Dolly's Dreamings

Scrap a Sketch Premium

I'm not sure if you are all aware of Scrap a Sketch and Scrap a Sketch Premium.

A lovely, generous and awesome lady who I am proud to call a friend - Lisa Sikorski - started Scrap a Sketch almost 3 years ago. She designs - and gives away totally and utterly FOR FREE -  a brand new scrapbook scrap every single Friday. No matter what has happened - and we have life get in the way - she has never missed a week and the albums are full of inspiration. It is a facebook group called Scrap a Sketch and, if you are one of my scrapping friends and not a member ... well come on. A brand new sketch FOR FREE each and every week and almost 3 years of back sketches to fire up that creativity.

She also now has Scrap a Sketch Premium which is a website. You can be a premium member and for £1.95 get access to additional sketches with creative team inspiration and she also sells amazing stencils and stunning printables. The printables - and I think I have almost every set - are wonderful. They are so cheap and so versatile and once you have them you can print them as many times as you like, play with size and colour and they are fab. Almost every single layout I make used printables somewhere.

I am dead proud to be a member of her creative team and - just for you - I can reward you with 10% off any printables by using my code SCRAPDOLLY10 when you place an order. But the facebook sketches don't need a discount because they are FREE

And look out for a brand new special event coming on May 3rd .... it is going to be AWESOME.

I have two design team pages for Scrap a Sketch to share today

This was an April Premium sketch and yes there are printables on there. It features cheetahs from a  longleat trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this page - with lots of printables - features one of the many many thatches cottages in Dorset. Apparently we have 10% of all of the thatched cottages in the UK - not bad for a small county

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news my knee is recovering. It's not right but it is better than it was.

We have had a quiet few days because of it - but that has been nice. Today we did venture out on foot (the other days have been car only) and went to see the glass fritillary display in aid of Forest Holme hospice.

 

Today I am thankful for

• recovery
• Scrap a Sketch
• People like Lisa who give so much to our scrapping community
• my little boys - each and every day

 

Days of this and that

It's been different here recently . thanks to a damaged knee. I have no idea what I did to it. I didn't trip or fall (unusual for me) or twist or anything but suddenly I couldn't walk on it - sometimes.

Very odd. I was fine. We went to the beach. I walked 5 steps then suddenly I couldn't bear any weight on it. I thought it would clear. We hobbled, slowly and painfully, down to the water and then the pain was so bad I was almost in tears. We sat on a bench and thought it would 'heal' It didn't. I don't know how I got back to the car but - oddly  - the last 20 steps were totally pain free. It is like there is something 'out' that sudden;y pops back in. By the time I got home I couldn't walk again. During the course of the day it came and went for no rhyme or reason. The next day it was worse, yesterday, and I could barely walk all day. Today it feels much better, though not right, and I a left with the fear it is suddenly going to go so today's trip was largely a drive with very little walk.

Anyway - I can sit down to scrap and paint right!

Some scrapping first.

This is more for scrap squad's spring celebration

 

 

 

And these two were pages for Pickleberrypop both with new releases

 

Credits

Art is my life kit by Palvinka Designs

 

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Farmland Bundle by Kaleidesigns

 and now a bit of art

This is a catch up on my coast to coast sketch book ... I am absolutely loving doing this and recording our travels across America.

 

This was so hard to do - how to draw Clouds Gate with its reflections and curves

 

 

and then this was hard because - well - it was vast  to try and encapsulate Chicago

 and finally for today a page which celebrates meeting a very very dear friend Barb and her husband  ... I just couldn't paint us - I don't do people!

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• my knee feeling a bit better - I just need the courage to believe it won't suddenly collapse
• the pleasure from my sketchbook

 

The sun is STILL out

I can't believe it - the sun is still out. We have had a lovely beach walk and had our fist balcony lunch - whoo hoo

I have new scrapping to share and a bit of art too

This was from our trip to Portsmouth last week and uses the new Black Lace printables from Scrap a Sketch

I loved the photo of Nigel looking out

 

 

 

and another from the same trip

 

 

 

 

 

and some recent art works both based on tutorials - I hadn't done a tutorial in ages and it is good to do some sometimes to keep you fresh I think

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• some sunshine (I am not a summer person I don't like the heat so sun and chilly is perfect for me)

 

Scrapping and snapping

We went out yesterday to visit a bluebell wood which we couldn't find - so went and did just the safari at Longleat instead as we were close by ... well close-ish.

Not so many bluebells but those that there were were well guarded

 

 

 

 

 

Today after a committee meeting we were ready for fresh air and so went to Compton Acres as it was a beautiful afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it was glorious

 

And finally some scrapping to share

 

 

 

 

 

and this one

 

 

 

 

 

and finally this one too

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• admin work completed
• a lovely afternoon
• lions

 

Berry Big Deal time again

It's that time of the month again when the Berry Big deals are released at amazing prices for sets that all coordinate. These are my makes this week

 

Credits

Pastel Dreams Collection Fayette Designs

 

 

 

 

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Nature’s Wonderland Collection Heartstrings ScrapArt

 

 

 

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Dancing in the Rain Collection TirAmisu Designs

 

 

They are all ons pecial offer for four days only so ... have fun!

 

 

Days out an anniversaries

The sun came out this week - and so did we. It has been wet and miserable so much that to be out in the sun was wonderful. And this week we had our 38th wedding anniversary to share too.

First a scrapbook page of the wet I think! Not my most flattering photo by far

 

 

Some photos from our historic day at Portsmouth ... Portsmouth Cathedral

 

 

The round tower

 

 

 

A sculpture dedicated to the men women and children who bravely left their homes to go and live in 'The New World'

A channel ferry coming in

The old church whose roof was blown off in the war

 

 

 

and some recent scrapbook pages  from our day out on Monday last

 

 

 

 

 

and a page made for a Pickleberrypop challenge (you can get the kit for free simply by doing the challenge

 

 

and finally another animal painting (see I HAVE been busy)

 

Today I am thankful for

• all creative pursuits
• days out
• a bit of sunshine (first picnic lunch outdoors today)

 

 

A Busy week

We have had a busy week this week one way and another.

On Monday we had a lovely day as we took out my goddaughter and her little girl and it was wonderful Her little girl is such a sweetheart and my goddaughter is a beautiful young lady inside and out.

 

 

 

 

We have enjoyed beach walks aplenty, I have been to a committee meeting, I have painted and I have caught up on Scrap Squad's 12 days of spring.

 

Some recent pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finally 2 recent paintings

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely week - so far -
• productivity
• friends and family

 

 

Some fun new releases

I have had a lovely week thus far. On Monday we saw my goddaughter and her little girl and took them out to Swanage which was lovely (expect scrapping to follow)

I have also been playing with new releases at Pickleberrypop

This first one features said god-daughter!

 

Credits

Simple Things Collection by palvinka Designs

https://pickleberrypop.com/shop/Simple-Things-Collection.html

 

 

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Hidden Places et designs

https://pickleberrypop.com/shop/Hidden-Places-Bundle-by-et-designs.html

 

 

and this last one features one of my two favourite little fur boys

 

 

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April Feeling Bundle by Carol W Designs

https://pickleberrypop.com/shop/April-Feeling-Bundle.html

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• days out with special people
• scrap time
• walking even when it is really yucky!

 

 

A few gentle days

The past few days have seen high winds but that hasn't kept us from the beach - in fact it looks even better int he wind with the waves rushing in.

It has also seen a bit of first aid. As we went out today there was a very handsome very large bumble bee on the drive and not moving. Nigel was int he car ready but I went back in, mixed up some sugar water and fed him. It was so good to see him moving around and drinking happily of the sweet solution and we left him to it. I was pleased when we came back fromt he beach he had gone. Hopefully one bee saved. Not great in the great scheme of things but one bee at a time is better than none

I finished a bag I was making which was an interesting exercise in coarse wool but it looks good and strong

 

And I have some scrapping to share - some as design team pieces for A Trip Down Memory Lane using Simple Stories Remember and some for scrap squad's 12 days of spring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• living near the beach - I need it in all weathers
• time to scrap
• audio books

 

 

An unexpected pleasure

Sometimes, when expectaions are low, you end up remarkably surprised. Not having a clue what to do today, Nigel was browsing his ipad and found this gem. The English Martyr's church in Goring on Sea. He said ' There is a church near Arundle that has a replica of the Sistine Chapel - the only replica in the world.' Well, that had us written all over it. We had very very low expectations and were prepared to be very disappointed. It was a singularly uninspiring exterior but wow - the interior was amazing - the photos simply do not do justice to the beauty, the skill, the vibrancy, the detail and the story behind it. It was a super little trip. We listened to a very informative talk about the building of the church, the Martyr's window, the beautiful stained glass saved from a local convent that was closing and was redesigned and repurposed, the special painting of the Last Supper with all of the added symbolism and the ceiling itself. Like Michaelangelo it took the artist 5 and a half years to paint, single handedly, and it is a triumph. Lunch out and you had a super little day trip.

I totally recommend it for a visit. It's much better than the photos show.

Bleeding Heart plant in the church gardens

 

Inauspicious entrance belied the beauty inside

 

Wow

 

 

The real thing

 

 

 

 

The viewers to help you see the detail closer and not have to keep craning your neck

 

The gorgeous re-purposed glass

The other end

 

The stunning etched glass Martyrs' Window

 

The special Last Supper that we learned the history of

 

I totally recommend a visit

 

Today I am thankful for

• unexpected pleasures
• craftsmanship
• beauty
• day trips