Dolly's Dreamings

self-Isolation

I had my COVID test yesterday before my op and so we are now self isolating. Isn't it ridiculous - we usually only go out once a day for a walk, which we had already done, but as soon as we came back from the test we felt like prisoners because we knew we couldn't go out! How daft is that.

Today's exercise, because there could be no walk, was an hour raking up pine needles in the garden. I can assure you I would far rather walk - but heck - you can see glimmers of green int he lawn now. We have a lot of big pine trees in the garden and the needles are a never ending battle. We have filled the green bin - and some!

Other than that there has been scrapping.

 

The colour this week on FTLOPP was white and I was excited to try a white page. The original aim was to JUST use white but it didn't quite work out that way

 

 

 

 

This was another challenge for my team - Kira being adorable.  She is actually being a bit of a madam - I think but am not sure. We are struggling to get her to eat. She spreads the food round everywhere and just licks off the juice. And it seems like she can't chew properly. So we went to the vets. Mouth etc all checked no issue. More bloods and we spent money on special new food which she seemed to like and could eat because it is just paste. Today she wouldn't touch it and cried and cried until we gave her Felix, which she deveoured a lot of. Not nearly as much as usual, but heck. So we are not sure if we are dealing with a sick cat, a cat with something wrong or just an incredibly spoilt incredibly stubborn little madam.

 

 

I also did these pages for various challenges 

This features the terrible duo as babies - second day home and we knew we were in for trouble!

 

 

This was made for Remembrance Sunday using one of my paintings

 

and this was another team challenge - the bottom is also one of the photos taken from that day

 

Today I am thankful

• I am in the final run down for the procedure on Thursday and I will be so relieved when it is over. I am dreading the anaesthetic but need to just put my trust in the anaesthetists Then I just have the wait for the results of biopsies they will take.

 

Today has been a good day

After a rough week I think we are all getting back on track.

Kira is eating for England again (I think we need to get her started on the thyroid pills asap to be honest as it will slow her never ending lust for food down) but it is so good to see her eating and running and being herself again. Fiki hasn't had any diarrhoea for four days and is eating his probiotics really well and for the first time in weeks I have not take n a single pain killer (thought I do know it tends to come and go so tomorrow could see them revisited but heck - today has been good)

We had a lovely walk at Avon Beach and Friar's Cliff yesterday (Barb the beach huts are for you!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And scrapping has happened too

It is rare that I make a page and think I absolutely love it but I absolutely LOVE this page. Taking the pictures of my out of control hair with filters was so much fun and I really enjoyed scrapping them too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

so much - healthy cats, respite from pain, days out, the beach, walks and, most of all, Nigel who is my rock throughout it all. Stronger together xxx

 

some naughty animals ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and some of the world's worst inventions and designs  that just make you scream WHY!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just some random scrapping

As schools go back I am still, three years in, relishing the fact I am no longer teaching. 

 

I miss the children - sometimes - but I miss precious little else. I certainly don't miss being piggy in the middle with parents wanting one thing, staff wanting another, governors wanting another and trying to balance all three whilst really only caring about what was right for the children I had promised to do the best for. It wasn't easy and much of the time it wasn't fun. So heck - I hope all my teacher friends enjoyed their half term and I am glad I am NOT going back.

 

Some random loveliness because I am at home and NOT at work then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And some new scrapping to share too (see you get to do more of that when you don't work too)

 

This one isn't new but I realised I hadn't posted it and she is my little girl and she deserves to be posted

 

 

 

 

 

And it wouldn't have been fair to have one and not the other now would it!

 

 

 

and finally - late because it is now past Halloween - but heck - this was our Hollywood and Vile -  sorry Hollywood and VINE - dinner with Mickey and Minnie last year at Disney Hollywood Studios. It was nice to see the characters dressed up for Halloween but it was our worst dining experience of the Disney part of the trip. It wasn't our worst dining experience of the entire trip - that record is still held by Enzo's Pizza in Lincoln which was an unmitigated disaster and didn't even have the redeeming feature of characters.!

 

I don't like this page as I don't like Daisy Duck. I have no idea why but I find her quite scary!

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• Not having to go back to school
• retirement and scrapping time.
• Poole

 

And these were just some great ideas I found on the internet -why are they not mandatory everywhere.

Easy way to see which cubicle is free - mind you in the ladies there are usually NONE free.

 

 

Much lighter weight cast and lets the air circulate

 

 

 

 

Parking bay lines continuing up the wall - everywhere should have then. So simple and yet so effective.

 

Flushing the toilet by pressing a pedal with your foot NOT using your hand appeals to me

 

 a disabled swing - such a good idea

 

 

 

this would stop everyone knocking everyone else's doors

 

 

 

This one I am not sure about - it would kind of take the fun away!

First Traveller's Notebook

I have finally completed my first - very basic - Traveller's Notebook of our trip last year.

The idea is that I will try and do one for our next trip as it happens but I thought I would do a dummy run of one as a practice.

The point of this one was to see if I could do really really quick sketches spending no more than 10 minutes per sketch as this is a way I can meld art and scrapping together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last part of the holiday was all Disney for 12 days so rather than do it daily I did a page for each park and then some general pages

 

 

 

 

I have learned a great deal from thee process. I have learned that I am not good at 10 minute sketches. I have learned not to draw horses, I have learned that my purple ink runs when wet, I have learned not to write so much and I have learned that I like this new project.

 

We will see how it goes when it is done in hotel rooms though!!! Obviously without photos. I am NOT taking a printed with me. The paints and brushes are enough.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a hobby where I can meld my hobbies together - kind of
• Autumn - I love Autumn so much - it has the best light and the best feel

 

 

And I found these on line and they were fascinating - no idea if they are true

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful home town and another class

We are so blessed where we live - we truly are. I love our home town and so often say it. Poole is beautiful but shhhh- don't tell people or everyone will come. 

Just a lovely day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am also still working on sharing classes I have done for ATDML and have shared almost none of them - because I forgot to to be honest.

 

This class used the Kaisercraft Rose Avenue collection which is stunning and you can find the class instructions here

 

This was one of my favourite photos from our 2018 Fabulous Fall trip - The Wildflower Inn in Vermont

 

 

and this is one from Animal Kingdom ont he same trip.

 

and this was also from the same trip - Myrtle Beach

 

Do go and check out the class and I hope you enjoy it if you have a go.

 

Today I am thankful for

• living in Poole - it is so beautiful (though I prefer it in the winter when it is quiet)
• the chance to work with A Trip Down Memory Lane - I am very lucky

 

 

The franticness continues

I have now pretty much finished my photobook in time for the deadline and so have some more pages to share that I have done in the last few days.

I confess they are not the best pages I have ever made but needs must and all that.

 

 

I quite liked this one but then I loved the PATH station at World Trade Centre so much.

 

 

 

The view from the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City - I would recommend it to anyone

 

 

The benefit of getting up early - seeingt he sunrise over the ocean in Maine

 

 

This is the title page - I do one for every road trip we take.

 

 

Grafitti Highway in Centralia Pennsylvania

 

Colonial Williamsburg

Jamestown

 

 

 

Amish country

 

 

 

St Augustine

 

Charleston

 

and breathe. Well done for making it through these pages. 

I can now look forward to seeingt he book completed and arriving on my doorstep and next time I will not leave it until the last minute to use my credits.

 

I won't bore you with today's photos - yes there was time to go out as well. I will share them another time.

Today I am thankful for

• completing a job - at last!! And it is only a year since we were there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those darned photobook offers

OK so I am a sucker for a photobook. I really am.

And I always use Photobox, largely because their customer service is so good. Last year one of my very expensive books had the front cover cut badly and they simply remade a new book. Anyway, I digress. The books are expensive full price at over £100 for a 100 page A4 book - but I buy them on offer for less than that. Which sounds a lot but do the math - when you used old school film it would cost about £10 for the film and the developing and out of a 36 roll I'd be lucky to get 20 I liked. So about £10 for 20 pics. In a photo book I get between 250 - 400 photos depending on how many are whole page so I think it is good value for money and we love looking at them and sharingt hem with people.

They have offers.

I try not to look.

But the offers are good value so I end up buying a photobook credit I am not ready to use. And then I forget about it until I get the message to say the credit is about to expire and I have to act fast.

Usually, it isn't a problem as I do get quite a lot of my digital pages printed. Not all of them but a fair few.

BUT

this time I had a half made book/album on my computer and then forgot to finish it. It was a book of last year's holiday - our Fabulous Fall Tour - and I needed to get it done and get it done quickly.

Ooops.

So cue being bored as I share today the daily pages for the book. Some were done but many had to be made this week and there are more but I won't overload and will share the rest tomorrow.

I just have three more pages to go and the cover to finish.

I had already shared says 1 - 7 so here are days 8 - 12. The trip was 24 days but the other 12 days were at Disney so I didn't do dailies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Disney days, I did a page from each park and a page on the resort. Let's face it - we have a few Disney pages in other books!!!  Each park was visited twice at least so it seemed the least painful way to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phew.

Today I am thankful for

• great offers on photobooks (I wouldn't pay the full price for them ... believe me)

but I am not so thankful for the lack of will power to resist the bargain and then the lack of tenacity to get it finished in a timely fashion. Not seen much outside the scrap room for the past few days and tomorrow bodes more of the same!

 

 

 

 

Bargain day

                   So today has been a day of bargains.

First thing was I went to the local craft destash sale and I snapped up and incredible haul of bargains - thickers type alphas for 20p, wooden embellishments, stamps, enamel dots, ephemera. I came away with loads at a princely cost of £7.

Then, of course, it is Digital Scrapbook Day - loads of bargains everywhere but of course, the best have to be at Pickleberrypop and I have a couple of the bargain kits to share here

 

This Nature Walk by Palvinka designs and is released today and utterly gorgeous

 

 

 

and I made this

 

 

I had yo work with this one of course - Here Kitty Kitty by Heather T

 and here is the monster with it

 

 

and don't forget that this collection Autumn Road is FWP at the moment

 

 

In other news yesterday we went to see Joker. I have to Joaquin Phoenix was utterly amazing but ti was a hard film to watch - very disturbing in so many ways and some bits I had to look away. But I think oscar worthy.

 

It is a glorious day here - after a beautiful misty start (it looked so pretty over the heath)  I hope you all have a fab Saturday and so snap up some bargains

 

Today I am thankful for

• Misty autumn mornings
• autumn sunshine
• painkillers (still struggling)
• bargains

 

The most wonderful time of the year

Oh, I love Autumn. As I sit here typing the sun is shining, the air is a tad chilly, the light is gorgeous and the leaves are turning. The nights are getting longer and cosier and - well I just love Autumn. I truly do.

It has been a thrill to work with some of the new Autumn collections over at Pickleberrypop and they have a MEGA celebration on with awesome $2 deals and an amazing FWP kit.

 

This is what you can get for free is you buy during the special promotion which is on right now until the weekend. Yes, I said FREE. You can check it out here

 

 

I couldn't resist this page of the cutest little pumpkin in the patch

 

 

Dita B's collection called Romantic Fall is gorgeous with soft muted colours and so many elements

 

 

Tiramisu has some wonderful templates on offer at the moment - brand new and totally gorgeous HERE

 This page showcases the gorgeous dawn sunlight in Maine almost a year ago. How is it possible.

 

 

and Disney Pumpkins - such a special thing to see

 

I made the page below with Studio PIX+ Prints Indian Summer which is just gorgeous  and showcases by bestie and her daughter (oh and me) at her 30th birthday

 

 

and this one was made with The Miracle of Autumn by et Designs and isn't he just utterly adorable.

 

 

Finally - because I do love Autumn - me enjoying Stourhead splendour in the Autumn (It was freezing that day though so I am rather wrapped up!)  Made with Tiramisu The Magic of Fall

 

 

Do go over and check all of the fab designs over the next few days. It is a chance to snap up lots of bargains and snag that stuffed with lushness free kit THIS LINK will take you to the $2 treats

 

Today I am thankful for

• being a Berry Princess - it is such a happy place to hang out and we have awesome designers
• autumn - the light, the colours, the chill, the whole lot 

 

 

 

 

 

No final for us and lots of birds

I felt for my hubby as we watched a disastrous play off second leg for the Pirates last night. Poole are not going to be champions this year! It wasn't an easy watch and he was sad they did not go through.

It has been a relatively quiet weekend here. I have been so much better healthwise but had a little relapse yesterday so we have taken things steadily.

We did venture out to look at the new I Phone 11 Pro and I think one of those might be on my Christmas list, although I would need to be a very very good girl for Santa.

 

We spotted some new birds in the garden today - a little flock of long-tailed tits - there were 7 on the feeder at once. I thought it would be interesting to share the birds we have had as visitors in our garden - some are quite unusual!!! 

 

Blue tit

Coal tit

Great tit

Long-tailed tit

Robin

wood pigeon

Collared Dove

Blackbird

Magpie

Lesser-spotted woodpecker

Green woodpecker

Great spotted woodpecker

Goshawk - Only had one once but he took a pigeon down and then sat on our BBQ for an hour and ate it!

Sparrow

Starling

Dunnock

Nuthatch

Thrush

Crow

Heron - a regular in our trees much to our neighbour's dismay - he loves their pond

Buzzard - our favourite to watch riding the thermals

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Chiffchaff

Jay

Pheasant - don't see them any more but for 2 years they came daily and were hand-fed, banging our patio doors if they wanted food and it wasn't out!

and we hear - but haven't seen - nightjars very very often

 

I have done a lot of new scrapping but it is all for release on 1st October so I can't share it yet so here are some other pages I have not shared yet. Seriously I make so much new stuff I can't possibly share it all -

 

This was back when we were all doing the diagonal challenge - lots of die-cutting here

 

 

 

Portland lighthouse int he sun - that was a first

I love this photo of Nigel, his brother and his nephew at our niece's wedding in June

 

 

and a digital Minnie - well just because!

 

 

Apologies for the brevity. Just off to collect my brother in law who is over from America.

 

Today I am thankful for

• quiet days and restful times