Skywatch

Another view of those tall trees from last week but through the gorgeous window of our lodge.

Tilda Is A Cutie

Not the Magnolia Tilda although she is a massive cutie too.  The Tilda I recently discovered is this one by Tone Finnanger.

This one is a new release called Autumn Angel. The kit is definitely on my wish list for when I have some money.

This one is in a book I have and will be attempting it soon.

I treated myself to this kit with some money I got for my birthday.  Can't wait to get started on it once the kids are back at school and little fingers aren't involved in everything I do. Not sure I will manage the embroidery on the apron but everything else looks pretty straightforward. I'll get back to you on that though lol

Skywatch

Grey boring skies here this week so I have gone for another shot from our holiday in the forest.

Pencil Lines Birthday

Pencil Lines are having 4th birthday celebrations.  Hop on over there for sketchy goodness.

Center Parcs Part Two

I'll try again to upload a few more photos from our weekend away.

Starting with all the tens on sunday. Shame it wasn't 10 degrees too.

This was the fog over the tops of the hills on the way up there.

This is the drive in check in.

Apart from our wooden toadstool at brownies I've never seen a real life red one like this but they were in abundance in the forest.

Now onto the interior of the lodge incase anybody is considering a stay there or like me you are just nosey.

We stayed in a comfort plus 2 storey lodge.

This was the kitchen area.

 the living area (plus my son's hand)

another view of the kitchen and living area

the main bedroom which is downstairs

the dining table - not that we ever sat down to eat at it. It was more of a dumping ground for swimming bags.

One of the bathrooms (there were two plus a third toilet)

One of the upstairs bedrooms

the flipping pony trekking came into the cul de sac we were in to turn around so we ended up with pony poop all over the paths (lovely!!!)

This, for me, is one of the highlights of our visits to Center Parcs - a crackle log.  They have empty fireplaces and you can buy the logs in the supermarket on site.  They are lovely and relaxing.

The boys played tennis. 

The little one had a go too.  This photo is one of my favourites from our holiday with the racket strings shadowed onto his face.

Skywatch In The Forest

I've done this week's skywatch in Whinfell Forest in Cumbria where we went for the weekend.


It was early(ish) in the morning when the suns rays hit the trees.

A Weekend At Center Parcs

Very much needed after the year we have had.

We went to Whinfell Forest. We have been once before to Whinfell in wintertime and a few times to Sherwood at various times of the year but never in October.  I couldn't have hoped for nicer weather.

This was the lodge we stayed in.  It was the comfort plus variety. 20 Meadow View which is about as far away from the village centre as it is possible to get so lots of walking involved.  Not complaining though because the surroundings are beautiful making it a pleasure.

and the back view

This window is amazing

Blogger is playing up so I'll post some more pictures tomorrow.

A New Scarf Journey

Aswell as the travelling scarf journey I am doing I am also taking part in a new one which is a lace scarf journey.

I am sending the yarn with the scarf on this one so it will all end up the same but with different sections of lace.

The yarn is a 4 ply merino.  I'm hoping there is going to be enough.

What I have done with this one is knitted two end sections and put them onto holders and then whoever has the scarf can knit from whichever end they like and I will graft them together once it returns home.

All The Tens

Did you notice the date and time?  Are you doing anything special?

Furminator

I have heard a lot about the Furminator but was always put off by the cost.  The large dog one was anything upwards of £25 so when I saw that Amazon had them at greatly reduced prices, mine was £6.97 including postage, I just had to get one.

Anybody with dogs will know just how much they shed.  One of mine is a labrador and the other is a labrador cross and both have the same type of coat.  They shed a massive amount of coat and not just at moulting time.  The yellow lab is particularly bad and my carpet has a permanent top layer of blonde hairs despite using the Dyson every day.

I've tried undercoat rakes and they got a lot of the dead down out but there is still a lot left which eventually provides the top layer to the carpet.

The Furminator arrived and I set to work.  Daisy (blonde bimbo lab) was far too giddy to groom her properly but it did remove quite a bit of undercoat.  Charlie (black lab cross) loves being groomed a bit too much at times and gets rather *lets just say amorous*.  He loves his belly combing and the furminator removed lots of undercoat from that area.  Once I managed to get him over his *amorous* stage I used it on the rest of his coat and managed to get a lot more than the undercoat rake has EVER done.



Picture is a bit blurry

I will try using it again on Daisy when she is less giddy but she has been due in season for a couple of weeks now and giddiness and general misbehaviour usually means the season is imminent so I might have to wait a couple of weeks before she will co-operate. 

All in all though with the amount of dead coat it removed from Charlie I would definitely recommend it especially with the current prices on Amazon or even Ebay.  They do them for cats too.

Next Bit Of The Scarf Journey

The next part of the scarf journey is complete and ready to send on.  This one called for people to use lacy designs if they wished and to try and co-ordinate with the centre piece which is a dark green with strands of white and purple through it so I chose purple.

I carried on with the lace panel up the centre.

Skywatch

Taken with Hipstamatic.

Anyone For Cupcakes?

Daft question I think. I am always up for cupcakes - especially ones with yummy frosting on top.  Hence the size of my belly and thighs lol.

The Woolgirl cupcake kit landed at my doorstep yesterday.

This is the whole kit. That cupcake flavoured lip balm is on its way to my daughter. She will love it (hopefully)

The project bag, keyring and tag

Cupcake trinket box, stitch marker, pin cushion and pin

the yarn (560 yards of creamy pinky goodness) and the pin cushion again

Not sure whether I will use the yarn for either of the patterns provided or use it to make a lovely long lacy scarf.  It isn't often knitting kits provide so much yardage so I am undecided yet.

Errrm Glimmer Mist Trial and Error

Having seen what gorgeous work the girls on my design team created I was inspired to have a try at using Glimmer Mist.

I've NEVER used this before and it is definitely trial and error.  I discovered that paper and card distorts very easily and my base card needs to lay flat in my album for some time before it will be back to normal. 

I discovered that I love the glimmery, glittery effect.

I discovered that I don't particularly like the blue I bought when it splodges like on the white flowers I sprayed.

Overall though I like it.  The layout I'm not so sure of but like I say it is trial and error and a learning process.

I used a Cleo Crafts kit from a few months ago. The papers are American Crafts Letterbox.