A White Elephant!

Shall we all go off together somewhere warm? 
It was forecast as being warmer today but I can't say I noticed when we went shopping. Tomorrow is forecast as being very cold!!!

I have even been using cool colours to make another journal page for Rike's 'Animals A from to Z' theme at Art Journal Journey!

I used a couple of new Distress Oxides - Blueprint Sketch and Shaded Lilac along with Twisted Citron to make my background and then used Blueprint Sketch DI and Lettuce and Denim (discontinued) Adirondack inks to stamp randomly over the top! 
My elephant is one of my favourite Tracy Easson stamps and was stamped onto some card and fussy cut, then stuck over the same image that I had stamped on the page so I didn't loose the detailed edges. I drew in some extra grass.
The quotes are some from a Visible Image set.
I looked up the meaning of 'white elephant' and put it into my Print Shop programme - I don't think this cute elephant could ever be useless or troublesome!
I finished my page by doodling around the edge and by the dictionary meaning.

Thanks for looking, Chris

More Animal Fun

Hi everyone, I'm back, as some of you may already know!
We had a couple of outings...

 ...and we had some snow!

It was very cold overnight on Tuesday through to Wednesday morning and the thermometer had a reading of -6∞C. Now we are back to brick walls and it is a lot warmer, although with the heating on in the caravan we do get quite toasty!

I had time to play in my 6x6 journal while away too, and I have another page for Rike's Animals from A to Z at Art Journal Journey 

The background was made using some bright paints, stencils stamps and texture paste.
I use an Elenas Zinski Zini stamp that reminds of a rabbit(I cut off his long tail!!!)
The Tim Holtz chit cat sticker seemed to fit nicely! I am entering in Rubber Dance February challenge 

Thanks for looking, Chris

There's something in the air.......

We have a LOVEly new theme at Try It On Tuesday this time - 'Love is in the Air' which means all things love related! Of course it is Valentines Day this month, but you may prefer a project with hearts or something else about Love!
I altered an item I found in a sale towards the end of January.

 I was excited enough to find this collection of cones and berries AND a check ribbon...

...but when I turned the box over and found this in the box too I snatched it up quickly!
Once home it was a quick coat of gesso all over

Next was a coat of Paper Artsy 'Nougat' Fresco paint...

 ..of course, if I hadn't rushed into it I could have just used the Fresco paint as it always covers so well - Hey Ho!
It was here that I got involved and just forgot to continue with photos. I mixed some DecoArt Quinacridone Gold and Quinacridone Violet and used some stencils to add a heart each on 'L' and  and by drawing in the shape and cutting it out to make a mask on'O'. 'V' was painted with Crackle paste.
While it dried I stuck on some dyed flowers (using Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks - the lace had the same treatment)onto 'E'and added some dots using a sharpened pencil dipped into paint.
Some little hearts were drawn in the same way onto the 'L'

You see here that I used the DecoArt mix to rub over the crackles.

I used the Nougat Fresco paint to add hearts to the 'O'
I added a corner that I had painted too and then rubbed off some of the paint so some of the metal showed.

Finally I added Tim Holtz word and little crystal heart.

I hope you will be able to join us on this romantic theme this time, the Design Team are sure to inspire you - click here please, do take a look!.

Thanks for looking, Chris

T Stands for ......two or three things!

First of all I will solve the mystery of what hubby wanted to show me when we went into town!
If I tell you that I am a Leo Sayer fan it may be a clue!

Yes! A One Man Band! He was really good! When we got back to where hubby had seen him playing he had stopped and I feared he was going to leave so I went and spoke to him. He is Swedish and lives in Liverpool. He had to stop to replace some batteries! I hope this video works...

...I won't know as I have to schedule this post and I won't be around until later!
I was really touched that hubby knew I would love this!

We went for a walk the other day at Styal Mill - it was a lovely sunny day for once so we decided to leave everything and go out!

 Lots of bulbs coming up and some Winter Iris.

 Primula beds

A Camellia tree already blooming!

Snowdrops, Cyclamen and the daffodils are on their way!!

 The steep path...

...back to the new visitor centre and......

...past the pond back to the car park.
All of the car park was fields and brush, up until a couple of years ago, it is finally open and a lot better than the old car park, which is now an overspill!

Now, I have bought some new Alstroemerias, although the old ones are still around too!

The daffodils are about 10 days old so I don't expect them to last much longer and my hyacinths are smelling gorgeous now, although they have to stay on the balcony as they make hubby sneeze!

Finally, we have discovered a new kind of breakfast (it's been around for years but us it's a great discovery)- overnight oats.
We use couple of jars wth clip on lids but I don't think it matters that much.
So far we have tried it with banana, strawberries, grapes blueberries (in various combinations - depending on what's on offer at the local shop at the end of the day!!)

Mine is on the left - oats, coconut, chia seeds, plain yogurt, mashed banana, half a teaspoon each of Nutella and peanut butter topped with milk and stirred and left in the fridge overnight. I added the blueberries this morning.
Hubby added Turmeric powder and honey instead of the peanut and Nuttella - he always adds extra milk in the mornings.

Time to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth.

For those wanting a hubby shot, my T Stands for Tuesday is from our trip to France last year.

 This was at a Relais Routier on our way to the Station, on our last day with our friends(my ex SIL and hubby)He was asking did I want a shot of the potato dish!!!
We indulged in some cider which was included in the bargain price!

I have hope to get connection so I can visit - we'll see!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Can't resist an ATC or two(or four!)

The other evening there was nothing I needed to concentrate on on the TV so I was able to finish off my ATCs!

They were started in my craft room.
A little distress ink on my mat from another project and some smooshing! There was also some drying lace on my desk so some of them were 'printed' with that 

 I used some transparent gloss gel through a stencil to create a resist then...

..added more Picked Raspberry DI over a mask. I rubbed off the ink and stamped a Kim Dellow stem and a Jo Firth-Young bubble stem and rubbed off the ink from the hearts.

I then stamped the bubble stems again on white paper and sat in front of the TV and coloured them green before cutting out the bubbles and sticking them in place.

I used some sparkly pens to fill in the KD stems and the dots around the JOFY bubbles and added some Tim Holtz Seasonal Chit Chat stickers.

I would like to enter my ATCs at Paper Artsy - I have loved seeing the new stamps on ATCs
also

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Resist It

Country View Challenges - Anything but Cute

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

My next few posts are likely to be scheduled we are getting out a bit!!!!

Thanks for looking Chris

Second on the 2nd..and a few stripes!

It's the 2nd of February so a good day to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth for a Second on the 2nd post!

I like to look back through previous posts from the month we are presently in. I found this post for the 10th February 2013, coincidentally it has a cat on it! 

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I had two trips to the Manchester craft show this week - once when I spent far too much and another when I didn't spend much at all. Both trips were great because I met up with friends and crafting acquaintances too! 
Suffice to say I was quite weary by the time last night came as I had also done a 'big shop' on Friday!
Eager as I was to play with my new goodies I sat and did some doodling while on the settee watching tv!
The background had been painted and inked some time ago and was waiting for me!
This is what I came up with

Well, I drew the little cat and the branches - but didn't really have anything in mind - until this morning - so I had a little heart from Tim's Heartwings die which I bought on Thursday, along with some fresco paints so I used the heart and painted on some green paint. Stamped Lindsay's little cat without her ball of wool, used letters from one of my little boxes and doodled the edge and some little hearts! Last thing to be done were the butterflies from a box of Cavellini stamps.
I hope you like it! 

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So, back to today! 
We 'nipped' into town today...it took 5 hours!!! I had been hoping for a walk in my favourite garden but hubby needed to go in to pick something up so I went with him! It took us 50 minutes by bus then metro. We went our own way with a plan to meet up within the hour. When we did meet up hubby said there was something I must see(all will be explained on T Day!)By this time I was in need of a coffee but hubby said there was somewhere he needed to pop into so off I went in the opposite direction to Paperchase.
By the time we met up I needed not only coffee but something to eat so we headed off for a sandwich before catching the metro and bus back home

While in Paperchase I found some fabulous washi tape to go with some stickers that came in a pack I bought in last year's sale!
My page had some green paint wiped on to it so I added some zig zag stamping then the washi tape and some black washi too. 
I stamped the word from one of my favourite word sets but can't remember where it is from! 

I would like to enter in Rike's theme - 'Animals from A to Z' at Art Journal Journey
I hope you like my second look cat and my zebras!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Cats....but what was I thinking?!

Yesterday I thought I had completed my calendar pages for January and had a new spread ready for February....or did I?
Well, yes and no!

Here is my completed January spread...and here is what I had ready for February..

 ...yes...January again!! I blame the dull weather and the snow showers yesterday!
Even so I didn't notice, and when I saw Rike's choice of theme - 'Animals from A to Z' at Art Journal Journey I added some cats, BUT I still didn't notice the month was wrong.
I didn't realise until after dark when I got around to putting the photos onto my computer - what do to?

As you can see I have a very bright 'February' I added it with my Print shop program and tomorrow I will print it, cut it out and stick it in place!
I hope I have given you giggle on this first day of February - I'm sure it will be over before we know it, as I can't believe how quickly January has gone! 

Thanks for looking, Chris