On All Fours!

Hi everyone, Chris here, I am mostly known as ’pearshapedchris’ a name I was given at a craft show years ago and of course comes from my blog name ‘Pearshapedcrafting’

I’ve been crafting a while now and my main love is art journaling - although I do make the occasional card!

First of all Thanks to Vicki for hosting her fabulous challenge last month!

 I’m so pleased to be hosting at Art Journal Journey this month

My chosen theme is ‘On All Fours’ which means I would love to see any animals with four legs featuring in your pages - from a small mouse to a huge elephant!

I don’t have any pets now but I know that there are cat and dog lovers out there, just as there are those that love horses or love to go out and see wild animals.

My first page features a bear, I know from seeing blogs that some of you actually see these closer than you would like!

I used the same technique that Marta Lapowska shared in her Wanderlust class and it's one I think I will be using a lot this year! 

The bear, the woodland image and the leaves are all from Stamperia 'Forest'papers

I'm looking forward to seeing your entries and how many different animals appear this month!

Thanks for looking, Chris

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