Dolly's Dreamings

Class catch up

I have been busy scrapping but it is new stuff not for release yet that I cann0t quite share and so I have delved and found things I haven't shared but are now legitimately 'out there'.

 

Way back we had an awesome cyber crop at A Trip Down Memory Lane. It coincided with the release of Toy Story 4 (I am still in two minds about that one, to be honest ... I didn't like Bo Peep and didn't like that Woody left the gang)  but it was so much fun to have classes and challenges Toy Story Themed so I will share a few of my things over the next couple of days.

 

I hosted a class called Mr and Mrs Potato Head and they insist it was nothing to do with the way Nigel and I looked in photos - honestly. It was based around the gorgeous Kissing Booth Collection from Simple Stories that I love so much so I was thrilled to use it for a class. 

You can find the class instructions HERE if you want to have a go yourself. It doesn't need to be with the same papers.

 

This was my first page. I loved the idea of using a jigsaw piece and so that was what I set out to do - there are templates in the instructions too.

See we don't look too like the potato heads!

 

 

It was a bit fiddly to cut but great fun to play with. You need to select your photo carefully though as it probably wouldn't look good across someone's face.

 

 

This was the second page

The colours worked so well for our niece's wedding in June. And of course, it was love-themed. And no - they don't look like Mr and Mrs Potato head either!

 

 

 

 

 

And this was the third which also included a small mini-book for extra photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do go and check out the class and, if you do make one of the pages, I would love you to share what you make both with me and with A Trip Down Memory Lane.

 

Today I am thankful for

• being on a design team I love so much with gorgeous things to play with
• a busy - but very enjoyable day

 

And just some cool stuff I spotted ... I thinkt hey are very clever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October ATDML pages

Did I mention I love Autumn!

The weather has been a bit mixed but the light, when the sun shines, is fabulous. It really is my favourite time of the year.

The cats have migrated to their winter beds which have been abandoned all summer but are now being well used at they snuggle up. I think that as they are now elderly cats they feel the cold more. Works for me too!!

 

I shared my first batch of Design Team pages last week working with the Graphic 45 Faerie Dust papers. I also had the gorgeous Indigo and Ivy papers which I really loved and so here are a couple of pages made with those papers.

 

I loved cutting the chevrons and then I outlined the bottom in baker's twine

 

 

Lots of fussy cutting plus I added stenciled leaves

 

 

 

 

and this one also has lots of fussy cutting

 

 

 

and I made the paper weave heart from the manufacturer strips on the various sheets - waste not want not!

 

Today I am thankful for

• central heating and snuggling up
• glorious papers to work with from A Trip Down Memory Lane

 

 

 

Truly Grateful

I have much to be grateful for - truly I do.

 

I had good news from health test results, I have a wonderful husband who is also my best friends, I have a roof over my head, food on the table (too much probably) and two perfect cats. Oh, and I have great scrapping papers.

I received another gorgeous design team pack from A Trip Down Memory Lane with Pink Paislee Truly Grateful and I had fun playing with it.

 

This first one was taken last week when Nigel's brother from America was over and his brother and sister in law from Coventry came down and we all went to what has become the family's restaurant on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had fun using the squares on this one

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I don't have many photos of my Mom and Dad together and I love this one

 

 

Do go and check out the papers at A Trip Down Memory Lane.

 

Today I am thankful for

• all the many many blessings in my life
• being on the DT of ATDML

 

 

I appear to live in a laundry

I wash clothes all the time - I don't iron often!

Most of our things - if I dry them carefully - don't need ironing. But somehow I had a basket full of ironing this week. 

I put it off because of my ribs but today it had to be tackled.  We needed the clothes!

 

Actually ironing is one of the few chores I enjoy. It has instant gratification! If you dust or polish it doesn't really look any different. I don't hoover (long story - chores divided up when we first married - he got floors!) so ironing has instant results and I love the smell of clean linen and the look of everything neat and crease-free. So it wasn't too bad really.

 

I did find a little time for scrapping too.

 

It was my turn to set the challenge on UKS and until I actually made my own page for it I didn't realise it was as hard as it was with so many things to be included. Sorry ladies. I was pleased with this page of our niece on her wedding day though using Dita B products from Pickleberrypop.

I have also made a few pages for the FTLOPP winter challenge. I have decided to make an 8 x 8 album and have 4 pages so far - all very simple

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• scrapping time
• clean clothes all ironed.

 

And these amazing photos were on bored panda today, none of which were photoshopped - just the right angle at the right time.

This viaduct is in the UK

 

 

 

 

 

perfect timing

 

a special process where the reflection is different

 

The importance of shadows - a levitating horse

 

 

 

tallest bus in the world

 

 

 

 

apparently it broke like this

 reflections and surface tension

 

 

from a doorway in a tent

 

 

 

 

Wyoming - called the highway to heaven

perfect placement

 

even the water is an elephant

perfect pole placement

 

perfect timing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers answered

Thank you so much to those of you who have reached out to me and who have prayed on my behalf or just sent good vibes.

After a horribly worrying few days, the doctor phoned today to tell me the x-ray was good. The heart was normal shape and size, the lungs were normal and nothing looked untoward in the bones themselves. He is however still concerned and was quick to say x rays don't show everything and he still wants to get to the bottom of what is going on but I am so relieved - in a bit of a daze to be honest. But so grateful. 

We have a couple of strategies to try and then a review then more tests. I feel well looked after and just so very very grateful.

I have some new scrapping to share too.

I am hosting a challenge at Pickleberrypop this month - do go and check the challenges out - they are great fun and you can win freebies too. You will find them here

 

This was my sample page for my style challenge so go check it out.

 

 

If you do the challenges you can win this for free

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• having a clear x-ray
• my prayers being answered
• FAITH

 and I enjoyed these so thought I would share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this made me laugh so much

 

Boo to you

I have two new releases from Pickleberrypop to share today - trying to do anything to take my mind of thinking really.

 

This collection called The Night by Dita B is just gorgeous.

 

 

 

I used it for this picture which we took in the Mexico Pavillion in 2017. They had a Coco exhibition on to coincide with the release of the film and it was too beautiful not to snap.

 

 

This is called Boo by Natali Designs

 

 

 

I couldn't resist playing with insta filters when we celebrated Halloween at Port Orleans last year

 

Today I am mostly waiting for results. Please keep everything crossed for me - I am hoping I will have a major major thankfulness tomorrow. x

Reason for missing - a bit of a shock

I missed posting yesterday but I wasn't in a very blogging sort of mood to be honest. I had a bit of a worry.

I have been battling with rib pain for weeks and weeks. Last July I broke my ribs and they eventually healed and I was pain-free. In about June I started getting tenderness where I had hurt my ribs for no reason at all. I mentioned it to the doctor in August and she felt it was OK and nothing to worry about. Some days it would be worse than others. Then it began to spread and rather than just being in a small spot on my right side at the bottom of my rib cage it started to spread round the side and to the back and it started to be more and more persistent. It didn't feel muscular and it was very very tender if pressed. Then at the weekend the pain and tenderness spread to my breast bone as well. So I got a doctor's appointment yesterday expecting him to say yes it was rib pain and it would go and take more paracetamol. 

It was a doctor I hadn't seen before and he was very nice. He listened to my concerns and then examined me carefully. One of the first things he said was' what is the scar on your back from?' I told him it was a malignant melanoma removed 5 years ago. He checked my lungs etc which he said sounded fine and then he checked my ribs and abdomen all over and it hurt. He then sat me down and said that it didn't seem muscular but either bone pain or nerve pain and the next step was an urgent referral for a chest x-ray. I questioned urgent and he said in light of my medical history he wanted that checked as soon as possible. I asked Nigel, who was in the waiting room, to come in, and we discussed his concerns. He agreed the melanoma was a red flag and that whilst everything was probably Ok it needed to be checked as a priority. So I left in a very different frame of mind than I entered and in a bit of shock really as I wasn't expecting that scenario. Nigel keeps telling me - and I know he is right - that they have to cover themselves and that it is unlikely to be anything wrong but they have to check etc etc. I keep alternating between worst-case scenario and thinking it is all a waste of people's time. I had my urgent chest x-ray this morning and will hear results in a couple of days. If you can, keep me in your thoughts and the odd prayer wouldn't go amiss either, please.

Consequently I haven't really been able to settle to anything today.

 

I did make this yesterday though - a lovely picture of Nigel and his Mom who is increasingly 'absent' as the dementia steals more and more of her away.

 

 

 I used more Indigo and ivy and it was made for ATDML.

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• the speed of our NHS which is terrific when it needs to be
• the care of NHS staff - they were lovely as always today and I watched nurses and ancillary staff be so kind to so many people and so patient with them
• faith - it's so key!

 

Bargain day

                   So today has been a day of bargains.

First thing was I went to the local craft destash sale and I snapped up and incredible haul of bargains - thickers type alphas for 20p, wooden embellishments, stamps, enamel dots, ephemera. I came away with loads at a princely cost of £7.

Then, of course, it is Digital Scrapbook Day - loads of bargains everywhere but of course, the best have to be at Pickleberrypop and I have a couple of the bargain kits to share here

 

This Nature Walk by Palvinka designs and is released today and utterly gorgeous

 

 

 

and I made this

 

 

I had yo work with this one of course - Here Kitty Kitty by Heather T

 and here is the monster with it

 

 

and don't forget that this collection Autumn Road is FWP at the moment

 

 

In other news yesterday we went to see Joker. I have to Joaquin Phoenix was utterly amazing but ti was a hard film to watch - very disturbing in so many ways and some bits I had to look away. But I think oscar worthy.

 

It is a glorious day here - after a beautiful misty start (it looked so pretty over the heath)  I hope you all have a fab Saturday and so snap up some bargains

 

Today I am thankful for

• Misty autumn mornings
• autumn sunshine
• painkillers (still struggling)
• bargains

 

Fairies live here

Do you believe in fairies? I do. When I was little my parents could get me to be a good girl and do as I was told if they told me Tinkerbell wanted me to do it or Tinkerbell would be sad if I was naughty. I loved Tinkerbell. And I know she is real - I have met her so she must be!

 

Plus - we have a fairy door that leads under our patio - so they must be real here at home too!

 

My reason for sharing my 'fairy belief' ... I have been working with fairy papers for ATDML. The gorgeous Fairie Dust by Graphic 45 and I have three pages to share, all with a lot of fussy cutting.

 

The first page was colour inspired - Disney purple we call it - and the EPCOT globe lit beautifully

 

 

 

 

The second is of Versailles because it was such a magical place to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

And another Disney page - this time Hollywood and Vine for Halloween.

 

 

 

In other news, I had a lovely time at Art today learning something new and when I walked in half an hour ago it was to a warm cosy house because the heating is on. Yes that Indian summer we enjoyed for so long seems to have passed and it is proper chilly - but I LIKE that!

Yesterday we went to see Judy at the cinema - the story of the last London tour of Judy Garland and it was pretty terrific. We loved it and Renee Zellweger was brilliant - I am sure she will be nominated for an oscar.

 

Today I am thankful for

• fairies - of course
• lovely Design Team papers to work with from A Trip Down Memory Lane
• The weekend - it starts here!

and to finish - some amazing award-winning photographs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most wonderful time of the year

Oh, I love Autumn. As I sit here typing the sun is shining, the air is a tad chilly, the light is gorgeous and the leaves are turning. The nights are getting longer and cosier and - well I just love Autumn. I truly do.

It has been a thrill to work with some of the new Autumn collections over at Pickleberrypop and they have a MEGA celebration on with awesome $2 deals and an amazing FWP kit.

 

This is what you can get for free is you buy during the special promotion which is on right now until the weekend. Yes, I said FREE. You can check it out here

 

 

I couldn't resist this page of the cutest little pumpkin in the patch

 

 

Dita B's collection called Romantic Fall is gorgeous with soft muted colours and so many elements

 

 

Tiramisu has some wonderful templates on offer at the moment - brand new and totally gorgeous HERE

 This page showcases the gorgeous dawn sunlight in Maine almost a year ago. How is it possible.

 

 

and Disney Pumpkins - such a special thing to see

 

I made the page below with Studio PIX+ Prints Indian Summer which is just gorgeous  and showcases by bestie and her daughter (oh and me) at her 30th birthday

 

 

and this one was made with The Miracle of Autumn by et Designs and isn't he just utterly adorable.

 

 

Finally - because I do love Autumn - me enjoying Stourhead splendour in the Autumn (It was freezing that day though so I am rather wrapped up!)  Made with Tiramisu The Magic of Fall

 

 

Do go over and check all of the fab designs over the next few days. It is a chance to snap up lots of bargains and snag that stuffed with lushness free kit THIS LINK will take you to the $2 treats

 

Today I am thankful for

• being a Berry Princess - it is such a happy place to hang out and we have awesome designers
• autumn - the light, the colours, the chill, the whole lot