Bloom

 A trip back to a simpler style of journal page for me today.

I do always want to add more, so today my aim was  to

 leave as much space as I felt comfortable with.

I used my 8 x 8 inch Kraft journal, adding a white gesso wash as a starter..

Just a few random stamps.

 Then I sprayed this and a plain piece of white paper with some home made  colour.

 Don't ask what colour, it could even have been some paintbrush cleaning water that

 I liked the look of  to use in the spray.

The flower stamps [Carabelle] were coloured   and I cut these into three panels. 

A few word stamps and I decided to stop and stuck down the pieces, edging them with an old Spectrum Noir broad nib pen.

As this is made up with some

 Geometrical shapes

  The theme  that  Alison's  has been hosting this month at....

Art Journal Journey

I will go link the page over there.

Thank you for calling in to see me today.

Your visit is always very much appreciated.

Work in progress and lots of cuppa's

The words on this journal spread say it all.

I've had a day when I cannot seem to catch up with myself,

or get that owl to stick to the fabric on the page.

 This spread  is still work in progress as my muse went walk about as well.

 Those words  about coffee,

 which as a tea drinker was  not 

one of my better idea's either.

Coffee didn't work for me and I had  tried it before I brewed my cuppa.

I began the pages with good intentions, my cuppa beside me, a bit of morning sun,

 shhhhh don't tell , its a rare sight here at this time of year and it has appeared a few times lately.

I added some random stencils to the  right side page, they didn't work on the fabric side.

I stamped out the bird onto rice paper and managed to get it to stick to the page. I fussy cut the stamped owl, the body stuck down fine but, those legs simply refuse to stick.

A bit of random stamping came next.

At this point I felt I was wasting my time and decided to  leave it for another time.

I added  the words and the stack of cups in the digital program I use.

So I can call by and say hello to the friends over at

Bleubeard and Elizabeths 

where its T stands for Tuesdays

and we  always made very welcome with a drinks related post.

So my day has a happier  outlook when I can visit with like minded folk .

My last share today are a few photos of  a visit to....  an American style diner.

at a food complex, near the cinema  in  our nearest shopping center.

Never having been to  America I  have no way of knowing how authentic this place might be.

We chose to order the Breakfast bap.

Sausage ,bacon, burger, relish and topped with a fried egg and fries on the side.

 I ate it with a knife and fork as there was no way I could have held it in my hand.

I will be interested to read the thoughts of my American blog friends about this 'diner'.

Thank you for calling in, I hope you have a good day.

Time passes

I am sharing a couple of digitally created   birthday cards  here today. 

They both have  quotes relating to.....

Time.

So I can add a reminder  about the current  challenge theme at....

Try it on Tuesdays

'Time Flies'

There is another week for  you to join us there.

The first card  will go to   a friend with a fun sense of humour,

This second card is for a friend who rightly thinks,

 'age is just a number'

so we will celebrate the day and time can pass by at its own speed..

Notes about my digital pages

can be found in my sidebar.

Thank you for calling in today, you are always very welcome here

Spread your wings

A page today for 

Art Journal Journey

and Alison's theme of Geometric Shapes.

I remembered to take a few photos while I was waiting for the paint on the

 layers to dry.

No 1..... the 8 x 8 inch kraft page with the pieces of scraps I wanted to use from my table.

No 2....... more white gesso 

and some modeling paste through a favourite stencil.

No 3......more  white paint and some stencils this time using distress ink to colour, also a bit of random stamping [the grids ]

No 4..... The brusho coloured piece that I used to stamp out the TH  image.

The round shapes were added using a round foam pad. Next I  added the words and the scraps of material and decided to stop there.

I saw that the new  theme over at

  Moo Mania and More  is...

Squares.

I  will try to add my link over there as well

Thank you for calling in today, you are always very welcome here.

Time Flies at TioT's

Time flies....

is the new challenge theme at

  Try it on Tuesdays.

Please pop over to the TioT's  blog to see what we have all been making
and we hope you will join us there.

We are also sharing some 'good news',  there  this week.

This is how the page as it looked after adding the stamped images to the stencil background.
I wanted to add the TH found relatives to the page as children and then growing up , with the romantic in me thinking they may fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together.

The news print was a digital addition, I had pondered over adding some actual print but  took the easier way for me, because once stuck in place there would be no going back, in 'time'.

Thank you for calling in to see me today , you are always very welcome here.

Mosaic art

I have been gifted some photos from old calendars  and decided

 to use one for a page in my  8 x 8 inch Kraft journal.
This calendar featured Art Nouveau posters.

I meant to get more photos but as usual when having  messy, crafting fun I forgot and   the sun was actually  shining  on Sunday,   I had to even close the
 window blinds a little .

First of all using gesso  to create a square in the center with some random leaf stamping.

The picture I wanted to use, I cut into geometrical pieces using the guillotine this gave me much neater edges than the scissors would have done. I was aiming for the page to look  a bit like a mosaic .
A bit more random stamping came next and I couldn't resist adding a couple of stencil corners  using modelling paste.

I will link my page to Alison's theme at
Art Journal Journey
for her Geometric shapes theme.

While the  sun was shining through the windows I took   photo of another of my kitchen herb plants...Thyme
I have had this oversized cup for many years and we always smile at the words.
 I will  join the friendly,  folk over at
 Bleubeard and Elizabeths
T stands for Tuesday
  we are always made very welcome with a drinks related post.
My cuppa on the craftroom table  was filled with my usual brew.

Thank you for calling in and I hope you all have a lovely day

Tags in the post

The challenge  theme over at

  Tag Tuesday is...

Mail. post marks or postage stamps

I used a variety of stamps and stencils for this tag, colouring with oxide inks.

The colours in  the small photo on the left , in the tags earlier stages ,  are the closest to the actual colours, grey days are not good for photos.

Adding the stamped butterlies was an afterthought, you can maybe guess I had no plans as to how this tag would end up.

I have also made this digital tag for the theme using one of my own base tags.

Thank you for calling in today,

I hope you have a good weekend.

Frayed squares.

I have been having a rummage in a box of material scraps

 and decided to  use a few of the pieces to create this 6 x 6 inch Kraft  page for Alison's

Geometric shapes theme at....

 Art Journal Journey

I  used a square cotton  scrap for the bottom layer,

 next a woolen plaid  vaguely looking square.

Then a slightly rectangle shaped  muslin scrap , which I edged with distress ink and yes.

again  the flower image of my now well used and not so new stamp. [All&create].

  Looking at the page as I write this post, I have just realised

 that I have stuck it to the page upside down. 

Maybe its telling me it needs to go back into the packet for a well deserved rest.

Thank you for calling in today, you are always very welcome here.

One stamp... two pages and tea

Hello everyone who calls in to see me today.

I am still experimenting with some new stamps,
so I will add a reminder for the Try it on Tuesdays challenge theme....
Something old , something new that as another week to run.

I am  also  trying to use up some very inky  backgrounds  in my journal.

I added some stencils on this first  page. 

I cannot remember when  that pink shade was used, I obviously didn't like it at the time and added  more ink to cover it.  Anyway , I stamped the image again adding extra  fussy cut  flowers.

Texture paste through a stencil to add some texture then  some washi tape
All  the shading on both pages  is water colours and distress oxides.

As its Tuesday and I am off to say hello to friends over at
 Bleubeard and Elizabeths

We are always made very welcome with a drinks related post.
My Tea reference photo was taken on Saturday when I began creating the page in my previous post.

I have also been using the computer to make a digital journal page.
No I haven't gone over to the  dark   other  side and changed my favourite brew,
 I do enjoy  an occasional cup of coffee.
Said she sipping a cup of tea as she writes this post.











Thank you for calling in today and I hope you have a happy day.

I'm not Square

I'm not square, I'm just different.

This is how the page began.

A base of torn book papers and washi tape.

Stencils were next and then the stamping [ALL&create and other stamps]  and of course a bit of gesso and extra shades of distress oxide inks.

I got my inspiration for the  figure when I visited  Elizabeths  blog and saw how she was using  geometric shapes. Previously I had just thought about buildings and the tree that  could easily have been a wind turbine as Tracey suggested.

I will be linking to Alison's theme of

Geometric Shapes 

Art Journal Journey

Thank you for stopping by, your visit is always very much appreciated.

Stored visions

A page for Alison's theme .......Geometric shapes

over at Art Journal Journey

I did  take a photo in this page's early stages.

I used my distress ink pads in various shades of blue and created a background, with a little random stamping.   At this stage it sat on my desk for a couple of days , I had a complete blank about how to continue.

   What happened next.....mounting and layering the bare winter  trees [ C.I. pictures] followed by   even more circles. 

The words at the bottom of the page were computer generated.

I chose the word 'vision'   but when I started this page  I had no idea how this page was going to look .  

It was  seeing   beautiful winter morning photos on  my friend  Valeries  blog the other day  I remembered I had these tree pictures and looked them out.

The new Challenge theme at.......Moo Mania and More

was announced this week 

..... Cold and Frosty Colours.

I will join in over there as well.

I think we all gather our inspiration from many places
 and maybe we don't realise that we  are storing it away , its there in our minds .
 Only some days its harder to find than others.
Do you get days like this?

Thank you for stopping by your visit is always very much appreciated.

Something old...something new at TioT's

Something old....something New

is the first challenge theme of the year at 

Try it on Tuesdays.

Please pop over for all the details and see what we have been making
 and I hope you will join us there.

I was lucky to receive some ALL&create stamps  at Christmas, well, I did leave a  wish list for the family and  my wishes were granted.

The background is  a selection of the stamps as well as stencil images.  I did add the main image strip re- stamped and watercoloured.

I used a variety of green shades  of oxide and distress inks as my colour base.
The quote is computer generated.

Thank you for calling in today you are always very welcome here.

Made with love

 Tuesday  is  T day over at

 Bleubeard and Elizabeths

where we are always made very welcome with a drinks related post.

I used gesso on this kraft journal page, adding some of my favourite go to stencils.

The colouring are shades of distress oxides.

I also added some washi  tape strips..

 The tag was made separately and watercoloured  before I added it to the page.

I was gifted the sweet mouse stamp and I love it.

My  tea photo today was  taken in one of our large super store cafe's. A welcome stop before our journey home , after doing the Christmas grocery shop. OH had taken the picture on his phone and I  forgotten  he had, until he asked if he could delete it. ' Not until I get a copy',  was my reply. That was a very good cuppa of my favourite brew.

Thank you all for calling in  I hope you have a lovely day.

I will also link my page to the challenge theme at

House Mouse and Friends

the theme is Anything goes or/New.

Thank you Annie for letting me know about this theme.

Listen....

I have made a tag for the new challenge theme over at....

  Tag Tuesday 

New Beginnings.

The background  and blue duck are new stamps. The quote is an old stamp that I thought would fit the expression and look on that ducks face.... what is he listening to?.

All the shading is distress oxide inks and ink pens.

Thank you for calling in to see me today, you are always welcome here

Stamps used...

ALL&create 

Katzelkraft

I have no idea...........

The quote on this page reads........

'I'd like to announce I have no idea what I am doing'.

and I didn't when I started  this page.

Messing is  what it felt like  creating this page,

but I have decided to share it with you. as we all have days when everything goes wrong. 

 I spilled blue metallic ink on the page  and had a fun time mopping that up as best I could.

 As the random stamping dried out it blended into the background, making it look even darker in places .   I  decided to use  some scraps  and left overs.  cut out pieces to cover the worst of the mess,  for the house and what you could vaguely say is supposed to be a tree.

 I added the scrap of muslin, hopefully it looks like smoke coming from the chimney

I will link this to Alison's theme  of

Geometric shapes at...

 Art Journal Journey

 and I hope my friends over there will have a smile when they see this page.

Thank you all for stopping by, you are always welcome here.

Natural beauty .... framed.

Having a crafting play time, we returned home yesterday evening ,

 all the decorations are safely stored away for  next Christmas. 

It was good to spend a couple of hours in the craft room again.

A page  for January's theme over at

  Art Journal Journey

where Alison's chosen topic is...

Geometric Shapes.

The stencils I used for the background were circles and rectangles  using distress oxides for colour.

I just had to give a new stamp an outing , culling this down to  a rectangle.

I stuck the animals [paper napkin] to card and cut them to shapes as well, but I did computer generate the words on the green backgrounds.

Thank you for calling in today and for all the lovely comments you have been leaving for me . 

I do really appreciate the  comments you leave for me here.