ATCs, Cards and Part 1 UK Visit, Jack and Kitty

ATCs

Our group of 10 ATC-ers is still busy working its way through the alphabet for the second time. I have got a bit behind with mine but am trying to catch up. We aim to do one letter a week. Did I show you my 'I' for International?

I have just done 'J' for 'Jumping':

This Jumping Cat is for Lolo and is wending its way to America as we speak!

I have received some lovely ones too:

This is I for Indigo Blue Bunting and is from Lolo. Isn't it gorgeous?


It came in this pretty blue and white card.

This lovely card came from a friend I met when we were both pregnant. Her daughter Tania is 9 days older than my youngest, Ben. Chris also enclosed a photo of Tania and Ben when they were very small!

Ben is in the front. Tania is now in Australia working and Ben is running his bar in Puerto Banus, Marbella. Who would have thought it to look at them? Chris is coming over some time in May and hopefully will be able to come and see us. So many visitors.

Bea's Blind 5 Week Challenge

FIVE WEEK CHALLENGE - DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE WITH BEA

Bea, from Dog in the Hole Studio has set a challenge for anyone who would like to join in. I was away for the first week but have joined belatedly. Here are my first 2 pieces of work. I did 2 pieces instead of one in case I messed one up! Bea sets the next 'clue' each Monday and we are to post our work on the following Friday. Let's pretend this is last Friday!


I cut 2 pieces of muslin 9" x 7" and covered them with a gel medium. On the top one, I then stuck some paper from a parcel I had in the garden for several months, which had taken on some lovely colours, onto the gel medium. Then I covered it all with more medium. When it had dried it felt lovely, the whole piece feeling like fabric.

The one below, I used just one piece of paper from the same bundle then filled in the spaces with a 'wet wipe' I had used for mopping up paint. It had something sparkly on it too. I have received today's instructions, which are on Bea's blog, and will post the results on Friday. Properly!

UK Visit Part One

I arrived in Suffolk last Monday. Jack had complained that there was a Mother's Day but not a Big Brother's Day, so we made Tuesday Big Brother's Day and Jack opted to go to Colchester Zoo. It's a lovely big zoo and we headed off quite early in the morning.


I bought Jack a camera so he could take some photos of his special day!

Kitty is now almost 10 months old. She enjoyed her day too. She'll be demanding a 'Little Sister's Day' soon!

We tried to see things we had missed on our last visit, which included the sea lions. There was a tunnel underneath the water of their pool and the view was wonderful. I took loads of photos of them:

The pale blue strip going from left to right is the tunnel. The sea lions came and showed themselves to us when their trainer arrived:
The keeper held a football the other side of the glass and the sea lion pointed to it.


This is my favourite photo taken from the tunnel. They were all rolling about and seemed to be having such fun.

This one was keeping an eye on me.

We then wandered along to see the Oran Utang - he looked very fed up but I was assured they can't smile so always look like that!

He turned around and his back was covered in bits of straw:


Outside they had a lovely big play area and the lady Oran Utang was having a great game hiding underneath a sack:

The females have much shorter hair. She did eventually drop the sack, but soon picked it up and put it over her head again. Maybe she's shy!


Jack was enjoying watching her.

Inside the zoo are the ruins of an old church:
Jack had a go on the play equipment. He's almost 5 now. Unbelievable. I think that's enough for today.

Happy Monday everyone.

Goodies through the post - Post!

A Good Read Award

I mentioned that I had been given this award from Pam's English Garden and I forgot to pass it on. I would love to nominate Mildred of Mildredsmenagerie at Nalley Valley. Mildred lives in North Georgia and always has lots of interesting things to chat about including her 'menagerie' and some great photos of the area in which she lives. It's certainly a good read. Mildred, you also have to write 10 things about yourself. This is the address of Mildred's blog:

http://mildredsmenagerie.blogspot.com/

ATCs

I did a swap with Soulbrush of 2 Artist Trading Cards. Here are the 2 super ones I received from soulbrush in London:

A lovely collage of 'Autumn Leaves'.

I love the green and white background and the razzle dazzle leaves sewn onto this ATC.

Thank you so much soul, they're delightful. Soulbrush also enclosed some bits and bobs for me to use:


Our ABC/ATC Group has now reached the letter 'S'. Teri, the group founder, sent me this lovely S for Sand Dollar made using acrylic paint.

The ATC was enclosed in a pretty pop up card:


Giraffaway from Raph G Neckmann

I entered one of those give aways more in hope than expectation and - guess what - I won! Anyone who knows Raph's amazing blog will realise he is from a family of giraffes! He has just started a new venture, selling his giraffy cards and I chose four of them which I liked the best. As the winner, I received all 4 cards plus the card from Raph.

The very strange thing is that the card Raph wrote in has a picture on the front of a giraffe eating Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa' or the twisted willow tree. In our front garden, we have the very same tree, about the same size as the one on the card. Sadly no giraffe though. Spooky.


This is the card to which I am referring above.

Here are the four cards I won in the giraffaway!


Title: ' Durham Goes Giraffe'


Title: 'High Altitude Toothpaste'


Title: 'Giraffe Among Tall Raspberries' (The Giraffe Method of Stress Release)


Title: 'Awakening'.

I hope you agree that they are just superb. I love the giraffe print clouds in the last one.

You can buy Raph's cards here:


Do visit Raph's blog, it's well worth it.

This is his blog address:

http://raphs-ramblings.blogspot.com/

I have tried to make links but they didn't work. Sorry.

Belated Birthday Card

Sam, my lovely daughter in law, is always spot on time with birthday cards and presents. Sadly, this time my cards and present hadn't arrived by the time I had to go off to the UK. When I returned, the parcel was there but 'Doorus' had been spelt incorrectly. Aha, that explains the more than usually slow delivery by the Irish Postal Service.

Jack, my adorable 4 year old grandson, had made me a birthday card:


Very subtle, I think you'll agree!! I was covered in glitter all day.

Inside, he had written his name himself:


Lucky me.

Flowers

Jim brought home a super bunch of flowers on Wednesday. It consisted mostly of sunflowers and lilies and I added 2 gladioli stems from the allotment.

I made a montage of them.

Buster


What an endearing face he has.


He became interested in my sculpture 'The Woven' today. His head disappeared inside....


Then he appeared with the bee in his mouth! Luckily it was tied on with string, so he had to let it go.


BlackJack, feeling superior, was watching Buster from on top of the wall. He didn't realise how silly he looked with cobwebs on his head!

Here, Buster is trotting towards me down the path. I love the way he walks and runs as he hardly seems to bend his legs at all, unlike most dogs.

The Rest

Today the builders made a hole through our extension roof for the boiler chimney. I photographed them up through the hole they had made!

Joe came out a bit blurred!


Martin, always smiling! The boiler chap is coming to bring and fit our new pellet boiler next Friday. I can't believe we'll actually get it connected up.


Jim has done about three quarters of the tiling in the bathroom.


Buster wanted him to play ball.

That's it for today. I cleaned the old bathroom and then did some more gardening and watched Joe and Martin scratching their heads over fitting the boiler pipe!

That's all Folks!