Messy Play & Digi Play

I've been having fun today with distress ink pads and water. It all started with a wonderful tutorial by Shari Caroll and I just had to have a go.

I started with a sheet of Acrylic Art paper (because I like the texture) cut to 6x8
I stamped up my script stamp with the embossing stamp pad and heat embossed with white powder.
I then used Antique Linen on my acrylic block in the same way as Shari did, stamping this over the embossed area. I let it dry before using Forest Moss on the block and going over the rest of the page. Taking a baby wipe I rubbed it all over to spread the ink and also remove any residue from the embossed script.
Using this as my patterned paper I then stamped the heart using Milled Lavender Distress ink, heat embossing this with Deep Impression clear powder. This stamp is just a sponge type on a wooden block so I couldn't guarantee getting it back in the same place so I used my embossing pen to scribble over the heart and re embossed again with the deep impression powder this gave the pitted effect (an accident that I really like).

the photograph is from a postcard that was sent to my Father's older brother, not someone known to the family but the postcard must have meant something to have been passed down through the generations for me to get it (I also have the one sent to Dad and to his sister).
I then scanned the back of the postcard into the computer so I could print off the words that were written in great uncle Fred's own hand. I used Safmat for this a self adhesive printing film

the flowers on the heart are just a little bit of trim with some plastic leaves which I dipped in alcohol ink. and spritzed with glimmer mist.
I cut round the top edge of the heart so that I could slip the corner of the photo behind.
I finally finished the whole thing off by gently stroking it with the Distress ink pad Pumice Stone

I also have another page done for the digital circle journal that I am in. This time it is for Jane aka Dragonfly Jane on UKScrappers. Her subject is Cemeteries and I thought I would really struggle with this, but surprisingly enough it came together really easily and what's more I am pleased with it.
When I went to Cheltenham back in August I found this lovely church and such a special gravestone.


Today has been a good day. The sun has shone and I didn't have anything planned. I've been out into the lane just outside my back gate, taken photographs of leaves and cats and me. The kittens have played outside for a good part of the day, climbing everywhere, I had forgotten how agile a kitten can be, but also how easily they climb up but not so easily down again. I had to rescue Muffin from the frame my climbing rose uses, (shame I never took a photo before getting her down), but most things they seem to be able to find their own way up and down.
just some of the photos from outside my back gate