Dolly's Dreamings

Amazing sight and fun news

Today has been a glorious day - really cold and really sunny. We took Nigel's mom out for her birthday and bought her new shoes and had a meal and then- ont he way home - I suggested we go and see if we could see the amazing starlings over Studland. We parked up by the ferry as the sun started to set.

The views of the sunset were wonderful - even before nature's other brilliant display.

 

 

 

 

Did I mention I love my home town!!!

 

Then the starlings started to form. I took this from the RSPB site as it explains what we saw far better than I ever could

 

Well over 10,000 birds start to gatherand the flock soon grows big enough to perform all the mesmerising dances, or murmurations, for which starlings are renowned. The smoke-like shapes stretch and twist and fold back on themselves with endless variation. Sometimes the cloud splits into two and then silently reforms again into one swirling, swooping, intricate mass behaving like a huge single entity. Through binoculars the flock becomes a miasma of darting shapes, impossible to follow individually, moving very fast within the slow moving whole, dancing like individual pixels in a digital picture.

After about twenty minutes the birds all dive for cover and in seconds are gone, leaving only a fading shadow on the memory to prove that they were really there.

I had seen a murmuration before - though not this good - but Nigel hadn't and we were mesmerised. There were times it would vanish completely and then it would be thick black like smoke and swirl and split and reform and drift in waves.

 

I didn't have my camera just my phone so no great photos - though I did get some video. You can see them in the distance behind the ferry  ... trust me it was so impressive to see in reality - looked much better than the faint black smudge the camera caught. It was 2 degrees but I stood and watched for half an hour until I could no longer feel my hands or feet.

 

 

 

This is a photo from the RSPB site which shows what they were like in reality

 

 

Then we drove round the harbour and home - yet more gorgeous views of the sunset over Brownsea Island and the harbour

 

 

 

 

 

News of new collections too today.

 

It is Pickle Barrel day at Pickleberrypop and a chance to snag those 6 pack bargains - lush colours this month too.

 

The first collection I worked with was by Eudora Designs and a template set by Miss Mel

 

 

 

 

 

and this is what I created

 

 

It is a little baby Emily.

 

Dawn also has a selection of 4 products on massive half price sale for today only and you can find them at her store and all of them are showcased here; organic papers, painted masks, messy stitches and gesso

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• nature's beauty all around us
• my home town
• glorious winter days
• pampered feet (first thing treatment this morning)

 

 

 

All shining brightly

Yesterday we bought a new light for the kitchen - maybe not quite the solution we wanted ... in an ideal world we would have liked downlighters set into the ceiling butt he thought of having the floor up in the spare room and en suite (above the kitchen) was not appealing ... and Nigel fitted it today and wow. Having lived with a single bulb pendant light for the past 21 years which means in several areas of the kitchen, including the sink, you are in your own light, this is so much better. In fact it is a little too bright for eating and we eat at the table in the kitchen most days and so Nigel is also going to fit a dimmer switch - good and bright for preparation and clear up, nice and subtle for eating.

In the past few days we have spruced up the kitchen a treat. Just everywhere else to do now. In fairness it is just paintwork to touch up so not too bad. The rest of the house was decorated to within an inch of its life over the past 7 years. 

I have new scrapping to share today made for a UKS challenge and using my bargain back of Bo Bunny I treated myself to.

 

 

The lovely map paper already has the wheel and the Diesel corner piece so it was perfect for the topic of Radiator Springs.

I slit the steering wheel so the picture slotted in underneath it (though I later covered that up so it was a little pointless). I used a bright yellow mount to pick up on the bright yellow pump and also mounted the journalling block and some of the embellishments on the same colour.

The big sign that forms the title was also a Bo Bunny piece but it had different writing int he middle so I covered it with a strip of white and then added cut out letters. On reflection I could have printed it but heck - you live and learn.

Most of the embellishments were from various digital kits that I printed out and cut out.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun page to complete.

 

I have also done a mess of digital scrapping as I have another photobook to make and am trying to complete the right number of pages before my pre-purchased credits run out.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely lunch by the lake
• a bright kitchen in every sense
• Kita being sick free again.

 

 

 

 

General busy day

Today has just been busy - no idea why it just has.

But a very very good day as we accomplished stuff we had been wanting to do for ages.

 

I have scrapped but not scanned the pages - that's the sort of day it has been.

I do have a page I made a little while ago though.

 

We were fascinated when we went to America in September at all of the Pumpkin farms everywhere. There were so many - huge huge places and we saw pick your own pumpkin patches, trucks loaded with pumpkins and several very very bizarre places selling pumpkins by the roadside.

 

It was something we don't see here so I couldn't resist scrapping it.

 

I loved having the chance to but pumpkin papers and elements when in the States - not something I have ever really used before. The two big pumpkins were left over from a sheet of paper I cut up for a previous layout. The leaves and small pumpkin were stickers and I used lots of off cuts of other pumpkin themed papers carefully placed to look like much bigger pieces than they were!

 

Today I am thankful for

• getting a very good job done
• time to scrap amidst everything
• being married to the most wonderful man int he world ... OK so I am biased but I am!

 

 

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Tired but so worthwhile

We have decided that the house needs some TLC. It looks lovely and I love my home, but there are bits that need a refresh and a bit of a spruce up - mostly the paintwork.

However, the kitchen, which I used to pain every few years, needed a good paint. Today was the day.

Nigel bought very off paint - and to be honest I wish he hadn't as I think it was a bit of a waste of money. It was white matt emulsion that was pink int he tin and turns white when it is on. Personally I think it is a gimmick but he felt it enabled us to see more easily where we had painted and where we had not. To be honest it needed to be a whole lot pinker!

However, the kitchen was duly covered - everywhere -

 

 

 

 

I did the walls and he did the ceiling and coving and it all likes white and fresh and clean and bright.

However I have decided I am going to get quotes for the paintwork in the house. We have all the skirting boards and radiators and we have 14 doors, front and back and to be honest I don't think even of us have the stomach for rubbing down 28 door sides, cleaning them and painting them. If it is astronomical in cost then we will have to do it, but I can think of things I would rather do to be honest. We will see.

 

Barb I love the fact that we both speak the same language but English and American have so many words that are unique to each.

No new scrapping today but I have a page I made a few days ago

 

 

It was a picture of a tree that took my fancy near Carmel beach - I do have a bit of a thing for trees!

 

 

Today I am thankful for

a job well done

a bright clean kitchen

soap!

 

 

 

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The cold without the joy

So the weather has been bitter - and I mean bitter - the sort of weather that when you are put in it, as we were briefly, you go 'ooooh' automatically as you experience the wind chill. I don't mind the cold, but i confess I would have liked the snow that others had. Nothing, nada, not a flake.

 

It was jolly windy and we sat by the sea for a bit and it was choppy choppy choppy. We also did our supermarket shop - nothing worth reporting I know but there is a reason I enjoyed it. One of my Christmas presents, that I asked for, was a set of trolly bags and oh my goodness I love them. Yes, I know that makes me sad.

I like to do scan and shop - takes away all the stress of unloading and packing at the checkout - but the bags never stay open. So voila - a colourful solution to the problem. I love them and it makes my life easier.

 

 

Dawn has new goodies out today at a great price at The Lily pad where there is also a sale.

This is the kit but there are loads of add ons too

 

 

and these are a couple of pages with it

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• living by the sea. I love that in our town there are so many places to go and be by the water. I cannot imagine not living close to water ever.
• a productive afternoon making a gift for a special person - can't share it yet - she will see it.
• Kira only being sick once today - of course I would be far more thankful if it was not at all.

 

 

Ladies who lunch

Have I mentioned I like retirement.

Today, although the weather has been absolutely foul, I have had a lovely time at Live Laugh Love lunch this month.

The new venue of The Haven was lovely. Even though the weather was grim it was lovely to sit overlooking the water at Sandbanks.

And I went with my bestie too.

 

The talks were very inspiring, the lunch was lovely and totally healthy, the company good. To think, I used to work at lunchtime. My my, I love this.

 

Kira has had a bad day again, being sick several times. I wish we could get to the bottom of it. It is just so unpredictable.

 

I have new scrapping to share today ... another page for the trip album and made for the template challenge on Pickleberrypop. Barb I am so pleased I tempted you over to visit!

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• lunch with a friend
• inspirational ideas

• being indoors on such a wet and horrible night.

Oh and a team of us - my bestie, another two good friends and I, won a quiz last night - by a very small margin but we were int he lead for all 10 rounds. Boy were we proud of ourselves!

 

 

certainly true for even mediocre artists in our house!

A lovely surprise

Nigel was at work this morning and I wasn't expecting him home until about 1.00 but he finished by 11.30 and we took lunch and sat and watched the sea int he sunshine. It was a lovely unexpected surprise.

I finished several commissions today and even scrapped just for me this afternoon. All in all a great day.

 

There is a new promotion on at Pickleberrypop this year and today is the first day - it is called the Fab 4. Four designers will be featured and will put together coordinated mini kits. This month it is Created by Jill, Tami Millers, Laura Burger and Vero.

This is their collection - and it is lush and called New Beginnings

 

 

 

I was thrilled to be able to work with it and this is what I made - with the gorgeous Alice.

 

 

Dawn also has a kit and some other lovely goodies on special offer today

 

Stacked Collage 2

 

and Midnight

 

 

check out her store here

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely suprise trip out
• lush goodies to work with

 

 

vroooooom

Today a shark came.

 

Now that might sound like something bad, something to be afraid of, something dreadful.

 

Our Shark is good.

 

Well good for us ... not so much for dust and dirt and carpets. Our hoover - a VAX - was not doing a good job. It was heavy and I hated it. It didn't matter too much that I hated it as I rarely hoover. It is a job Nigel has always done since we were married. It was a deal we struck - I do the washing and ironing and cleaning and cooking and he would do floors, toilets, bins and washing up. It's worked like a dream for 30 years.

 

However the hoover was not working well and so on recommendation from a friend and with excellent reviews we went to get ourselves a shark. We already have a shark steam cleaner which Nigel loves. However this new vacuum is amazing. It is light, comes apart so is a hand held, an upright, a cylinder and oh my goodness is it powerful. Our house is relatively clean. There are two relatively clean adults and two cats and so apart from pet hair it doesn't get bad. we filled the drum less than half way round the house. Clearly the old one had not been efficient.

 

Sad isn't it to be so grown up that a new hoover makes your day!

 

I did an unusual challenge today - not sure about the finished page but I did complete the challenge. It was a Pickleberrypop challenge  in the forum here

 

It was to download a mystery kit you couldn't see where the things were not at all coordinated and use them to make a page. It was quite hard as the colours were all over the place and the embellishments didn't match with anything but this was the page I made. It was nice to have a really tough challenge.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a pleasing challenge
• a haircut
• a new shark!
• a clean house
• Kira keeping all her food down today

 

 

 

 

poor Nigel

I feel so sorry for my hubby. Yesterday he washed both of the cars and they looked fab. In fairness it wouldn't have been hard to make mine look fab - it was filthy dirty ... possibly the worst it has ever been. I had clearly parked it under a tree full of sick birds!

However, he washed them and they shone. He even hoovered the inside.

Today I went out and it rained and rained and I was on muddy country lanes and gravel paths and it looks filthy again. Poor Nigel. I even made a mess inside with a dripping brolly and muddy shoes. Ah well, there are worse things.

And one of them is a poorly cat.

Kira was sick this morning. Nothing unusual really. She goes through spates of eating her breakfast and bringing it up 10 minutes later. The vet has seen her and she seems healthy. No signs of tumours or infections, kidney and liver function fine and she stopped losing weight. So as she was hungry we waited half an hour then gave her new breakfast. That usually does the trick. She bought that back up too.

We didn't give either of them their lunchtime snack (a small cap full of crunchies - and fed her half a meal at tea time and she wasn't even a little hungry. She seems perky and is - as ever - very vocal - but not eating. I am hoping it is just a little bug. though as they don't go outside that is unlikely. I do worry about them - they are my babies.

I have been to Kingston Lacy today - behind the scenes - helping to sew costumes and seeing areas not open to the public. It was great fun and good to meet the rest of the team too.

I have also finished my frames - but not photographed them yet.

I do have new scrapping to share though.  It was made with a new collection by Fanette Designs called Deep in the Forest

 

 

The page is another for the digital album that is filling up quite nicely

 

 

The photo is from Shasta Dam on our first day on holiday. It was  magical moment, early int he morning and so quiet - we were the only visitors there.

 

Today I am thankful for

• new opportunities
• my cats - I just hate it when they are poorly ... they cannot tell you what is wrong.

 

 

and I share these - someone sent this to me in an e mail. It was an article from the Mail

 

King of the camera: Photographer spends ten years capturing incredible sepia portraits of big cats 

• Photographer Goran Anastasovski captured the astonishing series of sepia snapshots of the big cats over 10 years
• The 46-year-old documented the behaviour of animals such as lions, tigers and leopards at Skopje Zoo, Macedonia
• He insisted that the photographs show that big cats have a lot of the traits humans value - such as love and bravery 

There is a link HERE ... his work is stunning - absolutely stunning ... such an amazing set of photographs. Enjoy 

 

and this is his website

 

I lost ages on there! Do go and look - his work is breath-taking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A day of two halves

We went for a lovely walk today - even though the weather wasn't fabulous. However we can't complain - it was warmer and it was dry - just a bit grey. Today's walk was at Compton Acres and we didn't see another soul. save for one gardener. It looked a little sad out of season with little in bloom but signs of new life everywhere.

 

Some shots from yesterday's walk and today's - one is for the snap challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This afternoon I have worked on things for sale. A friend is opening an on line shop and would like a few of my things to sell. It is very early days but may prove to be exciting. Of course, as usual, I will have to sell so much to cover what I have spent, but heck, it's the making I enjoy.

 

I had to start by making a lot of flowers - kept me busy for hours!

 

 

 

 

I now just need to finish off the items, photograph them and we will see how it goes.

 

I made this page for a challenge on UKS

 

 

The challenge was to use a very bright colour palette - and the photos of Pike Place Market worked so well. All products are by Dawn Inskip (Dream Catcher, True Colours)

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely walk
• little flowers
• subtle signs of spring

 

 

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