Just be YOU

My first share with you today is a hybrid page  for

  Art Journal Journey

where Elke is hosting this month theme 

Landscapes of the Soul.

I had a small piece of coloured and stenciled card, found in the pile of stuff on my desk, that just has to be saved  for when it may be useful.

I'm sue you know that feeling well. The stamps are my new ones, I told you about in an earlier post.

It was a mop up page in my journal and I added a few digital extras [notes in my sidebar].

I think  that  often, we will  think we cannot do something,

but, perhaps after searching the why's and where's  we actually can.

My Gran always used to say there is no such word as ' can't',

search inside yourself and you can.

Now  I'm off to share my weekly cuppa with friends at

Bleubeard and Elizabeths

It is so dull and grey here  that  it  got me thinking of our summer stay in Yorkshire.
Today we have to have the electric lights on and it is only mid day.

That day in July, sun was shining, the sky was clear and you could see for miles. When we stopped at the top of the pass to get some photos .
not another person was in sight, nor did we see many cars on this country road.... The Buttertubs Pass
It is a well known road to drive or if you have strong legs to cycle.

This particular day our destination was Hawes, in the Yorkshire Dales.
Which of course meant a  reviving  cuppa , with  a cheese and onion  sandwich in this super, small cafe.  I couldn't get many photos as it was full of folk, we were lucky to get a table beside the window, but what really appealed to me [besides the pot of tea] was the handmade bears  all around the room. I'm sure they were watching and listening in to the many conversations.

While we were in Hawes we had a look around the Rope Factory
An interesting place,  we  were left to look around, but on the down side, not much information  other than the link I added.

In the yard as we left the factory, were a few  metal sculptures, but like most places on that warm day, as I said earlier in the post, too many folk to get a good photos.
  However we had a super day out and that what makes the memories.

Thank you for all your get well wishes last week, the aches and pains are much better, many of my friends had a similar reaction, so we were able to chat comparing notes and laugh at ourselves.   It was better than letting the results of the jab get us down.

Thank you for calling in to see me today.
I hope you all have a Happy Day.

A visit to the dark side.

A visit to  darker inner places today.

 I think we can all have those kind of days,

 when everything seems too much for us and we just want to hide in the dark.

Well the page may reflect days  of despair  and soul searching but I can assure you that I enjoyed creating the page for

  Art Journal Journey

and Elke's theme of Landscapes of the Soul.

There is nothing better to lift my spirits than slapping and splashing paints and inks on a bare page.

I used this quote.....

Deep into the darkness peering,

long I stood there, wondering feeling,

doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal

ever dared to dream before.

On the left is how my mixed media  page began with watercolour washes and brusho powders that I allowed to run over the page. The result looked like a dark, moody wood.

Just the place where these two witches [paper cut outs TH]  would lurk  as they get ready to scare folk on Halloween night.  The words  were computer generated,  the web and cat were also digital additions.

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

I am adding a reminder for the current 

Try it on Tuesdays theme, '  Its Halloween Time'

all the information is Here.

Dawn

"The dawn awakens my sleeping soul".

An 8 x8 inch journal page for Elke's theme of.....

 Landscapes of the soul..... this month  at........

Art Journal Journey

This is a photo of the base layers.

A watercolour wash, then layers of stencils  using oxide inks.

The flower border is pieces from a torn napkin.

The words are from  new set of word stamps I couldn't resist buying [Lynne's Affirmations].

The dictionary snippets, birds and the sunburst were added in my digital program. [Notes in my sidebar].

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

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