Dolly's Dreamings

A fair bit of scrapping

It's been quite a scrappy month this month and I am cracking on with both the annual album and the Coast to Coast (now running to 4 d rings as there was a lot to record on this holiday of a lifetime)

 

It's been great fun and I have also done a whole mess of fussy cutting, cutting up papers I would never use so I have bits I can add to pages.

 

This was fun and used fussy cut leaves - a lot!

 

 I also used coloured rub ons and my gold posca pen

 

 

 

This was a scrap squad sketch  I just loved.

 

 

This was for the pink week at For The Love of Pretty paper

 

 

 

We baked our Christmas cake yesterday - I do like a long time to be able to feed it brandy

 

 

 

 

Both the last one and this one use cut files from pear Tree Cut Files - her work is amazing and I am building up quite a collection

 

 

and we felt a mask picture just had to be done - it is sadly our way of life now

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• lovely scrappy times
• patience - it has been tested of late
• rainbows - you wouldn't have them without this seemingly endless rain

 

 

Just some great designs and adverts

 

 

 

 

 shared space done well

 

 

 

 

 

kick buttons on an elevator

 

 enabling you to see what ruins would have looked like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In search of colour

The weather has been pretty bad with storms but we are missing our fix of the USA and being there  in he fall so we went in search of local colour today.

It was horrible and wet and windy (why WERE so many people walking in the forest - it was horrid just in the car!)

Anyway - at one point the rain stopped and there was even a bit of blue sky and so we took a few photos. Not New England colour but pretty nice. The sky was odd at one point as half was thick cloud and half was clear blue - like a line down the middle. But what was nice is that the rain meant the trunks and branches were very black which made for nice contrast.

 

However we were both surprised as the bracken was really really red in places - bracken always used to be brown ... this was a definite red.

 

 

 

 

You can see the line int he sky quite clearly on this one - to our left was dark and stormy and to right was lovely. Very odd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and when we got home we were treated to a lovely rainbow.

 

and some of our recent jigsaws - they are all 1000 pieces and we are loving doing them

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely drive out and seeing some fall colour
• a bit of blue sky
• simple pleasures

 

 

Quite an odd few days - the good and the bad

Well it's been an odd few days here. I had some issues requiring the doctor which flagged up concerns under the two week system. I was waiting to hear when I got a phone call early yesterday morning to say they had a cancellation and could I go that afternoon, which I duly did. It was reasonably painful and unpleasant but I left in one piece and non the wiser just with more tests ordered which I should hear about in a few weeks. However yesterday evening the phone rang and it was the hospital to say they had another cancellation and could I go in for more tests today, which I duly did.

I am hoping that the investigations so far have ruled out anything sinister and I won't have to proceed to the next stage which is more invasive. We will see. However, I am impressed at how quick they were and, as always, impressed with the NHS as a whole.

 

I also had some shocking news that a girl I used to work with who became a friend as well as a colleague died suddenly yesterday. Much younger than me, it was shocking news. Hold your loved ones extra tightly because none of us know what is round the corner

 

But the good news is it is Nigel's birthday and so as well as the hospital - not the way we would have chosen to spend it - we also had very naughty bacon sandwiches for lunch and a starbucks. He says he is having a lovely day and he has new toys to play with so all is good!  And just because I can, pictures of my boy from the past 12 months in no particular order - we have had a fabulous year darling, at home and further afield

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been quite a year my love x

I have a few new pages to share made over the past few days between hospital visits and so on.

This was using a lovely cut file from Peartree Crafts and also my first ever real genuine flair - the squirrel. #

 

This was a challenge set by my UKS teamies to emboss on vellum - it was actually great fun

 

 

This is another for the holiday album - just showing that not all of Route 66 is pretty or photogenic. At the end of the day it is a road which was bypassed and where whole communities struggled and died. Important to showcase that too.

 

and this one  - though I am not finished with the album - this will be the last page  - leaving! we were so sad it was all over.

 

and finally a UKS challenge - this was a little town we just happened upon deep in Nebraska 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a wonderful NHS
• a wonderful year with a fabulous husband who is now very very old!!!

 

 

 

It's an Autumn joy day

OK so looking out of my window the world is not filled with Autumn joy - it's wet and grey - but my heart is.

I love Autumn so much and the colours for this month's Berry Big Deal colours were just so gorgeous I had such fun.

We also went out in search of Autumn Colours the other day but it is a bit early - hopefully, the wind and rain won't destroy them all before we get to enjoy them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some of the collections I worked with this month

 

Winds of change BBD by Bellisae Designs

 

 

Beautiful Stourhead - not like this this year yet - be we are hopeful it might be and we might get to go

 

 

 

Bootiful Halloween BBD Bundle by et Designs

This was Florida a few years ago

 

 

 

My Weathered Heart BBD by Jumpstart Designs

 

 

Dancing Leaves BBD by Heartstrings Scrap Art

 

 

 

 

Autumn Story BBD by Natali Designs

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• having these wonderful PBP collections to work with
• days out even if the autumn colour isn't great
• retirement - I like the pace

What a difference a year makes

One of the things I enjoy is when Facebook pops something into my feed that happened in the past.

 

This morning up popped a series of pictures like this - view from our room at Niagara Falls

 

 

 

 

We were on the trip of a lifetime - a 22 state coast to coast adventure.

How life has changed in that year.

The world today is very different as COVID stalks us all. Social distancing, masks, daily statistics,  handwashing, quarantine, lockdown, queuing, isolating all now part of our daily lives.

Our world has changed with the loss of Nigel's Mom, the loss of our beloved Fiki. we are now officially retired and both in our 6th decade. We keep ourselves to ourselves and walk more than we ever did. For the first time in years, we have had no vacation and have instead enjoyed careful day trips. Meals out are a thing of the past as are weekly cinema trips. But in many ways, we are more content in a simpler life and thankfully our love for each other is even stronger. But those photos popping up this morning certainly got us reflecting on things.

 

I have finished the scrap quad challenges this weekend and am pleased I managed all 14 of them.

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• experiences we have had in the past that still make us smile and memories we have made together
• getting through this year together
• Kira living her best life. She really does seem to be happy - I think she relishes the quiet and the lack of interference - Fiki was totally adorable but not always a perfect housemate or brother.

 

 

Clever adverts and other stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New scrapping

I have been quietly scrapping away over the last few days as the mood has taken me - playing a bit of catch up with challenges, especially over at Pickleberrypop and at Scrap Squad

 

This is one of my favourites of the last few days - a whole mess of stamping from about 20 different sets - but fun. Photo was taken in Albuquerque and just summed up that south western style.

 

 

Just us in Autumn

 

 

This one didn't work and will probably not make it intot he album but it was a nice idea. Lots of copper wax on this one

 

 

I couldn't resisit this one of Nigel and his brother. It was just perfect to scrap and taken for that purpose - though we were a little lost!

 

 

This met a challenge at both PBP and Scrap Squad of a half and half page

 

 

and finally the bird I love best of all - the barn owl

 

 

Today I am thankful for

the doctor being very good today - first time either of ur has had a face to face appointment this year. She was lovely - a GP I used to really like who retired 18 months ago but has returned to help. She was reassuring but sadly I have to now be referred  as a two week priority for more tests (though it might not be two weeks due to COVID)  I am thankful that she was on the ball and that we have an NHS and just hope it is working efficiently enough to fit me in, do the necessary tests and, god willing, say off you go, you are fine.

 

New releases

I have a couple of new releases over at Pickleberrypop to share with you. There are lots of new products in store but, in the interests of transparency, I get to work with them free in order to promote them.

 

These are two I chose this week

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't wait to scrap this of my little second cousins in South Carolina

 

 

 

Do go and check out the new releases - all on special offer at the moment

 

 

walks and scraps

Between the showers we have enjoyed our daily walks and even found time for a jigsaw as well. Oh and there has been scrapping of course.

 

I am thinking I am very much liking this retired life.

 

We did spend time yesterday watching the various news briefings and confess to being concerned about the rise in numbers of cases of Covid (and some close to home - the neighbouring town to ours has a lot of cases which is worrying. Our area is still zero on the map) Irrespective of what restrictions may or may not be imposed here or elsewhere, we are just keeping our heads down, keeping ourselves to ourselves and staying as safe as we can. I fear the inter is going to be worrying.

On to more cheerful subjects - more scrapping and three very simple pages that just tell stories we needed to record.

 

This one is one of the route 66 Muffler Men near Amarillo

 

 

 

This is about the beautiful cross of Groom which we loved visiting and was an unexpected joy on the trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this one records such a special experience

 

Today I am thankful for

• retirement
• no holiday but plenty of holidays from previous years to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

scrapping in a community

It is no secret to any of you that I love my scrapping. It has saved my sanity when things were tough and times were dark and I have made many many good friends through this amazing hobby.

I have felt very strongly that scrapping has saved me and people in scrapping are so darned generous with their time, their inspiration, etc.  I am so grateful that I try and give back. I have run free courses, I co-run UK Scrappers and this weekend I started on a  new venture to give back. I have become one of the admin team for For the Love Of Pretty paper - a facebook group I have been so happy to be a part of and which I can now give some of my free time to to help the owner Natalie, who I have to say is an inspirational lady. I am so proud that she had trust in me to be one of her team and I look forward to it enormously.

I have been playing this weekend with the challenges over at Scrap Squad, another wonderful site.

 

This sketch leant itself perfectly to an auyumn picture of us ... lots of fussy cutting on this one

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an odd shape for me - it is to go in my home town album

 

 

This was my poor tired feet in Devon. I had fun with the stamping and stencilling

 

 

 

and finally one of the sculpture park again with lots of fussy cutting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kira continues to be well, playing like a kitten and glued to our sides. I think it is not so much that she is missing her brother but rather that she is quite liking being number 1

The only down is the new pills are making her head and ears itch - it is a known side effect - so we are keeping an eye on her as she has bald spots behind both ears now.  Poor little girl - she is very itchy.

 

Today I am thankful for

• lovely walks
• happy scrapping
• new opportunities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delightful Dorset Days

Friday morning is often shopping day and so an early start. Today was such a day and Nigel left in the cold chill of a 5 degree morning and hunted for us. Actually, the weekly shop is small, even when we shop for an elderly lady int he street too, and so he was back early, shopping was washed (yes we are still ultra careful) and we were out by 9 am. We headed out into the Dorset countryside to a little place our neighbour told us about with a waterfall and lake. We were ill-prepared for the wet grass we had to meander through and so we spent the rest of the morning with wet feet (yes we were both in trainers but the mesh affords little protection) However wet feel was a small price to pay for the beautiful views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then headed to West Bay and Golden cap for another walk and a lovely picnic bought from a little bakery there.  Picnic INSIDE the car - it was just a little too cold to be eating out and ... wet feet remember

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just another lovely morning.

Scrapping to share too

 

Kira - just posing so beautifully ... she has been an absolute gem these last 10 days.

 

 

This was for a challenge over at For The Love of Pretty paper (and talking of that ... I have news in a minute )

 

You had to use metal and so I ventured into my big box of metal bits and found letters and ribbon slides and words. The sculpture is one of our absolute favourites anywhere and is in our home town of Poole outside the RNLI headquarters and college .It moves us every single time we see it. It is a very powerful piece.

 

 

This was another challenge and falls into the 'it wasn't worth the effort' category. I spent ages embossing chipboard for an all white page which simply didn't happen

 

 

 

 

and forgive me - I can't remember if I shared this fiddly one either - lots and lots of cut and coloured leaves.

 

 

 

Now my FTLOPP news. I am so proud to be on the new admin team for the group. It is such a happy friendly group and everyone is so supportive so I am thrilled to be on the team.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a wonderful day out
• living in Dorset
• sunshine
• scrapping which has brought me so many friends, so many opportunities and a chance to give back