T Stands for - The last roses...and Paris

Hi everyone, what started today as a trip to the opticians to get my specs straightened(no idea why they went lopsided)and to do some food shopping turned into a coffee stop, a few hops into shops we haven't been in for..well..ages and then lunch out. We really enjoyed it though, apart from getting very hot in shops wearing our masks, and although lots of folk weren't wearing them, we are still joining those that do!

This may be a bit of a garble....please excuse any mistakes!

If you know my blog you will have seen lots of gardens over the years. 

We do visit gardens at other times but there is great joy in seeing flowers in Summer.

My latest Wanderlust lesson was by Wendy Brightbill and gave me a chance to paint some of those flowers and also include my page at Art Journal Journey for my 'All Kinds Of Weather' theme. I've put a bright blue, almost cloudless sky in the background.

Over the years I have really come to love roses (for a long time childhood memories of the heavy air around the rose fields on the nursery where we lived used to bring back the nauseous feeling I had when we went on evening walks)

AS you can see I have taken quite few rose photos over the Summer and more lately on some late blooms.

Hubby's page from the same class took on more of an Autumn look to it with a lingering clematis flower.

We had coffee and teacake one morning at the garden centre and this is where I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday.

Now for Paris, after our morning at Les Gobelins we decided to visit St Sulpice church as we had read that they had opened up some side chapels especially for Patrimoine weekend.

We walked through Le Jardin du Luxemborg...

...as you can see Saturday afternoons are quite busy!

It was a really warm day.

It was cool in the church and we enjoyed being shown places that were only open occasionally.

Once out in the warm again we came across an ice cream shop that specialises in rose shaped ice cream cones. Watching them being created was fascinating.

I had a lemon and raspberry sorbet cone - but this was to start an obsession - as you will see another day!

This is where I will leave you. On the Sunday there were more treats in store ...I have a feeling I will be showing you Paris pics until Christmas!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Making it Magical at TIOT

There's magic in the air - are you on count down to Christmas yet or is is just seeing frost on the grass in the morning that causes the magic? 

Our new theme at Try It On Tuesday asks you to 'Make It Magical' and you will see the different ways the Design Team have created their magic by looking here.

I have made a tag set in a magical wood - the fairies have been flying around sprinkling fairy dust everywhere

The stamps are by Lavinia Stamps and the background is dry brushed layers of paint and gesso.

I hope you will be able to conjure up your own style of magic and join us to 'Make It Magical' at TIOT - our challenge runs for two weeks. 

I am also entering at Tag Tuesday where Wendy has chosen the theme 'Windows, Doors and Arches'

Thanks for looking, Chris

Red Sky...and blue!

 Hi everyone, I have an old saying today for you.

When high pressure is coming in from the west there may often be a red sunset indicating that good weather is on it's way. A red sunrise usually means that the high pressure has passed by to the east, more than likely giving way to a wet and windy low pressure system.

There are several versions of the saying globally but as a child growing up in Lincolnshire it was

'Red sky at night, shepherd's delight,

Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning' 

While having a tidy up in my craft room I came across some felted pictures I made a few years ago. This one just had to be part of my page.

I used some torn gel printed paper and added some faux text using my string covered block. The circle was cut from a page that already had yellow on it - I added touch of red. On the other side of the felted picture I used some metallic paints. The words were created on the computer, the sheep drawn in with pen.

This page is of course for my 'All Kinds Of Weather' theme at Art Journal Journey

No chance of a red sunset here today - it has been grey all day!

Yesterday we went to Bodnant where the sky was mainly blue and white.

Blogger, because it can, has reversed the order of these!

This was the very last photo though!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Rain again!

Hi everyone, I have a new page for my 'All Kinds Of Weathe' theme at Art Journal Journey.

I was reminded that I have quite a few Stampotique stamps, especially those designed by Daniel Torrente so I have used one character here for my page.

Those of you in in the UK will know this song by Travis from the 90's

It just seemed to be the kind of song that this little guy would sing.

I made the background by first gluing some scraps on my page then adding layers of white gesso, white, black and grey paint. When the paint had dried I stamped some black dots around the page and then stuck on the fussy cut figure standing on a scrap of black paper.

The words were printed out on my computer and outlined with black pen.

I'll be back with something brighter next time.

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for the rainbow, Paris and a second look.

Hi everyone, first I apologise if I didn't visit last week. We had our booster jabs last Wednesday and both hubby and I had a strange reaction to it. We had the initial ache in the arm but for a few days afterwards we were both light headed and weary. I now have my vertigo back too so I am not spending very long at a time on the computer.

We are still going out for walks but not at the pace we are used to!

I made my Calendar Journal page for November. I used rainbow colours for the background and added Aall and Create Janet Klein figures and flowers and used some neocolourII crayons for the rainbow which I cut out with the bottoms at an angle. Some raindrops were added through a stencil and some were doodled in with white pen. I am entering it at Art Journal Journey for my chosen theme this month 'All Kinds Of Weather'

Here is October filled in if you would like to see.

Now to Paris...

On the weekend that we were there it was 'Journées européennnes du patrimoine' (European Heritage Days). Places or areas that are not often open to the public are opened for free as well as a lot of museums being open too.

We saw that Les Gobelins Manufactory had an exhibition of Napoleon's furnishings and that there were also going to be weaving demonstrations.

 

This photograph is from the internet - we passed the building most days on our walks to other parts of Paris

As usual Blogger has changed the order of my photos but you can see how fabulous the furniture is - they were taken from several of Napoleon's residences

We moved from the main building to the workshop area. 

At the moment they are working on a tapestry for 2024 Olympics being held in Paris

We also had a look in the windows of the areas where colours are tested

This took most of our morning - there was a refreshment van selling drinks but I forgot to take photos!

I know....I'll show you the place we went to for coffee on the Friday afternoon.

It is bakery go to every time we are in the area (they have a decent loo - ssshhhh)and their raspberry tarts are to die for - we both had an accompanying cappuccino.

I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T stands For Tuesday

Finally today found this post from November 10th 2013 for my Second Look On the 2nd at The  Altered Book Lover

                          -------------------------

ITS BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE

there's a chance of a connection! I can't believe that it's ten whole days since I last blogged! While we were home I didn't have much to blog about then we came away and although I have been busy just couldn't get the internet to connect for long enough! 
I'm going to be brief just in case it goes again!
Before we came away I had two cards to make - under pressure - but both safely delivered now!

We've had quite a lot of rain up here (and a heavy frost this morning) but it hasn't stopped us going out! When we have been in I've been making a few Christmas cards - experimenting really as I want to do a few the same.

My new mini JOFY Paper Artsy tree is my favourite at the moment but I still like my Artemio tree and holly. As you can see - not finished - I think I'm going to go with the JOFY stamp with the cut out words from an old PA Squiggle ink stamp set (egg and nog 1)I have used the holly swirl from this set very year since I bought it!
Right, I think I've pushed my luck for long enough now - I'd better press the publish button!

             ------------------------------------

I hope my post isn't too long for you, next week I will show you what did on Saturday afternoon

Thanks for looking, Chris

All Kinds Of Weather at Art Journal Journey

 I am taking on the baton passed by Tracey who has been an excellent host during October.

We walk through the lovely colours and the weather can make the colours look so different.

I was so pleased to be asked to host at Art Journal Journey this month, the weather can be so varied in November - my title is 'All Kinds Of Weather'.

As I have already said over at AJJ, hubby and I don't mind walking in any weather, each season has it's challenges.

My page started with some watercoloring using moorland colours - there's the rocks, heather, scrubland, ponds all onto some heavy duty water colour paper, then tore out the part I liked.

I painted in clouds at the top and some grass at the bottom of the page  and stuck the moorland on. 

I painted in some grasses and a tree on the hill over the top and then added this lovely Tracy Easson angel with her hair caught by the wind - her wings became part of the blowy landscape.

Finally I wrote the words from Kate Bush's 'Heathcliff'.

Years ago we visited the moors near Haworth where the Brontes lived - it was pretty wild on the day we went but so beautiful.

I hope you will find a way to join us in 'All Kinds Of Weather' this month.

I'm definitely hoping to see some sun but we aren't far off Winter so it could well be Winter sun, remember any weather is fine with me!

With our new rules starting from today you might even make a mini journal.

Please take a look at the new rules here.

Thanks for looking, Chris