Our Family Tree

Our Family Tree

Hi there.
Thanks for popping in.
Late blog this evening.
Been busy, walking around the office!
Fitbit fully charged and tucked in my bra, and off I go!
The guys at work definitely thought I was losing it 
when I started pacing round the long boardroom table 
whilst we were having our Monday morning pre-production meeting!
And when I finally sat down but kept moving my upper torso to simulate walking, they didn’t know where to look!
Hahahaha!
Joking aside, I am determined to walk my way to £10,000 for Cancer Research.
Your generosity in giving for the love of dear Jayne 
in the last 24 hours has been amazing. 
Do you know that we have already raised £1,630 ?
Thank you. 
Thank you.
Here is a pic of the sun setting over Hartfield,
whilst Dave and I paced along the railway track yesterday.
We spent the afternoon with my parents today.
It was so lovely.
They were on good form, 
and there was much levity and reminiscing.
I love listening to their stories, 
and today I heard a few new ones too!
So I have come home with a particular picture in my mind’s eye.
Whilst we were out walking, I spied a whole flock of birds settling in one tree. It occurred to me that they were all one big family…
So here’s a quick step by step.
And it has to be a quick one, because I’m right into a TV series at the moment, binge watching one episode after the other!
Linda Williams recommended to me;
it’s called Stella.
That’s all about family too.
But my word! They REALLY know how to put the FUN back in DysFUNctional!!
Anyway, I digress.
Stamp the branch from the Fly Away Boy Stamp set
onto one of the Designer papers from the Northern Lights book
(Sorry. INSTANT ART when Stella is calling!)

Mount all the little birds from the Birdhouse Set and others.

Stamp them into the tree, and then plant the word family next to it.
You can find the word in the No. 2 Word Chain
next spell out the word Tree, using the Word Chain ABC.
It’s in the half price member’s sale.
(Well, I thought it was, but it wasn’t. 
So I have marked it down to half-price anyway, 
and added it to the Member’s sale!)
A brilliant piece of kit.
Test it first, to decide whether you want upper case or lower case letters….

Keep it simple with the black Archival ink pad,
and let the background do the work….

Trim the paper, add a black line with a Sharpie pen 
and a ruler round the edges,
and mount on white card to finish.

There we are.
Our family tree.
You could have great fun adding names to the little birds too,
personalising it.
But I shall leave it there, 
because I have a date with Dave and Stella, in front of the fire.
Harmless escapism is what it is.
It’s helping me switch off, which is very important just now.
Switch on. Power through work. Walk. Switch off. Chill.
Switch on. Power through work. Walk. Switch off. Chill.
Love & hugs,
Barb
xxx 

47 thoughts on “Our Family Tree

  1. You are right about the stories. My dad has some amazing stories and my son really enjoys listening to them.
    Tonight hubbie and I are binge watching the Young Pope just now. Now on second episode so getting into it a bit now.

  2. Lovely card Barbara and I do love those Northern lights backgrounds. Going to get one of these out to complete a design later myself. Well done on the fundraising. Will continue to share the details on Facebook. X

  3. Beautiful artwork Barbara and seemingly simple. I'm a huge fan of Stella – don't you just love the storyline and the Welsh. Think there is another one you and Dave might like. It's on Netflix and it's called Grace & Frankie. Hilarious and definitely another good one to 'switch off' to. Hope your next 10k steps is easy to achieve. Xx

  4. Hi Barbara. lovely artwork, looks like the family of birds are gathering together in the tree to weather a storm… Thank you for sharing. Sounds like things are tough for you just now. Hope you can weather your storm and come out the other side better, learned something, or stronger for it.

    Somehow, I think moving your upper body is cheating Mrs!!! 😉 says me who couldn't walk 10,000 steps if my life depended on it! I got a bit stuck with trying to work out what step counter I needed to buy. So it may take a bit of time before I know my normal average for working something out!

    what channel is Stella on please? I could do with some escapism.

    hope you enjoy, love Brenda xx

  5. Lovely card today, I really do need those papers! Sorry if I am being stupid but I can't see the alphabet stamps in the member's sale & I really do need these if they are half price as they have been on my wish list since they launched! Can anyone help me please?
    Hugs to all, enjoy you evening Barbara & Dave xx

  6. Hi Barbara
    Oh I can just picture you pacing and wriggling around the boardroom table to get your steps up. Haha what are you like. Good on you. I must sit down tomorrow and do my Clarity order, you do keep tempting me with things though 😀. This is a great background for your family tree. Enjoy watching your series, not one I know but it sounds like it is doing the trick! Have a relaxing evening.
    Love Diane xxx

  7. Fantastic piece of artwork Barbara! That branch is so useful for so many things!
    I must look out for 'Stella'!
    Enjoy your evening! Love and hugs xxxx

  8. Fantastic piece of artwork Barbara! That branch is so useful for so many things!
    I must look out for 'Stella'!
    Enjoy your evening! Love and hugs xxxx

  9. I love these stamps and the background paper is just perfect with them too Barbara. Glad your total for CR is so high already, and enjoy your tv series. We all need to escape into a different world sometimes and forget the bad stuff. x

  10. I've just started catching up with the blog and saw yesterday's sad news. My sympathy to you and to her family. How lovely to be raising money in Jaynes memory though.
    I lost my father last week after a week in hospital. He's was 92 so it is the natural order of things but he moved into this house with us 14 years ago so it's very empty. Your talk of family trees and stories struck a cord. As we've been sorting through his belongings we've found things out about his life and family history that he never talked about including a handwritten to him from Clementine Churchill thanking him for raising money for Russian aid during the war. A bitter sweet moment.

  11. Lovely card, defo got get those papers! Will be joining in the 10,000 steps (or as near as I can get) from Feb 1st as had already set that date in my mind for beginning to lose weight/get fitter etc and as I've now stated my intention to you all, will be doing my utmost to do it! xxx

  12. Why is it your's always looks great and when I stamp on one of my backgrounds – ok it is a sludgy shaving foam one – it looks nothing exciting at all?! Got one on my counter top now and it's not growing on me ! I've even used the branch from the fly away boy set. I think I should have used the fly away boy as well that might have looked better than the giraffe and zebra so far ! LOL!! Enjoy your telly evening. Xx

  13. Love the card you've made today, my favorite branch stamp and your gorgeous Northern Lights papers. Think I'll be giving in to these papers very soon as I already have the stamps. That is cheating a tad Barb moving your arms to get the fit bit doing steps, good on you though, its still exercise. I could have done that too, but after having operations on both shoulders better not risk it. Eh.xx

  14. Hi Barb,
    Lovely artwork for us tonight. I do so like the paper psds and the NorthernLights is my favourite. I think its the colours in them that appeal to me so much – well done you & Dee for the others. I can just picture you waving your arms about andvpacing round the room. I must admit that when i get a little reminder about the steps i need to complete in the hour, i do wander around the house – Dave just looks at me as if ive gone round the bend!! Brilliant start to the fundraising – well done everyone. Love and hugs Alison xx

  15. I do family trees Barbara so if you would like some research or a full pedigree profile on your family I would be honoured to do it for you if you haven't already got the information. Xx

  16. WOW that is brilliant, I will be donating when I get paid. A gorgeous card and love this stamp set which is on my wish list. Good luck with the 10,000 steps a day.
    Hugs to you and Dave
    Linda xxx

  17. Morning Barbara, A lovely card, I especially love the chosen background paper, it is ideal for this 'scene'.
    Hope you had a good evening with 'Stella', I have watched all the series and I think it is fabulously written and so funny.
    A great start to your fundraising, well done.
    Have a lovely day.
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

  18. Love, love, love, those papers and this card
    I hope you saw the sympathy card I made for you. I was so sorry to hear that you had lost a good friend.
    I posted it on the Facebook page.
    Take care

  19. Lovely card, that works brilliantly with the little birds.
    You've got me back on track, the only way I can get my steps in is to walk although I have been known to walk round the dining room until I've added the 2000 steps I was short of!
    5 miles yesterday and today, if I declare it here I am accountable! This morning it was very cold, frosty and very foggy. I headed for a wood which I knew was there but it dint emerge until I was almost upon it! Go for it x

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