A flower….

We had to wait in for the TV repair man so was able to finish this off for Art Journal Journey! Gill has been a wonderful hostess and I have thoroughly enjoyed this 'Elegance and Grunge' theme! 

The background is made up of layers of scrap papers and some deli paper with Paper Artsy Infusions on it. The flower is from my bargain old flower book that I found at the RSPB. I coloured it with watercolours.

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

T Stands for…..taking you to our caravan

Last Thursday we set out to go to our caravan. The weather forecast was HOT so we expected to be roasting if we didn't get there before lunch time to open it up and get some air in. Well, OK that was the plan, we decided that we needed a larger fan so that was a detour - two of the three places we tried had sold out - should have stuck to plan A as this was where we first thought of! Then of course it was getting close to lunch time and we still had a way to go so called somewhere for a quick sandwich! It was by this time early afternoon so we arrived and opened all of the windows put the fan on and cooled down. 

 This part of the garden makes me happy - it looks after itself pretty well - the old tree stump is rotting though, and we think a fox may have made a hole in the wall beside it.

Last time we were there we(well, hubby mainly)stripped part of the decking and repainted it. 

Here he is with his new toy - a jet washer!
We got more done this time.

I have collected these over the years so here they are on our now shabby chic decking.
We also had a trip to Bayview Garden Centre.Here is where I join Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T Stands For Tuesday!

A few weeks ago we had been there to pick up some soil and plants and had an Afternoon Tea using a 2 for 1 voucher.

The food arrived in two crates! 

We had a wander round - so did the hens

 There are beautiful views of Morecambe Bay - looking across to Grange Over Sands and the Lake District

I waited with the plants etc. while hubby fetched the car.

I'll save showing you the mug until another time!

Now … a mystery….

The frost attacked one of the Rhododendrons in April and the forming flowers fell off.

Here it is this time last year

It now looks like this…

…a lovely shade of lilac instead of pale pink!!

Just to finish - yet another mystery - on our last night there I was bemoaning the fact that the sky was so grey(we had two rainy/cloudy days) and that it would have been nice to have a clear sky when slowly the sky went through a series of changes from grey through this…

….and back to grey again!

We had a little outing while we were there too…but that's for another time!

I am running a bit late here so may not get around to visit until tomorrow! 

Thanks for visiting, Chris

Rainy Day crafting!

We are home, after a long weekend of very mixed weather - roasting hot on Thursday and Friday followed by thunder storms on Saturday and then clouds yesterday! Although it hasn't rained here, when we left it was pouring down again! I must say I am more pleased to have the cooler weather.
While we were away I called to Rowan Tree Crafts in Carnforth!

So many tempting things but this time there was something special!

Not these, although it does mean that I have nearly all of the Distress Oxide colours now and I love the range of Tando Creative goodies Sharon has!
No, it's these, out of stock for so long but now MINE!!!

With 107 in the pack I have left some to play with at our caravan! 
When I called in last week I mentioned to Sharon that I was looking for some and Yay!….she had ordered some!
So, on Saturday after picking them up it rained…

…and I had a chance to play!

Part of the background was there in my journal already - I added stencilling, stamping, some scraps(yes, I have a couple of scrap bags there too!)and I gave my little dancing girl some wings!

I would like to enter at Moo Mania and More where the theme is 'Dancer'

I hope that this entry is acceptable at Art Journal Journey for Gil's theme of Elegance and Grunge - with only three days to go I am hoping to get one more page done!

If ever you are headed up the M6 to the Lake District and need more crafty supplies (they sell lovely gifts and cards too) it's not so far off Junction 35 to call in at Rowan Tree (whose blog is here) - it's near to Booth's who have an excellent cafe there too!

Hoping to get a catch up done soon, once again the internet connection has not been reliable!

Thanks for looking, Chrisx

Blue bird!

I have use my new AALL and Create Tracy Evans stamps to create a journal page as you can see my pink phase is over..or is it???

I stamped the bird on a piece of scrap water colour paper that had some blotted paint on it. As I was about to add it to my page (ink, stencils, stamps(also AALL and Create by Autour de Mwa) I noticed that my underpaper would fit here nicely so I tore some off. I had been testing one of my own carved stamps so added some more of those around the edges!

Just in time I think to link to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Little Critters and also to remind you that there is still just over a week to join in with 'Feathered Friends' at TIOT 
As this is Grungy I can still link to Art Journal Journey for Gill's Theme of Elegance and/or Grunge.

Thanks for looking, Chrisx 

In The Pink - again!

I seem to have been going through a pink phase with my crafting recently - as noted by my good blogger friend Elizabeth of The Altered Booklover blog

I think my subconscious has been affected by the flowers around at the moment - something I only noticed yesterday properly when we went for a walk at Styall Mill before going shopping!
I only had my phone with me and I am quite impressed with the camera on it! 

Of course there were other beauties too!I'll save those for another day!

The lady walking on the left getting into the spirit of my post!
To top it all here is the sunset at our caravan last weekend

So, do I have another pink page - of course!

Distress oxides, infusions, crackle paste, stencils, stamps, some chocolate paper from some we bought in Paris and a flower cut from this book…

...with wonderful black and white illustrations….that I bought for a pound at the RSPB a few weeks ago.
I hope this is elegant enough to join Gill with her fabulous theme Elegance and Grunge at Art Journal Journey. 

Thanks for looking,

If you are wondering what colour my next page might be…it won't be pink!

Chris

WOYWW 416 - 8 years!

I just have to join in with the celebrations - Julia has been the most wonderful 'Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday' hostess for 8 years now over at The Stamping Ground!
I haven't joined in so much recently - I mentioned my reasons a couple of weeks ago and had so many kind comments that I'm here again with the same promise - I will visit as many desks as I can!

I do have an ATC for my follow on *number but unfortunately that will be it this year (there may be few extra goodies with it though)
Here is a clue as to what the ATC may be like…

 …and here is my secret - hidden under the napkin!
I will tell you that this is a very last minute affair and I used some of my under paper to stamp onto. The heart stamp is one I carved myself.
I'm keeping this brief - if you would like to see some of the gardens we have been visiting they are here and there will be more in the post after this one tomorrow!

Thanks for looking, Chris