Footprints in the Sand!

Well Hello there Everyone and welcome to my wee blog. I hope you are all well, but if not I hope that you will feel better soon.

I want to say hello and welcome to two new Followers, Wendy and Megan, thank you so much for visiting and choosing to follow, I hope you will pop in when you can and like what I make.  Aquarius and Lesley thank you too for your visit and comments and I will be over to see you all soon. Thanks to all my usual Followers for your kind comments too, I appreciate them all, and know it takes time to go through your lists, so ta very much.

What a day I've had!! It was such a lovely morning that we decided to go for a run, in the car, and have a wee walk, so off we went to Fortrose, Channory  Point and we were lucky enough to see three Dolphins. They are known to be at this spot, but I have rarely seen them.  They were puddling about, not giving it the high leaps but nevertheless my heart just sang at seeing them.  Of course I had no camera and not even my phone, which I left on the chair beside my insulin kit to pop in my bag, luckily I took the insulin. I go nowhere without my phone, don't feel dressed if I've not got it, a bit like not having my lippy and earrings on.  Anyway, I was kicking myself as I would have loved to show them to you.

Next, we went to Dingwall and Alistair took me for lunch, in no less a place that the Dingwall Auction and Mart. That man takes me to some wild places. There is a café there and it is fabulous, and today was really busy as there were sales on, the place was stuffed to the gunwales with farmers. What food though and really very reasonably prices and oh the home baking was to die for.
Having never been to a livestock market before, I thought I would like to see what it was all about. Well it's very noisy and smelly, I sat beside this elderly man who was obviously a farmer, I could tell by his dungarees, muck and big staff.  I asked him how he managed to understand the Auctioneer as he was talking at a 100 miles an hour in what appeared to be a foreign language.  Laughing, the farmer told me that you acquire an ear for it.  I then asked what was going to happen to the sheep next, off to be slaughtered he told me.  I must have gone all shades of green and then a little bit of tears let me down, as the song goes.  Oh I did feel a fool, it's not as if I don't eat meat, I have tried in the past to be a veggie, but it didn't work.  However, the farmer just patted my arm and gave me a there there sort of smile.  I was so glad I'd had my Black Pudding Roll before I went in.  What a hypocrite I am.

On the way home, I spied three Birds of Prey, I think there was a buzzard and a couple of falcons of some kind. I'm not that good at identifying birds.   So, It's been a great outing, but glad to get home and beat the huge hailstones, really cold as well now.

On to my card;

Some more Inkylicious loveliness. Once again the photo is pants, I hope you can read the sentiment. I'm loving making my own backgrounds but I need loads of practise.

That's me for today, I hope you enjoyed my long winded story and my make, I'll love you and leave you now and hope that you have a great evening and see you soon,

Daisy, Daisy!

Hello Everyone and I hope your Holiday weekend is going well, and for those who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter!!

Thank you everyone for the lovely comments on my last card, each and everyone of them is most welcome and appreciated.  A warm welcome to Shaz fro Oz who is my latest Follower and not only that but my 100th one, I'm pure dead chuffed.  I would have reached that number if blogger hadn't been playing silly beggers and deleting folk who were already following me.  Does anyone notice any real difference from Blogger's interference?? I don't.

I did plan a bit of Candy giveaway when I reached the 100 mark and I will get that organised within the next week or so, so watch this space.

I have a mixture of my two passion to show today,   first my card;

I've used a super lovely stamp set created by the very talented John Lockwood for Creative Expressions and I was given then by a lovely Blog Friend, Mrs. Duck. I wish I'd managed to photograph the card better.
The stamps are brilliant to use and I also used the new Colour Cloud to ink up the background to the main daisy.

Now as it happened, I'd knitted a cowl for Ang with a Daisy stitch, so the two just came together at the right time, and as she has both in her keeping I am now able to share them;

The colour of the cowl is actually purple, though it looks a bit blue here, I hope it will be many months before it need to be worn.

I've started a pair of mitts with colour work, and I'm hoping it's not too ambitious, I've had it back a couple of times and I've not knitted past the cuff yet, I'll persevere though.

We had the most awful rain and high winds last night, bad enough to keep us awake, so today has been a slow day, with a bit pf pottering here and there, but every time I sit down I can feel my eyes closing, mind you it's been three nights since I last had any decent sort of sleep. I do envy people who sleep like logs, I long ago lost my sleep pattern, but I did think that having stopped working and  that as my stress lessened I would sleep better, hasn't really gone that way though.

That is me for now, off to inspect the oven and see how the roast is coming along, enjoy the rest of your Sunday and see you soon,

 

Harlequin Bouquet!

Hello Crafting Friends, I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying your day.

Thank you all so much for your kind and concerned comments on my last post, especially about my diabetic blip, all Okay now, thankfully, and your comments are always appreciated about my cards and I'm so pleased by your response on the Inkylicious card as I was really pleased with it myself. I love making my own backgrounds, but I've got a lot to learn, and sometimes I can't get the colours as vivid as I would like them, but you've got to start somewhere.  It does mean however that my stack of paper pads are redundant at the moment, and when I look at them I can see a small fortune.

I'd like to welcome Sandma as another new Followers, another Inkylicious fan who I've drawn inspiration from and you can find her blog here, lots of fabulous creations to see on it.
A new commenter too Dr. Sonia, thanks for visiting me and I will be popping in to see you soon.


So, here I am with today's card and it's made using one of the latest floral stamps by Chocolate Baroque and you can find them here, this one is called Harlequin Bouquet and it's been coloured with a selection of Promarkers. The little bird image is from the Pretty Birdcage set of stamps. The background is a mask by Tando Creative also bought from CB and inked with DI.A pretty ribbon and a few sequins and job done.

This card has gone to my Choral Buddie Fiona as she starts a new job. I'd forgotten to put the sentiment on it before I took the photo. She has received it and pleased to say loves it.

A dull day today and now raining, I do hope we get some good weather for the Easter holidays especially as the children are off school.  We have no plans but. Alistair is hinting about taking me for a curry on Saturday, I love them, but they don't really love me and as I love Korma dishes which are full of cream and other naughty ingredients........well,  you can imagine.


Anyway, that's me for now, take care everyone and see you soon,

I would like to entre my card into the http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/challenge-twenty-one.html

Gone Fishing!

Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you today and that you all had a good weekend.

Thanks to every one how visited and left kind comments on my last card, and a warm welcome to Sally my latest Follower, thanks you so much for deciding  to click the Follow button.

Just to let you know folks Sally has brilliant tutorial on You Tube for using the fabulous Brush Dusters from Inkylicious, and they are also on her blog here.

I didn't do all that much over the weekend, I wasn't feeling to bright, I think I've got a bit of a cold, and certainly little energy.
Having come back from doing the food shop yesterday I had a pounding headache and wanted to quarrel with the world, I dropped things whilst putting the food away, tripped and fell, cut my finger, and just a bout took poor Alistair's head of his shoulders when he asked if I was OK.
It wasn't until I was taking my blood sugar reading prior to lunch that I was able to account for my terrible mood, my reading was in the 2s, which is actually hypo territory, but the scary thing was that I didn't interpret  the symptoms, even more scary would have been if I'd been driving.

Type 2 Diabetes is really a complicated condition, even being normally well controlled can sometimes go awry , anyway a quick blast of something sweet, a shot of insulin brought me back to what I should be, but left me tired all day.  I still have no idea why this happened as I'd eaten just what I normally do for breakfast, just must have been a blip somewhere in my system.  Anyway, enough of that and on to my card;

I treated myself to some Inkylicious stamps whilst at the SECC in Glasgow and as my BIL loves fishing I thought I would buy this stamp with him in mind, so here is his card.  The card comprises of two stamp sets both fishing themed so I've used elements of both.
Background inked with DIs, and the Happy Birthday sentiment is from CB Macintosh sentiments set.
I think he will like it. I'll get it posted tomorrow for him.

I've got Choral rehearsal tonight and I will have to push myself to get out to it as I really want to just sit in and keep cosy, it's not been a great day weather wise,  but the concert is only a month away with a rehearsal night missed because of Easter so I'd better shape up.

Take care of yourselves and see you soon,

 

Starry Night, CCC!

Hello Everyone, and I hope you are all doing fine and enjoying your weekend.

It's time once again for the Christmas Card Club girls to show their creations and this time the theme has been chosen by Margaret otherwise known as Grandmargaret, and it's to use two or more papers.

Now if my photo had been better you would be able to see two papers which have come from an old Making Cards Christmas Magazine, the topper is part of the set.
I've finished the card off with a few gold stars and a gold gem.

I only ever make one religious card and this will do for he friend who appreciates them.

Just a quick post today, but I just want to thank you for commenting on my last card and your good wishes for our friend Peter, you are all very kind.

A warm welcome to my two latest followers, Sandra and Cara, thank you so much for clicking the follow button and I hope you will visit often and continue to like what I share.

That's all for now, but please make sure you visit my fellow CCC ladies and see what they have created.

Rainy Days Friday Oldie!

Good Morning to You, and I hope the day is shaping up well for you. 
Dull and a bit smirry rain here so I'm not going far, in fact I'm not going anywhere, it's a nice quiet day for me and Teallach as Alistair is away for the day in the mountains.

This is my share for Erika of Snappy Crafts Friday Oldie, and you can find her here.

Just for fun and interest a few of us gals are sharing something handmade from an earlier crafting time and it's good to see how  we have changed our style, improved, taken up other sorts of crafts, whatever.


This is my contribution today, a lovely image from Crafters Companion Paint shop Poppets. It's such a charming image and I always think little ones in raincoats and wellies are always so cute, I remember well Damian having a little red pair of wellies that he wouldn't take off rain or shine, and he was a puddle jumper with the greatest of glee, Ah well, another age....another century.

We had a lovely visit with our friends yesterday, and Peter is so upbeat about starting his treatment, although he knows it will knock the stuffing out of him, being so positive can only be a good thing.
It was the most gorgeous of days, and they live in a beautiful area, surrounded by hills and wild life, and it was even warm enough to sit outside for lunch, where the red squirls and all sorts of birds joined us.  A perfect day! 

Heading into another weekend, so I hope you have a good one whatever you have planned, so till next time, take care and see you soon,

 

Tropical Nectar!

Hello to Everyone, I hope tonight finds you all well and enjoying your evening.  Did you have sunshine today?  We had a sort of harr, which lasted all day and it was colder than the last few days, but that's our Scottish weather for you.

Thank you all for all your lovely comments on my last card and holiday photos.  I've enjoyed being back in my own wee hoose, even although it's lovely to have a break away, I think I'm really a home bird at heart.  Teallach has been really clingy. Donnie our neighbour  who looks after him whilst we are away says that our wee cat really misses us and it's plaint to see when we return, he hardly let me out of his sight.

So on to my card;

A Sheena Douglass Stamp and coloured with kuretake watercolours (love them), and my background was made using part of an Imagination Crafts stencil and DIs. Lots of WOS for a bit of sparkle.

Sorry the photo is not all that sharp, I'm getting  worse at the photography not better.

I hope you like it.

We are off to visit our friend who has been told he has cancer tomorrow as he begins is treatment next week and it's pretty heavy duty stuff.  Because of the type of cancer, of the tongue, he has been asked if he wants to take part in a treatment trial, and as the alternative is not good he feels he has nothing to loose. He is sounding very upbeat though as there is an excellent curative rate with this treatment. It's not here yet in the UK, he did say which countries have it, but I've forgotten them. We are so hoping that it cures him, he is such a special guy.

Well, that's me for now, busy today getting my card ready for the CCC at the weekend, the weeks come around so quickly, so take care everyone and see you soon,

Spicy Tulips!

Hello Everyone, been away for the best part of the week on a little break down in Dumfries and Galloway, so I do hope all is well with your, and as it's once again the weekend that your enjoying whatever you've planned.

We had a lovely time in an area that we don't know well, and the weather was brilliant. The day we drove down was wonderful blue skies and no cloud all the way and the scenery was stunning, especially driving through the Lead Hills. We stayed in a beautiful old Manor House, so comfortable and the food was so delicious. I'm afraid both of us have managed to put on a few pounds, well hubby has, thankfully I only gained one.  So it's back on the waggon now we are back.

As I didn't take my tablet with me I wasn't able to keep up with your blogs, but I will try and get around you all over the next few days.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last card.

My card today is for the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge 20;

Using the gorgeous Tulips stamp which was last February's AYOS stamp last year and a couple of the images from  Swirly Pets in my background.  Coloured with  a selection of DI.

The colour swatch is fabulous, such hot spicy colours.

Now just before I go, here are some of photos of Friar's Carse Hotel, where we were staying;

 This is leading down to the River Nith from the front of the Hotel

A few large rooms but this was the grandest with the leather Chesterfields and the roaring fire. I just loved sitting here with my knitting and a wee dram. My knitting fairly generated great conversations with other guests.

So, that's me back, having a bit of a rest today, it's a long drive and Alistair decided that he wanted to drive back along Loch Lomond, over the Rannoch Moore and through Glencoe, taking us to Ft. William and then along Loch Ness. It's all windy roads, which I hate and in to the bargain, it was not a good day weather wise as it was raining heavily. I spent most of the journey clutching the door handle and gasping in panic. I've stated in no uncertain terms that it's the last time I go that particular route. However, Alistair drove safely and we got home in one piece even although there were a few edgits on the road, who felt that they had to rush and overtake anyone in front of them.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you like what I've brought you today,
Take care,

I would like to enter my card into:

http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/challenge-twenty.html

CCC For Someone Special!

Hello Everyone, are you having a good day? I do hope so.  Once again two weeks have gone by like lightning , where oh where do the weeks go???

Anyway, time again for the Christmas Card Club Ladies to show their lovely creations and this time around it's our Zoe who has picked the theme of For Someone Special..

Well, I hope that Zoe won't mind but this is a card I made for last Christmas and didn't share, and it certainly did go to someone special, my friend Dale's grandson Kerr.
I did want to play along, but it's just a wee bit early for me to get my head around special cards for my family, so I have cheated a wee bit.

It's another of Sheena Douglass stamps, I just love colouring them, and for that I've used SN pens and mounted onto an embossed background.

I'm going to schedule this post for tomorrow when the challenge goes live. I hope you will visit the other Club Members as they will have beautiful makes.

Rather tired today and trying to take things easy.  I travelled down to Glasgow yesterday to the Hobby Craft  Show at the SECC and it was a very longgggggg day, but enjoyable nevertheless.

As I'm want to do these days I made a balls up of dates as I had planned to go to the fair on the Friday on our way back from holiday in Dumfries and Galloway, Alistair was quite happy to cross country to give me a few hours there before we headed back to Inverness. I was going to meet up with Rita for a wee while. Well, when Rita said that she was looking forward to Friday, I thought wait a minute..... she is talking about this Friday (yesterday), we are coming back from our hold next Friday. So then I got in a panic that I'd booked our holiday on the wrong dates, but that was OK. Wanting very much to go to the show and meet u with Rita whom I'd never met before, I had to hurriedly book the bus and get myself down there.  I did think about an overnight stay, but decided just to do it all on the one day.   However, I made it and it was just lovely to meet up with Rita and her friend Jan even although it was a fleeting visit, and I still managed to buy some goodies, although not what I had in mind.  I'd never been to the Glasgow show before, having cut my teeth on the Birmingham NEC a couple of years ago, and I was amazed at how small our one here is in Glasgow in comparison to the NEC one.  It was still a good day though.

So Monday we are away for a wee break, not sure what kind of weather we will have, so we will pack for all seasons as you have to do in Scotland.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, I do hope you have a lovely one, if you're a mum that is, and for those of us who no long have their Mum, I hope that we can all have some lovely memories.

Have a great weekend, and see you after I'm back,

 

Sarah Kay, Friday Oldie!

Hello Everyone, I hope everyone is keeping well and warm as we seem to have another cold snap.

Yesterday was so dismal  with sleety showers, it made me want to stay wrapped up under the duvet. It's brighter today, but still cold.

Alistair is off to the Kintail mountains with his friend Bill so I have had the day to myself and I've watched two episodes of Outlander. Some of you may have read the Diana Gabaldon books as I did quite a few years ago and couldn't put them down. I was even lucky enough to hear her have a reading of one of her books here in Inverness, and she made the story so interesting I could have sat for hours listening to her.

The story is essentially a love story, but not the Mills and Boon kind, and at the start of the first book the story takes place in Inverness, and Culloden Moor which is just up the road form my home.  Anyway, somebody made the books into a TV series  which I could only get on Amazon Prime. I hummed and hawed for about a year, but finally gave in, and it is brilliant.... in my opinion. But you need a strong stomach, the fighting scenes are very gory and the intimated scenes between Jamie and Claire are........well, not Mills and Boon, nor even Barbara Cartland.  So for fans of these books, the drama is worth the watching, and the other good thing is that the main characters are well know Scottish actors, so there is none of the Mel Gibson dodgy accent as in Braveheart.

Anyway on to my Friday Oldie, it's a Sarah Kay image, I had some decoupage sheets, still got them somewhere, I think this was a commissioned card. Its all rather café latte colours with a splash of pink. Pretty.

Scheduling this as I won't have time to do it tomorrow, so I hope it works OK.

Friday Oldie all began with Erika, over at Snappy Crafts and it's just a bit of fun to share something handmade form your earlier work. It's good to look back and see how you've changed what you do or improved on what you make. There are quite a few of us join in with Erika so why not give it a go.

Thank you all so much for commenting on my last card, much appreciated, I hope you like this one too,
Take care and see you soon,