Friday 18 March 2016

Drifting

The glorious weather continues here on the South Coast of Cornwall this week

We have had plenty of opportunities to take advantage and make the most of the warmer air, calmer seas and azure skies

We have spent most our time on our nearest beach  - Par Beach, and the dogs have been playing with lots of the local dogs, Bruce is more interested in his ball and the sea to be fair but Molly has to meet and greet every single dog she passes. 


We walked a different way back to the car and found this sea-water stream, you can just see Bruce looking for his ball, he dropped it and it rolled into the water, fear not, fearless Molly was the first to hurl herself in, closely followed by a slightly more cautious Bruce

The ball was recovered and the dogs followed the stream back up through the dunes and to where the path joins the car park



Before coming home today we spent a few minutes near the pond

Where I was soon to meet the locals

This friendly fella was the first to say hello, they are quite brazen around this pond as they are used to people and more importantly that they are often thrown titbits


The swan you see in the distance on the road was still there when we drove past and I have no doubt that, judging by his complete nonchalance, is still sat there preening himself now 


And this beauty settled right by me as I took in the view 


As always, my eyes were peeled for treasures as I wandered the beach and I came home with several delightful chunks of driftwood

Perusing pinterest as I ate my lunch - I hoped for some inspiration for my little pieces of wood

I am aiming for some small little objets d'art but was totally awe inspired by these fantastic pieces

Absolutely breathtaking horse by Jeffro Uitto




And this stunning creation by Paul Baliker , you can click on both the artists names to go to their websites


I will leave you with this quote, also found on pinterest

If you are lucky enough to live by the beach, then you are lucky enough !

 Amen to that ! 

Love and driftwood dreams

Tracey
xxx


Wednesday 16 March 2016

Jan's Card

I made this card a couple of weeks ago, it was for my lovely friend Jan who has been an absolute rock over the last couple of years. Jan always gives 100% to all her friends and I feel incredibly lucky to have her among my friends

The card is made from a series of large tags, folded to create a sort of mini book

The front cover


I used one of my favourite sets of papers - Mariposa


The quote is computer generated and sums up Jan's friendship to me


I wrote the birthday greeting on the little tag inside this pocket and added ribbon to the top so Jan would know to pull it out and read it


This card was such a joy to make


Love and friendship

Tracey
xxx

Sunday 13 March 2016

7 on Sunday

Our week in photos


1. For the first half of the week the weather was a little damp and dreary but the second half has been fantastic, the sun has shone and warmed the days beautifully, we have enjoyed lots of trips to the beach again this week and have managed to shed a few layers, no need for coats !

2. The dogs favourite part of the day is 'seaside time' but coming home is a little less cheery, these two soggy and glum little faces peep over the backseats of the car, eyes pleading for another five minutes in the surf

3. My first Cornish pasty of the year and bloody good it was too, why on earth did I wait until March ???

4. AJ received happy mail from school this week, he achieved 97% in the first part of his mock exam and his teacher sent this note of encouragement - very proud mum moment

5. Amy's bedroom is coming along nicely, all the magnolia has now disappeared and been replaced with lovely crisp and clean white, there will a little splash of colour added in the form of her accessories, will share photos once Amy has seen it herself 

6. Today saw my first paddle of the year, been dying to dip my toes in but it has been a little too chilly up to now but today was lovely. I kept my wellies off all afternoon, I have so missed the feeling of sand between my toes

7. I stopped going to Slimming World about a month ago, Neil has had loads of appointments lately and we have had plenty going on at home too so I have decided to do it myself at home. I have put a couple of pounds back on since  I stopped going to group but am ready to reign in the snacking and go back on plan. I find it much easier if I menu plan and buy in only what I need. I have lost a total of 1 stone and 2lbs but would ideally like to lose at least one more stone ( I am not sure the Cornish pasty I devoured at the beach today would have been the healthiest choice - but you do have to live a little !)

Love and sandy toes

Tracey 
xxx

Saturday 12 March 2016

Scrapbook Saturday

It has been a very long time since I have completed a scrapbooking page, just for me, just for fun

When I had the shop I had to do one every week for the classes and after a while it become more of a task to cross of my 'to do' list rather than the hobby I used to love and the hobby that led me into all things papercrafting

It felt extremely relaxing creating this page, I didn't have a deadline or a range of papers to try and sell. I didn't have to think what I had taught in the last class and try to incorporate a new technique. I just chose a photo, spent a very enjoyable few minutes rummaging amongst my stash and then 'played' with all my supplies

Of course my first 'subject' had to be Molly, she hasn't featured yet in any of my papercrafting projects so it was only fitting she was the first scrapbook page


I used a sheet of cream cardstock for the base which I stencilled with brown ink

I then drew and cut out a sunburst style design from a sandy coloured sheet of patterned paper, cut out each alternate ray of sunshine, distressed all the edges and then used a stencil and gesso to add texture to the central part of the design before inking all the edges in dark brown and Scattered Straw distress ink over the stencilling


I then delved among my scrap boxes for some smaller pieces of patterned paper to use for the borders and matting. I am desperately trying to use up some of my older pieces before I buy any new ones

Here is a close up of the stencilling and inking I used on the two different sheets


I definitely have the scrapbooking bug back. I have a million ideas running around in my head again and often wake in the middle of the night as a new design pops into my mind

Love and scrapping

Tracey
xxx

Monday 7 March 2016

Mother's Day cards

 As promised here are the two cards I made for Mother's Day

The first is for my mum


And this is the card I made for Neil's mum


I love making Mother's day cards, it such a good excuse to play with all my pretties, I can get carried away with all the feminine colours, flowers and ribbons and know the end result will be appreciated.

Love and flowers

Tracey

xxx

Sunday 6 March 2016

7 On Sunday

Happy Mother's Day

Especially to my wonderful mum, words could not express how much I love my mum, how much she inspires me every single day

You often hear people say "oh good grief I am getting like my mother", and they make it sound like a negative thing, but in truth, if I turn out like my mum then I will be very happy. I honestly can't think of anyone I would rather be like - love you mum xxx

I will be sharing the cards I made for my mum and Neil's mum later in the week

And a roundup of this weeks shenanigans


1. The bedroom, I have finally finished painting. It shouldn't have taken so long but I kept getting sidetracked, the call of the beach has been strong this last couple of weeks, sunshine and dry days are not , in my opinion, days that should be wasted indoors painting. 

2. The wall behind the bed in the first photo is Farrow and Ball's Charleston Grey and the remaining three walls are in the lighter shade of Elephants Breath, also by Farrow and Ball. I cannot recommend this paint highly enough, best stuff I have ever used and I will not be using any other brand in the future - stunning colours, fantastic pigment, an absolute breeze to paint with and tough, wipes down lovely. We still have some finishing touches to add, I need some artwork for the walls and some decorative elements, but for now we are really happy with the warmth the new colours have added to the room.

3. My little collection of beach finds is growing. I try to bring home something from every beach visit, driftwood, small pieces of slate, interesting stones and sea glass, as well as pretty shells. I am not just hoarding  - I do have various little crafty projects in mind for all my treasures.

4. This week, the sunnier days have all been whiled away at Crinnis Beach, we have enjoyed some beautiful mornings, this photo was taken on Thursday and it was warm enough to shed our coats.
Bruce will happily play with his ball in the surf all day but Molly likes to investigate all the little rocky areas, she loves climbing, clambering over boulders in search of hidden gems.

5. I have finally found my crafting mojo. I made a card for a special friend last week and then of course Mothers day cards early this week. I have even finished a scrapbook page, something I have not done for well over 2 years - and it feels good, I think I have the scrapbooking bug back as I am already planning at least two more pages in my head.

6. My knitted squares are coming along slowly, it will be a little while before my first blanket is finished but I am enjoying doing them

7. And last but not least, with the painting in our bedroom complete, the decorating tools have been shifted into Amy's room which is the one I want to do next, hoping to get it started this week and finished before she comes home for the Easter holidays.

Love and happy crafty days

Tracey
xxx