Scrap Happy Journal!

I have concluded that what I have been making for my Go Wild challenge journal is best described as a Scrap Happy Journal. It has elements of junk journaling to it, in that I use my junk/scraps. However “junk journals” are really wonderful works of art in which there is space to write, after the journal is constructed. I ran out of time to make much of anything before I wanted to start writing. So I am writing and constructing as I go, and the result is somewhere between scrap-book and a junk journal.  However I am happy, hence I am making a Scrap Happy Journal.

However there is the occasional item not from scrap, but from a publication I chanced upon in the newsagent last month.

Full of gorgeous paper, which for some unknown reason I am perfectly capable of cutting into. It won’t be long before I am able to be ruthless with a book.

I am also indebted to the wonderful Willowbound journal blog who has been my inspiration this month.

So here is my Scrap Happy Journal so far.

The cover is the same, and I finally found what I wanted to be on page one.

How apt is that for me? That was on the back of the magazine, and once I had cut that out the rest was easy.

An attempt at making a tag to go with the page about a walk in May in a bluebell wood. Thanks to Willowbound Journal for the inspiration.

Next my effort at making a pocket, inside the written instructions on how to sow a meadow and a card for notes. It keeps coming unstuck , hence the mini peg.

And another tag, I found the map in a cutting I had from an old magazine, everything from stash. That’s a real stash, yes I keep stamps too. I think I may be incurable in hoarding this stuff, so good to have found a use for it all.

An attempt at a collage- painted paper, Victorian scrap butterfly, picture from Daphne’s diary and poem found on-line, because I like it.

Tea dyed paper and an attempt at trapping a lace edging- previously also tea dyed. Not as easy as it looks to trap it- went a bit wobbly.

Blue painted background, tea dyed paper, round sticker from Daphne’s Diary, think the centre strip was from left over card making stuff.

An attempt at making a belly band. Have failed to figure out how I should use one, hence the paper clip. Picture from my stash of magazine cuttings. I really do keep all this stuff!

Cutting from an old magazine which went with the pictures below and to illustrate the river birds I spied on my trip last week to York. The picture of the swan is a cigarette card and I confess I did buy it for about 10p from the flea market in town.

I read that drawing wobbly lines was a good thing, not sure I agree, painted backgroud, stuck down with washi tape which seems to have lost its sticky.

Sticker from Daphne’s Diary- wobbly felt tip pen lines certainly don’t work.

And finally

A mod potched napkin- doesn’t that stuff smell disgusting. The page for last night’s journal entry.

So that’s as far as I got.

As you know two weeks ago I was in a right old state trying to do everything at once and in a real tizwaz. I shall complete this months journaling, use my scraps as I go. I do very much want to learn more and produce a junk journal in which to keep my parents ephemera, but I shall learn how to walk before I try running!

Please do visit Kate  for some more Scrap Happy joy.

In the meantime

Cathyx

PS No Knit and Natter this week, back next Friday. Have a wonderful weekend, love to know what you hoard and if you have found a way to put it to good use.

 

 

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A Ticket to Ride..

On the most scenic bus route in Britain to Whitby, on the top of a double-decker bus.

Leaving Thornton Dale

in the direction of Dalby Forest

Heading down Saltersgate Bank

with Fylingdales early warning system  in view, the blob on the horizon

towards the village of Goathland

or Aidensfield as lovers of Heartbeat may know it.

Or from the first Harry Potter film, the station for Hogwarts

oh may there be any wizards on board?

Beware of sheep on the road

past the village church

past the shops-Might that be Ventriss’s car?

and finally into Whitby

for some bracing sea air.

On the return journey we got to see the Hole of Horcum

hope you enjoyed the ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

A big thank you everyone for helping me through my minor melt down last week. I calmed down, wrote the lists as advised, prioritized some things, did some of them, crossed them off the list, had a major tidy up, and felt a great deal better. List making and crossing off has continued all week-long and I am feeling more like more normal self!

First of all I have finished the cardigan for Little Miss F.

All the buttons are different.

And here it is with the dress I bought to go with it from M&S.

That has to be a pretty dreadful picture, sorry, and it’s too late to retake it as I posted it yesterday morning! Which leaves me with the grey fluffy thing to finish next, if only I hadn’t side tracked myself again with a tiny kingfisher to cross stitch. Meantime…

I went to Lockton Artist’s Open Studios,

Above the tea rooms is a small flat to rent called the Loft, for two people. It’s rather nice, but for the duration of the Open Studios it was being used by a couple of artists to show case their work. Claire de Witte was one of these artists. Sadly she is in the middle of upgrading her website or I would give you a link. This link is the one she has on the Lockton Artists website. Anyway she is a ceramic with a wonderful imagination. In the land of eider-down as children fall asleep a teacup army comes with good dreams and another with nightmares and while the children are asleep the armies battle it out. Claire has created two fleets of teacup boats and they are wonderful. I very nearly bought one….

Mr E and I took a bus to Whitby on Tuesday, the most scenic bus route in Britain, if you recall.  I shall probably share the pictures I took (a lot) in a future post. When we arrived in Whitby, we went to the Bridge Cafe for a coffee, and just look at the wall paper.

Junk Journals! Is that not sign? Serendipity and all that?

Today is going to be good too. I have an outing with one of my family history groups, we are taking the bus to York for a guided tour of the Bar Convent in York.

Not quite sure about the rest of the weekend. Sure it will have time for crafting and walking.

What about you? Anything exciting for the weekend?

Thank you again,

Be Happy,

Cathyx

Sunlight.

The prompt for this month’s photo challenge from Wild Daffodil was Sunlight.

May turned out to be a very sunny month, so I thoroughly enjoyed being out and about capturing the essence of sunlight.

Sunlight in York Museum Gardens. This was taken in early May when the leaves were new and soft, and the shadows long  in the early afternnon.

Sunlight twinkling on the sea at Scarborough, on a day when there were more clouds than sunshine.

A field of sunlight- Pickering.

I pointed my camera directly at the sun to capture sunlight through copper beech trees.

Dappled sunlight reflected in the beck through the woods near the railway line. So many colours in sunlight.

Sunlight and steam train, I can’t resist the trains, in case you didn’t guess.

So which do you like best? My favourite is the buttercup field.

Today is the sun is shining again, time to begin the hunt for next month’s prompt which is Sculpture.

 

 

 

Going Wild.

I have decided to take part in Go Wild again this year. As the weather was so marvellous in May, I began a little early , getting in training so to speak. Go Wild encourages us to get outside , enjoy nature and do what we can do to help the environment.

So the bird bath has been washed, a tray of water provided for the birds who prefer shallow containers, and for any passing hedgehog, and I have been walking.

It really does lift my spirits to go for a walk. Over the month of June I will post the best of what I observe. Here’s some pictures of what I have seen recently.

The tree centre left is an Oak tree which the Queen planted in woods near Pickering. The smaller one centre right replaces one planted by Prince Philip which died.

These trees are at the start of a walk that runs alongside the Pickering to Levisham rail track of the North Yorkshire Steam Railway. It passes by an old badger sett, crosses the railway, then a bridge over a stream , and finally takes you through a wood. I went on the walk during the last weekend in May. I was pleasantly surprised that there were still a few

Primroses out and some

violets.  I finally found out that these

are called bugles.

During last week I rescued this

bee from our door step, he was sure to get crushed if he stayed there, so I removed him to safety.

Another walk I went last week was to Cawthorne Roman Camps because I was certain that the rhoderdendrums would be out, and they were.

As was the Gorse

The picture I am most pleased with is of the humble dandelion.

Exquisite!

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

Do you ever try to do too much at once and feel as if your head is in a spin? I don’t know which way is up at the moment. Trying so hard to focus on one thing, then I go off at a complete tangent several times, aagh! How do I stop myself from creative melt down. So many questions too, so I go on-line , and then get side-tracked by You tube.

Can someone please tell me what is Gesso and what is Mod Podge, and when do I use them? I have looked on-line, but everyone and every thing seems to know what is what already, and I don’t.

I have fished out all my craft supplies and fabric and paper, inks, paints, it’s all over the floor and bits of things are drying everywhere. I can’t move.

And it’s June, which means it’s time for Go Wild. ( month in which you try to do something nature related or go outside, for 15 minutes a day). I wrote down everything I thought of doing, going to, making and realised I would still be at it 12 months later.

Trying to slow down, I am commited to nothing, I just want to do everything, now.

I even have nature themed knitting projects to do, but first I really absolutely want to finish this cardigan for Little Miss F. I have even found the perfect dress from M&S to go with it,and Summer is nearly upon us.

Only the front bands to do, sew up the seams, embroider some flowers ,buy and stitch on some buttons. The flowers are at least vaguely nature related, I suppose.

The problem is I have been reminded of my own mortality this year. I’ve just deleted the sentences that followed. Let’s just say we are not out of the woods re Mr E yet, just when we thought we were. Decisions,implications and fears rush round my head chasing the paper and the yarn thoughts.

Enough.

One thing at a time. Today. Shall I go shopping and buy a christening present and then go a walk, or shall I visit a tiny castle and a nature reserve on my way home?

Tell me does anyone else get in a complete muddle with what they want to do, and how do you calm yourself down?

Tomorrow a nearby village is having Open Studios, and I really want to go there, quite a nice churchyard too, and a cafe.

Sunday, Scampston Hall has a plant sale. Monday is library day. We think we might use out bus passes to go to Whitby next week too..

After all it is the most scenic bus route in Britain. –officially!

Do check out the video in the link above and look out for the Hole of Horcum

and Goathland

and know that I only give you the best of Britain on my blog!

Feeling calmer already just having a natter with you all. Thank you for reading.

Love to know your weekend plans, and how do you stop yourself from getting a r ight old dither?

Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

May Books-2018

May has been a better month for us, one in which there has been greater leisure for books. Here’s what I have been reading this month.

Sebastian Faulks- Where my heart used to beat- There is a lot in this novel to make you think. Both world wars, a love story, a bit of a mystery, psychology, psychiatry, travel and a most satisfactory ending. I’d not read anything by this author before although my son Mr J who does not read as much as my other sons, was very keen on the book Birdsong, and kept urging me to read it, so maybe I will now. The only thing I have to say against it is that it does dot around a lot and you must have your wits about you!. A jolly good read.

Joanne Trollope- City of Friends- The theme of this book is can women have it all, a satisfying career and a good home life. There are four women who met at college,all live in London and all have money type jobs in whatever people who work in London do all day. Stacey is married, but is made redundant when she asks for flexi working so she can also care for her Mum who has Alzheimer’s. Melissa is a single Mum with a teenage son. Gaby has a husband and three children and is the ultimate career woman, husband doing the domestic stuff, and Beth who is gay and a university professor. An enjoyable read with just about credible characters.

Jane Gardam- Last Friends- I’ve read this out-of-order , it being the third in the trilogy of books featuring a group of ex pats from Hong Kong. The first I read was Old Filth. I will be honest , this book was a bit disappointing. I loved Old Filth, especially the bit about the Raj Children, sent back to England at a ridiculously young age to boarding school. This third book focuses on the early years of Old Filth’s rival at law and in love , one Terence Veneering , child of Florrie who was a coal merchant and an acrobat from Odessa. Orphaned during the war, and making his own way through life down to charm , intellect and force of personality. Some how though the story never seemed to get going. A pleasant enough read, and I have now got a copy of the middle volume , I am told that it is better.

Ann Cleeves- The Seagull– The latest in the Vera series and very good indeed. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Jane Gardam- The Man in the Wooden Hat. Well what do you know, there sitting on the shelf when I went in to do my shift was the second book in the trilogy. It was a nice enough read, but I felt disappointed. The synopsis in the front mentioned Betty’s childhood in a Japanese internment camp followed by a job at Bletchley Park. And yes there is mention of both, but I would have liked at least a chapter on each. Most disappointing, a bit like the first book and the RAJ orphan. I mean imagine a story that mentions being say part of the royal household and a job in espionage, and then gives just a few sentences to this and the rest is about a one night stand a happy marriage. It seems cheating somehow to hint at something really interesting and then not write about the back story. Oh well, I can’t like all the books in the world!

Thanks everyone for all the recommendations last month. You may see that I have taken you up on some with the ones I have currently on loan for June.

When I requested the new Kate Mosse, I saw I was 22nd in the queue for it, so imagine my delight when it turned up just a few days later for me. It’s a brand new book and the one I am starting with as I doubt I will be able to renew it, sure to be a waiting list now.

Did you read anything good in May? Do tell. And if it is a while since you visited the library, why not pop along, there is so much happening in libraries these days.