Spring - the cooler version!

Just when we thought Spring had arrived it has turned cooler again! Not to worry - this page will take us to a brighter view!

My friend Elizabeth said the other week Spring makes her think of Paris! As you know I love Paris at any time of the year and the quote I have used sums up how I feel about my favourite city!

The page started like this!

 I found the Eiffel Tower image on a piece of designer paper while making more room on my shelves....

...and I also 'found' this forgotten stencil with egg shaped holes.
I blended some distress inks over the stencil and added the Tim Holtz Paris background stamp randomly over the page.
It looked a bit empty with just the Eiffel Tower so I used some wallpaper bits(stamps and butterflies) from a sample we had tried against our bedroom wall(not the right colour so rejected, but destined to be on a journal page one day!!)I also cut a little bit more from the designer paper.
Finally I added a quote from an Indigoblu set I won a while ago!

I think this will be my last chance to join in at Art Journal Journey with Rosie's Spring theme! I wish I had had time to join in more but there has been a lot going on this month!!

I hope you all have a Happy Easter whatever the weather!

Thanks for looking, Chris

I am loving my Gelli Plate!

Up till this month my Gelli plates have often spent long periods of not being used - my habits have been changed thanks to Birgit Koopsen whose Instagram Gelli Plate Challenge has had me using one of my Gelli Plates every day during this month!

Day 22 had me making Multi Layers

A bit of muddiness to start with, although nothing too horrendous!
Day 23 _Spray inks
 One of my favourites - can't with to try this again!! 

I placed some torn paper towel on my large plate for the top photo and used stencils for the bottom one.
Day 24 Leaves

I went and foraged around the gardens here and was caught by another member of the Gardening Committee!! Most of these are quite tough evergreen leaves but they did the job OK!
I am looking forward to trying this with some more pliable leaves later this year!
Day 25 Hand made Foam stamps - another favourite!

Day 26 Things from the hardware store - so I raided hubby's tool box - he keeps all sorts of leftovers from his DIY efforts (Oops! hope he doesn't see this!) 

 Finally, who would have thought I would find something pear shaped to print with!

I will be back with the final five next week!

Meanwhile I would highly recommend visiting Birgit's blog to see some of the videos she has made about how to use a Gelli plate in so many different ways!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for....two or three things!!!

Hi everyone! The first 'thing' is that we are getting a new car! The repairs for our old one were going to be way too high to justify repairing it!

I have an Easter card for you all too (which is also just right for some challenges!)

I have used some of my 'nice' paper for this card and one of Donna Gray's new That's Crafty sets featuring Freddy the cat! As you can see Freddy is out in the garden today and he has lost the mouse he was chasing amongst the (freebie) daffodils! I coloured everything with my Promarkers. A lot of masking and fussy cutting going on here but isn't Freddy adorable?

I would like to enter at 

That's Crafty March Challenge - Spring In to Action

Penny Black and More March Challenge - Feature a Creature

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Floral Frenzy

Another 'thing' is that at last the sun has been shining and we have managed a couple of walks!

Yesterday we went for a walk along by the River Mersey which is quite near to where we live.
We hadn't intended walking so far, but it was so nice that we headed in a different direction than usual! Hubby had already done this walk last year and kept assuring me that there was a bridge 'just around the bend' - he didn't say which bend and before we knew it we had walked over 3 miles!

We came across a part of the river with waves on it - which may have been caused by a change in the tide - any ideas anyone?

We finally reached the bridge - we took a short cut up quite a steep bank and found ourselves on a path by the bus lane!

We were on the home straight and passed a familiar landmark!

This little garden is by a path that leads to the road home!

Our walk today was lovely too! We went to Dunham Massey and it leads me to Bluebeard and Elizabeth's for T Stands For Tuesday!

You may remember the last visit here was for the Winter Garden at night

I love how they are using this old drawer set to grow Irises

This was one of quite a few bees - so lovely to see them!

The volunteers were getting moss out of the flower beds.

The Orangery is a lovely calm space

The last two shots are hubby's - he walked over to the lake while I was looking in the Orangery and the miniature daffodils were by the gate on the way out and I had put my phone away already!

You can see hubby's tea but I forgot to move my coffee over, his choice of cake was a fruit and yogurt slice while I had a fruit scone! The cafe was very busy and we could only find a table in the shade outside!

Oh! and one more thing, I was going to show more of my Gelli prints but I think you will have been here quite long enough, so I will make a separate post tomorrow!

Thanks for dropping by, I hope to be along a little earlier than I got to some of you last week! Chris

Still playing with my Gelli Plate

Hi everyone, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend, lighter evenings start tomorrow! Hurray!

I have been so busy lately I forgot to post the next five of my gelli prints.

Day 17 Letters
I used a stencil but as you can see from the bottom one I forgot to reverse it at first!

 Day 18 Numbers
As you can see I didn't learn my lesson on day 17...

 ...fortunately it is on some Deli paper, sent to me by my good friend Elizabeth, so I can see it from the reverse!

 I made some more - some deliberately reversed one on half of the paper!

Day 19 Book Paper
I used my new texture plate.

Day 20 Black and Blue
I used a mixture of stamps or stencils

Day 21 Ghost print
I must say I do love ghost prints - a paler, less perfect repeat of the original print!

I am enjoying this challenge so much and learning such a lot from Birgit Koopsen's videos!

Thanks for looking, Chris