Caring Thoughts!

Hello Everyone, I hope you have all been enjoying the wonderful weather this weekend., what high temperatures, we never get hat in Scotland....well rarely anyway.

Unfortunately, I've been stuck at home as I've had a gout flare up, out of the blue, during the night in bed....how does that happen!!. I've not had a flare up since I was put on Allopurinol  tablets away last year. Anyway, my foot has been pretty damn sore and making walking difficult, hopefully it won't last long.

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on my last card, always appreciated.

I decided to try out New Blogger, and I'm finding it okay, this is the first time of creating and posting a new post. I think it will just take a bit of time to get used to it, and just try clicking things to get where you want to go.  I don't know why it Blogger had to change something that wasn't broken. It is supposed to be more mobile friendly, but I don't know, i don't see an awful lot of difference myself.

So, here is my card for today;

I've used a lovely stamp by John Next Door, and a watercolour background. Matted it onto black card and a rainbow coloured card before putting it on to the base card. I've added some silver thread and a few sequins. Sentiment is also from JND.

I had to search around the page to work out how to create the post, I found a round icon with a plus sign, that was it, and the page does look a bit different, more how it's set out really, anyway, let's see if I can manage to actually post it😊

Anyhoo, keep yourselves safe, if in England listen to your commonsense and not the Government, who are not listening to the scientists, who think the opening up is too soon. If you're in Bonnie Scotland, thankfully our Government are, not quite so quick in opening things up, but still keep yourselves safe.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Whatever the Weather!

Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying the gorgeous sunshine over the country. It's just too hot for me....not complaining, but I'm more comfortable in cooler weather, but it's lovely that it coincides with the small relaxing of the health measures.... . Anyhoo, I'm sure it's all very welcomed. Alistair will be going up a small hill tomorrow which is within 5 miles from us, he is really looking forward to that.

Today's card is another sent to a friend using stamps from a Creative Stamping magazine a few months ago, coloured with Alcohol markers and DI on the background. I've added shimmer pen and a few little gems that look like raindrops.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last card, I always appreciate them.

It's a short and sweet post today, thank goodness do I hear you say lol.

Have a lovely weekend, but remember to keep safe and I'll see you soon,

A Sleigh Full of Cuteness!

Hello Everyone, are you all well and staying safe?  I hope so and that you are coping with whatever lockdown you have.
Here in Scotland if all being well, on Thursday the First Minister will announce phase 1 of the start of relaxing some of the lockdown measures. It isn't going to make any difference to Alistair and I as we don't play golf, tennis or even croquet as one MSP was desperate to know if that was included. It was the first time in ages that a laugh was raised in the Scottish Parliament.
I've seen Damian on a few occasions in my garden when he's brought some flowers, cleaning stuff, so that won't change, and Alistair still can't get up a mountain as they are too far away and we still have to only travel locally, not 260 miles as Mr. Cummings did and then another 30 miles for an eye test. Honestly, he must think the English people are as stupid as he is  expecting his lies to be believed.
Anyhoo, I'm sure for many Scots it will be welcomed as parents can see children and grandchildren, and get out to do a bit more exercise.

We at the Choral Society have decided to cancel all our concerts for the remainder of this year, including the Carolthon,  which we felt was the right decision as none of us know how this is virus is going to pan out, there could be a second spike, then there are the usual winter illnesses, and the majority of our members are in the vulnerable category, it's a pity, but it is what it is.

So on to my card;

Well, just look at this  sleigh full of cuteness!!, It's a CD image that I've had hanging around for a while, all I've added is some blue mats and some paper , a few blue pearls and dotted on some white gel pen for snow.
I'd like to enter  this card into;
https://www.fezziwigsfestivefrolics.com/2020/05/fezziwig-says-cats-and-dogs.html

I would like to also enter my card into;

https://scrapsoflifebyscrappymo.blogspot.com/2020/05/may-2020-rudolph-days-challenge.html

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on my last cards, as always I appreciate your visits and time.

That's me for today, time to get out for a wee walk, take care everyone and keep yourselves safe,

Humour for the Christmas Card Club!

Hello there Everyone,  how'r thing with you all? Apparently this is a Bank Holiday, so I hope you are making the best of it as you can where ever you are in the UK.   That's one of the downsides of being retired, you don't get Public Holidays, Lol.....and indeed if you are like anything like me, you'll never know when they are.  Anyhoo, it's been the most awful weather here, high winds and raining, so I've not ventured out either today or yesterday. I do hate the wind, so destructive.

However staying in let me get get some housework done and the latest cards for the Christmas Card Club. Where have the last two weeks gone! Time is certainly not standing still is it.

So, our lovely Rachel was in charge on choosing the theme and she want's to see cards with some humour, here's what I've come up with;

Both of my cards use images by Little Claire and coloured with Prisma Colour Pencils. Now perhaps they fall more to the cute theme, but the beach huts for the Christmas Holidays make me chuckle, there is one for Rudolph, one for Santa and one for Mrs' Clause. I'm not sure whether they had their holiday before the Big Day or after it was all over, but it's good there was snow and they could build a snowman.

This is one of my favourite Little Claire images, I just love the fact that the snowmen have their own shop for scarves and hats, they so many lovely bright scarves to choose from and a few different styles of hats, no reason for snowmen to be poorly dressed. Both have been coloured on Strathmore paper for colour pencils, and I found a paper pad that I'd not used in a while for this card. Instead of cutting the image out, I ripped the paper, just for a bit of interest and inked the edges in black ink. 
Clear gems and shimmer pen have been used on both cards.

I hope you like them Rachel, I enjoyed the challenge so thank you for your choice.

Well that's me for now, please watch out for my team mates cards they are always fabulous.
Take care, keeps safe, stay home,

Just a Note!

Hello Everyone, I hope you are all well and still managing to live your life as well as can be in this lockdown. 
Our First Minister, announced our  road map towards opening things up a bit, geared up for next Thursday, but they will be very small steps, none of which will have any bearing on Alistair and I, so nothing changes there, and children will not be going back to school before August. So we are still staying home and staying safe.

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my last card, as always I do appreciate your visits and the time it takes you.

This image was a freebie from Clearly Besotted Stamps, and I've coloured in Altenew Watercolours in Spring yellows, and added washie tape. I found a box of it in a cupboard and haven't a clue how long it's been there, I thought the colours and designs went very well with the image. I've added some tiny clear gems. The base card is 3x3, and the sentiment is from a set by Clearly Besotted Stamps.
I'm not a lover of washie tape, but I rather like how this has turned out, so maybe I'll use it more.

Just a short post today, I had intended to go for a walk today, but as I type this, the rain is coming down in stair rods, and I have a full whirly gig of towels, I don't think that was supposed to happen today.
Anyhoo, stay well and safe and see you soon

A Bunch of Pink Tulips!

Hello Everyone,  gosh a new week already, we might be locked down but the days and weeks are rolling by just as quickly. I do hope you are continuing to be well and safe.

We had a lovely walk along the canal this morning, we walked along to the sea lock and back the other side. We did have to travel to the other side of the town, but so worth it for me to see the sea as it's one of the things I've been missing. I find the sea so calming and could sit for hours just watching it, so that was lovely and that will sustain me for a while.

Thank you everyone who left such lovely comments on my last card, it was one of those fun ones to make.
Back to flowers today;

This lovely digital image is from Beccy Muir, it's the second time I've used it, and it's such a fabulous image that I can see it being coloured up loads of times.
This time I've used Copic Markers and a sentiment from Clearly Besotted. I decided to mat on to scalloped edged card and I've added as usual little clear gems.. I am pleased to say that the recipient loved it.

I'm waiting for my food delivery from Morrisons, and I have to say that I have been very pleased with it.They let you know if items are missing and if they have substituted them. This time they have and unfortunately it's a cat food that my fussy boy won't eat....that's Teallach not Alistair lol. I'll see if Damian's cats will eat it if not I'll take it  back. 

Talk about cats, the stuff  bought to try and prevent Teallach scratching seems to be working, he hasn't gone near the chair and where he used to scratch on the carpets he's stopped that too. I'd bought a solution to put on his scratching pole that is supposed to encourage him to use it.....he never been near it, he's a strange wee cat, but love him to bits.

So, that's me for now, keep yourselves healthy and safe, and we'll come out the other end of this lockdown hopefully better than we went in to it, see you soon,

Baby Sea Creatures!

Hello Everyone, I hope you are well today, and keeping safe.
We continue to be well, thankfully, and keeping busy with one thing and another. I've now got Alistair set up with Zoom for a meeting in a couple of days. and I made two face masks, I am not a natural sewer, but they'll do. I found a You Tube video to help. Isn't You Tube marvellous, you'd never be stuck for making, mending learning etc.
I've lifted up my knitting again, that's been ages and I should finish my socks tonight. I found a pattern for the little trainer sock and I'm eager to get started them.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last card, much appreciated.
Something a wee bit different for me today;

These cuties are from Whimsy Stamps, and the minute I saw them I wanted them, don't know why, I'm not really a cute person.....well I am but.....you know what I mean, I can't think who I would send it too. Anyhoo, I've coloured these babies up with Copic Markers and a wee bit of shimmer pen, and the fishes are from a couple of Pink Ink Design stamps. The little bit of plant a stencil from Clearly Besotted.  Background paper is from a fabulous 12x12 pad from The Works. Sentiment is also from the Whimsy set. A few wee clear gems to finish.

Here are my mask efforts, they're not too bad, Alistair said he'll stick to his Buff.

So, that's me for now, nearly time to go and forage for dinner. Keep safe everyone, and I'll see you soon,

Exotic Garden!

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend however you spent it.
We had snow, but thankfully it did lie, but so cold now. 

I had to try and get to grips with Zoom tonight, geezzz what a carry on. The Choral Society wanted to try and have the committee meeting using Zoom as we can't meet in person, great idea if you know anything about it. I didn't know there was such a thing until the Scottish Parliament started meeting virtually. Anyhoo, after a couple of hours of grappling with it  I finally to work it out. We were only having a try out to see if everyone could manage to download and get on to it. So it looks as if we will manage the meeting next week. We have a lot of decisions to make, as I don't thing we will be going back to rehearsals this calendar year.  So, another skill learned, but stressed to the hilt whilst learning it.

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my last card.
Card for today;

This beautiful stamp is from Altenew and coloured with Altenew Artist Water colours, then cut out with the coordinating die. I've added a little shimmer pen to the blooms and added paint splatters to to background. The sentiment is from another Altenew set. Tiny gems to finish off .

That's me for now,  I'm much later than intended with my post due to the Zooming fiasco lol, take care everyone, stay safe,

I'd like to enter my card into;
http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/05/may-say-it-with-flowers.html

A Door or a Window for the CCC!

Hello there Everyone, how's your weekend going...well I hope and hopefully you still have the sunshine with you, we have rain, I guess the gardens need it.

Well the Choral Society concert should have been tonight, and right now I would have been at Eden Court theater in a rehearsal. What someone from the Choral has come up with is that if we want to get our practice tapes, CD of the music..which is Haydn's Creation, or a You Tube video and sing. We won't hear anyone else, it's not on zoom or anything, but it's just to keep spirits up by singing a wonderful piece of music, and a way of thinking about some of our choir members too.

Alistair has signed up to do Nicola Benedetti's workshops. She is a wonderful young Scottish Violinist, she won Young Musician of the Year a number of years ago, and she is offering these workshops online free. Alistair is spending hours watching her, she is a fantastic teacher he says, only thing is that at his age so many bad habits have been formed, but he's still learning lots. Obviously the downside of this that there is much more fiddling going on with screechy exercises , but I'll get my own back to night with my singing lol.

Anyway, it's time for the Christmas Card Club girls to show their latest creations, and this time it's Margaret who has chosen the theme, Doors and or Windows, with the Anything Goes as a standby if you have nothing to make the themed card with.

A decoupage card from a sheet I found in my stash, I've glittered it up and mounted it on to a copper glitter card. Paper is from a lovely pad from The Works. Sentiment from a Creative Stamping Magazine, and a few red gems to finish off.

My second card uses a Little Claire  image and sentiment, coloured with Copic Markers and gold gel pen and some Star Dust, red and green Stickles.  A stenciled background with DI. I do love that wee goose.

My final card 

Sheena Douglass image and coloured with Copic Markers and some sparkle pen. I've mounted it on to blue card, then an embossed white card, finally some blue glitter card. Sentiment is from a First Edition die, cut twice in white and one in blue glitter paper to give a shadow effect.  blue gems to finish.

 It was a lovely challenge and I very much enjoyed it Margaret so thank you.  Thank you to everyone who commented on my last card, as always I appreciated the time it takes.

I would love to say check out my CCC team mates who are on my side bar, but I can't as they aren't there, and that's because, I don't know how to do it. A few years ago I did have them there, and I thought I had the names linked to their blogs but I didn't. So if anyone could tell me how to do that I'd be really pleased.  Anyhoo, I'm sure you all know who the girls are so do comment on their creations as they are always fabulous.

That's all for now, off to schedule this post for tomorrow, so take care, stay safe and see you soon,

Winter Scene and Cygnets!

Hi Everyone, how are you today? well I hope and coping as well as you can be. I do hope you have the lovely weather that we are having here in Inverness, it's just glorious, but going by the weather reports it's to change come Sunday and be much colder, we are making the most of it while we can.

I took myself out early to go and see the new cygnets at the university campus, they were hatched around the weekend, Alistair has been down to see them a few times and reported that there were 7, actually there are 8. darling wee bundles of fluff. I took some photos which I'll pop on at the end of this post.
On route to the campus, I stopped off at our local bakers and who should be waiting to go in but my son, and of course the pups in the car. That was a great treat as I've not seen them since before the lockdown. Damian is on furlough just now, but his work is keeping him up to date with all the are doing in the building to keep folk safe when they are all back to work. Knocking down walls, buying the building next to them so that office workers can have more room. But the best part for Damian is that it's been proved that working from home is viable, conferencing by video is the way forward, and will safe company money by not flying down to M&S HQ  to speak to buyers and whatnot. But more importantly, not having to make the journey every day from Inverness to Buckie...that's Aberdeenshire, which puts three hours on to his working day and that's when it's fine weather, during the winter it's a treacherous road.
I think many employers will be evaluating there working practises when this is over which could be a good thing, less pollution for one thing. Let's hope so, and that will be one good thing to come out of this horrendous virus.

I've got a card today for Hazel's challenge at;
https://www.fezziwigsfestivefrolics.com/2020/05/fezziwig-says-anything-festive-goes.html

Stamp by Whimsy and watercoloured with Altenew Watercolour paints. DI  for the sky and an old EF on blue card. Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted, added glitter and some clear gems.

Now for the best photos;

Just so lovely, the parents are brilliant and have managed to keep every one of there cygnets safe over the years they have been here, let's hope that this year is no different.

Right, off to get settled to listen to our First Minister giving her daily update, and I truly hope she is not going to follow Johnston's decision to relax the lockdown measure yet, it's too soon, far too many people still dying and being admitted to hospital, and the lockdown has made a difference without a doubt.

Thank you so much for the lovely comments you leave....about everything.
Keep yourselves safe and see you another day,

Flower Vine!

Hello Everyone, hope everyone is doing okay and managing to stay positive and safe, not always easy to do, but gotta persevere. 
I felt quite anxious and angry this morning, and I'm not sure what was going on, nothing that  I can account for and I certainly hadn't heard any latest news, so I put it down to just having a wee blip. I'm absolutely fine now. There was obviously something going n in my sub conscience.

Anyway, thank you for the lovely comments on my last card, I very much appreciate them.

Here is my card for today;

This lovely stamp is from Altenew called Flower Vine, it comes with two stamps almost the same, I've used the larger of the two, there is also a coordinating die . I decided to colour it in shades of blue and I've used my new Altenew Artist water colour paints....absolutely love them, the pigment is fabulous and the colours in this pallet are gorgeous. 
Clearly Besotted stencil with   DI for a background and a sentiment from Clearly Besotted.
I've added Liquid Pixi Dust for a bit of shimmer and a few clear gems.

Well I ventured into the online grocery shopping at the weekend and I have to say I was very impressed with Morrisons, they arrived on time, only two items missing which they didn't substitute which pleased me as I might not have been happy with the substitute. I felt that it was quite easy to navigate the site and I had no problem getting a slot, mind you I selected  almost week ahead. I will certainly using their service again.

I had to go out to the big pet store this morning to see if I could get something to stop Teallach from scratching one of our good chairs. He has always been a scratcher, and he's ruined carpets, a foot stool and my curtains, but I've always expected him to grow out of it, but he's almost 7 years old now, so I guess the behaviour is established now. Teallach was a wee rescue cat and was a year old when we adopted him, so I don't know what that first year was like, but he was a very nervous cat and he still is to an extent.  Anyhoo, I spent a fortune on Feliway products , a thing you plug in and it's supposed to help him relax with the pheromones that's in the solution, a spray to put on the chair, and a solution  to put on his scratching pole....oh yes he does have one, but the wee blighter won't use it. 
I love him to bits, but this scratching gets me down....who'd have pets!  Lets hope it works.

Here he is....butter wouldn't melt, lol.

Well, that's all for now, take care of yourselves and see you soon,

 I'd like to enter my card into;
http://theflowerchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-flower-challenge-44-monochrome.html   

and into;
http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/05/may-say-it-with-flowers.html

Chin Up Buttercup!

Hello Everyone, I hope you are well and still continuing to cope in this strange time.
We are still fine, thankfully, but we are seeing more cards on the road now, and that's a bit worrying. I don't know if people are going back to work, or just saying stuff it and going out or what.  It must be hard on lots of people, I don't know how people in cities, living in high rise flats, or those who just really need to be shielded are managing, and just because I'm finding staying home  no problem.....well I am somewhat antisocial,  it's not the case for many folks. So my heart goes out to them.
Our First Minister has stated that it's not time to lift the lockdown as the gains are still fragile a and if we relax the rules we could end up with a second wave of the virus and that would be worse than this one.  So I hope people can keep going, because, it is definitely working. 

We were out clapping last night as you do now on Thursday nights, and new Baby Alessandro was out with his mum, he wasn't actually clapping, he was sound asleep in his mum's arms, but it was lovely to see him and we did an extra applause for him and his mum. Of course, all the neighbours were desperate to get over to see him, but everybody did stay the distance, and just oood and aaad from afar. The little one is doing well, and I an so impressed with his mum and dad, as they are on their own, like many new parents are just now as families can't visit, and let's face new mum's just want their mums at a time  like that, but they are just getting on with it.

Anyway, here is another card made for  friends;

Stamps from Honey Bee, I love this set with the sentiment included, an Oxide background with gold splatters from Perfect Pearls, and the flowers are coloured   with Altenew Water colour paints. I've added a few tiny clear gems to finish. I was pleased with how it turned out. I'm still learning how to use watercolours and sometimes it's a hit or a miss.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last card, I do appreciate that you take time to do this.

That's me for now, so take care everyone and keep yourselves safe

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenge;
http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/challenge-118-for-may.html