Out and about!

Last week we had a visitor to our caravan garden….

Such a cute little rabbit - he is almost sure to have brothers and sisters who will probably help themselves to some of our plants but I couldn't help smiling! My page today is about what may have happened before I opened the curtains and saw him!

I sprinkled some Infusions - a combination of blues and purples and when it was dry used a TH stencil to add some paint. 
Next I used a napkin - had to tear it up a bit and overlay some flowers.
A stamped quote…and I am ready to join Art Journal Journey! Yvonne set am amazing example this month - not only did she choose a wonderful theme but she has produced amazing art every day!! The theme - and there is still time(just) to take part is 'Out and About' 
I hope my rabbit didn't help himself to my potted flowers on out decking - they have done quite well this year - some are new but some are last years!

Thanks for looking, Chris!

This is definitely pear shaped!

It would seem I have been away too much this month - there have been  challenges that inspired me but no time to play!! 

I have been looking to change my blog appearance for a while but not sure how (still not really sure!)
I have been helped along by the challenge at Country View Crafts though - 'Inspired by Tim Holtz' which had me reaching for my blueprint pear stamp and my new Distress Oxide inks…..

…this is as far as it got for a while!
Once I had caught up with everything I began to think about how to mount it as I want to hang it in my craft room.

From here it came together quite well - I added paint - gold and green - around the edges.
Next some flowery Tim Paper from way back! Now, Tim is the master of distress and I (among many others) love his distress tool - yes I know scissors will do (and has to sometimes if said tool is buried on my desk!)but I love how easy it is to use - so edges suitably scuffed and inked and then assembled!
It still needed something - some PA leaves from Lin Browns set - stamped onto some paper with oxides on it, fussy cut for the corner…. and spatters - lots, using Worn Lipstick Oxide re-inker and gold paint watered down.

I would like to enter in The Country View Challenge and also…

…while I am here, remind you that Try It On Tuesday has a Botanical theme running until 10th March.

Thanks for all the lovely comments you have been leaving for me - and being understanding about me visiting your blogs!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Try It on Tuesday is going Botanical

This fortnight we hope you will join us with anything botanical!
I looked up the definition of Botany…..

BOTANY

The science of plants

The plant life of a region

The biology of a plant or plant group

There's plenty of scope there for you to get started and the TIOT  Design Team also have some brilliant inspiration as usual.

I have been enjoying some journal play.

 As you can see all sort of different plants here but this page started as a mop up page!

 This was using the the ink up on some stencils I had been using

Added some spotty tissue paper, a mop up paper towel and some scraps of doily.

Next came texture sand paste coloured with dark blue paint and some green coloured crackle paste both through plant stencils, some tissue tape and more stencilling using ink!

I rubbed some gold paint over some parts using my finger.

Mixed up two quotes!

Finally the Paper Artsy Hotpicks bluebell was stamped onto green card and cut out!

I hope you will join us at Try It On Tuesday with your botanical entries.

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For…………taking some walks.

Once again it has come around to T Day so quickly…well, yes, we have been away and that always seems to go so quickly anyway but last week seemed extra busy!
First I would like to show you my page for Out and About - Yvonne's great theme at Art Journal Journey! Having seen Jo's Paris page on her blog(here) I thought it about time I made one about my favourite city!

I used a postcard that I bought a few years ago, a carnet, a map cut from a card advertising a hotel and I stamped the Eiffel tower onto some Infusions sprinkled deli paper!The background started as a mop up but has had stencilling and stamping added.
I also have a tag that I would like to enter at 
Tag Tuesday where the theme is 'Birds and nests' and also 
Simon Says Monday challenge - 'Things with Wings'

Now, we did manage to get out for some walks in the sun so if you don't mind I will save our York trip for another time.Also if you have urgent tasks to do I must warn you that this may take a while!!
We went up to our caravan last Thursday and on Friday decided to use our 2 for 1 passes to visit Rydal Mount - Wordsworth's last home! We have never managed to visit in Spring to see the daffodils!
You will probably recognise the first verse to his poem….

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

There were daffodils everywhere in the main garden attached to the house…...

….and lots of other things to see - this is the little shed where Wordsworth sat to write sometimes.

We could see Dora's field - planted with daffodils after Wordsworth's daughter died……….

 …but couldn't see how to get in - we asked Dora the cat but she sent us to the gardener who told us we had to go out and down the hill and through the churchyard.

I have never seen so many daffodils together…

…a wonderful experience!

 After all this walking up and down steps we headed to Ambleside for some lunch…

This is where I join Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday …..

…and confess that we were so delighted to eating outdoors in a lovely sunny space that I forgot to take a photo of the delicious wild boar burgers that we had!!!
I did get these two shots though...

Now, I could continue and show you where my son's took us yesterday - a lovely garden in Cheshire that we had never visited - Abbeywood Gardens, and Dunham Massey where we went this morning before shopping but you would be here for far too long - I will give you a couple of shots but that's it for tonight - it is very nearly Tuesday here….

..and I'm away to my bed!
I'll be here tomorrow, although we have a cinema trip planned - Odeon's Silver Screen!!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

I am happy here!

I was playing with my new Distress oxide inks and after several layer of both DOs and DIs I had a satisfactory background to play with! 

The page didn't take the turn I intended but I became so involved I forgot to take a photo of the page until I had stamped on it with plantlife from two of Elenazinskiart's sets by Paper Artsy!!

I painted them using PA Fresco paints.
I stamped the monster onto card and coloured him with promarkers and cut out the solid bits before stamping him onto the page so I could add the body, hands and feet.

I drew a speech bubble and added the words which really are my own words for wherever I am! 
Finally I outlined all the stamped parts to define them again!

This time I am happy to be 'Out and About' in my garden! Of course I am joining in with Yvonne's theme at Art Journal Journey!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Ready for Spring...

In the aftermath of yesterday's events I have made a journal page and once again it's my love of flowers, especially at this time of year, that inspired my page.
We had quite a lot of rain recently and now it seems with the sunshine everything wants to show off their Spring colours!

 The background is Distress Oxides(can't stop playing with them)
I stencilled some Tim Holtz wildflowers and then stamped a variety of grasses form various sources. The Paper Artsy Hotpicks bluebells(HP1010), for the purposes of early spring, are masquerading as very open Hyacinths.
I added some stamping and doodling to make raindrops around the flowers. 

I am pretty sure that whatever the weather we will be going out for a walk in a garden somewhere today!

This is my latest entry at Art Journal Journey for Yvonne's theme - Out And About.
I would also like to enter the challenges at 

The Artistic Stamper - Springtime

Stamping Sensations - Close to nature

Craft Stamper Make It - Take It March - Anything Goes challenge

Thanks for looking, Chris

Stars shine in the darkness!

My title refers to the heroes of today, our police and emergency services! As yet we don't know any details, but there was a terrorist attack in London this afternoon and a policemen doing his duty was killed! My heart goes out to all those caught up in this dreadful event!

It has also changed the nature of the page I was preparing! I had started this page a while ago by using Infusions and now I can't remember which ones!
I painted the bottom half of the page with Frescos(Little black Dress) and then stamped some Paper Artsy Lynne Perrella building stamps and a York Minster one bought in York - there is a stamp shop by the city gates.

At that point it was going to be page about our visit to York but when the news broke this afternoon it seemed that a sunny day suddenly turned dark! There was an immediate response from our emergency services and this prompted me to use this quote from the internet!

I would like to enter Challenge no4 at Paper Artsy - Doors, Windows, Architecture.

I would also like to join in again with Yvonne's theme 'Out and About' at Art Journal Journey

A big Thank You to all those who attend tragedies that are often dark in nature!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

T Stands For…a train trip

Last Wednesday we were up early to catch a train! We arrived in York  at 11.45 dropped our luggage at the hotel and headed into the city. It was a lovely sunny day.

 This is the Micklegate entrance to the city and wasn't far from the hotel

This is the same gate on Friday morning, a much colder day altogether! We had bought ourselves a hat each the day before as we were beginning to feel the change coming!
We only stayed two nights (we had a very good offer from the hotel chain)so there was a lot to pack in and more than I can get into this post so I will show you some of the things we did and save some for another day(or two)

  This was the first place we visited after a stop for coffee - forgot to take photos so the place we chose was also the last place we had a drink too too!

It is Holy Trinity Church - they also had a very informative display about monasteries!

This is Treasurers House - donated to the National Trust by an eccentric owner. The decor is unusual but there are such wonderful things to see(we also ate a sandwich lunch there)

Frank Green had a reputation for restoring the house in his own way - a question was posed….

 From here we went around the Minster (not going in today!)..

…my attempt at an arty shot!!

We went back to the hotel along part of the city walls….

to check in and freshen up and then went back into the city - this was making it's way across - I bet the views were amazing!

We thought we saw a cat on a roof but it was only made of metal!

The next morning we set off in a different direction along the walls - it was quite blowy every time we passed a gap!

As we went down the steps to come off we saw this lovely window...

 and this..

This is where we came out!

From here we went to visit several history exhibits which I will try to show you another time - for now though it's time to go back to 'Partisan' - the cafe has a very French feel to it!

 For T Stands For Tuesday with Bluebeard and Elizabeth -

Here is hubby pouring his tea - in front of him Banana Cake.

 Here is my coffee and a piece of Pear and Walnut tart

I have a better shot of the cake but hubby decided to play…..!

I'm looking forward to seeing what the T Gang has been doing but that will have to wait until the morning - my exercise class today(Yes, you read that right!!) has made me rather tired and I will post this and go to bed!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx