My Tuscany memories preserved forever

Thanks so much for all your support and lovely comments you left for my Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 103 over the last 2 weeks. I'm glad I did it "live" but it really was full on and I was pleased to have the time to finish off my holiday Journal from our recent trip to Tuscany.  I bought a Pink Pig sketchbook for this purpose and if you missed that post you can read about it here.

Daisy, despite only being 2 3/4 years old, is an avid crafter and I also bought her a little cheapie scrapbook to work in as I knew she would like to follow Nanna.  She loved it and we spend many moments putting them together at our glorious villa. I love this photo...so much concentration in one darling little girl.

We made backgrounds using Paperartsy infusions, stencils and stamps.
This was the idyllic terrace where we sat and crafted.

I also took my Instax camera and took lots of instant photos for us both.  I also used my regular camera and printed out some photos when I got home.

Each day I wrote an index card for Daisy and one for myself with a short summary of our day. For her cards she chatted about what we had done and then she agreed what she wanted me to write.
Here are some pages from my darling girls journal.
This is her little journal I bought (from Wilkinson's for just £3)

Here is one of her backgrounds she created. Impressive for a 2 year old I think!

and here are some of her sweet pages...she made these herself...I just stuck things in for her. I love the way she added her own "writing" after mine...she repeats the words as she add those squiggles, bless her.

Although I didn't have much time to sit and paint I did have 2 sessions when I got out my travel watercolour set and had my first try at "proper"painting.  I decided to try to paint the view from where we crafted. It was so idyllic and the only sound to be heard was the buzzing of the bees.

Below is my finished painting...please be gentle....I don't have any art training at all but I tried to get some shade and tones despite the limited palette of colours and time. I used some separate watercolour paper as I didn't want to risk ruining my journal with any spillage. I then mounted it in my journal when I got home.

So here is my completed holiday journal...I stuck some ribbon under some card on the inside covers so that I can tie it together. My added ephemera made it bulky.
The quality of the papers from Pink Pig is excellent and it really took the inks and water media really well.

Here are some of the pages from my journal

Little instax photos from our wedding anniversary celebrations in San Gimignano.

and remember the "Bliss" tag I created and blogged about whilst away. If you missed it have a look here first ........
Well here is it in my journal

The page below is special as Daisy picked up the doily from under a dish served to us at a restaurant we ate at. She gave it to me to "put in my scrapbook". She has the makings of a real crafter in her, seeing inspiration and useful ephemera everywhere.

It's a wonderful memory of our trip.

I would like to enter my holiday journal into the following challenges.

Anything but cute inspiration photo I was inspired by all photos, especially the flowers and created a very "vintage garden" themed Tuscan journal.
A Vintage Journal stencil it..I used lots!
Paperartsy patterns all my backgrounds were created using different patterns of stencils and stamps. Each double page is unique.
Snippets Playground 242 I have used soo many snippets to decorate my journal.
We love to create 1/2 anything creative/mixed media
Pile it on Make 3/3 your own background
Rhedd's Creative Spirit August
Stamplorations August mixed media stencil Sunday I used so many stencils in my journal!

I also added that wonderful Dr Zeuss quote in the back of  mine and Daisy's journal.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment.....
Until it becomes a memory.

How true that is and how many treasured memories I hold of our wonderful holiday we shared with Daisy and Co.
I just wanted to share 2 final photos from our Tuscany adventure...

 Do you think I love my sweet granddaughter.....just a bit ;0) What a lucky Nanna I am.

We've had a very chilled weekend as we babysat my furry grandson..the lovely Bear, my son's dog. He watched me craft too in my garden studio. I have been working on my Z piece for the latest letter in the dictionary challenge...it's a fun one!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Tuscany and an inspired landscape piece for Creative Chemistry 103 homework

Class is not out until Friday over at Tim's online class...we are still submitting homework until tomorrow. I thought I would share some more of my Tuscany holiday photos, which got put on hold, whilst I have been working through Creative Chemistry 103.

I have already shared some photos from Sienna, a gorgeous city, so today I thought I would share a few more places we visited.

Pienza is a small, walled medieval city where the surrounding country side is so typically Tuscan.

The streets are narrow and full of wonderful shops hidden away in the walls.

The surrounding countryside is wonderful

We enjoyed our wedding anniversary lunch in San Gimignano, which we have visited in the past. It is much larger than Pienza and very beautiful. There is also award winning ice cream maker who sells there...their ice cream is beyond delicious.

Looking back through these photos and working with alcohol inks inspired this, my favourite piece of homework so far.....I made this card.... I can't share Tim's techniques but I used alcohol inks, Yupo and a straw to create a landscape...such fun. I mounted it on Kraft and added a sentiment....very apt I think!

 and here is a side view.

Who would have thought I could create a landscape!
I would also like to link my card up to the following challenges;

That's Crafty 2/3 zesty zing
Pile it on  2/3 Make your own background
Craft Heaven Shop Challenge 2/3 #14 anything goes
Simon says work it Wednesday include the colour Peridot  I achieved this with my mix of greens inks in the left hand side of my card.

I still have my travel journal from Tuscany to finish...it has been quite a labour of love and I have been busy restocking Dotty's too with my cards.

I plan to draw my giveaway winner today and make my final piece of homework for Creative Chemistry 103. Thanks so much for sticking with me and coming back to see what I have made each day. I really appreciate your comments.

Back tomorrow.

Bye for now,

Jane x