.

Nanna and her clay creation :P

Feeding the winged inhabitants of the park...

And this is the sum total of what I did of my class homework while away :P But we're home now, we are almost back to normal, if I can get my neck and back loosened up then I will be cracking out the paints for a play! Yay! Ask me not what I've done, haven't got a clue. Was absolutely fine yesterday - just normal back niggles but today if I move my head to sharply the pain is so bad I want to throw up. Nice.

Thanks for stopping by and if you're still reading, well done you lovely people. I'll be by for a catch up over the next few days.