Dolly's Dreamings

Such a lot of fun

Work is over for half term - never thought I would be saying that again - and I am enjoying the break.

In fact, enjoying it so much I haven't had time to blog!

I had physio on Friday which was not a great success, to be honest. The physio was late arriving and then couldn't log on to her computer and so rushed around int he corridors looking very stressed. I was so sorry for her as she tried to sort things out but that sorry feeling vanished quickly. She was clearly having a bad day and suffice to say it didn't bring out the best in her. She was rude and unnecessarily abrupt and dismissive and quite unpleasant to be with. I tolerate most things but I almost walked out. I might as well have done a little use either - other than suggesting I bought orthotic insoles as my ankle was turning in the wrong way. Knowing that I did have issues with the longstanding injury from when I was 12 I bought insoles and went for my first walk with them in today. I can see they will be helpful once the pain of feeling like I am walking with a ping pong ball under my arch wears off. 

We went to see Disney's live-action Aladdin on Friday and it was amazing - we loved it. It was bright and vibrant and so much fun. Really enjoyed it.

This weekend FTLOPP are having their NSD cyber crop (I am so glad it wasn't on the NSD weekend - much more fun to spread it out) and I have been really enjoying the challenges. I have made 12 pages so far over the weekend - don't worry I won't post them all today. The challenges have been great and, true to their name, challenging at times which is good.  Colour has been the theme which is also great fun as I shy away from some colours.

Anyway here are a few of my pages

 

This is the one I am most pleased with as it is something I have never ever done before and have shied away from but I am so pleased I did it

 

I used a mix of paint and texture paste to stencil a background

 

 

This is the finished page

 

 

The rose bush was bought by a parent when her two daughters left the Junior School. Yesterday one of the stems broke and so I bought the flower inside and my goodness I have never smelt a rose so beautiful. Whenever it blooms it reminds me of the two girls who went through my school from 3 - 11.

 

 

 

This was a kit designed by one of the admins at FTLOPP - Laura Rumble - and it was such fun to use for a challenge about why we scrap.

 

This is also not my usual style - a pocket page type page.I printed out the cards and elements.

 

This was using a sketch and such a fun page to make as I had been playing around with snapchat filters.

Don't want to see butterflies for a while though - they took ages.

 

 

 

This is Montacute gardens last summer for an outdoorsy challenge

 

 

and finally for today one using red and navy - a beautiful quote on the wall in the 9/11 museum.

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a wonderfully busy and fun weekend
• scrappers sharing their creativity, ideas and inspiration - it truly is a wonderful hobby and a fabulous community.

 

 

Berry Big Deal Day again

Today sees new releases at Pickleberrypop with the Berry Big Deals - great bargains all colour coordinated - you can find them all HERE

I am excited to share the pages I made this month with the new collections

 

This one was made with Smile More by Tiramisu Designs

 

 

This one was made with Meet me at the shore by Palvinka Designs and features my painting of Pigeon Point Lighthouse

 

 

This one was made with Ocean Vibes by et Designs

 

This one was Happy Feeling by Lorie M

 

 

This one was using Damsel in Denim by Jen Yurko

 

 

 

And finally, this one uses caught on Camera templates and  also Undreamed Shores both by Heartstrings Scrap Art

 

 

They are gorgeous collections so do check them out.

 

In other news my new window on the world is awesome.

This is before

Old window - was brown hard wood. You can see how the small frame was totally blown - it was like looking through fog.

 

 

room wrapped and ready

 

 

 

My gorgeous new wood blinds

 

 

My new clear windows - he even mowed the lawn!

 

 

Happy lady

 

Today I am thankful for

• a wage rise at work - totally unexpected - yey
• my new windows
• great designers to work with

 

 

Busy-ness but so happy

So the last few days have been busy busy busy.

We did a craft fair at our local community 'village fete' type event and it was fun but oh my did we luck out with the gazebo. They have now gone up to more than £90 for the one I bought for £30! And we needed it. It was a glorious day until 2.30 when the heavens opened and I mean quite literally. It was some of the most torrential rain I have ever seen in the UK. It lasted a good 30 minutes and the gazebo held up!

I have been at work the last couple of days but Nigel has been manning the fort and we now have brand new windows in the library and the scrap studio and it looks fab. I have smart new blinds that look lovely, windows I can see out of and I am really happy and happy it is all over. No more new windows now - they are all done!

Will take pictures when the light is right!

I have new scrapping to share too.

These are from the daily prompts. This was Friday - Multi font title - another f the Hamlet at Versailles for the Paris album. 

 

This was Saturday I think - add sparkle. Well the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was certainly gold and sparkly and so is the page. It doesn't show well in the photo but the background paper is very old K and Co and is gold foiled, the photos are on gold sparkle paper and I used gilding paste on the flowers

 

 

 

Sunday's prompt was clouds. And I was really quick and scrapped a page of my stall in its little gazebo house - before the rain and the mud!

 

Monday was sewing so I sewed all round the border and the large circle. There is a LOT of journalling as it tells the story of how we were victims  - though our honesty saved us - of the famous gold ring scam in Paris. We hadn't heard of this scam but apparently, it is quite famous.

 

 

and today's - oh how I hate these - was messy. I don't DO messy. I don't LIKE messy. It is not me.

 

But I pulled out diamond dust black cardstock and gelatos and had a go 

 

Not sure I like it but I did try.

 

You can't really see the sparkle

 

 

Today I am thankful

• that I am keeping up with the daily prompts - I have done every prompt on the day set - 21 and only 10 more to go.
that we have new windows and the men have gone gone gone and my room is back to normal and looks lovely hat
• that I had the chance to see the last episode of Game of Thrones. I am sad it ended and am not sure I buy into the ending and what happened to characters I have loved for years, but heck - I know I will watch it over and over.

 

 

The weekend is here

Oh I am so glad it is now - my weekend has started.

I can't say work is hard - I just sit and watch other people work - but it is tiring and I am not used to doing anything now, but it is done for the week and I have earned my 3-month fitness club membership!

And I did have some funny stories out of it too.

The students are lovely and a joy to work with - but it is the weekend now and I am glad.

 

My knee held up OK. I hit a bit of a wall yesterday but today was not so bad.

 

I even have new scrapping to share

Despite work, I am managing to keep up with the daily prompts.

 

This was the 15th which was portrait. It documents how in one of the world's most gastronomically good capitals we STILL opted for the Hard Rock! We know what we like and we like what we know.

 

 

Today's prompt was tags - used some very very old Hot off the Press tags cut from one of their books.

 

and I even got a digital page sneaked in with a new collection called  Love Life by Natalie Designs which is beyond gorgeous.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• my working week of three days is done
• my knee held up
• the weekend

 

 

A disppointing day

I am giving a heads up to my readers, blogging may be a bit briefer during week days for a bit as I am back in school invigilating and so have less time.

We had a disappointing day today. We covered everything, moved a heap of furniture and prepared for new windows in our library and the scrap room. The people didn't turn up and said they were sorry - they ought o have phoned. Yes they ought. Nigel waited in for them.

We have agreed to another date and a reduction in cost but it was disappointing as we moved so much stuff and have had to put it back again.

It was fun to be back into school but my knee is protesting. It has gone from doing very very little to over 7000 steps today and it knows it!

 

I have managed some scrapping though. I made the daily prompt page for today and for yesterday.

Hearts today so I scrapped Paris

 

 

I even managed to hand stitch some heart embellishments.

 

 

Yesterday was journalling so I did a page journalling how we had the most amazing upgrade in Paris. We had booked the cheapest room in a very nice hotel and I was cheeky enough to ask that as it was our 25th wedding anniversary, could we possibly have one with a view if available. They upgraded us to a two-floor duplex apartment filled with antiques and with a view of the Eifel Tower. One night cost more than our entire booking. We were very very blessed.

 

 

I also made this page for a challenge on UK Scrappers

 

 

Today I am thankful that work is done - 2 sessions out of 21 completed - and yes I am counting. I am meant to be retired!

 

 

 

 

A lovely sunday

The weather seems to have picked up again and it has been lovely today. I met up with an old friend for coffee first thing (bear in mind first thing for us these days isn't that early) and then it was lunch on the balcony followed by scrapping.

I think I am making the most of the last couple of days before work resumes. But then work is only for a few weeks and only for three or four days each week. And it pays for extra stash!

I have more scrapping to share

This was for one of the mojo challenges on Pickleberrypop. If you don't already play along do check out the monthly mojo forum here

 

 

 

This was the last challenge for the Hey Little Magpie group - and another for the Paris album

 

This is the daily prompt today on FTLOPP (I am realy chuffed that I have managed each prompt each day so far - that might change when workkicks in) 

 

I thought it was so funny to see the difference between our two plates when we went to the buffet at Trails End.

 

 

and finally another for the Hey Little Magpie group and for the Paris album which is fast developing into quite a huge album.

 

Today I am thankful for

• sunshine
• a lovely day
• the balcony
• old friends and good conversation

and finally - these merged pictures were very sobering -war and peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never has the phrase been more important - 'When you have plenty build a longer table not a higher wall'

 

Scrapping frenzy and physio

I have been loving doing all of the challenges for iNSD and am proud that in 10 days I have made so many pages.

I made this summary yesterday - but have done 2 more pages today

 

and I have really enjoyed the challenges.

 

I am sharing a couple more of the pages made for various challenges

This should have been called 'butter wouldn't melt'

 

 

 

a page from our trip this week

 

 

another for the Paris album

 

my famous fur babies

 

I have met with the Fracture clinic and the physio and it is not an ACL issue but a cartilage issue so I am pleased with that and I have walked - albeit in pain - for 4000 steps today. Progress ladies - and I am very happy. 

My scrap room is looking denuded as the replacement windows go in Tuesday so we have been clearing and painting the windowsill as the new windows will be white inside and wood effect outside which will look lovely. It will improve my view as the existing window is olf and the glazing has gone clouded so I am sure it will all be worth it in the end. The undercoated windowsill looks very odd against the old wood frame though!

Today I am thankful for

• good health news
• scrapping fun
• walking

 

 

A grand day out

I confess to being a bit down about the whole knee thing and so what I needed - what I really needed - was a good day out and some physio and reassurance.

Tick - both accomplished.

 

Yesterday we went out on the spur of the moment. Having seen a friend's photos of SandWorld in Weymouth and having put it off several times over the years, we decided it was the day to go. We knew it would be tacky - but it looked a kind of fun tacky. And actually, it was better than we expected. It doesn't take long to see it all, but the sand sculptures were very good and just made of sand. OK so some of the people's faces were not as realistic as the real people, but heck - they were carved from sand which made it all pretty impressive. Here are some photos of the sculptures 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lady who runs it - the daughter of the man who founded it - was fab and as there was pretty much no-one else there we played for ages in the sand pit learning to compact and sculpt. Making the spheres was amazing

 

 

 

oh and there are 3 Nigel's in this one

 

We finished off with dinner at the local pub - was great value at £8.99 for 2 meals! All in all a great day out.

 

Today I had my first physio session and she was lovely. She felt - as I do - that it is not ligament but cartilage which I think is better and actually I think what I needed was someone to listen and to give me confidence and she did that. One thing that was interesting was she spent ages looking at how I stood and moved and she said that - presumably as a result of the horrific leg injury when I shattered my ankle, displaced my pelvis and broke my leg when I was 12, my stance has been 'off and where as my left leg is straight, my right leg is straight to the knee then bends in the wrong way from the knee and as a result 45 years of walking with it out of line has worn the knee and cartilage down on the side that normally does not wear! It all made perfect sense. I will see her regularly now and she has given me very very gentle exercises to start with which is good. Most importantly - the fear is less so I have more confidence.

 

I am still working my way through the iNSD challenges so have a couple more pages to share and also a digital page made for one of the mojo challenges at PBP.

 

This was for a Disney challenge

 

 

A very young naive girl on her first trip to America some 36 years ago. 

 

a digital challenge to scrap the same view at three different times of the day - this was the view from our balcony at Myrtle Beach

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• great days out
• people's creativity
• our National Health Service and the skilled professionals who work in it

 

 

Scrapping fun

I have had an absolute blast over the weekend making iNSD pages - and have managed 14 paper pages and am now going to start on some digi challenges.

We also went to the cinema today to see Greta which was just OK whereas Tolkien we saw Friday was fabulous. 

The knee continues to perplex. Yesterday I had no pain at all all day! Today it is bad! No idea. I hope the hospital can shed some light on it.

Anyway - some more scrapping pages to share

I had such fun with this one and a gorgeous cut file from Paige Evans.

 

I do love Minnie - I DON'T love watercolour smooshing on scrapbook pages - it was well out of my comfort zone and don't like it

 

 

 

Scrapping about sport was tough - thankfully Nigel adores his Angels so they made a good subject for a nice clean page

 

 

I made the heart stencil from a cut file from Paige Evans (her cut files are amazing) 

And finally for today a bouncy Tigger page

 

 

Today I am thankful

• that I am able to get into the bath again. I like showers but there is something lovely about a long soak in scented water. My knee was good enough yesterday

 

Happy iNSD

To all my scrapping friends - Happy iNSD ... International Scrapbooking day.

 

To my friends who are not scrappers, - May the 4th be with you.

 

I have had a scrapping day today and considering I didn't start until 8.30 am and it is only 5.30 now and I had an hour for lunch - I am amazed I have completed 9 pages - that is one an hour every hour.

That's fast even for me.

 

I won't bore you with them all but here are a few of them

This was a challenge to scrap a page from the '80s with a bonus if it was 1983. This is me in 1983 - a special picture of such a special time in my life. but oh my - look at those 80'sglasses. Wow. They could cover whole countries! 

 

 

This was a challenge to use multiple photos and also scraps my home resort of Port Orleans Riverside.

 

 

This was to scrap a first - and a Disney food page. Our first time eating at Chef De France which we absolutely loved.

 

 

And this was to use a star wars quote - Oh my friend, how I've missed you. And I do miss her. Every day. And at times it hits me like a sledgehammer that she has gone. Dawn Inskip - you are missed so much

 

Today I am thankful for

scrapping - it is more than a hobby for me. It is a creative outlet, a memory keeping miracle, a therapy and something I couldn't live without. I have been scrapping 16 years and have loved it. I don't care about what happens to the pages when I am gone. I just love the process. Oh and it has pretty papers and glue and flowers - what's not to like

 

• the friendships I made through this wonderful hobby
• the fact I finally have a hospital appointment but not until the end of next week