T stands for ........Toulouse!

If this works you will know that we are in Toulouse! We had a rocky start but today, although it is boiling hot, we have seen such beautiful buildings. It is so hot that standpipes have been set up in a couple of places that we saw!
I am hoping to join in at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T stands for Tuesday.

I am on the tablet at the moment and will add photos from my phone, starting with our meal at lunchtime today! We enjoyed our meal at this restaurant 'la. cote et aret' yesterday so much that we returned today! We had filet mignon of pork with sweet potato crisps and mash with mange tout peas.....we're sticking with water I think heat!!!!

The rest of the photos are some of the places we went today - no captions!!

Thanks for being patient if I don't comment, even if I do sneak in for a peek at what you have been drinking, Chris xx

Material Girl!

Hi everyone, a scheduled post again today for our new theme at Try It On Tuesday, and as it is a sewing, stitching, faux stitching, textiles kind of theme we are calling it 'Material Girl' 
Please take a look at the Design Team's fabulous samples!

I am not usually much of a material girl but I did enjoy making this card!

I used my machine to sew the old T shirt fabric onto some sturdy cotton, then it was just a matter of layering lace, the beautiful Crafty Individuals image and some flower bits and pieces - some by glueing and some by stitching!

You have the usual 2 weeks in which to enter and there are some rules to check out on the TIOT blog! 

If you are wondering how far we have got we should be in Toulouse by now! 

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

T Stands for.....taking a chance with France..........

Well, if you are reading this ...I'm hoping you have forgiven me if I didn't visit last week!
I'm taking a chance that I may or may not be able to make any comments on your blogs even though I will try again!
We started our holiday with an overnight stay in Paris, not that we saw much as we arrived quite late after an incident on the Metro!

Beaune was the first part of our holiday and I can promise that there will be lots more photos when we get home!
For now here are some photos of some of the lovely Mediaeval town and the market!

We moved on to Lyon on Sunday and decided to walk to the old city.....We have now bought travel passes!

It is  beautiful city that a you can see has quite contrasting areas! Once again I have lots of photos!
I'm going to attempt to link at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog for T stands for Tuesday.

Today we went to the Vieux Lyon restaurant. We both had  pork dish and while hubby had praline flan I had a creme brulee.....our drink was of course...water!

           

This has taken quite a while to write so I will be going straight to bed now!

Thanks for looking, Chris

A Mini Journal

A while ago I made this mini journal for the Crafty Individuals Hochanda show! I thought you might like to see it.

For some reason that are slightly out of order but I'm sure you get the picture! 
I really love these new stamps!

I would like to enter this at the Mini Album Makers challenge!

Thanks for looking, Chris
A scheduled post!

Make It Masculine

I'm guessing that there will be a few Father's day cards being made soon and as the new Try It On Tuesday theme is Make it Masculine we may see a few cards.
The Design Team sen to be on the same lines today as you will see if you look here

I stamped a World map onto some Yupo paper with alcohol ink colours! 
Next came a Tim Holtz tightrope walker (although this does look quite dangerously slack!!)and added the words!
This was then mounted and put onto a spritzed distress ink card!

I hope you can join us with your masculine makes!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for trying....

Hi everyone! As you know I haven't been out much lately and when I have it has been for visits to the Docs or a shopping trip!
I have been trying to find something to post!

I have managed another page for Halle's theme at Art Journal Journey.
While looking for some words to take away in my craft bag I came across these and knew just what I wanted to use with it.

The background is one that has been in my journal for a while and I have no recollection of what I used, although it does look a little bit as though Brushos may have been added over some mop up paint.

I stamped randomly with some leaves and a text from Paper Artsy Courtney Franiche's leaf set(Eclectica ECF06)My new favourite!!

I stamped and fussy cut Trish Latimer's whimsical girl and when I had stuck her down gave her some silver trails from her arms.

Finally a bit of Picked Raspberry DI around the edge of the page.
I am joining in with Halle's 'Words to Live By' theme at Art Journal Journey.

As I am joining Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday I have gone back to the day after 'the traffic jam' when we were still disappointed about our planned trip having to be cancelled!

We went to Beetham Garden Centre for a little look around and for my favourite Vegetarian Platter.

Waiting patiently!

As you can see - we both had water to drink! I removed the little pots of piccalilli and chutney to leave space for the salad, jackfruit,falafels,rarebit and cheese(which I saved till last and had with the chutney and a piece of bread)!

I won't be here for a while but I will try to make up for the lack of photos when we get back from our holiday in France!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

Dream that you can....!

Hi everyone! I have been back to the docs once again - becoming a regular!!!

This time it was following a call about my blood sugar to the Diabetic nurse at the practice - apparently nothing to worry about and today's level proved that to be so!
However, she didn't like what I told her about my pains and made the unprecedented move of booking me in to see a GP the next morning.(we have a system of ring after 8.00am and try to get in the queue for an appointment)

The doc gave me a thorough examination, heart, lungs, flexibility and gave me a sheet of useful exercises!
Having done them for just a day I feel much better and now have the motivation to get on with looking at what I will be taking on our trip...as well as looking around at all the things I haven't been able to tackle!

I started a journal page a while ago with the lovely new butterfly stamp from Crafty Individuals so yesterday finished it!

I had gessoed over quite a bright page and added some blue ink around the edges.
The butterflies were stamped and fussy cut and then some slightly smaller butterflies were cut and inked around the edges

I added random parts of another new CI stamp and then stamped the Dylusions quote.
Once stuck down everything had a quick spatter!

I am of course joining in at Art Journal Journey with Halle's 'Words to Live by' theme

also

Moo Mania - Things with Wings
Penny Black and More challenge - Bloom, Butterflies and/or BugsCountry View challenges - It's a Bugs Life!
Craft Stamper Magazine - Take it- make it Challenge

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

WOYWW 522

It really was lovely to meet up with some of you at the crop although I suspect I may have looked as though I wasn't enjoying myself!

My back pain is still there even though I have been given the all clear - the doctor(yet another one)seems to think I may have put something out of place - told me to do some gentle exercise(not that I could do anything other than gentle) and asked what painkillers I was using...so that's it then!!!

Sorry, but not sorry for this rant - a week today I want to be in Paris for the start of a trip around France and at the moment I can hardly carry a bag let alone my suitcase, even though we are only taking small cases!

Anyway, the crop...I arrived with hubby somewhat later than intended, but how nice to see everyone and the beautifully decorated hall!

I'm sure you have seen lots of pics so I'll only show a couple! 

Anne, Neet and Heather...not sure whether Neet had started anything here!
I confess all I did was write on the back of my ATC's...which I thought I had already done! 

 I am sure someone will have taken photo of the Snoop Queen cake!
Lots of laughter(and a few tears)as Julia gave a quick resume of what Workdesk Wednesday is all about....in a nutshell 'Us', but we all know who is responsible for 'us' being here, well, for me some weeks, but lots of you every week! Julia - you are a star for motivating us!!!

Please follow this link to our host Julia at The Stamping Ground 

Lots of swapping of ATCs took place and I started by trying to get cards in neat lines to give credit to everyone but just couldn't bend over the table long enough, so here is some of what I came home with, some raffle prize items and errr...the chocolate is in the fridge(well some of it!!!)

I'm making no promises about visits, although I will try and I won't be here for a few weeks.....I hope!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T stand for.......then this happened!!!

Hi everyone!

Okay, so there's been a slight change in my state of health!

Last week I started back on the specific anti-biotics (after being given the ones that weren't even likely to get me better!) I felt no better but on Saturday we headed to the WOYWW crop(more of that tomorrow)slightly later than intended and had a lovely day, helped along by painkillers!!!
Then this happened!
There has been no change in the pain in my back so, as requested by the Doc last week went back today, except he wasn't there and I saw some one else. She dip tested my sample and said it was all clear...the back pain now must be that I did actually put something out of place!
Getting in and out of bed is the worst time but lying in bed is also painful.
To me it feels no different to last week, so...excercises and Deep Heat it is then!
I have a week to get better before we get onto the first train of our holiday.....but at least hubby has stopped talking of cancelling the whole thing!!!

Then this happened!
Do you remember this?

 On Saturday I came back to find this!!! Whaaaat?

Then this happened!

We went up to our caravan for a few days...except......I had about 5 hours sleep....so it turned into an overnighter - we came back home yesterday!!!

Still at least I got to see my garden!

 My favourite area still, even though the stump is almost rotted away!

 My Red Hot Pokers look as though they are cooler this year!

 A few hidden Irises

Almost over......

...but look at the buds here! 

 The mint I allowed to go wild is there for the bees again this year!

I have forgotten what this plant is called but I have never seen so many flowers on it!

Then this happened!

After the Doc's this morning we went off to shop at the supermarket with the nice cafe and it is here where I will join Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T stands For Tuesday.

We ordered our drink and snack and the till wasn't working - the assistant told us to pay later but as there were no other customers hubby said he would do it straight away so off they both went to find a till!

They were gone for around 10 minutes....it seems that there were no tills free so they queued behind someone who had forgotten to weigh and price her veg at first, then hubbies card refused to work(it is a new card and has already happened twice before!!)

I had my Americano, and I had to turn this almond croissant around so you can't tell I already started it and hubby had Cappuccino and carrot cake!

I'm sorry to say I didn't get around to everyone last week and I'm not sure whether I will post next week as I don't think I will get around to visit everyone again!

Thanks for looking, Chris