Locks and Keys for Tag Tuesday

Hi everybody!

Our theme at Tag Tuesday this week is locks and keys, which offers many creative possibilities.

I made 2 tags, as I couldn't stop once I started....

 The first one has a background stamped in various layers and then distressed, and mounted onto a second tag made from corrgated cardboard, partly peeled, painted, and 'rusted' with Viva rust. The sentiment is a stamp from TH, the flourish is from LaBlanche, and the background stamp is from EBAY - I don't know more! I fastened the tags together with a large eyelet, and added a heart-shaped lock from LaBlanche on a ballchain from TH. The key is a brad from my stash. I clear embossed the sentiment after stamping to give it more definition.

I am linking to Simons Monday Challenge, Transparent.

 The second tag has been made from a piece of card where I tried out some new stamps from TH that I got as a present some weeks back. I distressed the card with dried marigold and wild honey, and stamped with Archival sepia in a random fashion till the tag was full, The heart was made in a mould using candle wax remains, and coloured with Inka Gold in gun-metal grey and copper. The tags have been fixed together with a TH paper clip, and I added some tissue tape and lace in one corner.

Today started off cold and misty again, but got better in the course of the day. I walked along the beach, and enjoyed watching everything.

I love the different colours of green, each tree seems to have its own special shade.

In the afternoon I visited the horses, I sometimes wonder what they are thinking about when they are standing around all day.

Have a good day you all, take care, and thanks a lot for coming by!

Birds, a bike and a horse

Hi everybody!

Today started off cool and cloudy, but this afternoon was sunny, and I enjoyed my second walk with the sun warming my back. After my morning walk I got to work chopping veggies for a potato and carrot stew, which turned out very well. And I am pleased to say that no fingers got hurt!

While my food was cooking I made a bird tag for Tim's 12 tags of 2014. I did not copy the tag, as I do not have the same stash,  but made my version after TH's inspiration. The background of my tag has been stamped with background stamps from LaBlanche. I stamped the nest (TH) first on the tag and again on some glossy card with Archival black and clear embossed it. Then it was fussy cut and fixed with foam squares. The little bird on the branch is from Catherine Moore, and the larger bird at the bottom from TH. The small black birds have been made with a MS punch. I used Archival black and clear EP for them all. The TH bird has also been fussy cut, and fixed over a cut out egg with foam squares. I cut a second tag from green coredinations, and fixed them together with an eyelet (WRMK). I added some lace under the edge of the top tag, and  a bundle of 'twigs' made from dried lavender stalks so that the birds can help themselves when building their nests. The little eggs in the nest have been coloured with glitter liner.
I am also linking to Take a Word challenge - eggs

 I felt very inspired to do the bird tag today after watching crows flying up to the castle ruins with twigs in their beaks, evidently building their nest up there - a room with a view indeed!
Then I walked on to Schloss Kalkum, and saw the first 'babies' of the season - this pair of geese had 7 little goslings flitting around and pecking in the grass. It must be a full time job keeping an eye on so many little ones!

I went nearer very slowly, so as not to get them too excited:

But this one really had his beady eye on me, and started making some very warning noises, so I went, as I did not want to be chased by a wild goose!

The ducks were also having fun on the mill stream:

And in the afternoon I watched this swan doing a turbo swim over the lake:

Here are a lot of riding stables nearby, and a lot of people ride in their free time. And I often see people taking their horses for a walk, which always looks a bit strange. But today was even stranger - a lady on a bike leading a horse - or was the horse leading the lady?

That's all for now.

Have a good day, take care, and thanks a lot for coming by.

Transport

Hi everybody!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Today was cool and windy, and the clouds chased each other across the sky, giving some very dramatic views. I was still able to go for 2 nice walks, and enjoy watching how the vegetation is growing and changing from day to day. Spring is a wonderful season.

This week there are 2 challenges to do  with transport. The theme at the Craftroom Challenge   is transport  and at the    Cheerful Stamp Pad  it is modes of transportation, so I have made a wall hanging to cover them both.

 I started with a piece of corrugated cardboard which I partly peeled and  painted. I embossed some of the edges with gold Utee, into which I stamped, and the other edges with Vivacolour Rust. I used various scraps of DP as matting, one of which has train tickets printed on it. The cogs have been die-cut from Cardboard, and then painted and embossed with gold and rust. The transport stamps used are from scrolls work, the 'passengers' from Paper Artsy. I stamped the steam car in vintage photo, and the locomotives in Archival siena and black. The 'ladies' were both stamped with archival black. After fussy cutting I gave them all a coat of clear varnish. I fixed them with foam squares, putting the lighter colours at the back to create some depth.  When I was small my great Auntie told me to always  take a piece of string in my pocket if I was travelling anywhere, to tie things to my case, or to repair things.... So I tied some string round it in memory of her.

As I was walking near the old ferry this morning, I heard a loud noise, and saw a tractor speeding down the lane leading to the ferry, and was very astonished to see it drive onto the ferry. I suppose even tractors sometimes need to cross to the other side. 

 In the late afternoon, the sun lit up some of the trees in spite of dark clouds, making a wonderful show of colours.

 Here's wishing you all a great day. 

Take care, and thanks a lot for coming by.

Everything but the kitchen sink.

Hi everybody!

It's weekend again, I know some of you will be looking forward to some time to relax and play. As a pensioner I have weekend every day!

Thanks for all the good wishes for my eye-hospital appointment,  the post operative control was okay, and the retina on my left eye was lasered to stabilise it. It was all rather strenuous, but I'm happy it's over and done with till the next time!

Yesterday I finished  doodling the images on my Journal-page, and I like how it has turned out.

Today I am had time to play again, so made a collage using the other half of the brush-wipe page I used yesterday. I printed the image of the lady with hat, after reducing some of the decorations digitally. Then I threw everything I found flying around on my table onto it, after stenciling the background with diamonds, numerals and alphas. I added some scraps of old letters too, and a fussy-cut TH bird which I stamped with Archival black. I am linking to AJJ - fantasy scene and to Paint Party Friday,

and Paper Saturdays

On my way to the Eye specialist this morning I met this little fellow on the path near the Old Ferry. He let me get quite close, too. I love how the fur blends with the colour of the earth:

And then he decided to dive back into his burrow:

Have a great day you all, take care, and thanks a lot for coming by!

Journal pages

Hi everybody!

I spent a lot of time walking around yesterday, had to visit various doctors, but they all have their offices at nice places, so I do enjoy the walking, even if it was a bit much  - 18000 + steps!

Today I have my next appointment for examinations and treatment at the eye clinic, so that should supply me with plenty of exercise to get there and back!

This journal page has been made for 2 challenges - 'childhood' at Moo Mania and More, and 'Fantasy scene' at AJJ. The background was painted with leftover colours, and then I used stencils with a white gel-pen for the images and writing. Some of the images have been doodled, I think I will doodle the other images, too when I have time.

 The background for these  journal pages were brush-wipe pages. The colours were rather hard, so instead of painting over them, as I usually do, I used some cut outs from a magazine in fitting colours which have been languishing in one of my folders for many moons.

I am linking to Paint Party Friday, hosted, as always, by Eva and Kristin.

And here are a few photos from my journey today - 

A wonderful willow:

The farmers are all busy ploughing and getting thir fields ready:

I saw these buds down by the old ferry, I hope to see what they turn into next time:

The trees are getting greener from day to day:

And I saw this pretty ceramic house number:

That's all for today, take care, have a good day, and thanks a lot for coming by!