Keeping It Simple...

Good morning everyone.
I hope you are all well.
Well I think things are slowly beginning to improve regarding my health issue....and my scan is booked for tomorrow ~ Thank Goodness....Things are still not great but I think there is a slight improvement with the neck and right arm......fingers crossed!!!....if I could cross them that is!!!
With that in mind and being totally bored stiff being off work and suffering from a severe case of cabin fever I decided to stop tackling any great crafting projects....because I just can't do them and I end up getting terribly frustrated with my right arm.....I've even decided that as it appears to have a mind of it's own it should have a name of it's own as it feels totally alien to the rest of me right now....maybe Audrey or Sybil.....
Anyway I thought I could manage a cross stitched bookmark on 14 count Aida....I usually work on a 32 count linen so this is totally not my thing although I can see the holes without my glasses.....which is a bonus I suppose.
So this has taken me well over three weeks but I am nearly finished.....

I have only managed a few stitches at a time but here we are...

I've been propped up on pillows, patterns put on stacked up books so as not to bend my neck too much and work placed on cushions.....but it's almost finished and I'm thrilled that I got this far.....
So what next....definitely not a big project but I'm sure I'll find something to do.....
And as for the rugby result last night.....I'm so disappointed for our boys but it is what it is and that's that....I still enjoyed the game though and will continue to watch......try stopping me.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.
Enjoy the rest of your day.

A Misty Morning...

Good morning everyone.
I hope you are all well.
I'm a bit disappointed with the rugby result last night but Hey~Ho....never mind....there's always next weekend!!!....
After having a bad night with pain in the neck and right arm....and getting up with a dreadful headache (I thought things were improving)!!!!...we decided to take the dogs out for an early morning walk....and to try and clear my headache!!!.....
It was crisp and misty and the sun was just starting to break through.....a beautiful autumnal start to the day.....
Mist In The Trees

Exploring....

And No-One Else About.....

Our Intrepid Explorer...Daz....Looking For A Way Into The Water

Found One....'I hope Mum And Dad Aren't Watching'....!

Slow Coach Bertie Back On The Lead...

Time To Go Home...

A lovely walk through Hubbard's Hills and my head felt a bit clearer after too.....we won't talk about the neck and my arm though.....roll on scan day.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.
Enjoy the rest of your day.

Picnic Of Daisies.

Good evening everyone.
I hope you are all well.
Just a quick post to share the card that I had made for my mum's birthday.
I coloured the image last year using my Copics.....I spent a whole two days colouring images so I had a small selection to choose from when I needed a quick card....

The image is by Sara Kay and is called Picnic Of Daisies. Although I'm thrilled with the colouring of the image I'm afraid my card making skills leave a lot to be desired lately....I am so out of practice and it took me ages to cut and layer the card and papers given that my right arm is still not behaving.....
But the good news is that I have now got a date for my MRI scan so hopefully it will throw some light on the problem.
The card looks a bit plain and boring and I've noticed that the flower and button are wonky but Hey~Ho I'm sure I'll get back to my normal self soon.
Anyway there was just a sentiment to add to the card and it was finished. It's not my best card but at least I didn't go out and buy one and mum liked it so that was the main thing.

Happy Birthday Mum....xxx

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Photo Scavenger Hunt ~ August 2015

Good evening everyone.
I hope you are all well.
I thought it was about time I joined in with the Photo Scavenger Hunt over at Made With Love. I've been meaning to do this for such a long time but only ever look at everyone else's lovely photos....so here goes.....and yes I know I'm very late but here goes.....
Walk ~ My daughter walking along the footpath following the duck                     prints...she's 20 now, but we used to do this walk a lot when she was little.

Horizontal ~ These are the railings at the edge of the miniature railway track along the sea front.

Square ~ Anyone who knows me will tell you that I simply adore Rugby, always have and always will.....and I'm in my element right now with the Rugby World Cup taking place.

Diversity ~ Our three dogs out for a walk. Stella the Springer Spaniel, Bertie (rear view~sorry about that) the Westie and Daz the Lakeland Border Cross....all different but equally loved and loveable.

Rough ~ The rusty pipes on this bridge.

Bow ~ On the shoe. Now how fabulous is this little beauty....not sure what you would wear them with though.

Joy ~  How I feel now Autumn is here and I don't need an excuse to light our lovely wood burner.

Forgotten ~ Looking back through my art journal, I realise that I'd forgotten to fill in any of January 2014's days.....what was I doing I wonder....

Crowd ~ Not really a crowd but the nearest I could manage. My family with my Aunty Pat & Uncle Graeme who were visiting from Australia....missing are my daughter, her boyfriend and me as I was behind the camera.....not sure what face my little brother was trying to pull here either.

Colourless ~ Bertie (sorry boy, not you~mum's tragic photography I'm afraid).

Friendly ~ This goose was very friendly until the food ran out and so waddled off at a pace when food was spied at the other side of the pond....  

Whatever You Want ~ I spent ages watching this duck bobbing up and down in the water looking for food.....and it also took me forever to get this photo as I wasn't quick enough with the camera.

 Thank you to Greenthumb over at Made With Love for hosting the Scavenger Hunt.
I hope you have enjoyed my pictures....I will do my best to join in with the September hunt.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

The Holly Fairy & An Autumn Queen....

Good morning everyone.
I hope you are all well.
I'm still struggling with all things crafty at the moment on account of my right arm not doing as it's told yet and the physio continues....along with some Hot Stone Massages, medications etc....and I'm still waiting for an appointment for an MRI so I thought I would at least try and start to put some projects together....so I have something to look forward to for when things get back to normal....whatever normal is.
Project Number 1 
The Holly Fairy

I love the colours and the beautiful variegated hand dyed linen for this piece....
Brogan has gone back to university now and has also started a new job in one of the student bars....Bless Her! She worked all through the summer too at one of the ice-cream parlours along the sea front.....I'm sure she will miss smelling of Eau De Doughnut!!!!....Not...but she liked the money!!!
A while ago, well a year ago to be exact....I set about posting the progress of a certain Autumn Queen that I had started to work on in the hope that it would encourage me to finish quicker.....but with one thing and another, these being the house move and renovation and my neck/back problem it has gone by the by so this is where I'm now at and it sits staring at me from the frame in the corner....she's almost got a face now at least but I haven't touched her for weeks and weeks....

Miribilia Autumn Queen

14~09~2015

07~06~2015

13~11~2014

30~09~2014

28~08~2014

So as you can see this is taking some time but I am determined to get her finished as soon as I am able....
I will post more projects that I am planning to try as I sort them out....

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.

Enjoy the rest of your day. 

A Lavender & Lace Christmas....

Good morning everyone.
I hope you are all well.
So I'm keeping up with the new exercises the physio gave me....I admit I am struggling with them....and he did say 'things will get worse before they got better' and boy oh boy he wasn't wrong but I am persevereing......I just want to get back to work....I never realised how mind numbing day time television could be.....no wonder I have always worked full time.....
Anyway I just wanted to share something new that I had put on a sewing frame before my 'little' health issue got the better of me......and it is now sat in the corner of the room staring at me....like all the other new starts and ongoing projects.....that I can't manage at the moment...
Lavender & Lace
The Spirit Of Christmas

(This is a photo of the picture that comes with the pattern.)
Now I have had this pattern for years and always meant to start it but it has sadly sat at the bottom of my sewing basket until recently.....(and it looks as though it will be sat on the frame for a while longer yet).
My reason for not starting it was that I could never find the right colour of linen that I wanted to stitch on until last year at the Knitting & Stiching Show in Harrogate when I chanced upon a stall selling hand dyed evenweave fabrics and the lady there helped me choose the perfect colour for this project - the colour - Gingerbread....and it is just perfect!!! although it has not photographed well here but believe me it is perfect!

As you can see I didn't get very far...  

But I am hoping things will start improving soon and I can get back to my crafting hobbies....and back to work too.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.
Enjoy the rest of your day. 

Liberty - London...

Good afternoon everyone.
I hope you are all well.
I've just been to see the physiotherapist and I have got some new exercises to try.....see my last post!
Anyway I thought I would share some photos from one of our trips to London earlier in the year.
Liberty - London

It's years since I have been to Liberty but we were passing and I was desperate for a wander around the fabric department....especially as I've now decided I'd like to add patchwork to my crafting repertoire....current health issues allowing that is....

I asked permission first from one of the ladies in the fabric department if it was ok to take photos of the department and quilts and also post some photos on my blog.....'absolutely...no problem'....so here they are.....in glorious technicolour....except for my awful photography skills.
What fabulous creations...

The colours and fabrics are stunning.

Beautiful designs....

Fabric Envy....

And such a stunning setting to display them in too...

I did buy some fabrics and I will try to make something...eventually....

The clock at Liberty...

Celebrating The WI Centenary... 

And as we were leaving I couldn't pass up the chance to take a photograph of this stunning window display of the quilt that was made to celebrate the Women's Institute Centenary - celebrating it's 100th birthday....I am a member of my local Women's Institute and I love being a part of it.....

 and am very proud of all that it stands for.....

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
I really do appreciate your visits and lovely, encouraging comments.
Enjoy the rest of your day.