January,February 365 calendar journal

Here is my February page. I know, I've got a bit of a romance theme here but why not?!
I love taking part in this challenge, hosted by the amazing Kate Crane at the Kathrynwheel - although I very nearly didn't - my journal went missing -  for days - I won't bore you with the tale, but if you want to read about what happened it's here

I used my favourite(for the moment) distress ink Picked raspberry dabbed onto my craft mat and rubbed on with a baby wipe - I don't think I've ever used a wipe to apply ink but I wanted a lighter swirly look. I then sprayed my stencils with water and dabbed them onto the paper and quickly pressed paper towel over to dry up the water - I love this effect! Then more stencilling by dabbing on PR again with a sponge. The dancing lady is a Crafty Individuals stamp(sorry don't know the number) and the rose is an old Elusive Images stamp with the buds stamped again at the bottom - I coloured this in using distress markers.

Here are my completed January pages

We are taking a break at our caravan at the moment, this is the first year the site been open all year round and now that hubby is retired it would have been rude not to come wouldn't it? There are only about five being used at the moment(probably more will come tonight) It is a very small site - none of that big entertainment centre nonsense and I'm being distracted by the birds right outside my window - Mr Robin pushing the others out of the way!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Sunday Stampers Happy Heart

Wooo! Had a great day at Port Sunlight yesterday with Sarah, met up with lots of old friends and bought...well, just a few new goodies! Few!!!LOL
So, last night after flopping on the sofa to watch Casualty went off to my work table to play with some of them and made most of this page which made me very happy - lovely zingy Dylusion sprays and mask along with a fern mask from Crafty Individuals!

 Having seen Sarah's journal IRL I was inspired to draw with ink, not with a stick but with the bottom of the tube for the nozzle. To see Sarah's fantastic stick drawing see here - and while you're there have a look at some of the other amazing stuff she's produced!
Of course being the impatient type I couldn't wait for the spray to dry so ended up with a few splodges! I still went to bed feeling very happy!
So I get up this morning and see that Hel's Sunday Stamper Challenge is only "Happy Heart"! Hels has made a fantastic tag with some serendipitous wording. So out came another of my goodies from yesterday - some word art from the amazing Jenny of Artistic Stamper - mixed two stamps up added some painty circles and a bit of stamping from an old Elusive Images stamp - Oh Yes! - very happy!!
Thanks for looking, Chris

Watch the birdie!

Yesterday while throwing out some old magazines I found some lovely images in our winter copy of the RSPB magazine - perfect for image transfers so tricked myself into thinking that if I did them straight away I wouldn't have to store the pieces of paper lol! I had something in mind - while at Hels' fabulous workshop on Sunday I found myself promising I would take part in this weeks Sunday Stamper challenge - the theme being "BIRDS" so here is my little tag using one of the transfers which I did using Claudine Helmuth sticky back canvas and matte gel medium.

The stamped images are Paper Artsy and the word is part of an old Elusive Images stamp.I very stooopidly tried to highlight the bird by using a waterbrush - no! no! no!
The rest of the images are made in the same way - I do love this technique although I like image transfers made any way!

As I made these Gwen at Foxglovehill was using her latest copy of her RSPB mag to make her own transfers - if I'd charged my camera batteries up our posts would have appeared at almost the same time - as it is I've been busy today and only just got around to doing this and its late(very late for me)!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Thanks for looking, Chris


Just come back to say I've also added this to the Simon Says stamp and show blog challenge - A tag!

So True!

Just a journal page to show you.

I certainly feel as though I'm dreaming at the moment! Things are happening so fast too!
The panel with the text on was from trying out some water colours and along with the bird was from Elusive Images. Background was made by 'smooshing' with distress stains then I used various background stamps from Kaisercraft and dabbed ink through the wing of a Tattered Angels bird mask. The flying birds are of course Tim's and the little flowers at the bottom are MollyBlooms.


Bit concerned at the minute as they are knocking down a building close by and I keep feeling the ground shake!!!


Thanks for looking, Chris

The light has come on!

While I've been waiting to hear whether we have got the flat we liked I have found journaling has really helped!

This was done by using black gesso over a page I'd started and didn't like much. I used worn lipstick,peeled paint and bundled sage distress inks over that, then stencilled and stamped using Aurora and Peacock Brilliance inks. The silhouette was made by using a photo of one of the figures from Anthony Gormley's 'Another Place' at Formby and drawing around it(but giving it a skirt!)The paper was some from other craft projects.I would love one of Dina Wakley's stamps but this will have to do for now.
The other pages are also part of how I've been feeling!

 More stencilling over a 'smooshed' page which turned out much lighter than I'd planned - got to get the hang of using 'Picket Fence' stain!The gorgeous bird is from an old Elusive Images set. I've also added some rub offs that seem to have been around forever. Since attending Kate's workshop at AFTH where we used rub ons I've dug them out. I've got more somewhere - no doubt "the big  clearout" will unearth them!!


Anyway, since doing these pages we've heard that our offer has been accepted so I'm not waiting and no longer in the dark!
I am slightly panicking though, we've now got to get this place sorted...shouldn't really be here should I!! Soooooo, back to it, I could be gone for some time hehe! 
Thanks for looking, Chris 

Some journal pages

Hope you are all warm enough today,what a change there's

been in the weather.

While I was away at the weekend I finished off a couple of journal pages(and started a few more)

This is one I started months ago at Lindsay Mason's first journaling workshop, but didn't know where to take it then "voila!" saw a programme about Paris(the best place I have ever been!)and there it was! I added Stampotique fairy and toadstools which I coloured with promarkers, I tried to keep the words paler but not sure whether to go back with a sepia pen.

My next page was just a thought.

I had some cosmic shimmer paints and some other shimmery paints(forget what they are called) and I just used them to paint blocks, sprayed some of the ink across the page then just added a bit of Lost and Found paper, Elusive Images stamps, Crafty Individuals text stamp. I stamped the flower twice, once with Brilliance ink and then with Dusty Concord distress ink. I love the shimmery look and will definitely use the same paints for backgrounds again.

Thanks for looking,

Chrisx

OUT TO LUNCH

again! This time with my eldest. He had expressed a desire to go to the John Rylands Library in Manchester for some time so when he rang and suggested today I jumped at the chance ...no housework again:) We got in early-ish to find that they didn't open
until 12 on a Monday so we walked around Spinningfields for a while, went back, had a coffee and then went to explore. I have been several times before and had hoped that the small book display was still there .. alas it finished last week. There was however a fantastic display on bookbinding. After he had walked around marvelling at the fantastic architecture we had time for lunch. I knew exactly what to order - Northen platter which comes on two huge platters with separate plates - its like your own mini buffet all for £14.95(for 2) and includes either a hot drink or wine. There was so much we had to ask for a 'doggie tray' to bring home cheese(2 kinds), chicken and pork pie!

I have been meaning to show you my mini book made with the multi-talented Sarah (http://sarahanderson1.blogspot.com/) at the Sale Craft class.
I finished it at home last week but forgot to take piccies. Hope you like it






I used a selection of stamps ranging from Wendy Vechi and Elusive images to Unity, Hero Arts and The Stamp Man, stencilling masks and lace punch were courtesy of Sarah. I didn't like what I had done with the purple so toned it down with a white gel pen

Thanks for looking,
Chris

Still trying-very!

Hi, after yesterday's attempt I've come back for another go.   Thanks for your help Joanne and  Gez.It didn't quite work, as I'd done what you suggested the other day, but by going over your instructions realised that I had  saved the photo a different way - but.. Weyhey it's here! Don't know why it jumped to top of post but I'll work on that after the weekend. Oooh! managed to move it!....but not where I meant it to:(                                                                                                          

I love Elusive Images stamps but this is a particular            favourite,stamped onto grey card,smudged milled lavender distress inked around the edge.                                                                                                             

I am busy working on Christmas books for my grandchildren at the  moment and don't want to spoil the surprise so won't be posting   photos until after Christmas, but I'm quite pleased with the way  they are looking.                                               
                                                                  
When I met my grandson from school yesterday his first comment was "Have you brought some crafting for us Gran?" I don't always, but as it happened he was able to make his mummy a cupcake card (with chocolate chips on it!)                                                                                                           

I hope the wind hasn't caused any damage where you are. I took some photos the other week while I was away and thought with all this wind around some tranquil pictures might be nice to look at.

 Hope these remind you of calmer times while the wind whistles around your house.
(reminder to self - must write down how on earth I managed this!)
Thanks for looking, have a  great weekend, 
Chris