Dolly's Dreamings

A Winter's Tale

Even the title is evocative. Makes you think of a Shakespeare play or .... in my case .... of a David Essex hit. (Wow I loved that song and the video that went with it in that lush afghan coat)

However, I am writing about neither of those things.

It is the name of a new kit by Dawn Inskip .... and very appropriate today as the weather is wintry, but not pretty wintery .... just wet and wild.

The kit is on sale in her stores at both Catscrap and PBP  and here are a couple of pages I made with it.

 

 

The first page is a photo from my first ever Scrapfever and we had a real April fool surprise as it snowed unexpectedly and it was magical. We talked the other day about how pictures often say a lot more than they seem to. On the surface it looks just like a pretty photo of a snow covered daffodil. Nothing wrong with that, but it sure isn't the whole story. It was at a time when I hadn't seen snow for a long time (now I have seen too much of it) and it was so very pretty. I had not taken a coat with me but was not to be put off by a minor detail. It was actually quite hysterical watching the staff at the venue totally fascinated. It snowed and suddenly lots of inapproriately dressed women were outside taking pictures like the end of the world waqs coming. they'd never seen scrappers before. It still makes me smile just thinking about the expression on their faces.

The second page is one of the gorgeous snow leopards from our big cat shoot. The snow leopards are very special as they really are like spirits but actually they are my least favourite big cat as they have quite harsh faces front on. Many of the photos I have of them .... and I have a lot .... I don't especially like, but this one I do and I like the way the masks highlights him too.

It has been a very long week, with parents' evenings and so on, but it is Friday and I am home for the weekend. I love having a very hard working house husband who works from home now. I came in to the shopping done, the washing done, the housework done and, as I type, he is making my tea. I am very lucky.

Thank you so much for commenting on my DT post with Shimelle. It was very lovely to see all the kind comments and congratulations.

My mission this weekend is to visit lots of blogs and leave comments as we all love to get them and I am determined to make more of an effort to comment on more blogs each day. (I do do a fair few, but i can improve!)

I am planning a scrappy weekend and hope you all have a great weekend too.

EXCITING NEWS - Shimelle Digitals

You have NO IDEA how hard this has been to keep this news quiet. No idea.

But I managed it and can now reveal ......

 

drum roll please .....

 

I am part of a Baker's Dozen.

Shimelle has a brand new CT for her digital designs and I am lucky enough to be on it. And I am thrilled like you have no idea.

OK - so you may have a little idea.

It's no secret how much I admire that cupcake queen. The very first class I ever took in my life, as a very newbie scrapper, in November 2003 at Ascot at Bonanza, was with Shimelle, and I have been hooked ever since. Although my style may be very different to hers, and I can't begin to emulate it, I find everything she says and does such an inspiration. Her classes, on line and in real life, are awesome. Her students at school were very lucky cos she is one heck of a eacher. I recon I could listen to her talk about pain dry and be fascinated. Her creativity, her ideas, her promotion of scrapping and journalling and crafting and writing and the fact that she is a thoroughly nice person on line and in real life all means I am just so thrilld to have the chance to be on her CT.

Why baker's dozen? Well, there are 13 of us, because it's a perfect number.

Now I guess, as part of a CT, I ought to start earning my keep.

All 13 of us have worked with one of Shimelle's kits .... A Long and Winding Road .... which you can find on sale HERE and we have all come up with different ways of using it, both as a purely digital kit and using it for hybrid work too. 

Here is my page 

 

 

Go and check out the rest of the team and see what they came up with, because their work ROCKS.

You can find them all here

 

 

Alison

Anso

Avital

Dolly (ooh ... that's me!)

Elisa

Helen

Karen C

Karen M

Kate

Nadine

Rani

Sheri

Yvonne

You can find out more about Shimelle herself HERE 

and you can find all of her digital creations over at Two Peas HERE 

 

Did I mention I was excited!

Watch out for so much fun to come.

 

Home again - and so happy

I had a great weekend at Scrapfever - well until today really.

Having battled the cold and cough I think i have been left with a chest infection. It hurts to breathe and coughing is an extremely unpleasant experience.

It meant we had to leave early - and I am apparently not allowed to cry and say sorry to Jakki again .... she said so!

I have no energy to unpack but it was a great retreat with really good fun classes and I have come home with almost everything finished.

MaryAnne taught and amazing frame class which was really challenging but was my real achievement of the weekend. Something very different and very rewarding. I will share another day (when I have unpacked) and also the other classes.

Not eating whilst everyone else shared lovely hotel food was a toughie but another hurdle, another challenge.

I have three photos of the day to share.

Friday was a picture from Cliveden, where the colours were beautiful.

Saturday was a picture outside the front door whilst making a phonecall. there is no phone service there so you see a lot of the outside of the front door when trying to speak to people.

Sunday (I felt ill) was a photo in my last class (Layle Koncar) which isn't the world's greatest picture but is what I did today.

Now I do also have something exciting to share today.

Many of you know I am on Dawn Inskip's CT and she has a brand new store open today at Catscrap and she has a sale on everything in her store both at catscrap and at PickleberryPop, so go check it out.

To launch the store she also has a brand new kit out called Electric, which really was.

I loved the kit and made these pages with it.

It was blue so I guess it was right that I scrapped both of my boys

Nigel and the Fiki monster of course.

I also made this page with a wonderful template from the extremely talented and totally wonderful Gabs. (You must check out her blog here)

Three wise monkeys

This was one of those photos that, as soon as you took it, you wanted to scrap.

I just knew I would have fun with it.

The picture was taken when Jakki, Gary, Nij and I went for a lovely evening walk and reminds me of the really nice evening we had.

I made it for one of my design team pages at A Trip Down Memory Lane last month.

I loved making the paper flowers to go with it - all scruffy and roughed up.

 I have been making DT pages today as well - not that I can share them yet - and have also been shopping.

Having been a 'blob' for more years than I care to remember, and always hating myself in whatever I wore, I went out today feeling good about myself. I am sure I still looked like a blob to most people, but I had smaller tighter jeans on that showed my legs are much thinner (yes still reminiscent of tree trunks but perhaps a scots pine now rather than a giant sequoia) .

We had a bit of a clothes fest whilst out with Nigel buying three new sewatshirts and two new pairs of skinny jeans that he looks FAB in and I got 2 blouses, 2 t shirts, a cardigan and a long sleeved top. All of them very different to things I usually wear and also smaller!

I have also 'autumnised' (now that is a real George Bush phrase) my blog.

I ate my first real food in 8 weeks last night - we went to Pizza Express for Nigel's birthday. I had promised fromt he oitset that I would and was very very nervous about it. It was fine. I managed most of my pizza - and boy was it delicious - and I am back in ketosis again. I did have a headache this morning - a carbs overdose I think.

The two photos are from Thursday (a rainbow outside the lounge window) and the birthday boy from yesterday (not a fab picture actually)

Simply Red

No - not my best mate's favourite band but a stunning new kit.

I love it.

It is the latest creation by dawn Inskip and is lush.

I had fun creating with it earlier in the week and came up with two pages which are very different kinds of love.

The first page is a friend's wedding photo

The second one is a whole different sort of love. the love of a little fur boy for his beloved daddy. Nigel and Fiki are so close since Nij is at home with him all day. I love this picture of them together.

The kit is for sale at The Digi Chick so do go check it out.

Now I do have a photo of the day but to be honest it is still firmly inside the camera and my tummy is rumbling and I have to go and eat. And that is the best excuse I can come up with right now LOL

A glamourous grandmother

This is another page I made for ATDML last month and features a very very glamourous grandmother .... Nigel's.

Gran was a truly beautiful woman, inside and out, and was a stunner for all of her 92 years. She looked very like the queen mother at every stage of her life and they were of a similar era too.

In her youth she spent a time as an artist's model and it is easy to see why. She was gorgeous.

The papers were just so beautiful and I was inspired to make a page about Gran by the lovely vintage tags.

I used a lot of dry embossing with my cuttlebug and then used my lush new vintage cream papertrey ink to make the design stand out in greater relief.

My photo for today is another shot of the acer .... it truly is gorgeous and when the sun comes out it is stunning.

It won't last much longer with the wind and the rain.

No Need to Crawl

I had such a laugh doing this page for Mel and Jill at A Trip Down Memory lane this month.

The picture was taken when we were walking on Mudeford beach a few weeks ago (gosh I remember warmth and wearing t shirts ... a dim and distant memory!)

We were climbing some steep steps up the cliff and I was messing around. I don't need to struggle going up steps any more. My knees are much better, i don't get breathless. And it was nice to scrap that fact.

The papers were so lush to use and there are lots of details ont he page that don't really show up too well.

It has been a foul day here today. Dark and cold and wet and cold and ... did I mention cold.

i have been dressed warmly but was freezing at work. I have really noticed that I feel the cold so much more since losing weight and being on the diet. Aparently it is quite a common side effect of the diet.

I am actually sat drinking a hot herbal tea next to the radiator and am thawing out at last.

My picture of the day is of two thornton choclate slabs that have been in the fridge for ever that Nij has been wanting to eat. I told him he couldn't until he had taken a picture of them. So he did and they are not in tact any more!!!!

Pet holidays - or not

The latest challenge at A True Friend is all about holidays. Do you take your pet on holiday or do you leave a comprehensive instruction manual for people caring for them.

I was always the comprehensive manual type of girl - as taking cats on holiday is not a viable option. However, in recent years I have been more of a 'don't go on holiday, give up your life for the cats' sort of girl!

I made this page of Boo looking very pleading.

She hates the cattery and hates being away from her adored 'Daddy'. At least when we go away this time we will be leaving them at home with cat sitters. Should be less stressful for them .... and for us.

I also used this page which sums up how much we miss them. We have been blessed with incredible holidays but they are always marred by missing the fur family.

If you are a pet lover then the design team call over at A True friend is a must for you.

Pop over and submit an entry to join the design team. It is great fun.

Now I went on a bit of a shopping spree today. I have no trousers that fit me any more and as I hate to wear skirts at weekends that was a big problem. I went witht he intention of buying a pair of jeans and came back with three pair .... all very cheap as I know (well I hope) they will only last a few weeks before I need the next size down again.

I also bought two really nice jacket/cardigans - one from asda and one from per Una.

BUt .... and this is the awesome bit. I also bought a skirt I had wanted for ages. I bought it in August and tok it back as thy had only got the long length and it was ridiculously long. It is a grey Per Una skirt and I looked for it again in M and S today. They had it, int he ordinary length and I bought it. The one in August which fitted perfectly apart from the length ..... size 20.  The one today ...... right length and right size

16!!!!!!!

To say i am thrilled is the understatement of the year.

I can't wait to wear it.

My photo of the day ... the label of course.

and finally - I thought this was fun to share ... an e mail about a Chinese GP who sounds FABULOUS

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

 A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speed up heart not make live longer; that like say you can extend life of car by driving faster. Want live longer? Take nap.

  

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

 A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

  

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

 A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity bit; get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

  

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

 A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc.

 Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

 A: Cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain...Good!

  

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

 A: YOU NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetables be bad for you?

  

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

 A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want bigger stomach.

  

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

 A: You crazy? HELLO. Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans best feel-good food around!

  

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

 A: If swimming good for figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

 A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!

   

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

 AND.....

 For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies:

 1. The Japanese eat very little fat

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you

 

 

A Girly Christmas and finding lost things

What a day .... been busy busy busy

But onto nicer things. Dawn Inskip has a brand new kit out which is a collaboration with Joyce paul and it is available at PBP and Scraporchard and it is lush. really lush.

All pink and girlie.

Here is a page I made with the kit ... and yes, it is Emily.

The masks in the kit are gorgeous and as I have a lot of girly pictures the colours are perfect.

Now i also want to share the fact that I have found something.

isn't it lovely when you lose something for a long long time and then you suddenly find it again.

Well that is what happened to me.

I lost my waist - quite a long time ago actually. I am not sure where it went .... but it definitely went somewhere.

But over the last few weeks I have found it.

And I am thrilled.

I have lost 34 pounds as of today since the 28th August so that is in 7 weeks to the day ... and I am really really thrilled.

I have a long way to go - but I am getting there and so, unbelievably for me, my picture of the day is me ... and my waist!

And do you know what ...... when you find soemthing it is so often accompanied by losing something and I have lost something too.

At least one of my chins has gone!

Yey!

Too busy to stop

Life is mad.

It's official.

No need to diet any more ... I have no time to eat!

So i have dredged through my archives and managed to find a page I had never uploaded. i THINk it may have been a Charmed Cards and Crafts DT piece from an age ago .... in fact i am sure it was because it is full of gorgeous Basic Grey lushness. I know I never uploaded it.

The little girl is my friend's grand-daughter at her aunty's wedding.

But i do have a new picture of the day. My new credit card is good to go and will hoepfully earn me lots of free air miles. When i stash shop I can say I am only doing it because I need to earn the miles. Double bonus eh!