Dolly's Dreamings

A bit crazy - calmer now

It has been busy busy busy here but things have now calmed right down.

We had stewarding all weekend, the exhibition to take down and then I was teaching at my regular art group and then teaching beginners at one of my new workshops. So busy for two retirees.

But all good.

I sold a LOT of paintings and art work and cards at the exhibition and I even sold a painting at the local cafe I am in too. So that means I can invest in more art supplies!

These are the things I was teaching at art class

This was last week's lesson - how to draw an elephant

 

 

This was this week's - eye's

 

and this was my beginners class

 

I have new scrapping too

 

 

 

and this is a tiger I drew for Nigel in pastels - I DO NOT like pastels so it may be the last

 

 

The good news is Nigel liked it

Yesterday we had a fabulous (if freezing cold) day at Longleat on a members day for Icons in the sky. It was so cold and then rained that we didn't stay for icons but it did mean the safari was very very quiet and the cats very active so we really enjoyed that

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

boys will be boys!!!

 

 

 

and we even caught giraffe feeding time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful things are a little quieter for a while - thank goodness

 

 

 

 

 

A lovely day out an heading for busy days

I did think that when I retired, return to school would seek to mean little. However it means several things

Firstly it means we get our world back. That's awful isn't it! But everywhere is so busy - and so full of children - int he school holidays and it is nice to have it back quiet after the children return to school. Apologies to all of my teacher friends.

Secondly it means return to teaching for me. I am teaching all month at my regular art club and I am also teaching 3 classes independently so a total of 7 classes to prep and teach. It's not as bad as it sounds as all the prep is done, but I am feeling the pressure a little.

Coupled with the fact the exhibition is still on and we are stewarding a lot and its a busy time.  However I have sold 4 paintings at the exhibition and a whole load of cards so that is good.

We did have a lovely day out yesterday thanks to a tip off from a friend. We went to Caen Hill Locks and Devises (oh and popped into Longleat on the way back)

The 16 locks that form the steepest part of the flight at Caen Hill are not only a scheduled ancient monument, they are an Olympic-sized challenge every boater must do. This 'wonder of the waterway' is a rite of passage.

Caen Hill (pronounced ‘cane'), is one of the longest continuous flight of locks in the country. A total of 29 locks with a rise of 237 feet over two miles with a 1-in-44 gradient. It was fascinating to see and I was glad we didnt have to do all of those locks - it's hard work. Nigel helped a couple f people but it is hard for the boaters to negotiate.

Passing Stonehenge on the way

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then drove through Devises which was such a pretty market town

 

 

 

 

 

I also have some new scrapping to share

This is my July monthly page

 

 

My August monthly page (both open up to look like this and the journalling is all on the flap that lifts up

 

and this is a new collection from Elysian Studios

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely day out
• a different return to school this year (I don't miss the proper on at all)

 

 

A completed sketch book

I have finally completed my Coast to Coast sketch book and - sad as I am that it is finished as I have LOVED doing it - I am quite pleased with it.

They are not great works of art - nor are they meant to be - but they detail our epic journey acrposs the United States ad many of the small memories that made it special.

It really does combine my love of art and scrapping into one project.

Here is the video of the finished book ... apologies for the length - I tried to speak fast!

 

 

And a few of the final pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

my art bringing me joy each day

 

Shattered of Poole

I am exhausted. It's been a busy week and culminated int he church art week finishing today and there was a LOT of tidying up. I sold a pictures and a few cards but it is really about community with this event. I have a big exhibition going up next Wednesday for two weeks and that is going to be HARD work. And I think I am done with exhibiting after that to be honest. It's a lot of work for little or no reward. You sell rarely and I know that it is not because the work isn't nice its just what someone wants at that moment in time - the right subject, the right size etc. But it's hard work and it is spoiling my enjoyment of my hobby. So there  it is.

I do have some new things to share though

New scrapping from classes taught at A Trip Down Memory Lane.

 

 

 

This will be my penultimate class for ATDML as I have decided that it is time for me to step down. I find the class pages challenging as I don't really scrap 12 x 12 in paper anymore, I do it all in A4, and so I am stepping down and relaxing more.

 

I did do a drawing I was proud of this week though. We went to see the ospreys - a very special programme in our local town of gentle reintroduction - and so I cae home and drew this osprey which I was quite proud of

 

 

 

They take hours and hours but I had forgotten how much I enjoy doing them

 

Today I am thankful for

• being on the home straight of exhibitions this year
• Nigel helping me so much
• a clean house - yup housework day too

 

 

Beautiful Berry Big Deals

It's that time again with some stunning new bargain deals at Pickleberrypop that I have been playing with

 

Credits

Music of my Soul Collection by Jen Yurko

 

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Berry Big Deal August bundle by Natali Designs

 

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Dream Explore Discover Bundle by Lorie M

 

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Seaside Treasures by Carol W Designs

 

I'm afraid no pictures of the collections as typepad simply isn't working well again. I think it is one of the reasons I blog less - it is such a battle to add any images.

 

But trust me they are beautiful

 

Today I am thankful for

• managing to get SOME pictures up
• Watching birds this morning... blessed to see three osprey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing for exhibitions

It's been a quiet few days here as we have been getting artworks ready for two more exhibitions this month. One is very low key in Church this week and the other is more full on at The Gallery Upstairs in Upton again. I  am taking 16 framed paintings and also 20 unframed plus other bits and pieces.

There has been little scrapping time but I do have some to share

This is a design team piece for Scrap a Sketch using one of the gorgeous August premium sketches and showcases a day at Mottisfont and the hares we bought there.

 

 

 

 

 

And I had fun painting some little miniatures yesterday - not as small as my really small ones but still quite small

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• chilled days
• time with my best friend
• art which brings me such joy - and stress!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too tired and then too chilled

We had a very full on weekend - a weekend we knew would be an issue but it was more of an issue than we thought.

We decided to give back to the community a year ago. We have a local sort of residents association - run by volunteers and serving almost 6000 households. It raises funds and then spends them on community projects. They stage special events like Christmas lights and festivities, poppies for memorial days, help with financial support of community projects etc. We wanted to give back to our community now we are retired and so when approached we agreed to help. I agreed to take ont he role of secretary which, I was told, involved attending committee meetings once every 6 weeks and doing minutes. Perfect. Nigel then took on the role as Treasurer - not onerous they said. Oh my goodness. It has taken way more time than we anticipated and the weekend was a bit of an epiphany. As a committee we organised what was like a village fete. In fairness there s a committee of 7 and most falls on one lady for events and she is amazing - an utter superstar and she masterminded pretty much all of it, but we helped, Nigel helped a lot, and several other members of the committee were brilliant too. But it's not a fair distribution of labour and effort and it is more than Nigel and I wanted to be honest. The event on Saturday was a great success and raised more money than we anticipated but part (a small part) of our contribution was running a treasure hunt game and my craft stall. I swore 7 years ago I would never ever ever do an outside event again. Saturday reminded me why. We erected our very cheap very useless gazebo (everyone else had swish pop up ones) It was windy and it blew over twice and when it wasn't blowing over we were holding onto two of the supports. My knee has been awful so I was in a lot of pain and standing for 6 hours wasn't helpful. We were frustrated and tired and quite frankly exhausted by the time we had put it all up, taken it all down, packed away etc. So Sunday passed in a blur and then we spent Monday chilling (I say that laughably) in another heatwave.

However we feel more normal now and, even after yesterday's disaster, we have had a nice few days. I caught up with a good friend for a few hours this morning and my disaster I caused will hopefully be fixed tomorrow. My disaster....

 

When you are trimming back some shrubs and cut through a tough bit and realise it’s a Virgin Media cable not a branch it’s not a good day!!!

Thankfully it’s only … only … the phone cable not the internet and TV

I was not a popular wife at that point. He won’t let me use the electric trimmers because the last time I used those I cut through the cable on the trimmer, so I was only allowed the safe secateurs. Guess I’m not allowed those any more either! He said he’s a bit worried about me using cutlery these days!

However it was a laugh when you phone up … all automated of course … and you report its a fault with the phone (no option to say you have cut the cables) and they test it remotely and say it’s not working and then say they will call you to confirm the engineer visit on the number you have just reported isn’t working

 

Anyway - some scrapping to share from a recent cybercrop at A Trip Down memory Lane where I taught 2 classes and designed 5 class pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And ... just because ... a little meerkat I painted the day before yesterday

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• the weekend being over
• chill time
• Nigel - always

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lolly Bags Galore

It is Pickleberrypop's 18th birthday this month and all of the designers have produced Lolly Bags. These are little bags of beauty at remarkable prices but you don't get to see everything in them ... just a preview. But trust me they are amazing.

I have worked with a lot of them this week.

 

Credits

Lolly bag by Carol W Designs

 

 

 

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Lolly Bag by Bellisae Designs

 

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Lolly Bag #1 by Fayette Designs

Lolly Bag #2 by Fayette Designs

 

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Lolly bag #1 by Lorie M designs

 

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Lolly Bag #1 by kakleidesigns

 

 

Inspirational people

It's funny isn't it how you meet people and sometimes they leave a huge impression.

I went for my regular glaucoma check today and met a wonderful lady in the waiting room. A third lady received bad news on her phone whilst we were waiting and this other lady was just marvellous. It was a brief encounter but very powerful. Once the lady who had received the bad news had gone, the other lady and I got chatting It turned out she was a minsiter - in a very poor deprived area of the town - but a minister not attached to a church but who was ordained and helped people who didn't attend church, who didn't think they had faith etc. She was married to man who was a palliative care doctor. My goodness, what an inspirational couple and God certainly chose the right lady for his work with that one. It's hard to put the interaction into words, but it left me very moved.

My eye check went well - well as well as it could witht he IT system going down so I have to go back! And ont he way home I had great great news. News I didn't realise I had been waiting on quite so much as I broke down in tears.

After my breast cancer in 2022/2023 a test for something totally unconnected found a nodule in my lung the side I had had the cancer. Apparently they can be for all sorts of reasons and not always something sinister but in light of the past events they wanted to keep checking it. I had my most recent scan at the beginning of July and I hadn't heard any results. I was obviously concerned although I figured if it was serious they would have been in touch. But after having cancer the brain mess that is left means you don't always think positively or rationally. You can never speak to anyone on the respiratory dept as they are understandably busy but I rand at the end of last week and left a message to ask if I would get my results soon. Within an hour a very nice lady, the consultants secretary, rang me back. She said my results were ready to view but that she wasn't allowed to tell me them as she wasn't medically trained but she would make sure the consultant saw them and reported on them. I was impressed to have the call back.

Well she rang again today to explain the consultant had dictated a letter on 18th July but somehow it had been lost and there was now a new letter and, as she had it on the screen, would I like her to read it to me. Of course I said yes and the nodule hasn't grown, in fact it is a bit smaller! She was so lovely and I thanked her profusely for taking the tme to ring and to reassure me. Then I burst into tears. Our NHS may be broken, it may have lots of faults and be struggling to cope, but the NHS is made up of so many truly wonderful people ... not just the doctors, the surgeons, the nurses, the radiographers etc etc but the admin staff, the ancilliary staff, the cleaners, the volunteers. Those people are the NHS and they deserve every support for they are what makes it what it is.

So all round, a good day today. So good I spent an hour or so tidying and de- cluttering the kitchen oddments drawers. How do they get so bad and so full of junk with two relatively sensible retired people being the only ones who have access. It always seems to be a case of - I dont know what to do with this, I will just pop it in one of the 3 (yes there are three of the little buggers!) oddments drawers. How many pens, elastic bands, reels of thread, batteries, random screws, bits of paper etc etc do two people need or manage to accumulate! A great feeling of satisfaction when done - till next time!

I have some new scrapping to share

 

Credits

Ocean Waves by et designs

 

And some DT pages for A Trip Down Memory Lane using 49 and Market Summer Porch

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• meeting random strangers who inspire
• good news
• the people of the NHS

 

 

 

Thank goodness it is cooler and a sketch book catch up

I am not a fan of the very hot weather. I find it miserable and uncomfortable so I am glad it has become cooler.

We have, however, had a nice few days. Our patio is in the shade until about 12.30 and so we set up a home office/art studio outside and have send the mornings out there and in the afternoon have been going for drives in an air conditioned car. The first day I asked Nigel where we were going to go and he said it didn't matter as we were NOT getting out of the car anyway! Drives it was.

 

It did mean I caught up on some of my sketch book so here is a bumper edition of my Coast to Coast pages

 

 

 

 

I also have a DT page for Scrap a Sketch to share

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• cooler weather
• painting fun
• air conditioned cars and bedrooms

And you will be pleased to know I found my folder of 'weird and fun stuff to share on my blog' so expect more of this!!