Sunday in the park with...........

about a thousand triathletes. They may have been taking part in an Ironman competition but women were involved and I took my camera along to prove it. I'm only used to taking shots of cards so I was quite pleased with these. Shame about that chap at the back. Think I recognise him-ah yes it's the madman who decided to get up at halfpast four in the morning to bag a good spot to watch the cycling. I didn't go with him but couldn't sleep and I was hanging out washing by seven o'clock---SEVEN O'CLOCK AAARGHHH.

Felt very virtuous. Shan't be doing it again in a hurry. In case you wondered we only had to stroll a few yards from the house to see all this but that is not chez nous in the background.

This is one of the leading women and the

fella at the back is my DH. There was a bit of a cool breeze so we wrapped up warm!

I have also been doing some cardmaking. Me and Tim or make that Tim and I have got a thing going on and here are the results. First there's coated cardstock with peeled paint/dusty concord/pine needles/black soot ink all blended. This was my first go and I loved the effect. I then stamped the image with stazon-versafine doesn't dry on coated stock but s'pose I could've embossed it. Next I used old paper and walnut stain on uncoated card and stamped the same image first with old paper then with walnut stain. I was very good and made them both into cards. Bit challenged on that bit but think it's so striking it doesn't need much else. Could gold emboss a sentiment in the top right of the coloured one but sometimes I like to leave them and decide when I use them. Now if you want to know about the image I'm going to disappoint you. I know them when I see them at shows but they are unmounted and at the mo' I just can't remember

Just to end I think you may have noticed I don't do card challenges. It's 'cos I prefer not to pressure myself, just go at whatever pace Ye Olde Condition dictatates. I do challenge myself though and my ongoing one is using up stash. Anyway I decided to print out a sheet of Pink Petticoat Christmas trees and try to use every one in a different way. I managed four but I'm not the fastest of cardmakers and each one got a little bit more complicated than the last. This is what I ended up with. Managed to use a bit of my peel off stash. Don't know why I succumb to them but they do accumulate and you never get to the end of the sheet. For the circle background I mounted the peel offs en masse onto mirri card and cut with a nesty then coloured them in with permanent pens-and these started off as quick cards ha ha ha. Think I will play about with the ribbon threaded through idea but keep the next one ultra simple. This is my mantra -ultra simple Betty, ultra simple Betty. That's the cards not me. Tata