T Stands for - The Family Picnic

 Hi everyone, our family finally got the chance to meet up last Saturday, well almost everyone, three still couldn't make it but I have high hopes that we can get together again in the Autumn!

We decided on Norton Priory as I had told them all about it following our visit a few weeks ago, we had also been informed that Saturdays were usually quieter than Sundays.

Some of us set out earlier so that we could walk and visit the walled garden - a short walk away from the main site. 

A fun scarecrow!

From here I followed in line up some steps and along a tunnel of plants - looking out on the gardens we walked through last time

It led to here - a sunny room - an orangery with table and chairs and lovely fruit growing...

Mandarins

Limes

Lemons

By the time we got back to the car park youngest son and partner had arrived so - let the picnic commence!!

He likes baking and had brought us sausage rolls, 2 different kinds, and lots of traybake cakes!

My DIL had brought salads so I just stood back. I had promised some porkpies from our butcher's shop but the baker was on holiday and they didn't have any!!

The baked goodies were packed in individual boxes for each family - no digging in a communal box for the biggest!!! Youngest son is hot on Health and Safety rules. 

We had moved one of the picnic tables to be in the shade - very pleasant!

Much chatter, eating and laughter - we all enjoyed being together!

Eldest son took this I'm sure you can see at least three drinks here so I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stands for Tuesday.

After this some of us we went in to the museum where we had to be quiet as there was a wedding taking place.

We saw the wedding party as we were walking in the ruins later.

It was a lovely day, enjoyed by all! 

We are going to France next week but hope to be here on Tuesday!

Thanks for looking, Have a great week, Chris

Using Book Paper

Wow! That two weeks went by quickly, I'm here with Try It On Tuesday's latest theme which is 'Use Book Paper'.

The Design Team have founds lots of ways to use it, please do take a look here.

I started my page with a few pages from different books including some maps.

Some were coloured by dragging them through some spritzed Distress Ink on my mat.

I used a baby wipe to cover the page with Gesso and then added some stamping using a text stamp and a seed head - adding them randomly over the page.

I use some die cuts, some plant pics and birds from some old books, standing the birds on a couple of pieces of inky scrap paper.I also added another scrap and part of an old stamp that I found in my little bag of scraps. Finally I found some words to sum up how I felt as I imagined walking in a quiet wood while making this page.

As usual this theme will run for two weeks an I hope that you will join us at Try It On Tuesday

I am also going to join in at Art Journal Journey where Neet's fabulous 'Type' theme finishes today. 

Thanks for looking, Chris

Smile

 Hi everyone, I have a couple more pages for Art Journal Journey and Neet's 'Type' theme.

This one came about by sorting out some papers, I came across this one with lots of different quotes on it. 

I had a look through my scraps and bits and pieces that I have cut out ready for using in journals I found the paper tag that came on some free paper in a French Scrapbooking magazine a few years ago.

I inked around the edge and also put some ink on an acrylic block and splodged it over the page. 

All I needed to finish it was a vintage photo - a Tim Holtz photo booth one. 

Thanks for looking, Chris

All types

Hi everyone, we are still busy, busy, busy...going away for a little while seemed like such a good idea until we started to look at the paper work and rules and regs regarding travel. Add into that, that no one seems to be available to offer help in correcting name differences. We did eventually find someone to talk to but she had to keep asking her bosses - a crazy state of affairs but then we did anticipate some problems what with Brexit and Covid in the mix!

I grabbed some time to make a journal page for Neet's 'Type' theme at Art Journal Journey.

I had some leftover letter cut from a piece of designer paper and I wanted to use up the Crafty Individuals typewriter that I had stamped to experiment with a technique I wanted to try - it didn't work, but I still had the typewriter. 

The bird and the butterfly on a piece of cut up birthday card prompted me to make my page about the different types of flying creatures in nature.

I used an Aall and Create stencil with blue distess ink(don't remember which two I used!)I arranged the letters and stamped lots of insects and bird around too. 

I used some random quotes that I keep in a box along with a small strip of AAll and Creat Washi tape that says 'Beauty Abounds'

It was only when I had finished my page that I spotted NHS in the corner - we were wondering today how many other folk are having difficulty in actually speaking to their GP's - when we ring we get an automated message that cuts out straight after it. It's been like that for a while, last time I wasn't feeling well, couldn't get a reply I got through the pain with painkillers - maybe that's the plan! I can't imagine how folk without computers are getting on.

I'm not really ranting, Heaven knows where we would have been with the NHS during last year!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For - a trip back to....

...somewhere familiar.

Yesterday was our 21st Anniversary so we decided to go back to familiar ground!

Our journey wasn't so good as the traffic build up on the Motorway prompted us to take a detour - in fact we very nearly changed our minds about going there...but...we made it to Sizergh Castle up in Cumbria.

Very little has changed - some trees and shrubs have been removed to give better views over the lake, but this is still a beautiful garden.

Now, of course I am going to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth at T Stands For Tuesday with a lovely meal we had at The Strickland Arms which is right in front of the main gates at Sizergh.

It was sunny and warm and we had table outside.

Hubby had fish and I had chicken with potato and chorizo rosti and wild mushrooms - the chef kindly swapped the kale, that was supposed to served, for broccoli

We are drinking water - of course and no dessert - we saved ourselves for later - I'll show you next week!

This has been a good work out for my new phone camera and then a trial for me as I haven't yet found an easy way too upload photos.

I'll get there.....one day...

Thanks for looking, Chris

Don't wait....

 Hi everyone, I have another page for Neet's Type theme at Art Journal Journey today. 

I am sure I am not the only one who puts off writing those letters you really don't want to write, or the book you promised you would write one day or writing to someone you wish you hadn't lost touch with.

During the first lockdown last year those kind of thoughts went through my head but still most of the things I planned haven't been written.

My page is about just that...

I made an inky background with stencils and stamps(mainly Aall and Create) and added some letters and the typewriter image from a piece of MAMBI paper I came across while having a tidy. I used some wooden letters and a decorative piece to sit typewriter on - they were a natural colour and covered easily with paint.

The top quote is a Paper Artsy one 'Don't wait, the time will never be just right'

The second quote at the bottom is by Kaisercraft (I think) and is about 'that book'....will it ever happen?? 

Thanks for looking, Chris

T stands For.....too much!!!

Hi everyone, if you have read any of my recent posts you will know that this last week has been unusually busy. for us.

I also have anew phone that I don't seem to ba able to master yet!

We spent almost a full day day in a shopping mall (we had to go home to fetch some photo ID)so had not one, but two drink breaks!

On the day we had intend to pop in and out and then do our food shop but ended up with a ready meal (delicious though)and doing our shopping the next day.

This of course meant going without our pre-shopping walk - we did however walk over 10,000steps.

On Thursday we tried to make amends by meeting one of our sons and two grandchildren at Sale Water Park.

We took a picnic but chatting too much to even think of a photo

These were the only photos I took, but it was so good to see them. We are planning on seeing the rest of the family later this week.

On the way home we decided to take a detour. 

This pond was covered in Duckweed - harmless but looks awful. 

This is Abney Hall in Cheadle, once owned by Agatha Christie's nephew. She used to visit a lot and is described in several of her books under different names. 

Very disappointed at not finding a cafe we headed down the road to Golden Days garden centre we had often passed but never visited.

This is of course where we join Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T stands for Tuesday

The gift area was really good and we will be going back there, especially as the cafe served very good coffee!

We shared a scone - they had given us enough for about four scones and I didn't have any at all - must remember to tell them next time.

The rest of the week was taken up with visits, local shopping and lots and lots of form filling!!

I am not planning on going anywhere tomorrow so hope to get some visiting done then!

Thanks for looking, Chris