Colour fun!!

I think I may have mentioned that I got some goodies on last Saturday….well I have been playing.
I was getting a bit impatient about receiving some Distress Oxides in the post so I bought some of the colours I hadn't ordered! My friend Sarah had brought her journal with her with such amazing pages - you can find her blog here and I suggest you link to her Instagram account to see more pages using these brilliant inks.
Of course, come Monday morning they arrived!
I didn't have a lot of time to play as we were going away to York for a few days
Now we are back I was inspired to make a journal page - I am sure I am not the only one to be hearing blackbirds singing at what seems to be all hours of the night - we have a tree right outside our bedroom window that seems to be the favourite place for one blackbird in particular. When we were away and quite close to a busy road I didn't expect to hear much except traffic - except that we were at the back of the hotel with a lovely view of the minster in the distance….

….do you see the tree? At 3.30 on our first morning we had Mr Blackbird singing his song to us….he may have been there the next morning but we were so tired I couldn't tell you whether he was or not!! 

 The background is made with oxides and then streaked over with some Distress inks and stamped with some Paper Artsy stamps (Lin Brown and Sarah Naumann) I added the Tim Holtz small talk words after I had smudged some ink over them.
I would like to add this to Art Journal Journey's entries for Yvonne's great theme - 'Out And About'

York was wonderful and there will be more photos to come (probably on Tuesday!)There was so much to see and we didn't have nearly enough time(we were on a special offer at the hotel)….so another visit may be on the cards!!!
I had time to play in a little square journal before we went away and made these

I love the way the oxides almost melt together! As you can see in the top one I had a little issue with stamping and it didn't stamp properly - I ended up stamping some text over those parts!!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

Try It On Tuesday has a Lady In Red!

Not me! Hubby isn't keen on me in red - it's OK though it's not my favourite colour either! 
Our new theme at TIOT is 'Lady In Red' and as you might expect the team have had some great ideas - do pop and have a look here!

I was having a bit of a job getting started with this one …I had ladies I wanted to use but the red did't suit them!
Fortunately while tidying some things I had left to sort through I came across a button display box - suddenly something clicked…I went back to my stamps and chose a lady who I hadn't even given a second look to - hadn't even been inked although she has been around a while! She was from a bargain box at Crafty Individuals stand at Port Sunlight and is from CL285(I think I may have to buy the whole stamp)
The box..

…was painted with Paper Artsy Fresco paint and then covered with Crackle Glaze which took a while to dry - I could have used my heat gun but I wanted to get on with the rest of the elements!

 I stamped my Carabelle Studio Paris building stamp onto ivory card and cut it to fit the base which had been inked inside - I added a touch of Aged Mahogany DI to edge of the card too.

I stamped the lady and then die cut some stems and flowers which had a repeated sentiment from Emma Godfrey's French set EEG07.I coloured her dress by using the DI and a water brush. The flowers were inked and the stems had a rub over with a sponge I used for something else.

By now my box was dry so I mixed some Very Berry and Nougat Frescos to get a hint of pink and painted it over the Crackle paint - the cracks appeared so quickly! 

The corner isn't missing on these photos it was where the sun was shining on my underpaper!

I made two holes in what was now the top of the box added some thread.

I cut some of the stems to fit onto one side and mounted the sentiment onto an inked piece of card

The lady was grounded by some torn bits of a book page which just happened to have the words 'dress' and 'clothes' on it!

This is now hanging on my wall..

….just to get me in the mood for our Spring Paris trip!

I would like to enter these challenges

Frilly and Funkie - 'Welcome Spring!'

The Artistic Stamper - March Creative Challenge - Springtime

I do hope you will join us at TIOT with your ladies dressed in red - I feel a card coming on so I'll show you next week!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For……..

…this, that and the other!

This week had just whizzed by - we have been quite busy but managed to get out too. I had a few meetings to attend here last week as our approval was required for work to be carried out.

Last Saturday I was in Harrogate at Art From the Heart for a brilliant workshop taught by Tracy Scott who creates the most fabulous art journals. I went with two lovely friends and we had a great time, got messy, chatted a lot, bought some goodies and made a great journal spread!

On Sunday I used some of the leftovers plus some bits of my own to make this small page too.I have also been using up some more leftovers but not here!

On Friday on our way shopping we stopped off at Styall Mill. Last time we went the gardens were shut so it was a lovely surprise to see that since we last visited way back last year the greenhouses have been completed and the whole area has been opened up.

 This greenhouse was used to grow exotic plants and vines for the owner of the mill and his family, it has been a wreck for years and was cordoned off. Now you can walk through a gate to a shop and the potting shed has been opened up too!

Vines have been planted and I will show their progress as we visit here quite regularly.
Lots of signs of new growth outside!

 The camellia looked beautiful….from all angles

This next area is fenced off

 Nearing the end to our walk

I loved seeing these early tulips!
Now, at this point we called in to the cafe…but I had put my phone away so that I could pay…and then NEEDED my coffee so much I forgot to take a photo!!!
This was on our way back to the car park...

…and this is right next to the car park

I've probably kept you here far too long but I still have to share a drink - it being time for T Stands For Tuesday with Bluebeard and Elizabeth.

One one of our cinema visits last week we called in to Marks and Spencers. We shared the scone and as I had vouchers all this only cost us 10p! 
For those that saw this photo last week..

…yes we did go to the cinema, although we do like that Football Museum too - still lots to see in there too as we usually go with our grandchildren who tend to go for the interactive displays!
Now, I know you will want to know what we we went to see - well as one day was a Silver Screen the film was a slightly older one -

'Allied' starring Brad Pitt and Miriam Cotillard - I knew nothing about this film and was pleasantly surprised, it moved at a good pace too! I have given you a link to the trailer but haven't found how to get an image!
The other film was 'Logan'an X-Men movie - starring Hugh Jackman - need I say more?? 

We shall be packing today for a little trip to York but I will try to do better than last week - I am sure I missed some of you!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

What can the eye see?

I have a new journal page to share. I have discovered a new(to me) challenge! More Mixed Media Challenge has an Anything Goes with Optional Green this month.
I had started to play with greens on Kraft paper in my journal but it had been abandoned so now seemed like a good time to get going with it!

I had already dragged some Paper Artsy Fresco paint over the page (Limelight and Bora Bora) and added a little bit of random stamping with a Carabelle Studio background stamp and a Crafty Individuals Metro stamp. I decided to add a flower using a Designs By Ryn stencil and I also added some swirls from a TH stencil - of course….I never learn….the ink soaked straight into the paint! I used a white Sharpie paint pen to outline the flowers and then used PA fresco Little Black dress through the TH stencil to add some more swirls! It was at this point that I looked through the bits and pieces in my little box on my desk and found the quote printed onto velum - tore it out and added it and then couldn't read it…..so it was out with the pen and overwrote the quote!

Now…in my mind I had another problem opportunity - the quote mentions the eye - could I add an eye…maybe, but you will have to look to find the four I added! I also had a butterfly stamped onto tissue and coloured green so it has landed there too!

It's good to see some greenery appearing these days and we have also had some sun!  
I would also like to link to Art Journal Journey for Yvonne's brilliant choice of theme - Out and About!

Did you spot the eyes?

I made a flower by stamping the lady's eyes from my new Lynne Perella set LPC036.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Playtime!

I make no secret of the fact that I love Paper Artsy's Infusions - they react with water so well….and... they look great when mixed with PA's Pearl Glaze as I found here!

Only thing is - I got so involved that I forgot to take any photos!
I spread the glaze roughly over part of the page then sprinkled Are You Cerise and Blue Blood over the top and spread the glaze with a 'credit' card - I love how it combined the colours and left streaks in parts! I stamped the large flower from Tracy Scott's new set ETS08 (and then stamped some smaller flowers and leaves from the same set) onto book paper. They were coloured in in various ways, Distress markers, Prima Watercolours, NeocolourIIs. I then stamped the flowers onto the page  too so that when they were cut out the extended flower still showed! I spattered some Black and Inky Pool Fresco paint before sticking on my book page flowers. The little butterfly was in my scraps box. I wanted a word but didn't want it to detract from the flower so StencilGirl Seth Apter stencil to the rescue!! 
Just in case you can't pick up the pearly finish here is a photo from the side

I would like to enter in 

Paper Artsy's Challenge - Topic 3 - Paint With Infusions 

Frilly and Funkie - "Welcome Spring" Challenge

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Make Your Own Background

as well as joining Art Journal Journey again for Yvonne's fabulous theme Out And About

Thanks for looking and sorry for not visiting some of you yet - this won't surprise you….. we have been out rather a lot lately!!!!
We went to one of these buildings today

 - I think you might be able to guess which one!!!
I'll give you a clue - we sat down for quite a while!!!
Chris

T Stands For………tea and taking photos….

….and a little bit of painting! I felt quite tired when we got to our caravan last Thursday but wanted to play! It was Neo-coloursII that came to the rescue! I was just playing around scribbling with some colours when I could see a familiar scene appearing - the bottom end of Rydal Water that we glimpse through the trees when we visit the gardens at Rydal Mount(Wordsworth's home until he died).I was bit over generous with the mountains behind though! I used my water brush to blend the colours. I added a handwritten word and some stencilling around the edge with part of a Seth Apter stencil.
I would like to enter at Art Journal Journey (Yvonne's theme of Out And About is right up my errr….path!)As this is also hand painted I will enter into the Moo Mania challenge - Paint Something By Hand

We visited another of our favourite gardens last week - the one at Sizergh where a lot of changes are being made - it will look great in the Summer!

There is a really good show when you first enter the gate

We only see this view in the Winter

The borders are showing signs of Spring coming

They have had to drain the ponds to get rid of a weed!

The swans were on their island

One swan continued to build their nest while the other went for a swim

The Hellebores and Cyclamen look beautiful
After visiting the formal garden we headed for the little woodland walk

We were amazed at the number of seagulls on the ploughed field

The old shell on our decking still has some food in it  but the blue tit prefers the new one!

Finally I have my drink - as I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stands for Tuesday!

It's Teacup Lady! I stamped her onto a piece of card that I sprinkled with Infusions - unfortunately she had a brown mark on her cheek which I tried to disguise with red DI - not a good look!! She's here to remind you that there is still a week left at Try It On Tuesday for our 'Time for Tea' theme.Hope to see you there!

I would also like to join in the 'Hats and Headgear' challenge at Tag Tuesday

We are home for a while so hope to see you more often! Thank You for visiting my blog when I can't get back to you - I do appreciate it! I'm planning to do a massive catch up! 

Thanks for looking, Chrisx