Relaxing with my Journal!

Following a bit of a hairy meeting in my capacity as a director here at our retirement complex I was in definite need of relaxation this afternoon! I decided to combine it with  couple of challenges where I had been inspired by what I saw!
I also used a technique that I caught on TV the other day -
I swiped Peeled Paint, Mustard Seed and Bundled Sage Distress ink pads over my page horizontally and vertically to make a check effect. I loved the effect that Ali Reeves from Stamps Away created and I was almost as pleased with mine.
I stamped over the whole of the page with one of my favourite text stamps - the Paris one from TH's Attic Treasures using Bundled Sage and Antique Linen. I then used a Crafters Workshop Random Specimens stencil using up what was on a couple of applicators(shades of green and probably Worn Lipstick!)Next for a bit of texture I rubbed on some streaks of crackle paste and some through a random circle stencil.   

  When it dried it was time for a bit of shine - I bought some Viva Inca Gold paste in a lovely shade of green(Jadegreen) some time ago but had never used it - I knew it was creamy as I had already opened the Aquamarine pot for something else(and I still have a pink to use)I love the way it stuck in the crackle.

So, turquoise on some and green on the others.
I then used the same text stamp and Potting Soil archival ink over parts of the page and the dots!
At this time I was beginning to relax and decided that I wanted to add some plant life! As it happened the stamps that had been sitting unmounted on a spare dining chair since before Christmas finally got mounted this week - they are two lovely sets - from Crafty Individuals - CI-423 and CI-395. I had some plant themed pages from a gazetteer and I punched to some circles and sprayed them with water and Walnut Stain Distress Spray.

I bet you can't guess what the sparkly little circles are from -I had some old sentiments from Craftwork cards that pop out to use on cards and these are cut from the empty sheet and rubbed over with Peeled Paint distress ink.

The quote by John Ruskin is from a very old set from The Stamp Man and I stamped it onto a crumpled up piece of waxed food wrapping(rescued from the bin of course)which I had also rubbed over with the green Viva Gold
So here is the finished page

A little Vintage Photo around the edge of the page finished it off - and now I'm feeling relaxed!

I would like to enter 
the Country View Challenge - Use some thing new to you(The ink pad technique, the stamps and the Inca Gold!)
The Artistic Stamper - New beginnings (there are signs of new growth on the plants already)

I would also like to link to Brenda's Visual Journey where Brenda is wanting to see our journal pages to share with others
She says "This is not a challenge it is just for fun but it's a great way to see what others are making in their journals around the world whether it be an art journal, visual diary or sketchbook and whatever medium or style you choose."

Thanks for looking, Chris