Dolly's Dreamings

Reclaiming our hall

Since we have had the boyz - the clumsiest cats we have ever ever known, we have had issues in our hallway. We have an odd house, a split level house, and a very odd series of wide landings. The top floor has a gallery and if the cats jump on the bannister and fall, which they will because they are so clumsy, they would have a long long drop and inevitably break something. So we have had the stairs and banisters covered. We thought they would grow out of their clumsiness but two years on they were still covered witht he uglist plastic sheetinga nd cable ties to protect them. Last week we bought a big piece of glass effect perspex and fitted it today so they can no longer fall from the gallery to the bottom and it looks amazing. You cannot see it because it is clear, it is thick enough to protect them and all you can see are the 4 silver clips Nigel fitted to hold it in place. He is a clever old stick

I have a little new scrapping to share too

This was too good not to scrap. Although it is a ywan it looks like Indy is roaring and - if you are Game of Thrones Fans you will get it. The throne is The Iron Throne from the series of books and TV and the Lannister's are one of the families and their sigil is the lion and their words are 'Hear Me Roar@. I even made a little Lannister shield. It was just meant to be oh, there is also a process video too

 

 

 

 

 

and I also scrapped the photo of everyone together at Ant's 50th birthday last weekend using this week's sketch from Scrap a Sketch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• feeling a little better
• a revitalised hall
• a clever husband
• a nice walk in the park

and some wonders from the web ... beautiful woodwork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and some clever designs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digi Duos rock

It is  new release day at Pickleberrypop and also the launch of some incredible digi duos.

 

I worked with this new collection first

Credits

Smell of the Forest Collection by Palvinka Designs

 

 

 

 

Credits

Early Autumn Bundle by Carol W Designs

 

 

 

 

Credits

Legacy of Love Collection Fayette Designs and Jumpstart Designs

 

 

 

 

Dp go and check the new releases out - they are really lovely

 

Today I am thankful for

• going out to run errands before the wind and rain hit
• packaging up my advent swap gifts (excited about this)

 

and I leave you with these clever uses of albums to take photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A first and some art

I have been t art today - doing my own thing whilst I can as I am teaching for the next month - and am in process of an Autumn painting as our fall decorations will be going up on 1st October. I wanted to paint a picture to go up just for the Autumn. Not sure it will work but we will try.

 

I have also made my first ever process video (and no I am not sharing it here as I am not proud of it - but it is on my You Tube channel . I will learn and get better I am sure.

 

I have a bit of new scrapping to share. This is the page I made the process video for

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and these are a few other pages made recently

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• creative pursuits
• art and scrapping

 

And these were just cute pictures from the Internet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot again and a bit of fun

It is hot hot hot here and I think we are into our ninth week without rain which is pretty grim really. Everything is dying - well actually the crass isn't dying it has died. Completely. Never seen it look so bad and we won't water it. I don't approve.

So lots of sitting outside in the shade has been the order of the day really.

We went and put up the art exhibition today which was good.

Other than that a little light scrapping was in order.

This page was made for a challenge at A Trip Down Memory Lane and also uses a gorgeous sketch by Lisa Sikorski at Scrap a Sketch and it explains my sad little outing for a Covid birthday

 

 

 

 

I have also been playing with the new Designer challenges at Pickleberrypop which are wonderful and well worth checking out. This was a challenge set by Carol of Carol W Designs

 

Credits

Seeds of Hope Carol W designs

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a successful job completed
• an increasingly busy social life - who knew

and some pictures to share of what very clever people have done with paper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our wonderful coast

It is no secret to anyone who reads here regularly that I love the sea, I love the coast and so my design team kit from A Trip Down Memory Lane this month is Simple Stories Simply Vintage Seas was perfect. I have already used the collection before and so it was lovely to have more of it to work with

 

This one is from Lulworth Cove

 

 

 

 

and this from the Minack Theatre in Cornwall

 

 

 

 

I also made another coast page - not with the same collection - of the walk to Durdle Door - a piece of cake walking down there - harder walking up - much steeper than it looks in that photo

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely DT kit
• Nigel getting a cancellation appt for his check up today
• scrapping

 

and some cute photos of people interacting with some great sculpture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covid is rubbish

For the first time in 10 days Nigel tested negative but I am a very definite positive and struggling a bit. I haven't slept hardly at all for the last 4 nights due to the coughing and every part of my rib cage aches. I am done with it now.

It is my birthday tomorrow and we have just cancelled everything so I am not feeling the joy right now. I am trying hard to be positive, focussing on how much worse it could have been without vaccines, boosters etc etc but it's not working well to be honest. I just want to stop coughing and sleep. Nigel put me in the car this morning and took me to see the sea, which was good and I needed that. When I got home I caught up on some scrapping. Three pages for scrap squad that I had fallen behind on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am grateful for

• painkillers,
• cough medicine
• my bestie's magic honey
• the sea

 

and to end with - some cute animal photos of t'internet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Belated 4th July Independence Day

Happy belated 4th July and a special place in our hearts not only because we love America and all of our family and friends over there but also it is now my own independence day anniversary. 4th July 2016 I walked out of school for the last time and it was walking into the unknown and it has been, quite honestly, the best 6 years of my life. Yes I know we have had a pandemic too, but still.

 

I had my second art class to teach this afternoon and I am really pleased because it went well. It was simple but everyone said they really enjoyed it and have asked if I will teach again so I am very happy.

I have been enjoying scrapping along with the 12 days of summer over at Scrap Squad and these are my latest two days

 

 

 

 

That was yesterday's and this is today's

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a successful art class
• scrapping fun
• watching baby foxes - I have a video with 6 of them in!

 

And these from the internet were fun and appropriate to share on an art day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A busy weekend

We seem to have been busy this weekend. Some of that was being busy sitting, but still.

 

I have finally completed all the challenges in the Dotty About Flair facebook group for their cyber crop. One was a 5, 4 3 2 1 challenge and this was my page

 

 

 

and this was the challenge I knew I would struggle with. It was Adam's grab 9 and I find these hard as I am not a more is more scrapper but a less is less scrapper. But I managed it and I still kept white space.

 

 

 

 

I also managed to finish my March pages for my annual journal which is amazing as I finished them in April. Of course, I haven't tarted any April pages yet, though the photos are printed.

 

Oher than that I have been busy with digital pages for Pickleberrypop in readiness for International Scrapbook Day

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely weekend
• scrap time
• chill time
• new outdoor cushions.

and these were too cool not to share ... some people are awfully clever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Productive day

Well today has been - albeit slowly - productive.

We left early to go and visit our new stairs. They look fab even in their raw state and are now off to be powder coated and the decking installed on the platform and the steps themselves. It will make a tremendous difference to the patio.

 

We then went to look at artificial grass as the grass we have down will need to be replaced and eventually bought some of that but it is going to take longer than expected to come.

 

Finally we bought - only a year late - new kitchen flooring that we have wanted to sort out since last March when the kitchen was replaced. It was a lot more expensive than we thought but heck - it will see us out we hope.

And we even managed to install the new rotary dryer (my old dryer had more broken lines than good ones) and still found time to sit on the new patio furniture. Today was a good day.

 

Consequently very minimal scrapping took place - just one paper page and it was from a more is more challenge s I really struggled

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a very productive day
• jobs done
• excitement (till the workmen come then it will be dread.)

and these were too cute not to share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proper chilly

I have no idea why today feels so cold. It is currently 2 degrees and it has been below zero other days but it is that bitter sort of chill that eats through you.

Had a lovely time at art and have started a tiger but I think it could take weeks to complete! I am thinking pencils may not be for me and I might return to my first love of water colours.

 

I had a pleasant morning making embellishments

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I have this to share made as part of my design team work for A Trip Down Memory Lane

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• double glazing and central heating
• being indoors
• art club

 

and these just made me smile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enforced rest

Today has seen enforced rest from walking as my knees have been playing up. The Apple watch is driving me harder than my body can deal with so today was cycling not walking - gentler on the knees.

But that has also meant scrap time which is always good.

Before I share the scrapping Jackey you asked about where it was that we went for a meal that was quiet. That was Prezzo in Ringwood but we find if we have just one meal the day we go out and have that about 2.30 - 3 we are pretty much guaranteed an empty restaurant. We did that even pre Covid to be honest - we like the quiet.

 

So scrapping today I tackles a DAF challenge which was to interpret a sketch two different ways

 

 

I spent way too long cutting bits of die cut foliage for this - but I do like the finished effect

 

 

 

and this is the second take on it - I made this as part of my DT work for A Trip Down Memory Lane as this was my DT kit this month - Simple Stories Hearth and Home

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing more to report today so I will leave you with some internet marvels at the end.

 

Have a good week ahead.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a quiet day
• contentedness at home
• audio books

I am in awe of the handwriting of these pople