More Florence!

As promised more photos- a lot!!!!
On our first afternoon in Florence we walked from the hotel with the intention of booking in for the next day at the Uffizi. We found our way down to the Arno and walked along by the river. Along the way we spotted a church across a little piazza and couldn't resist a look inside. The Church was The Chiesa di Ognissanti and from the outside looked quite small.....

 ...now bearing in mind that this was the first church I had visited in Florence can you imagine how I felt when I walked in?

This was the sight that greeted me! Hmmmm!
The little chapels around the sides were amazing and then to find that one of the paintings on the wall had been done by Botticelli....guess what, I was so enthralled that I forgot to take a photo of it!
We had a coffee after that and by the time we reached the Uffizi even though it was before the time that they should have sold tickets the man refused to serve us! (We queued for an hour and twenty minutes the next day, fortunately it went quite quickly!)

On the way to find something to eat hubby took this fabulous photo just as it was getting dark and the buildings were lit up.

The next day we enjoyed our visit to the Uffizi - we were there quite a while and despite hubby's usual attitude to anything arty he was just as taken as I was! I'm not including any photos here as I don't want to spoil it if you get to visit yourself and most paintings are fairly well covered in books and Internet if you care to look.

This is the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio - another truly stunning place!

Remember the picture of the inside of San Miniato al Monte in my previous post - this is the view from the steps going up to it. We caught a bus to Piazalle Michaelangelo the realised that the stop before was actually near the foot of the steps. We walked up to the church from the other side and I was quite disappointed considering that the church had been recommended to us by a local - then we found that it was the wrong church so back down we went and up another set of steps to the right one!!! Result ...and a half!!!!

Some interesting characters here too, just in front of the church

The wrong church!!

We also liked Basilica di Santa Croce not far from the Uffizi.
This last picture was taken from the upper floor of the Uffizi!

Thanks for looking, I hope you will come back to see pictures of the next part of our journey! Chris

A few photos

Ah yes! Just a few!!!! We had the most fantastic time - flew to Rome, caught a train to Florence, stayed in a lovely little hotel quite close to the station, saw some fantastic art, great buildings, ate some delicious food and packed quite a lot into the three days we had there! 
This was our view from the bedroom window

I think this view while we were eating at the Uffizi made the food taste better!

We were told this church -S Miniato al Monte was the best in Florence - I have to agree - it was near to Piazalle Michaelangelo across the river with a lot of steps to climb.

We also had this great view......

although this is the one that most people enjoy too

We ate out in some unusual settings - the pizza was great but the decor was amazing

I just couldn't resist this - the guy had just gone in for his lunch!

I will be back with more photos but Saturday is Happy Stampers Day so it will be a lot later!
Thanks for looking, I'm looking forward to bit of a blog catch up too now we have some appointments out of the way! Chris

WOYWW in a rush!

What you are about to see may be scary for some! For seasoned WOYWWers it MAY be normal but I just felt I should warn you! Of course Julia of the Stamping Ground encourages honesty in showing off our desks but who here hasn't had a quick tidy on occasions before daring to bare all!?!?!?
This was the desk at 7.00am this morning when I suddenly realised I had not prepared a journal to take away!

A frenzy of stencilling and spraying - papers and journal to mop up and the little travel journal with drying pages.

The reason for the early hour this morning is that tomorrow at 5.am a taxi is coming to take us to the airport and we're off to Italy again - Florence and Rome this time at our own pace.

You will be pleased to know that an hour ago things looked a lot better and I have a journal to take!

I may do a little more before I go as we are all packed apart from a few last minute things - here it is beside my DVD case which will hold all my supplies.

I will get around to visit some desks tonight and while we are away we can get free wi-fi so there may be some late visiting too!

Back soon! Chris

Grabbing a chance!

We seem to be packing a lot into our days at the moment - packing being the operative word, we are off on our travels again very soon. Yesterday I hopped off to meet friends for coffee, so lovely to catch up! Another friend is coming here for coffee today then it's grandchildren time tonight so I grabbed a few minutes to play in one of my journals yesterday. 

The page had started life as a mop up then had some stencilling and stamping added so it was time to finish the page!

This was how it looked before I started yesterday

I had a lovely little girl image taken from a set of cards I bought when a shop was closing down ages ago. Some Spring Greens die cut leaves in dark blue! Scraps to make the wings and stamp the butterflies onto.

A little more stamping - as you can see my favourite Attic Treasures has been used - quite a lot - again! The quote is from Tim's Words For Thought.

I am entering in The Artistic Stamper Challenge - Letters, Words, Numbers.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Pretty Tim!

Now there's two words you don't often see together!

Hi everybody! I'm back from the land of 'poor or no connection', which this time seemed to be even worse with the terrible fog we had. Please accept my apologies for not commenting, the only time I could get a connection we were in the car and I just can't use the screen keyboard while going over bumps - it was a case of look but don't touch I'm afraid!!

While we were away I had intended joining in with some challenges but even though I took a bag full of crafting goodies with me it seems I appeared to have left Mr Mojo at home! Still, at least I got some of the chores out of the way, it being too foggy to want to go out(apart from little walks), and the caravan is free of old clothes and magazines, everything is sparkling and when Spring comes back we will have time to play!

So, we came home and I made a card for a friend this morning - it's already in the post!
My friend likes pinks and greens so I turned to Tim! I love the Attic Treasures collection so started by using Spun Sugar and Bundled Sage to make a background, spritzed a little then stamped randomly with the Paris text stamp using Frayed Burlap and Antique Linen distress inks. I used the diamonds from Tiny Textures around the edge of the card before sticking the background on - again using Bundled Sage.
Next came the sentiment from Words for Thought and some butterflies from Attic Treasures stamped onto card stamped first with the Swirls from Tiny Textures.

Next came the flower and leaves and some lace, I stamped randomly with Victorian Velvet, Bundled Sage and Antique Linen with stamps from Attic Treasures then coloured each area with the same ink. The paper was then run through the big shot using Garland, Spring Greens and Tattered Lace dies. Seam Binding was then coloured with the same inks and built up to make the corner

The large butterfly was a Crowded Attic Salvage sticker coloured with Distress Markers.

I stamped onto the card before sticking the butterflies on. I hope my friend likes it, and I hope you like my pretty Tim card too!

I am going to link this to the newest challenge on the block - A Vintage Journey where their very first Challenge is "Anything Tim"

and Stamping Sensations where the challenge this month is "Pretty in Pink"

Thanks for looking, Chris

Astronomy

I struggled a bit on this challenge - so a 'real' challenge - just what I like! It came to me looking through a paper pad - 'Astronomy' and from that came the shape so here is my entry

Lots of stars, stencilled, stamped, glittered, and the large star glued and gilded!

I love this challenge as it really gets me thinking!!
Linking to The Dragons Dream TIO - A and a not usual tag shape

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

Age!

I'm enjoying the  Q&L challenges set by the Craft Barn using a choice of word - this time the choice was 'marriage' or 'age'. There were quite a few came to mind but I finally settled on this Tom Stoppard quote.

 The tag was one I'd coloured a while ago with distress inks so yesterday I used black soot DI through a couple of stencils and rubbed some more black soot around the edges. Marci had to stand on some scraps I pulled out of my little pencil case (if I go on to describe my ways of storing scraps from very large in a big box file, smaller in a couple of clear A4 folders, smaller still in the pencil case and even smaller still in a little clear box you will probably think I've lost the plot!)She seemed quite happy! The tape is one I 'found' in TKmaxx - American Crafts I think but has a lovely shiny finish.

I'm just in time to link to the challenge!

Thanks for looking, Chris

WOYWW 248

Well that week soon disappeared! We went up to our caravan last Thursday and back again last night after a babysitting and pancake making session with our grandchildren - none went on the floor and only one slightly shrivelled in the pan effort!!

We only got back just before 9 last night and then it was cup of coffee and Death in Paradise(if you've never seen this it's a real treat, sadly the last one in the series last night)so bags are still unpacked and nothing on my desk. 
However I did take a photo of the table at the caravan mid invitations yesterday

I had a little production line going - I know...most unlike me to be organised and I have more than half finished now!
I was pleased that my son and fiancé finally settled on a reasonably easy card to assemble and I've been able to use my distress inks and  stencils!

Now for an apology - I didn't get back to some lovely people who left comments last week - the connection for most of the time was dreadful, I don't know why it never used to be that bad, we sometimes don't have a phone connection at all either or it cuts out halfway through a conversation and I'm unable to get back to the person I'm speaking to - maybe I need a new phone (still debating the i-phone/pad or whatever!!!)

Off to see the Book Thief today so I'll be back later via the link on Julia's Stamping Ground - where would we be without her?!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

March - and already late!

There's so much going on this month and I'm already trying to catch up. We're at our caravan, going home today and I've been making THE wedding invitations. Well, some of the time, we have been out for some lovely walks and a trip to Kendal. 
We have an exciting trip at the end of the month and back in time for Happy Stampers too!! The hares are keeping an eye on the time so I'm going to be able to fit in those appointments and outings with friends along with all the other things(including the rest of the invitations)
I used Peacock Feathers Distress ink around the edge of the page then stamped with a water spritzed stamp to create a ghosting effect. I then used the same stamp and more Peacock Feathers to stamp in the middle

The clocks are from one of the Papermania travel sets and the larger one a Craft Stamper freebie,the hares are Alice Palace ones from Crafty Individuals. I made a bit of a hash of the lettering so had to redo on some smooshed paper.
I'm linking to Kate Cranes Kathrynwheel blog where you can find out all about the 365/12 challenge.

Thanks for looking - must dash............Chris