T Stands for ……tag, calendar and a drink!

I am going to try to squeeze a lot into this post so will try to be less wordy!
First, a tag for Tag Tuesday where Chrissie invites us to use a Favourite Colour Combination! 

All these bits were lying around on my desk from different projects so are fairly obviously colours I use a lot, The tag had been stencilled with the TH Doyly so I aded some stamping .
Next my calendar journal, which I started like this on my lap in front of the TV while watching Roger Moore as James Bond on Sunday afternoon!

 It was then stuck in and stamped with a set of French Stamps from Cultura ( a chain store with a shop near my SIL's and also in the shopping centre at Le Grand Arch in Paris)

Here is my completed page..

 ..and July all filled in

Next of course - as it is nearly Tuesday here and Bleubeard Elizabeth's link up is ready - T Stands For Tuesday.

I am taking you back to when we visited Rydal Mount and Arnside with my Son and Grandchildren way back in April!

 Leaving Wordsworth's home and going down the hill to Dora's field

 …and from here to the Copper Kettle where hubby and I had been in March

 My pork and apple burger and Latte. GS was opposite me but didn't want his photo taken! 

 Hubby's sandwich and Tea of course...

 .. and a shy GD's panini….

 …her hot chocolate was very late arriving, she had already eaten her meal

 Loved this light fitting!!!
Hope to get around to visiting when I get back from the Gym hubby and I are going to every Tuesday morning!!!!!

Thanks for looking! Chris

Summertime - it's not over yet!

When I saw Dounia's lovely white stamping on the Paper Artsy blog it set me off on a little bit of a play!

I had a background in my journal that has been there since February - time to use it!

It was quite bright - I think at the time I was trying to get through the grey days we were having by making bright backgrounds.I recall spreading some paint around randomly and then of course as you can see I used some of Seth Apter's stamps randomly too.

I added some Hickory Smoke distress ink randomly and stamped the JoFy14 stamps. Although it didn't show much of the colour through the white I am pleased with the page, to which I added some doodling too!

I have always admired the white flower beds in the stately home gardens we like to visit but must say I prefer colour in my own - which is just as well as it would be an awful lot of digging involved if we had to move anything now!

I'll just be content with the only white we do have in our caravan garden!

I would like to enter the Dark to Light and Contrasts challenge at Paper Artsy 

This is also my final entry at Art Journal Journey where Bluebeard and Elizabeth have done an excellent job of hosting throughout July with the Summertime Love theme! Wow! An entry every day and comments on all entries too! Time for a rest now? I bet she doesn't!!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Smile!

We seem to be dashing about a bit which is strange because we are having some time at home - at least it's all good stuff like visiting grandchildren, playing scrabble with friends, meeting up with friends for meals and for coffee!
I do have a page for Elizabeth's Summertime Love theme at Art Journal Journey though! I did it last weekend but haven't been on the computer much!

The page was painted yellow then I added some green and pink by lifting some leftover (still wet) paint from my plastic lid palette with a paper towel and laying it lightly on the page in a random fashion.
I stamped the Carabelle Studio Azoline stamp and then stamped the larger elements onto paper which I coloured and fussy cut to stick on. I went over all of the outlines to make them stand out more against the background.

Because we enjoyed some sunshine last week (for part of the time) I added the TH Chit Chat words when I got home! I hope the sun smiles on us this week too!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Journaling again!

At the moment I am happiest when I can play in my journal! I have had a lot of paperwork to deal with lately - self imposed - I kept leaving my filing away for so long just because the boxes were full and needed old stuff removing - if I had done it months ago it wouldn't have been half as bad!!
At least I am more than halfway through and we are having some time at home. I am of course missing our caravan garden but my page reminds me why I love it so much! I used Faded Jeans and Vintage Photo Distress Oxides to create a rainy background - I am quite pleased that we have had some rain as we won't be around to water the plants! I added a little bit of random stamping and then wished I hadn't - Hey Ho!! 
The stamp is a Woodware one which I stamped onto some book paper, inked around the edges and then used water colours to colour the flowers. 

 I drew in some grass for the flowers to grow on!
The quote is from a Paper Artsy Lin Brown set(ELB06)

I am adding the to Art Journal Journey's link where there are still a few days to join in with Elizabeth's theme - 'Summertime Love'

I am also entering the 'Anything with Flowers' Challenge at Stamping Sensations

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for……the garden...

I know you saw my garden last week but there has been a big change! Since we went up last time the hedges have been cut - sadly not the ones in the farmer's field over the road but the dividing hedges between caravans.

Before….

…..and after

Not sure I like the shrubs cut flat sided, so on Saturday I trimmed them a bit to make them look as though they looked little bit more of a natural shape!

We can now chat to our neighbours over the hedge again!

Here's a shot you don't see very often - the view from my bedroom window as I got up - the sun throws a different light on everything in the early mornings!

My borage plants are growing - I'm quite pleased with my phone's camera for picking up the delicate hairs!

The view from the back of the caravan.
The bees are still loving the overgrown mint…

…and inspired this page in my journal - which I am adding to to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's 'Summertime Love' at Art Journal Journey

I found a page in my old student text book about honey for part of this page - the rest is a Kim Dellow stem stamp and a stamp I bought in Paris which I stamped onto one of hubby's used Tea bag papers - the bees are on the same stamp and I used a water based pen to colour and stamp them.
Of course, I am also going to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday too!

Last week we (well I say we, but hubby didn't say long) went to a craft shop for a Craft Demo Day - lovely Leonie was there - it was she who started me on my inky journey all those years ago (up to then I was using card kits of printed images) and although I don't see her very often (except on TV) we do meet  occasionally - sometimes in unexpected places!! 
I forgot to take any photos while there but afterwards hubby and I visited Barton Grange Garden Centre - somewhere we used to go to regularly years ago!
It was quite late in the afternoon so the rush was definitely over..

 ..and we got one of the riverside tables to sit at

 Hubby thinks my trying to get everything in the shot amusing but I wanted to show you my Almond Slice and his Lancaster Lemon Tart as well as his hot chocolate and my coffee!

I still have photos of some of our trips out to show you - I hope to get some of these organised for next time…unless we go somewhere exciting this week of course!

Thanks for looking and Happy T Day everyone!
Chris
  

Welcome, Welcome back and a card!!!

Before I start my post I would like to welcome Annie of Purple Tree Paints to blogland! I have added her blog to my list of favourites on the left of my blog - if you want to see what this amazingly talented lady creates! I was lucky enough to look through her journal the other day at Rowantree Crafts Christmas event.You can see some photos here on the Rowantree Crafts blog I am sure she will post more of her pages. 
I would also like to welcome back to Blogland Sue of 'A View of the World From Here' and Pat of Pat's Blog - I have missed seeing your fabulous art ladies and I hope to see more on your blogs!
    
I do hope you will give these blogs a look!

Now to my card -

 You may have seen this little elephant before - she (Nellie Ellie!)is one of Tracy Easson's Which Craft? 'Wonky Tonk' stamps and I love her! The cloud is also from Tracy's set. This card has now been received so I can show you! As before, a background of Brushos and Pixie Powder - I love how the Brushos blend so well with the Pixie Powder to give a brilliant shine (pity you can't see it in my photo!)I stencilled in some stars to reduce the amount of white showing as I wanted the cloud to feature more!  I stamped the image and then coloured and cut out a stamped image on top so that the details show! A butterfly from my 'bits' box and a very old greeting stamp - all finished off with a doodled border!

I would like to enter the Craft Stamper - Take It- Make It July challenge

Thanks for looking - A journal page next I think!!! Chris

When it sizzles!

Those of you that know me also know that I love Paris…at any time of the year!
My page is about Paris in the Summer - I borrowed the words of the famous Cole Porter song - I love Paris!

My page started off like this..

Some paint, scraps of mop up paper, gauze, my date stamp and transparent paste through a stencil.

I added some torn paper (Indigoblu I think), computer generated words and a TH young lady who was part of a couple…he had an urgent call to take, but her confident look tells me he won't be long before he is back beside her and they will enjoy walking in the Paris parks together!

The photos were taken in Paris in June 2015 - you may have already seen them!

We visited Troyes, Orleans, Tours and Poitiers then and finished with a few days in Paris!

Later this year we are travelling again in France, we have already booked our train tickets and hotels and made arrangements with my SIL and BIL who have once again kindly invited us to stay with them!

My page is to link to Elizabeth's great 'Summertime Love' theme at Art Journal Journey.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Sunshine on a rainy day!

We are hoping that the weather isn't as bad as the torrential downpours recently that have flooded some homes, but we are expecting rain while we are away!
I don't know about you but Sunflowers always make me smile which is why I bought this Paper Artsy JoFY51 set as soon as I saw it!
The background was, pretty much as usual, already in my large journal, I stamped the flower and masked it before stamping the stem.

I am linking again to Art Journal Journey where Elizabeth's theme is Summertime Love
I did try to grow a sunflower this year but something ate it - slugs I think, so I will just have to enjoy looking at this one! 
The caravan garden was looking OK last weekend although the calendula has also been eaten!
My Buddlea has it's first flower

This is on our decking - yes that is a frog's foot you can see - it's plastic and hubby thought it would amuse our grandchildren!!!!

The red hot pokers are almost at an end but we have some kind of Lily (help please Helen!)beyond them!

Uh! Oh! a nettle too!!

The frost we had back in May turned all of the Hydrangea buds brown and shrivelled so I picked them off - there are more flowers than ever but they are smaller!

This fly was sunbathing!

My mint has gone wild - it is in large pot but so many insects are visiting it that I am leaving it as it is!

I attempted a bit of Topiary on the box bush which was getting out of hand…err…it's supposed to be a heart!

 Thanks for looking, Chrisx