Never chuck anything away! I made this rather groovy background by dripping alcohol inks onto acetate a couple of years ago when I was going through one of my periodic, tiresome, "I am an artstamper!" phases. I kept the offcuts and finally found a use for them this week. This is a page for one of those Papermill DIY calendars. It's my youngest on a merry go round last weekend, calmly observing the health and safety instruction beside him, even though the ride is not moving . He gets that strand of mindless conformity from his dad. I, as I'm sure you can tell, am FAR more rock'n'roll, hem hem.

I am doing very well with my calendar this year. I bought it in August, and am up to March already.

I went to see my surgeon today, about my back. It is a month ago today since he sliced me open and popped out my damaged disc, and he wanted to check how I was healing. I took my new book on art journals with me to read (whoop! whoop! tiresome "artstamper!" phase approaching!) while I was waiting to be seen. The nurse showed me into his room and told me he'd be in in a few minutes. I sat down and hurriedly flicked through the book, choosing the best page to be caught looking at when he entered the room, so as to like, impress him or something (I really did do this. God, I'm such an arse). Then I sat with a rod straight back just to show how seriously I take postural issues and waited for him to arrive. He didn't show after a few minutes, so I did another flick through and chose another, even more impressive page and posed again. Then I got a text and had to put the book down for a minute while I replied. He walked in to find me huddled, squinting, over my phone, the book completely obscured by my duffle coat. Consequently he will never know the artistic goddess that dwells inside the middle-aged lumpen frame he saw slouched before him. I am sure if he had seen the book he would have understood and would not have casually told me I could stop resting up and could go back to work anytime. Grrrrrrr.

I. Am. Freaking. Sick.Of. Making. Altered. Freaking. Notebooks.

This is the last one. No more. If I have to fiddle another springy coil into place with my sausagey fingers I'll go nuts.

You can tell this is the last as it's the scrappiest. Whilst the first one was a tenderly crafted dedication to teacherly wisdom, this was thrown hurriedly together late last night, when I was in a bit of a rage at not being able to go to bed yet. There are inky finger marks, unexplained sticky patches and hardly any stamping. Grrr.

Some ATCs for a recent swap.No theme. Alcohol ink and blending solution onto pre-cut plastic (from Once upon a Stamp). The images are all from a Crafty Individuals booklet.

A couple of ATCs from a recent swap on the Stamp Galaxy forum. I dripped alcohol ink and mixative onto acetate. The stamps underneath are by Paperartsy and I doodled the chequered border.

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I have been tagged by the lovely Rainowgirl

"So, the rules are: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to blog about their 7 things and post the rules as well. At the end of your blog you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog. "

1. I am married (10 years this year) to a man I met in my first week of university 20 years ago and we have two boys, aged 6 and 2.

2. I work in the public sector but I studied drama at university and used to have an equity card.

3. I love Marmite. Adore the stuff, could eat it straight from the jar. Actually, I have eaten it straight from the jar.

4. I've never seen a James Bond film.

5. I can't tell left from right.

6. I am fascinated by the paranormal, but am terrified of seeing a ghost. When watching Most Haunted I can never quite shake the feeling that the ghosts featured know I'm watching and will come and visit me if I think too hard about them afterwards.

7. The opening titles of the kids tv programme In the Night Garden make me want to cry. In fact I defy anyone not to go all moist eyed. CBeebies, 6.20pm. By the time you get to "Take the little sail down. Light the little light" you should be wrestling with a powerful yearning for your long lost childhood. Then the melancholy theme tune kicks in, at once sweet and sad, and, well, I usually have to leave the room at that point.

Now to find 7 bloggers who haven't already been tagged...