Put the lights on!

 Hi everyone, I have had this page completed for a few days now, I just don't seem to have had much time to get on to the computer. 

I am still having adjustments to my medication, hopefully all will be right in a few weeks!

I knew I had the big stamp at the very beginning of Vicki's Art Journal Journey theme - 'Keeping It Light', got it out and then with getting used to new specs and having flu I totally mislaid it it.

If Dumbledore's quote is correct I am bringing you a whole lot of happiness. The large stamp is from an early Aall and Create stamp set designed by Bipasha.

The small bulbs are from an Indigoblu set, as is the quote.

The background is made with Paper Artsy Fresco paints through an Aall and Create stencil. The paint has covered most of the ink seeping through the page on the reverse due to an over zealous finger on some ink sprays!

Thanks to Vicki for hosting this great theme during February and to all those others who have provided some great inspiration this month.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Wanderlust light!

 Hi everyone, last week hubby and I made our Everything Art Wanderlust pages. The class was hosted by Marta Laposka.

We both used the same technique, as demonstrated by Marta but what difference in our pages.

This mine, which looks quite similar to the demo pages

Here is hubby's

As you can see hubby is much more adventurous than I am....I really love his page!

We have both made further pages using the same technique, which I will show you soon

For now I won't give details as it wouldn't be fair to Everything Art who run the classes.

As there are lots of light areas I am joining in at Art Journal Journey and Vicki's 'Into The Light' theme.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Spotlight for Try It On Tuesday

Hi everyone, we have a new topic at Try It On Tuesday - 'Spotlight It' We all have favourite images but we'd like you to highlight just one part of that image. 

I have used one of my favourite Crafty Individuals stamps.

I have used it in my small square journal and highlighted my flower by stamping the flower onto a card and colouring it before placing it over the image. I added some spattering and added 'ove' to the L on the stamp

There are many ways you can highlight, as you will see lovely examples of highlighting by our Design Team. Please take a look for some inspiration.

I hope you will join us at TIOT this time as usual the topic will run for two weeks.

Thanks for looking, Chris

 

Light and Dark

Hi everyone, it's taken a while but I am feeling much better now, thank you for all for your good wishes.

I made another page (over a few days) for Vicki's Art Journal Journal theme 'Keeping It Light'

I have had this Dina Wakley journal for ages but this is the first page I have made in it. I used torn leftover paper around the edges then painted over everything with white gesso

The Light bulb (an All and Create Stamp by Bipasha) was stamped in the centre with Versafine Clair 'Morning Mist' ink.

I added scraps with flower images over the page, some Speckled Egg Distress ink through a honeycomb stencil and some random text with a favourite Paper Artsy stamp,

Finally I added the quote from Alison Bomber's Light and Dark set from Paper Artsy.

I am taking part in the 100 Day Project using playing cards that were in Christmas crackers - they are quite small.

This is my first one - made today

Thanks for looking, Chris

Sunshine makes me happy!

Hi everyone,  A song I love to listen to is John Denver's Sunshine on my Shoulders. In fact sunshine anywhere makes me happy - even if I have to sit in the shade to cool down, I love looking at sun shining onto my surroundings. We haven't had much sun lately but it is warmer than usual for February.

I finally felt up to finishing the page I started last Friday.

My page today has two of my own photos taken at Tatton Park in different seasons. Whenever we walk by these tall redwood trees I just have to sit and look up at the canopy. I am so happy to be able to keep these memories as a journal page!

I used Distress inks in blue, green and yellow through a Lavinia Stamps stencil. Once I had decided where my photos were going to go I stamped a row of Crafty Individual trees and added the photos. I drew a frame around them and wrote in diagonally 'The light above the trees'

Finally I stamped the quote from Alison Bomber's Paper Artsy stamp set 'Darkness and Light'

I am joining in with Vicki's Art Journal Journey theme 'Keeping It Light' 

Thanks for looking, Chris 

T Stands For ...the walks, the flu!

Hi everyone, after a lovely week of outings and seeing friends I ended up with a bout of flu. I slept through most of Sunday and still don't feel 100%

So, back to the nice things of last week.

We had to go to the opticians to get my new specs adjusted. I am getting used to Varifocals although I am back at the computer with my reading specs!

We decided to go to Dunham Massey to see the Winter Garden and timed it exactly right to get onto a guided tour.

There are more snowdrops this year as they had a school project where children came in to plant snowdrops

This tree peels naturally and looks great when the sun shines on it

The witch hazel is looking spectacular

This is a smooth bark Acer and feels fabulous 

Lots of Iris coming through

I have forgotten the name of this but it smells amazing

It was really interesting to have things pointed out that we hadn't fully appreciated when we have visited before.

The next day was a day for seeing friends - lunch first, then off to see more friends in the afternoon for coffee and cake and a little bit of journaling.

We decided to set off early for our shopping trip on Saturday and call in to Styal Mill for a walk.

There was plenty colour here too

I don't think I have seen this area so empty, although there are signs of bulbs coming as well as new shoots on some of the plants

Lots of snowdrops on the way to the lower garden

The Bollin river that powers the water wheel for the mill was rushing along

I'm sure this must be the earliest I have seen this Camelia in bloom

Here is the point where the river rushes through to the mill.

From Styal it was straight to our favourite cafe Petit Delice in Wilmslow and it is where I will share our coffees (but not our croissants, which we had already eaten)at T Stands For Tuesday, hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth at The Altered Book Lover

As you can see I had my mini journal tin with me.

That's all for now, off for  rest (maybe even a nap!)

Thanks for looking, Chris

Hearts and/or Flowers

 Hi everyone, by the end of this theme at Try It On Tuesday Valentines Day will have been and gone - we are thinking about 'Hearts and/or Flowers' this time around and there is so much inspiration from the Design Team - please take look here.

I have gone for both....

My card came about by my doodling in a small square journal - I was quite pleased with my flowery page so decided to scan it and print it to colour.

I chose three colours for the flowers plus green for the leaves and stems. 

I cut a heart with a dye that I have had for years(one of the first I ever bought) and then used a Crafters Companion Sentiment die to put on it.

I hope that you can join us at TIOT this time, as usual our topic runs for two weeks from 6th February.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Calendar Journal pages

 Hi everyone, I'm just popping in to post my calendar pages.

I made a background with different yellows to make a bright splash then stated Jo Firth Young fairy lights  - all coloured in with sparkly pens.

I am adding this to Art Journal Journey where Vicki has a great theme of 'Keeping It Light'

Here is January all filled in.

A lot of there stickers I had on have fallen off during the month - they were old so I shouldn't be surprised they had lost their stickiness! 

Thanks for looking, Chris  

Into the light!

Hi everyone! Thanks to Erika for the brilliant AJJ theme last month - even though I ran out of time to post some of my pages.

We have a new host at Art Journal Journey this time - welcome to Vicki who has 'Into The Light' as her chosen theme. As Vicki says there are so many ways to approach this theme! Please read her post on the Art Journal Journey blog.

I made a page using an Aall and Create stamp designed by Bipasha.

My background was made with spritzed distress ink on an acrylic block. I stamped some extra lightbulbs, coloured them with Inktense watercolour pencils and drew in the wires. I also used parts of the main stamp to add more dots and text.

The words are my own attempt at some lettering

The evenings are definitely getting lighter. I hope you can join us at AJJ this month. If you need to look the Dreaded Rules are here.

Thanks for looking, Chris