Bag lady!

I was never sure how I would finish my month at Art Journal Journey with my '101 ways to Keep Warm'. 

I have enjoyed it so much, not just for making my own pages but for seeing the new entries as they came along! 
I have so appreciated your support with your entries and for your lovely comments on my blog!

I am finishing on a sad note though, prompted by someone I saw on a bus we were travelling on last week. The woman looked about my age, but she could have been any age, as she looked as though she was carrying her life around with her. She had a blanket draped around her shoulders and so many bags that she struggled to carry them as she got off at her chosen stop!
She left an aroma behind her that definitely wasn't Chanel No5 but she made me wonder what had happened that she should now be leading a life like this. I wish I had followed her off the bus(although I don't know what I would have said to her) and I do hope that she was heading somewhere that she knew she could get out of the cold.

I will apologise here if I don't get to see any entries today but we are travelling across the Pennines to attend a funeral tomorrow. The  good part is that I will get to stay with my brother and his wife so will be having a catch up this evening! 
On our way back we are collecting my Grandson for an overnight stay, so a busy couple of days ahead!

Thanks for visiting today, Chris

Tangled!

Do you remember those puzzles when you were younger,or maybe ones that your children or grandchildren enjoyed doing, where you had to follow lines to match items?
Well, there were once two naughty cats who belonged to the lady who owned the wool shop. She use to knit mittens in the evening - the sort that thread through children sleeves so that they don't get lost!
One night she forgot to take the ones she had made into the shop in her front room and her cats played with them and got them all tangled! 
You can, if you wish, follow the lines to find the matching pairs, or you can just look at this page as part of my '101 ways to Keep Warm' at AJJ.

 I started by stamping using a freebie knit stamp with Distress Inks to make the background...

...then placed the Freebie mittens and the cats onto the page - to make them look at the mess they had made I rubbed off the ink from one set of eyes and drew them in. I also reversed the tail on one of my PA Elenazinskiart cats!

I have loved seeing the variety of ways in which my theme has been interpreted - Thank You all so much!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

T Stands For…the best….

I think  it's time to move on - I promise I will return to Bordeaux sometime!
First, as I am here for T Stands for Tuesday, I will show you my latest AJJ page for '101 Ways To Keep Warm'

As you know, Elizabeth requests that we share a drink related item, you can link here

I don't know about you, but I do enjoy my first coffee of the day, probably because I am usually in my pyjamas and it warms me up, but somehow it always tastes better too! Do tea drinkers feel the same way?

I have had this image - from a magazine advert for a while and this is a really quick page. I was trying to beat the fading daylight but in the end had to resort to a daylight lamp! I used Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Oxides for a tea/coffee stained look!(lots of spritzing and drying involved) I added some random stamping with a couple of Kaisercraft stamps and then added some inky splashes of Faded Corduroy DI. I wrote the heading with a couple of brush pens outlined with brown fine point pen.

Now to return to our travels!

I am actually going to jump ahead in our journey! As some of you may know, we also spent time with my SIL in Poitiers and there is plenty to show you there, but I am going to take you to one of the best places we have ever visited in Paris!

We decided to take a walk over to the St Germain area but on coming across this place we were fascinated!

We had seen mention of the church but understood it to be part of an enclosed military area.

The gates were firmly locked but as we walked across to get another view of the front we noticed a side gate with an intercom system - we buzzed and were allowed in!

The security was quite tight and we had to leave our ID with a gate man before being allowed in to another area to pay!

This was a model of the site with a modern military hospital behind the gardens.

This explains a little about the museum….

…and an unexpected hubby shot!

There was an amazing display of Apothecary containers.

The corridors were quite decorative.

There was old equipment on display with photos too...

 ...and reconstructed scenes from the hospital ..

 ..and field hospitals.

There were also models of some quite gruesome field scenes too.

..in glass cases…

We were not allowed out into the garden

…but I was allowed to take a shot of the inner courtyard - with an instruction to only point upwards!!! 

Finally, we couldn't help smiling at this reconstruction!!

We haven't even been in the church yet and up to this point had only seen curators! We had the museum to ourselves! 

Next time I will take you through these doors to the church! 

Happy T Day and Thanks for looking, Chris

Just dance!

This may be the first of a few posts today - if the weather stays as it is! I just don't enjoy walking in cold rain! 

I have had this tag in mind for a while, but thought if I was going to link to Tag Tuesday, where the theme has been 'Music', I should do it now!

A while ago I was lucky enough to win a set of stamps from Anja at The Old Stuff Shop

They arrived in a beautiful package

This is how I have used them..

I used a kraft tag and wiped some PA Snowflake fresco paint roughly over it! I used the text and the music stamp randomly over the tag then stamped the piano keys and cut them to fit on the bottom! I had the little tile out for another project (cut from a large mosaic tile bought in a hardware store)which I added as well as the TH paper doll and part of a quote!

Thanks for looking, Chris  

….and Spring will come…..

Hi everyone! It'a cold wet day here and I am thinking warm thoughts! I have some flowers on my balcony windowsill that are the first thing I see every day when I open my curtains. The vase of flowers that I bought last week are lasting quite well and I have a Christmas cactus that seems to be trying to race ahead!

I'm sure that last time this flowered the flowers were all the same colour! The windows aren't dirty by the way - they steam up when I have the door open! 

My page for AJJ was prompted by finding the image of the lady wrapped up to keep warm even though she is clearly indoors!

I wanted to give her the same feeling I get when I see my flowers!
I used some torn mop up paper towel as a start to my page. The scraps were all from the same little scrap bag I picked up! One of the pieces has some stencilling on it and I added some stencilled circles too, which I drew onto with a white pen. Just by chance the little Lavinia circle stamp was out too - on it's way onto another project! I had a choice of a flower or the bee and as you can see I chose the bee as my sign of Spring coming! I added some text stamping along with a date stamp and some spatters to finish it!

I can't believe how quickly this month has gone - I still have loads of ideas for my '101 Ways to Keep Warm' theme - just not enough hours in the day!!

I would also like to enter at 
Moo Mania and More where the the theme is 'Put A Stencil On It'

and 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is 'Tear It Up'

and 
Country View Challenges where the theme is Stencils

and also 
The Artistic Stamper Creative Challenge where the theme is Use a Quote
I also have a link here for  beautiful piece of music by Stein Thor  to go with this quote. 

Thanks for calling by today, I do appreciate your support! Chris

Head hugging!

My latest page for Art Journal Journey is a bit of an experiment! It's  technique that I learnt from Lindsay Mason many years ago!

 I found this picture in a magazine. I made a background with Dylusions sprays and then gessoed over the cut out image

I then used paint to make my own image...

 ..poor girl she had to have a nose job after hubby said she looked a bit like my son's French Bulldog, and I tried really hard with the mouth, but think she will have to have a another makeover sometime soon!!

This is for my '101 Ways to Keep Warm' theme and I am also linking to Paint Party Friday

Thanks for looking, Chris

A change in the weather!

Hi everyone, we took a trip to the Trafford Centre today(it's our local mall for those who don't live near Manchester UK)

A lot of the shops seem to have gone Black Friday crazy and it's only Thursday!

We weren't there long - just a quick wander around looking for Christmas present ideas! We had a coffee and then headed to M and S for something easy for tea! I have been looking for a new coat for ages and as we came up the escalator I saw MY coat! Vouchers in purse, it didn't cost me much at all! I'm just hoping I don't see it in a sale before Christmas!!!  

I made a very quick page for Art Journal Journey before we went out, although I had prepped the page last night with some scraped on gesso!
This morning I sprinkled it with Paper Artsy Infusions and after it had dried I wiped it over with a damp cloth to remove most of the infusions from the gessoed parts.

I stamped a Tim Holtz Christmas tree - one full size and then used the top part of the stamp for two smaller trees. A Paper doll and some computer words and a teeny scrap of silver card torn from a lego card donated by my GD and I was done.

The boy is dressed for snow - which has just started to fall!
I hope that our friends farther North don't have too much snow, although it is forecast for tomorrow 

Thank you all for the support you are giving for my '101 ways To Keep Warm' theme!

Thanks for looking, Chris 

WOYWW - a bit late in the day!!!

It's so long since I showed my desk I wonder if I'll be let in! Actually, I know the answer to that because the WOYWWers are such a great bunch - following the example of the lovely Julia at The Stamping Ground!
Be warned….this could get messy! What am I talking about …it is messy!

I was on a bit of a roll the afternoon - this is how I left it….I think I'll be having a tidy before I can start tomorrow!

If you are looking for my latest journal page it's a Thanksgiving one just before this post!

Thanks for looking, I will try to get visiting tonight but it may be tomorrow or later, Chris

Come on!

A lot of blog friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow and I would like to wish them all a lovely day! 
We have a lot to be Thankful for, especially the friendships forged via the internet!

My AJJ page today may amuse you - my theme  is 101 Ways To Keep Warm and I have some ready plucked turkeys for you!

They are wearing gilets and boots but they are still cold so are dancing to keep warm (don't tell them that they will soon be very hot!)
I remember this song by Little Eva from way back - probably the Seventies and when I first bought these Paper Artsy Elenazinski stamps it was the turkey and the song that made the set a 'must have' 
The background was made while at our caravan - using Inktense pencils and a music stamp.
As you can see I am still attempting to improve my lettering!

Thanks once again for your support and for visiting today, Chris

We're going 'Colourful' at TIOT

Oh! the colours around at this time of year! We may have grey days but the berries are really making a show at the moment, the shops are full of bright Christmas displays and the lights are shining everywhere, so it's no wonder we are in a 'Colourful' frame of mind at Try It On Tuesday for our latest challenge! 
The Design Team have as ever produced some lovely colourful examples, why not take a look here?
I have a journal page (which is also for my 101 Way to Keep Warm at Art Journal Journey)which was inspired by watching Strictly Come Dancing.
The Tango is one of the dances I love to watch! One of my favourite films 'Moulin Rouge' also has a Tango featured! Definitely a hot, colourful dance!!
My image is likely to be in Argentina, where the Tango originated.
I painted the background by  streaking PA Fresco paints, picking up the colours in the image and then added some stencilling, stamping and some painty circles using an old lid. 
I stuck down the image and then added more paint to integrate it into the page!

Once again I have added some of my own my lettering.

These hot colours remind me of a warm Summer Evening but you may choose any combination of colours for your project - we love to see your entries! 
The TIOT challenge runs until 4th December - looking forward to seeing what you make!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for……the rest of Bordeaux

I hadn't realised that I had taken so many photos in Bordeaux and tonight I am going to use some of hubby's as well!
Did I tell you that we loved Bordeaux? Oh Yes!!!!
On our second full day (the day of the fall!) we were getting ready to go out when we heard music coming from outside..

…a small group  of strikers heading for a gathering in the square farther up the road! The music was calypso music coming from the back of the van.
We headed for the Capucins market - our concierge had recommended we go!

 Hubby's favourite stall!

This was mine….

…or was it this one?

 There were lots of cafes inside the market 

 It was taking this photo of one of the Gormley statues that caused me to lag behind, chase to catch hubby up and trip over a metal divider on the edge of a carpark that was being updated - I had thought I was going onto a kerb when in fact there were deep ruts with metal dividers for car park spaces!

 We(I)hobbled back to our apartment for First Aid treatment(I'll spare you the blood!)…and a coffee.
After a little rest we walked up to the square for lunch and I am joining Elizabeth and 'the boys' for T Stands for Tuesday.
I must also apologise for not visiting every one last week - we had childminding duties and also a funeral to attend and once away at our caravan here is little chance of any connection! I'll try to do better this week!

 Hubby had coke and I had tonic water as well as tap water (it was a very hot day!)

Delicious Duck with salad and a ton of frites!!!

After this we went to the Museum of Aquitaine but I will save that for a post of it's own another time.

I want to show you something a little more up to date!

There is a lot of work going on around the Cite du Vin museum….

..this one may be the next to go!!
The museum itself is impressive...

It was too late in the day to do anything other than wander around the public areas - we will have to go back!!!

On our way back we walked past these fountains - they will appear in a future  post too!

As it is past my bedtime  - and now officially Tuesday here I shall say 'Goodnight' and I'll see you in a few hours time with my TIOT/AJJ page!

Happy T Day and Thanks for looking! Chris