T Stands For........the lull...and a little bit of Second look on the 2nd

Hi everyone, I think I've reached a point where I am waiting for something, but not sure what!!
The tidying of my craft room has come to a temporary halt - I'm buying some new storage boxes and waiting for them to arrive but I don't think that's it....
I haven't does much crafting lately either..I'm waiting for Mr Mojo to come marching back soon....but I don't even think that's it......
I'm just restless and not settling to anything - I have been trying to finish off some UFOs in this lull...maybe that will help!

I've been looking through some old photos too! Really should do something with them!!

 My youngest arrived with some groceries and these lovely flowers - this is a few days after they arrived when the lilies bloomed.
I promised to show you the new colour in our living room, much better than our old 'magnolia'!

Our TV unit has some bookshelves attached, although what you see here are boxes designed to look like books and they hold all our memorabilia from our trips. It's nice to look through them sometimes. You can also see some of my mini canvases, my little house collection, the wine glasses are awaiting some coffee beans, I use them as air fresheners.the tall greenery on the right isn't real but has built in (and added fairy lights)There are also odd little bits of things that made us smile!

We haven't been out at all this week but we did have a go at making a special coffee!

As it is Tuesday I will share this as my ticket to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's Altered Book Lover blog for T stands for Tuesday!

It is our attempt at a Dalgona coffee, I thing we need to look at measurements as our ingredients were all correct!
It still tasted delicious! By this time hubby had drunk all his!!!

Now for my Second look on the 2nd...
The link to the post is here and was the first time we had been to visit my Ex SIL and BIL. As you know we are great friends and talk on Face Time every week. I hadn't realised it was so long ago.

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I've had rather a lot to catch up on, so although we got back last week this really is the first chance I've had to show any pictures! 
First of all I must say a big "Thank you!" to my xsil and her hubby - we had THE most fantastic time! They guided us through menus and we had some fantastic meals, they drove us all over the place and showed us some real treasures and above all they provided us with some great company - we really did talk for hours!!! Oh! and they also took me to some great places to stock up on craft goodies(more of that another day)!
The journey to Poitiers was an interesting one, the first leg from Manchester to London was the worst - travelling backwards and no window to look out of! We then boarded Eurostar which was much better - more leg room and a view - got to Lille and had time to sit in the sun and have a coffee! Then - the most exciting part - a double decker sncf/tgv to Poitiers and we were on the top deck! Gosh! Did that train travel?!!! We did have a little delay around Paris for work occurring on the track but made up speed and were only about 15 minutes late!

The next day we were taken to Fontevraud Abbey - the final resting place of Eleanor of Aquitaine - I had no idea we were within driving distance so I was excited at the prospect of a visit(I've always had a fascination with Eleanor)
It was raining in the morning and after a fabulous lunch there was no sign of it stopping, so armed with an umbrella, we set off - xsil and hubby went off somewhere else with a promise to pick us up later! 
The abbey was built in 1100 by Robert d'Arbrissel, who put a woman in charge and made a rule that it would always have a woman in charge despite housing both monks and nuns! 

The tombs of Eleanor, Henry II, Richard I and Isabelle d'Angouleme (King Johns wife)

Eleanor supported the abbey by supplying funds to run it and ended her days there

The rain stopped and we went to explore further, the abbey was used as a prison by Napoleon so there was a lot more to see.

The Kitchen/Smoke house and garden

another view of the outside of the Kitchens

a scary carving....

and a beautiful angel

this was on a beautiful wall of roses

Another treat was in store on our way home - we were taken on a scenic route along the Loire, calling to visit a beautiful church and driving past the fantastic Saumur Chateau

As you can see from this page

 there certainly was lots to see in the area 

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There are more posts from around the time if you would like to look - here, here here, here and here!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Stitching - not stitching!!!

Hi everyone! It's a while since I managed to remember to start to prepare my pages for my calendar journal in time for the first of the month!

Yesterday I spent a short time in my craft room to start a background. I must have had Halle's new theme 'A Stitch in Time' for Art Journal Journey in my head somehow as I created a bright page this time, using very similar colours to Halle's first fabulous page.

 This is how this started...

I brayered on some Paper Artsy translucent paints and then brayered some Carabelle texture plates and used them as stamps.
This morning I added some random stamping and then the large sewing machine, both of these are in the Hochanda show tomorrow - the first one is at 7a.m.BST.There is a lot more to the stamp but I wiped off what I didn't want this time!
I also stamped some sewing accessories. I drew in some faux stitches around part of the page and then added some washi-tape patchwork, held together with more faux stitching.
I'm looking forward to brighter days this month!

Here is last Month's calendar page.

Not much happening but a few highs and lows throughout the month!

Details of the Hochanda shows - If you can't see them live you can watch on REWIND on their  website 

There is also an App to download onto your Smart phones

If you can get the TV programmes they are

Thanks for looking, Chris

Flowers....finally!!!

Hi everyone! I'm having a bit of time on the computer at last! I have tried using my phone or tablet for commenting but keep forgetting I have to do things differently and lots of comments have gone astray! I will try to get back to rectify it but meanwhile I had about three pages ready for taking photos along with my mail art and things went slightly topsy turvy!!
Nothing major I might add, but just one thing after another, some pleasant some not.
Our internet was down for a while and we now have a new hub and so far seems quicker than the last one, so that's a big result!!
Hubby has been using the computer a lot and I have had to wait until hubby had finished before I could get on, every time he asked me if I wanted the computer I had inky hands so he carried on, got into something and by the time he was finished it was too late to concentrate(that's just the way I am these days!)

Anyway, I'm here now and I have a 'Flowers' page for Mia's theme at Art Journal Journey! It comes with an apology for not getting there more often - it is such good theme for me and I missed my chances!! Hey Ho!

I bought this Aall and Create stamp set a while ago so decide it was about time it was shown the ink pad!! The flowers are so beautiful but my mind was all in one colour! The page did have some blue from some mopping up. I added stencilling and stamping using A and C products - mainly because they were handy! I used a Visible Image quote that seems to sum up my feelings quite well!

When I looked at it I decided that some pink might look a bit cheerier so I inked and spritzed a stencil with Picked raspberry oxide ink and used it randomly over the page.

With so many circles here I'm entering at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Going Round In Circles
I'm also entering at Stamping Sensations May challenge - 'Say it With flowers'

I hope I will 'pick up' a bit before my next post - heading to my craft room now we have unpacked and wiped all our groceries that arrived - early for the first time!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For....taking my time!!

Hi everyone, I have finally stopped rushing around, the craft room is only partially sorted...how does the scrap pile get so big???? It is going slowly, some in collages some being thrown out(whatever was I thinking!!)and some will find it's way back into a box!

Not a great deal of crafting going on but I have been making one piece of art a day - my mail art that I am calling Happy Bird Day as I have chosen to a bird on it each day!
Jo remarked on Instagram that I must have a lot of bird stamps....I do....although I did repeat one in a fit of laziness(refused to get off my bottom to reach for a box!)
I am taking part in The 100 day Project on Instagram and have recently been letting them mount up a bit before taking photographs as I have to move things off my little stand where I take photos by my window.

I'll show you some here...

 The aren't all stamped - one stencil here and some collage elements!

 I am just using random envelopes that have been separated from their cards for some reason other.

I will be using them to send some of my bits and pieces around the world when I have finished the 100!

 I stamped the goose using paint, I think I will have to give him an inking too one day!

 More birds cut from my old bird ID book!

I have to confess, CAS is difficult for me, I am essentially a messy crafter and the label is covering up a really messy ink mark!

I recently bought some Darkroom Door stamps so the labels and post marks here are from those sets.
So just over halfway here, although in reality I am on Day 50 today! 
I'll show you more another time!

As for other things I have been doing......my samples headed off towards Hochanda for next Tuesday's Crafty Individual shows which at the moment I think are on at 7.00am and 11.00am UK BST.

I posted my Try It On Tuesday post which is a CAS card - I managed to keep the inky marks off as the sentiment is the only stamped part on it! You can see it here.

As I said - I have been sorting out my craft room - this is the before....

...and as yet...no after....it's a WIP!!!!

I have been using some stretch bands to excercise...you are definitely not going to see the video hubby took!

I had some happy mail this morning too - ordered separately quite a while ago for one package but they arrived together!

My finger slipped on the 'add to basket' button too quickly I think!!!

As I am actually here for T Stands For  Tuesday at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's place  - The Altered book Lover, I had better get on with it!

We have been enjoying recipes from our new cook book from my son -by the same person as our Roasting Tin book but this one is Round The World Roasting Tin Recipes!

As you can see I have several tatty markers for ones we have already made and liked loved!
This one was African and vegan and so tasty and filling - I chopped mint for the top then forgot to put it on! Mint is actually in the title of the recipe so we will have to make it again....

Hubby had only eaten one mouthful. As you can see we often take the easy option of using a spoon when there are small bits(in this case bulgar wheat) to be picked up!

Oh! I am continuing with my very good book - I'll show you that next week and we have watched some good films this week too -Jody Foster in 'Flight Plan' was excellent and we also enjoyed another flight film - 'Air Force One'! We have had the DVD of 'The Boat That Rocked' for a while but have only just watched it this week - very funny and fantastic music - and if you remember Pirate radio you can imagine the kind of music. I think it was called 'Pirate Radio' as an alternative!

Well, time for.....well, whatever I please, but coffee first I think!
I'll be around later!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Cut It Out!

Our new theme at Try It On Tuesday is all about cutting out - either by die cutting or good old fussy cutting so..'Cut It Out'
The Design Team have kept their fingers busy either by using their scissors or getting the most out of their die cutting machines!
Please take a look here!

I stamped and fussy cut a Tracy Evans flower. After colouring it I went over the lines again with a fine liner.
I also used an Aall and Create die cut which I simplified by getting my scissors out once more.

I added some snipped cotton to the top of the stem and the sentiment from Tracy's set.

I hope you can join us at TIOT over the next two weeks.

Thanks for looking, Chris 

Bee Happy

Hi everyone! The sun is shining, we're still in lockdown and my craft room is still a mess...but..so what???

I have been watching the bees flying around and was prompted to make this page!

I used some Paper Artsy Infusions to make circles then drew through my fabulous Aall and Create sunflower stencil with a Derwent Line maker. I used a water brush to drag to some of the colour!  A and C's Olga's bee was stamped at the centre and I added some white pen and some spatters along with hand written words.

I am entering at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - All A Buzz
and 
Art Journal Journey - and Mia's 'Flowers' theme
and 
Stamping Sensations May challenge - Say It With Flowers

Now, shall I sit and read on the balcony or should I make some attempts to tidy up my craft room?

Thanks for looking, Chris

Paris, Flowers and Dreams!

Hi everyone! Time to play...although to be honest that what I have been doing with my samples! I am so looking forward to sharing them with you!
After I came back from the post box today (and trying to get away from a very rude man who continued to walk towards us as we walked around a van that was parked on the pavement!!!)I started a journal page. I made a good start on a mop up page, then changed my mind about using it so found another mop up which started this page after we had cooked and eaten our evening meal!

I used a flower stencil, stamps and die cuts from Aall and Create and a Paris Image from the Craft Box. The quote is (I think) from Inkylicious.

Of course I made this for Mia's 'Flowers' theme at Art Journal Journey! 

That's it from me tonight. I didn't sleep so well last night and was finishing and packing samples most of today! Time to sit and watch The Great British Sewing Bee soon!

Thanks for looking, Chris