Just a quick post

Last day of October and the year is running out fast.
It's my Brother's birthday today so if you come into my blog, Alan, Happy Birthday to you

I did another minibook yesterday, well actually the book was already made I just hadn't filled it until yesterday, it was just perfect for some of the photos taken in Queens Park.


I added real pressed leaves to the front of the book and on the top of the box too.

On Friday evening I was at a scrapping class and did this layout, another one for my youngest grandson's album, and another paper and stuff one that I am really quite pleased with.

the photo wasn't all that brilliant taken off Facebook but by blurring out the background it made Ben and Helen stand out more. For once I enjoyed roughing up the papers and tearing and scrunching to give a more rugged appearance to the page.

Autumn in the Park

I had Rufus my 14 month old grandson today, my son dropped us off at the top of town and I walked down with Rufus in the pushchair and decided to go through Queens Park. I have never been through it in Autumn before, always Spring and Summer. The trees were magnificent and of course my camera came into its own. Rufus had a great time amongst the leaves, so pleased I thought to walk that way.




As good as the Arboretum I think




A carpet of colour


Nearly the end of October and still there are roses around

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Today I am grateful to the prompting to walk through the park

That Rufus really enjoyed it especially watching the water fowl

That although I felt a bit tired no where near as bad as earlier in the week.

The Hat layout

I have had a lazy day, feel better for it too. I have sat at my computer and fiddled most of the time, designing a paisley pattern.
This evening I went to our scrapping crop and managed to get a paper and glue layout done. I also managed to travel light with all I needed going into my new tote bag so really chuffed that worked.

the top patterned paper is the paisley pattern I created today. It is nice to have something that no one else will have used even for my paper layouts
Very short post today as I am now quite tired.

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I am grateful to Jan for picking me up tonight for Crop

for managing to get everything I need into my new bag (no more lugging so much around with me hopefully)

a nice easy day, and not feeling guilty that I should be doing something else.

New Hat

What do you do when your head is too small for most hats sold in the UK, I love the new designs of winter headgear but every one I try on swamps my tiny head. Someone suggested I try the children's department and low and behold 8 - 12 year old girls hats fit so chuffed I now am the proud possessor of three winter titfer. This one being my favourite.

I have also done another of this week's challenges on UKScrappers. this time the criteria was to use a cubist sketch taken from this painting

Here is my interpretation of this and I really had such fun setting up the still life for the photos and then playing with bits of them.


Today I feel so very tired. I did walk down the back lane to Asda this morning but by the time I had finished my shopping I felt exhausted, came home and slept in my chair for 2 hours. I wish I knew why I keep feeling like this. Decided it would be better not to have my grandson tomorrow, give myself a day of rest and perhaps by Friday I will feel more the thing.

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Today I am grateful that I don't have to do anything particular so can take a nap when needed.

Having fun with that layout.

A Reason to Clean the House

I have had a friend round this evening, that doesn't often happen I usually go to others, not them come to me, it was lovely to see her and talk just the two of us, without her husband being there. What is more it made me do the house work and it was so needed. The trouble with living on your own, you don't mind your own mess and muddle so why do it, just a flick of the duster and the cleaner over occasionally, but today a good tidy up as well as polishing and dusting and moving the furniture around to give it a thorough clean. It feels good to have done it too.

 If I had an extra hours or two or three,or maybe 24 would be a better bet I’d clear away the clutter from my life. The extras that I’ve collected over the years, that are spiralling out of control.
The bits and bobs picked up at sales that might come in handy for something or other.
So much dross accumulated, sitting collecting dust but so familiar that if they were to go I’d feel bereft.
Why do I cling to what is nothing more that hangers on? Too much effort needed to find a way of throwing out and not grabbing back.
Leave it for another time, or better still, wait till I’m gone then those who follow will have no compulsion in opening up those black bin bags and ridding the place of all my  unnecessary rubbish
I’ve chickened out again

In between cleaning and tidying I also managed to start a new digital layout and finished it off just before my friend arrived. It is for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers challenge criteria 'If you have an extra hour how would you fill it' - 2 or 3 photos - clock/time related embellishment

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Today I am grateful for a good reason to do the house work

For a long catch up with my friend without anyone else around

We had a church cleaning day yesterday and I came back home exhausted. I really didn't want to go to church this morning, but as usual was so glad I did. Not only did it do me good to be out of the home and in company, it did my spirit good too.

As I came out of church I found another tree that I hadn't noticed before, it is in the school playground and was such a lovely colour I just had to take a photograph. You see I even take my camera to church with me because you never know where or when a perfect shot is there waiting for me to snap it.

 On a clear day like today the view across seven fields from the top of Broadway is quite spectacular

To cap the day this afternoon I managed to do a layout with paper and glue and things, using some paper I had designed and printed off. so all in all I have had quite a nice Sunday.

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Today I am thankful that I did go to church this morning in spite of how I felt

that the weather was lovely and not as cold as it has been

that I had enough mojo to do another page.

When I saw this I thought of Dolly's Kira

Das Hokey Kokey

I know that I have done a post for today but someone has just pointed out this and I have roared at it so much I want to share it.

Tote bag and scrapping again.

Having seen on Mel's blog a lovely tote bag made out of a tea towel, I went rummaging in my material drawers to see what I could find to copy the idea. A lovely piece of curtaining material would just fit the bill. so cutting off the border edges to use as straps I got out my sewing machine that hasn't seen the light of day for quite a while and made myself a tote bag big enough to take a 12x12 box plus my cutting mat and cutter. I added a pocket on the inside which will take the smaller bits and bobs, now hopefully I will be able to travel light when I go to crops, just hope I don't forget anything important. It will make life a lot easier as long as I organise myself properly.







I haven't scrapped for a few days now and was beginning to feel as if my mojo had disappeared completely, but today, I was not so tired and low and behold I have been fiddling with ideas on and off all day. Only managed to do one layout though but quite pleased with the result. It is another one of the Pencil Line Challenge sketches

 I might have missed the frost yesterday, but I made sure I would get it this morning, so nipping outside in my dressing gown, with my camera at the ready, I took a couple of shots. Boy was it cold.


Haven't done any scrapping again today, just too tired I think. Thursday's being the day for the sale at the church I am invariably tired afterwards. This week Ann was not at all well although she insisted on coming up to the church, and also we had one of our key workers missing so I did a lot more lugging of heavy things today than I usually do.

 

I couldn't resist taking this photo of two of our ladies sitting playing with one of the donation received today. a boxing match. 

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Today I was grateful for the bright sunshine even though it was cold

a good sale result even though I was tired by the end

a chance to take a nap this afternoon even though I didn't get any scrapping done.

Winter fast approaches

Yesterday, Wednesday, was a cold day, frost in the morning (which I missed taking a photo of) and bright but very cold most of the day. I did manage to get a good photo of the moon at 6.00 pm, though, which I am quite pleased with. I rested my camera on a post to steady it, and took it on full zoom

 I was cycling home after taking my grandson back to his place and the sky was bright with the setting sun but the moon was so visible in the pale sky.

I love taking sky pictures, I love how each time it looks so different.

No those marks aren't scratches they are the vapour trails from planes set against the red of the dying sun.







I must remember to get some lights for my bicycle, before the clocks change at the end of the month, otherwise I will not be able to use it much as the days get shorter.

A Pretty Lass

I have a really pretty daughter in Law, though she doesn't think she is now that she has had a child and is no longer a size 6. I find it so difficult to get a photo of her because she will hide from the camera or behind Rufus or turn away at the last moment. This photo was taken a few years ago long before Rufus came along. I have to use every opportunity to scrap what photos are available.
I am really pleased with how this one has gone as it has taken a lot of fiddling to get the flowers just right, I have layered the roses up to give extra shadow and depth, rather like doing a decoupage picture. I also altered the colour of them.

this was another of the Pencil Line challenge sketches

I know I have a weird sense of imagination but today when I was upstairs in Starbucks, looking down on to New Look they had displayed footwear on the tops of the clothes rails and they looked like war game armies lined up for battle

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Today I am thankful for A Starbucks Mocha and caramel shortbread biscuit

fun trying to get a picture of me throwing leaves in the air

a nice Chicken Carbonara (oops forgot to photograph it before I ate it lol)

Scrapping instead of housework

Tut tut, Mary, I was supposed to do housework today, instead I have been scrapping, nothing new then.
I did manage to do a little bit of the housework, stripped the bed and put the cleaner over, renewed a light bulb, little jobs like that. Trouble is that Monday morning we get the weekly challenge on UKScrapper and I love to get my teeth into it right away, especially if I have lots of new photos to scrap with, and as my Son and his family have just come back from Center Parcs I have quite a few.
Today's challenge criteria are

random misting or splattering of paint on background

use numbers 

use symbol 

use ribbon 

Once I had done some splattering I thought they looked a bit like falling leaves and from there the rest of the idea for the layout developed

I have also done the Can I Canoe layout again this time as a paper one, I did print the digital version but, somehow, once printed it didn't look so good hence the need to do with paper and things

I used glossy accents to make the splashes and string for the rope. I didn't have the anchor charm so used three little fish charms instead

I have also finished another one of the Pencil Line sketches for their birthday challenges this time Sketch 145

 

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Today I am grateful for being able to scrap when I want

having food already prepared

not having to go out for anything

Pencil Line Sketch challenge

I love sketches, and I have been collecting the pencil line ones since they started four years ago.
Today they have put up a challenge to do a layout from a few chosen sketches. The first one was the very first sketch they did,

and here is my interpretation of it.


I've now done the second challenge of the evening from this sketch

A walk along the back lane

I needed fresh air, I didn't really need any shopping except porridge but made that my excuse to walk along the back lane. As usual I found new things to photograph. It seems no matter how many times I walk along here I still find something that I haven't noticed before, and, of course, I have to have a photo or two.
I just love taking really close, close ups of plant life, and sometimes I find a surprise when I view them later as I haven't necessarily noticed the insects therein.

Winter is fast approaching and everywhere the plants are beginning to die down throwing out their seeds to create a new generation come the spring.



There are some plants such as this mares tail that is still green and thriving

the tree by the bus stop in full autumn array


I have done a digital layout using the seed head photos