A path less trodden

 Hi everyone, I am finding a little more time at the moment, I am hoping that all of our appointments are finished with for a while now. The plus side is they have taken us to places with shops so we have started the updating of our balcony - well at least in getting some of the things we need. 

Hubby and I have also started our catch up on Wanderlust.

We are way behind - we are skipping week 26 for now and this is what we made for Week 27 - at the moment we have 28, 29 and 30 still to do!

It involved using oil pastels, soft pastels, watercolours and Gesso. I made mine into a walk by a stream with a flower cut from a bouquet wrapper and the birds sitting on rocks in the stream are from an old bird ID book form a charity shop (they are an Asian species)

I am entering at Art Journal Journey where Alison's theme is 'Summer Countryside' I think hubby's might well be an entry too!

Hubby made some pathways on his which leads very nicely into the continuation of our walk last week at Tatton Park.

Opposite the Japanese garden we decided to take a path we had never been on before

There was such peaceful atmosphere, especially as we saw no else around! Of course with Tatton being under a flight path we heard occasional planes flying over. 

Another sign! I'm not so sure about raindrops replacing coffee!

Back to somewhere familiar...

...with a look back at the path

I'm hoping that these beds will look better in a few weeks time!

This sign had been covered up by an overgrown hedge

Heading back to the exit - we had a lovely walk and it was great to discover new areas of Tatton!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Funky and Frilly and fun!

Hi everyone, I was so honoured to be asked by the team at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog Challenge to be Guest designer this week. I really enjoyed making this card with lots of lace and bits and pieces for Teri's 'Funky and Frilly ' theme. Teri's instructions were - 'Add buttons, lace, flowers or anything you like to your projects'  So I did!

I knew which colours I wanted to use so just gathered some bits and pieces on my desk.

I used some very watered down Fade Jeans Distress Ink to paint the edge of my white card

I also added some to the Stamperia papers I wanted to use. They are from a favourite - The Romantic Journal collection

I tried out a few arrangements on my card - I love the brown lace on the right - just not here!

I have had this piece of twisted fibre for ages and really wanted to use it - far too big, but by snipping a piece off and teasing it out it works

I have lots of buttons to choose from and I have some wool that I used to mount the lacy flower

I used a wet wipe with Faded Jeans Distress Ink to add some colour to all of the lace.

I also added some stickles to the bottom of the card and added beads and sparkly bits to my die cut Dragonfly.

I had been following the Tour de France going into Paris on TV when I took this photo and realised that there was something lacking!

Soon fixed with some Tim Holtz ephemera snippets and some thread.

Its a long time since I made a layered card (ssshhh, this is for my DIL) and I really enjoyed getting back to playing with paper and lace!

 

I hope you will go along and play at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog Challenge.

Thanks for looking, Chris

 

Feathered Friends at Try It On Tuesday

I love this new theme at Try It On Tuesday and I hope you do too!

'Feather Friends' is the title and of course we are talking about birds!

The Design Team have lots of inspiration for you so I hope you will join in with us this time.

If you saw my post yesterday you will know that I love weeds (or wild flowers as I prefer to think of them)
These are by Jo Firth Young for Paper Artsy

I used some Dina Wakley sprays for the background, some of which have a light layer of gesso over them. The bird is a Dina Wakley Scribbly bird and he's found some early berries - trouble they're bit hard and he keeps dropping them.

I painted in some grass so they had a soft landing - I'm sure he'll eat them later!

I hope you can join us, the rules(not many)are here and as usual our theme runs for two weeks.

I'll be back with something else exciting tomorrow.

I am also sharing this at Art Journal Journey and Alison's 'Summer Countryside' theme

Thanks for looking, Chris 

T Stands for....Tatton Park

Hi everyone, things here are slowing down a little - just as well with temperatures in the high 20's 

Last week went to Tatton Park Gardens for a picnic and a walk. We hadn't been for a while, fortunately we chose the right time because this week there is an event on and we would not have got the free parking that I normally get with my pass.

All around the walled garden are wild flower beds

One lone sunflower

and lots of traditional British weeds!

Cranesbill with some Sweet Alison there too

Fat Hen

Redshank

Cornflower

They certainly attracted the bees!

I must admit wild flowers excite me as much as cultivated ones - I may have mentioned my pleading with my dad to leave certain weeds to grow when I was a child!

I'm not a great fan of Artichoke to eat but it is a fascinating plant.

As we came out of the Walled Garden we read that the Rose Garden was still closed ...but..the Tower Garden was open.

What an absolute delight!

We looked at the Rose Garden - I think it needs some work doing!

I found a shady place to sit

Hubby, who had been walking around taking close ups spotted me!

Oh and here is Henry - you can see he has a twin in the photo with me in it!! This made me smile Iris!

We then took our usual route past the Japanese Gardens

A small group of gardeners had had their lunch on the steps here - lucky them!

We looked out over the lake outside the gardens and as we started to walk back decided to take a route we had never walked on before - another treat which I will save for later in the week.

Now for my drink related pics, yes pics!

Before we went into the garden we went to the Gardener's Cottage. 

We used to go there before Covid but haven't rushed to go back - even though they have been open for a while!

Last Thursday was the day we decided to take the T gang that join Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday for a coffee and hot buttered tea cake.

I had an Americano, hubby had Hot Chocolate.

He tried to avoid my camera...

.....he thought it was really funny...

You can now see what I go through some times to get a photo!

The garden was very peaceful and cool....

...and the coffee was very good!

I'll be back soon with a new theme at Try It On Tuesday.

Thanks for looking, Chris