Paris Art Journal #1

I'm having a bizarre time with Blogger at the moment.  I've been trying for several days to put something on, but it won't let me type anying in the body of the message until now, and only now because I've managed to upload a picture first.  It's driving me crazy because I've got so many things to show you.

Anyway, this is the first page of my art journal for our Paris trip.  I'm not saying it's anything great, but I'm having such fun making it and it's already turning into something really special.

I'm really glad I took a journal with me and wrote everything down as we went along, as it's helped so much in writing this.  I've just played about with watercolours and used some distress ink on a mask.  I'm adding pictures as I go along, too.

This page is the first day, which mostly consisted of coach travel and the ferry crossing.  Back soon with some more, I'm sure, now I've got things working again.

Jane xx

Decisions, Decisions

I've been feeling quite ill today and ended up in bed this afternoon, but then the phone went about four times and I gave up and got up.
I realised today how much I love taking the dog for her walk.  It's a time to be at peace and not be constantly bombarded with demands and hopefully talk to God at the same time.
And it really cleared my head.
I realised I'm finding a certain part of blogging quite stressful, and that's ridiculous, isn't it?  Not this blog, the other one. It's partly because I feel pressured into making and buying new things all the time. Although I adore Stampin Up, the constant sales pitch is getting on my nerves.  I know it's to help you be creative, but it's too much sell, sell, sell.  Because of this (although it's not entirely their fault!) I've ended up with loads of dsp.  The demand for cards in my life is nowhere near as great as it used to be (I used to sell my cards in a shop until we moved here) so I've got all this now out of date dsp and not a lot to do with it.
So I've decided to only blog my card making now and then, and use up my dsp before I buy any more.  I also want to see what else my stamps can do besides make cards with them.  I will always love Stampin Up, but you can have too much of a good thing, can't you?  If I miss a stamp set, I miss a stamp set.  I'll live.  I need the freedom to create whatever comes to mind, and not be restricted to one company.  I always resisted the urge to become a demonstrator and I'm really glad now.
I created this a few days ago:

My first go at spreading acrylics with an old library card.  Such fun.  I just squeezed some straight onto the acrylic paper and started spreading.  This came out quite large, so I painted the centre in white as I knew I wanted to write something on it.  I actually wrote about some of the stresses and strains of work, which came out of nowhere, but I felt great after I'd done it.  I stamped some flowers and used my stampin up markers to draw the flowers.  My first go at drawing freehand.
Back soon
Jane xx

So the vet came out and it was all very good.  He says Barnaby hasn't got mites, he's got a skin infection like psoriasis.  He just needs to have all the hair clipped off and a steroid cream applied to the skin, which is fantastic news.  I said we'd do this as soon as we came back from France, but half an hour later a woman who is interested in buying Barn text me and asked what the vet had said.  I replied with everything he'd just told me and she said she'd like to come and see him (Barnaby that is, not the vet!)
They finally got here (from Northamptonshire) around 7.30pm last night.  It was very overcast as it was so hot we all thought there might be a thunderstorm, so I quickly got Barnaby in and tacked him up.  I really wanted to ride him through the village to prove he is as bombproof as I've said he is. 
I set off and rode down to the village with them and John following me in the car.  There wasn't much traffic at first, and I thought it was quite boring, but apparently they were gobsmacked at how good he was.  I got to the bottom of Kirk Ley and was going to just walk up but after a while (and because I'm a dreadful show-off!) we got on the grass and went for a blast.
We came back to the yard and then the man got on and rode him.  His riding was very average.  I went into teacher mode and started giving instructions about how to ride him (like not letting him run and run when you actually want him to canter) and he got better and we put a little fence up and he jumped that too, which was good.
And so they said yes and Barnaby is sold.  I can hardly believe it.  In my head I'd decided I'd have to keep him if the problem with his leg was really bad, so I was a bit stunned to be honest.  They've paid a deposit and they'll come to pick him up Saturday afternoon.
So it will all be done and dusted by the time we go to Paris on Monday morning, but it will be so strange to come back and realise Barnaby's not here.  It's the end of an era.  We've had him for 9 years. 
I've done a bit of art journaling because of this.  Have a look:

I drew around my hand and painted it with watercolour paints.  Then I painted around it in a different colour.  I painted the heart in acrylic paint.  The wording says, 'You hold my heart, now hold my hand.'  I really need God to support me through the whole process of selling Barnaby.  I know He wants me to do it and has other plans for my life and John's.  I gave my heart to God a long, long time ago, but right now I need Him to hold my hand and comfort me, too.
I feel I want to put more on this, but I don't know what yet, as I don't want to detract from the hand, the heart and the writing, so we'll see.  Maybe I'll pull it out again in six months and add to it.
For the first time I've used the water filled brushes and they're awesome.  They'll be coming out to play regularly from now on.
Back soon
Jane x