A peek into my diary.

 Hi everyone, we seem to have been out of the apartment a lot this week for various reasons! A couple of shopping trips( food and new boots) a meal out (with grandson), dealing with health stuff(and my medication changing yet again!)and a nice walk.

I took the photographs a few days ago but never seemed to find the energy to get to the computer.

Today didn't start so great but now feeling much better so here are a few pages for Erika's 'It's On The Calendar' theme at Art Journal Journey. 

I usually show you my calendar journal each month but at the same time I also keep a planner diary - nothing fancy, I have used the same Japanese company's diary for at least the last six years. I also have some of the same reminders on my wall calendar in our kitchen

It has a weekly page for keeping dates and a page opposite that I write down a list of things to do and also plan our main meals for the week.

In between I draw, use stickers, washi, scraps and anything else that takes my fancy

November started like this

I had a new leaf stamp to play with and I had also had coffee out!

New tapes arrived from Miso paper and London Gifties so I used the circles from the ends of the tapes to make a little collage (with a few additions of said tapes!)

At the beginning of December it turned cold for a while and I used some washi tape to make a little scene.

Then it was the week of my Birthday and a busy week

Then it was the two weeks up to Christmas Eve and then New Year's Eve

This is how the New Year started

I'll see if I can dig out some of my old planner diaries for another time if you'd like to see them.

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For The Great Outdoors

Hi everyone, I'm keeping it short today as I have been out most of the day! 

Last week we managed to get two walks without getting wet!

Our first was a trip to RHS Bridgwater with middle son and our Grandson. It wasn't brilliant weather but at least the rain had stopped. There aren't a great deal of bright colours around at the moment

..but over in the Chinese garden area there are fabulous red lanterns

..and then by the Kitchen garden these...

...and then, on our way out - one lone Snowdrop

The next day was a shopping day but we decided to go out early and have a walk at Styal. As we got into the car it became mistier than it had been earlier but as we drove along the main road the sun shone brightly around the airport area and blue skies began to appear...then suddenly we we were driving into mist again!

We arrived at Styal and weren't sure whether we wanted to walk but I am so glad we did!

Frosty leaves around 

The mist began to clear slowly

We did see a wonderful cobweb and a crocus though

By the time we went back to the car park the mist had almost cleared.

For my ticket to T stands For Tuesday over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog I have gone back to a day just before Christmas when we went out with some family members for lunch - while hubby took them back to their home in our car I had a leisurely coffee and did some journaling in one of my mini journals.

Thanks for looking, Chris

Winter Blues at TIOT

Hi everyone, for our first topic this year at Try It On Tuesday we are embracing the 'Winter Blues' instead of trying to shake them off!

The Design Team have found such lovely ways to add positive vibes to their inspiration pieces - please take a look here!

I have turned to flowers again.

I used some flowers on a napkin for my main image that I stuck onto a page that has watery distress ink blues on along with some stenciling of some stems and some torn paper. The circles around represent snow and I added a bit of script stamping too!

The words came from a combination of Tim Holtz and a magazine.

We look forward to seeing your entries at TIOT this time - if you need to check the Rules they are here!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Apologies - Got my days mixed up and having been out all day found that I had this post scheduled for tomorrow morning!

Calendar Journal for January

 Hi everyone, we are well into the new year now and I realised I hadn't posted my calendar journal.

I decided on using old calendar pages with some of the stickers I seem to have accumulated over the years and never used. I saw that Elizabeth has done a similar thing although mine is not quite as interesting.

At the time I made it we were having grey sky after grey sky and I wanted blue skies and fluffy clouds!

I used NeocolourII watercolour crayons to draw clouds onto my patchwork of calendar pages and then added colour between them with a water brush.

I tried both blue and white for my squares but eventually decided on pink as I am now hoping (the weather has changed and we are getting some sunshine)to see some pink evening skies!

I am joining Erika at Art Journal Journey where she has chosen 'It's On The Calendar' as her theme this month.

Here is December's page if you are interested in looking at it filled in.

Thanks for looking,Chris

T Stands for.....the second and more!

Happy New Year everyone, whatever 2024 brings I hope it's good (or at least easy to deal with if it's not so good)

I'm starting my post with my first visit to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's The Altered Book Lover blog and T Stands For Tuesday

Last week hubby and I wanted to go for a walk at Lyme Park, we also had vouchers for free coffee at a nearby garden centre so called there first.

I took my little journal bag with me as it's usually quiet and we can take our time. Well of course, not many folk work between Christmas and New Year so it was quite busy. There was a big table for 6 with two ladies on so I asked if we could sit at the other end of their table - it was fine, so I sat near the window and got my journal out while hubby queued for drinks and cake!

When he came with my flat white coffee it was in a paper cup as the cafe's dishwasher had broken down.

As you can see my journal is quite small and I used tape and stickers to make my page. You can also see my tiny journal that dangles from the zipper on my bag.

So, off to Lyme Park we went, the car park was so full that folk were parking on the road and there was a volunteer worker guiding cars to empty spaces in the overflow car park.

On the way the views on the edge of the Peak District were spectacular. 

...although rain clouds were gathering

We had a little walk and then decided to go and get some lunch.....no chance - the queue was out of the cafe door!

We went off to another nearby garden centre and had some delicious soup and toasted ciabatta.

Then to our final destination...another garden centre for coffee and cake.

The sun was just going down

There wasn't much choice (it had obviously been as busy as everywhere else we visited) so we had the last two pieces of these cakes, hubby also ate most of mine (not that I couldn't eat it.... I just knew I shouldn't!) I did enjoy a gingerbread latte though, while hubby had tea.

When we came out it was darker but still looked beautiful.

Of course all the garden centres had sales so we did get a few little bargains too!

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Now for a Second Look On The 2nd - also at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's The Altered Book Lover blog.

This is from the 7th January 2015 and is a challenge Elizabeth and I used to love entering 

I'm so excited about this - Dragons Dream Tag it On is one of my favourite Challenge blogs and at the start of this new year they have a totally new set of themes for their challenges - I'd love it if you took the trip on the link here to see it and possibly take part!

When I won a top three with my 'J and Diecuts' Elizabeth asked me if I would like to be a Guest Designer for the new theme I'm afraid to say I shamelessly jumped at the chance!

The challenge is tag based and as you know I love making tags.
The theme (although I hope you have already checked it out!)is 'Turquoise and Bling' - this is not the tag I made at first - it was a bit Christmassy and the challenge has been delayed slightly so I made another in a similar vein

The background was distress inked with Broken China and Black Soot then stamped in black and white using a Prima swirly stamp. The tag has a die cut panel using some of my MAMBI paper, rubbed over with Broken China. The Umbel is from Woodware, the grasses are from Paper Artsy Eclectica by Darcy 
The bottom corner die(from a corner set by Spellbinders) has been cut down a little as I felt it was a bit overpowering

As you can see the MAMBI paper has a lovely silver sheen to it!

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I wondered if you might like to see the platters I made for our family Twixtmas party?

There were also some other plates of hot and cold foods 

This sweet tray went down well too, as well as a couple of family favourite desserts made by me!

Thanks for looking, Chris

It's On The Calendar

Hi everyone, before I get on to this month's Art Journal Journey  I would first of all to thank Wendy for hosting during December and also to apologise for my absence and lack of entries. I can only say (without going into details) that December is now over and a New Year will hopefully bring better days!

In wishing everyone a very Happy New Year I would also 

like to introduce you to the AJJ topic this month - 'It's On The Calendar' and tell you that our host this month is someone very familiar, it is fellow co-ordinator Erika.

On my calendar this year is another trip to France and hopefully Paris too, although Version Scrap is no longer being held in April.

I made a background of grey/blue paint and Picked Raspberry and Twisted Citron Distress Oxides through a couple of Tom Holtz stencils. I stamped some Crafters Companion 'French stamps' in black and white around the page before adding a piece of cellophane wrapping from some brioches with an Eiffel Tower on it!

Finally it really needed some white paint spatters!

I'm sure you know by now that you can read the AJJ Dreaded Rules here and I'm sure you will ask if you don't understand something!

We're looking forward to seeing 'What's On The Calendar' on your wall for this year.

Thanks for looking, Chris