The Adventure Begins - Tour of Scotland 2019

Our tour of Scotland started on 9th September. Some of you will remember we did a similar tour in October three years ago. Then, we had not long owned our first electric car - The Renault Zoe. This had a range of approximately 100 miles. This time, with our new Hyundia Kona we were looking forward to travelling further between charges, as we now have a 300 mile range. (Edited to add photo of car on charger at Tongue - towards the end of the post.)
Our plan is to travel up the East coast from Suffolk, then stay for a week in Tongue on the north coast of The Highlands, a week on the Isle of Skye, then a few days on Arran and travel home via the Lake District.

Day 1 - Mendham, Suffolk to Seahouses Northumbria

First Destination - Seahouses, Northumbria - 340 miles

Seahouses towards Bamburgh - Late afternoon on our arrival

We booked two nights in a hotel, and this was the view from the seafront just outside.

Day 2 - Bamburgh and Seahouses

On day two we had a look around the small town of Seahouses, taking in the harbour, and charging the car in the local car park. Then we drove along the coast to Bamburgh, visiting the castle, the town for lunch, the RNLI Grace Darling Museum and St. Aiden's Church.

From the walls of Bamburgh Castle

Looking out over the town from the castle

Alan took this one with his drone

After lunch we investigated the RNLI museum dedicated to Grace Darling, then took a walk around the church and graveyard.

 

There is a memorial to Grace in the churchyard which can be seen from sea.

Then there is also the family grave, where she is buried. In 1838, Grace and her father risked their lives to rescue stranded survivors from a ship wrecked in a fierce storm. This feat changed her life dramatically, she became a celebrity of her day and was awarded honours and the NRLI's silver medal for gallantry. Sadly, Grace died just four years later, aged 26 due to tuberculosis.

Day 3 - Seahouses to Killin, Scotland

A few photos taken early in the day, before leaving Seahouses for Scotland.
153 miles (total 493)

 

We picked a Bed and Breakfast in Killin - The Dall Lodge Country House for the night, and headed off to complete the trip, stopping a few times to admire the scenery and have a break. Very near to the B & B we stopped to look at the Falls of Dochart.

 

The weather was very wet and windy by this time, so we were pleased to arrive at the excellent B & B. The host is an excellent photographer of wildlife.

We enjoyed an excellent evening meal in the nearby Killin Hotel.

Day 4 - Killin to Rogart
Our next destination was Willie Jack's Cottage, Rogart - 155 miles (total 548)
This is a lovely 'home from home' B & B where we were made to feel like part of the family, we booked in here for two nights so we could explore the area on Friday before moving on again.

Day 5 - Dornoch & Dunrobin

We spent the day looking around the local area, first we went to Dornoch for some shopping. I found the Kingcraig Fabrics (Brora) Ltd. shop. It was recommended by our host Sandy, who had made some lovely things for the home with materials from this shop.

4 ply wool and 100% woolen fabric

Then we spent some time shopping in The Jail and the Courthouse. I was keen to see Dornoch as it was features in Lucinda Riley's Moon Sister (part of the Seven Sisters Series). An excellent read and so far there are five published - eagerly awaiting the sixth due to be published late October.

Shopping in the Old Jail and Courthouse

Lunch in the old Courthouse

After lunch we drove to Dunrobin Castle.

View from inside the castle

Castle from the grounds

 Day 6 - Rogart to Tongue

52 miles - mostly single track! (total 600)
We set off on Saturday morning for the last trip for a week, as we will be staying in a cottage on the North Coast at Tongue for a week. A welcome chance to unpack, and other then shorter day trips we will not have any long journeys for 7 days.

On route

We arrived at Tongue and stopped at Hotel Tongue for a snack as we were early for our accommodation and also to charge the car. 

When we arrived it was extremely windy and raining - Gale force 9! It's very remote here, and we were pleased to arrive, do some shopping for supplies and then make the cottage cosy for the evening.  Weather likely to be similar for a few days, then forecast to be much better. Hence I have had time to write this post and I'm getting on well with the crochet and reading.

From the back of the cottage

Thanks for reading to the end, will be back with more next week.
Lynn x

Icelandic Trolls

The first photo I have scrapped of our trip to Iceland last December. I created this at the Papermaze Crop on Saturday, it was the August Crop Kit designed by Vanessa.

These giant trolls were standing in one of the shops in Akureyri. We heard lots of stories about trolls during our stay.

The layout involved stenciling, die cutting, punching, inking, tearing and distressing. The lovely papers are Authentique Pastime and Rugged, and Pebbles Chasing Adventures

I added a few coils of navy thread, and my tiny letters are Pinkfresh Studio mini puffy alpha stickers - Just a little note.

If you are interested in the crops they are held at Otley Village Hall, usually on the 3rd Saturday of each month (check blog, facebook or website for actual dates as these vary). There is always an optional kit, teas, coffees and lots of cake! There is also a discount in the shop on crop days.

Thanks for looking
Lynn x

Treasure

I have had this photo in my box, ready for scrapbooking for some time - it was taken in 2011 and shows my daughter Catherine with baby Annabelle (who was her 8 year old flower girl last month). Annabelle is now Catherine's niece by marriage.

I have finally used the 12" x 12" watercolour paper I purchased a while ago, together with a selection Distress Oxide Inks.

I started by placing a selection of blue and pink Distress Oxide Inks onto my craft mat and mixing each colour with a little water, I flicked some specks of colour over the watercolour paper.

With a sheet of Cocoa Vanilla Studio paper - from the Happiness collection called 'So Fresh', I did a lot of fussy cutting! I cut the wreath free of the paper and then carefully cut away the inside too. I saved the scraps for later. I placed the majority of the wreath to the bottom right of the page, as shown and slued this in place. then I trimmed off the excess. The remainder of the wreath was then used in the top left of the layout. Any left over, incomplete, flowers were tucked into the areas already glued into place.

With the remains of the patterned paper, I cut a photo mount and using the side showing the blue hearts. placed the photo into position. This was then adhered to the centre of the wreath , tucked under the flowers.

With a round paintbrush I painted the title with some watered down Distress Ink. I added a little detail journalling along the side of the photo. Finally a smattering of flat-backed pearls in a variety of colours was added here and there.
Here they are 8 years later:

A relatively simple layout, the time consuming part being the fussy cutting. I'm enjoying using different medium to paint or pen titles, and the Distress Oxide worked well on the water colour paper. A light mist with water helped this and the coloured specks to wick a little too.

Thanks for looking,
Lynn x

Papermaze April Crop Kit - Family Love

I'm trying to catch up with the Papermaze crop kits for this year, so over the next few days I plan to add them to the blog. Here is my version of the colourful layout designed by Vanessa for the April crop.

I love the candy striped papers and the use of Distress inks on this page. I used pictures from a family photo shoot we had done in 2003.


Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Wedding Crafts - Part 1

Last weekend was my daughter Catherine's wedding to George. In this post I want to share with you the table decorations I made for them. I had an idea to use artists mannequins as place settings, from there the idea developed. My dear father passed away in 2017 and as he was a talented artist this was intended as a fitting tribute to him.

  In the end we decorated 13 12" mannequins and just over 100 mini figures! 

Catherine and George have been going out together for over 12 years and so chose the years as the numbers for their wedding reception tables, ranging from 2007 for the top table to 2018. I made half the table number figures male guests and the other half female. For the top table I made a bride and groom, putting the bride in the grooms arms.

Then for the place settings I decorated a mini figure for each guest. Each figure was painted, pink tops and pink or silver shoes for the ladies. White shirts, grey trousers and black shoes for the men. The groom had a waistcoat as well. The wedding party all had tiny roses as buttonholes.

Top Table 2007

Then for the ladies, my other daughter Emily and I created crochet hat and ribbon fascinators. I stitched skirts for each lady too. Lots of ribbon belts were made to finish off the skirts. The younger girls had shorter shirts made from wide ribbon. 

2008

The bridesmaids had long skirts and bouquets, the flower girls had crowns of flowers and shorter skirts. 

Bride and bridesmaids

 Catherine's Godmother Hilary's figure, was dressed as the fairy godmother she has been to her.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014 with Jake the birthday boy

2015

2016

2017

2018 & baby came too

Emily and I spent some time posing the figures in different groups as a wedding photographer would do and made an album for Catherine and George.

I made another dancing couple for the cake.

The Cooper family

I'm waiting for the official photos, but in the meantime here is a couple from the table.

Edited - to add a few more photos I have been sent since this blog post was published.

I'll be back with more wedding crafts soon.
Thanks for looking
Lynn x