Splash and Splatter!

Hi everyone, it's time for our new challenge at Try It On Tuesday and it's one of my favourite themes - 'Splash and Splatter'. I think my teamies must like it too as they have been splashing and splattering away - see here.

I found a discarded front of a card I started a long while ago, tore off the edges and stuck it into my small journal and added more splashes and a little bit of spattering. I used some of my new Aall and Create Stamps by Janet Klein - a lot of colouring and fussy cutting later I stuck everything onto my page and stamped the sentiment!

As usual the TIOT challenge runs for the next two weeks and we would love to see how you use your ink, paint or those clever splodgy stamps that are around these days!

Thanks for looking, Chris

A tag and a pocket!

That's what this post is all about!
I found the background in one of my larger journals - no idea how it began but I had added some texture paste through a stencil and some smudged white paint

 I used some Stamperia paper to make a pocket and added some Tim Holtz text and squares to the pocket and the page.
Next came the die cuts, a combination of Aall and Create and Tim Holtz wildflowers and a Tim Holtz quote.

Next came the tag - once again I don't recall how the background was made. I added some gesso through a piece of sequin waste, added some text, the beautiful Tim Holtz bluebird and a piece of die cut stem from my scrap bag.

I made this for 

Alison's Pockets and Tags theme at Art Journal Journey.

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Grunge It Up

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Midsummer Blues

More Mixed Media Monthly - optional Brights, I am hoping that my bright green stems at the centre are enough to count as brights even though I know it isn't essential!


Thanks for looking, Chris

Time is passing...

...and I don't know where it's going. Does anyone else find this? 
At the start of Lockdown way back in March we made a list of things we thought needed doing and we began to tackle that list...but somehow there hasn't been time to complete them all and a new list (in my head at the moment) is starting to form!!
Some of the jobs are because we still don't want to go shopping in crowds so for instance, the re-organising of our balcony has been put back, others are because I keep putting off the more daunting ones such as sorting through family photos, although I did start this very enthusiastically, and my wardrobe is about half finished, mainly because I have problems parting with certain items!

It occurred to me when looking at my new un-inked Aall and Create stamps - the words 'clocks ticking' at the top of the clock really did stand out to me!

I used some Craft Box papers and some more A and C stamps onto a stencil cleaning page.
I found the dandelion clock in my time stamps box and put it in the window.
I added some white pen, some feathery ribbon and a TH sticker to finish the page.

I am entering at Art Journal Journey and Alison's Pockets and Tags theme.

Of course it has been very hot this week and I have been a wilting weed, especially on Wednesday. We have been camping outside our front door on the walkway with our portable camping chairs as there has been a slight breeze there. Fortunately today has been a lot cooler.

We went out early yesterday to the charity shop again...and somehow found ourselves back at the outdoor cafe that we enjoyed the other week and enjoyed a walk too!

There will be few more photos on T Stands for Tuesday - I took 300plus photos!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for...time out, sometimes!

Hi everyone, I'm glad I saved some photos for today - we did go out last week but I had a bad experience and would rather not relive it today!
I will take you back to Lyme Park instead!
With the heat we are having I hope a walk in the wood will cool you down!
It was quite a warm day at the end of July and we decided to take another of the paths at Lyme Park that we have never been on(there are still a lot left too)

 First of all we walked along a path with a small wood on on side

 It had views out over to nearby Stockport

 There were quite a few of these 'dens' some with families playing in them

 We came through the gate into this shady wood

A lovely view of where had come from 

 This tree had fallen and uprooted

 We reached another gate at the far end of the wood but decided not to try and get back a different way...maybe another time!

 We got a better view of the mansion and the fallen tree

 Looking back through the gate

 The car park was quite full- this was around 3pm

I think in future we will be planning morning trips as a lot of folk are staying all day and it becomes quite busy!

 I told you that we had been on a picnic with my three sons and two of our grandchildren, here are some of the few photos I took.

 We tried to comply with the rules about not meeting in large numbers but as it happened another grandson and two partners couldn't come.
As you can see - from left to right, hubby then through from youngest, middle, with grandchildren to eldest, who spotted this great place by the lake

 The views were from opposite sides of the group, which as you can see were very well placed for social distancing!

 We went for a short walk afterwards

This is the bottom end of the whole lake which is quite long!

I hope you will forgive my choice for T Stands for Tuesday, where I will join Bleubeard and Elizabeth

Yes, it's the coffee we had in Fletcher Moss Gardens - I enjoyed it so much it just has to be here this week too!

Just before I go I will show you what I did while 'watching' TV last night.

I'm usually quite shy about showing my doodle sketches but I'm quite pleased with some of these characters who just appeared in around 30 minutes of doodling.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Finished page...

Hi everyone! As promised I have the journal page that I started for a five minute challenge.

Th page that was in my journal had been there a while but even though it had one of my favourite CI butterflies I just didn't know where it was going so...

...as part of the challenge...

..lots of stencilling with Distress Oxide inks and a little bit of random stamping before spattering it.

After the 5 minutes I removed one of the big spatters and lightly spritzed the page to blur the ink slightly.
The stamped image is still visible and I'm happier with the colours.
I stamped out the flowers from a new Olga Heldwein set by Aall and Create and coloured and fussy cut them.I also used up a piece of gelli printed paper to make some tags.
I was ready for the next 'see where I get in 5 minutes' session!

This is where I got to at the end of the five minutes

After that I used the pen to draw in some thread on the tags and to outline the flowers to make them stand out more.Compare with the finished page at the top of my post - I hope you agree!

I am entering at 

Art Journal Journey and Alison's 'Pockets and Tags' theme.

Penny Black and More August challenge 'Say It With Flowers'

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use Your Favourite Tool  - it's my spatter brush again!

Oh! and a little reminder - our Try It On Tuesday theme 'Words and Numbers' is still running for another week.


Thanks for looking, Chris