CHRISTMAS CARDS

I designed the snowflake template myself and have then stamped it and sewed little pearls into the centre of the snowflakes. Various rub-ons and tags are there too, and I did the lettering with the Cricut BaseCamp cartridge. The paper I used are the remains from last years Basic Grey stock, and the cards I bought at the local market last week. The ribbons too, actually. Having got more paper yesterday I have already started on a little 'something' to see how that goes and also the cigar box has had its first covering of red paint. Needs sanding next though and more paint but maybe Loes can pick that up for us when she is at work..just thinking aloud here folks!!! What do you think? Do you like them?

stormy day

I always say that I love autumn...and I do!!! but when it is blowing a gale and there is a choice between looking at it from the warmth of our house OR going out in it to do necessary stuff, I know what I prefer!!! Although,...... one of my all time favourite memories is of being up on the Cow & Calf Rocks above Ilkley in a gale and just standing there, lying into the wind, allowing it to cushion me, and feeling at peace with my surroundings. Nothing like it for blowing away the cobwebs!!! No time to think or worry about the little stuff, just being there is enough. Or walking along a sandy beach in Cornwall when I was a student, going out deliberately to walk in the wind and rain, and watch the surf rising. Oh, if you are going to do that, make sure you have hot water for that bath afterwards and a hot toddy at the ready!!! That is also something I love doing when the autumn arrives. Peter and I went to the beach last year in the first bad storm of the season, to take photos etc. The sky was amazing, so low and menacing, yet with a startlingly bright rainbow over the sea. Afterwards we had our pea soup and hot chocolate in a cafe nearby, and it was fun! This morning it is just white out there - the sky bright and grey and white all at once, with the trees bowed over with the force of the wind, leaves dashed towards the ground rather than gently fluttering down, and hurtling around in the early morning breeze. As I look out of our window, I am glad I offered to take Tim to school rather than let him cycle - he has had a better week and his mentors are happier wiht him, so this is nice thing to do to reward his efforts!!! Maybe the prospect of seeing his new girlfriend this weekend is an added motivator too....she's called Denise. He is actually bringing her home on Sunday - can't wait!!!Bt enough about autumn, here are the christmas card photos I promised!!!

I'm in the mood for CHRISTMAS!!!!

I know it's early, but!.......I had these gorgeous new papers from Cosmo Cricket just waiting for my attention, so it was impossible not to start!! In a copy of Creatief met fotos from last year there was a stunning Advent Calendar which I thought was just splendid. So I have shamelessly "scrap-lifted" the basic idea and made one of my own! It is not finished yet, but I am working on it day and night ( addict, moi?!) and it is coming along nicely, thank you. I have also started with the christmas cards but forgotten to take photos of those as yet. Sorry!! The whole room is littered with the embellishments and tools that I am using for the calendar which is the largest scrapwork I have ever undertaken. I am sitting in 3 peoples places all at once, as I move from one side to the other to work. I think it must be about 30cm by 70cm in total. But I am so loving it!!!! All those tags are going to take a while to get decorated etc. I have used the Cricut for them and many of the lettering, and also for the little bag I've made to hold the tags as each day passes. I am not sure where I will hang it up though........and maybe Peter will have to back it to strengthen it if it is to last more than one year ( I hope so!). I need some more paper to continue so that is my excuse to visit the scrapbook shop isn't it?.....Loes and I haven't been since before the summer so I think it is high time we saw what was in the window! Ah well, time to go, but I'll get some card shots up this week I promise!! Oh, and Hi to Ann if she has found my blog and is reading it!!!! That sunday roast is in the offing!! Let's set a date!

Dordrecht with Friso and Peter

Yesterday we were in Dordrecht to celebrate Friso's birthday. A little late but this was the first opportunity we had to go there. He was 27 on 18 September. Friso showed us his computer(s) and what he was busy creating on them, and it is fantastic what he can create. He makes new maps for HalfLife which is a popular game, and his new one is super. His cat seems to like sitting on his knee whilst he works...I guess she is used to him being at the computer for hours at a time!! We went into the town and walked along the waterside to a nice cafe for lunch. Then we walked along the Voorstraat - the longest shopping street in Holland apparently - and back to his for coffee etc. He is doing really well at the moment and despite wanting a girlfriend, he seems happy with his life right now. He is more insightful about who he is and how he is than ever and I admire that very much. It was great to get out and about with him as he doesn't do that very often, and we had a nice time together.

pumpkin show

Last Friday we went to the Pumpkin Show and I took these photos. It was nice seeing Sara looking around - seen through the eyes of a child everything is more intense and new which makes it much more of a pleasure.

Here are also some photos of Peter with "his" boat; Steve & Jackie on the beach and 2 beautiful examples of the flower mosaics. They really were well thought out and executed, some by children as young as two years old!!!!

busy weekend

What a busy weekend we have had! But it was super, and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment with our friends from Oxfordshire, Steve & Jackie. This was their first visit to the Netherlands so they spent 3 days in Amsterdam doing all the touristy things etc, and then came to us on Friday for the weekend. Since the weather was perfect we were able to do and see a lot of sights which they really appreciated. We went to Giethoorn on Saturday, and Peter "skippered" the little skiff for us around the waterways there. It got quite busy on the water as the day went on...even two caravans went sailing by!!!! Yes, I have a photo to prove this!!!! We had a nice lunch on the lake at the restaurant there and then came back over the Afsluitdijk etc. to complete the tour. Saturday night we went to the Mastenbar in Enkhuizen for dinner. Sunday morning we three went to Egmond aan Zee for a walk along the beach and hot chocolate and applecake at a beach cafe. A bit of shopping later - we found a gorgeous shop there with all turkish and moroccan tiles and plates etc - and it was back home to see whether Peter had got his work done or not. Since he was still busy we went to Nieuw Niedorp's flower mosaic show. Quite a Dutch experience on the whole and Steve and Jackie enjoyed seeing life here as it really is, especially after being in the city for a few days. YesterdayI took them them to the garden centre before lunch and taking them to the train station in Hoorn. I am shattered!!!! Peter was in Berlin all day and is now on his way to Dublin, so I suppose I have to forgive him for snoring every night and keeping me wide awake!!! I am off to the sports centre at nine this morning too....if I can stay awake! And then work and then more work and then line dancing this evening - what a long day it is going to be!!!! I'll leave you with this photo of "caravans on water" in Giethoorn!

do you believe in coincidence or fate?!

Last night it was information evening at Tim's school. Peter is in Ireland so off I went to listen to the usual blah blah in the hall. Since I was alone, I went to sit next to another lady who was alone, being the friendly sort that I am! Two other ladies joined us and we had our coffee etc and chatted a little. I detected a non-Dutch accent in the woman sitting next to me, so I asked her where she came from...."England" she said. "So do I!" I replied. She told me that she had lived here for 20 years, so I said " in Enkhuizen?" "No, I live in.....WESTWOUD!!!!!" "So do I!" I replied, astonished. She lives just down the road from us, also for about 18 months in that house although she has lived in Westwoud for longer. We have never met or been told that there was another English person living here so it was WOW! Her son is in the same year as Tim but not the same class, so we went our separate ways, but not before I had scribbled our address and phone number down and given it it her. I really hope she rings me and we can get together for a proper chat! Of all the places I could have chosen to sit, and I chose that one. Must be for a reason, don't you think?

The B&B is lovely, hidden behind the reservoir half way up the side of the hillock and overlooking the moors and Haworth. Brenda is a dear, and was there with tea and biscuits and friendly chit-chat whilst we settled in. We walked to the Old Silent Inn in the evening to meet Lindsey and Jerry for a meal together. I'd give the company 10 out of 10 but I was disappointed with the poor standard of the service and meal. Disappointing really, but there we go. If a waitress spells COINTREAU as Quantro, there is not much hope for English grammar I guess.....

(sounds the same I know, but really!!!) These photos are of the cat at the B&B and walking boots from those "who didn't make it", according to Stan who was walking the PENNINE WAY. There we are walking towards the pub in the evening, outside the inn and with Lindsey and Jerry enjoying ourselves!! The stars in the sky on the way home were so clear, I even saw the Milky Way which I haven't done for years. Lily forgot her bum-bag half-way home, so they walked back and we picked them up in the car!!! All part of the adventure.

Weekend in Yorkshire

We had fantastic weather the whole weekend so no-one can say that it is grey and cold and rains in England after this!!! The flight was only 42 minutes so we were there in good time to pick up our car and whizz off towards Sheffield. I bought some material en route at Dunelm, and then we went to Meadowhall where we treated ourselves to some of Millies Cookies ( eh, William?) and a few little "necessities"... then off through the town centre which was being dug up, so took ages, and out onto the Peak District in all her glory. THE STRINES is a 16century old coaching Inn where we had our lunch. There are no road signs on the moors so hard to use the TOM TOM but suddenly there was the sign The Strines and we could wend our way towards the first beer!

We then took the scenic route through Penistone, Huddersfield and Halifax to Haworth and Stanbury where we were staying at Brenda Taylors B&B PONDEN HOUSE.

I could kiss you!!!!

Thank you Peter! I didn't know ENGLISH BEER was Soooooo Wonderful!!!!!

scrap with a twist dare september

This is a Lo I made for a dare on the scrap with a twist blog. It had to include 3 black & white photos on patterned paper ( or the other way round), buttons; ribbons and arrows. As I had these recent photos of Genghis I thought "this is easy" so I went right ahead and had a go! No idea how one gets the LO on their site or tells them about it, as I can't find that out!!!!! Maybe one just has to have a go and that's it....ah well, it was fun and gave me some inspiration.

Only one more day before our weekend away!!! Just deciding what to pack etc and trying not to wear the clothes I want to take with me! Maybe I have to buy more clothes?.... the weather looks promising so that means not having to take too many coats ( it is England after all!) or shoes. I bought THE best pair of boots yesterday!!!! I cannot remember the last time I was able to get a pair of boots on, as my right foot and leg is always swollen, and needs operating on when I get up the courage, but I went into Hoorn to Meijerink, and they had the perfect pair! Cost me an arm and a leg to buy, but I don't have any regrets, Peter!!!! Sorry, dear but I had to have them! Now I can wear my 3-quart jeans and trousers without thinking my legs look funny in the winter months...they are brown and have a zip and laces so that the leg can be made quite wide for me. I love them!!!!!! I will have to wear them everyday now for the next few months just to get my money's worth out of them, ha!ha! but hey, I feel cool!

England is beautiful!

This is a photo of Bolton Abbey in the dales. I plan to take us there by steam and diesel trains on Saturday! I have just been planning our final itinery according to the good weather forecast for the weekend! I think I should start a new career as tour guide as I love researching and finding out the best options for people when they are visiting England. Friday is more or less a travel-sight-seeing day as we need to get quite a way from Doncaster to Haworth via the most scenic routes etc. I have mentioned travel sickness pills being handy, but William and Lily have confidence they won't need them....I will!! I am not used to the twists and turns of the dales these days so I will take them as a precaution for sure! This is a photo of one of the canals since we are going to Skipton on Saturday and then on the Embsay Railway to Bolton Abbey.William is keen on stream trains like Peter and although it is a very short trip, it gets it included and the views will be worth it! We are then going to the ballet in the evening. The Royal Northern Ballet is performing A Midsummer's Night Dream so we decided to book for that on Saturday evening which is really exciting. Then on Sunday we should have time to see Haworth before heading back towards the airport and home. I think this will meet all the expectations of the weekend that William and Lily may have...I have tried to include what I think they will enjoy the most with some practicalities like time and distance etc. and the fact that the plane is in the afternoon now instead of in the evening. It cuts the time down considerably but no worries, "this will do, pig"!!! (quote, BABE).

Almost time for our trip!

These are views of the B&B and surrounding area we are staying in this Friday, near Haworth in Yorkshire! When I was there in the summer visiting Lindsey, she and I took the dogs walking around there and couldn't resist a sneak-peak!!! It has lovely views over Ponden Reservoir and is very secluded. I have high hopes that it will be fantastic!! The weather ought to be good too, if the forecast is correct so I will be taking the last few summery clothes with me I think...and the cameras of course! And the rest will take care of itself I am certain. Exciting!!! I always feel happier when I am going home...........don't you?