Geese and Spiders

 This morning we noticed that some geese had landed in the field behind out shed, they were pecking away at what little grass they could find under the snow.  I got a couple of sneaky shots before they spotted me and flew off.

While I was out there I noticed that we had some amazing spider webs.  You would think that spiders wouldn't be out and about making webs in this cold, but they have been very busy and the frost makes the webs look particularly pretty.

We are due to get some more snow this evening although it is a little milder than it has been in the past couple of weeks, it seems to feel colder particularly when the freezing fog sets in.

Merry Christmas to all my Blog readers

I hope you all have a fabulous holiday season and that you have the celebration that you would wish to have. Janice

Everyone has snow!

Yes, I know everyone in the UK has snow, but I thought I'd show you mine anyway.  We had quite a heavy snowfall yesterday and a very heavy frost last night which looks like it will last for quite some time.

 

It was lovely at midday, but as soon as the sun started to drop in the sky, the freezing fog started to creep in from the river.

The New Edition of Papers and Pixels is out!

Papers and Pixels is a FREE digital magazine with lots of tutorials and ideas for both paper crafting and digital scrapbooking.

This is the first edition in which my work is featured as part of the Creative Team, this time it's digital but I am hoping to do some paper crafting for the January edition.  

Get your copy HERE

Drumlanrig Castle - the walk!

Walkies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the visit to the Christmas Fair, we set off on one of the walks round the estate.  We have had some snow but most of the white is frost and ice.

 

A light dusting of icing sugar!

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Serious ice on the River Marr.

See what I mean about Narnia?  This is one of the 'Striding Arches' made by local and internationally renowned sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy.

 

 

Sun breaking through the cold and icy landscape

Drumlanrig Castle

Drumlanrig Castle Christmas Fair

Yesterday, I met a couple of friends and we went to the Drumlanrig Castle Christmas Fair and Farmers Market.  It was cold day but the sun was out so as long as you kept moving it was fine.

Here are some of the stalls,  I bought one of those big stalks of brussel sprouts, the guy said to pick them from the base and then put the stalk in water and it would keep for longer.

 

This is Mary the Fairy, she granted me a wish and sprinkled me with fairy dust!

They were also serving beer from Sulwath Brewery, one of the beers was 

served after putting a hot poker in it.  It made the beer hot in the middle and cold on the outside, fab!

There were some people there from Palaeoquest a company that specialises in training in hunter-gatherer living skills!

And this little fellow was available for photographs for a small donation.  Isn't he gorgeous?

I'll blog the walk in the woods tomorrow - it was very Narnia!!!

A little Birdie told me....

My Great Aunt will be 90 on the 9th December.  We were supposed to be going to visit her and go out for lunch tomorrow, but will all the snow on the east coast of Scotland the celebration has had to be cancelled.  However, this is the card that I have made for her.

I used a photo mount which was covered in gesso, Dylusions paints and inks and stamped with Graphicus stamps.  The Birdie is from Tando Creative also decorated with inks and paints and some bling.

The other side of the birdie was inked and stamped with a Cornish Heritage Farms 'lace' stamp and decorated with some shisha glass and some gold round the edges.

As my Great Aunt is one of the people who really enjoys my crafty creations so, I put the birthday message on the back of the card so that she could enjoy it after her birthday too.

Digital Scrapbook Designs by Athena - New Kit

There's a new kit out from DSD by Athena, available at Digital Design Den and Inspiration Lane.

When I saw the muted mauve colours I immediately thought of my Mum's fabulous, big, pink hat, which she wore to my son's wedding. 

Papers & Pixels Online Craft Magazine

I was thrilled when Laura Boetto asked me to join the Creative Team for Papers and Pixels On-line Craft Magazine.  

Papers and Pixels Magazine is created for digital and paper scrappers, card makers, and anyone who loves to create their own gifts. When we handcraft a gift for a friend or loved one, our signature stamp is on it… telling the recipient it was made with care, thought, and love. It’s a very special gift indeed when we give something we have made by hand. Yes, it takes a little more time to create a card or special gift for a friend or family member, but it is well worth it when you see the smile on their faces. It’s a gift that will be loved and treasured.

There are so many things you can create –

• Cards for every occasion
• Scrapbook pages and mini albums to remember the events in our lives and to share them with family
• Mini Albums for that special event or that special person
• Boxes and baskets and gift ideas … oh my!
• Printed photo albums of a trip, vacation or special event
• So much more

Whether you love paper crafting, digital crafting or a combination of the two, you will find plenty of ideas in our magazine. Not only do we plan to inspire you with beautiful scrapbook pages, greeting cards and fun 3D projects, we'll show you how to make the projects yourself. Because time is something many of us don’t have enough of these days, you will learn how to make your own handmade items easily and quickly.

We’ll be meeting some wonderful people who will share their ideas with you as we ask them about their style, their creations and their own products. We’ll talk to digital scrapbook designers, paper crafters, product inventors and more.

Join us as we meet crafters from all over the world. Share in our journey of learning, inspiration and fun. 

The November issue is still available to download and the December issue will be published on 15th December.  I'm doing a bit of digi scrapping for the magazine this month but will also be working on hybrid projects and other paper crafts - if I ever get my craft area built!!!!

 

SNovember!

View from the Stackyard

I woke at 4.30am this morning feeling a bit chilly, looked out of the window and found that it had been snowing in the night.  I know that many people have had a lot more snow than this, but it was such a beautiful morning that I had to take some photos and share them with you.

bird foot prints in the snow

'Iced'  Rosemary

Snow gathered on the side of the hay shed

Stay warm!

Happy Birthday Tracey!

Here is a little digital creation I made for my friend, Tracey for her birthday.  She has a 'thing' for David Tennant!  Hope you had a great day Tracey.

A few more digital layouts from our trip to Appleby.  The weather was not of the best and when we drove over the A66 to Barnard Castle, the snow was right down to the road.  I took some photos from the car window, they weren't particularly good, so I have given them a bit of a 'treatment'!

When we got to Barnard Castle we paid a little visit to Graphicus, the lovely craft shop of Glenda Waterworth.  I managed to restrain myself and not spend too much, I didn't even buy any stamps.

We then went to the Bowes Museum, which had lots of interesting things in it and this amazing silver Swan automaton.  The Swan's neck is jointed and it dips down and appears to fish out the little fishes (in the inset picture) which 'swim' in glass rods which move and look like water.  It is well worth seeing and is activated at 2pm every day.

Kits

Layout 1 & 3 - Pure Elegance from DSD by Athena

Layout 2 - Noteworthy from DSD by Athena

Splish Splash!

In our hotel ensuite bathroom, we had a lovely spa bath and a 'Tilevision', OMG you can watch telly while you lie in the bath!  Here I am relaxing in the bubbles while watching Downton Abbey.

Digi stuff:  Ellie Lash, Ocean Free; Binty's Rectangle Mask; bubbles by Petitsouris at Digital Crea; fonts High Tower Text and Hand me Down.

Appleby- in- Westmoreland: St Anne's Alms House

I've been away on a little mini-break with my DH to Appleby-in-Westmoreland.  We stayed at a lovely country house hotel and I also took quite a few photographs.  Here is the first digital layout I took of an Alms House in Appleby which has been converted to cottages, I loved the arch and the little fountain behind it.

Fonts - Scrap Calligraphy & MS Serif, Maya de Groot: Hoity Toity Paper 09, Inspiration Lane: Cafe Vienna -frame, flowers, Roseytoes - dear santa ribbon
Inspiration Lane: June Mega emblem
Inspiration Lane:  So Inspired - Border
LBozeman - PB circle, Marta Designs for Digital Crea - Lavande (bucket)
Masks - Pton Designs

Dark Nights!

It's been a while coming, but here is the second double page of my art journal.  The theme is Dark Nights and I started it just when the nights started 'drawing in' as they say!  It's darker even sooner now that the clocks have changed. 

As it says on the journalling, this has nothing to do with being afraid of the dark, it is all about how far away next summer seems to be and how long it will be till I feel the sun again.  I used Dylusions acrylic pain, Dylusions ink sprays and Glimmer Mists, Sakura Glitter gel pen and some Ranger Rock Candy.  Stampotique girlie is courtesy of Kaz Boughton at Slightly Wonky Crafts

Grease Lightning!

Mhairi Newton-John

It was my friend's 40th birthday, she is a big fan of Grease, so I morphed her into Olivia Newton-John as a birthday treat!

Happy Birthday Kaz

I thought I'd show you the card I made for my friend Kaz of Slightly Wonky Crafts.  She is on the DT for Stampotique and loves these bizarre characters.  In fact, this is one she stamped for me.  I made a journalling type background straight onto the card and made the sentiment tag on the computer.  Here is the confession....

I recycled the flower from the birthday card I received from Kathy lol!  Well it is gorgeous and I'm sure Kathy won't mind.

Noteworthy

Hearts

 

 

Nature Study

These two layouts are created from the 'Noteworthy' Kit from DSD by Athena, it has lots of lovely papers and journalling type elements.  It's available from Digital Design Den here.

Minimalist and Arty Farty

This minimalist layout was part of a Techniques and Trends challenge for Inspiration Lane.  The photograph is from my holiday in Tuscany in 2009. 

Paper & flower- IL - Cafe Vienna, green string, Golden Sun - Like in Fairy Tale, Il - So Inpsired, Frame - IL mini madness 29.

 This one is for a quote challenge and features my 'paper & paint' art journal.

Kits: IL So Inspired, Maya de Groot -Cut Oots Alpha, Bellisae Designs - Painted Summer, Binty's Everyday, L Bozeman - Marguerita Time, Golden Sun - Enchanted Land, Font - LD Pigsty.

Your Hand on my Shoulder

Art Journal 10.10.10 - Your Hand on my Shoulder

Here is my first Art Journal page, you saw the background I had done last week.  Well, one of the things I learned from Dyan Reaveley's demo was that you could do your very personal journalling and then cover it up!  I had a difficult week at work last week and I was able to journal what I felt. The hand on my shoulder is my Dad's, he faced a lot of challenges in his work and I visualised his hand on my shoulder, a supportive gesture to get me through.  Hey, quite deep for a first page, don't you think?  Not promising that it's going to be like that every week, but I have prepared my background for next week, so watch out!

Cut out Letters and girl's head are by Maya de Groot. Arrows are Joyful Heart Designs - Alter Me,  Torso with hand on shoulder sourced on Google images.