Happy Halloween!

A final page for AJJ and a wish for some treats for you if you are out and about on Halloween Night!

Valerie's Indian Summer-Golden October - Autumn theme for October has been so much fun and I still have lots in my head that I would like to have done, but here we are on the last day of the month!
I would also like to enter A Vintage Journey where there is a 'Make It Spooky' theme.

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments, Chris

I do!!

It seems that I do 'do' Halloween after all! Even though I don't really like spooky goings on and steer away from the gory items on sale I must say I have enjoyed crafting Halloween style!

I have made a tag which I started by using Transparent gel medium through a diamond stencil.

 I used Black Soot Distress ink all over the tag, then used Tim's mini Halloween set to stamp the bats, the skellie and the greeting using Archival black.

I had some plastic spiders that have been lurking around for a while so after adding a little orange paint and part of a thinlets die I stuck three of them to the side of the skellie. 

I added more ink around the edges of the tag.

I would like to enter this in 

Moo Mania and More's 'Halloween Party' challenge.

and

Country View challenges - All Things Spooky

I would also like to add this to a Vintage Journey - Make It Spooky

Thanks for looking, Chris

It's Autumn and it's Halloween

I am not one to celebrate Halloween but my GD has not one, not two, but three Halloween parties to attend!!
It does seem to have taken hold here, as supermarket aisles show!

I have made a Halloween page in my A5 journal and I must admit to quite enjoying myself

I stuck down some paper towel that already had some orange and green on it. I made sure there were plenty of wrinkles to pick up the paint I added.

I can only show you section here - forgot to take a photo!!

I sprayed Ground Espresso over a plastic spider which although it showed up wasn't enough for me so I painted over it with some PA Fresco Finish Limelight paint.

I stamped the crow(not sure where from) onto some paper and added black then purple ink.

I stamped some PA mini numbers using PA Fresco Snowflake paint before bedtime last night and before I cleaned up noticed that it made a sort of skull shape, unfortunately as I peeled it off my mat it broke a little so I drew a bat onto black paper and cut it out to cover the bottom of it.

I wrote the words using Fresco Little Black dress with the wooden end of a paintbrush and then highlighted with Fresco Limelight 

I didn't show up enough for my liking so I added some white with a Signo uni ball pen.
The crow was given a broomstick to stand on using PA Little Black Dress paint.

I would like to link to Moo Mania and More for the Halloween Party theme.

I would also like to join in at Art Journal Journey with this end of Autumn page. Valerie's wonderful Indian Summer - Golden October - Autumn theme still has a few more days to run.

Country View Challenges has All Things Spooky as their challenge this time so I hope this is spooky enough!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Golden October Garden

I have been so enjoying our Autumn walks, especially now that the leaves are finally beginning to change in our part of the world!
I have made a journal page with some challenges in mind too!

I started by using a seed-head stencil and some copper paint to make a reverse stencil by putting paint onto the stencil and using it as a stamp.
I added some patterned stencilling too, followed by some script stamping and then overstamped some leaves(from a freebie stamp)

I stamped some poppies and painted them with gold acrylic paint

I added some texture paste and gold paint through a leafy Dylusions border.

I cut out some TH words(one each from two sets)

I outlined the words with a brown Stabilo all pencil and smudged it with a watery finger.

The colours here at Sizergh were lovely too.

I would like to enter my page at…

Art Journal Journey - Valerie's wonderful Indian Summer-Golden October-Autumn continues with some lovely and inspiring journal pages.

Anything But Cute - Challenge 18 - An Autumn Day 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Autumn

Stamps and Stencils - Elements of Nature Challenge

Penny Black and More - Autumn challenge

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

Hand made by you - at Try It On Tuesday...

….that means no shop bought embellishments or digs! 
We would love to see what you can create all by yourself! It's not as hard as you might think, as you will see if you take a look at the fabulous examples created by the Design Team
I have made a birthday card

 I used two stamps from Indigoblu's Light and Sound borders and added some lighter stripes using the edge of a faux credit card 

I used a star punch to cut out several stars... 

 ….which I stuck together - using an eye makeup applicator...

….used another to add some red ink 
I then added some little punched stars

and added a Happy Birthday banner made by cutting a triangle out at each end.

We look forward to seeing what you create. Don't forget to show the link to Try It On Tuesday in your post!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for….the rest of the trip!

As you will see if you read on, the colours in Ely Cathedral seem to have influenced my colour choices for a few Christmas cards I have made.

This one is for ABC Christmas challenge - U is for Under the Pile - something you haven't used that you have had for more than a year 

 I bought this stamp intending to use it last year but err…mislaid it! I used part of the stamp on this card and I'll show you the others soon! 

I really had hoped to show you more photos of Ely but time just ran out before we headed up to our caravan for a few days!
I used to live in Lincoln up till I moved to the North West to go to College - not so far away from Ely by car but we didn't have a car!! 

Our hotel was an old coaching inn and we had a room in what was one of the old stables. It was just along the road from the Cathedral.
First we went to the Information Centre which also happened to have been lived in by Oliver Cromwell

We decided not to take a tour of this house/museum - maybe next time as I think we will go back to Ely one day.
We walked past the old Palace and saw this in the process of being finished.

The building is now used as a sixth form college.

The cathedral site, like many in England started as an abbey - the building was started in 1083 not long after the Norman conquest and has lots of carvings both inside and out

The octagonal tower was added later but decorated in the 1800s

I am not sure whether you will make these out but the lovely figures have no heads.

These caught my eye - as you can see the ones on the top have faded 

The ceiling is amazing and there is a mirror on wheels to allow a proper view with straining your neck.
Of course with my love of Eleanor of Aquitaine (she and Henry II visited here) I had to look for signs of original paintings on the walls - alas not many, but enough to please me!

As I grew up in Lincoln I was always fascinated by tales of the building of Lincoln Cathedral so I really enjoyed my visit here too!

Some of the features are very similar, as Lincoln was started in 1088.

Of course…nearly forgot - my drink related photo for I am here to join Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T stands for Tuesday.

 We didn't have a cooked breakfast every day but this was one of the days we did! Our drink - a good cup of coffee!

 

Thanks for looking, Chris