T Stands for......time to get things done!

Another T day already!
We have been quite busy this week and that paper mountain has gone down a lot - most of it shredded and put in the recycling bin!
I have had time for some crafting.
First a tag for Tag Tuesday.

The theme is 'Anything Goes', as you can imagine I have a lot of blue scraps - apart from the baby wipe flower, these were all in one of my large pencil cases! 

I also made a Journal page for Valerie's Geometric shapes theme at Art Journal Journey.

I made this on a day when I was trying to work out menus, the sun was shining but you wouldn't know from this page!!!

The sun was also shining here...

 the blossom is bursting on this tree..

...and the leaves are really coming out on this tree at last...

I bought this plant a few years ago but I don't think it's ever looked better than this!

For T stands For Tuesday with Bleubeard and Elizabeth I have gone back to one of the most indulgent desserts we have ever had! 

This was in September 2018 and was taken at The New York Cafe in Budapest - Our drinks came with a glass of water too!

I had a cappuccino and hubby had a very pretty looking hot chocolate!

You want a close up you say? O.K!

Hmmmm!!! Hubby did eat most of this...honestly!!!

Thanks for looking, please stay safe, Chris

Black, White add one!!

Hi everyone! 
We have a new topic at Try It On Tuesday - we are asking you to use 'Black and White plus one other colour'
Please take a look at the different ways the Design Team have interpreted this theme here.

I decided on a quick make and made a card that I hope will lift someone's spirits during these awful Covid-19 times.

I stamped some text using white paint onto black card. The larger 'Believe' was trickier as it wasn't very well defined so I outlined with a white pen.
I turned to my box of die cuts for the flowers - the two white ones are by Memory Box, the green one is from a Tim Holtz set.

Finally, before mounting the black card onto a white card I added some white paint spatters.

I hope you will be joining us this time - the challenge is open for two weeks.
You have the chance to be one of our Top 5 (and also a possibility of being asked to Guest Design for us)

Take care and Thank you for looking, Chris

In the Pink!

No Blues today either!!! Hi everyone! I hope everyone is still well and safe!
I am finding more time to spend in my craft room and for blogging!

The only worry I had this weekend was wondering what replacements or non delivery of shopping items would occur with our (now) weekly delivery!
Most things did arrive and those that didn't haven't made a great difference to my meal plans for the week....yes I have started to plan meals 3 weeks ahead, booking a slot at midnight, 3 weeks before we need it is the only way we can get a delivery every week.
Luckily we have an option to change any items up to 24 hours before delivery!

As I said I am in the pink...

I used an acrylic block and Distress Oxides to make this background - lots of spritzing and moving the page around to get some drips then I used a stencil - inked and spritzed - to get a watery green contrast.

I love these new dies by Aall and Create, they cut up into different elements so easily. 
The Dragonfly and dots are by Sarah Nauman for Paper Artsy and I used some TH words to finish the page.

I am entering Art Journal Journey's theme 'Geometric Shapes', Valerie's theme this month!

This morning, as this die cut was one of my last that I had cut, I sat with some random papers and did a lot more die cuts, using all three A and C die sets.

I now have a variety of colours to use!

Do take care everyone.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Look on the bright side!

I am trying to break out of my blue phase, not that blue isn't still my favourite colour but I thought it was time to brighten things up a bit!

We still aren't going out much - a walk around the grounds here and lots of dancing are my exercise at the moment but it looks so lovely outside!

This page sums up my feelings at the moment!

I smudged some brightly coloured paints over my page with my fingers - very messy but satisfying!
I added some stencilling using Aall and Create stencils then added some stamping(again A and C)
I used a scrap of ink splodged paper for the A and C cute stamps by Janet Klein  - again by Aall and Create and some bits from my hole punch!

I had a lovely surprise the other day. My lovely friend Helen rang me, I was so happy to hear her voice, then she told me she was in our carpark!!
When she came up to the walkway to our flat she was carrying the two things I had really been missing - fresh flowers and a huge bag of flour to bake with - how she knew that this was THE perfect gift I'll never know, but I am still smiling every time I pass these flowers in my hallway - so I see them a lot!
It was so good to have a face to face chat even from a distance!

The page was made before she came, and now I have even more reasons to look on the bright side!

I am entering at Simon Says Stamp Monday - Create a Scene
and 
Art Journal Journey and Valerie's 'Geometric Shapes' theme

Stamping Sensations April -Somewhere over the Rainbow

The Artistic Stamper Creative Team April Challenge - In The Garden

I hope you have some Reasons to be Cheerful to quote the song title!
Remember - Social Distancing is good for us...I keep telling myself!

Thanks for looking, Chris

New stamps- new page!

Hi everyone, still here!
Yesterday was so full of bad news - heard of quite few deaths, including one of my youngest son's friends. The worse thing is that I can't even go and comfort him and his partner!

I am trying to stay positive and the used the other stamp plate from the Aall and Create set by Tracy Evans that arrived the other day! 

There is still so much to appreciate in each day, we are having some lovely weather at the moment, the blossom continues to appear at different rates, the buds on the trees are turning larger and greener. 
We also have food to eat and are lucky to enjoy each others company.
I do feel for those that are hungry or in bad relationships and are having to cope!

I used a combination of Aall and create  and Paper Artsy stamps to create the background, that of course started with some mop up ink!
I masked off the other vase and added more text.
I fussy cut the flowers and stuck them on as I wanted them to be white, although I changed my mind about that and added a touch of blue!
You can't tell from this photo but I used glossy accents on the vase. 
The words (from another set) were stamped either directly onto the page or onto white paper and added! Joy is Joyous cut down!

I am entering at Art Journal Journey and Valerie's Geometric Shapes theme!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For - Trees and more!

Hello everyone, another week has flown by...when we thought it might drag a bit!

The trees outside our balcony window really have been enjoying the warmer weather! We had a sprinkle of rain on Saturday and a little bit of cloud on both days at the weekend but we are back to clear blue now!

 Below my craft room are forget-me nots - a combination of mine and the man in the flat below! There seem to be more this year than ever before!

 Of course with the leaves come the loss of our long view, along with some welcome shade!

On Sunday we had some entertainment - a singing duo are giving us free concerts every other Sunday and they have already been booked for a paid performance for our 'coming out' party - whenever that might be!

This is from our balcony but they also set up in the courtyard in front of our kitchen window so we went out for a dance on the walk way - I tried to get a video but ruined it by not keeping still - they play music through from the 50's to the 80's - hard not to dance - at least there was more room there than on our balcony!

I have started knitting again, in the evenings mainly, and have already completed a scarf for my friend. This one will be for me!

I'm loving the pattern this random yarn is making!

I am taking part in the 100 day project with some bird related mail art - I will make a separate post!

Here's one of my favourites.

As you can see, I am not getting on the computer very much these days -I have started another tidy up of my craft room!

We are still enjoying cooking, if only I could get more flour I could bake more, but then I wouldn't be losing weight, yes I am!
My blood sugar is also at much better levels too.

Today I used some leftover chicken to make Caesar salad wraps for lunch - I was quite pleased with them...

 ...hubby's comment about them made HIM laugh!!!

I am of course joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth with our water for T Stands For Tuesday!

I hope you are all keeping busy enough to distract yourselves from not being able to see loved ones, socialise and as we often do here on Tuesdays, eat out!!

Take care, best stay safe than the alternative!
Thanks for looking, Chris

An adventure!

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is well as we approach a new week in 'lockdown'.

I really expected the time to drag but I have been surprised how quickly the time is passing at the moment!
There's been very little time spent in my craft room, even though new stamps arrived this week.
We've have been busy sorting out(very)old paperwork - some that should probably not have come with us 8 years ago! 
I have also been enjoying cooking some new recipes! We miss eating out so have been trying new flavours and combinations and we often cook together too! There are of course tried and tested favourites some of which we take turns to cook!
Along with that there have been two birthdays this week and it was good to do some face to face calls too!

I started this journal page last weekend, but as I knew my new stamps were due I waited to finish it.

I used Aall and create stencils and stamps for the background and settled on pink, green and black...I realised I had been a bit heavy on the blues lately!

I had been waiting for Tracy Evans new big flower set - it's big - each image being A5 size.
I stamped it on my page and again on white paper to fussy cut.

I added punched circles and some white spatters!

I am entering at:-
Art Journal Journey - Valerie's theme  is 'Geometric Shapes'

The Artistic Stamper April Creative Challenge-In The Garden

Craft Stamper magazine - Take It Make It Challenge - April


Penny Black and More April challenge - Anything Goes

Stay safe! 
Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for....Taking a walk

I hope everyone is keeping calm and crafting through all this Covid-19 around us!

I have been in my craft room for a little while - in between thinning out our bulging paper work boxes! 


I made a tag for Tag Tuesday - where the theme is 'Gold and Silver'

I made a gold and silver gelli plate background on my tag then added a gold heat embossed border. I stamped some stems by Paper Artsy's Tracy Scott and gold heat embossed the largest.
I have been wanting to use this girl for while - she looked perfect for this secret garden.

Oh! and I have made sure the words are stuck down firmly now!

We aren't getting out much, to be honest, I feel safer inside than out, even though we live so close to the river. The other evening we chose to have a later evening meal and take a walk when we thought it would be quieter!

As we walked down we saw youths on bicycles by the narrow path so went round by the road down towards a golf club (You may remember we went there when it was flooded in this post)

 It must have been really high for grass to get caught in this tree 

 It had been a calm warm day

This is where we walked to back in February - look at the debris!

 As we looked back we could see someone coming closer behind us so we went over the road to the entrance to a field so that they could pass - which led to us seeing an old friend also out for a walk in the direction we had just returned from so we could chat at a safe distance.

 A little further along we saw our first bluebells - I shall miss visiting bluebell woods they year

 We passed back under the motorway and past a small residential caravan park with this sign outside

 This is the church we see from our apartment

 We loved seeing this art done by some children who we see playing sometimes.

We did choose a good time as we hardly saw anyone...but I was glad to be home.

I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T stands for Tuesday, but....I don't have many drink photos at the moment - I must remember to take more - but I can take you back to Beaune last June.
I did take other photos in this lovely restaurant but I was showing our meal. It was at the start of the heatwave that hit France and it was very hot, we had coke and water while we waited for our meal, and I had to wait for hubby to smile too! Hubby ended up drinking the rest of the bottle of coke!

Happy Days!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Stencil Fun!

Hi everyone! The sun is still shining here, although a little cooler than last week.
I have been playing with my stencils for our new theme at Try It On Tuesday - Have Fun With Stencils and I think the Design Team have had fun too - such brilliant inspiration - do take a look here!

Once again I got into the moment and totally forgot to show how I built up the layers....

...although it's probably not too difficult to see that I started with pale colours - by putting ink on my stencil and spritzing it to make a 'stamp' and used darker colours in the later stages.
I used two of my favourite Aall and Create stencils throughout and as I had decided that I wanted to use these white flowers designed by Tracy Evans I wanted to keep some white in the background.
The touches of turquoise are a happy accident, there must have been some ink still on the stencil!
I added random stamping to reflect the stencils and then added some opaque texture paste randomly to change the colours slightly as well as add texture.

The flowers were fussy cut and coloured and the words were from the same set and another of Tracy's sets.
All the flowers were then outlined in water soluble pencil and brushed with a water brush and I drew in pen lines around the words.

As usual our challenge runs for two weeks - the rules and conditions are here - I do hope you will join in the stencil fun at TIOT this time.

I am also linking my page to Art Journal Journey and Valerie's 'Geometric Shapes' theme.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Bunting but not for babies...

My good friend Elizabeth of The Altered Book Lover has invited me to join in with some recycling on the lead up to B-Earthday!

This isn't the project I originally though of but something that came out of trying to cheer folk up in these strange Covid-19 times.
When I first thought of it I spoke with the manager here and she thought it was just right!

Here are some extracts from the letters sent out

I made some templates and cut up lengths of string and twine, some from way at the bottom of boxes and backs of cupboards - how did we come to own so much of the stuff?

The idea I had was to decorate the balconies and windows here at our retirement complex with bunting for Easter and not only use up some of my own fabric to but to encourage others to do the same!

We knew that some folk would be unable to make their own due to their disabilities and that there would also be a few grumpy old men who just would not want to take part!
I asked the Messy Day group and a couple of other ladies if they could help and I set to with a few myself.

 I used some old shirts, leftover fabric from projects and some fabric I had bought at bargain prices with nothing in mind!
My extra bunting was gratefully received.

It was lovely to see folk putting them up in our courtyard

We took walk around as I was told that they were appearing everywhere!
We went out of the complex and could see that some of the bunting can be seen by passers by - so they will be cheered up too!

 There are some in another courtyard too

I hope that more will be up by now so we will have another walk this weekend!

I have been told also that someone outside our complex is also going to make bunting - who knows, this may catch on in our area!

Oh! and the grumpy old men - they have bunting up!!

I have been asked what will be next month's project.....eeek! 

Thanks for looking, Chris