Never stop learning for AJJ

This will be my last  page for the current theme over at

Art Journal Journey

where Bluebeard and Elizabeth chose a super theme for the month of ....

Back to School..

I am a firm believer that you are never to old to learn something new.

I did join night classes over the years, they were real fun,
 especially as I had chosen the ones related to cooking
 e.g.... Indian...Cake Decoration...Hostess cookery

I have been lucky to have  had two careers in my working years,
  Radiography  came first,  then a second- retraining to work with children
 who had special educational needs .
It was a big issue to keep these children in mainstream schools  where possible.

 This second one gave me the most work satisfaction.

The training for this was ongoing over the years,

as new ideas and the children's needs changed.

. Some children  had health  or physical issues
  others struggled with the basic of language and numbers,
there was laughter as well as sadness, but each day was a joy.

So thank you Elizabeth for this months theme,
 I wish I could have made more pages
 but I have enjoyed my personal trip down memory lane with this subject after seeing all your fantastic pages and those from the other folk at AJJ.

Thank you for calling in to see me today.

I really appreciate your visit.

Digital images from

Mischief Circus kits.

Sun/ Moon/ Stars at TioT's

Plenty of choice for the new  challenge  starting over at

  Try it on Tuesday's today.

The theme is.......
 Sun  / moon/  stars.

and we can choose any combination,   all,   or just one of these choices.

As always the formats, style and mediums use use is up to yourselves.

I've made a digital page and used the Moon and the Stars as my choices.

I wonder where my couple of dancers are, they are certainly enjoying the music as they dance in the moonlight with the sky full of stars.

Thank you for calling in to see me today.

I do hope you will pop over to TioT's to see what we have all been making.

My own background.

with images from

Mischief Circus kits.

If you called in for T day, please scroll down to my earlier post.

Colouring in on a rainy day

Another journal page for

  Art Journal Journey

 and Elizabeth's theme of ,,,,

Back to school.

A fun digital page,  remembering one of the phrases I often said to my boys when they went off to infants school, all those years ago..... be sure you listen to the teacher and be good.

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We are still in the caravan and have some internet today, so am able to add this post,

My crafting stash for this journey was the Lap top computer, colouring book,  pencils and pens.

Just enough to go in a small drawer, not one of the larger cupboards I usually take over.

 Location....Strid Wood.... site near Bolton Abbey....Yorkshire.

We had a neighbour over the weekend. 

who liked to feed the birds.

 This duck had us laughing. at its efforts

 to land on the bird table for the bread and grain.

Even Meg barking at it, didn't get it to move off.

The greedy thing could hardly fly as it ate everything that was in sight.

So as its been a wet day  out with the colouring book and pens and of course the cuppa.

I hope I will be able to link up with friends for 

T stands for Tuesday's over at

  Bleubeard and Elizabeth's

I took the colouring pages out of the book [The colouring studio]  to make them easier to handle .

This page in the book was by Dyan Reaveley

A few more words and a background added digitally.

Thank you for calling in to see me today you are all very welcome.

my scheduled post for the new challenge theme over at try it on Tuesdays will follow soon.

A little bird song.

A short scheduled post today, to share with you this hybrid page.

I have coloured a  page  from one of Stampinton 

Magazines--The Colouring Studio.

I have to say this is a super colouring book and the paper is a good thickness. After the photo was loaded into the computer, I added some digital additions and a base layer.

Thank you for your visit today you are always welcome.

We are away in the caravan and internet is not always available. I will visit and catch up with you 

all soon as I can..

I left a well stocked larder for my sons,

 who are  house sitting,

no doubt it will need replenishing on our return

School Rules and a welcome tea break .

I am really enjoying this months  theme  over at....

 Art Journal Journey

this is journal page is  created  using new technology

  not even thought about when I was at  school.

No it wasn't back in Victorian times,

 although I do remember how strict it was in class.

No talking, respect, punctuality, hand up to answer questions and no calling out. etc. etc. 

 I think you will be able to add many more of your own to this list.   I can.

So, here I am with the trusty tea close by, enjoying a session on the computer.

Some of the images I used were from an internet search for free to use items. The background is one of my own.

A close up photo of the current Tea mug.

I have to smile at the state of that woman, she looks tired out poor thing.

I am popping over to say hello  and visit with the folk at

Bluebeard and Elizabeths

Where T stands for Tuesday and all are welcome

to add a Tea related post.

Thank you for calling in to see me today,

Happy Tea Day everyone.

I am having some internet issues at the moment, I will get to visit with you all as soon as I can.

Art Class for AJJ

Art..

Art is one of my very forgettable  lessons  when at school.

I had no idea of how to produce anything like my art teacher was expecting.

and  had a thoroughly horrible year with that subject at High School.

This journal spread was made with the current theme at

Art Journal Journey  

with  Bleubeard and Elizabeths popular theme of ''Back to School'' in mind.

Back then I perhaps  would have been happy to produce something like this page on the left.

Plenty colour with  freedom to play and create.

Using crayons and a wet tissue,

with a word stencil.

Go with the flow and see what happens.

You can see the mess, but it is my mess

and I had something in mind about how it would eventually look.

At school we had to sit in orderly rows with a blank sheet of paper  and were not encouraged to add paint until the art teacher was satisfied with the drawn outline.

Needless to say hardly any paint got as far as my paper.

Now I am happy when a background turns out like this one.

Using a quantity and variety of thick Pebeo paints.

It may take a couple of days to dry, but it leaves an acceptable textured look..

I have yet to use this base in a conventional crafty way.

The photo of it, was used for my hybrid  journal page.

Digital additions were added to both pages for my journal spread.

These days my concept and enjoyment of  Art  is  totally different from my school days.

Like this quote... by Degas.

Art is not what you see,

but what you make others see.

My teacher certainly  isn't standing over me these days to shout...' Mess'  and 'could do better.'

this leads to the second quote...

With imagination comes knowledge.

Thank you for stopping by to see me today,

you are very welcome here.

Digital additions from 

Mischief Circus kits.

St Trinians for AJJ

I have altered one of my scrapbook pages  from the 1990's  to share with you today.

The school I worked in  always encouraged the children to raise funds for good causes.

These are some of  photos that  were taken on  one such day, 

 raising money on    ''Comic Relief's-- Red Nose Day''.

I cannot show you any photos  with the children who wore fancy dress,

 as it was and is against

 the school's guidelines.

So the staff wore school uniform and at lunch time had lots of fun with the children.

Showing them some of the games  we played,  when we had been in school.

I have altered the photos and given the girls some new eyes,[I'm in there as well wearing my glasses.] perhaps they don't want to be reminded of the football match that ended with many exhausted,

skipping and getting tangles in the ropes,

or like me being stood in the corner of the dining hall

for being disruptive at the table.

 All because I took a jam jar of  pond creepy crawlies into lunch.

My argument was that it did have a lid and they couldn't escape

Moral of story never argue with your teachers they are always right.

 My own escapade will give you some idea of the minor incidents we set up for the children to enjoy .

Good fun was had by all and I am happy to say the children settled back  in class after lunch as if it was just any day of the week.

Another school memory from me for 

Art Journal Journey

 and Elizabeths'  theme of Back to School

at Art Journal Journey

Thank you for stopping by, your visit and comments are always appreciated.