A brick wall, a watering can and some dahlias.

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.

  1. 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!

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

    1. 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! ;~}

    2. 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

    3. 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

    4. 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?

    5. 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

    6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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)

  10. 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

  11. 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. ;~}

  12. 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

  13. 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

    1. 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

    2. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

    1. 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

    2. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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

    1. 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

    2. 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

    3. 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

  18. 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.

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

    1. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. 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

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