Playtime!

 Hi Peeps, hope this new week finds everyone well. I had forgotten that this was a holiday weekend for us here in the US (Memorial Day - Monday) so many have/had Monday off.  I just can't seem to keep the days of the week straight this last month or two- I wonder why :( And sadly there were no special gatherings to remember those  who lost their lives serving our country and protecting our rights and freedom. But we can all honor them in our thoughts and prayers.

 This past Saturday we had warm weather- but humid and misty and rainy all day. And it was just what I wanted because a special package arrived in the mail:)...

My order from Joggles came!!! I used the GC I received for Mother's day. And don't you just love the printed tissue everything came wrapped in? I always save and use the printed tissues that come with an order;) So I spent an afternoon making a mess and playing in my new Blue Journal using the Gloss Sprays and it was a blast!! Here is what I did:

Using my new Dina Wakley stencil (Fractured Circles) along with the Gloss sprays on the darker denim side of the page.

 I flipped the denim page over to the lighter side and sprayed through another stencil then put the excess ink on the stencil onto a sheet of cardstock.

Stencils and sprays on a watercolor page, again mopping up excess ink.

 and then play on a cream colored burlap page. I am SO happy to have these light burlap pages in the journal!!

 Then I moved on to spraying white printed DW tissue papers- (Dina shared this on one of her daily demos):

 The tissue gets crinkled so when you put a tag on the wet paper to mop up excess spray you get some really cool patterns on the tags:)

 This time I mopped up the excess spray from the tissue by turning a watercolor page in my first DW Journal directly over it.

 The two dried tissue papers:

 It'll be fun tearing these up and using for collage! My thoughts on the gloss sprays- I love them!! They are permanent, and do have a bit of glossy texture when dry. It is IMPORTANT to wipe off the spray nozzles and cap them securely before putting away. It took some scrubbing to get my hands clean but that's nothing new for me- one could always wear disposable gloves:) Yes, I want more  spray colors!

 And now let's have a break and visit the gang at T Stands For Tuesday:

 Usually twice a week I make egg sandwiches for our breakfast. This is hubby's sandwich next to my as you can see- just poured- coffee. He always has two eggs on whole grain toast along with a slice of American cheese, and I have just one egg and one slice of the bread. No cheese- but I do put mayo on mine- is that weird like my hubby thinks- or does anyone else like it too?

 I did finish a tag and one page from my playtime Saturday:

 Sharing this with the Simon Says Monday Challenge (We're Going Around in Circles).

Products: Dina Wakley: Blue Journal, Collage Collective, Gloss Sprays, stencils: (Fractured Circles, Basics), washi tape. Tim Holtz Quote Chip; large manila tag; alphabet stencil (unknown); Bokeh Dots Clear Stamp Set (Ellen Hutson); gelli plate print scrap; tissue paper scrap; Versafine Onyx Black ink.

 Lastly I have a page in one of my junk journals:

 This is a fabric  doily page. The fabric image and sentiment are from ARTchix Studio. I used Vintage Photo distress ink to age the edges of fabric a bit. Buttons and crochet lace from my stash. Stickles glitter glue was added on the flowers in the photo.

 Joining Art journal Journey for the theme of "Flowers" this month, and also joining Paint Party Friday.

 Happy last week of May!

" Faith means living with uncertainty, feeling your way through life-letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark."      Dan Millman

Finding Stillness

 How is everyone? The weather has been heavenly here so I am getting my Vitamin D doses from the sun and getting my annuals all planted. And at last, I can finally say goodbye to my cold weather clothing and hang up the tees and tank tops, and bring out the capris, shorts and flip flops!

 Above is a detail from this journal page:

 It is in my Dina Wakley Media Journal on one of the burlap pages. I used mostly Dina Wakley paints, stencils, and the heart is from her Collage Collective 1 book. This page is meant for the Ranger/Dina Wakley Year of Gratitude Challenge - #9 "I am grateful for stillness".  This is from Psalm 46:10  and this and the Sanskrit mantra So Hum "I am" are my go to's when I need some meditative quiet.
 I guess you all know by now how much I love Dina Wakley and her products, so.... I am waiting for a box of new supplies including the new Blue Media Journal from Joggles- thanks to a generous GC from my son and his fiancée, and everything I chose was either on sale or discounted-win win!!

 The Simon Says Monday Challenge for this week is "We're All A-Buzz" so I have this junk journal page to share:

 Scraps of this and that; Tim Holtz Honeycomb Stencil, Distress ink in Black Soot. Sentiment is Cat's Life Press.

 And more junk journal pages (in the same journal)...

This one is meant for T Stands For Tuesday:

 Tim Holtz Botanical Collage Tissue, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo distress inks. The elegant teacup is an OLD PSX stamp. I figured that since last week I made coffee art this week I'd make tea art for the tea drinkers out there;) Cheers!

 Tag Tuesday has a new theme which is "Animals" so I have this page to share with them(or perhaps the bird doesn't qualify as an animal?):

 The pretty bird tag was in my bin of ephemera as was the handmade paper scrap and sentiment. I added glitter glue on the scallop edges of the tag.

 And this last page is for Art Journal Journey (theme is Flowers); and Try It On Tuesday (theme is Lovely Ladies):

 The poppies are from a napkin. Paper Dolls, Chit Chat Stickers- Tim Holtz.

I'm also happy to join Paint Party Friday!

  Although PA is slowly moving forward and on -from Red phase to Yellow phase- in the county where I live it is still in the Red phase- and businesses are suffering terribly. Nothing more to say, except keep well everyone. XO

   " Sometimes finding that quiet stillness within us is our highest and greatest aspiration." 
                Anonymous

A Week Closer To Normalcy?

 Everyone still hanging in there?  Did you celebrate Mother's Day, and if so how was it? Kyra and Todd surprised me by coming over with flowers, wine, gifts... and having dinner with hubby and I. Oh how good it felt!!! I saw my mother earlier in the week to drop off some gifts and card - from a distance,  as I feel at her age and diminutive size she is more susceptible to becoming ill. We told her that once this is all over we'll have a proper Mother's Day celebration.

Here is the card I made . I typed up a personal sentiment for the inside. Linking to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge (Use Dies and/or Punches):

 Looks like I took a crooked photo cuz the sentiment looks that way ;) Supplies: large white notecard and envie, fabric washi tape (Recollections); Clear stamp- Mega Mixed Messages, Papertrey Ink); Versafine Onyx Black ink; glittery patterned cardstock - DCWV; Stitch Circle Dies (Our Daily Bread Designs); flower- unknown.

For our gathering at T Stands For Tuesday hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth of Altered Book Lover I will share these two coffee related projects I made for a Darkroom Door May Color Inspiration Challenge on IG. A prize is offered- and I am still waiting on one I won last month- it comes from Australia, so who knows how long it will take right now...


This is the inspiration board:

.

 first up is a card:

 I did some masking on the card and the cup. Small fern stencil was used to make the pattern on the plain cup, background and envie.

 And this is a mixed media postcard I made for the challenge too:

 I was quite happy with the way this turned out! Products:  CoffeeTime stamp set and small ferns stencil (Dark Room Door); Distress Oxides- Cracked Pistachio, Broken China; Distress inks- Tea Dye, Shaded Lilac; Archival Black ink; white Posca pen; small script clear stamp (Papertrey Ink); heavy black cotton thread; black handmade paper scrap; purple button (Jesse James).

 This journal page is meant for Art Journal Journey hosted this month by Mia with the theme of Flowers:

 This page was done on the kraft paper in my Dina Wakley Media Journal. I chose to go more muted and minimal which is unusual for me:) Background is white gesso. I used bits from several napkins. the honeycomb was stamped using an old Stamper's Anonymous stamp, and the Botanical No. 003 is another oldie- from Post Modern Design.

 Joining Paint Party Friday with this posting as well. I'll be around to visit and see what you've been up to too.
Please note: The last few weeks I have been unable to comment on any blogs that use Wordpress. As Jo suggested to me I tried opening those blogs in several other browsers to leave comments but to no avail:(:( My apologies that I cannot comment although I am enjoying your blogs. Any other suggestions on what I could do would be much appreciated!

 Have a great week!

" Coffee connects us in so many ways - to each other, to our senses, and to the earth that supports the coffee trees."       Rohan Marley

The Birds Are Singing

 Happy new week all! Hope you had a great weekend. We had temps to 80 degrees F and of course I was in heaven:) Not only that, but our hummingbirds made their first appearance on May 1st- the earliest I have seen them here since I've been keeping track 5 or 6 years now. What a joy to watch them! I've also gotten the first of my annuals- geranium hanging baskets, and will get more for planting later this week.

 The above is a page in a junk journal. I used Tim Holtz Botanical Collage Tissue and Botanical Chip Board image.  I will join Art Journal Journey with the new theme for this month of Flowers.

 This birthday card is for the Simon Wednesday Challenge (anything goes):

a detail showing the glitter:

 Glittery patterned paper: TCWV; white note card and envelope (Recollections); stitched circle dies (Our Daily Bread Designs); birthday rubber stamp(Hero Arts); birthday clear stamps on envie (Inkadinkado); Stickles glitter glue; Versafine Onyx Black ink; Blue Breeze Kaleidacolor ink; paper flower (studio g); washi tape (Recollections).


 I have another yummy meal and recipe to share with the gang at T Stands For Tuesday:

 Poached salmon, and Smoky Chickpea Stew (recipe at end of post and also under my header under the "Recipes" title) over jasmine rice, and a glass of Merlot. My hubby liked this veggie stew so much we had it two days in a row! This would be good on its own of course but is extra yummy with some fish or grilled chicken on the side:) Cheers!

 There is a new theme at Tag Tuesday (haberdashery) and I had the perfect stamp images thanks to Valerie who gifted me with them!

 The tag was covered with pattern tissue. I stamped then fussy cut all the images from the stamp set and glued them down after stitching around the tag. I finished it with a black button. I will also share this with Try It On Tuesday for the theme of " Black, White, and One Other Color".

 And for Paint Party Friday I have another journal page -this one in the Dina Wakley Media Journal. Inspiration from her Daily Demos, and for the Year Of Gratitude monthly IG Challenge which for April was " I am grateful for community". The new theme will be announced Wednesday the 6th.

 It began on a kraft page in the journal, using a mask and black gesso:

Anyone remember these Tim Holtz masks? I bought them for next to nothing some years ago. I don't even know if Ranger still makes them or not.

 My completed page:

 Wishing you all a great week and weekend- happy Cinco de Mayo Tuesday if you celebrate it, and a happy Mother's Day on Sunday! Take care, and stay well.

" I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying who listens or what they think."   Rumi


Edited in: For whatever reason I am not able to leave a comment for anyone who uses  Wordpress for their blog:(:( I have tried from several different browsers to no avail. If anyone has any suggestions I'd SO appreciate it! Know that I am reading your blog posts - just cannot respond.


                            Smoky Chickpea Stew   (It Doesn't taste Like Chicken Blog)

1 Tbsp. olive oil         1 yellow onion, chopped     4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes          1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika     1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. brown or white sugar       3/4 tsp. salt      2 cups of canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
about 4 cups of chopped kale or spinach ( I used spinach)
Cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous, for serving


Heat oil in a large pot or high-sided skillet. When hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté about 5 min until onion turns transluscent and begins to brown.

Stir in the tomatoes, smoked paprika, dried thyme, sugar and salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 10 - 15 min. until tomatoes have cooked and darkened in color.

Mix in the chickpeas and kale (or spinach) and cook another few min. til heated through and the greens wilt into the sauce. Serve hot over your grain of choice.