Slow Sunday

Had a very lazy morning as I didn't have any plans for the day. Spent the morning in my jammies, looking at Unesco sites around the world. Now I want to go on hols to Pompei. It'll change tomorrow, there's just too much choice!

Decided I was being far too lazy, so got dressed and took the dog out for a toddle down the path.

 This is the Rheidol river, which runs through the valley where I live.

 Dog is saying, "Throw a stone, throw it, throw it".

Now he's soaked and it's raining, but he doesn't mind, he's just glad to be out.

Walked much further than I originally intended and took lots of photos, as usual.

Then, round the bottom of the field and back towards the road. There wasn't a soul on the path. Called into Morrison's on the way to pick up something healthy for dinner. That's why there was no-one else about, they were all in there shopping!

Aged Journal Pages

 I am currently working on a new art journal, with 'aged' pages. I first stuck down old tissue-paper sewing patterns and the instruction sheets on each page, overlapping them and scrunching them up slightly, let them dry overnight, then painted over them with dark brown watercolours, so that they looked really dirty and kind of muddy. Again, let them dry for a while or use your heat gun, being careful that they don't buckle or catch fire!

When the pages are dry, paint over them with very slightly watered-down white acrylic paint, but don't cover the whole page. Leave gaps here and there and really spread the paint around. It gets caught up in all the wrinkles and creases of the tissue paper and looks really interesting. Leave it all to dry overnight and voila!...aged pages ready to work on.
It took me a week to stick in all the tissue paper and then add the paint layers, but it's so worth it. I also used ripped-up old book pages to decorate the outside of the journal and sealed the covers with Mod-Podge.

Out and About

Just back from a short walk with the dog. We can't go so far these days, as he's 13 years old now and tends to limp if we go on a long walk, so the river (River Rheidol) path near the house is just perfect. Far enough for his little legs, but not too far.

Hardly anyone about, but then it is Easter Monday, so maybe they're all at home, finishing off their Easter eggs, though there were quite a few of them at Morrison's shopping I noticed.
The path is a relatively new one, recently cleared, with work still in progress by the look of it.

We took our time and had the path to ourselves. Some nice textures and patterns on these tree trunks and little shoots peeping through the ground here and there too. We even saw some snowdrops, a favourite of mine.

Then home to charge the camera. I don't know how to use it properly yet, but it was donated by lovely son # 1. It's a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ8 with no manual, so I'd better get downloading a manual pretty quickly.

Here's little Tom Jones, posing...

...and sniffing about. I think he likes this walk.

Lots of rubbish lying about , though I noticed that some of it had been picked up. I wish there were some bins around the paths. And to my extreme annoyance, dog-poo! Why can't people pick up after their dogs? And even worse, why do they pick it up in a dog-poo bag and then LEAVE IT THERE???
So bloody annoying. 
We went home and soon after, # 2 son called, with his gf and my gorgeous grandson. That made my day.

My Folksy Shop Jewellery

I have spent almost all the afternoon loading just a few items onto my Folksy Shop www.folksy.com/shops/AlterNateArt
I have lots more to add, but they will have to wait for another day, I'm just too tired!! Here are a few of the listed ones and a few to come soon...

Mystery Caravan Challenge

Here's the Mystery Caravan that Cindy made for me, 

it's even got a tiny string of lights and looks lovely at night. Thanks Cindy https://www.facebook.com/amperstamp.trubleu?fref=ts
 I love it!!

Employment Awaits...

Here's a picture of a cafe in Venice, which is a place I would like to visit one day. Having no job and no hope of one was so depressing, thinking that I could never realise any of my dreams, but on Friday afternoon, I had a phone call to say that I have got a job at last!
I don't think it's sunk in properly yet and of course, it's subject to my references being ok, etc. But I HAVE A JOB!! 
I am going to save up firstly to go on a cheap sunshiney break, probably in Spain. I need sunshine and relaxation! Then I'll start my little nest-egg for that special holiday. I said I'd do it eventually (Kev) and now I can look to the future a lot more.



















Also, here's the piece that I made for Cindy in the USA. It was a challenge on https://www.facebook.com/groups/mixedmediaart/
I really enjoyed doing this, though it was fiddly to do. I'm looking forward to getting the one she's made for me now.

Interview Day

Recently had a group interview at Pets@Home. Was a bit weird to say the least! I knew it was all going to go down the pan when I was given a sticky label for a name badge and told to go and sit down on a dog bed. And it just became stranger and stranger...
Didn't get that job and I'm quite glad in a way, considering that (as per last post), I suddenly remembered that I don't like things that scurry about, like mice and hamsters. How could I not remember that until after the interview??

My next foray into the world of interviews was at our local hospital. I was asked about previous jobs and I know that my cv isn't exactly wonderful and that there are GAPS.  These are a BAD THING.
My gaps were because I had two boys who I brought up (mostly) alone and then because I had an old-fashioned husband who wanted me to be at home (I didn't argue about it for quite a while!).
So, downhill we went again, nervousness not allowing me to explain it properly.

Tonight, I heard from a friend that there may be a hotel job available. Chambermaid-ing that is. Well I've done it before and after being out of work for almost a year, I would shovel s+++ for money, the way I feel right now. So hold the post, I may be actually earning some money soon, not 'scrounging' it from tax payers as the press like to tell us these days....