Yes,yes,yes....

It's ok I haven't gone all When Harry met Sally, this is because I've completed my pages in time for Dawn's Journal's Journey challenge. I love being part of this, if you want to know more either click here or on the button in my sidebar (thanks Dawn - I did it, yay!)
This month the theme was Autumn and Nature. As I'm a big Kinks Fan this had to be my starter!!!

 Layers using distress inks and perfect pearls over a mask(whoops, can't remember what, I started this ages ago), a peel off, then drew in leaves and berries, words written onto a page from an old gazeteer.


This last two weeks have been just a little busy, and with hubby off on half term last week too. We did get away for a few days but came back to a pile of sorting out so we can do a boot sale this weekend - a bit of an ongoing job too as I'm determined to have a big clearout while we can - I was quite shocked to find that boot sales now start 6.00 in the morning!


I did find some time to craft while we were away and will try to get to show what I've been doing later this week.


Thanks for looking, Chris

Tag(s)

I don't often make tags, no particular reason why not it's just not the first thing I turn to when I just feel like playing. However, yesterday while having a bit of a sort out I came across some I'd started but not finished. Didn't feel in the mood for anything else this morning, so while waiting for the washer to finish a cycle I finished them off.

This one had been stamped and heat embossed using a Tim bird stamp and a Wendy Vecchi leaf stamp onto a distress inked and spritzed background, so I just darkened the edges with Tumbled Glass ink over a stencil and drew in  a branch.

This was just an inked and spritzed stamp so I used a Brilliance orange over a leaf stencil then added Spiced Marmalade and Brushed Corduroy around the edge, stamped with Tim birds, Lost Coast bird, and Kaisercraft word. 


We've been told there will be a bit of a delay with the flat - red tape stuff - so instead of sorting stuff this weekend we're going to get away for a few days. We've already got enough for a boot sale so hopefully we can get a pitch in a few weeks time at a local indoor one.I haven't done a boot sale since the boys were in primary school and hubby has never done one - I understand they start so much earlier these days - used to be 9.00 back then!!


Hope you all have a lovely weekend, thanks for your lovely, encouraging comments, Chris

So forgetful!

I keep forgetting to take photos of cards, I have made several cards in the last two months but only remember on the way to the post that I haven't got a record of what I've done!!

I must confess to making this in a bit of  a rush and it's definitely pearshaped!

This one was for one of my sons who now works for a bank and I used this image from a Graphic 45 sheet I bought at AFTH just for this image, which reminded me of how he used to look!!

I made a little concertina card for my sister-in-law.

I used Graphic 45 images along with Crafty Individuals stamps and paper, tissue tape, old dictionary definitions and a dress form from Craft Stamper with a bit of net!!

Been learning a few new things about blogger thanks to Dawn and I can now add new things to my blog -yaaay!!!

Off to the HUGE ironing pile now, thanks for all you lovely comments, Chris

Does it matter?

Thank goodness for journaling! Sometimes days don't quite pan out as you would like them to do they? Yesterday I spent more than two hours in  a bank - yep!and I thought I was just going to pop in and out! I must say by the time I came out I felt so bad I went to my son's shop for a hug!!!
Anyway came home, ate the cake I'd bought(it's ok, I bought one for hubby too!)and began to feel better and no, I'm not getting on the scales today lol!! After a rant and a chill (catching up with Downton Abbey), I began to feel a little calmer so took to my little journals after tea to complete the process!

 This one was started some time ago but I thought I would just add a little to it! This was originally lurid green into which I had stamped but then didn't like it so a few weeks ago I used distress stains and heirloom gold perfect pearls mist to cover it up - the rest is just doodling with sakura pens!

I have had this picture for some time, cut from a magazine and just knew I would use it sometime! The door was an experiment in image transfer onto acrylic paint, the key stamp is new from Lost Coast stamped onto tissue paper dabbed with antique linen distress ink, the other bits and pieces from a scrap box. This background was again another lurid green-whatever was I thinking lol! I went over it with Silkies and then at a later date stamped with various bits and pieces, the latest stamping was the gold lettering (another Lost Coast from Port Sunlight!)I will journal onto this page sometime but wanted to get on with this.....

This was started by being used as a mop up page! The little Lost Coast figure was stamped onto a paper bag, the journaling words were from a freebie sheet, bit of tissue tape, a perfume bottle insert that gives a gorgeous linen look when inked, some scraps and doodles and I began to feel much calmer - thank you journal!


I looked at Dawns blog this morning and she confirmed my idea that sometimes you have to journal your negative thoughts! She has a brilliant challenge at the moment and I'm sure she would love to hear from you!
Off to sort stuff now, would love it you leave a comment, thanks for looking, Chris

Late again!

The story of my life, however well intentioned I invariably end up late! I love taking part in Kate's 365/11 journal and at last I have taken photographs of my pages.

October's pages, which I've had to start filling in already, started out like this

I used my lovely Dylusions paints, I only have a few colours so lots of mixing involved, splodged on to the page with fingers then stencilled over using(mixed) shades of brown, then sprayed with Perfect Pearls heirloom gold.
Cut squares out of some scrap and some free papers, Stampotique mushrooms, coloured with promarkers, lettering written onto Hero Arts leaves. I will probably add some more to this, not sure what though, maybe see what the month brings!!!
My completed September pages...

Off now to look at as many others as I can!
Thanks for looking, Chris

A journal page..

 a birthday card and a sneaky peek!
I started these pages some time ago in my little moleskine but it's taken me until now to finish it. I thought it would be just right for Dawn's 'inclusion/tags' journal challenge. 

It started out by being a mop-up page for a flower stencil to which I added some watercolour paint, flowers dabbed through a small flower that I had used on a card,some ripped leftover paper and some hearts cut out of some more mop-up paper(anyone would think I don't own any paper he! he!)I made the tag by swiping with distress stains and dabbing more paint through the flower shape and then turning it over to make a further flower shape. I was going to stamp the words but then decided that Sakura pens might look nicer(not sure about that tho')
I sent this card to a good friend the other day, I hope she liked it even though it was made from scraps!!

The stamped image is part of a Crafty Individuals stamp, which I stamped onto some more mop up paper using Adirondak ginger ink. This was then mounted onto  scrap of fabric from a bundle I bought in a sale, little flower cut out and then built up with more cut out flowers and all mounted onto a script stamp from Kaisercraft. A leftover peel-off(I've given loads away)and a coloured insert and I was quite pleased with this one.
I'm still battling away with sorting 'stuff' but took time out this morning to prepare a background for my 365/11 journal (see Kate's blog here)so here's just a sneaky peek at what I've started.

 Right back to work, I can't take everything!!!
Enjoy the sunshine!! Thanks for looking, Chris

Waiting!

When I knew I was going to have to wait for the car to be fixed I got my paints and made a background I could doodle on. I used water colours and just splodged them on to a double spread in my smallest journal. I took a little bag of bits and pieces with me and I was able to relax while I waited and waited until they finally diagnosed the problem - Oh Dear! the steering column has to be totally replaced, I was told that we shouldn't really have been driving the car! Anyway I had to come home without my car and hopefully it will have fully recovered by later on today! When I came home I thought I may as well finish what I started!

 I had left two spaces for writing but then added a quote from a download from here from generous Darcy. Just as I thought 'done!' I found the little heart which I realised reflected one of my little doodles.I know it looks a bit busy but it certainly kept me calm and isn't that part of what journaling is all about?
Here's hoping the bill won't break the spell.....
Thanks for looking, Chris