Strip along a wrong...I can't count

Corrected block, spot the error below. I've just edited this page and I didn't spot this error with photos - time to rest I think...

I had planned to go to the EK crop and scrap this weekend but I have injured my back and can't sit so standing and sewing was the option for short periods. The scrappy stripalong has been an instagram and blog craze since start of year and I just had to give it a go using this  tutorial. The tutorial is very easy to follow, personally I blame the super strong painkillers and my inability to count... Once I worked out I had used 7 strips of material (instead of 6) I realised I could add another  set of squares to create a 14 inch block. Now I can't decided whether to revert to the original 6 square block or work out the maths for a 7 square block which I think is 20 or 21 inches not 16 inches. I am an English teacher and Maths especially fractions and inches (being metric here) cause me untold confusion.

Should I keep this for the back and revert to 6 squares or keep going at 7 squares?

I also completed another two rows in the Bee in My Bonnet Row A Long. I had completed first four rows and then fell behind so again with Maths not being my strong point I completed row 9 Twinkly stars and Row 6 Cups of Cocoa and this has nothing to do with the fact that the flying geese row looks too hard.

Again these are easy to follow tutorials with lots of photos and helpful tips. I am planning to donate my Bee A Long quilt to Siblings Together and possibly the scrappy trip along too. Please go and follow the link to find out about this charity as I think it is a great idea and if you don't quilt perhaps you knit. 

Thanks for dropping by.

Art Journal Stampotique Challenge SDC82

Stampotique stamps, paint, layers, tonic border punch and snowflake punch

The first pages using Dylusion and Studio 490 stamps and tonic border  punches and the lyrics from "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd. 

 I am entering this in the Stampotique Challenge SDC82 which challenged you to use die cuts and punches. I finished the page but found it very hard to photograph, partly because the "page" is a double page layout with another double page inside that double page. I also used lots of mod page to stick all my layers together which gives the page a high shine. I think this page is perhaps too much and is one of those pages when I should have stopped about 4 layers back but I still like all the layers and texture.
These were the pages before I went a little overboard...

I like the snowflakes I added but think I should have left the text and the waste from the punches white.

I suppose that is the fun of journalling you never quite know what will happen. I like the fact that other pages of my journal will have the cut out shape and you can glimpse areas through the punches.

Thank you for stopping by.

Cushions and back to journalling

I made these 3 cushions as part of eldest son's Christmas and did show a picture of them in his flat. I had to take a picture of these on Christmas Eve at night as I did not finish them until them. I used a scrappy log cabin for two and the fabulous retro fabric for the middle one. Of course I forgot to keep a note of the fabrics but I did buy them from Beyond-fabrics.co.uk. One of the text prints has instructions on how to iron which I chose as the back for one of the cushions so he could follow instructions to iron shirts.

I quilted the scrappy logs with diagonal lines

I used a simple envelope back as I've not tried zips yet.

I began journalling again and feel great. I'm not sure if it was having time to myself for the first time in weeks, getting my feelings on paper or just playing but whatever combination of these... it worked. I found myself dancing around the kitchen to the Foo Fighters while cooking and was interrupted by youngest daughter coming into the room looking horrified and asking me to turn the music down. Jumping around to music is fun though. Here's the background before I added anything else. I need to wait for daylight to show you the finished page.

 Lots of texture, paint, ink and layers of pages.

 The photo below shows some christmas ribbon I found and painted and inked and added to the page. Love that texture.

Thanks for coming by.

Happy New Year and a few tech glitches

We have managed to get away for a few days to recover from all the Christmas fun. The journey to my favourite place was stunning. I am trying to post this using my shiny new iPad, which was a Christmas present from Lens Guy, and the Blogger App but it does not work the way I expect it too. The photos were snaps taken with my iPhone of Rannoch Moor and Glencoe whilst Lens Guy was off taking proper images.

Rannoch Moor

A very fuzzy photo of eldest son's new cushions in situ. I made these for his Christmas and took some lovely photos but can't seem to access my photo stream. I will post better photos later.

Torino wrapped in his new quilt.