Rudolph Day for September - Seasonal Scrolls

Afternoon Folks

Just scraping in at the last minute with my makes for Rudolph Day over at ScrappyMo's.

Now that I'm bringing stash back into my beautifully made over craft room I'm discovering all sorts of forgotten treasures. For example, this sheet of decoupage toppers which, if memory serves me well - and it often doesn't now that I'm getting on a bit!, was won from one of our lovely blogging chums, I just can't remember who and when. Anyhow, having found it again I decided best make it up for this month's Rudolph day. There was enough toppers to make two cards - both with the same sepia image but one just a bit more colourful than the other.

This is the one that has some added colour in it ... hints of grey, green and a red door. The cream base card came with the sheet. I've added some sparkle with glitter glue.

Spot the difference - all sepia tones. For some reason the two toppers came with only one card base so I've used a Kraft card base from stock for this one.

Materials used:

• Seasonal Scrolls topper sheet and cream card base set from Just Inklined
• 6" square shaped Kraft card base
• Tim Holtz Vintage Photo distress ink pad - for inking the edges
• Crystal Stickles for the sparkle

I'm also submitting these cards to  Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for September  where it's always anything goes as long as it's for Christmas.

Edit Note: Oops, too late for CHNCC Extra!!!
Right! Back to finding a suitable home for all my stash :)

Happy Crafting,

In A Vase On Monday - The Last of the Crazy Daisies

Afternoon Everyone,

Although we are enjoying a warm spell, I have had very little time to spend in the garden. Now that my craft/sewing room has been made over I'm busy moving everything that came out of it a month ago back in again and it is proving to be very time consuming. Which means that I've had to slot gardening in whenever there's been five minutes to spare. For example, today I managed to nip out and collect some seeds from geranium (Johnson's Blue), calendula (Marigold Art Shades) and the Quaking Grass, briza maxima, staked up the pink asters that were flopping about all over the border and had a quick chat with the 'under gardener', aka my husband, who was planting out daffodil bulbs down in the woodland area.

The garden is looking it's most colourful, lots of bright oranges and yellows from the calendulas and nasturtiums punctuated here and there with deep pinks from the pinks and reds from the roses and snapdragons so, of course, I chose the last of the white flowers, leucanthemum Crazy Daisy, for my Monday vase.

Got to say, this has been one of the biggest successes in the garden this year. The flowers have just kept coming, surviving and recovering quickly from the most atrocious weather and cheering me up on the worst of days.

And the blooms are such fun ... everyone different and, well, just crazy!

Oh, almost forgot the vase. It's a cheep and cheerful car boot find from twenty or so years ago. Back then I was a poor mature student, living in a seventh floor flat with no garden so I bought the vase and filled it with flowers bought cheaply at the local market to cheer the place, and me, up. And because of that, it has great sentimental value.

Linking with Cathy over at Rambling In the Garden, for In A Vase On Monday.

Happy Gardening,

Friday Smile - Yarn Bombing in Selkirk

Evening Everyone,

Just taking a break from re-organising the craft room, now that the makeover is done, to share these photos taken last Saturday. We drove over to Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders, to see the yarn bombing that had suddenly appeared in the town.

Everything you might associate with Scotland. Because I took a ton of photos I've arranged a selection into the collages that follow:

In the last photo the knitting is around the base of a memorial to Sir Walter Scott, author of Rob Roy. Love the thistles.

Spot the kitty stuck up the tree.

The butcher was interviewed for the local news and he was quite clearly very amused by the knitted sausages. The native woman wearing the garland of flowers can be seen at the base of the memorial to Mungo Park, the 18th century explorer.

And finally, here I am under that tree with the kitty in it. We had the best of days for our trip.

No joke this week. The only joke around here right now is how I'm going to get everything sorted out in this room ... I could be some time!

Popping over to Annie's place to link up with all the you smiley people now,

Have a wonderful weekend.

2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt - The Last Day

Hello Everyone,

Today is the first day of Autumn and last day of the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt, the challenge set for us by Rinda over at Gallo Organico. Of the twenty-one items on the list, I've already found and posted fifteen, leaving just six to share with you today.

Unfortunately, there was one item, #4 People playing a board game or card game, I have not been able to find, however, I did manage to photograph an alternative.

#4 Alternative B: Someone holding an umbrella

Fortunately, we don't have to wait too long before there's the need for an umbrella in Scotland ... it rains a lot even in summer. This photo, taken in Eglinton Country Park, is of my husband and daughter standing in a wonderful tree-lined avenue just chatting in the rain, as you do!

#9. A tent

This extended tent was set up for the Scottish Morris Minors Rally at Culzean Castle, Ayrshire. I think it was made for multiple occupancy with a bedroom on the right, a sitting area and an awning to the left which is attached to this, the tiniest of  caravans ...

... possibly providing another bed and maybe a cooking area.  

#12. A public restroom, bathroom, or toilet

The spruced up multi-functional public toilets down at Ayr's seafront. 

#18. An overloaded truck, car, bicycle or other vehicle

Probably not strictly an overloaded vehicle but that looks like an awful lot of lumber to me.

#20. A natural body of water

Living on the west coast of Scotland I'm fairly spoiled for this challenge so here's just a few of the many photos I've taken.

The River Ayr - photo taken from the metal bridge featured in Part 3.

The Firth of Clyde - photo taken at the seafront in Ayr looking out towards the beautiful Isle of Arran.

The North Channel - photo taken from the cliffs above Portpatrick, on the Rhins of Galloway, looking across the North Channel to the coast of Northern Ireland 21 miles (34 km) to the west of Scotland. 

And finally:

# 21. A photograph of you with a sign reading "2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt"

Got my husband to take this photo ... I don't like doing selfies ... in my favourite location, our garden.

And that is it ... all over ... 20 items found and only one substitute needed.

The List for 2015.
1. A bouquet of flowers
2. An ornate door knocker
3. A person walking a dog (or other animal)
4. People playing a board game or card game - Alternative B: Someone holding an umbrella
5. Architectural columns
6. A metal bridge
7. A turtle
8. Someone "plugged in" to social media 
9. A tent
10. A college or university
11. A cellular tower or television satellite dish
12. A public restroom, bathroom, or toilet
13. A merry-go-round or carousel
14. A traffic signal
15. A flag pole with at least three flags on it
16. A panoramic view, taken while standing someplace high in the air
17. At least two people wearing matching outfits or uniforms
18. An overloaded truck, car, bicycle or other vehicle
19. A ticket booth
20. A natural body of water
21. A photograph of you with a sign reading "2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt". Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.
And the possible substitutes for all but #21:
Alternative A: People eating outside
Alternative B: Someone holding an umbrella
Alternative C: A rocking chair

If you have missed earlier posts and would like to see the rest of the photographs taken over the summer you can find them here, here and here.

A big thank you to Rinda for organising the hunt and putting together an intriguing list of targets to find. I've had a lot of fun chasing around town and countryside searching out and taking photos of each item. Role on next summer!

In A Vase On Monday - Late Summer Gorgeousness

A few weeks ago I was concerned that my forward planning fell short of providing enough material to fill an eggcup let alone a vase and so wouldn't be able to  contribute to Cathy's meme, In A Vase On for much longer. I needn't have worried. The garden is now a riot of gorgeous zingy oranges, reds, yellows, bright pinks and even the occasional calming blue, giving more than enough for this week's vase - which is in fact a bright red glass jam/jelly jar.

I thought I'd lost this Rudbeckia Little Gold Star to the freezing temperatures of last winter but it's clearly a lot hardier than I gave it credit for ... but I would have spotted it earlier if it wasn't for it being completely surrounded by pot marigolds, Calendula, which, along with the many nasturtiums that have spread upwards and outwards, in the style of Monet, seems intent on taking over much of the garden.

And talking of nasturtiums, I really love these deep orange Tropaeolum majus Empress Mixed grown from seed.  Just visible behind the Skimmia and Hypericum berries are deep red Figaro dahlias and tucked in at the back is Crocosmia Okavango. Included also are Geum Mrs Bradshaw and Coreopsis Early Sunrise. I've also added three stems of ruby chard that has been allowed to go to seed with the intention of saving some for sowing next year ... I like the shapes the stems twist themselves into.

The glass jar I've chosen this week is one of a set of three found at the Southport Flower Show a few weeks ago.

It started to rain as I was taking photos so you might just make out the raindrops glistening on the leaves of the Hypericum ... the things I do for In A Vase On Monday :)

Happy Gardening,

Sunday Snippet Card

Afternoon Everyone,

I know, I'm a bad blogger at the moment and I apologise. It's all down to this craft room makeover which seems to be dragging on forever! The new flooring was scheduled to be laid on Friday but we were let down - badly! Now it won't be done until Thursday afternoon. Given that it will take another day or two to move the furniture, equipment and stash back in that will be almost a month - that's four whole weeks - without a craft desk!!!

Not to worry, I've been using the dining table instead ... not ideal, but better than nothing.

Here's another card made with the Kanban kit used for the last two cards posted. Because I have this kit since 2013, before Kanban went bust, I checked on Google and can confirm it is entitled In The Garden. Of course, it is no longer available - such a pity because the images have all been beautiful. I particularly like this image of coal tits because, with the exception of the robin, they are my favourite of the little birds that visit my garden.

The cluster of leaves and flowers was made from snippets of yellow ... in real life a lot more yellow than appears in the photo ... and blue cardstock. A variety of dies from Tattered Leaves and Spellbinder used here.

This card was made for last month's UKPC swap, the theme of which was 'Gardens' so the verse on this topper seemed very appropriate.

Hope you can read it okay. The sentiment on the front reads 'Plant kindness, gather love' ... I felt this was apt too.

Right, off to hop and skip over to Pixie's Snippets Playground - haven't been there in quite a while! Hope the ducks are still there on the pond.

Almost time to watch Downton Abbey - unmissable!

Happy Crafting,

Birdwatcher Birthday Card

Afternoon Everyone,

It's another lovely autumnal day here in Scotland ... I hope it is just as good wherever you are.

I have another card made from the same Kanban kit used for the last one posted on Tuesday.

As I said, it's an old one and I may be wrong but I think the kit might be called In the Garden. Not that I've ever seen an owl in our garden - decoupaged or otherwise.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photos ... I'm struggling to find the ideal place to photograph projects while unable to get into the craft room. This photo does show that there is foiling on the cardstock. The only additions are some gold cardstock for matting and layering and some matching enamel dots.

This card was for my beloved EM for his birthday yesterday. We had a lovely day out in New Galloway and lunching in Kitty's tea room with our friends and he thanks everyone who passed on their best wishes.

Only a few more days and I'll be re-installed in the craft room. I can't wait. I'm having withdrawal symptoms. I realise that I am very lucky to have a dedicated room to work in and that many of you work in the tiniest of locations but I've struggled to do anything in the dining room. Every time I start a project guaranteed there will be some item that would be just the thing buried away in an inaccessible box somewhere! Ah well, by Monday the wait will be over :)

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Happy Crafting,

Blue Birds Birthday Card

Evening Folks

I trust this finds you well and your week has been a good so far.

We are still working on the craft room makeover but there has been some progress ... quite a lot of progress actually. The new flooring was delivered today and it will be laid on Friday. We're getting there!

In the meantime, I've managed to take over the dining room table for a bit of crafting time ...it's not ideal but better than nothing ... so this evening I'm sharing this card made for a friend's birthday tomorrow (she doesn't follow any blogs at all so no danger of her seeing it!)

Most of the materials are from an old Kanban kit which, shamefully, has been tucked away in my stash for about three years now, and only raided once or twice! The only additions are the dark green cardstock used for matting and layering, the printed ribbon and the enamel dots. No time, or energy, to list the materials used so if there's anything you would like details on just ask, I'll be happy to help.

Tomorrow is the EM's birthday too ... his 77th ... and to celebrate we are taking the day off and will be lunching with said friend and her husband. We're looking forward to a bit of rest and relaxation :)

Hope you have a good day tomorrow too.

In A Vase On Monday - September Sweet Peas

Monday again, the day to join in with Cathy at Rambling In The Garden and show what I've popped in a vase today, which is, as you can see, a lovely bunch of late sweet peas.

I don't believe I have ever had sweet peas still flowering this late in the year before. I think it must be due to the cold spell we had in late spring/early summer that held them back. Whatever, it is lovely to have them in our garden still. These are all Spencer sweet peas - the perfume is simply delicious.

Apologies for such a brief post today - I'm still working on the craft room makeover and it is taking up all my time. Hopefully, things will be back to normal some time next week - well, that's the plan anyway - and if I never see a tin of gloss paint again I will be a very happy teddy :)

Have a good week everyone,

2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt - Part 3

Hello Everyone,

Once again, it's a been a while since I posted some of the photos collected on this scavenger hunt (Part 2 is here) but I have now got to the point of having found almost all of the items on Rinda's list. What a great fun challenge this has been. Here's a few more crossed off the list.

#6. A metal bridge
I discovered two metal bridges during my search - one much prettier than the other - but I'm finding it difficult to choose between them so, for the record, both are included.

This  one spans the River Ayr and gives access to the woodland walks on Craigie Estate.

As you can see it is a very utilitarian structure. Nothing fancy about it at all but it serves its purpose well.

This bridge - the Tournament Bridge, in Irvine's Eglinton Country Park - is much more ornamental. It is named after the great medieval-style Eglinton Tournament of 1839, reputed to be the last ever to take place in Great Britain, in which many competing knights on horseback participate in the jousting. One of the participants was none other than the future Napoleon III of France. It is reported that the weather, heavy rain, ruined the event ... no change there then!!

The 13th Earl of Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, had the cast iron and stone bridge built in a Gothic style. The bridge has been repaired many times over the years, most recently 2008. 

#7. A turtle

A tricky challenge, this one. I thought I'd failed and this photograph was going to be the best I could do.

A plastic turtle found at the pet section of the local garden centre. They were all out of the real thing.

Then someone directed me to The Lost World. No, not the place of film and fiction but one of Ayr's best kept secrets, a reptile shop where they had just happened to have one last turtle. A cute little Mexican Wood Painted Turtle (Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima) who simply refused to stay still to have his photo taken! 

#11. A cellular tower or television satellite dish

Spotted this collection of aerials on a walk up from Ayr seafront. It's situated on top of one of our town's largest hotels.

#15. A flag pole with at least three flags on it

A really difficult challenge, this. So much so, I'm going for a compromise.

This photograph was taken at the marina at Girvan, a seaside town located further down the coast from Ayr. 

More like bunting than flags but there's plenty of them.

#16. A panoramic view, taken while standing someplace high in the air

Portpatrick harbour from the top of the village. One of the village's lifeboats can be seen returning to harbour.  Portpatrick is nearly as far west as you can go in Southern Scotland, and nearly as far south as you can go in Western Scotland and so quite a fair way from Ayr but it is one of our favourite places to visit on a day trip. 

That's another five items found, fifteen down, six still to record. As the closing date is 22 September, I plan to be back with the last of the photos soon.

The List for 2015.
1. A bouquet of flowers
2. An ornate door knocker
3. A person walking a dog (or other animal)
4. People playing a board game or card game
5. Architectural columns
6. A metal bridge
7. A turtle
8. Someone "plugged in" to social media 
9. A tent
10. A college or university
11. A cellular tower or television satellite dish
12. A public restroom, bathroom, or toilet
13. A merry-go-round or carousel
14. A traffic signal
15. A flag pole with at least three flags on it
16. A panoramic view, taken while standing someplace high in the air
17. At least two people wearing matching outfits or uniforms
18. An overloaded truck, car, bicycle or other vehicle
19. A ticket booth
20. A natural body of water
21. A photograph of you with a sign reading "2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt". Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.
And the possible substitutes for all but #21:
Alternative A: People eating outside
Alternative B: Someone holding an umbrella
Alternative C: A rocking chair

Please check out Rinda's blog here for links to others who are participating and see what they have found to date. And if you would like to join in, it's not too late as the challenge goes on until September 22.