Keeping warm!

Hi everyone! We have been back from our caravan long enough to have a coffee and make a couple of phone calls.

I am planning on catching up with some blog visiting. It is quite difficult to get a connection while we are away, so if you have had a comment it will have been either while we are out and about, or late evening, when the connection is often stronger but I am getting more tired! 
Before that I have another page for AJJ - and my choice of theme, 101 Ways To Keep Warm

We woke up this morning to a beautiful frost!

I made my page after a walk at Coniston on Friday - it was very cold, with a few spits and spots of icy cold rain at times and occasional sunshine!

 I was delighted to find a whole field full of Hardwick Sheep! They have such pretty faces don't you think?

One lone lady and her dog playing on the shore of the lake

While the sun shone I took the opportunity to take a shadow selfie

During the evening while watching Children In Need I made my page
With only a few supplies I turned to my Inktense pencils and a newspaper magazine supplement and an mini free catalogue.

Just while I am here, I can highly recommend the Paddington movies - Paddington 2 is even funnier than the first! It is definitely an 'all age' film to watch - everyone was laughing in the cinema! 
Hugh Grant - not usually a great favourite of mine, was absolutely brilliant in his role!! He must have really enjoyed it too!

If you are going walking this Winter I would say that this check list may be useful! 

Thanks for looking, Chris

Get a hat!

I did mention that my next post would be a scheduled one and hopefully we aren't having to bundle ourselves up much! One thing I am sure to be doing is wearing a hat (I have quite a collection!)

I have my latest page for Art Journal Journey where my theme 101 Ways to Keep Warm is featuring!

My new Paper Artsy Elenazinski figures love their hats! I think they pretend that they are Christmas trees, which at the moment is fine, as the Christmas lights seem to being switched on all over the place!

I used a page in my black journal. I brayered on some bright colours and did some stamping using a stencil and then spattered on gold, orange, pink and turquoise paint.
I used a baby wipe to add some gold paint ground for the figures to stand on.
Some glittery paper was used for the punched stars

The figures were coloured with Distress markers. 

Thanks for looking, Chris

Bright thoughts!

We are promised some sunshine today - I am really not a fan of grey days even if they are warm, give me a frosty, sunny day and I'm happy!
I don't think we will get a frost with our sun but my page today is about one of those days when I can wrap up warm and go for a walk!

My background is a lot of ripped scraps of paper, some book paper, some designed paper, but all from my scraps that I can't bear to throw away! Once I had stuck them down I scraped some gesso over very roughly. 
I used multi medium to make an image transfer, when I removed the paper I rubbed bit more vigorously lower down so that some of the print showed through. 
I added some watered down Decoart iron oxide paint and some Viva Inka Gold with my fingers.
Finally I stamped some dots and text and aded some TH words that I outlined in gold!

I hope you like this latest page for my 101 Ways To Keep Warm at Art Journal Journey.

Who knows, we may get a frost over the weekend and get out for some walks. My next few posts will be scheduled!!!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

Have you any wool?

Hi everyone! You may confess if you wish! I certainly do have wool, boxes of it, both for knitting and for needle felting(and the odd bit for using on my mixed media projects!!

Thank you all so much for your continued support and encouragement, especially for my '101 Ways To Keep Warm' theme this  month at Art Journal Journey.

Today's page is a simple one…

The background was painted to give an ombre effect and then I stamped a few dots on. 
The wool was from a magazine advert - cut out and pieced together.
I started to doodle over the wool but it began to look too fussy so I stopped before I ruined it!
The white sheep came from a collage book from The Works and I drew the black one. I used some bright wool to cover the snow the white ones were standing in! 
I have been practicing my lettering again, this time I used a Graphix green line painter and outlined it with a Micron pen.

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For….to Bordeaux and beyond!

Continuing our France trip….
We left Albi and went to Bordeaux on a fine day.

 The train line ran alongside the Canal du Midi for a while...

past some interesting sights…

…and we finally reached the vineyards of the Bordeaux area.
Once we arrived in Bordeaux it was a short walk to the apartment we were renting.

We were pleased to have a shutter to keep out some of the sun that shone every day we were there.
On our first morning we headed down to see Le Mirroir d'eau.
When we got there we were disappointed to find that there was no water but just as we were thinking it must only be a Summer thing we saw water coming towards us on both sides!

 There are some very arty looking seats. 

Lots of people sitting on them stayed put with their feet up but this young man took the opportunity to take photographs of his partner.

The buildings in the background are government buildings.
As we were walking away I spotted the clouds reflected in this corner. By this time there were a lot more people too!

Bordeaux is beautiful city - I showed you some photos here

We spent quite a long time watching this being created

The skateboarders were only too happy to show off their skills too!

They were in the square outside the Cathedral, which is beautiful..

 ..but this was the part I was most interested in - the doors are at the Royal doorway that would have been used by Eleanor of Aquitaine on her marriage to Louis VII of France

The original cathedral walls finished where the people are standing.

The Royal entrance from the outside

By this time we were in need of a drink - we called to a community area where there were information leaflets for locals and a cinema as well as a bar.

It's here where I will join Bluebeard and Elizabeth for Tea Stands For Tuesday!

Hubby had gone for……err…a natural break, I was quite surprised when I went into the toilet myself

We went on our way past this amazing display

I realise that my post title is a little over ambitious - I didn't realise I had taken so many photos in Bordeaux so instead of moving on I will remind you that Try It On Tuesday still has another week  for the 'Home Sweet Home' theme 

My journal page is also for AJJ and my 101 Ways to Keep Warm which is open until the end of the month.

Thank you so much for your support and for visiting today! Chris 

Cold Hands!

I was prompted to make this page based on a saying that is often used. I have never understood it - so I looked it up - it is to describe someone who doesn't show their emotions well and may appear stern but have a kind disposition. I suppose I must have known that but it had never 'clicked'!

I have been far more literal in my representation of the saying!
I had a  background in my A6 journal (the smallest allowed in the Art Journal Journey Challenge) but it was a little brighter than I liked so I added gesso over the top - scraped on with a faux credit card.
I dipped a coffee stirrer into paint (PA Fresco Sky and Orchid) to draw the heart and the border and stuck on the mittens from a recent purchase at The Works.
I wrote the words with a Derwent Graphik line marker.

This is my latest of 101 Ways to Keep Warm. 
I hope you are keeping warm - the temperature has dropped here quite a lot so we are wrapping up warm for our walk this afternoon!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Keep The Home fires Burning

Today is Remembrance Day in the UK, it is also known as Armistice day or sometimes Poppy day.
It is also Veteran's day in the USA - my friend Elizabeth has her tribute here
There is a lot of talk these days about whether we should be 'glorifying war' on this day but generally it is understood that this about Peace, and remembering and honouring the people who fought for their countries in wars.
It is the anniversary of the time when the peace treaty was signed to end the First World War at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

My page is also for my 101 Ways To Keep Warm for Art Journal Journey

I drew the hearth based on a sketch I saw in a magazine and added some touches of paint.
The poppies were painted on first then drawn into.
I added some spatters and the first line of the song.
Here is a link to the song and some World War One images.
Tomorrow is Remembrance Sunday when there are services all over the country, the most well known one being held at the Cenotaph in London which is televised.

I wish you a peaceful day, Thanks for looking, Chris