T Stands for Taking In The View

Hi everyone, I had thought of taking you on our last visit out but as the sun was shining last week I took photos of our views instead.  

We are lucky enough to see parts of the garden from different windows all around and have sun all day on out balcony, which is where we sat out last week!

This is my favourite view as it is of the back of the village pub which is opposite the church, it isn't the church we go to, but I love to see how windy it is by looking out at the St Georges Flag.
We can also wave to one of our friends on the top floor in one of the other blocks(there are three)
It was very sunny so these next two are not such good shots, many balconies here are open but ours already had windows when we bought it. My son put up some clear perspex all round for us so it gets really warm.

When I started this post I was sure I had taken more photos(which means I can show you more another time!)
We went for a walk around the grounds at the weekend too.

 This is at the back of the building, the balcony with sun shining on it ours!

We walked around all three blocks and back to the bottom of the stairs.

We have found there are advantages to retired living. This is the list we were given to order from last week - our order will arrive on Friday. Since we don't eat much meat we only ordered chicken but the veggies we got last week were excellent. I have already written about these so if you want to see read here and here! 

Here is where I will join in Tea stands For Tuesday with my drink related post with Bleubeard and Elizabeth at The Altered BookLover

We had Fish and Chips delivered on Friday - John the chef here makes  the very best Fish and Chips ever!

You can see how happy hubby was! We both drank water.

 That's all for now folks, thanks for looking, Chris

The Beauty Of Nature

Hi everyone, I hope that while we are all hiding a way from this awful COVID-19 virus that you are able to appreciate that changes going on outdoors.
Our new challenge at Try It On Tuesday is 'The Beauty Of Nature' and whether that be the buds on the trees, the birds singing away, far more loudly it seems without the background noise of traffic or the seasonal flowers that are coming into bloom. Of course, you don't have to stop at the garden either with all the TV programmes dedicated to nature!
The Design Team are clearly all lovers of Nature and have some fabulous inspiration for you! 

I made a journal page as I do so find my journal a go to place for some calm!

I used my Aall and Create sunflower stencil using shades of green and then stamped the flower(197)and coloured it - I wanted the bee from a border set to stand out as it reminded me of a huge bee we saw in the gardens here the other day, so I stamped it onto some rice paper that I had coloured pink. I used the quote from the same set and than added parts of 207 and Bipasha's 'vocalist' set.
I used to have lots of poppies in our caravan garden and they always made me feel happy.

I hope you will join us at TIOT this time - I think we are in for some cooler weather and we are inside for quite a while - you need not feel guilty about spending more time in your crafty space!

I would also like to enter at Eileen's last day of hosting Art Journal Journey where I have really enjoyed the 'Green' theme!
You have inspired lots of lovely pages that I will have to catch up on one day!

Thanks for looking, Chris

A bunny

Hi everyone, I do hope that you're all well! Here in the UK we have just completed our first week of social isolation.
We still have enough food although after tomorrow we may start on freezer stocks. I still have a few recipes to try though, that don't involve anything from the freezer, and we are expecting our food delivery on Thursday. There will also be a basics delivery on Friday from the wholesaler that our manager has found - if the quality is anything like the bag we received last Friday it will save us buying from the supermarket, leaving that for those who can't get online orders.

I have spent a lot of time chatting on the phone today to a friend, my brother and my sons.

I also had some time to play and made this tag for Tag Tuesday and Michele's  Bunnies and Butterflies theme.

I love this That's Crafty Melina Dahl rabbit and decided that she should be pink today - my painting leaves much to be desired and I think really I should have stamped her on white before colouring and fussy cutting.

I added some numbers by Aall and Create's Tracy Evans, a Crafty Individuals butterfly and part of  die cut. Finally I added some doodly dots

I would also like to enter at Country View Challenges and 'The Eyes have it' theme.

Thanks for looking, Chris

  

Turning Green

Hi everyone, what a strange week this has been.

I have learnt to get to grips with WhatsApp, something I had heard of but never seen. 

We have spoken to our friends (my ex SIL and BIL) in France, where things are pretty much the same as they are here! What a joy to was to see them both!

I have got all of my Crafty Individuals samples ready for the Hochanda show, most have now been posted.

I haven't been in a garden except for a walk around the block here where the leaves are definitely turning green with all the sun we have had.
We did have a bit of a scary walk to the post box yesterday when we didn't expect quite so many folk to be out!

I have sat out on our balcony, something we haven't done for a long time as we didn't like the chairs, however, as our eldest son can't cart them off to France yet we have put them up again, it's cramped and we never got around to the redecoration and decluttering but hey! ho! ..it's pleasant enough with the windows open and we think it will be our reading area for the duration of our 'confinement'

The highlight was seeing my youngest son, who rang me one morning and asked could he please donate a whole load of food to our neighbours here in the retirement complex - I put him in touch with the manager and the result was that he arrived with enough ham, cheese, and bread rolls for everyone. He delivered ours himself by putting it outside our door and retreating back along the walkway so that we could open the door for a chat. It was a very emotional moment when he and his partner left.

Now,I know you are going to ask, so the reason for this food donation was that his bosses at Greggs had asked him to find some way of not wasting it as they were having to shut the shop down.  Our manager was delighted and had great fun delivering the gifts herself and from the phone calls it seems a lot of folk were really grateful of the gift.

Okay, so, I apologise,  I'm rambling...my real reason to be here is to show you my latest journal page for Art Journal Journey and Eileen's 'Green' theme

When I first saw Eileen's theme my first though was of this Green Man stamp that I bought from Lavinia Stamps over year ago - I confess to never showing it to the ink pad even though it is one of my favourite images! We used to love to go to Southwell Minster near Nottingham where there are lots of Carved Green Men.
I had lots of mop up greens from stencils so stamped the image, added some Crafty Individual trees and some leaves from the GM set.
I added some images cut from a magazine and added the quote and some spatters.

I have much more to show you on Tuesday, maybe pics of that walk around our garden, and some of the meals we have had. Hubby has obliged with a photo! I will also show you something I am keeping my eye on!

For now, stay safe and enjoy your weekend, Oh Yes!!! It's the weekend.

Thanks for looking, Chris 

Behind Closed Doors!

Hi everyone! Now that a lot of us are stay at homes I have a journal page that just evolved by looking in one of my scrap boxes!

Anyone who has either bought something at a craft show from Crafty Individuals or on line may have a series of post cards that come in your package! 
I have collected lots over the years so decided to use this one.

I used a page in one of my larger journals and stamped a background with my favourite Crafty Individuals background stamp using several different colour greens. 
I cut off part of the card and then added some of my own made tape and some ribbon. The tree was part of some biscuit packaging and I cut around it -I think it works.I stamped some text a few times to fill it in! I chose two stamps from my quotes box that seemed to sum up these time we are in!

I hope everyone is keeping well and busy.
We are building an exercise session into our day which started with great hilarity - it just doesn't seem normal - we'll get used to it...or seize up!

I am entering at Art Journal Journey and Eileen's theme -'Green'

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For - the last trip to the garden centre

Well, here it is TSFT day already...
I did promise to continue the tour of the garden centre last week
so shall walk a little further. Grab a drink...we going shopping..and it could take a while! All pics will enlarge if you click on them!
Update - Just had e-mail to say that they are shutting their doors to customers but that plants and animals will be looked after until they re-open
I didn't see any of these on our last trip in the outside area.

 I don't think I would like any of these in a garden of mine but had to curb hubby's enthusiasm when he thought of putting on on our balcony - we have few enough birds around as it is without scaring the remaining ones off!!

Lots of baskets by the door of the gardening area.. 

...lots of seed packets...

 ...a whole range of gardening gloves

...tools and bins, and on to home and clothing...

...toys and games...

and more clothing...for the great outdoors here.

Next is a large area dedicated to garden living, including barbecues.

This next area often has rabbits and guinea pigs..

...I wonder if Bleubeard and Squiggles would find something here?

Back through another doorway - the Wet Floor sign has been there for quite a while

Now, to one of my favourite areas....

 ....cards, surely I'm not the only one to get some inspiration in card shops?

 Books, including childrens and cookery books

 Candles, smelling lovely!

 Next, through the cook shop with lots of temptation..

 ...and then the food area - with even more temptation...

 Oooh! I feel a sugar rush coming on just looking at these!!!

 I'll pass on the pies too but sure to weaken on the cheese!
Oh! and its here I will point out my ticket to T Stands for Tuesday the Weetwood Ales are made by a small local brewery. They have interesting names.

This Frozen food range makes one of our favourite pasta bakes that was always a standby at our caravan...it's in the freezer now as a standby in case we are ill and can't get food!
Finally there is this temptation on the way to the tills!

The sign at the back that says 'The Kitchen' is where the coffee shop and restaurant are.

I hope that this has been an enjoyable visit - we will miss browsing shops for the next few months so feel free to come back here for another look anytime!

If you want a smile take a look at my previous post at what was found by one of my boys the other day and put onto Instagram!

Thanks for looking, Chris