It's Halloween time at TioT's

Its..... HALLOWEEN TIME..... at ....

Try it on Tuesdays

for the next two weeks we hope you will pop over and join us  to celebrate Halloween.

The design team have made some fantastic projects  to share with you.

I have made a hybrid journal page. It started out with a water coloured background and some stamped images. 

The scene was completed in my digital program with a number of layered up digital images.

This group are off to a Bottle party, but by the look on their faces I think they have been drinking  their bottle gifts before they arrive.

Thank you for stopping by today, you are always very welcome here.

Digital information can

be found in my sidebar.

Tags and Tea

I am starting the post with Tags for

 Tag Tuesday

the theme is All Creatures Great and small.

I have two tags to share  for the theme and had hoped to post them Saturday, but

things  do not always go to plan.
 I had my annual Flu injection on Saturday  and took a reaction to it, so I haven't been feeling so good. Mind you this is not unusual for me, it happens every year, but this one is worse than usual. Three days later and I still feel rough.  Enough moaning Yvonne.

 On the first tag  I stamped these two fun critters, they are best friends even though there is a big difference in their heights. I layered the tag,added some scraps of material.

 The splatters were added digitally.

The tag on the left is all digital images added to a corrugated base tag of my own. 

I do hope the elephant is a friendly one.

Now I am off to visit with friends over at

  Bleubeard and Elizabeths

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

In the summer when were were in Yorkshire I took many photos that I am just getting round to sorting out, so I thought I would share some today from our visit to Richmond and its ruined castle.

In its day Richmond Castle would have been a huge imposing  sight, it was built

on a hill overlooking the River Swale.

 Restoration has been carried out in the 12th century Keep

The next two photos were taken of the view down the valley through a gap in the  crumbling walls.

Considering the age of the castle, I am  surprised that as much of it still remains.

They began building it in 1071

After our visit we walked back into the town for a late  lunch. 

We were lucky in our timing and I was able to get one photo inside. 

As you can see my usual drink was a pot of Tea

with  a tasty tuna, sweetcorn and mayo jacket potato  for my lunch.

Thank you for calling in to see me, I hope you all have a good day.

Soul Mates.

This is a page for the new theme over at

Art Journal Journey

where Elke is hosting this months  theme of

 Landscapes of the Soul.

This is how my page began with a blue  water colour wash . I used  wild flower stamps  and stencils, these are  favourite go to items  for me, so useful for backgrounds,  they are always to hand on my desk. I cannot remember the last time I put them away.

 I also added some strips of washi tape. 

I was able to add the silhouette couple in the digital program I use. [Information in my sidebar].

The quote was found on an internet search and the author was Unknown.

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

Journals, Country Visits and a Cuppa with friends.

Hello to everyone who calls in to see me today.

This is my first hybrid  page for the new challenge theme..... Landscapes of the Soul

 set for us by Elke

over at Art Journal Journey

The spread started off  with me sticking down some pretty floral napkins.on to the pages. I didn't add any paints at this stage as recently I have had a  few messy results. This time I decided that I would add a digital background in the white space together with the words and image. I found this new theme quite a challenge,but the words I found seemed to relate to how I often feel in my craftroom. Time has no meaning, I am happy with my own company and  hopefully pleased with what I have been creating

This part of my post is for a Tea day visit with friends over at 

Bleubeard and Elizabeths .

where we all made to feel most welcome with a drinks related post.

Last week we had a trip out to Cragside Hall a National Trust Property near where we live.

I added a link if you want to read more.

The first pair of photos show how the weather was so changeable  that day. Dull and a fog, then as the fog lifted out came the sun.

On the left is the main entrance and courtyard.






I took the next photo just to the left of this entrance ,
this show the very steep drop just over the wall.

It is all planted out with trees and shrubs, with plenty of walkways.

 . 

The trees were starting to change colour, I managed to get these shots before the fog appeared again.

Now a few  snaps from inside the Hall.

Most rooms we very dimly lit to conserve the paintings and the furniture.

The fireplace above is minute  in size to the magnificent one that is coming next.

How about this in your living room [called the Drawing Room  in the 1880's]

Its an inglenook marble fireplace, said to be 10 ten tons in weight.

Can you just imagine having to clean that.

Well the servants back in the day sure had  a never ending job tending to this fire.

Back now to a more friendly

area the kitchens















This cooking range  is still used today to give regular cooking demonstrations.

The baking end of the kitchen where they dainty cakes were prepared

This room was very dim, but I managed to get this photo of the table laid for the ladies of the house to have their afternoon cuppa.

After a walk in the gardens and a  visit round the house, we wanted something a lot more filling than a  small cake.

We went to  the  on site  Cafe and had  a Game Lasagne  and roasted vegetables.

It was coffee for my OH and my usual brew of a nice cup of tea, which was served in a nice white china teapot that  sits on the table out of the shot.


Thank you all for stopping by today.
Happy Tea day wishes to you all.

Digital information

 can be found in my side bar

Colour me Happy for AJJ

My last page for September at

Art Journal Journey

where I have been hosting this months theme of.....Colour in my World.

First of all  I want to thank everyone for their support this month and for all the Fabulous journal pages I have seen when I called in to your blogs.

I would also  like to say a  thank you to....
 Susi
for asking me to   host  this past month at AJJ
It is one of the friendliest, inspirational  and supportive blogs in Blogland.

So how did this last page begin.....
One of the  material pages in my mixed media journal

I shaded with distress inks then added some raised  stenciled. embossed areas, Don't think I will try this again in this book as the material
 all puckered up. 

A fussy cut out woman from a pre -printed page was the next addition. I changed the word banner she was holding with some added digital images.

 She may have been learning to fly, but I have spent the last month learning that, maybe,  I like  brighter  colours more  than I thought I did at the beginning of the month.

Tomorrow at Art Journal Journey
 the new theme for October will be announced.
So, I  wait in anticipation to read what it will be and call in  to say hello to the new host.


Thank you for calling in to see me  today,
 your comments are always appreciated.

My dear ....for AJJ

Well I am nearing the end of  my month  as a guest hostess at

 Art Journal Journey

It has been a great joy for me to visit and see the

 Colours in your World

 as well as the ones in mine.

This page is an over the top colourful one for me.

It began with one of my colouring pages from the Picasso Book, I have mentioned in a previous post.

This was fussy cut and stuck to a pre -coloured  journal page, created using watercolours, splashes of paint and stencils.

It is a digital image in the frame.




Thank you for stopping by and I hope you all have a happy, colourful day,  today.

The colours of Autumn for AJJ

The Colours in my World today 

for Art Journal Journey

 are the colours of Autumn

The trees are shedding their leaves  and give a real crunch underfoot when walking on them.

They all haven't changed colour as yet, but  many  are showing, yellows, oranges

  and rusty hues as autumn tightens its grip on the countryside around my home.

On the left. is how it all began, with one side of the spread  shaded with green watercolours.

The other side was a mop up page.

I then used stencils for the leaves.

 The child is a stamped image.

Thank you  for calling in today and for all the support you have given me  this month while I have been the Guest hostess for Art Journal Journey.

Only two more days to  go, I wonder what my colours will be tomorrow.