It's Magic!

Hi everyone, I'm sure it can't just be me that finds time passes so quickly. It's already time for a new theme at Try It On Tuesday - 'Make It Magical'

Please take a look at how the Design Team have created Magic here.

I have been wanting to make a magical page using the gorgeous mushrooms from one of Erica Palfreyman's Stampanory Cotton Socks sets and here I combined them with some images from Lavinia Stamps

The background was made with Lavinia Dinkles. I extended the stamp slightly with a Pitt pen. I stamped the stars using silver acrylic paint. The quote is also from the Cotton Socks set.

I think that the fairy's pet rabbit is enjoying the glittery shower!

As usual our them runs for 2weeks. I do hope that you will add a little magic of your own at TIOT.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Summer Blooms at TIOT

Hi everyone, I'm back from my holiday in France and been enjoying some time at my desk making some journal pages. Try It On Tuesday has a new theme 'Summer Blooms' and I'm sure is going to inspire many of you! The Design Team has been busy too with lots of lovely flowers on show.

I chose Sweet Peas as my blooms but really I would choose them for their scent too.

I used a mop up background in my journal and added some texture stamps around the edges (using the stamp package image to place where I wanted it) then stamped my image and coloured it using water colour pencils and a water brush. I also used the honeycomb edging of the image to extend it around the flowers.

This theme will run for the usual two weeks and I do hope you will join us with your own 'Summer Blooms' at TIOT.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Things with wings

Hi everyone, it's time for a new theme at Try It On Tuesday - we would like to see 'Things With Wings' and that means anything that we usually see with wings! As usual the Design Team have been busy making samples to inspire you - please take a look here.

I am quite predictable in choosing a bird, I can get quite distracted when out walking if I hear an unusual bird song or if I get a chance to watch birds.

I made a page in a small journal - I used a page from a Dina Wakley Collage book I spritzed it with a Distress Spritz (the shine doesn't show well here) then stamped the little Dina Wakley bird and coloured it in with wateercolour paints. Finally I covered the bird and added some spatters and the Tim Holtz chit chat sticker.

I hope you can join us this time at TIOT - you have two weeks to post your entry and if you are in any doubt about anything the Rules and  Guidelines are here.

I would like to join Neet's 'It must Have Wings' theme at Art Journal Journey with my little bird too

Thanks for looking, Chris

Keeping It Simple (with a cup of coffee on the side)

 Hi everyone, our new theme is 'Keep It Simple' at Try It On Tuesday - I could have gone to the CAS side but as I am preparing my Travel Journal I decided to make myself some easy backgrounds for my small journal. 

Take a look here at what our Design Team have been making.

This is how I started

I used some scraps from my little pencil case.

I sorted them into similar colours, then using some wide double sided tape I stuck  them on randomly

The edges were trimmed on this one

I used some Tulip cuttings from a magazine for another strip

The bottom one here was left with torn edges

You can see my pencil case here too.

I used some for a page in my planner but the rest will be in my travel kit.

I added some flower stickers and more scraps from my bag.

I hope you will join us this time at TIOT whether your entry is CAS or something simple to make.

The coffee...for T Stands for Tuesday...hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth... 

...where hubby is totally ignoring my requests for a smile! This on our latest shopping trip to Marks and Spencers - we had a scone each as it had been a long time since breakfast.

Just a quick few pics to show how the lovely sunny weather has encouraged the flowers to grow at Styal Mill

I am hoping that the little birds on my page are suitable for Art Journal Journey where Neet has her 'It Must Have Wings' theme.

 Thanks for looking, Chris

Bird

Hi everyone, I've enjoyed getting back to my larger art journals, although I have been busy with my mini journals and my daily journal.

This is intended for Hickydorum Neet's 'It Must Have Wings' theme at Art Journal Journey this month

I started with another mop up page, just paint this time from a palette I made for making a Wanderlust page.

The image is from a book I found in a charity shop - all of the pages in the book have only the birds coloured in. I used a leaf stencil and then drew in details. I also stamped a few smaller leaves around and added a label for the quote.

Thanks for looking, Chris

I Got Lost!

 Hi everyone, I have a journal page to show you! I must confess that this was meant for Erika's "Spring Birds' theme last month(sorry Erika!) so I was really pleased to see that Neet wouldn't mind seeing birds for her 'It Must have Wings' theme at Art Journal Journey this month.

  I love Nuthatches so this Hobby Art stamp set was a must have a few years ago! 

The background started as a stencil cleaning page. I stamped the branch (so easy to extend the length) and the blossom (with a little bit of masking) then added my bird. My Daniel Smith paints were perfect for colouring everything and adding some more leafy touches.

Thanks for looking, Chris  

Deep in the Forest

 Hi everyone, our new theme at Try It On Tuesday takes us 'Deep In The Forest' this time. The Design Team have found lots to look for when you visit.

This time of year I love coming across Bluebells when we go on our walks, but when we visit our son in France there's more to see. On one of the routes on the way to the shops we can see Wildboar with their young - a protective wire fence has been built to stop them getting on the crops and we can see them if we go by in the early evening.

The local farmers quite close to my sons have regular Boar hunts (guess whose side I'm on). They are quite shy creatures and when his neighbour met one while walking his dog it turned and trotted away quite quickly.

My Journal page is about what might be in the undergrowth when we take our walks around there, maybe one day they won't be behind a fence. I wouldn't want to meet a female with young ones though, the female Wildboar mother is very protective and may attack!

I have an old book that I use to make occasional pages - I used paper Artsy Fusions to create a 'leafy' background, then added some Stamperia images and a little stamp collage I made. I finished the page with some spatters and words.

Our theme runs for two weeks and I hope you will join us with anything you might hope to find 'Deep In The Forest'

Thanks for looking, Chris