Serenity Saturday…

Serenity Saturday…

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Much cooler today. Wind and rain very welcome in this garden!

Spent a pleasant morning spring cleaning, and getting my house in order, which is always good for the head. Nothing like a tidy up to convince you you’ve got more control!! And nothing like finding a mouse nest in a drawer to make you feel you’ve completely lost it! Mmm. Time to get a cat again? Romeo and Juliet would never have tolerated this!! Err, they were our old cats….

Then came up to the SHAC-Shack and made a card for you, using the Lizzy and Rockery stampset

and The Serenity prayer Poetry stampset..

on a sheet of the TOSCANA Designer Petite Card

Find the sweet spot on the Designer card, stamp the rockery into place with a black Archival ink pad, mask with the mask provided. Stamp the Lizzy into position, overlapping the straight edged base on the mask.

Colour in with Polychromos or Perga Liners (oiled based pencils which will block the coloured card. Add a drop shadow to the rockery.

Blend and smooth out the colouring using a blending pen.

Which verse fits best? The Serenity Prayer for me every time. Use the indexing sheet to decide where it will sit best. Then plant it carefully using the same black Archival ink pad.

Trim and mount on a white cardblank to finish…

Time for a walk now. Rain has stopped. As if by magic…and then I’m off to Hawaii to finish my inkwork!

Love and Hugs

Barb xxx

54 thoughts on “Serenity Saturday…

    1. Good sentiments. Take care Barbara, enjoy your weekend and hopefully we will see you on Monday refreshed and mouse free!! Thanks for everything you do for us Shackers, I would be lost without our daily doodles, but your health is important. Cheers

  1. Barbara this is a stunning creation – so beautiful. EEEEKKKKK mice, my cat loves to bring them in to me and leave them on the bed – YUK!!!
    Please don’t stress yourself to finish Hawaii. I think all of us on the shac shack bus know you need a break and some serious r&r. We can all park up for a bit and hang out on FB.
    Stay safe and well; God bless xx

      1. Barbara, if you weren’t with us each day, I am fairly sure you would be working twice as hard with your washing machine head in overdrive. Am I right? Hope you get a chance to have a nice stroll with Dave without getting soaked. Please tell your lovely Mum that we are all missing our chats with her this year, and look forward to catching up next year. xxx Maggie (Silvercrafter)

  2. Oh that’s really pretty. Enjoy your walk. It’s stopped raining here as well. Good thing as off to a bbq now x

  3. Enjoy your walk. I in the same frame of mind today, thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, bathroom and toilet – feeling quite self- satisfied now! Lemon posset setting in the fridge , making smoked haddock and prawn risotto for dinner. Then to continue inking in Hawaii. Feeling accomplished!

  4. Been thinking of you and saying my own little prayers. That card is beautiful. Hawaii will wait for us but maybe you are now sitting under the palm tree dipping your feet in the water. Rest and relax – we’re there with you. Enjoy the rest of the weekend xx PS did you say mouse? Did they leave their clogs behind 😜😜

  5. Beautiful card. Enjoy the weekend. One of my cats like to bring mice in at night to our bedroom. Shouts at us. So proud of herself! Of to do some groovi now xx

  6. Speaking of mice….Bendy has obviously lost interest on one that set up home in my ribbon drawer (I know!!) – all have been chucked out, sigh. Still on the look out for the varmint (the mouse not Bendy the cat!) – I’m ready with the fire tongs. No mice are knowingly destroyed by my hand – I put them at the bottom of the big tree at the big ‘ouse.
    It’s funny that you often do a card of something I have just bought, (are you watching me?) so thanks for the inspiration.
    Hope you are both well.
    Love
    Maggie (Bendy Yorkite)

  7. Beautiful card. Hope you enjoyed your walk and managed to stay dry, it’s rained on and off here. My kitten is a hunter, always brings me mice, birds and frogs in, more often than not they’re alive too, my older cat just doesn’t bother…. too much like hard work for her!
    Stay safe, Jackie x

  8. I have a couple of days to catch up on but hope to later today.
    This morning cleared my head by making some cards with a reflection using my Gelli plate. It was good to play with ink and stamps.
    Glad to have an in the house day as the rain is horrendously heavy.

  9. That is a beautiful card, those designs are on my wish list. One of my favorite flowers. Hope your having a Rest this weekend. I have been with you at 10 most days, except when the internet lets me down, and I get the day before. But haven’t become great at drawing, but love listening to your stories. I got out with a friend today to visit church which is open for an hour, it was lovely to see life outside. Last trip out was the 15th of March. So glad I have a Garden. All the beautiful roses are drooping after the heavy rain.,
    See you Monday. Xxxxxx

  10. Lovely, peaceful card. Our trouble isn’t mice but rats 🐀 in the garage! Maybe invest in some steel from Hawaii! Looking forward to Monday. Much love

  11. Enjoy your walk. That’ll blow the cobwebs away as tiz a tad breezy out there today. As I am still confined to barracks because I am old (lol!) I spent an hour in the garden, and the wind nearly knocked me over a couple of times. I said “you can cut that out” – yes I do resort to talking to the wind when there is nobody else to talk too! ….. I know, I know, I am completely off my rocker. Having said that must find the rocker and settle down and finish the penning- just the bete noire to do now ….. the patterned edges! (Now where did I put the magnifying glasses!)
    Mags

  12. A perfect card for the time. Beautiful. Enjoy your walk and the rest of the weekend. Hugs. Annette. x

  13. Thank you for the card Barbara ❤️

    Today I am still having a rumble in the African jungle, judging by the battered plants and water outside it must be the rainy season! I’ll be glad to get to Hawaii!
    Love hanging around in the Shack Shac with you, but don’t stress if you need to give us a holiday. Much love 💖 Sheila

  14. Just been caught in the rain walking dogs next door but we were dressed for it ! Hadn’t been out for a couple of days because of weather so they nagging to go. We had a mouse nest behind electric fire once, they obviously came out at night and took stuffing out of one of the cats toys, we wondered what was happening to it ! We’ve rescued more mice than I care to remember and also found a few dead bodies waiting for us in the morning. Never mind ! I plan to do a good clear up tomorrow. Made a start with inking Hawaii but am about to cook some steak for tea. See you Monday x x

  15. Pretty card, have used the wall quite a lot.
    No mice in this ‘ere abode – they wouldn’t dare !!!!! We used to get them in the garage and workshop at our old house but we only saw their leavings, including the smell. Fortunately hubby was not squeemish and did a thorough cleansing and deterrant on a regular basis.
    We had 2 violent thunder storms in the early hours this morning but no further rain and it has been sunny since lunch time.
    Hope you had a pleasant walk with Dave. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
    Stay safe 🍒🍒🍒

  16. I have been with you since day one. Your daily shac shack has helped me and so many people and maybe now you need to ‘take five ‘ and recharge your batteries. We went to Maui two years ago so this week has been very special for me and we sat under that huge tree in Lahaina with ice cream. Thank you so much for everything …see you Monday x

  17. Your card is beautiful, as is the sentiment. Some here are desperate to get things back to ‘normal’ and I am dreading it! I was quite calm during lockdown but not so calm now! Lol. Enough of that! It was really humid here yesterday after a really hot day on Thursday. It was fine in the house but awful in the garden. I was only out briefly yesterday in the garden to feed the fish and pick a beautiful bunch of sweet peas and I was like a drowned rat when I came in and it want raining, nor did I land in the pond! Much more pleasant today. There has been everything today: sun , rain, mist – but quite pleasant when I nipped out. I’ve spent today sticking all my Shac Shack stuff in a book so it has been a really relaxing afternoon. I’ve quite a lot of our projects not finished but there is plenty time to do them and if not, well, it’ll not really matter then, will it? Lol. Glad you are feeling a bit brighter now that it is cooler. Got a parcel from Clarity today. Appreciated your wee note of thanks. I have another three to come – one on its way – but you don’t need to put freebies in with all of them. I just ordered as I found things and the last two were when I decided to bite the bullet and start a group here after lockdown – well after lockdown! Something for the winter, maybe, if there isn’t another wave! The group should be a laugh! You know how calm I am demoing! Lol. I didn’t apply for a grant in the end. I hate forms! They just bring me out in a rash! Lol. Anyway, hope you had a lovely walk while it was dry and that you have a good weekend in Hawaii or wherever you end up! Lots of love, Hxx

  18. Glad to hear you are having a downtime weekend. It’s good to recharge the batteries. Nit sure about find a mouse nest. Not keen on them, even though I had a pet one at school. I’ve spent the day penning my Hawaii picture (there’s so much), doing some Groovi with the wrap around plate and finally catching up with my cross stitch. See you Monday, if you can bear it.

  19. Meant to say… A mouse…. and we’re not even in Amsterdam!! Lol. Bet it was really comfy. Obviously too hot outside for the wee thing. Hx

  20. Just got off the phone with a very good friend and she told me she had lung cancer. I am so sad and upset so I decided to see if you had posted your daily post. It is so appropriate for me at the moment. I have to try and keep remembering those words. It has been such a tough week as earlier in the week by other best friend told me she has a blood clot in her lung. Barbara, you really don’t know just how much you are appreciated and everything that you do affects someone in such a positive way. Hugs from Canada 🇨🇦

    1. Hi Cathie
      Hugs to you too. It takes courage to break that news and also to hear it. I wish both your friends whatever good recovery is possible and you the peace to stay by them. I hope there is comfort wherever you seek it. Barbara is a wise woman. Ali

  21. Beautiful card. I hope I haven’t got mice in the house.
    I’ve possibly got a shrew in the garden eating the strawberries I say that because it’s small and doesn’t appear to have a tail. It’s eaten a lot of strawberries though. Have a wonderful weekend.

  22. Lovely card Barbara. The words are so meaningful. I have had a difficult week. My husband’s illness appears to be in the final stage. How long that stage lasts is anyones guess.
    Hope you feel a bit more rested now Barbara. Enjoy the weekend.
    Hugs Steph xxx

  23. Lizzy is my favourite of this lovely stamp set. I haven’t any Toscana yet but it’s on my wish list. We got our first cat 52 years ago when we came back from a wedding a little tipsy and found a mouse in the fireplace eating what looked like a crisp. We tried borrowing Mother in Laws ginger cat but he made a terrible mess of our heads , arms , shoulder etc. doing the Wall of Death around the car and using us a a launch pad. We had to let him out of the car. Quite like mice but not in my house. Have a lovely peaceful weekend. Hugs from Chris. X

  24. Glad you had a lovey walk..always good to get out with nature…it’s cooled down some here in Nova Scotia..so I think it may be a BBQ supper with family..love your card..gives you a lot to think about …have an awesome weekend

  25. How lovely. Now do I order the rockery straight away (I have the serenity prayer -love it) or do I wait for the members’ sale and hope it is in it??? Decisions, decisions……….

  26. Thank you for showing us that lovely card, we sure need some serenity right now. ..the news just gets worse. I am planning to try stamping in due course and have ordered some goodies. Thank you for all you do for the shac shack, so many of us look forward to our time there. Hope you can take a rest for now.
    Thanks, Pat x

  27. Hi Barbara been doing my inking had it nearly all done last night then drawing around a bottle pen slipped was nearly done to so started again today patterns left to do must take it slow. Hope you had a great time on your walk rain stayed away. As for nice had a cat that lived bring them home and then would get bored and leave there wondering around Grrrr ! Love picture you did not sure if have those stamps or not as really wanted them hugs. Lots love enjoy your evening xxx

  28. That’s beautiful Barbara. Enjoy a relaxing weekend with Dave. I see you replied earlier with a defiant ‘see you all monday at 10am’ good onya sweetheart, don’t let it get the better if you. You’re an amazing lady and we all adore and appreciate you. Take care. Love and hugs, see you monday xx

  29. Gorgeous card, Barbara. I’ve always loved this verse. Hope you’ve managed to get some downtime this weekend and are feeling somewhat refreshed

  30. Good evening Barbara
    Wow you do make this stamping lark look easy.
    You convinced me I can do it.
    Jus5 like the doodling I have been inking some of mine this afternoon and like you my housework had been neglected so knuckled down and caught up.
    Well downstairs anyway lol
    I have to thank you for breaking down all the doodles to make it easy for us to join in.
    I’ve got a cat bed going spare if you get a new little cat 🐈. Enjoy what’s left of ‘this evening. Hugs 🤗

  31. Thank you Barbara, your card is beautiful… and calming, you certainly brought some lovely memories to my mind.

  32. Thank you for the card and instructions Barbara. Will be very useful.
    The poem is very apt and we would do well to think of it from time to time.
    I am so glad the weather is cooler and the garden is very grateful for the rain. I hope tomorrow is a good day. xx

  33. Beautiful card, have this design in stamps and groovi, must have a play. I also had a housework blitz this morning, though like Theresa, it was just downstairs. Got so much more energy with the change in the weather. Very windy on our evening walk with my dog, but only a few spots of rain during our walk, saw a lovely rainbow. Think I had a mouse in the shed during winter, as 3 out of 4 kneeling pads have little nibbles around the edge, though have not seen any sign of it/ them recently. In the almost 4 years since I’ve had my dog Meg, in that time she’s caught a mouse, a frog and 2 birds, frog survived also fledgling sparrow who stayed in the garden with its sister for the best part of a week, so Meg on restricted garden visits during that time on her lead, alas adult sparrow expired a few minutes after, which resulted with a burial in the garden. The mouse was caught while out on a walk, think it lived to tell the tale! Meg dropped it on command and we walked away quickly and didn’t look back. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. xxx

  34. I can remember when when we lived in our flat when I was expecting our daughter, my sister said we could have this little table that had a drawer in it for the spare room, she had put it in the shed. Pete carried it home, a day later I saw a mouse in the kitchen run behind the washing machine. It must have been in the drawer when Pete carried it home. That’s brought a memory back from exactly 50 years ago.
    Beautiful card you’ve made, I have everything I’m sure except the verse, would like to make that one, thank you. Been all day redoing my Hawaii scene as i I messed up, guess what, yes messed it up again. Still love it though, it’s all about the journey as you say. Looking forward to seeing what we are putting in the other postcard.
    Hope you had a good walk and didn’t get soaked, enjoy the rest of the weekend and chill with your Dave.xxx

  35. I fell in love with this design and decided I would attempt to draw it myself with my newly learned skills. I hope this is ok. I would like to share with others on the Facebook page. Is this ok?

  36. Really missed being in the Shac Shack this week but spent yesterday catching up, just got to ink up today ready for Monday at 10.00. I was really worried reading posts on FB from some group members and thought OMG something terrible has happened to Barbara! So relieved to get to Friday’s FB to see you sitting there in your usual spot beavering away despite the heat. We have a touring caravan on its own in the middle of a field on a friends farm so we escaped while the sun shone as safe, totally independent, just wild life for neighbours, bliss. Only problem no WiFi so no Shac Shack, I felt all adrift, unsettled so it goes without saying you are keeping us grounded Barb. A VERY BIG THANK YOU. Xxxxx

  37. Brilliant Barb thank you. Ordered the set to have a play. Have a lovely weekend see you Monday if your up too it . Lots of love to you all x x

  38. Love this card and the Serenity prayer has helped me through many difficult times.
    Not fun to find a mouse in the drawer!!! Didn’t it run through your house or could you chase it outside??
    Hope you had a peacefull walk.
    Have fun tomorrow in the Shac all of you!!!
    Take care of yourself Barbara. 👼🌹
    Greetings, Trijntje Huppel

  39. That mouse has been sat there for a couple of weeks I bet! Was it wearing clogs by any chance!? , – Hmm I think it heard you singing that song and thought you welcomed mice🤣
    Love the card, thank you for sharing. I love all your inspiration that you give us.
    See you in the morning. At least you wont find a shark in your pond at least!!
    Xx

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