Dolly's Dreamings

A Bit of a scrapping catch up

There are new releases out today at Pickleberrypop so two digitasl pages first

 

 

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Lovely February Collection by Palvinka Designs

 

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Because Love Bundle Carol W Designs

 

 

and some design team pages for scrap a sketch  using some of the gorgeous new February Premium Sketches

 

 

 

Other than that it has been quiet here with just everyday things. Today was a good day - the light that has been out for three months was finally fixed and a blown window was replaced. See how mundane my life is at times.

And finally a few of my recent paintings

 

 

I'm afraid Typepad is refusing to let me add more pictures - again!

Today I am thankful for

• easy everyday days where nothing much happens
• essential repairs completed
• cnetral heating - it's very cold!

Feeling in Valentine mood - grab a freebie

Firstly Barb thank you for your lovely comments as always and Mary, thank you for yours too and I was sorry to hear of your illness.

I cannot believe it is February already. January has flown by and we seem to have been very busy - not doing anything special just busy busy busy

I have January things to share though. And them some February freebies

 

I do like challenge and I set myself a challenge this year of doing a sketch a day in a special gorgeous little sketch book which is aimed at getting me to practice my sketching skills every day. They are quick little sketches and are fun to do and I have now finished my first month and proud not to have missed a day. They are not great works of art and, where possible, I am trying to sketch something from the day.

 

 

 

 

I have also taken on a challenge to paint 10 tiny miniature paintings each month is a little journal. The paintings are just 2" square and its fun to do.

Here is the cover of the book I am making

and here is the January double page

 

I have news from Pickleberrypop to share too. We are in a new month and so there is a brand new free with purchase this month and a brand new scrap bingo challenge. The two kits are both called A Full Heart and you can get the first free with purchases this month and the second if you complete the scrap bingo challenges which are fun to play along with

 

 

This was made with the FWP kit

and this with the prize kit

 

Today I am thankful for

• the joy of hobbies
• challenges which keep me motivated
• decluttering - it is ongoing!

 

 

Drawing for mindfulness

I belong to a super art group and I am one of the three tutors - I use that word a little tongue in cheek - in the group. Really we are a group all about sharing, but three of us do two months each of 'taught sessions' I decided to take a risk this month and for the whole of January have been doing classes based on drawing for mindfulness - or as I prefer at times - drawing for mindlessness.

I have always been a doodler - always. My meeting papers at work were always covered in doodles and I think better when I am doodling. I started doodling a little more formally during lockdown and dabble with zentangles.  Proper zentangles are quite 'rule based'. The zentangle has to be a set size, start and end with with mindfulness meditation, comprise of four dots int he corners, a border and then strings which are filled in with a variety f patterns. There are hundreds of these, named and quite precise.I have drawn zentangles but my love lies more with more free flowing designs and with words and images based on zentangle type ideas.

So that is what I have been teaching - starting with basic patterns then moving on to words and letters, then onto animals and finally scenes.

We are predominantly a watercolour group and I wasn't sure if people would like it, but I am pleased to say they have loved it. They were all provided with what I use - in my book a definitive pen - a unipin black waterproof permanent pen, and they really took to it. I have my book always to hand and am constantly doing it and I am so pleased so many of my fellow artists are also hooked now. They have really enjoyed it.

Anyway - I thought I would share some of my tangles and doodles completed recently. Please feel free to skip - they may be of no interest at all. They are a tiny selection of what I have done this month

However, if they are of interest I urge you to try it - it is so theraputic.

Random designs without and with colour (I do prefer black and white personally)

 

 

 

words

animals

 

 

scenes

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a successful month of teaching
• the pleasure art and drawing brings me every single day

 

Beautiful Berry Big Deals

There are gorgeous new releases out today - I had such fun playing

 

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Loving each day bundle by Chunlin Designs

 

 

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Finding my Peace Bundle by Heartstrings Scrap Art

 

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Peace of Mind Bundle by Carol W designs

 

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Captured bundle by Natali  Designs

 

 

 

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Be Motivated bundle by Blue Heart Scraps

 

 

 

New release day

I have been playing with some fabulous new releases at Pickleberrypop this week

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Pages of Possibility Bundle by Chunlin Designs

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Party Bundle by et designs

 

 

 

 

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Joyful January Collection by Palvinka Designs

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• scrapping fun
• a successful art class taught and everyone enjoyed it

 

Quietly scrapping and painting

I have been quietly scrapping away and painting and drawing and generally having a lovely, non-descript time. We have had some nice walks, some lovely drives, we have braved the cold and we have eaten out and January, thus far, is proving a rather nice month for us.

I will share some of the scrapping if typepad allows

 

 

 

and as that only took 20 minutes to ad!!!! maybe some art pictures will be acceptable to the tyupepad gods too!

 

 

and that one of Corfe is already up on display - for sale - at The Nest along with 12 others - here is one selection of paintings displayed there

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely start to the year
• art opportunities
• safety - My heart and prayers lie with the people int he Greater LA area suffering such devastating fires. I cannot begin to imagine the fear, the desperation, the heartache.

Scrap Bingo

We just introduced a new Challenge Game at PBP called SCRAP♥Bingo! Some of you may have lost interest in traditional challenges, but this is anything but traditional! And HEY! Who doesn't love BiNGO?!? So read on, and then give them a try!

YOU will have complete control over the challenge cues you choose to complete, how you interpret the cues & what kind of layout you create for the cues. I'm excited to see your creativity! Oh....and did I mention that several of the cues include a FREEBiE that you can find in our SCRAP♥Bingo Challenge Forum? 

Start the New Year off by committing to complete at least 10 layouts per month with us. You'll have loads of fun and and win discounts and a beautiful Berry Blends Kit while you fill up your scrapbooks!

All you have to do is head to the forum and download your SCRAP♥Bingo Game Card from the tracking thread and start scrapping! We have included full instructions in the forum.

If you have questions, just leave them for us in the SCRAP♥Bingo Information Thread. 

 

This is my page with the FWP kit and images of the kits you can snag. It's seriously too good to miss

 

Happy New Year and some scrapping

Happy new year everyone.

I hope tat 2025 treats us all with kindness and brings many happy times and few troubles for everyone.

Our new year was quiet but just the way we like it and we have enjoyed a few lovely walks in the beautiful January sunshine.

I also have scrapping to share

These are all digital pages from Pickleberrypop. There is a gorgeous new free with purchase pack running all month and a fabulous new challenge - scrap bingo - where it is really easy to win great prizes.

 

 

and these are a couple of paper pages

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• the tap we thought was possibly broken isn't broken
• freezing cold glorious sunshine
• reduced reed diffusers

Thank you 2024

It is that time of year when I do my annual review of the past year. I make no apologies if it is not of interest - though I hope you might enjoyt he pictures - but I always say this is fr me - it's my record to look back on.

2024 had been generally a good year. I have stayed cancer free in all areas. Nigel had a little brush with a skin cancer that has now all been removed, and apart from the aches and pains of aging (they are way better than NOT aging) and a nasty bout of flu over the Christmas period we have stayed well and active. We have much to be thankful for on the health front.

We have not been away this year (thanks to Koda but we don't mind at all) but have enjoyed many days out and made the most of our beautiful local area.  When you live in a holiday destination the need to go away isn't great. Plus we love our home. It is safe, it is filled with love and we just enjoy being homebirds with the boyz.

Nigel has continued to enjoy his speedway and is so good at what he did and was there to commentate on his team doing the triple this year. Poole Pirates really are amazing.

I continue to love my art., I have scaled back scrapping but have loved doing what I do and I have more time for painting, including teaching many art classes this year.

So a round up via scrap pages.

The beach in no matter what the weather  - a favourite

 

We both attended protests over the dreadful and unnecessary closure of part of our park Sadly the corruption of the council is such that it remains closed much to everyone's horror.

Terrible rain and floods in February

 

Visits during the year to see god-children we adore

 

 

 

Lots of days out in our truly wonderful county of  Dorset

 

 

Celebrating anniversaries and naming days

 

 

We made the most of our annual membership at Longleat with so many terrific visits

 

and not only safaris at Longleat - we enjoyed three very different boat safaris around our beautiful harbour - the biggest natural harbour in Europe and second biggest in the world. It makes for a unique and diverse habitat and we enjoyed watching all the birds but especially the ospreys and the incredibly huge white tailed eagles.

 

Many many trips further afield

 

 

 

and enjoying our home and garden including full renovation of the lounge and spare room

 

There were three exhibitions and lots of art

and there were our boyz

and a whole heap of other fabulous memories 

 

 

 

so to summarise, we have been very very blessed again this year. We never take for granted all we have and our greatest blessings are in the joy we share together, be they little daily things at home, day trips and adventures or just sharing laughs together. We really do have a wonderful life.




Thank you for still reading - though thanks to the technology that is typepad I blog so much less. I wish you all health and happineass, love and laughter for 2025.

 

 

 

New berry big deals

I am fast losing patience with typepad so I am sorry I have been posting rarely.

It's not because I don't want to post - it's just that it hates me adding pictures so that makes for very boring posts.

But I am trying here again

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Wrapped in Memories Collection by Chunlin Designs

 

 

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Wintry Collection by Tiramisu Designs

 

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Wonder of Winter collection  by Cindy Ritter

 

Well it kind of worked.

 

In other news we have both been ill. We think probably flu as it knocked us for six, though we are recovering well. But it has been a hard old week with little sleep due to excessive coughing. I think we were both run down because of the hard work of a month long renovation project. We are too old for the physical effort really. However, whilst it was never going to be a pretty room, since it is the boys' room with all of their paraphernalia, it looks neat and clean and loved. It was filled with mismatched furniture, dated wallpaper and a broken floor. It is clean and bright and functional and a lot more spacious. The plaster came off in chunks so we had to replaster a lot of it - Nigel did it - and we had to paint and paint and paint and then have the new floor laid then the carpet then build all of the furniture but the cats approve and that is the main thing. I will try to add some photos of before, during and after

 

The deadly before

 

The hellish during ...

 

and the new room with furniture carpet and cats!

Today I am thankful for

• a job complete
• cough and cold remedies
• churches streaming services when you are too sick to get there
• feeling ready for Christmas now