ICADs - catch up time!

 Hi there! Just popping in with these before a busy few days! There are  two weeks to show as I was away in Paris then another heatwave hit and I totally forgot to post either!

I have added them to Instagram #dyicad2022

Week 6

I managed to use a paint sample and a circle cut from an old gelli print here.

Gold paper is from some sweets we had in Italy ...years ago

More gelli print and some sputtered under paper

I was surprised that the washi tape gold showed up here - I couldn't see it in the light I had!

Week 7

These are my favourites so far. I used up some larger scraps onto water coloured backgrounds along with the usual washi tape and garden book illustrations.

My next ICAD post will probably in August.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Benefits of ageing!

 Hi everyone, it's taken me a while to get to feel something like normal. I haven't been ill, but coming from a heatwave and a chaotic move through check in at Eurostar in Paris, followed by a heatwave here I've been slow to pick up a routine again.

I started this page on Tuesday but only just finished it this afternoon.

I often wonder while we are visited old properties what the original inhabitants would think of the places becoming tourist attractions.

I'm sure that the Cistercian monks at Riveaux Abbey(that we visited in June) and Fountains Abbey(that we didn't manage to visit), could never have imagined that having been forced out by Henry Vlll in the 16th Century, there would be people paying to go and enjoy walking around their ruined abbeys in the 21st Century.

Mavis is enjoying her retirement by visiting such places. She hadn't been looking forward to sitting at home...and then she realised...she didn't have to! 

The image is from my railway poster diary and I layered it with card and some scraps and a few magazine cuttings onto some stencilled arches, patterns and words.

I'm joining in at Art Journal Journey and Wendy's 'Doors and/or Arches' theme.

Thanks for looking, Chris 

T stands for Travel with my Granddaughter in Paris

Hi everyone, we are experiencing a heatwave here in the UK and last week we had the same temperatures in Paris(I understand it is even hotter this week) We didn't get around as much as we'd hoped, but still had a great time in between stopping for rests and drinks.

Our trip stated well although there were big queues to get onto Eurostar but when we were offered an earlier train we took the chance to get there an hour earlier than expected.

Eurostar seats are very comfortable.

The next morning we set off for the Eiffel Tower using a Navigo Day pass for the metro. We used to buy Paris Visite cards but they also offer a lot of discounts on things that we wouldn't use and cost more!

We found a bench and some breeze under the tower.

We didn't stay long here - not a lot of shade!

The Champs Elysee was busy

After a quick lunch our next stop was the Sacré-Coeur Basilica

We walked so far up then caught the Funicular to the top.

The view from the steps is amazing

The last time I visited Sacré-Coeur they were renovating the interior and there was lots of scaffolding.

With a last look at the Basilica we headed for the Funicular to get down the hill

If we had been a few minutes earlier we would have been this carriage that had broken down.

Everyone was getting off to walk down the narrow steps down.

Of course, because the Funicular relies on the two carriages - one going up , one going down, everyone at the bottom was using the shady steps to walk up.

They soon cleared! 

The  Metro canopy at Abbesses is one of the most attractive in Paris I think!

We set off for La Defence and the Grande Arche but stopped off at Octopus for a cooling drink - it is by a swimming pool but I forgot to take a photo as it was so hot we wanted to get into the shade. 

It was a lovely cool area and modern decor - Emily loved it!

I enjoyed a French Tonic while Emily had a German Cola and it is here I will be joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday.

 

We continued our journey - I was so pleased to find that my lovely GD loved the Arch - I may have mentioned before that this is one of my favourite areas in Paris. From the top of the arch you can see how it lines up with the Arc de Triumph and the arch at the Tuileries.

We had a mediocre crêpe in the shopping centre food court and headed back to the hotel and bed.

Thanks for looking, Chris

  

Travelling door and photos

Hi everyone, I'm back from my Paris trip. I had a lovely time with my Granddaughter but the journey back was quite stressful and I have taken time at the weekend to recover and spend time with my hubby!

I have always had a fascination for old style caravans.

The caravan door and the bundle came from a notebook I bought some time ago in Paris. 

The other bits and pieces came from my scrap boxes. The large diamonds on the background were to mop up some ink on a stencil the rest was added stamping.

I am joining in again at Art Journal Journey and Wendy's 'Doors and/or Arches.

We managed to get around Paris quite well but as it was so hot some things were left for another time.

I will be putting more photos on my T Stands For Tuesday post but here are some of the photos.

The view from Sacre Coeur.

Would loved to have eaten here but we just weren't hungry - it was mid-afternoon!

Jardins du Palais Royale

See you later, thanks for looking, Chris

Try It On Tuesday new theme

 Hi everyone, our theme this time at Try It On Tuesday is 'Make It Magical' - which gives us a great choice - I think you will agree if you take a look at our Design Team inspiration.

I used a mop up page as my base. I knew it was going to include Lavinia stamps - here is Giselle, she has found this old doorway (I had forgotten that it was a Lavinia stamp) and wanted to decorate it so, with the help two pixies she added some bare branches (it's actually a Christmas wreath stamp with berries already on it)and then magically made some beautiful blue and silver bubbles to add to it.

I drew in some 'grass' but then added some wild flowers by using the edges of some larger plant stamps.

The whole page was edged with a small additional berry stamp from the wreath set using silver ink.

Finally I added some spatters of watery silver paint.

I hope you can join us at TIOT this time - as usual the theme runs for two weeks. 

I am also entering this at Art Journal Journey and Wendy's 'Doors and/or Arches.

Thanks for looking, I won't be around for a few days so will be commenting when I get back!

Chris