T Stands for ………two or three things….

I haven't a great deal to show for my week, something I have been doing must remain hidden until next week and although we went up to the caravan for a few days I didn't take any photos while we were out so I have only foggy day pictures of the garden…

I know, not really what you want to see!
I do have something for T Stands for Tuesday where I am joining Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T Stands for Tuesday and my own drink is accompanied by my son's mocha and cake!!! 

As you can see the cake had two forks supplied, neither of us wanted a full piece of the peanut butter caramel cheesecake. Hubby, whose knee is just in sight was waiting for his tea and scone with jam and cream!

My drink was a small cappuccino as I was still in New Year mode when we met up at the Vienna Coffee House opposite the Art Gallery in Manchester.
I do have a few photos of our walk at Dunham Massey on the 2nd of January - I have never seen so many people there even in the Summer!

It was a lovely sunny day and we chose to go into the Winter Garden - I must admit I was hoping to see snowdrops or early daffodils as we have other years but there were only these little snowdrops peeping through.

There was plenty of colour though!

….and frost….

 …and sunshine.

 Reflections….

 ….and shadows...

….and a Valerie kind of shot!!!

We'll go back in few weeks to see what these turn out like!

We are going to the cinema this morning so I will be visiting later today.

Thanked for looking, Chris

A Foggy Day

I have another page for Erika's theme 'Tell Me A Story 'At Art Journal Journey.

It may seem odd to say that the fog inspired this page, but I love the view from my window at our caravan so much that it felt so strange to only see the garden and the trees just across the road this morning. I set to with a page already in my journal that I had sprinkled and spritzed with Paper Artsy Infusions.

 I added a few bits and pieces from a little box I had some scraps in. I cut out some words from old book paper and a magazine to go with a TH chit chat word.
The fog didn't really clear much at all during the day and we left around 3 o'clock this afternoon so this is what I saw…

 We were only away for a few days but once again the connection was dreadful and I am behind with my visiting!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

Getting better!

I have wanted to join in with the new challenge set by  Erika at Art Journal Journey since I saw the theme she had set! Tell Me a Story/every journal page tells a story is such an great one to start the year!
My page at first seem to be full of fun but it didn't start like that!

It has been in my journal since way back in November when I had a cold and it was a very gloomy looking affair and I just keep flipping past it with no plan to show it on my blog!
The other day the sun was shining and I came across it again - I grabbed some bright colours and coloured over those gloomy ones and added some more doodling! 
The stamped image and some of the doodles are from a Paper Artsy one by Elenazinskiart and I love the little monsters and they are coming away with me this weekend!

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands For…………..the garden..

not our garden but the garden I visited with my friend Sarah. We had been out for coffee but sorry were chatting too much and I forgot to take photos if The T Hive cafe so you will have to wait until I go back there with hubby!
Sarah suggested a visit to Creative Recycling - a place we both love and it was only a short drive away! Everything in the shop is art using waste materials and we are always inspired when we go there! 
The garden is between the main gallery and the one at the back where workshops are held.
I'll just let you wander around as we did - sorry Elizabeth - I know you will be here a while!!!

There is also a waterfall and pond made from fused glass

Sarah is younger than me so got down for a lower view!!!

Now, as I am here for T stands for Tuesday with Bluebeard and Elizabeth and I forgot to take a photo I will show you the takeaway coffee hubby and I had when we went to do our Christmas shopping!

I know Elizabeth will be there to welcome you with your drink related post so hope to see you there!

Finally yesterday we went out to Dunham Massey with our son and grandchildren.
It was a lovely frosty sunny day and I am rather pleased with this shot of the setting sun through the trees!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Try It On Tuesday - A tissue!

No need to worry I'm not about to pass on any germs - 'A Tissue' is our new theme at Try It On Tuesday! Tissue can be napkins, stamped tissue, mop up paper anything that we would regard as tissue and any project you wish.

I have decorated an old cheese box with mop up paper.

The mop up paper had been used to mop up some journal pages that had been sprinkled with Paper Artsy Infusions  - giving it a speckled look

It is important to separate the layers before you start as they may start to separate as you are working.

 I find it easier to tear them up into smaller strips before I start glueing

I used Mod Podge but any acrylic or gel medium works well too.

Yes, it does get sticky

As it started to dry I was able to paint the box outside.

The top and bottom still needed to dry out but I could see where there were places that needed more tissue added!

Once it was completely dry I rubbed Treasure Gold over the bumpy parts.

 I stamped some Paper Artsy JOFY mini flowers onto some acetate(old packaging)using Stazon and coloured the backs with alcohol inks.

 The flowers were bent into shape and layered.

After I added them to the box I thought there was something missing…

….so I painted some leaves that were leftover from making a card.

I added gold to centre of the flowers too.
My box is all ready to hold our caravan keys and the pound coins we need for the laundry - should stop me losing them again!!!

When I did my snapshots of my year I didn't mention Try It On Tuesday but today I would like to say that I am so pleased to be part of this talented design team. I would love it if you would visit each of the team members and take a look at their blogs so that you can see what I mean!

The examples this time are once again so inspiring and I hope you will join in with us with your 'A Tissue' projects

I will be back later today with my 'T' post, 

Thanks for looking Chris

Second look on the 2nd

Over at Bluebeard and Elizabeth's blog there a chance to see some posts that you might have missed from a while ago!
I have something from 2013

SUNDAY, 6 JANUARY 2013

Time to take down the decorations!

...well, as my background - I took down the decorations in the flat yesterday, not wanting to tempt fate by leaving them up beyond Twelfth Night!I hope you like the background which a piece of needle felting I did last year. 
At the moment life isn't slowing down that much - partying again last night - another family party to celebrate a birthday, lots of games at this one and lots of laughter!
I'm longing to get back into my craft room, but for now there is just a pile of Christmas leftovers - not food I might add, just the entrails of some pre-Christmas crafting.
I have been doing some journaling - mainly on my knee in front of the tv while we do some catching up on recorded Christmas tv!

This was started following a walk at Holker Hall before Christmas - I think you may get the picture(we turned back!!)

This background was re-hashed a couple of times before I was happy with it and I drew the face and added the clock and the title (a Sandy Denny classic!)this year!!!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year

____________________________________________________________________________

Wishing you now, as then a very Happy New Year 

If you have an old post you like why not link up to Elizabeth's blog and show it off

Thanks for looking, Chris

Ring in the new!

Happy New Year everyone - borrowing words of the Christmas song -'Lets hope it's a good one!" 
I have also borrowed some words from Tennyson for yesterday's and todays posts! It is one of the lines in his poem 'Ring Out Wild Bells'
My page is a bright one to welcome the New Year, (yesterday's page had only glimmers of light!) 

Finger painted then added Paper Artsy stamps and doodled! Joined Lin Brown's bell flower with and Elenazinskiart zini(both PA)and made her ring!!! My colouring and writing both need practice!

Last year was a mixture of wonderful opportunities both craft wise and travel wise and balanced with a series of health problems (the hernia op in February and the recovery time being  the most frustrating one)I won't dwell on them!
The highlights were many though - the year started with a chance to join in an international journal tip in swap - very well kept together by Elizabeth and we all received some lovely pages!

I have chosen one that I made for my own journal - the theme was 'In my garden'

I was invited to host Art Journal Journey in March - thanks to Valerie and Susi! I thoroughly enjoyed making pages for my chosen theme of 'If you go down to the woods' 

This was an image transfer and paint

We went to Paris in April, met up with my SIL and BIL, got to visit VersionScrap (before being hauled out to a sick hubby!)We had a great time visiting the sights and also got to meet my lovely blog friend Patty along with hubby Jim. 

Unfortunately came home with the most awful tummy bug which took ages to shake off!
May started well, I was GD at Anything But Cute with this little book to 'Celebrate My style'……

….followed by an outing to Happy Stampers with friends Sarah and Helen(we also met up with lots of others crafty friends)! 
This was followed the next week by a workshop for the three of us at Art From The heart with Kassa Hayselden where I made this - only just realised I hadn't blogged it!!

June was a month of family time, eating out(quite a bit) and a visit with hubby to Woolfest where we enjoyed looking at sheep and listening to the ukulele band

It was also the month when I won some goodies from Paper Artsy

July was quite hot - we had a trip to Nottingham and Lincoln visiting relatives and enjoyed a little nostalgia trip too

Stokes tea and coffee shop - My Mum used to work here in her teens.

Throughout August I was spotlight designer for Simon Says Stamp Monday - a real honour - I pinched myself a few times…this was my favourite week - Contain Yourself

It holds two balls of string.
September was the month we set off to Essex to try and find my roots (or rather see if I could find where my Mum was born)
We visited Mountnessing where she and her siblings lived in the 30's but found that the house had been demolished to make way for a dual carriageway.
Not to worry - we went into London to meet up with Julie Ann and she and I had a good chat and a wander around Tate Modern and then I saw her(and  a lot of other blog friends) at Ally Pally the next day.

 The building is amazing!
It was back to Happy Stampers in October...

…and more meeting up with friends(by the Paper Artsy stand) - Sarah, Helen and Shaz with Neet in the background chatting! 
Hubby and I went off to Ely and Cambridge - we wanted to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum to see the Meadiaeval manuscripts…

….and had an unexpected treat of attending sung evensong at Kings College Chapel with the famous choir - here they are afterwards.

I caught a dreadful cold at the beginning of November an spent four days feeling sorry for myself but got myself better for our bread workshop with Kate at Peter Sidwell's new cookery school up near Keswick. 

I developed a cough while up there in the snow.

At the end of the month we went down to Stockbridge so that we could go to the WOYWW crop…here I am in  between Fiona(Staring at the sea) and Peter(Bishopsmate Christine's husband) 

and we also had a day in Winchester and discovered the delights of Croome Park on the way home!
By December was a month of lots of birthdays including my own and I was sure I had made enough Christmas cards but no, so I still had a bit of a mad dash to get cards ready for the post!
The month had a great finish at our annual family Christmas party where we played the most ridiculous game - Elizabeth, here is hubby with his mouth opener in!

I hope I haven't sent you to sleep with this little round up - of course as well as all this we have been able to spend quite a bit of time at our caravan!

My view when I craft on the dining table

I hope that the New Year brings us all more of what we really need - whether that be peace, company, craft time, leisure time, better health….whatever…I hope it will be a happy one!

I would just like to thank everyone for your continued encouragement, your comments mean lot to me, which is why after writing this I am going to continue to try and catch up with visits to your blogs!

Thanks for looking, Chris