Travelling through Narnia...

Or so it seemed, some pics on my mobile phone from the train window at the weekend.

Shetland for wool!

Before June disappears completely I thought it would be good to visit my own blog for once! Life has been very busy workwise, and I also had a great two week holiday in Shetland with my mum in May -lots of wool bought there, I can assure you! We visited Jamieson's Spinning Mill in Sandness, and were lucky enough to get shown round the mill. We also had a lovely visit to the Shetland Collection - designer knitwear based near Sumburgh airport, where we were shown round the workshop and how to use a knitting belt as well as getting to see lots of samples and fair isle and lace garments. Then there were the wool shops in Lerwick ... the car was packed to the gunnels on the way home! I started a cockleshell scarf when I was there, it took me about 4 goes to understand the pattern but it's about 3/4 done now. I also got the spinning bug again and sneaked a fleece into the car too. But all in all it was a lovely peaceful and rejuvenating time - looking out on seals, lambs, lots of wildflowers and seabirds. The air was so clear, and we were very lucky with the weather too!

Still not a lot of scrapping done, or any other knitting projects finished, but I had a lovely weekend of walks between the showers when staying with friends in Strathpeffer. We visited the Clava Cairns, and walked up to the Silly Stones - so called because there's always a different number when you count them! But I have been taking pics for the There's No Place Like Home class, and I do have a day off tomorrow - so watch this space - I might just get something done!

Mayday!

The trip to Islay had an unexpected happening - halfway into the ferry journey there was an announcement that the ferry had received a mayday call and were going to divert in order to give aid, hence the launching of the lifeboat. It turned out to be two divers who were in trouble and they were picked up by another vesse. But quite exciting to see the lifeboat getting launched and picked back up by the ferry - don't fancy being on it much myself!Well, the fresh island air must have creative powers, as I managed to finish 7 los one night! Admittedly several of them are quite simple, but it was a good feeling. I find it easier to scrap when I'm doing a 'series' or theme, for some reason, and these los were from my April experience with my sister's kids. Here's a couple: But of course I took so many new pics during the two weeks that there's still a huge pile of pics waiting to be done!

Islay does the trick!

Got back from hols last night - two gloriously relaxing weeks on Islay, a beautiful island with fantastic scenery, lots of birds and flowers not to mention basking seals, interesting places, friendly folk and quite a few distilleries! We stayed in a real home-from-home house in Port Charlotte (see here for details -highly recommended!), had lazy mornings and an afternoon out somewhere, then back for tea and lots of knitting and scrapping.

Here's a few piccies to let you see what kind of holiday it was, but I better not stay on here too long at the mo as I need to get the unpacking done!

More soon!

May Day!

It's a gorgeous May day here, in believe it or not, sunny Scotland. May is often one of the best months. Maybe it's not really but just seems that way after the dark winter, but it certainly cheers everyone up. Apart from all the students and school kids of course, who are sitting their exams soon, and have to do it in lovely sunny weather.

Here's another couple of los from the cybercrop classes that I did yesterday. I'd always fancied trying something with ribbons like this - didn't realise it would be such a faff though! The Glencoe lo is from Shimelle's class and the Glendalough one is from Gill's (Mole on uks). I drive through Glencoe almost every week, and every time it's different. But the colours are always deep and beautiful and the whole area has such a special feel about it. Journalling read:

"The glen of weeping:beauty, majesty, spirit. A special place, of danger and tranquillity."

Scottish Palms!

Well, I've had a very hectic 10 days or so, trying to meet deadlines for work so crafting, scrapping and the dear old blog didn't really get a look in. So I just thought I'd pop on and say hello, and share another piccie from my working travels - no one believes me when I tell them there's palm trees in Scotland so here they are! It's the Mad Hatters Cyber Crop on over at UKS, so will need to try and get a few classes squeezed in over the weekend somehow, in between a few more deadlines coming up next week before I go off on holiday. Can't wait.

Willow

Not done any scrapping this week, been busy working and haven't felt too good these past few days, so have been sleeping and sofa hopping all day instead. So here's some piccies, that I've been meaning to scrap but am not quite sure what to do with! I took them with my mobile phone camera at an amazing 'installation' I suppose you'd call it, up north. The structure is made from willow and is just amazing, you can walk through and in and around, and it looks like it's just grown that way (it didn't, it's been made). The plan is apparently to burn it in May, so will need to try and catch that. Bit Wicker Man ish though.... Hopefully I'll be a bit more on the scrapping ball tomorrow and can catch up on the art journal cards, and go see some other folks' work on the journal ring too! Will definitely need to tidy the scrapping space though first though, you can hardly see the carpet, never mind the bed or the desk top. How come things get so messy? Or is that just me? There's a real tidy soul trapped inside me, but sometimes I seem to keep it very well hidden....

Go north and west...my favourite place

Quite tired today, after teaching all day, but feel a bit more refreshed after doing a quick lo before bed! My UKS team, the Bitty Blossoms, is running a fortnightly in house challenge, 6x6 los on a favourite theme. This one was a favourite place, and had to include your own handwriting. I found it hard to finalise on just one place when I realised it was a type of place I love, usually found on the west coast here, so used a few photos and lots of description. Journalling reads:

Pure clean sands, dramatic skies, deep earthy colours, sheep everywhere, standing stones stark against the horizon, everchanging weather and light, lichen and moss on rocks and stones. Waves crashing on a rocky coastline, green and grey against the sky. Scotland, a wonderful place, go north and west...

Three things

It was a wet and windy drive north last week, but the drive home was glorious - sun, snow on the hills, deep vibrant colours and of course breathtaking scenery. Here's a couple of quickie on the road from the mobile shots. Glengarry (above) and Rannoch Moor (below).

This week's Emily Falconbridge card challenge was SHOES. Now I'm not really a shoe addict like some folk seem to be. I guess I have one rule, no matter whether they're hiking boots, everyday ones, summer sandals or for a night out, they must be comfy! I hate buying shoes for this very reason. How do you really know, in the shop, after only a few minutes on, whether they will in fact be really comfy?? It's a hard one!

And lastly (all things come in threes) here's the next in the Irish hols series of layouts. It was so hot and sunny last year, we couldn't believe it, and had to go shopping in Dublin to buy lightweight summer gear cos everything we'd packed was too heavy and warm. The beaches in Kerry were glorious, if anything it was too hot!

Today's Favourites

It's been a lazy Sunday today, ain't they just grand? Reading the papers, going out for lunch, doing the sudoku! And of course a wee bit of scrapping too.... Today I did some challenges, the UKS weekly challenge which was to incorporate red, circles, favourite things and handwritten journalling. I chose two piccies of places I love, Callanish standing stones in Lewis, and Am Buachaille Etive Mor, the Great Herdsman of Etive, standing guard on the entrance to Glencoe. They are both beautiful places, Callanish I've only seen twice, but I drive through Glencoe every week so I've seen it in all weathers, and every light, and the Buachaille is always impressive. My other lo for today is the Bitty Blossoms own team challenge. We're doing a 6x6 My Favourites book, with each team member taking a turn to set a challenge theme and technique. This is the first one and was Favourite Films or Actors, and to use stamping. Well, I kind of struggled, I only went to the movies once last year (I know, I need a life!) and have never really been a big fan of any particular actor, but a team mate suggested I do a genre, so with my love of travel it was an easy decision to make, and ended up with a photoless lo!

First trip north of 2007

Just back from my first trip north this year (got stuck at home with flu...). It was great to be on the road again, the weather was great, so here's a few piccies to show you all what I get to drive through each week.... Snow on the hills, taken at the Cluanie Inn, as was the next one. This is from the viewpoint at the top of Glen Garry, the loch is a favourite place to snap as it looks like the map of Scotland... The road home. Not bad for quickie photos taken with my mobile phone. And no, I've not done anything to them, the sky is pretty much always that dramatic!