Its snowing…and T is for TIOT

Well, actually we seem to be having more rain than ANY other sort of weather, but our new theme at Try It On Tuesday - 'Snow, snowflakes or Winter whites!' is all about the white stuff! All the details are over on the TIOT blog along with some fabulous examples from the rest of the team!

I love white on Kraft so I used a Kraft card and stamped my Inkadinkadoo swirly snowflakes on to some Kraft paper that had some song words stamped in Wendy Vecchi Potting Soil archival ink.
I used Ranger Perfect medium and embossed using white embossing powder. 

More words stamped onto a torn piece of card and then the sentiment added using WV PS ink again. I added some pearly flowers that I think look like snowflakes(OK - a bit!)and finally added some  Stampendous Frantage - Shabby White embossing enamel to the snowflake and around the corners.

 Of course, today being Tuesday it's also time for T over at Elizabeth and Bluebeard's blog The Altered Booklover.

Hubby and I went out for a walk last Friday, only thing is we had to call in for petrol and then found ourselves in a traffic jam 
We went to Styal Mill - one of our favourite places, but by the time we got there the mill was shut and the garden that we love so much had been shut because of the windy weather.

So we went for a drink….

…and a scone because we had only had a small lunch!Hubby had tea and jam and cream with his scone, I had a filter coffee and butter with mine.
The cafe had been decorated.

The photos on the wall are of staff at the end of the 1800s and 2012.

It was getting dark outside and there were only 6 people in the cafe…..and a few gingerbread men!
When we left I took a view from the outside

We walked up past the mill and back to the carpark by the longest route.

A big contrast from when we went in the Summer!

I'll see over at Elizabeth's - please bring your drink with you!!

I hope you will take a look at the Try It On Tuesday challenge (and maybe join in!)the team will certainly put you in a Christmassy mood!

Thanks for looking, Chris.

Memories are made of this...

I am having a great time with my journals at the moment - most of the Christmas cards are made and I am spending my evenings with the angels(see here)

I love the new challenge at Art Journal Journey where the challenge is Collage - and some journaling!

My page this time is inspired by our trip to Florence and Rome in the Spring of 2014.

I keep all sorts of ephemera from our trips and always intend to do something with them. Some of the bits and pieces go into the travel journal I make at the time but others get put into a labelled bag.

I gessoed over the Uffizi Museum ticket so that I could stamp the Lost Coast image of Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of a woman over the information. The piece of paper behind it and the trellis were used in my Travel Journal. The Italian book page is from a book from a second hand stall we passed and the gold paper is from some lovely chocolates we tried. The statue which probably isn't even Italian was from a magazine!

The background is a combination of stencils and stamps.

I couldn't resist adding some foiling to the edge of the torn ticket and a little on the book paper. I wrote the quote of Dante Alighieri  around the edge of the ticket and paper. To save you cricking your neck it says "Beauty awakens the soul to act" 
My visit to Florence and especially the Uffizi will never be forgotten.
I hope you like my page.

Thank you for looking, Chris

A few more done!!

I was inspired by seeing the masterboards being created on the Paper Artsy challenge to have a go myself - only thing is I didn't start until yesterday! I have never made a master board before although I have made backgrounds in my journals by a similar method.

I started by smearing on paint with my finger,

used parts of a couple of stencils,

I thought they gave an impression of tree trunks,

then I thought that I should add some snowflakes.
This is how I used my master board today

 I doodled lines around the edge and decided to add some wooden trees at the bottom, unfortunately forgot that I had ink on my fingers after dipping  them in ink and got ink onto the card. Fortunately one of the stencils used also had a part that looked a bit like leaves!!
I am quite pleased with the outcome although with the closing time for the link looming I though I'd better get on to my computer pretty darn quick!!

Linking to the Paper Artsy Challenge Topic 22- Masterboards 

Thanks for looking, Chris

Be Happy!

This is the first time I have had time to play along at Art Journal Journey where the theme is Collage + some journalling.
I was so happy to see this challenge as I have been wondering what to do with my ever-growing piles of 'things that can't be thrown away"! I have folders, boxes, little zip up cases all full of scraps - some cut from magazines, some leftover from projects, bits and pieces that just 'appear'!!!
I have also used one of my favourite stamps here as the Moo Mania and More challenge is 'Favourite stamps or images' I have several favourite stamps depending on what I am doing and what mood I am in so this is going to be a challenge to narrow myself down - all I know is - I LOVE STAMPING!
I have also included a magazine picture of one of my favourite actresses - Audrey Hepburn.

I had the background in one of my larger journals - I think it is one I started on a Gelli plate play date with my friend Sarah a while ago.

One of the things Audrey said was

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.”

The stamp set includes these little statements and I wrote 'Be Happy' using a grey brush pen outlined in black Pitt pen.

I used part of a Crafty Individuals stamp on part of the page and a tiny text stamp from one of the Works stamp sets. I stamped the Woodware Cow Parsley onto the page and also onto a scrap of mop up paper(Yep, keep those too!)Audrey was given a butterfly instead of her hair ornament - I thought she would like it!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

I'm loving Angels

If you have seen my previous post you will know what I'm going to show you!
My evenings lately have been spent in front of the TV - but my hands have been very busy! 

Some of these are WIP some completed!
I start of with my 'ingredients'….

...and end up with something that I am going to find difficult to choose where they go - they will be accompanying Christmas cards!
If you don't recognise the brush and needle felting tool I can tell you that this can become addictive!

This one is going to be entering the challenge at Anything but Cute 7 - It's Ornamental -as this is what they are - either for a wall or, as they are quite small a Christmas tree!

There are lots more to be made but…..Oh! I am happy making these!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Second Look on the 2nd ……Angels

I have been having some fun lately and all because I was looking through my posts about ten days ago! I was looking at how many of my photos still remain on my blog while thinking what to show for this post! I am joining Elizabeth and Bluebeard  who is hosting this chance to show something from your blogging past!!

You can see what I have been making recently in my post following this one - here

This post is from November 2012 when I took part in an Angel swap.

THURSDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2012

My angels!

My angels have now flown and have reached their new owners so I can show you  them now.

This is Amelie who is now living with Jo of Jozart, see her lovely blog here....

...and this is Avril who flew all the way to Canada to live with Bamfa (who by the way also has lovely blog)  
Both of these angels were inspired by the work of Annette Emms who had an article in Stitches Magazine and who also has a blog here - it's well worth a look at some of her older posts too!

They are a combination of needle felting and sewing(with just a little touch of glue). I loved making them so much that two more are in the pipeline.

You may have noticed that they have French names - just a litle pre-occupied with France at the moment - He! He!
Thanks for looking, Chrisx

I really enjoyed making them and have had the same fun this time - I do hope you will take a look at the new ones! 

Thanks for looking, Chris

T stands for - There's a lot going on!

I'm getting here early for the tea party today as I am going to be partying myself this afternoon - one our friends is 95 and is throwing a tea party! She is such fun to be with and regularly wins both games at our Friday Night Scrabble sessions (there are usually 7 of us)
Elizabeth and Bleubeard are the hosts of the party here and invite you to share your drinks every Tuesday at any time of the day! 
So first of all my drink…coffee of course!

I really must try to remember to photograph my drinks and file them where I can find them!!! This is from our trip to the Reghed Centre at half term with my son and GKs.
I showed you the butterfly girl before but here she is again!

It's also time to show you my December calendar journal pages
December is ready

As you can see I am in a Christmassy mood already! I don't think you can see the sheen but I added Antique Bronze distress stain to my Brushos! I stamped an evergreen branch several times to make a tree and then added silver and gold stickles.
Here is November's page if you want to have a look at what I've been up to - you may have to squint a bit!!

 Finally a reminder that there is still a week to play along at Try It On Tuesday where the theme is Gift bags or boxes.
I had this rather sturdy bag that held some goodies I bought in Paris.

My first thought was too cover it in paper but this was on a day when I had been using my copper acrylic paint…

…so I painted over the image in the shape of…

….an owl! His feet and beak are made by using parts of fleur de lys dies. I exchanged the white handles for something a bit more festive looking. 

A back view of the owl-although he may have slimmed down a bit!

I will be visiting to see what you have been drinking either before or after the tea party!
EDIT
The party was fun

 The party girl enjoyed herself..

..and was helped to her cake cutting chair by another of our Scrabble friends - we love to hear the banter between the two very good friends!

Thanks for looking, Chris