A brick wall, a watering can and some dahlias.
Hi there
Thanks for popping in.
Just done with all the prep for the TV shows tomorrow
and Monday. Methinks it will go very well!
But now I have hit a brick wall.
Always, at about 2 in the afternoon, I am ready to drop!
Is it an age thing?
Have I actually hit the Afternoon Snooze phase of life???
If that’s the case, then look out tomorrow,
because I’m supposed to be doing my bit for the Crafting cause
on HOCHANDA at 2pm!!
Anyway, speaking of brick walls,
I dug out an old print from a Gelprinting plate
and thought I’d use it as a gritty background for one of those beautiful new Stamps designed by Jayne Nestorenko.
I shall be using the little 6″x6″ Gel Plate tomorrow afternoon at 5pm on TV, if you have time to watch.
Anyway you need an Archival ink pad to stamp on top of acrylic paint. So I used a Watering Can Archival
and the Dahlias
.
How appropriate….a watering can and dahlias, I mean…
Busy background, hard to discern the flowers.
Let’s bring them out with a little colour.
Colouring Pencils.
The ones which work best on acrylic paint are the same ones
which work best on parchment:
Faber Castell Polychromos, and
Spectrum Noir Blending pencils.
Light and shade.
There is a Faber Castell eraser pencil which is BRILLIANT for lifting colour,
so that you can add highlights.
That’ll do.
Less is more.
A brick wall background and some exquisite flowers.
Dahlias, in fact.
If you missed yesterdays blog, then do check back and more will be revealed around tomorrow’s TV launches and the launch of these wonderful stamps.
Time for a nap.
Love & hugs.
Barb
xx
99 thoughts on “A brick wall, a watering can and some dahlias.”
Such beautiful rustic looking artwork, very much looking forward to the shows x p's. Nothing with a power nap, they do this on the continent 🙂
Oops nothing wrong lol x
Oops nothing wrong lol x
its a Power nap Barbara nothing to do with age!! loving the flowers from Jane,another talented lady and they work fabulously with your brick wall Regards Ann
Beautiful. I love this one. You just wouldn't expect them to be growing there and yet they look just right. Love love love it x
Absolutely gorgeous these are on my wish list ,recording shows I hope as am in Paris for weekend ,having a siesta.x
Yes a 20 minutes snooze my doctor 😷 says really good for you about this time but busy doing a tricky part with wiring my Lillies together.
Stamps look fab, recorder set for tomorrow/Monday as hate to think I miss anything… which is why I don't have an afternoon nap… far too nosey lol!
These stamps are exquiisite Barbara and these Dahlias look great against that brick wall. Hope all goes well tomorrow…as if it wouldn't! x
Beautiful. Must admit my eyes do sometimes start to droop in the afternoon if I get chance to sit down, Strange though if I am at a workshop never feel tired. So want to see all your lovely new designs. Safe journey to Peterborough and I hope shows go well. xx
Really lovely and love the new stamps and groovi plates. I m getting back into autumn and winter mode after a busy summer in the garden, on holiday and lots of family events. My stash of cards has almost depleted so I must get back to it. I m with your there Barbara if I sit down at 2 pm I m gone! Had a slightly stressful week introducing two beautiful Ragdoll kittens (16 weeks old) to our resident also very beautiful 6 year old Ragdoll cat it's been a bit of a standoff so far but all cats are now exhausted and asleep. The pop up cat pen which I have just discovered has been a God send check it out on line, amazing bit of kit and also cheap.
Crafty hugs to you all. Looking forward to watching Hochanda with multiple cats tomorrow X X X
I hope the cats behave so you can get to watch undisturbed xx
Thank you ! I m finding it quite stressful! So Barbara will be the perfect relaxation X
The kittens sound adorable, I'm sure the older cat will be ok once they know who boss is! Xx
So Beautiful👍
So Beautiful👍
Can't wait – I need to use my Gelli more – also for some reason I am struggling with the brush/distress ink stencil technique – always looks really streaky – think I am using too much ink or pressing too hard??? must keep practicing. LOVING the new Club goodies – thank you x
Love this, really must use my Gelli Plate a bit more – in fact I really must use a lot of my stuff a bit more – just never seem to get the time just lately. Good luck with the shows, not that you need it and here's to another sell out.xxxx
A beautiful piece of art work wonderful dahlias I can snooze anytime looking forward to the shows xxx
I Sheila. I hope you're recovering after the stresses of yesterday. Love and Hugs xxx
Hi Sheila, hope you have a better day today. All the chasing around yesterday doesn't do anyone any good.
My mum will be in hospital until Monday at least – awaiting a scan with regard to a DVT. Carers did the right thing for once by calling her GP.
Off to have a play in my craft room – it settles the mind! ;~}
I hope today is better for you xx
Hi Sheila – I am guessing that you are not feeling too good today! I am sure that you have been resting and snoozing today – take care, my lovely & enjoy the shows tomorrow. Love and special hugs, Gilly xxx
Evening dear family of blog friends I'm very fatigued today but to be expected after the busy week I've had I've got a lot pain in my fingers and wrists and elbow but my steroids are very low now so that's now expected too but so looking forward to a Sunday and Monday of clarity plus the stamp launch Tuesday cushions at the ready heartfelt hugs to all xxx
Hi Sheila, sorry to hear that you're a bit knackered today… me too, the past week has been very draining. I did sit at my craft table today but not a lot happened. I have an idea for the garden challenge but I'm not in the right frame of mind to make a masterpiece. Have you started your challenge card or is the pain preventing you?
I did my calendar challenge in all of August a bit at a time sent it in to Paul I did a canvas with the sunflowers with grunge paste and coloured it in so it fitted well with in the garden just simple to do some days I can do a little so feel I'm achieveing my goal I sent that in to Paul also .
I'm not surprised your struggling with everything at present you don't have to make a masterpiece just something simple that you can mannage and enjoy something that takes to a place you love sending lots of crafting hugs to help you through xxx
Hello Sheila I hope you are managing to keep on top of the pain, you have had such a busy week and have put your body through a lot of stress. Have a good rest, enjoy the shows and let's hope next week is a good one. Sending hugs xxx
Oh this is gorgeous Barbara. I've just looked through my 'must keep, just in case' box, and sure enough I have a wall background. So now I just HAVE to buy the stamps on Tuesday. I have no choice hahaha! Can't wait for the shows. Hugs xxx
Well Morag at least you don't need to buy the stencil as well xx
Hi Morag – I totally love your reasoning! I hope that you are getting more sleep now. No doubt looking forward to the shows, as we all are! Love and hugs, Gilly xxx
Evening morag hugs xxx
It was meant to be Morag 😀Xxx
Gorgeous, I do love these stamps, can't wait for the shows
Hugs
Linda xxx
Love the new stamps the Dahlias no exception, look great on the gelli plate brick wall. Sorry not commented lately not been feeling great but have been keeping up with your blog, couldn't miss that. Good luck for the shows, will record them to watch later. They say it's good to have a power nap to recharge our batteries, so go ahead. xx
Hi Pam, I'm so sorry to hear that you haven't been felling well. I do hope you are on the mend now. Take care. Love and Hugs xxx
Sorry to hear that Pam. I was wondering where you had got to, hoped you were off on your travels again. I hope you feel better soon xx
Missed you Pam, hope you are on the mend xx
Hi Pam – it;s good to see you here! So sorry to hear that you not been feeling well – take care and have lots of rest. Love and hugs, Gilly xxx
Evening pam wonder how you was doing hope you feel better soon get well hugs xxx
Hello Pam, sorry to hear you haven't been well, hope you are on the mend. Sending hugs xxx
Aha….the afternoon sleep. Try some nice fresh or dried fruit at about 1330 – works a treat for me (dried mango is FAB).
Like the new look blog by the way.
Love
Maggie (Yorkite)
Well if you do manage to have a little snooze during the presentation tomorrow, that should make for some interesting reactions from who ever is presenting the show!! Love, love, love this artwork this afternoon. xxx
Usually feel the need for a shut-eye around five-thirty – low blood sugar probably. Looking forward to Jayne's new floral stamp designs – a perfect fit for this month's challenge. Safe journey to Peterborough. ;~}
Dear Shelagh I hope your mum goes on ok and gets the right treatment and looked after in hospital enjoy crafting crafting hugs xxx
Hi Shelagh I hope your mum is being well looked after and is receiving the treatment she needs. Such a worry for you. Sending hugs xxx
Thank you. Will keep you posted. ;~}
The brick wall is fab. How did you do that?
Yes a 20 minutes snooze my doctor 😷 says really good for you about this time but busy doing a tricky part with wiring my Lillies together.
When I was at work and we went on, or led courses, the slot after lunch was known as the graveyard shift because it was so hard for the audience to stay awake. We were all used to eating lunch on the run and listening to readers or preparing the classroom for the afternoon it was a luxury to have an hour's break. I think your weariness is a bit like that – its your body's reaction to the busy-ness of preparing for the shows and now you are ready the adrenaline has dropped for a while. I am sure the adrenaline will be there in full force all day while you are at Peterborough, I'm looking forward to the shows xx
Hi Chris – I agree with all that you say. Enjoy the shows! Hugs Gilly xx
Hugs Chris xxx
Hi Chris that's so true xxx
Hi Barbara, really love this, it's beautiful. Thanks for sharing, and for giving me a new pathway to hopefully explore, as this kind of grungy/distress with neat/clean is so my kind of thing. Not saying pretty/beautiful because I couldn't achieve anything near your amazing art skills.
It's working hard pretty much every hour God gives you that is making you so tired! So you just let your body rest when you can. I don't want you ending up like me, thinking you can push your body and mind to the very edge and it have no consequencies. Trouble was I didn't know that was what I was doing, I thought I was just trying to cope with my life, in the only way I knew how. I wish I was only restricted to wanting to sleep at 2pm!!!!! But you know me, do I give in to it, do I let it win. Certainly not, well not often anyway. My life is bad enough without giving in and lying/sitting sleeping, doing nothing. Naw, I fight it as hard as I can, got to anyway, no one else to look after me and Daisy, and got to try my best to get some pleasure/good out of my day, usually tiny things that are insignificant, wouldn't even be worth a thought or whatever to most. But it's about making the most you can out of the lot you are given in life, no matter how bad a one it is. You only live once. Most people don't see just how fortunate they are in life, and moaning about this that or the other, and expecting people to hand it to them on a plate instead of putting in the required effort themselves. That's something that really gets to me, with the life I was born into and had no choice but to have, and all around is people who think they are hard done to, when they actually have so much, AND the choice of so much more if they CHOSE to. I wanted to make a difference in the world, make it better for some unfortunates, and I wanted to travel, see all the wonders the world has to offer, and I wanted to experience everything of life. Sadly not to be, any of it, because of a bad set of circumstances, totally outwith my control, that my life was destined to be from day one.
Top of my pleasures for tomorrow is watching you Barbara ☺
Hope you manage to rest up between now and then, and good luck, although a really don't think you'll need it! Safe journey there and back too
Love Brenda xx
Hi Brenda – you are an amazing person, and obviously you have to fight hard all of the time, to keep going and do all that you achieve. I really do admire you, and Daisy is lucky to have you. No doubt you feel that you are lucky to have Daisy – as that is just how you are. I am also looking forward to watching the shows – hugs to you and Daisy, Gilly xx
Evening dear Brenda special hugs for you and daisy xxx
Hello Brenda dear. Well as far as I can see you have certainly achieved one of your ambitions. I really don't think you have any idea how much of a difference you make to so many others here. Speaking for myself you certainly make me feel better about coping with, and understanding Liam. To me you are a godsend and an inspiration. Love and Hugs xxx
Hello Brenda
You make the difference to to many of us and I admire the way you deal with what life has thrown at you. Sending hugs to you and Daisy xxx
Beautiful artwork Barbara. If that's what you can produce half asleep there is little hope for us mere mortals! I quite often have to have a little snooze in the afternoon, and it really does perk you up as long as you don't sleep for too long x
Hi Barbara – another beautiful piece of art! Jayne's stamps and Groovi plates look wonderful, and I am so looking forward to the shows over the next couple of days! I agree with what Brenda has said – it is your body telling you to stop! Please listen to it, I didn't and continued to keep pushing and pushing my body, and ended up losing my career because I got CFS/ME. Apparently, lazy people don't get CFS/ME, only high achievers – and you certainly fit into that category. So, listen to your body and take care of it – we can't afford to lose you! Safe journey, hugs Gilly x
Hi to all of my lovely blog friends – hope that you haven't got too wet today! I stayed in and did some tidying and cooked our meal. I am looking forward to watching Strictly this evening, and then the shows tomorrow! I shall have to record Monday's shows, as I have a regular appointment to keep! Love and hugs to you all, Gilly xxx
Hello gilly enjoy your weekend resting with Neil caring hugs dear blog friend xxx
Hello Gilly, oh boy did we get wet!! Thank goodness I picked a brolly up as we left this morning. The high street looked like a river today as the rain ran down the hill. We were like drowned rats by the rime we got home. Sending hugs xxx
Thoroughly wet here today too. I took Dad out for lunch but apart from that crafted the rest of the day xx
The look stunning Barbara,a must have. Looking forward to the shows. xxx
Just love those new stamps on my list of wants safe driving to Peterborough be ready waiting to watch tomorrow with Latie your biggest fan xxx
What gorgeous new stamps, it's lovely to see Jayne's beautiful drawings with a Clarity twist. I can remember watching Jayne on the tv, showing us how to colour her lovely little mouse stamps with whatever pencils we could lay our hands on from our old school pencil cases. How things have moved on since those days! These days we may have posh pens and fancy pencils, but the pleasure we can get from colouring is just the same. Hope that all goes well tomorrow Barbara. Drive safely and enjoy the day xx
Hi Judy, I loved watching Jane too, yes I've got the mouse stamps and some of her box stamps in my stash. Your right about the pencils too, now we have posh ones ! Xxx
Hi to all you lovely friends on here, thank you for all your good wishes. Missed you all but hardly getting any sleep and too tired to comment on all your comments, do so wish I could just go off to sleep and stay asleep to get my quota then I'd probably feel a lot better. Haven't even felt like doing any craft for weeks now but hey ho things can only get better, I must try to be positive. A lot of you are probably a lot worse off than me with health issues and family worries and are still carrying on. I feel for all of you, Sheila, Brenda, Gilly, Morag and dear Dot, Chris and Pen with their problems, Donna and Diane who support us all. I hope you'll understand when I don't comment on all your posts that as soon as I feel better I'll return to the fold again, you are all so wonderfully supportive. I'm trying to raise my spirits and considering going to Ally Pally and Leyburn, seeing Barbara, would be lovely to be able to meet those of you that are going too. Think the boost will take me out of this downer and do me some good. Maybe it's withdrawal symptoms as I've not spent any money on craft for a little while, ha ha. Love and hugs to you all, Pam xx
Dear pam what your going through is just as important as what we are all going through if you come here each day just with a hi it might help you and pick up your crafting bits even just to look at them you will get there and know we are thinking of you hugs to help you through xxx
Pam – I totally agree with what Sheila has said. It does sound as though going to at least one of those events, would do you a power of good! I think that most of us can imagine what you are going through, so try to just come and say a quick hello, then we can all respond to you, to try to give you some much needed help! Love and hugs, Gilly xxx
Pam my lovely lady sending you a big hug. It's awful not being able to sleep, I'm sure you've tried everything, boots used to sell sleep bands, a bit like travel bands, helped you sleep and had no groggy side effects. It does get better, we are all her for you. Xxxx
I shall be at Leyburn all being well and it's a lovely venue xx
Lovely little project again. I'm sure I have a gelli print just like this but I don't have the stamp set…yet. Looking forward to watching the shows tomorrow and Monday.
Evening Julia have you got your cushions ready sending caring hugs xxx
Hi Julia – sorry to hear that you have had such a bad week. I hope that your crafting mojo returns very soon! Sending you love and supportive hugs, Gilly xxx
Enjoy the shows Julia xxx
Julia left you a message on mine xxx
Well done again Barbara, I wish I had suitable backgrounds in my gelli stash. They seem to come out a mess. The new stamps give a chance for some colouring. Will the eraser pencils work on ordinary pencils? Today I have been helping my 7yr old granddaughter to get to grips with 'Groovi' and the 4yr old granddaughter with stamping – great fun but exhausting. The recorder is set so I will be able to catch up tomorrow evening. Safe journey xx
that is exquisite! i just love the combo of gelli prints with stamps. will be watching unless called out to work as unfortunately on-call all weekend :(. i'll record just in case, hugs xx
Beautiful Barbara. Good luck for tomorrow xx
Beautiful
Hi Barbara
This is really beautiful, like an instillation at Chelsea flower show with old walls and pretty flowers. I've got a few dahlias in my garden at the moment ( I've been on slug patrol!) so I think I might have to buy these stamps. Nothing wrong with a little nap, perhaps not while on to though! Safe journey tomorrow.
Love Diane xxx
Hello lovely blog friends, went out to buy a replacement washing machine today and got caught in the rain. Dried off when we got home so glass of wine and strictly were the order of the evening. Hope everyone is ok and has managed to avoid the rain! Sending hugs xxx
Bless you Diana keep warm and cosy xxx
Don't we all, or haven't we, have a plant growing out of a wall like this, what a lovely print! Looking forward to seeing this in Groovi and stamp form. Xx
Lovely atmospheric picture – love the contrast between the wall and the flowers. Hope you had a good nap, and good luck for tomorrow and Monday.
Hi everyone, still in shock after visiting opticians, I went for a new pair as I could have changed them did last year but didn't bother, hardly needed to bother this time but my current pair are a little snatched. So cough and splutter a bit. Didn't have to pay anything today though. Won't collect them till we come back off holiday.
Not sure about Mikey's paw today, he's still favouring it but not as much as yesterday so will see how he is on Monday and then whip him to vet if necessary for a check up. Very wet day since lunchtime but supposed to dry up for tomorrow. Looking forward to Barbara's shows tomorrow. Hugs to all X x
Jackie have you popped onto the winner of the blog challenge card ? Happy spending hugs xxx
Hi Sheila, no I haven't ! Someone on fb said I'd won something and I thought they'd got the wrong person! Ooh I'll look xxx
Just perfect!
Safe journey to Hochanda tomorrow Barbara and good luck with the shows! Love and hugs xxxx
Beautiful art once again Barbara. Beautiful designs from Jayne. Have a wonderful time on TV this weekend.
Power nap…….had one of those today after getting home from my workshop……
Hugs xxxx
Late tonight, loving the art work the wall and flowers go so well together. Good luck with the shows, I feel a sell out in the air! Xx
Hi bloggy friends, late tonight so I will read everything tomorrow. Looking forward to the shows. I know we will all be watching or recording or both! Xx
Hi Barb
A stunning piece of art work!
Looking forward to your shows
June x
Oh Barb, you do make me laugh and make my brain work 😀 Love this, must get my gel plate out and play x
Beautiful flowers love the background, looking forward to the shows xx
Hello Barb, this is just incredible. I am sure many people have a spot just like this in their garden. Hope the shows go well. Must go set the recorder. Have a great day. Bx
Lovely
I didn't think I needed any more flower stamps but what you've done with Jayne's lovely designs makes me think again. Especially against that great wall; love that stencil.
Daytime naps are somehow more satisfying than 'normal' sleep. I guess it's 'cos we take them when we need them (if we can!) Carol x