And Barb came tumbling after…

And Barb came tumbling after…

Hi there!

Thanks for popping in.

Must tell you what happened yesterday, when we went for a walk up on the forest. Went off piste, as you do, and decided to go off the beaten track and cut across the fields. Well. They looked like fields from a distance, but on closer inspection, they were actually swampland. One minute I was the official pathfinder, and we were ambling along, admiring the amazing holly trees,

the next minute, we were up to our arses in boggy marshy grasses. Couldn’t go forward, couldn’t go back. Orienteering and all that dyb dyb dyb dob dob dob were never my strong point. Brother Steve was always the one with the compass embedded in his Wayfinders Tuff shoe heel as a kid, so I’d always just followed him!

Anyway, once we were well and truly stuck, Farmer Dave quickly moved to front position, and I just put my feet where he had put his, and trudged along slowly behind him. We were walking on tall mounds of sod , like spongey little islands, and inbetween was just marshland. Suddenly Dave started picking up speed, and hopping from island to island, gathering momentum. He was proper galloping by the time he went down. And when he pretty much disappeared in the bog, I peed myself laughing, whilst trying to keep my balance on my little grassy clump with my legs crossed. Honestly. Have you ever watched Takeshi’s castle? Then it was my turn to cross the tricky bit, and just when I thought I was home and dry – the tussock I stepped over to gave out underfoot – and down she sank, in slow-mo, like an elephant who has been shot by a tranquilizer on National Geographic. And could she get back up? Nope. And could Dave get her up? Nope. There were a few Angus cows grazing not far off, just watching us two fools stumbling around, laughing. Do cows laugh?

Anyway, I sprained my ankle good and proper, but it was so worth it. Haven’t had a crack like that for ages. And we got back to the car park just in time to get a Mr. Whippy ice cream – complete with flake, too.

So this morning, it being Sunday, I thought I’d blog the memory – and do a little step by step for you. Hahahaha. Step by Step ! Get it? Hobble hobble…

I had a moment of clarity with the Gel Press Petites too… See the registration line on the Mega mount which comes free with the Gelpress when you order from us?

Ink up half the round Gel Press, in an Archival ink pad (Orange Blossom),make a couple of paths in the wet area with a blending nib, and plant the land. This, my friends, is the Ashdown Forest.

Mini moon in the top half. Ink up half again,

blot it on scrap then add the sky.

Tap the edge of the round Gel Press in another Archival Pad (Vermillion)

Add a little depth to the sky, then remove the moon mask.

Next we should plant the trees. These two sets of Wee Trees and Wee Foliage are superb. Just the right size.

You can blend the Orange Blossom and Vermillion on the silhouette trees too, to achieve light and shade. See? Just ink up half.

Plant the main tree  centrestage, then use a scrap mask to cover up the tracks you made, and add the same tree, blotted and faded in the distance.

Here I’ve used the side of another of the wee trees, to make hedgerows along the tracks. This is where we sank – right in that dip. See us?

Let me dig out the Lombardy Poplar trees. I am sure they are part of a Tuscany stamp set, but I can’t find them on the website anywhere. I shall have to get them brought back to life. They are superb little trees, and we do have a lot of them up on the forest! Yep, look out for them in the coming weeks…

There we are. Poplars to the back. A few tussocks and hillocks for us two pillocks!

Now for the Piece de Resistance! I must say, this is one of my smarter moves: to keep the Word Chain Alphabet permanently mounted in a box. What a luxury.

You can just start writing! On scrap first, to make sure it fits….

Looking good. Took a couple of minutes if that. Still using Vermillion and Orange Blossom ink pads. Beautiful Autumnal colours.

Now to transfer the words to the artwork.

Perfect.

   All back in the box ready for next time. If you are into your stamping, then this is a very VERY useful way to go. Upper case AND lower case permanently mounted. You can write ANYTHING, ANY NAME – and instantly.

           Mounted on a piece of Rainbow River Card. And the memory is complete.

And to think, it all started out with Arthur Gelliplate and a bowl of chalk!

Love & Hugs,

Barb

xxx

49 thoughts on “And Barb came tumbling after…

  1. That is beautiful. Glad you enjoyed your day but hope your ankle doesn’t cause you too many problems. Take care.

  2. Cor that’s lovely! And a great way to remember a happy day! Hope the ankle is better. Try and keep it up if not quite right!
    Enjoy your evening!
    Love and hugs xxx

  3. Really enjoyed your story …sounds like you had a blast despite the ankle..which I hope heals quickly…lovely work … get better soon from small town Canada

  4. Oh my goodness Barb, that made me howl with laughter – sorry but I just had this vision of you sinking in slow mo as you put it and the pair of you laughing helplessly. I really do hope your ankle is ok today, as Jane says try and keep it elevated if possible. I think you deserved your Mr Whippy after all that!! Did you remember to collect your leaves though?? Hope so. Do take care of that ankle. Much love xxx

  5. Hi Barbara
    Absolutely love the tales of the two of you yesterday. I’m afraid I would have peed myself laughing too. I hope you managed to collect some leaves on your walk.
    Maybe you should have added the wee little boy with his hands in the air to your artwork too – mind you, it would just be the top half of him!!
    What a stunning piece of Autumn artwork, you certainly know how to work with the seasons. It always amazes me how you can just see the colours for what they are. So many times I can get stuck with colours.
    Take care
    xxxxxxx

  6. Oh Barb, I’ve got a vivid imagination and I laughed my socks off as I visualised the event you described so humourously. It made my afternoon. Sorry however that you were injured, hope it is not too painful.
    Love the art work that came out of your adventure. I thought that if we just change the colours it would work for any season. Thanks as always for the ideas.
    Have a good rest of the day.

  7. Hello Barbara – goodness me, how I’ve laughed reading your blog. The images in my head of you and Dave in a right old pickle is just what the doctor ordered. Really lifted my mood after a bit of a stressful week. Loved the art work. Enjoy the rest of your day, lots of love Donna X

  8. Sorry about your ankle, Barb, but your blog really made me laugh. You have such a wonderful ability to see the funny side of life even when in pain. Your artwork is fantastic as always. Love it. Take care and rest the ankle. Love and hugs. Xx

  9. Oh My Word! I just couldn’t stop laughing, especially at Dave hopping from one tussock to another and you sinking! I bet the ice cream was a great finale too! Sorry you have sprained your ankle, but I bet it was worth it! The art is just fantastic. Love the use of autumnal covers!

  10. Yet another fantastic piece of artwork Barb!
    Thanks for sharing your wild adventure with us. I do hope that your ankle isn’t too painful. Sounds like you both had a wonderful time – in spite of the obstacles in your path! On no – sorry – you didn’t stick to the path, but you know what I mean!
    Neill and I have been for a lovely and gentle walk along our nearest beach today, the weather is glorious! We didn’t imagine that we would be doing that just a few days ago! Still got obstacles to overcome – for both of us – my M.E. has decided to kick in – but we managed to get out into the sunshine and breathe in the healing sea air. Love and hugs, Gilly xxx

    1. That would have done you both the world of good. Take care, hope your ME sorts itself out quickly so you feel ok. Love and hugsAlison xxx

    2. Hi Gilly,
      That would have done you both the world of good. Sorry to hear your ME is playing up again – take good care of yourself. Love and hugs Alison

  11. Sorry about your ankle. Your day out sounds fun, had a similar experience when I managed to leave a Karen’s backside shaped exhibit at the Yorkshire sculpture park when I slipped down the hill which had soaked up so much rain. I couldnt get up for laughing either xx

  12. What a beautiful piece of artwork to capture the memory of such an eventful day! Because you can laugh at yourself in situations like this, you’ve given us all a right ol’ chuckle too. Hope the ankle’s not too sore. x

  13. Oh what fun we had ! To be clear , the ‘shortcut ‘was not solely my idea…however once we had committed, there really was no turning back . In the little Ghyls and Ditches there are areas where you can cross, but we failed to find any ! So it was ‘onwards ‘ with no though of what lay ahead …..When will they grow up ? I hear you say …. Save for falling over and Barb’s twisted ankle, we escaped largely unscathed…The ankle is now in full recovery and so is my pride. The Aberdeen Angus cattle which graze this heathland manage to get about without falling around all over the place …If you get a chance it’s a great place to visit for walking or just to contemplate…but just don’t follow us ! xx

  14. Follow you? I live there and no doubt one day I will find the exact same bog to fall in! It’s a wonderful place to be.

  15. Hi Barbara
    Well reading your blog has really cheered me up
    I was sitting laughing when you decribed poor Dave hopping and gaining speed before his fall
    Hubby was watching me wondering what on earth was so funny.
    Then as I continued to read about your exploits I was off again thank you for cheering me up.
    Hope your ankle sprain gets better soon though x
    Your crafty inspiration today is perfect.
    Hugs. T xx

  16. Up until you said that you had sprained your ankle, I was having a real laugh 😂 you can really tell a story and I hope that I am still around when you publish your first book!
    Hope it isn’t too painful and gets better soon. Great post today, thank you. Take care. Annette X

  17. Oh Barbara what a lark! I laughed out loud at your blog as I could see it all in my mind. I’ve been caught out by that sort of terrain myself but never come a cropper like you both did yesterday, all I had was squelchy walking boots and wet feet. Think you deserved your ice creams after all that. Take care with that ankle as they can take a while to heal. Keep up the blogs as they are definitely a tonic to the reader x

  18. Well, your blog has cheered me right up with that story, and there looks to be a beautiful sunset getting ready to light up our skies up here. Sorry to hear about your ankle, and hope it’s soon on the mend. Some of my guests are taking me out to dinner tonight which is lovely – my “regulars” from Texas! Fabulous artwork too – must get out my gelli petites and play – thanks for the inspiration. x

  19. Sounds like a fun trip. That could be my sister and I in Wales…following a path and then deciding to change direction! All fun and exciting though. Love the artwork very beautiful. Xx

  20. Afternoon bloggy friends, lazy day here in Wales, out early tomorrow to find a good doggie walk. Happy Sunday everyone. Xx

  21. Hi Barbara & everyone, well you certainly had a day of it you could have been stuck for ages!!!! but came out of it quite well in the circumstances. Hope your ankle is better very soon.
    A beautiful piece of art work love the colours, the word chain s are so good to make words for anything.
    Rest up today and hopefully you will feel a lot better tomorrow.
    Hope you all have had a great weekend doing lots of things you like to do.
    Hugs to all Lynn xxx

  22. Hope your ankle is on the mend … Thanks for making me chuckle needed a good laugh after a tough few weeks . That’s just the sort of thing would happen to me x

  23. What you guys like!🤣
    They do say the best therapy is laughing, but they’ve probs got a stronger pelvic floor than me😂
    Love the colours in your artwork almost as much as I love Autumn itself. Looking forward to Hochanda weekend as always.

  24. Hi Barb,
    I am really sorry that you sprained your ankle but I have to say that your story really had me laughing out loud! I could just imagine the pair of you. I think you deserved your ice cream as well. The artwork is beautiful – another candidate for the Welsh B & B I think. Sending love and hugs to you and Dave,Alison xxx

    1. Hi bloggy friends,
      Had a good day at Linda Page’s Groovi workshop at Crafters Companion HQ. On her birthday too, so we had arranged pressies , cards and cake. Sending love and hugs, Alison xxx

  25. Oh my goodness scary but sounds quiet fun sitting here imagining you and Dave stuck and laughing thanks for the laugh but look after that ankle put it up as much as can so heals properly. We had a great fun afternoon bowling as family celebrating Sandie birthday a week late but sickness in family last weekend was lovely I didn’t win but wasn’t last so that’s good enjoy your evening love hugs Joy xxx

  26. I’m not laughing, honest ! Still in gave you some great inspiration for a lovely piece of work. It was a beautiful day here today again, like yesterday. X

  27. Beautiful artwork today again, and I am sure that every time you look at you will smile at the memories you created yesterday. I hope that your ankle makes a good recovery and doesn’t give you too much pain.

  28. My lovely husband brought tea down the garden today to where I was working and fell head into the pond, tea, and cake as well! So he empathises with you completely!

  29. Oh Barb, all emotional here, brought back some memories for me when I was young and where I belong, up north in the middle of nowhere. Bounding like you two over the boggy parts trying not to miss. Such sadness, upset, I’d take it all off you, the wet muddy clothes, cold, and even the sprained ankle, just to be able to be there again… You are so lucky.

    Happy for you both that you could, and did have such fun together in great outdoors. I hope you have many more such times together.

    Wet and muddy is nothing, just part of the fun. Not so much fun when it’s also raining, you still have several days left until you get back to civilisation, and only one spare set of clothes which is also wet!!! There’s always a solution, my wee brainwave for our group – use our rucksacks like washing lines when it’s not raining, we tied all our wet stuff, that we weren’t wearing all over the outside of our rucksacks so it could flap about as we walked and hopefully dry. We must have looked a sight but it worked! One of my better brainwaves…!!!

    Do you have hills covered in heather down there? One of my fav things to do was, once you’d reached the top of the hill/munro, what’s the best way down, well to run down the steep side bouncing off the heather with each step, brilliant feeling. Well until you hit a rabbit hole, twist your ankle, and go tumble down head over heals… Mmm wonder how I know that!!! And if it’s winter and there’s snow lying, to put on your waterproof trousers, or get out your poly bag your lunch had been in, and slide down of course!!!!

    Beautiful artwork.

    Thank you for sharing.

    Hope your ankle is much better by next weekend. If not, sit doon on telly, don’t be trying to make yourself stand for all those hours. xxxx

  30. Fabulous artwork to celebrate your fun time in the Ashdown Forest. We never managed to find that bog when we went there though. Take care of that ankle. x

  31. Oh my goodness, that gave me such a chuckle that my chest got all wheezy and I had to use my inhaler!!
    Hope your ankle feels better soon xx

  32. I’m sorry you hurt you ankle, and hope its getting better. Although I have to say, you made me laugh with your recount of your walk. Your artwork is beautiful, love the colours. xxx

  33. Hello Barb, a lovely bit of artwork, and a great way to remember an eventful walk. And I must apologise, I am still laughing. Take care all. Bx

  34. Hi Barbara
    Oh you do make me laugh, I could picture the two of you leaping around and you standing laughing at Dave with your legs crossed! It sounds like you had a brilliant afternoon. What a shame about the ankle though, I hope it’s healing quickly, I’m sure the Mr Whippy helped! Love the artwork you have created, such gorgeous colours, perfect for a glorious autum day.
    Take care of that ankle
    Love Diane xxx

  35. Oh my word – what are you like! And all in the cause of crafting…. though I do think that’s taking it a step too far (sorry!) Hope your ankle isn’t too painful. I’m finally starting physio in my shoulder tomorrow (suspect it won’t be a pleasant experience. ..😕).

  36. Oh my word! That is so funny! It reminds me of that well known scene from Vicar of Dibley when she jumped in the puddle, right up to her middle!! Or the time when, in my youth, I went fishing with my brother and his friend. I saw a float on the other side of the lake. Tied two branches together to reach it but they were too long. The string had got wet and I couldn’t undo it. I stood on one branch and brought the other towards me to try and snap it. Next thing I know, I was catapulted into the middle of the lake. I emerged looking like the beast from 20,000 fathoms, covered in weed and sludge! My brother and his friend laughed all the way back home (1 1/2 mile walk!). Most annoying thing was that the float was broken so was a waste of time anyway 🤦🏻‍♀️ xx

  37. Realised I hadn’t posted a comment although I had read & laughed at your tale except where you sprained your ankle. I have just reread it to my husband & it reminded us of some of the walks we have taken when paths have just disappeared & we have had to clamber through hedges & trees until another path was found. These days there are GPS gadgets to help or electronic maps but back in the day it was a case of stumble on & hope for the best. Love the picture you have done as a reminder.

  38. An amazing piece of Art. I love stamping but sadly never produce what I imagine I will. I hope you’re not hobbling for long.

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