Love Spring!

We have been quite busy lately, as well as a service this week we had a trip to a body repair shop to have a scrape fixed after someone bumped us while we were in a car park!!! Fortunately it was not too deep and now it is nearly invisible...and for a very reasonable  price! 
I have also had a trip back to the nurse as my medication changes were affecting me, lets hope that this time it is just right! I'm confidant that once my body becomes used to all the changes - I am on lower doses and one change of tablet!

I have had some time to play and I have also been planning makes with the new Crafty Individuals stamps to be released in April!

I made a journal page using my new Lavinia Stamps - the tree, the hares(or maybe rabbits)and.... also in the collection were some poppies to be used another time!

I'm not so sure that my Distress Oxide background really works here but I did enjoy my play time! 
I used several That's Crafty stencils for the hearts. I stamped part of a seahorse around the edge of the page before inking with Twisted Citron Distress ink. The grass and flowers were made using part of the tree and some extra doodling!

We don't get to see many hares these days but I do love to see them on TV!

I am entering at Art Journal Journey - Hearts - Elizabeth's theme! 
I have so enjoyed this theme but as usual time is running out! 


We have been lucky enough to have some sunshine today so our walk was more pleasant that the last two days, although it was still windy by the river!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For...The Garden Centre

Hi everyone, I had intended posting before now but after taking our car for a service we decided to go to the cinema then out to lunch (Oops! Forgot to take photos of our World Buffet lunch!) 
The film - Call Of The Wild - was enjoyed by both of us for different reasons! The story is one we both knew and the film did stick quite closely to it but I'm afraid I didn't like the CGI dog at first, although I forgot about this as the scenery was the real star for me(and Harrison Ford of course!) Hubby loved the humour in the first part of the film!

Last week we went to a garden centre that gives free coffee for two every month! We were going shopping so decided to call in and have a look around!
They have some quite spectacular large garden statues...

 ..and some smaller ones..

 ...and apples, but no pears!!

We walked past the garden rooms..

 ..and lovely pots....no use to us any more!

Oh! They do sell plants too...

I haven't forgotten our drink that gives me ticket to T Stands For Tuesday over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's The Altered Booklover blog!
We headed inside to the indoor plants, patio furniture, cards, books, toys, pets area, clothing, garden tools, cooking equipment, farm shop and the cafe!!

I had my usual Americano, Hubby had Cappuccino, and we shared one of their delicious sausage rolls.
On the other side of the pillar is the restaurant - we have plans to visit there soon as we saw an offer on!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Monday Makes..

...or rather finished on Monday!
I started this journal page last Wednesday after being inspired by watching Abs of Aall and Create with Leonie on Hochanda TV.

Not that you can tell, as I don't have the stamps he was using, but I did like the design of the page.
I used my favourite sunflower stencil in several places across the page as a stamp and then part of a new stencil. I stamped Bipasha's flowers and then some others were stamped and cut out from the same set! I added part of a zip stamp and some of Tracy Evans' hearts.
Finally I added a pice of wash tape. 
I am joining in at Art Journal Journey with Elizabeth's 'Hearts' theme

I have also completed a tag...just in time (I hope)to join in at Tag Tuesday..

I made this tag on the back of another that I am not so keen on, only thing is I wasn't so keen on what I made here to start with, so out with the gesso and green paint, which I then rolled a piece of string over to get some gentle texture! Still not happy I added some yellow paint with edge of an old 'credit card'
The flowers are from a cheap set of clear stamps - using the colours I am seeing around of the crocuses by the roads. It wasn't looking anywhere near finished until I found the words in a Tim Hold chit chat sticker book  - then I knew...it needs some music paper.
Edged with Crushed Olive DI - it's done and I'm linking to Tag Tuesday and Valerie's 'Spring is in the air' theme.

I hope to back later but it may be tomorrow morning...
Thanks for looking, Chris

Always!!!

Hi everyone! I'm here with another journal page but I can also share the good news that my glucose is restored to a much better level!
I had another review today following a change in medication and not only that my weight is down too(which I knew!)so...now I have another change in medication and more monitoring to do! 

I celebrated by finishing a journal page - to be honest it is nothing like it started, which was mop up, followed by stencilling and more stencilling! It was very bland and I covered it with some gesso and some brayered paint.

 I added some Brushos too, before stamping with my favourite stamp of the moment - the Crafty Individuals Eiffel Tower! You can get an idea of how tall it is in this A5 journal. I added an Aall and Create Tracy Evans A4 stamp (extended above slightly by double stamping. I stamped and cut out the hearts to emphasise them and drew around with a glitter pen! I doodled in opposite corners and then used an Oxford Impressions stamp for 'Paris'and wrote in 'toujours!..at least I thought I did - I missed out the u in jour and there isn't any room to add it! I didn't want to add the word on paper so it is staying as it is!
Everything was covered with some blue and gold spatters.

This page is being linked again to Art Journal Journey and Bleubeard and Elizabeth's Hearts theme

I have started to look forward to our trip even though it is not until April. I do hope it is sunny again when we go - I am getting tired of wet and grey days!

I hope that you are not experiencing any of the disasters that seem to be happening...at least here in the UK.

My blue sky page may give you thoughts of better weather!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Beauty around!

Hi everyone, is it still raining......????

I have been in my craft room finishing a few pages.

This one was just a mop up from a stencil - as I still had some Aall and Create stamps out I dived in the box and decide I wanted to use the figure from one of Tracy Evans' A4 sets. I stamped onto an offset of something I had used the stencil for(it's a new one by Autour de Mwa)I used part of another stamp on the same sheet and then thought that the butterfly border, also by Stacy, would make a perfect background for the Bipasha quote! I stamped the butterflies separately and then stamped two more, one on a gelli print and one on some more leftover stencilled paper.

I am entering at Art Journal Journey and Elizabeth's Hearts theme!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

Go Green or recycle something at TIOT.

Hi everyone!  We are happy to be green this time around at Try It On Tuesday! This means that your entry can be green...or making use of your junk and do some recycling...or of course..both!!
Please take a look at the inspiration from the Design Team

I'm sure I'm not alone in finding it difficult to part with things that most folk would call rubbish - while sorting out my craft room I came across a few boxes and pencil cases full of scraps!
I decided to make a tag...

...which was cut from a package.

 I coated it with gesso then added some texture and colour by pressing an Aall and create stencil into the gesso (and washed it immediately)and then added some oxide inks which I spritzed to give a paler colour.

I had some packaging from IKEA which when I peeled off the paper revealed a lovely honeycomb pattern so dabbed it with black paint to act as a stamp! Next came some paper from a cereal box..

...I ripped it and stamped on it randomly with a new Aall and create stamp by Autour de Mwa
Next I decided to use another new A and C stamp by Bipasha - I had some paint sample cards from we redecorated last year so masked off part of the stamp and when I had stamped it cut around the shape..

 I also used the stamp on some white corrugated card from a biscuit wrapper

 This was how I was going to add them.... 

 ....but then chose some white netting

 ..and stapled it onto the corner of the tag.

 I wanted some more dimension so stamped the berries onto a circle of leftover card (I have lots of these circles as it means I can bin only the leftovers from a circle not the whole piece (some circles are larger than others).

 I also stamped the flower again and cut  it out. 

 My final little bit of recycling came with a broken spectacle cord, (my specs are always around my neck on a cord as I can't see to walk while wearing my specs!)

The words came from an old book and were happily on the same page - this tag sums up how I felt while making this tag!

I disagree with Kermit - it is easy being green!

The TIOT challenge runs for two weeks and I hope to see your green art there!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

T Stands for - the surprise!

Hi everyone, once again apologies are in order for all those folk I didn't get around to visiting last week!

Welcome to my new followers too! 

Hubby surprised me by booking a hotel for Valentines Day, which was the day before I attended a workshop in Carnforth at the weekend.

It was pouring with rain most of the day - Storm Dennis was on it's way and we had thought we might get a walk at Sizergh but changed our minds and instead headed for Kendal.

We went to one of our favourite places - Brew Brothers, although after quite a wait we had to ask where our food was...the order had been overlooked!
Hubby had a fish finger open sandwich, I had an avocado, pepper and cheese ciabatta. Hubby kindly helped me out with those sweet potato fries! Yes, he was in a face pull frame of mind!!
I am joining Elizabeth for T Stands for Tuesday, our drinks are in the cardboard cups, water...of course!

We went to visit a friend before heading to the hotel. 
It was lovely and warm and we forgot about the storm.

 This was the reception area leading to the restaurant where we had our meals - no photos as it was quite busy!

Our room had two chairs like this - a comfy place to read my book!

I think Elizabeth will enjoy this little rocking pig which was in the reception area!

The next day hubby dropped me off for the workshop!
Jo Rice was using Aall and Create Stamps and stencils so you know I was happy! Jo shared so many great techniques which I am going to be using(wait and see!)and is an excellent teacher!
I was so busy(well, OK, busy chatting too) that I forgot to take any photos- part from this of Jo's project...

...and a selfie ...for fun, of myself and Jo!

It was decided, with Storm Dennis in full swing, to finish slightly early so that folk could catch trains etc., so we took our projects home to finish.
Here is mine - completed yesterday!

Hubby hadn't had too bad a day - he went in to Morecambe for a while then to Bay View Garden centre where we used to visit when we had our caravan!

The other day we went for a walk by the river..the island is there ...somewhere!

 We couldn't walk very far in either direction on our side of the river

 The footpath under the road was flooded

The road that leads by the golf course was flooded

Today I am happy to say - the island is back..just!

 There is a little bit of blue sky

 The weir is back too!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx