OMG! Is it that long since I blogged!!

Where does the time go?! It doesn't seem a year since I last posted and I can't promise it won't be another year till the next one, but I'm in a' finishing ' mode at the moment so I'm trying to finish all the various crafty projects that are either half done or waiting to start. And theres quite a few!!

For Christmas,my friend Becky gave me her hand dyed yarn and pattern to create a stash bag for Woolfest. Hows that for forward planning!! So I knit it as big as I could and it looks fab, even if I say so myself.

The pattern is the Grrlfriend market bag which is free on Ravelry. Its a really simple pattern, a bit fiddly at the start but worth it.

I actually finished a pair of socks for Ian too. They were meant for Christmas but only one got finished, so I wrapped it up with an IOU for one sock and cracked on with the other which he got a couple of days later. I don't have a photo yet as they are in the wash because Ian wore the one I'd finished on Christmas day with an odd sock on his other foot!! I thought it was a good look!

I've also hit the art journal with renewed enthusiasm and finished a couple of pages that I started an age ago.

This was just using felt tipped pens,I love colouring in, it takes me back to my childhood!

OOps! I did turn it, honest! On this one I used a dye ink pad and some magazine clippings. Then I got the urge to splash some paint about, so out came the acrylics and stencils and bits off envelopes.

This is one of the backgrounds I painted, but its yet to be finished! It's on the list!!

Its going to be a page moaning about our postal service and the snarl ups that snow caused. I'll get it all off my chest!!

I love the freedom of creating art journal pages and it is very cathartic. Its a great outlet for emotions I don't want to inflict on others!!

So I'm off now to start a hot water cover with some merino I spun early this year. It was destined to become a scarf, but I am sick of burning my back when I use my hottie to ease my back problems, so the scarf was frogged and hopefully a supersoft cover will emerge!!

So Happy New Year, may it be a happy, healthy one and no promises but I'll try not to leave it so long till next time!!

Journaling Addiction!

Just when I thought there couldn't possibly be any other crafts crammed into my life, up pops journaling and I lay the blame firmly at the door of the fab Lynn aka http://inkyartitude.blogspot.com/! And I am SO grateful!! It is wonderfully relaxing and freeing and I love it!

I must also mention another lady whose blog is http://www.thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/. I find her art work SO inspirational, especially her use of colour and it has encouraged me to become much more adventurous.

There are pages in my journal that I like better than others and some I just don't like at all. Some I keep going back to and doodling, some I might paint over, but what I love about it is, IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!

Heres a few pics, a mixture of finished and unfinished pages and even just painted backgrounds, some I like, some I don't but I don't care, I allow myself not to like them!!

At last the snow has melted away but as I uploaded the journal pics from my camera, I found some snowy ones I'd forgotton I'd taken. I love the differences in light.

I also found these photos of our poor underfed pooches, who are so starved, they have to dig for bird food that has been covered up by the snow!! Please don't phone the RSPCA, I promise to feed them honest!

Paddy digging for any morsels he can find!

You can see just how thin Alfie is!! Ha!

Back to the journaling then!

Happy New Year!!!

Where did 2009 go? It seems that as I'm getting older, the years just seem to fly by quicker and quicker!

We had a quiet and peaceful white Christmas, the snow gave it such a magical feel and brought back fond childhood memories of Christmases past. We did go on a mad jaunt in the snow to Tan Hill, where there were spectacular views

and lots of snow drifts!

But we made it.........to the pub!!

The pub up there (which, by the way, is the highest in Britain and has featured in the Everest double glazing ads!) provided some very welcome food and drink, all of which was enhanced by a roaring coal fire and two gorgeous kittens!

The drive back was even hairier than the one there, but Ian, who is a brill driver anyway, excelled himself, and we got home safely.

I know it wasn't the most sensible thing to do, especially as I'm usually Mrs Sensible with added anxiety, but for once I threw caution to the wind, it was exhilarating and I loved it!!

Wishing everyone a healthy, peaceful and happy New Year!