Dolly's Dreamings

Pretty in pastels at Pickleberrypop

Today is the release of this months Berry Big Deals. A chance to get coordinated collections at stupid prices - too good to miss.

I was lucky to work with six of them this month ... and may yet do more.

 

Have a look at these collections and I am sure you will find something you just HAVE to HAVE

 

This is Aurora by Tiramisu Designs and was so very very pretty

 

 

Pretty enough for Alice!

 

 

And this is Celebrate Life by Lorie M

 

I used it to scrap a surprise Birthday celebration I had a couple of years ago - candles ably blown out with help from Elinor

 

This is Flawed and Fabulous by Chunlin Designs

 

 

 

 

It has been a long process but these days I celebrate my flaws

 

 

 

And this is Like Sweets by Dita B Designs

 

 

 

And I used it for another Paris trip page (I am doing the digital and the paper albums of this trip)

 

 

This is You Gave Me Wings by Fayette Designs

 

 

and I couldn'r resist playing witht his photo of Alice and adding her wings

 

 

And finally Treasured memories by Palvinka Designs

 

 

 

Just us - dressed up!

 

Do go over and have a look.

 

I am not sure what I am thankful for yet but I know I will be thankful for having a lovely visit with a colleague from my old school and for having such lush stuff to play with

 

Have a giid day and happy scrapping!

The CFH turn elebenty five

Today was a happy day in our house as our fur babies - well our fur old people - turned elebentyfive (that's 16 in real words) today. 

 

The CFH are going strong, thank the Lord. Bengals don't have a long lifespan and the vets are impressed at how well they are doing. Fiki is deaf and sleeps more and Kira is losing weight, but they are generally spry and certainly happy and we thank God for every single day we are blessed with them in our lives.

 

Birthday cake - of course - and they were confussed as they are not allowed on the worktops and certainly never eat there - but Mommy's knee is bad and it was a must for the photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And they even had fresh chicken for afters

 

 

 

 

 

They have brought us so much joy and love and we count ourselves truly blessed.

 

4 weeks old

 

 

 

6 weeks old

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 weeks old - first day at home

 

 

 

 

Our babies - always and forever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family time and IT'S BACK!!!

It's been a lovely few days. Nigel's brother and sister in law are over from the US visiting with his Mom and so it has been nice to have the chance to catch up with them.

 

They took us out to dinner for our anniversary which was wonderful and very kind of them - we had a super evening and a lovely meal.  And we were pleased to host them at our home too.

 

My knee appears to be up and down - and I am convinced that there is something 'lose' inside as yesterday I could barely walk on it at all and then there was a pop and it was much better. Who knows. I have now made a doctor appointment as I knew if I went to early they would just say see how it goes. It has been 'going' for three weeks and will be four by the time I get to see the doctor so I hope they refer me for x rays or an MRI or something because it is now stopping me doing anything. It is stopping us going out, walking and even the supermarket is an ordeal.

 

Nigel took me out for a drive int he sunshine today and I did manage to hobble round hobbycraft and buy a treat for myself (I have been very mardy!)

 

But I also got a BIG TREAT. Can't remember the last time I bought anything new to wear. I really don't need new things. But I fell in love with these and they are wonderful - they arrived today and are comfortable and just gorgeous.

 

 

I have been catching up on digital scrapping for new releases coming up but I can share this one made for a challenge

 

 

and this one also for a challenge

 

 

and finally a paper page I made this afternoon for another challenge

 

 

 

And finally - you must be wondering what is back ... GAME OF THRONES. I almost got up at 2 am to watch it live but settled for watching it at 7 am on catch up. The eight and final series and I was beyond excited. I am a huge fan for so many reasons (and not just Kit Harrington!) I think it is beautifully crafted with great dialogue, awesome scenery and cinematography, a programme where most fo the strong characters are women and I confess I am a little bit infatuated with Emilia Clarke. I can't believe there are only 5 more episodes ever! 

 

Today I am thankful for

• family time
• painkillers - they almost work
• new boots
• Game of Thrones.

and these just made me laugh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating us

Happy 33rd wedding anniversary to us!

Nothing big this year - but a nice trip out in the sunshine this morning - which has gone now. A hobble around Wimborne and a visit to the Minster to thank God for the blessings of each other. An ice cream in the sun and we were done.

I count myself so blessed to have married my best friend and I truly am thankful every single day. We have done some amazing things, seen some amazing places, but the best bit has been the ordinary everyday life together.

Just started dating - trip to America - start of a lifelong love for each other - and America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and us today - 33 years on, certainly older, maybe not much wiser, but even closer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I better share some of the scrapping stuff too eh!

 

This is the title page for the Fabulous Fall album. I never do title pages first - it takes me a while to get into the zone.

 

 

 

Nigel being a good student in the Amish one-room school house

 

 

Skilled costumed craftsmen at Jamestown Settlement.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• waiting patiently for Nigel for quite a few years! Proves all good things come to those who wait.
• Being best friends for almost all of my life.
• a perfect marriage -we do the mundane, we travel, we work, we care for our home, we argue, we play, we do our own hobbies, we parent our fur babies but most of all, we love and we laugh, every single day.

 

 

and breathe ....

So buying a new trolley was a great idea.

Today was THE day. Sorting day.

 

I seem to have spent the whole day shiffling things into different boxes. I am working on the premise it will make things easier but it has taken all day! I have filled two waste bins with things I no longer need, I have 6 different piles of goodies for sale that I won't use and I have some empty drawers and boxes. Whether I can ever find where I have put things is another matter, but it is tidier, smaller and more organised. 

And several lessons learnt.

• When you buy new inks use them or they will just dry out
• Stop buying STUFF
• Use stuff before it goes out of fashion and you hate it
• Don't under and circumstances by any more words to use on pages - probably EVER!!!!
• Same for tags

I have done no paper scrapping today but have three new digital pages to share with new Pickleberrypop products

 

Spring Flowers templates by Heather T and also

Winterfall by HeatherT

 

This one is of New Orleans and uses a fab jazz collection Jazz Pizzazz Bundle by Kathryn Estry

 

And this is another Alice page using Blue like the sky collection by et Designs

 

Today I am thankful for

organisation - I think

a tidier garden

a less painful knee

retirement - every day 

 

Cyber cropping fun

The fun of the cyber crop continued yesterday - in between a few other things.

I went to Hobbycraft and bought a new trolley to aid the organisation in my scrap room. I have so much stuff and the trouble is the small things are not well organised so I forget I have them and don't use them. Hopefully, this will help. I plan to sort it next week as this week is busy busy busy.

 

 

We also went to London to collect my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who are over from America to visit with Nigel's mom but we will get to see them too.

 

Anyway - without further ado - more cyber crop pages. I had a blast. I still have three more challenges to complete.

 

I have been enjoying working on my Paris album - this records how happy I was when we finally did the trip down the Seine - I only waited 25 years!

 

 

 

This is a page of Disney on Ice. Not my photos I am afraid. Mine were really poor.

 

 

Another Paris - this time a walk through Montmartre which was lovely.

 

 

And this one took an age. I punched lots of circles in two different sizes, cut them in half and then stitched them on a large circle.

 

Sacre Coeur where we renewed our vows after taking mass.

 

 

 

and finally Forsyth Park in Savannah and also took ages - I found it hard to fill the beautiful cut file with scraps. But I got there and I do love that file.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• knee is a little bit less agony
• Nigel looking after me and stopping me doing too much
• new storage to play with
• cyber crop fun - the scrapping community is so generous.

 

 

 

 

Lovely day but paid the price

I have been really good about resting my knee and it was starting to heal and be much better.

However, I walked far too much on it yesterday and it is back to square one.

 

However, yesterday was not to be avoided. We went up to Birmingham to see Disney on Ice.  I had always wanted to see it and so were pleased we had the chance.

The journey - normally 2.5 hours, was a long one, taking 4 hours due to sheer volume of traffic. Running the length of a very long service station to go to the loo didn't help the knee any (I say running - more like some sort of mutant limping oddity trying to go fast). Once there we were impressed with Resorts World Arena. Great parking at a reasonable price, great choice of restuarants and relatively close to the arena. Very close under normal circumstances. Tollerable for a hobbler. we were staggered by how empt it was. Less than a quarter of the seats were taken and the view we had was great. I tried photos - not good. I forgot my camera and the phone didn't cut it. The music was great and the skating good apart from a few falls, but we felt disappointed that there were not more technological effects - I guess we are spoilt by Disney USA. There was snow - but not like Disney snow - during the Frozen section, but it just seemed a bit 'cheap' somehow. I don't know if we have just been spoilt with what we have seen. Anyway we did enjoy it but were awfully late back and my leg is paying the price today.

 

However, there is a cyber crop on at Lottie Loves Paper and I have managed four of the challenges in just a few hours so I am pleased. Here goes....

 

My new photos from paris arrived this week so I was keen to use some. This is me stepping out of Sacre Coeur just after re-newing our vows to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary (can't believe we have been married 33 years next week!)

 

It was a challenge to make and use cathedral windows (the little folded circles) and I have never made them before so that was fun

 

 

 

This was a challenge to use tags and was inspired by finding a tag that someone made for me in a swap about 13 years ago - it is a gorgeous shaker tag and so it inspired me to get out stamps and stencils and distress inks and make three more tags and even use some fibres that hadn't seen the light of day in 10 years or more.

 

 

 

This was a colour swatch challenge and was just a bit of fun with the pink and blue and yellow

 

 

and this was the last one made today - a moody misty one with a photo taken on a gorgeous misty beautiful morning in February

 

 

Lots of machine stitching - it was a sewing challenge

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a relaxed day
• a great show yesterday - a dream fulfilled
• safe travels there and back
• Nigel looking after me today so I rest my knee

 

 

What a bizarre mix

The weather the last few days has been crazy. From warm sun and sitting outside having lunch on the balcony to a hard frost, sleet and hail showers and then back to sunshine.

 

Well _ guess it IS April and it is living up to its name.

 

But it is also Spring and I couldn't wait to scrap the blossom using this 

Spring – A Berry Blends Collab kit by Dita B Designs and Mooscraps Designs

 

I also couldn't wait to use the Lighthouse collection (including a FWP) by Dita B Designs

 

 

The photo was taken on our WOW tour (Way out West) and is me at Big Sur. The colours were just perfect and it reminds me of the lighthouses we saw on the trip

 

 

I am planning a scrappy day today as Nigel has to work, although I have to work in short bursts. The kneee is much better but I cannot sit for long periods as it really doesn't like being bent plus I think rest is what is helping it. (I tried working it to heal it - it didn't work!)

 

I did make this yesterday

 

 

It is the last Japan page for the album of our most recent trip and used up the last of the gorgeous Kaisercraft papers.

 

And thanks to Facebook friends, the issue with my Silhouette is now fixed. I know social media gets a lot of bad press, but I love it and Ibelong to lots of very supportive - and fun - communities. 

 

Today I am thankful for

• healing
• facebook groups that bring me joy
• scrapping time - though I miss Nij when he is out.

 

 

The continuing saga of the knee

So today, as the knee had been a little better, I decided that maybe using it and keeping it active was the way to go. Turns out not so much. I knew I couldn’t do thenusual walk through the park and to the library so we did a shortened version. Just as well really. I was in agony by the time we got back to the car. 

I just wish I could work out what it is. I am sure it is not muscular as it doesn’t hurt or ache all the time, just when I bend it or put weight on it whereas a muscle would hurt when pressed and ache even at rest. I don’t think it is a nerve as it isn’t that sort or pain. It feels definitely in the joint although by the time I had walked todaybthe pain was right down my shin bones ... not the calf ... the the ankle. It’s very odd. I didn’t trip or fall or twist or jar it. It just happened. Hopefully it will just go again one day. 

 

I did do do a little scrapping but not much as it hurts to sit with it bent. But I did use some Kaisercraft papers I had bought for this purpose before we went on holiday. I knew we were eating in Teppan Edo in the Japan pavilion. 

 

Nigel didn’t really want to go there. It wasn’t his sort of food but he was prepared to try it for me ... I like the food plus I wanted the theatrical experience. 

 

The theatre tre was great but no one would have guessed we would have Michael mcIntyres twin brother as our chef. It was too funny. 

 

 

 

and this second page is Nigel enjoying the bit of the meal he really liked ... his birthday cake. Even wearing a hat decorated for his birthday and Halloween didn’t put him off. 

 

 

Today I am grateful for 

painkillers

sunshine .... lunch on the balcony

chores done 

scrap,time even if limited 

Mixed Media day

I have missed blogging a few days - had issues with my knee which means sitting - as the knee is bent - is painful. It is a tiny bit easier today but no idea what I have done or how I have done it.

Anyway - a quick catchup of life then some lushness!!! 

 

Yesterday I had the easiest blood test ever. Nigel pre-warned the phlebotomist that I always had problems and I think a phlebotomist doing it is always better anyway as they are the experts whereas doctors and nurses have to do so many things they are often not so good at taking blood. Apparently, I have tiny veins (she described Nigel's as tree tunks) and they wiggle and collapse. She used a butterfly needle and was straight in first time with no issues. I can't tell you how relieved I was. 

Last night we went to a concert at Leaf Academy and oh my goodness - the students were amazing. There were three group numbers but some 20+ soloists and they were all terrific. Some of them were truly West End quality. Such power, such confidence and three of the students had also written their own songs. It was a terrific night and we were both in awe.

 

Today I have been on a mixed media day and it was awesome. We could do whatever we liked and the other ladies made canvases. I chose to decorate a box and a mirror and I got to play with a lot of products I haven't used before - but will use again as I have now bought them of course!

 

I was really pleased with the box which is about 6" x 6" and made of wood not MDF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can see me decorating a lot of things. I will post the mirror when I have finished it.

 

I have some new scrapping too

I have a rule that cats are NOT allowed in the scrap room but sometimes I relent and then THIS happens!

 

 

 

This was one of the gorgeous murals at ground zero that was so bright and beautiful and seemed to shout out HOPE 

 

 

and the birthday boy at Disney!

 

Today I am thankful that

• my knee is starting to be a little easier
• I had a fabulous crafty day
• new products to try and to play with
• Great nights out - at little cost