Spring is on it's way!

We started the day with snow today but we have also had sunshine, which definitely lifts my spirits, it is also waking up the plants!
I made a journal page which started with a Distress Oxide background using Spring colours. I stamped one of my favourite background stamps from Crafty Individuals randomly over the page too.

A little bit of masking and bending of stamps on my acrylic block were needed to group the flowers,some of Jo Firth Young's Paper Artsy set (JOFY25) which were coloured using Paper Artsy Fresco paints.
I stamped and coloured the grass from the flower set and added some more stalks.
My favourite March hare by Tracy Easson came bouncing along too - he was stamped onto paper(then Fussy cut) and onto the page. I coloured him with Crayola Twistables - brown and purple.

Finally I added the sentiment from JOFY54 and inked around the edge of my page with some blue remaining on my sponge! I forgot to wait until the ink dried and had to overwrite the smudged bit!!

I am joining Rosie with her Spring theme at Art Journal Journey 
and 
Penny Black and More for the Feature a Creature challenge this month


Apologies for my lack of visits to some of you. I am working on catching up, but our car has a problem that can't be fixed until next week and we seem to be having a run of meetings and appointments(including a recall due to a patient mix up!!)We are having to either get there by foot or catching public transport - neither of which are a problem, it just takes longer!!!

Thanks for looking

Chris

Mums the Word at TIOT

We are focusing on Mothers in our new theme at Try It On Tuesday - so 'Mums the word'!!
The Design Team, as ever, have some amazing inspiration so whether it be a Mother's Day card, a tribute to Mothers with a card or a journal page, a special gift for a Mum or any other way you would like to interpret this special theme!

I have made a journal page.

 I have used some of my precious papers (including some graphic 45 paper I have had since I first started buying craft supplies in 2009)
The Mother and child image was cut from a book on Motherhood that I found in a charity shop.
The quote is by Napoleon Bonaparte and I used my computer with a typewriter font.
I started my page with some Distress oxides (Vintage Photo and Fired Brick)and lots of spritzing, drying and dabbing, which I then sprinkled with Rusty Car Infusions. I added some random stamping. 

The papers were cut and the edges were distressed with my scissors -I have put my Distress tool in a 'safe' place!!!They all had the edges inked with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink!

 Now, this is where I get a bit 'nerdy'....

...I arranged the pieces on my page and took some quick photos so I could put the papers on in in my preferred way!

 I won't bore you by putting them all on here!

Once I was happy everything was stuck down and I edged the page with some Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

 I hope you will join us at TIOT this time - as usual the challenge runs for 2 Weeks until the 19th March.

Thank you all so much for your support, it really is appreciated and Thank You for looking, Chris

T Stands For.....taking an opportunity...

I was a little late starting this 31 day Gelli Plate challenge being hosted by Birgit Koopsen. I almost decided against it when it got to day 3 but decided that once I started I would be able to catch up - once I start using my Gelli plate it's like an addiction!!! I am now taking each day as it comes! Birgit provides links to useful videos in her post and I am taking the opportunity to learn some new techniques 

 Day 1 Circles - quite happy with this one

 Day 2 Peek through - an interesting technique to use without a stencil

 Day 3 Stencil - I used a mop up from my brayer for the yellow background

 Day 4 Texture - the one I like most - maybe because I love using bits and pieces to make patterns

 Day 5 Crayon resist - so far not sure about this but when I have time I will play with this technique again!
I will probably show more of these when I reach day 10.

On our walk this afternoon we passed by the tree with all of the crocuses around it - there are one or two daffodils out now too!

I now have step counter on my phone that works and today I did 5175! 

For T Stands for Tuesday over at Bluebeard and Elizabeth's place this week I am taking you to Sizergh Castle.

We went a few weeks ago when the weather was mild.

We called into the cafe  - Tea and scone for hubby and a carrot and orange slice for me(which hubby ate half of for me!) with a filter coffee. You can just see hubby waiting patiently in the teapot reflection!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Spring???

It could well be on it's way now...the snow around here has almost disappeared - the odd bits that left are the remains of swept away piles and melting snowmen!

I am joining In at Art Journal Journey with this 'Spring' page which is Rosie's theme this month.

 I am also joining in at Paper Artsy's Watercolour theme with my distress oxides and distress inks that have been splashed with water to remove some of the colour!

I added some stencilling, stamping using a Paper Artsy Hot Picks (1602) and some marks made with a faux credit card. The quote is a Lin Brown one.
As the back of this page has some very heavy texture on it I had to stamp the quote and part of the flower stamp on to deli paper and add it with gel medium.

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

The thaw!

We have started a slow thaw here (although there is still a possibility of a snowfall tonight!)
I have seen some sorry looking daffodils today - I hope they pick up with the (slightly!) warmer weather!
I have made a tag 

It is a price tag that came on a top I bought but ...silly me...forgot to take a photo of it...here is the back of it!

I painted the Carabelle Studio, Azoline flowers using my Inktense watercolour pencils and a water brush then fussy cut them and cut into the flowers to give them a little dimension.

Here it is on a pink backing.

It seems to change the colours slightly!

I am entering challenges at...

Simon Says Stamp Monday - In My Garden

Tag Tuesday - Spring Flowers  I don't know what flowers these are but they remind me of some Camellias we saw the other week!

Moo Mania and More - Think Of Spring I am! I am!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Springing in to the Second on the 2nd!

Oh Yes! It's Spring...have you noticed?
We still have snow....but I do have Spring card to show you!

While I had these Tracy Evans AALL and Create stamps out for my calendar (see here)
I made a little card! At the moment I don't know what it will be used for so I have left space for a sentiment.
These look like little seedlings popping out of the ground and I hope that some of the ones we have seen on our walks haven't been damaged!
I am entering in 
Think of Spring theme at Moo Mania and More

  Now to the main event today...I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for a Second Look on the 2nd at a post previously shown on this blog!

I tried to find one with weather photos on for around this time of year but came across this on from 2015

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THURSDAY, 12 MARCH 2015

Going green!

Last weekend while we we were at our caravan I looked at a couple of really tatty looking coasters and decided to give them a bit of a lift….only thing is forgot to take a photo of the before - they were rather non-descript beige with a couple of squiggly lines down them but they had become a little stained with cup marks.

I dabbed Paper Artsy Fresco Snowflake all over then added a made up colour of (I think) of Sky and Toad Hall. Then Crackle glazed them. When that was dry I rubbed in copper acrylic. Stamped with a script stamp and then with some leaves from a set I bought in France two years ago

The dragonflies were from a magazine set but seemed to look just right with the reedy leaves!
My lovely friend Anne has given more then a makeover to her coasters - take a look here

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They are still in use.

I love taking part in this second look as it makes me look back through my blog! One of the posts from 2016 had me excited to have lost 2 stone...as I have now lost a little more weight it gives me encouragement to try to reach my goal!! 

Thanks for looking, Chris

March Calendar journal

Today is the day that Meteorologists call the first day of Spring, well that just shows that weather men don't always know what they are talking about!!!

My calendar page though, does show hope for a warm Spring eventually! I am entering in Rosie's new theme 'Spring' at Art Journal Journey  

My page started with a coat of gesso then some distress crayon scribbling which was blended in with a damp finger.

I used two of AALL and Create sets (44 and 45)designed by Tracy Evans.I bought these at Rowan Tree Crafts in Carnforth at the weekend and this is my first play with them!

The flowers were made by stamping the hearts from set 45.

 These were stamped onto white paper and glued together. I added some water colour pencil around the edges to make them pop.

The detail on these stamps is fabulous! 

I used some of the leaf flowers upside down as 'vines' to decorate the top.

For me Spring officially starts on 21st March which was my Mum's birthday!
You can see what the weather is like here today

 The white in the foreground is the window sill and the covered walkway to the main building

It is so cold today and we are expecting more snow(at the moment the ground is covered and we are seeing odd snowflakes fluttering past the window! I am thinking of our Scottish friends at the moment as I know they are getting far more snow than we are!

Thanks for looking, stay warm! Chris