Dolly's Dreamings

Still posting ATDML - a fussy cutting fest

Once I started I realised I had been very remiss about posting my ATDML work  here and so - as I don't have any new scrapping that I can share just yet - I am sharing more of that. I am very lucky to be on their design team and it means I get wonderful new goodies to work with every month to showcase products they sell and also new goodies to play with to make classes for them

This was my work from April when I busy with my Paris album and working with such lovely papers

 

 

Regular readers know I love a bit of fussy cutting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo always makes me smile - our 'reception' after renewing our vows, paid for by my bestie and her hubby.

 

 

 

 

 

And this had fussy cutting and colouring and makes me laugh- When we went to Paris on our honeymoon we were broke and ended up sharing one crepe between us for a meal. One of the first things we did for our 25th anniversary was buy two whole crepes just because we could!

 

 

 

 

and finally this one was not a Paris page but the papers just matched the vintage singers Aphrodite so well.

More fussy cutting

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• mindless activities like fussy cutting that bring so much pleasure

and I just loved these vet signs - too funny not to share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second class catch up

I was aware this week that I have not been very diligent in sharing the classes I have done for ATDML and I shared one class the other day. Today I am sharing the second class I made for the Toy Story Cyber Crop which was called Andy. Andy, int he films, was noted for writing his name on his toys so they knew who they belonged to and so my class focussed on journalling.

Those of you who follow my work will know that journalling is a big part of most of my paper pages. I like to tell a story because for me that is what scrapping is all about. It is recording the memories and some stories are longer than others.

You can find the instructions for this class here  and buy the class kit from ATDML too. 

I absolutely loved the papers in this Pen and Ink Collection from Kaiserkraft

 

This first page tells a story of our trip to Paris - a very special trip for us as it was a chance to renew our vows for our 25th wedding anniversary.

It also shows that not everything we scrap has to be momentous. Scrapping is also about recording the little everyday things in life. Because it is those tiny moments that make life so precious.

 

 

 

 

 

This second page tells a slightly more bizarre tale. We had never been in the US for Thanksgiving before and 2017 was THE YEAR. We had spent the day before Thanksgiving with our family in Nashville but the day itself was spent on our own in St Louis in the most beautiful place I highly recommend - Union Station - now a Curio Hotel. It is gorgeous. The Thanksgiving meal was not - but it was funny. I love the vegetarian soup - with meat!

 

 

 

 

The bonus page was also another of Paris - this time Versailles.

 

 

 

 

I hope if you check out the class you enjoy it. I have several more classes to share over the coming days too so watch out for those. 

 

Today I am thankful for

• having a life filled with those little things that matter so much and cherishing them

 

 

And just sharing these because I loved them

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

less sunnier but more humid

We Brits love to talk about the weather don't we? And it is never quite right- apparently.

 

If it is cold we moan we want some sunand some warmth; if it is hot we moan. If it is dry we moan; if it is wet we moan. 

Truth be said I like the weather most of the time. I am not a huge fan of summer to be honest. I like warm and I like cool and I don't even mind cold. Hot and humid - not so keen.

It is less sunny today but the humidity is high and it is not my favourite.

However - it has been another glorious couple of days out.

Yesterday was the forest - we are blessed here to have forest and ocean, cliffs and promenades, ponies and ice creams and views aplenty.

We had a lovely lunch at Holmsley but I appear to have gone with a barbarian!

 

He insists on doing it wrong - he does cream then jam. No no no

 

 

 

Mine is the only right way!!! It's the way the queen does it.

 

Lots of ponies around too

 

 

 

I have been scrapping today but can't share the new things yet.

 

This is a new one for here though - Savannah. We didn't get to see so much of this beautiful town but what we did see we loved.

 

 

and this is another for the Paris album which is pretty much completed.

 

and finally a digital page

 

 

 

. I am hosting one of the challenges at Pickleberrypop and you can find it HERE - and this is my page for it

 

Today I am thankful for

• a new alarm clock - Kira knocked water into the old one!
• fans
• cool showers
• cream teas

 

Major destash

Today I managed to box myself in completely sorting out stash. The good news is I have three massive boxes of stash to get rid of. I am doing a sale in July which is purely for unwanted crafting items. I have loads to sell - all at 10p - £2 (most of it is 50p an item) and what i don't sell I am binning. There are loads and loads of mini album blanks, chipboard items, word books (you know the ones that spell LOVE, FAMILY, HOME etc) dozens of scrapbooking books and loads and loads of embellishments. Oh plus a load of paper and vellum (never use vellum) 

I feel so much better now it is done and I have an empty cupboard. OK so it is a small one but heck.

No new scrapping today but I realised I didn't share the four pages I made for scrap whispers on UKS recently, so here they are

 

The streets of Paris with a cute cut file and faux stitching

 

 

Winter Summerland mini golf in Disney

 

mad moments at Park Fair character breakfast

 

 

and an old photo from 2010 of us on my 50th birthday.

 

Now I just might do some scrapping!

 

However, one more thing to share. I wanted a small watercolour sketchbook to play with just as a workbook for techniques and styles and so I ordered a watercolour sketch book which came yesterday. The cover was plain so I prettied it up.

I was quite pleased with the watercolour painting I did for the centre of the cover and even more pleased as it took less than an hour from start to finish.

 

 

 

 

Can't wait to start using it now. I am a great believer in pretty books making you want to work/write/draw

Today I am thankful that

• I have now finished work until mocks in November - yey
• I have sorted some stuff out and I will get better at de-stashing
• painting - I do love my new hobby

 

 

 

My Scrappy Month is ending

May has been a busy month with work but also with scrapping.

One of the facebook groups I belong to - and boy what a great community and a group I love ... For The Love Of Pretty Paper ... had a prompt a day for the month of May. You could complete it at any time, double up on prompts etc but I set myself a challenge of doing each day's prompt on the day - and I did it. I have just finished the last one.

In addition, it was iNSD with many crops going on and FTLOPP had their celebrations last weekend - which was brilliant for me. I think I completed over 75 challenges this month with the daily prompt and crop challenges, plus my usual DT and CT work. 

I am thrilled.

I have had an utter blast. I have learnt new techniques, made new friends and just had a wonderful time and my albums are the richer for it. I have almost finished my Paris album - which for a four-day trip currently stands at 42 pages- and I have pretty much finished the road trip part of our Fabulous Fall trip (Disney albums are never finished and are quite out of control now!) 

 

This is my month ... 20 digital pages and 74 paper pages!!!

 

 

and a couple of new pages I haven't shared yet

This was today's - scraps. It is the hotel we stayed in in Paris - the one where we had the duplex apartment  (and I have just checked and the one we had started at over £600 a night!!!)

 

Us at our favourite ride in Hollywood Studios (and possibly our second favourite int he whole of WDW)

 

 

Using texture paste again ... sand world

 

 

a page based on a sketch challenge

 

 

The Paris Metro - so much nicer than the underground in London ... and so much cleaner.

 

The arc du triomph just at the end of our road a a short walk from the hotel. 

What a fabulous month May has been - in spite of knee injuries, in spite of work. Just a great month and now ... now I can relax and slow down on the scrapping a little.

 

Today I am thankful for

a wonderful month

starbucks customer service - an issue with American cards but not only are they the best coffee chain in the world they are the best customer service too

 

 

What a marathon month

I have had such a month of scrapping - which is amazing as two weeks were full of work. I have scrapped - thus far - 83 pages - 12 were digital and 71 were paper. That's a record even for me and I am really pleased with them. I have made loads for my Paris album, I have learnt new techniques and been pushed to try new things - it has been a terrific month and there are still a few days left! I might just hit the 90!

Without further delay here are some more new pages I haven't shared yet 

 

This was a colour challenge to scrap the colour that reflects you - Nigel has always called me his rainbow girl. I made a page about it some 12 years ago... not a great page and photo is so out of date ... well I was 12 years younger

 

 

so this is the version made yesterday using Shimelle's box of crayons

 

 

This was to scraplift a page from the wonderful Kirsty Frisby and records the amazing experience of hundreds of frogs at Versailles - the noise was incredible. 

 

 

This was using up lots of scraps and took an age but I like the effect

 

This was a colour challenge picking three colours from a tic tac toe board

 

 

This was using black and one colour - in my case pink. Look at the size of the door on that ballroom!

 

 

Another scraps page - rainbow scraps

 

 

 

and finally one of the digital pages using a new collection released today called Sea Story by Natali Designs

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a wonderful scrappy time
• a hobby I love
• making memories
• A fab half term - as well as scrapping we have had a lovely time

 

 

 

Busy-ness but so happy

So the last few days have been busy busy busy.

We did a craft fair at our local community 'village fete' type event and it was fun but oh my did we luck out with the gazebo. They have now gone up to more than £90 for the one I bought for £30! And we needed it. It was a glorious day until 2.30 when the heavens opened and I mean quite literally. It was some of the most torrential rain I have ever seen in the UK. It lasted a good 30 minutes and the gazebo held up!

I have been at work the last couple of days but Nigel has been manning the fort and we now have brand new windows in the library and the scrap studio and it looks fab. I have smart new blinds that look lovely, windows I can see out of and I am really happy and happy it is all over. No more new windows now - they are all done!

Will take pictures when the light is right!

I have new scrapping to share too.

These are from the daily prompts. This was Friday - Multi font title - another f the Hamlet at Versailles for the Paris album. 

 

This was Saturday I think - add sparkle. Well the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was certainly gold and sparkly and so is the page. It doesn't show well in the photo but the background paper is very old K and Co and is gold foiled, the photos are on gold sparkle paper and I used gilding paste on the flowers

 

 

 

Sunday's prompt was clouds. And I was really quick and scrapped a page of my stall in its little gazebo house - before the rain and the mud!

 

Monday was sewing so I sewed all round the border and the large circle. There is a LOT of journalling as it tells the story of how we were victims  - though our honesty saved us - of the famous gold ring scam in Paris. We hadn't heard of this scam but apparently, it is quite famous.

 

 

and today's - oh how I hate these - was messy. I don't DO messy. I don't LIKE messy. It is not me.

 

But I pulled out diamond dust black cardstock and gelatos and had a go 

 

Not sure I like it but I did try.

 

You can't really see the sparkle

 

 

Today I am thankful

• that I am keeping up with the daily prompts - I have done every prompt on the day set - 21 and only 10 more to go.
that we have new windows and the men have gone gone gone and my room is back to normal and looks lovely hat
• that I had the chance to see the last episode of Game of Thrones. I am sad it ended and am not sure I buy into the ending and what happened to characters I have loved for years, but heck - I know I will watch it over and over.

 

 

The weekend is here

Oh I am so glad it is now - my weekend has started.

I can't say work is hard - I just sit and watch other people work - but it is tiring and I am not used to doing anything now, but it is done for the week and I have earned my 3-month fitness club membership!

And I did have some funny stories out of it too.

The students are lovely and a joy to work with - but it is the weekend now and I am glad.

 

My knee held up OK. I hit a bit of a wall yesterday but today was not so bad.

 

I even have new scrapping to share

Despite work, I am managing to keep up with the daily prompts.

 

This was the 15th which was portrait. It documents how in one of the world's most gastronomically good capitals we STILL opted for the Hard Rock! We know what we like and we like what we know.

 

 

Today's prompt was tags - used some very very old Hot off the Press tags cut from one of their books.

 

and I even got a digital page sneaked in with a new collection called  Love Life by Natalie Designs which is beyond gorgeous.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• my working week of three days is done
• my knee held up
• the weekend

 

 

A disppointing day

I am giving a heads up to my readers, blogging may be a bit briefer during week days for a bit as I am back in school invigilating and so have less time.

We had a disappointing day today. We covered everything, moved a heap of furniture and prepared for new windows in our library and the scrap room. The people didn't turn up and said they were sorry - they ought o have phoned. Yes they ought. Nigel waited in for them.

We have agreed to another date and a reduction in cost but it was disappointing as we moved so much stuff and have had to put it back again.

It was fun to be back into school but my knee is protesting. It has gone from doing very very little to over 7000 steps today and it knows it!

 

I have managed some scrapping though. I made the daily prompt page for today and for yesterday.

Hearts today so I scrapped Paris

 

 

I even managed to hand stitch some heart embellishments.

 

 

Yesterday was journalling so I did a page journalling how we had the most amazing upgrade in Paris. We had booked the cheapest room in a very nice hotel and I was cheeky enough to ask that as it was our 25th wedding anniversary, could we possibly have one with a view if available. They upgraded us to a two-floor duplex apartment filled with antiques and with a view of the Eifel Tower. One night cost more than our entire booking. We were very very blessed.

 

 

I also made this page for a challenge on UK Scrappers

 

 

Today I am thankful that work is done - 2 sessions out of 21 completed - and yes I am counting. I am meant to be retired!

 

 

 

 

A lovely sunday

The weather seems to have picked up again and it has been lovely today. I met up with an old friend for coffee first thing (bear in mind first thing for us these days isn't that early) and then it was lunch on the balcony followed by scrapping.

I think I am making the most of the last couple of days before work resumes. But then work is only for a few weeks and only for three or four days each week. And it pays for extra stash!

I have more scrapping to share

This was for one of the mojo challenges on Pickleberrypop. If you don't already play along do check out the monthly mojo forum here

 

 

 

This was the last challenge for the Hey Little Magpie group - and another for the Paris album

 

This is the daily prompt today on FTLOPP (I am realy chuffed that I have managed each prompt each day so far - that might change when workkicks in) 

 

I thought it was so funny to see the difference between our two plates when we went to the buffet at Trails End.

 

 

and finally another for the Hey Little Magpie group and for the Paris album which is fast developing into quite a huge album.

 

Today I am thankful for

• sunshine
• a lovely day
• the balcony
• old friends and good conversation

and finally - these merged pictures were very sobering -war and peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never has the phrase been more important - 'When you have plenty build a longer table not a higher wall'