T Stands For ….Toulouse….

…Lautrec, well, our trip to the museum dedicated to him in Albi!
The museum is in a very impressive building, Le Palais de la Berbie, close to the cathedral, in fact it was once a Bishop's Palace.

Lautrec's full name was Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec and his parents were a Count and Countess.  He was born in 1864 in Albi. On our first evening we walked past his birthplace but the building is not open to the public - there is a restaurant in a house attached to it though.

Once in the museum hubby was happy to enjoy the building while I….

…enjoyed the information and art of Lautrec...

….and his contemporaries in the Post Impressionist era

 Lovely Jo of Let's Art Journal visited the Alphonse Mucha exhibition in Liverpool last week

 When he was 8 his parents split up he was taken away to Paris by his mother but she was concerned about his health and returned to Albi when he was 11. He always had poor health but following an accident his legs stopped growing. When he was older he returned to Paris to continue painting lessons but soon became involved in the seamier side of Parisienne life 

I loved the title of this - 'Mr, Mrs and the dog'

This was one of my favourite paintings - 'Yvette Gilbert'

Lautrec died when he was only 36

We spotted the gardens from one of the windows and hubby went down for a better look..

 …I didn't!

He got some good views though!

 This was our final shot from the font of the museum looking up at the cathedral

Now to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T stands for Tuesday with my drink related photo!

This is from our last breakfast in Carcassonne. Our drinks were orange juice and after that we had coffee too - but no photo of that!!! Our breakfast as you can see included granola, fruit and yogurt - Oh and my daily helping of Compte cheese!

No journal page today - we finally received the code to order a new fridge freezer - it will arrive on Wednesday! Only problem was - also had a birthday party to go to so it's been a bit rushed today!

Happy T Day and Thanks for looking, Chris

ps any typos are because I am tired - I'll check after I have had a sleep!! 

Please to Remember the 5th Of November

I used to look forward to November 5th when I was little…the bonfire making with my Dad…the lighting and the warmth from the fire, melting marshmallows on sticks (sometimes even baking potatoes to be eaten with butter) in the embers and then the fireworks ….always watched through the window! It was always on the 5th to commemorate the Gunpowder plot being foiled! The only change to that date was if rained on the day, and then it was postponed to the next day(or later)

I'm sure if you live in the UK you have heard fireworks and seen organised events being held anywhere around this date! I have been hearing and seeing fireworks for over a week now!

My page today for Art Journal Journey is about an organised event as this is seen to be a better way to stay safe!
When my boys were little our house backed on to a dirt track leading to a Tennis club that held a Bonfire event each year to which we were invited.

 I began with some Brushos, Infusions and Cosmic Shimmer Pixie powder. 

 I stamped the same two figures repeatedly to make a crowd and used two trees to create the Spinney by the tennis club. The fireworks are different sized spoke stamps.

 Here it is from another angle to show you the shine made with a dry brush and gold paint.
My good friend Elizabeth has made a page that explains more about the Gunpowder plot.
She has used some songs I wasn't so familiar with but here are the words to one we used to sing, although the words I used to start this song are the words of my post title
Remember, remember the fifth of November, 
Gunpowder treason and plot. 
We see no reason 
Why gunpowder treason 
Should ever be forgot! 

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent 
To blow up king and parliament. 
Three score barrels were laid below 
To prove old England's overthrow. 

By god's mercy he was catch'd 
With a darkened lantern and burning match. 
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring. 
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him? 
Burn him! 

I hope you are enjoying my 101 ways to keep warm theme - there have been some brilliant entries so far. Thank you for your support and Thanks for calling by today! Chris

BTW I am still without a Fridge or a freezer - some sort of mix up meant that the code I would have been sent  to get a new one wasn't dispatched so I need a new one generating…which can't be done until Monday! Still smiling…but through gritted teeth!!

       

Yes I would!

My page today is what I think could be described as HYGGE!

Here is a definition from the Oxford dictionary

NOUN

mass noun

• A quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)

  ‘why not follow the Danish example and bring more hygge into your daily life?’

  as modifier ‘count on candlelight —almost a requirement for that special hygge experience’

Origin

Danish, from Norwegian.

Pronunciation

hygge

/ˈhʊɡə/

I started by coating the page roughly with gesso then, using parts of a TH doily stencil, I used clear gloss gel. Once it was dry I scribbled on some Distress crayons and blended them with a wet finger.

I found the mug image a while ago and it was on my desk and at the same time I saw it I also spied a little piece of remaining book paper from where I had been preparing another page.

I don't allow myself a treat like this very often as I have to watch my sugar levels but when I saw these words (from hubby's old Tales of King Arthur book) I felt they were very serendipitous!

I am linking to 101 Ways to Keep Warm 

at Art Journal Journey

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Thanks for calling in today, Chris

Three, Two….. a few…more photos that is!

Hi everyone, I'm here with my third journal page for Art Journal Journey, where I am hosting for this month with my '101 Ways To Keep Warm theme'.
Thank you so much for your kind words!

I am singing a song, this time sung by one of my favourites, Doris Day

Elsie(By Indigoblu) is lucky enough to have a warm fur collar on her coat and she is being sensible and wearing her hat too even though she is heading for the sunny side of the street.
We were out the other day and the difference was quite noticeable when we went from sun to shade!
My background is just a watercolour wash with some Crafty Individuals houses. I added some sun rays through a Tim Holtz stencil. The words at the bottom are from the house set and the title is computer generated.
I would also like to link to Moo Mania and More where the new theme is 'Make It Feminine'

Apologies if this song stays with you all day!

Next are my two calendar journal pages  
October filled in...

..and November ready

Now for a few photos
These are the first two hotels we stayed at Carcassonne and Albi - both belong to the Ibis Styles group but very different in decor!

 We forgot to take a photo of the outside of the hotel - this is the view from the window

 Some of the art work looked as though we should have been supplied with 3D specs

We like Ibis Styles ….they provide free coffee and little treats all day …..

..and the beds are really, really comfortable….
they were in Albi too

 We were on the fifth floor

 There was a fountain just outside the hotel...

 …that was lit up at night!

 A good selection of drinks too

 This made us smile - in the lobby of the hotel!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Just two seconds…….

It's time for my second page for Art Journal Journey where my chosen theme is '101 ways to keep warm'. Thank you for the encouraging comments! 

This is in my large Dylusions journal. I scraped different fiery coloured Paper Artsy Fresco paints down the page onto which I stamped row upon row of a Carabelle Studio border stamp and some text.
The image is one I found in a magazine. I stamped the words with Kasia's Everything Art 05 set from Paper Artsy using brown ink which I then outlined and drew in flames.

  

I stencilled a Dylusions border, doodled a bit and then added some Stickles for a glittery effect.
Health and Safety note - I do not recommend dancing in fire to keep warm - just dancing should do the trick!!!!

It's also time for a Second Look on the 2nd over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog - The Altered Booklover

I have a post of something I made at our caravan back in 2012

SATURDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2012

Just because...

I love this face stamp from Inkylicious, and I love making tags and this stamp is going to get a lot of use! Here I've smooched the tag in a distress mixture of Weathered Wood and Worn Lipstick then sprayed with Perfect pearls. The stamp has a lovely swirl on one side which I used separately at the top then the face part of the stamp at the bottom using grey ink. The peace stamp is part of a Lost Coast Designs stamp. I then used some mop up kitchen roll to make torn leaves around the edge(phaffing about as hubby puts it)

 Some ribbons and layered flowers from my little collection that I have up here just finished it off.
Earlier in the week Hels Sunday Stamper challenge was about faces, I hope I'm not too late with this but we went off to the Dickensian Festival in Ulverston today and stayed longer than we intended - an event well worth attending!

Back to today and we have been without a fridge or freezer since last Thursday - although we did escape to the caravan to spend time with son and grandchildren. Since we came back we have used a cool bag - a man came on Tuesday and said he had to order a part and would be back today! We had a phone call this morning to say the part was defective and he would now declare it unrepairable and we would have to go and choose a new one…..after we have had a phone call from the insurance company…we are waiting!!!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

101 ways to keep warm...

….well, more or less!!!

I must tell you how honoured and excited I am to be asked back to Art Journal Journey as a guest host once again! Thank You Susi!

As Winter draws near(we are back to dark evenings here in the UK) I have chosen  ‘101 Ways To Keep Warm’ as my theme.

I have in mind cosy nights in, warm clothing, hot drinks and food, sheep and other woolly animals, exercise(if you must!!!), 

candles, anything that gives you a warm glow(I think Hygge might be the term now)!

In the UK it is very nearly Bonfire night which is on the 5th November and the song 'Keep The Home Fires Burning' always reminds me of Armistice Day on the 11th November.
That brings me to the whole range of warm colours too!

I used Distress Inks - some through stencils, to start my page and added some circles from one of Lin Brown's Paper Artsy sets.
I also spattered some ink too! The mug and mitts image was a freebie  which I stamped onto some freezer paper - I used water colours to colour it. I mounted it onto some inked book paper along with a ripped tag that was stamped randomly and a scrap from my desk and added some steam with a white pen. The sentiment is from another of Lynn Brown's sets.

I hope that between us we can find 101 ways to keep us warm this Winter. I am looking forward to visiting your blogs to see your ideas on how to keep warm!

Thanks for looking, Chris