Dolly's Dreamings

Scrapping decorating and exhaustion

It has been incredibly busy here with all the decorating and we are both exhausted. I am almost ready to share pictures but we have one more thing to build and so it will wait.

But we are both stiff and way too old to be doing all of this.

I have also been bust scrapping and painting. I am doing the de Winton paper company advent calendar again this year and playing along with the Christmas event as Scrap a Sketch, the 12 days of Christmas at Scrap Squad and the stuff your stockings event at Pickleberrypop

Digital pages first

 

 

 

Paper pages 

 

 

 

 

 

and we did pop to Winchester Christmas market. This was one seriously huge vat of mulled wine! 

 

Today I am thankful for 

• scrapping fun 
• a day out 
• pain killers 
• a project almost completed - home stretch now 

 

awesome dsay and some scrapping

 

We had the most amazing day at Longleat on Monday. I took two of my best photos of animals - both of which I plan to paint and the festival of lights was utterly amazing.

I will try and add a few photos but I am guessing typepad won't like it

and I will try a couple pf lantern pictures

yes the castle and the pyramnid are silk lanterns but this year you could walk through them - it was amazing

 

You will have to imagine the others - there were dozens and dozens - as typepad is soooo slow.

We had a wonderful thanksgiving meal yesterday and went to Mottisfont today to see the Nutcracker display

And these are new releases out today

 

 

Credits

Silver Frost Bundle by et designs

 

 

 

Credits

Count your blessings bundle by Carol W designs

 

 

Today I am thankful for

wonderful days out

Chinese lanterns

Thanksgiving - I try and be thankful every day but it is good to have the mind even more focussed on gratitude

Berry Big Deals

There are some great berry big deals to snap up today at Pickleberrypop

Credits

Enchanted November BBD Bundle by TirAmisu Designs

 

 

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Here and Now BBD Bundle by Chunlin Designs

 

 

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Frozen Lace BBD Bundle by et designs

 

Catching up with awesome days and hard hard work

I will start with the positives, but I do try and find the positives in everything really. So perhaps it is all positive

First of all - we went to an amazing evening at Salisbury Cathedral. It was an exhibition/experience in sight and sound and light and was amazing. On the theme of time it featured 8 light and sound installations inside and outside the cathedral so amazing lights and projected images on the medieval architecture. It is hard to describe but was like being inside a giant kaleidoscope.

 I have some photos but they really don't do it justice

 

 

So typepad doesn't like the images of Salisbury and simply won't add any more.

Onto other news without pictures obviously.

I am now the chairman of our local PPG group - not quite sure how that happened but it did. In a year I appear to have become the chair of two groups and the secretary of a third. Still, it was a good way of being able to give something back to the community.

I taught another art class at club for 25 people and a beginners class for 10 people and we have started major work on the boys room.

 

We are having to do it very very slowly because Koda cannot stand change at all, so we are spreading it over four weeks. We are in week 2 now. We thought 4 weeks was ages, but it turns out it is not as long as we thought because when we took the wallpaper off it took a considerable amount of the plaster as well so we have a LOT of work to do to make the walls good.

The good news is that we are still pacing it for Koda's benefit - and for ours as we are old - and so have days off between work days to give him 'recovery' time.

Today was glorious and we had a fabulous day out in Sherborne.

And the autumn colours are still beautiful

I also took a cold porcelain class and made some poppies which I thoroughly enjoyed

 

and I have been working hard to make lots of new things for craft fairs which are coming up soon

 

 and typepad has decided no more pictures. I was going to share scrapping but it's not keen

 

Today I am thankful for

• days out
• working together for home improvement
• a chance to serve my community
• creative pursuits

 

A quick catch up

Life is a bit busy at the moment. Considering we are two retirees we have a quiet life but our calendar is pretty full at the moment- mostly with good things.

We are starting the renovation of our spare room so that is hectic

I was  teaching art yesterday, and at a cold porcelain class today which was fun. And we have a mess of things coming up.

I did have new scrapping to share though with new Pickleberrypop kits

 

 

 

and a couple of new, not very me, paintings from an abstract art class. They were not meant to look like this - I covered them with doodles as it wasn't my sort of thing

 

They are covered - and I mean covered - in gold pen

 

 

Today I am thankful for

busy lives and fulfillment

A general catch up

Life has been busy here with one thing and another - and how can two grown adults make such a meal out of picking paint colours.

we are embarking on our last but one renovation - our spare bedroom - well the boys bedroom - which is grim at the moment. New furniture ordered, workmen for the flooring booked in, just clearing and decorating to go!

It will be worth it I'm sure.

 

We had a fabulous day out at Longleat on friday and saw the cubs running around and playing. The mummy tiger has done so well to raise 4 such healthy little girls. I am guessing typepad will let me show very few photos.

It's struggling - again - with pictures but I have to share this one of them running. It's out of focus but it was what we watched for ages - little cubs running, chasing, jumping and having fun

 

We saw lots of other animals but pictures are impossible to load today.

New scrapping with pickleberrypop Autumn collections

You can get this berry blends collection for free from now until 11th November free with $12 purchase

 

 

 

and this showcases Nigel's latest pumpkin carving - a Koda pumpkin

 

 and finally two autumn boyz pages

 

and finally a couple of my more recent paintings I haven't shared.

If you want to see my artwork properly you can see it on my insta pages where I post all of my art work which is Instagram @scrapdollyart

I also have a facebook page Karen Leahy Art

We were playing with print transfer at art and this is a print transfer of my grandfather's certificate of bravery

we were alsoplaying with paintings based on maps

This was made using leaf prints for the background

and I am loving zentangles at the moment

 

Today I am thankful for

• almost being done with renovations
• art which brings me great joy

Golden Days

I love love love Autumn

It's m absolute favourite - the colours, the light, the crispness. I love everything about it.

And our visit to Stourhead summed it up. Not the most perfect trip as the breeze meant the lake was rippled not mirror smooth, but Oh the colour! The light!

 

 

I had other nice photos but typepad isn't playing. It took half an hour to upload these

 

This is a new Autumn release today too

Credits

Autumn Aura Bundle by Sekada Designs

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• Autumn
• Days out
• The beauty of the world

New berry big deal releases

Today's is just a quick promotional post (scroll to yesterday for my news)

 

 

Credits

Boho Vibes by Natali Designs

 

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Be A Challenge collection By Dutch Dream Designs

 

 

Credits

Cherished memories BBD Bundle by Lorie M

 

 

A bit of scrappiness, a bit of boating, a bit of safari

It's been a busy week here with art club, with another birds of Poole Harbour boat safari and another trip to Longleat but it has all been fun.

We had a fabulous day out on the boat with friends and saw the birds I most wanted to see - the White Tailed Eagles of course, but also avocets, curlews, spoonbills and so so many more species including march tits, marsh harriers, countless breeds of ducks, geese and gulls, black tailed godwits etc etc. And we shared it with good fiends which made it all the more special. The light was perfect and it was just beautiful.

 

If typepad would play I'd share photos but it's having a silly.

Yesterday we went to Longleat again and it was a tiger day! We were lucky enough to see the four new cubs. They are now 5 months old but have only just started going into the safari area and just for short times. It was wonderful to see them but I didn't get good photos as they were fast. I did manage to get some nice photos of Dad though

 

Today I worked as a volunteer at the flu clinic which was different and, between all that, I have painted and scrapped.

I have been playing along with the 12 days of Autumn at Scrap Squad and have just finished all 12 lifts which I am thrilled to have done as life has been busy.

I shared some the other day. These are the rest

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• days out with friends
• longleat membership - we do love it
• scrappy challenges
• being able to volunteer help

A Scrappy Day

It's been pretty miserable today after having some beautiful Autumn Days.

However I have had a lovely time scrapping. I so rarely scrap these days but tackled all 6 of the Scrap Squad 12 days of Autumn posted so far so am quite chuffed with that

Butterflies at Blenheim

 

Us at Blenheim (see a theme here!)

 

Inside Blenheim

 

 

Giraffes at Longleat

 

 

 

And Indy helping put up fall decor

 

 

It has been a fun day

 

Today I am thankful for

• Autumn - still my favourite season of the year
• scrappy time - what to do on a rainy day