Dolly's Dreamings

Back again - too much to share

I had gotten out of the habit of blogging every day, opting for a much more manageable every two or three days, but I had a lot to share as I hadn't been able to upload images. So you get overload this week as a thank you for sticking with me!

 

This is today's scrap squad lift. I can't believe we are already on Day 11 of 12 Days of Autumn

 

More fussy cutting and stencilling today

 

 

 

 

 

and these two are pages made earlier in the series but not shared

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I also have a painting to share from yesterday made using a tutorial. I have mixed feelings about it, but it was fun to do

 

Today I am thankful for

• a picnic by the water
• gentle quiet days

Art and Crafts sweat shop!

Well I often say it's been a quiet week here in Lake Wobegone. It hasn't this week.

I have been prepping for two upcoming craft fairs and as I haven't really done any for so long and I sold so much stuff over the summer at art events I needed to replenish a bit.

Today I have made 20 cards and I have also been busy making beach hut frames (they are my best sellers) cup cosies (I am really pleased with those) and covers for spherical chocolate balls flavoured with orange (You are not allowed to advertise them as chocolate orange covers as Terry's get very tetchy about it! )

 

I have also been painting and painted this at art yesterday using a Paul Clark tutorial

 

 

Credits

Scaredy Cat Mini Kit by JB Studio

 

 

 

 

Credits

Pumpkin Spice Bundle by J B Studio and Aimee Harrison

 

 

I have also been busy doing all my DT work ahead of time because I may have a difficult time coming up in December so I wanted to get ahead.

Today I am thankful for

• a nice productive trip to town
• cracking on with things here
• painting - very relaxing

 

 

Another day - another beach

Not as warm as yesterday so we headed to 'our' beach. the beach we most often visit. The tide was right in and there was no actual beach but I loved seeing it rough

 

 

 

 

 

I have more scrapping to share too

Both of these were for scrap squad challenges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can tell I am loving Autumn, as always

 

This was another page for being guest designer this month at Peartree Cut Files

Like the previous page it showcases the firelike colours of the Japanese Garden at Kingston Lacy

 

 

 

 

 

 

And because I haven't been able to share my art either - a little painting done two weeks ago with my bestie

 

Today I am thankful for

• living by the coast - I couldn't not see the sea
• chilled days
• a working blog

 

 

A carnival and some fun - and a painting

We had a lovely time today visiting the Swanage Carnival. We worried we might not park but we did and had a lovely walk, watched the pavement artists, saw the vintage cards, played along with the treasure hunt and had a lovely simple morning.

This afternoon some scrapping ... this week's Scrap Squad sketch and also a hexagon challenge for Lottie Loves Paper.

 

 

 

 

 

I also finished off this page started yesterday of the gorgeous Fitzalan chapel at Arundel Castle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I have a painting to share. In my defence, it is the first time I have attempted this style of detail fading out to nothing and I didn't quite pull it off, but I like the idea and it does look like Koda. Like all watercolour paintings it is much better viewed from a distance.

 

 

 

I actually like the part way through photo when he is just emerging

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• simple pleasures
• painting fun
• a bit of a breeze

 

 

Warmer weather thank goodness

The sharp cold snap seems to have passed and the weather has been much warmer which is good.

Despite the cold we have ventured out a few places.

At the weekend we walked through the gardens and Coy Pond

 

We were fascinated by the bottom of this huge horse chestnut tree that was sprouting leaves from all around the bottom

 

 

The weeping willows are all out now

 

 

I love the bug hotels they have dotted around

 

 

and yesterday we walked round Upton Country Park and visited the art exhibition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was art club and I finished my Portmerion painting - chuffed that it only took me 5 hours and I quite like it

 

 

 

and of course there has been scrapping.

These are all for the 12 days of Spring at Scrap Squad and for the seasons at Scrap a Sketch - two awesome facebook groups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• walks out and about
• painting - I do love the process
• scrapping challenges.

 

Carole thank you for asking about the class I am teaching. It is June 7th and if you would like me to I will ask if you would be allowed to come but I don't know the answer. If not I would happily teach the class at home if you wanted.  Maybe you would have a friend or two who would like to do it. It's likely to be watercolour wreaths

 

 

 

 

 

What a difference a week makes

Just a week ago we were in tee shirts enjoying ice-cream on the beach. This morning, after a very early start, we were wrapped up warm on the beach in 2 degrees. But it was stunning down there, clear and crisp and bright and I couldn't live anywhere else.

 

 

 

 

I have some scrapping to share and 30 minute painting (actually it was 28 minutes but heck - I was just playing around)

 

A gorgeous retro van from Winchester

 

 

 

 

another day at the beach in March (yes we do go a lot - yes I DO need it!)

 

 

 

 

and whoops - another beach!

 

 

I made a total of 72 pages in March bringing my total for 2022 up to 227 which I am quite chuffed with. I managed to complete all of the 30 days of sketches challenges along with many other challenges from a variety of sites. I do wish I wasn't quite as addicted to challenges as I am but heck - it is at least using up some of the stash.

 

I have a couple of pages made today too, they were using the gorgeous new Simple Stories Simply Vintage Indigo Garden and made for challenges and as part of my DT work for A Trip Down memory lane

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• the beach
• the fact that we have now cancelled a project we had doubts about. As it happened we were right to have those doubts. All is well that ends well
• Central heating in this cold but Lord knows how much it is going to cost us.

 

 

New releases and new scrapping

It's new release day at Pickleberrypop and I have new scrapping to share too

 

Credits

Memory Lane Bundle by Chunlin

 

 

 

 

 

Credits

https://pickleberrypop.com/shop/Heartfelt-Collection.html

 

 

 

 

 

And this was made for a challenge at Hey Little Magpie and scrap a sketch and it uses my latest painting.

 

 

 

 

 and this one

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from that my life has been pretty much trying to sort out the mess of Virgin Media where I can access one account on my phone only, one account not at all and one on my computer only.  It's been going on for a week and is pretty damned awful to be honest!

Today I am thankful that

• today I HAVEN't spoken to them and am accepting that my e mail is just a hot mess.

 

 

 

 

Sooooo tired

We have worked hard the last few days to improve the outside of the house out the back, which we had neglected a bit because we never really use the space.

We still have things to do but my goodness we have improved it. We still need to have a new set of stairs made but that will take time but we are in the process now. However, the set of steps down from he patio to the side of the house (it's a very odd set up because our house is s split level house) which were old, unloved, horrible and an eyesore have now been transformed. We did this on Saturday and yesterday we both ached all over. But it was worth it

 

 

The planters have all been painted and look like the steps too and the new furniture is ordered.

 

I have managed a bit of light scrapping

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this is a digital page with a new collection by Lorie M

 

 

and finally I decided that I would try and paint something very different - out of my comfort zone - a pen and ink picture of one of my route 66 photos

 

I'm unsure but quite pleased I managed it

 

 

Today I am thankful

for a day off from the hard work!

 

 

New release day

 

 

I have a new painting to share today - not my creation but copying a paint along. It wasn't a tutorial more like watching someone paint as they did it in real time, but it was fun to do

 

 

It is new release day at Pickleberrypop and once again they are gorgeous

 

Full disclosure as always - I get the kits for free as I am on the Pickleberrypop Creative Team.

Credits

Love Ya Valentine template bundle Carol W

Love is in the air Bundle by Carol W

 

 

and this was the challenge template which you can get for free if you play along with the monthly mojo challenges

 

 

and this was a page for a UKS challenge

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• my bestie and hubby coming round
• tea and chatter
• selling some of my stuff on t'internet!

 

 

A bit of drawing

I have little to say today as we haven't done a great deal - which is GOOD. Just a 40 minute walk and a lot of drawing.

I wanted to share my finished tiger. I am very much learning with this new medium and am still following tutorials - kind of.

But I am quite pleased with this one. I think I still prefer water colours as they are a lot faster but this appeals to my tiny detail mind quite a lot.

 

 

I thought it would be fun to share his evolution too. I must remember next time to take all the photos at the same angle.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely chilled out day

 

 

Days just fly but memories remain

I seriously don't know where the days go - they just vanish

However, whilst days fly by some memories last forever, indelibly marked on our collective unconsciousness. Today is such a day

20 years ago ... cocooned in a school where we don't have TVs or radios on,  we didn’t hear the news immediately... I remember going outside just before collection time and talking to parents... some very worried. We had a lot of parents who worked for J P Morgan who had offices in the twin towers. For me it is also inexorably linked to Daddy. We watched the news coverage together as I packed his case for his final visit to hospital. He never came home, passing just three days later.

The world changed for everyone that day. Visiting the 9/11 museum and the memorial was something we both felt we HAD to do and it was hard. There was much I couldn't watch or listen to and we left emotionally drained after our visit. The anniversary seems even more poignant in light of the withdrawal from Afghanistan and it seems we are once again on the precipice.

The world needs to remember and pull together forgetting these petty differences that seem to consume everyone so much

 

This is a photo I took at the 9/11 museum in 2018

 

I have been scrapping a lot as I wanted to complete my album on our little mini break to Wales. No idea how a three day break has ended up with a thirty page album but there you go!

 

But I have completed it now which is excellent.

 

So here are some welsh pages ... I won't bombard you with all of them in one go!

 

This is the title page

 

 

 

 

I have also been working with some lush digital things. One of my favourite designers - TirAmisu Designs  - was our Gal Friday this week and I worked with her gorgeous Gal Friday Just September collection which is heavily discounted and has a free gift at the moment.

 

 

and I don't think I shared this one though I made it last week

 

 

and finally I have two pieces of art to share. One was just a bit of a fun doodle and the other was a painting from art this week. we had to use acrylics as watercolours and paint a picture completely from our imagination. I found it really hard to not have a reference photo but I gave it a go.

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• relative peace in the world I habit - so many people are NOT living in a safe peaceful place. They loose loved ones, see things no-one should see, live in fear of their lives and the lives of those they love. I pray that all of the leaders of the world can work together, setting aside differences and trey to bring peace to all

 

Hug your loved ones just a little closer today because none of us know what lies just around the corner, ever!