This Week's Smiles - Week 373

Hello Everyone,

It's been forever since I shared a smiley post. Blame life - it got in the way! I've started going for walks again. Just short walks as I'm still feeling weak from my recent fight with horrid side affects from antibiotics. Me and antibiotics just don't agree. Anyway, today I went out early for a wee walk around the neighbourhood. and the blue, blue sky over Ardrossan had me smiling from ear to ear. 

As did the sight of these Welsh Poppies growing in someone's front garden. They're such a cheerful sight. 

When is a park not a park? When it's called the Holm Plantation. The plantation is very near the street where I live and it is lovely. There's a burn (stream) running through it and in early spring it's a mass of daffodils. Sadly, they've all gone over now. 

What it looked like in March. 

Discovered this blue plaque as I passed Ardrossan Academy. Edith MacArthur was a noted Scottish actress born here in Ardrossan in 1926. She had a long and varied acting career, appearing on stage, in film and in many very popular TV series. She is also credited with discovering David Tennant, he of Dr Who fame, when he was only ten years old!

And finally:

Silver, sitting on the compendium of games on the piano stool. I think I was being challenged to a game of draughts with her! There never was a piano but there was the keyboard - long gone but not forgotten.  I played the piano, Alan the keyboard, and very good he was too. 

That's it for today. A very quick and photo heavy post but hopefully you enjoyed the insight they give into what it's like living here in beautiful Ardrossan by the Sea. 

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth

Visiting Alfie - Rainbow Challenge No.2

Hello Everyone,

I'm back with the second layout for the Facebook challenge mentioned in yesterday's post. The colour to use for this layout was blue which I found more difficult than expected. I have lots of material in shades of aqua, turquoise and teal but very little in what I call real blue. So I scraped the bottom of the barrel for this one. 

I love the photo, dated 2019, of Alan feeding carrots to Alfie the donkey. One of last taken before he caught Covid and became to ill to drive. Alfie was living alone at the Ballantrae garden centre by then, his last companion had sadly died, so we visited him as often as we could back then. 

The challenge includes a sketch. I always find sketches inspirational even if I don't stick rigidly to them. This one included a heart shape which did prove a problem. I still haven't unpacked my large die-cutting machine - it's in the shed in one of the last boxes somewhere and, in all honesty, I'm in no hurry to tackle the unpacking just yet. There's too much stuff and nowhere to put it so it can stay in the shed for now.

Fortunately, already unpacked is this set of templates. It's ancient! It's what we scrappers used before dies and die-cutting machines became available. Yes, I've been scrapping that long. Twenty-eight years or so. The advances I've seen in papercrafting in that time is, well, amazing! The largest heart shape wasn't really big enough but I made it do. 

The papers used are from Heidi Swapp's 'Set Sail' collection except the floral one which is from Hobbycraft's 'British Garden' paper pad. Embellishment items for clusters from various sources, some old (e.g. 2017), some new. 

That's me done wittering tonight. I'm getting the 'time for bed' look from the resident furry nag. After all she has a 4am start in the morning!

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 779

Hello Everyone,

I'm determined to not only join in with WOYWW over on Julia's Stamping Ground this week, but to be bright and early too. It's time to get up, dress up and show up!

But before I get on to this week, let me show you last week's desk which never made it to WOYWW because there's a very important little person in residence. Our lovely Annie, Wipso on here, made this sweet little memory bear from Alan's favourite shirt. The tie, a reminder of his career in chemical research, is pretty special too. Thank you, Annie.

Now on to this week's desk. Photo taken yesterday.

I was putting a page together for a Facebook challenge. The first I've been up to participating in for a very long time. It's proving to be a great way of using up old stash and leftover scraps that I've been hanging on to for no better reason than I can't bear to throw any of it away! 

As can be seen, stickers I think I might include in the embellishment clusters get stuck temporarily to any available surface while I think about where and whether to use them. Not all got used on this layout. 

The finished layout is based on a photo taken of us 22 years ago, when my hair was still dark and Alan still had some! His big sister, Margaret, put on a get-together for the family to wish us good luck when we made the big move from England to Scotland. Margaret loved to entertain and she made the most amazingly tasty pink cake too. 

Silver is still a happy distraction in my life. Here she is cuddling up on my lap, preventing me from doing anything but enjoy the moment. 

And finally:

This is the message printed on the side of the box of tissues that's on my desk today. 

Sent to me on Facebook. So appropriate!

Wishing you all a very creative and wonderful week. 

Take care, everyone

Elizabeth

In A Vase on Monday - Bluebells and Granny's Bonnets

Hello everyone,

It's lovely to be able to join Cathy over at Rambling in the Garden with my offering for her meme, In A Vase On Monday, once more. 

Unlikely as it seems, I was able to pick this little bunch of bluebells, hyacinthoides hispanica, and granny's bonnets, aquilegia vulgaris, from the garden. My much neglected garden. I don't remember where I found the blue and white jug but they look just perfect in it.  

The aquilegia is a reminder of the garden we left behind. It's a self-seeded bonus that sneaked here in a pot. 

As is the blue bugleweed, ajuga geneversis, found hiding in another pot tucked away in a quiet corner. I had trouble remembering this plant's name, the label has long gone, so consulted PlantNet which soon identified it as one of the many ajugas that can be found growing in gardens around the UK. 

Beside the jug is my collection of small books about walking, flowers and birds. I've been a hill walker most of my life, but now I'm in my seventies I stick to shorter walks on flatter ground. And, for fun, I take the time to photograph the many wild plants and wildflowers spotted along the way. PlantNet comes in very useful for naming those I don't know so well. 

To see the many lovely arrangements of gardeners more dedicated than I have been this last year,  just click on the link to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden.

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth 

More Catching Up

 Hello Again Everyone,

No fainting, please! I'm excelling myself by blogging two days on the trot! 

The following are more photos taken during my walk down to the seafront yesterday. This time they are of the memorial to HMS Dasher. 

It's dedicated to the 379 men that perished when HMS Dasher, an Archer Class Aircraft Carrier, sank in the Firth of Clyde on 27th March 1943. 

It is also dedicated to the survivors who never forgot. There's a lot more information on Wikipedia for those interested.

I forgot to mention yesterday that it was (inter)National Scrapbooking Day. A day to celebrate this happy hobby of mine. Not that I have joined in with the many celebratory challenges. I'm taking my time getting back into a routine after so many months of no scrapping at all. However, I'm rediscovering the fun of playing with pretty patterned paper. It's my therapy!

Here's the last pages made.

One of the few double-page layouts I've made. Ever! I'm just not a double-page scrapper. 

I have quite a collection of photos of post office boxes, most of which I put on Instagram but rarely make a scrap page with them, but I think these four are quite special. Yarn bombing is guaranteed to cheer up any PO box.

And here's the last page made for this weekend.

This is my middle sister, Margaret, showing off her new hair colour. She may have MS, may be increasingly disabled, may be living in a care home, may have just turned 70, but she still loves life and  cares for her appearance. So when the hairdresser visits her in the home, Margaret is always up for something new. Pink hair! Why not?

And finally:

 

Silver's preferred mode of entry and exit now that the temperatures are rising. So much quicker than waiting for the in-house servant, i.e. me, to open the door whenever required.

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth

Saturday Catch Up

Hello Everyone,

It's been a good day. Not perfect. Too misty for that but it was dry and warm enough for a stroll along South Beach prom. Sadly, Arran was hidden by the mist. 

It was nice to see the gulls keeping each other company where the burn runs into the sea. Strictly speaking it's not the sea, it's an estuary but it's a big one. 

When the weather hasn't been so good I've been filling my time scrapping. Truth is, I'm desperately trying to catch up with all the many photos, possibly hundreds, waiting to be scrapped. An impossible task. But here's a few. 

 

I've listed all materials used on postings on Facebook and Instagram (#worthington_elizabeth) should anyone need more information, but feel free to email me with any queries too.

Scrapping isn't the only thing I've been catching up on. The housework was neglected while I was poorly recently so I've been working through my to-do list and another that lists jobs that supposedly take just 10 minutes. So yesterday my 10 minute job was to strip and change the bed. Hah! More like 20 minutes actually. Putting a cover on the duvet is never anything but a battle! And I've tried all the tricks and tips seen on YouTube. 

I'm leaving you with this shot of our beautiful south beach. 

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth

Beautiful & Tasty Bouquet - A Scrapbook Page

 

As most readers will know, I love having flowers around me, but since Silver, the very curious kitten, joined the family three years ago, I've had to find safer spots in which to display my vases. This beautiful bouquet, a gift from my son and his family, was very quickly tasted, smelled, and finally tipped over, reminding me of how careful I should be. Of course, I just had to make a page to record the story for my 2024 album.

Materials: Heidi Swapp's 'Set Sail' collection; Pebbles' 'Kid At Heart' collection; embellishments from a selection from American Crafts,, Simple Stories, Doodlebug and 49 And Market collections.

Layout inspiration from Lisa Sikorski's Scrap A Sketch.

For the record: I've had to take some extended sick leave. Not so much because of the infection I had but because of my over sensitivity to one of the antibiotics prescribed. I'm not sure which is worse, the infection or the 'cure'! I'm on the mend but it's a slow process - I don't think it helps to be as ancient as I am - and I'm beginning to feel more able to scrap and blog again.  

PS: I wouldn't wish allergic reactions to antibiotics on anyone!

Take care everyone

Elizabeth

Curiouser and Curiouser - A Scrapbook Page

I think this page is why I scrapbook. The photos taken of my son and granddaughter at Landmark, Aviemore are from 2014! Now that my granddaughter is an adult it is lovely to remember her when she was just fourteen. 

I put the layout, loosely based on a sketch from Scrap-A-Sketch, together from one of the kits I made up back in 2022 whilst preparing to move house. The plan was to use the kits in my spare time on a temporary table until my new craft room was set up. But to quote John Lennon, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans". Now I have a new plan to work through the kits, alternating with the pages I'm making for my 2024 album.

Materials are all old - from 2017 to 2021 - but I think the finished result doesn't look dated. Papers used are from Echo Park's 'Farmer's Market' & Simple Stories 'Simple Vintage Cottage Fields' collections. The flowers were fussy cut from one of the patterned papers. Embellishments from my inconsiderable stash!

The spatters, which can just about be seen on the background in the photo, were created with Heidi Swapp's Color Shine 'Citron'.

That's it for today. It's late and I need my beauty sleep, so I'll bid you all a good night. 

Elizabeth

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 775

 

Late again! It's getting to be a habit. Unfortunately, I had to be somewhere else this morning and it took longer than anticipated. I almost decided not to participate in WOYWW today but then I'd have missed the opportunity to reveal this shot of my desk taken yesterday. This is Silver's preferred way of involving herself in crafting. Needless to say, no scrapping got done.

This is what I did manage to make earlier this week. It's a 6x12 insert introducing the month of January. The photos on one side it of the seafront here. It's a view I never tire off. On the other side is a photo of the snow covered Isle of Arran taken from the beach. Gorgeous. The other photo is off the many lovely cards received from family and friends. 

Finally, given that Silver has already made an appearance above, I'll leave you with this photo of this adorable bundle of fur instead. Limit is one of a litter of collie puppies raised by Annie, my grandson's fiancee. With the exception of Limit, all the other puppies have now gone to new homes. Annie couldn't resist keeping him for herself. It's easy to see why. He's gorgeous. 
 

Take care everyone, 

Elizabeth

In A Vase on Monday

Good Morning Everyone,

As mentioned in my last post, due to the paucity of material in my garden, I've been foraging up in the nature reserve for today's In A Vase On Monday. I was hoping to find trees in blossom but it's too early just yet. Buds are just forming on the hawthorn trees (crataegus) but otherwise there are no flowers. 

Nevertheless, all the different shades of green found make a fresh and pretty display. Unfortunately, except for the hawthorn, I don't know the names of the other trees I snipped from. 

I'll leave you with this shot of this stunning camelia, smothered in blossoms now, growing in a neighbour's garden. I've been keeping my eye on it for a while wondering how well it would do this year. My patience has been rewarded. It has excelled itself this year.

For many more colourful displays do pop over to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden. Cathy's vase includes tulips that are much more bright and colourful than my all-green offering. 

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth

Sunday Witterings

Thought I would post what I've been up to today. It's been such a lovely warm day, despite the wind which shows no signs of letting up just yet, I went out for a walk. That doesn't sound like something to shout about, but if I tell you that 've been almost completely housebound these last few months then I think you'll agree it's something to be very happy about.

It was just a walk around the block but that took me to the nature reserve at the top of the road I live in. I did have an ulterior motive for going that way. Foraging. Given that there's nothing blooming in my very sad garden, I was desperately seeking materials for tomorrow's In A Vase On Monday. I went armed with my trusty secateurs and a bag in which to carefully stash my foraged goodies. The results to be revealed tomorrow.

Home again, I settled down to a latte and the April edition of The Simple Things magazine. It's the perfect read for a Sunday afternoon. I'm halfway through Kate Humble's A Year of Living Simply. It's my aim now to live as simply as possible, However, I won't be jaunting off to America or the Netherlands as Kate has done for her book. All that travel can't be good for the planet!

So far it's been a good day. That doesn't sound so very earth shattering but after the last few months of coming to terms with life as it is now, and not how it was, it definitely is. I'll say no more. Instead I'll leave you with a photo of Silver who just has to get involved in scrapping with me. 

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth

Stretch - A Scrapbook Page

 

This is the last of the pages made and not posted during my blogging absence. This one is dated May 2022. In the photo Silver looks as though she's scratching the wall but, in fact, she's just stretching after a snooze at the top of the cat tree. 

The layout is another scraplift of a page, this one made by Melanie Marshall, that appeared in The Scrapbook Magazine. I do wonder what inspiring scrappers like Melanie, and Sam featured in yesterday's post, are doing now that the magazine is no longer published. 

Materials: Papers from Jen Hadfield's 'Peaceful Heart' collection and Pink Fresh's 'Right Now' & 'Time To Chill' collections; Nuvo Crystal Drops 'Red Berry'; Embellishments from stash. 

Today's shot of Silver. I've brought the scrapping trolley through to the living room. I plan to watch YouTube videos on the big telly while I scrap.  Well, that was the plan but clearly Silver has other ideas. It would seem the camping table makes a perfect perch.  

I'm still getting used to the lighter evenings - it's almost 8pm and it's still nowhere near dark. The weather has been better today - windy, not unusual here on the coast, but sunny and warm and, in my experience, that is unusual! Hope you've enjoyed better weather today too.

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth

New Specs Documented - A Scrapbook Page

The weather continues to be wet and miserable here so I've been working on a scrapbook page this afternoon. Not this page. This is one I made earlier. November 2022, actually. Still not sure about those frames. 

The layout is based on a page by scrapbooker  Sam Sweetlove. This page appeared in an old copy of Scrapbook Magazine, which, sadly, stopped being published in November 2009.

Materials: Kraft and yellow cardstock; papers from Pinkfresh Studio; embellishments from my not inconsiderable stash. 

Here's hoping for an improvement in the weather soon. I have a garden that's crying out for some attention. And talking off attention seeking, and to finish with, here's a pic of my little furry princess.

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 774

 

I'm later for Julia's WOYYW than I hoped to be. I had great plans to be up early and 'atom' but my usual early morning call, aka Silver, let me down. I'm reviewing her contract! 

The top pic is a shot of what was on my desk last night. More of the same as last week. Still working on my January pages. Progress is slow. 

This is the album I've chosen for 2024. Simple but the poppy image is lovely, 

And this is page No. 2.  I found that once I'd put the title page in place it needed another to back it, before I moved on to completing the 6x12 insert I plan to use to record what month follows. And, of course, the subject had to feature one of my favourite photos of himself. Love that smile.

All materials used are from the same Heidi Swapp 'Sail Away' collection as used for the title page shown in last week's WOYWW post.

And finally for this week.

I decided to invest in a steamer. It's all Annie's (Wipso) fault. She mentioned steaming her granddaughter's dance clothes and it got me thinking that I need one in my life! It's only just arrived so I've yet to try it out but I look forward to giving it a go.

And a final finally. I had difficulty leaving comments on some of your blogs. Things, it would seem, have changed in the time I've been gone,  It hasn't helped that I've been forced to change my email address due to problems with my previous supplier. Sigh! Apologies if you didn't receive a comment from me. Someone did mention they found my comment in their Spam folder! 

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth