Friday's Smiles

Hello Smilers

I hope your week has been a happy one bringing with it lots of reasons to smile. Today I have a couple of photos taken this morning because they have a funny story, involving me, attached to them.

Nothing particularly funny about these two figures sitting on what is known locally as Rabbie's Ring ... probably in reference to our noble bard, Robert Burns though I don't see the connection myself. Anyway, what makes these two shots funny is not the subjects but what was happening behind me whilst I was clicking away. I sensed that someone was standing behind me all the time I was taking the first photo and when I moved to take the one of the dog the person behind followed me. When I turned round to see what was going on I found myself face-to-face with a big security guard. I jokingly asked him if he was following me, not for one minute thinking he was, but he admitted that was exactly what he was doing. What I had not realised is that directly in shot was a large well-known jewellery shop. The guard was checking to see that I wasn't taking photos of what was in the shop window, etc., - in other words 'casing the joint'. I think he soon worked out that there was no danger of me breaking into the shop, especially after I explained that I was a scrapbooker!  I suppose you can't be too careful these days.We had a good chuckle together about it as he escorted me to the exit ... I think he believed me, or did he!

There's never a dull day. How he could imagine a 70 year old great-grandmother, carrying a bag filled with yarn at that, would be interested in a jewellery shop beats me. I told him that it was too much a boring subject for my lens.

Here's a couple of funnies to finish with.

Having just bought yet more yarn I thought these were appropriate.

If you're looking for more smiles then do pop over to Annie's A Stitch In Time to read about what has made her and others smile this week.

Wishing you all a very happy weekend.

A Trip to the Sewing Shop

Evening Everyone,

No project to share with you today ... been too busy and just don't know where the time went but I did have to pop into town to buy some fabric for another cushion cover I'm planning to make ... I think I'm becoming the cushion cover queen :) The shop always has something eye-catching in the window.

This time it was those two huge pink moustaches shaped cushions. The starfish shaped one is fab too. I just love this shop and always end up buying more than I intended ... today was no exception :)

Here's a selection of the photos I took on my way back to the car from the shop.

On the New Bridge that crosses the River Ayr, looking down the estuary and over the Firth of Clyde to the mountains on the Isle of Arran beyond.

The old church that stands on the corner where the bridge ends. When I moved to the town around eight years ago I think this was in use as a theatre but now it is abandoned and left to crumble with plants growing out of the recesses ... so sad.

Looking up river this time, towards the old fifteenth century bridge, still in use for pedestrian traffic today. You can tell, can't you, from the autumnal colours in the shrubbery that summer is coming to an end.

Facing this way, the bridge leads out of Ayr towards Prestwick. The imposing red sandstone building you can see is the Carnegie Library, our public lending library. So named because in 1890 Mr Carnegie offered the then library committee £10,000 to build a new library with the proviso that the town adopt the Public Libraries Act. Lucky for me they agreed because it's one of my favourite haunts.

And here's a close up of the nearby flower bed - giant French marigolds and wine coloured coleus dominate ... very eye-catching.

I better get a wriggle on ... Saturday night is movie night at Casa Worthington. Showing tonight is a real oldie, Mrs Miniver, made in 1942 and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon. It's years since I last watched this film ... I remember it as idealized and sentimental, and perhaps somewhat contrived but with the great propaganda value which Winston Churchill was moved to comment 'was worth a dozen battleships'. I think it's going to be a hoot :)

I hope that whatever you are doing you are all having a great weekend too.

A Perfect Day ... and no time for crafting

Hi Everyone,

Yes, summer has come to Ayr at last. The temperature has shot up so we thought not to waste it and made for the beach.

So did everyone else it seemed - I've never seen the sands so busy. This is the north facing view. Oh, and just look at that blue, blue sky!

We had to drive right down to the end of the promenade to find a parking space.

This is the south facing view of the beach - normally this end would be practically deserted. The cliffs on the right are known as the Heads of Ayr.

Looking directly out to sea - more correctly the Firth of Clyde (the Clyde Estuary). Ayr lies in the very centre of the Firth. In the distance you can see the Isle of Arran.

It truly was a perfect day.

I hope you have all had an equally beautiful day wherever you are.

I'm off to bed now so I'll bid you all goodnight.

The Frozen River Ayr + A Baby Card

Hello Everyone,

Just about getting back to normal but it's proving difficult after the excitement of the past couple of days. I just had to share these photos of the River Ayr as it looked when it was frozen over Christmas and New Year.

This photograph was taken from the bridge the A77 goes over. Hundreds of people flocked to see this amazing sight. The temperatures have been as low as -10 degrees here in Ayr over December, so cold river froze. Here you can see that because of fluctuating temperatures ice had broken up further upstream at some point then floated downstream producing this rarely seen phenomenon.

The shards of ice were so packed they built up and formed ice sculptures - a wonderful sight!

Sadly the temperatures have risen and the ice disappeared overnight but it was amazing while it lasted.

Here's the card that I made for the birth of my great-granddaughter.

I tried to keep this card simple and unfussy because I really admire that style of card but I don't think I succeeded. In fact, in the end, I wasn't really very pleased with it although I did like this stamp:

It went well with the ribbon I used. The lovely DP is from the Papermania Summer Bloom pack and I used it to decorate the inside too.

Other materials used:

• Cardstock - pale pink, medium pink & white (for base)
• Stamps - from The Art of Stamping set
• Ink pad - Adirondack Cranberry
• Embellishments - pink Dovecraft Jewel Brad; chipboard (free with Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine) and ribbon from stash.

That's my news for today. I'm now working on a birthday card for my grandson so still unable to start a scrapbook layout I've been yearning to do for some time and there a couple of other projects bubbling away in my head. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to at at least one of these after the birthday card is completed.

Bye for now
Elizabeth

Saturday at Ayr Beach

Today started of well enough when dh and I trotted down to the community centre to attend Brenda's Weekly Torture Session, aka Brenda's Mature Movers, but since then it has deteriorated to dreich (Scots for dreary), damp and dismal! Such a change from the weekend - Saturday, particularly, was gorgeous. So here to cheer me up are a few reminders of a perfectly lovely day:

I tried to get a good shot of the swans - they were swimming in single file on their way up to the river estuary where they normally live - but they were just too far out. In the background is the Isle of Arran.

This shot is towards the Heads of Ayr and was taken some time after the first because, as we were so near the town we had to pop into the craft shop, as you do! Once I had done my usual browse and purchase, some sticky tape and two stamp pads that I really, really needed, I just had to reward my dh for his patience:

Latte at the Savoy - in Ayr that is :)

Still working on a couple of projects which I may reveal later.

Bye for now

Elizabeth