Groningen, The Netherlands

Hello there...

I said I would share some photos of our trip to The Netherlands to visit my dear friend Stella and her family last month... I know some of you won't be interested so feel free to move on as there are a lot of photos even though I've narrowed them down...

I'm not sure what I expected having never been to The Netherlands but I loved it and look forward to going back sometime soon.

So on arrival, Stella met us at the airport and we took a train a couple of stops to meet her lovely husband Marcel who drove us to see one of Stella's sisters, Jacqueline and her husband Fritz

 Such lovely people and it was like meeting family... It was late and a long drive to our hotel across a huge dyke! It took 2 hours and we were ready for bed when we finally arrived.

Over the next few days Stella and her husband Marcel took us to so many places but first was Groningen Railway Station, which I absolutely  fell in love with.... It was like I had been there before somewhere in time

 

It had a gorgeous coffee place and I could just image meeting up here on a regular basis with friends... From here you can take a train and be in Paris in around 9 hours or a short trip will take you to Germany... Oh boy, I would love to do that next time

We visited the huge University bulildings... Like a city on their own and everywhere were canals and people on bicycles... In the afternoon Marcel and Martijn took my husband to a football match

Whilst Stella and I relaxed in her lovely garden... Yep, it did rain but it was warm

We dined out that evening and got ready for a full day ahead on Sunday...

This lovely guy drove us just about everywhere!

We had wonderful food and plenty of coffee stops

Over a couple of days we saw the most amazing buildings and pretty little houses with beautiful gardens

...Many of which had a little bridge over the canal to the front door

Got to love the little gate halfway across the bridge!

There were quaint shops with crocheted goods and of course lots of tulips

The inside of a house in this tourist spot was just as it had been many years ago... All the old fashioned goods on display

We saw windmills...

And yes it was windy Lol!

A large Flea market...

And more bicycles...
Took coffee beside the dyke

 
We even saw storks nesting

So there is a little insight to our trip and to The Netherlands - We had an amazing time and a huge Thank you to Stella and Marcel for making it magical!

I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos

Till soon

~ Ros ~

A Girl with Attitude and a Watercolour Card

Hi there!

Gosh we've had some rain here I tell 'ya... Hailstones as well! But personally I've enjoyed this summer... The garden has never looked to colourful and we had some lovely days...

I'm feeling better too and the medication my doctor gave me for my eczema is working...I haven't said much about it but since June I have really struggled with blisters everywhere and burning skin that keeps me awake night after night... Now if they could get rid of the sciatica I would be like a spring chicken Lol!

On the downside my lovely aunt is in hospital with heart problems but I got to speak to her this morning and she is happy and upbeat. At least I know she is being looked after where she is.

So I have a crocheted girl to share with you...

 I'm trying to add a little character to the faces and this one turned out to be a girl with attitude rather than the cutie I was going for Lol! It's a learning curve...

 I also have a card done with some watercolours and odd bits I had laying about

Well, if the rain holds off hubby and I are going to take a drive and have lunch... maybe even a little retail therapy...

 And just before I finish, take a look at my 2 cats... Bunk beds!

I hope you have a great weekend

~ Ros ~

 

CAS Watercolour Challenge Reminder

Hi there!

Just a reminder of the current challenge at

CAS Watercolour Challenge

Where I am lucky enough to be guesting for the month of August

As you know the challenge is to use salt with your watercolour - Have you seen the wonderful entries on the Blog? Go take a look and check out the amazing team creations too

Here's my card for the reminder post

 Gambai Tambi paints were used on ordinary cardstock and simple table salt sprinkled on the wet paint. This time I thought the result looked like water being splashed so I cut a mermaid from Vellum that had been splattered with gold paint and just added the tail end

I didn't adhere it down completely so the tail kind of moves like it's splashing...

I also splattered the BG with gold paint and then used Glossy Accents to look like water droplets

I told you that no two pieces ever come out the same, that's what's so fun about this technique... Have you tried it yet? There's still time to enter your creations

A HUGE thank you to the wonderful team for inviting me to join them this month... It's been an absolute pleasure and I've learned something new too!

Wishing you all a lovely day

~ Ros ~

Gold and Silver

Hello there...

I hope your week started well... I'm feeling a little under the weather today, maybe a cold coming, so I'll keep this brief

I have a set of cards I made last week... Seems I needed more female birthday cards than I thought for this month so I made 3 the same but ut with a slight variation in colour

There's white embossing

Gold embossing and gold die cut

...And then there's silver

Pretty quick and simple cards to have to hand

I'll be posting my reminder for the CAS Watercolour Challenge in a couple of days... I hope you'll pop by

Wishing you a lovely day

~ Ros ~

Updates

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well....

It's been almost a week since I posted due to my computer being updated. I love my desk top Mac but the system was old and over time I found less programs supported it... Time for a change and thank goodness for my amazing son Mikey. He spent days backing up everything and installing a new up to date system for me. Then it meant reinstalling and navigating my way around the new system....There were a few hiccups but I'm getting there.

 

I haven't been idle though, I picked up my crochet hooks and made a few things 

 

A sweet owl baby

Isn't he adorable?

 

 

 The pattern for this came from Here and there are alternatives using the basic 'doll' pattern which I hope to make too

I also made this one which I call Little Ant

I didn't have a pattern for this... I just improvised

And I used up some odd wool to make a little owl bag...

 

...Using a pattern from Here 

It's just wonderful that people share their videos, patterns and talent so that people like me can actually learn 'how to'

In addition to these I've packed up 3 projects for next term at Thursday Club, so no slacking here Lol!

Pat is coming over in a few hours so we will be pulling out the papercrafting stuff...

Sending you warm wishes for a beautiful day

~ Ros ~

 

Anniversary Card

Hello... How are you?

I can't believe another week has flown by... I was up early this morning to take my DH to hospital for his scan appointment and somehow I just can't get myself into the daily routine...

I've spent the past few days making projects for next term at Thursday Club and I guess I'm just a little tired. 

Today's card is made up of some of my scraps...

Last week I did a card using the tissue paper technique (Here) and I had a big old heart left over so I pulled out my box of other left overs and found the centre from another heart I'd used way back in May and surprisingly they went quite well together

I even managed to cut out the word 'love' from my left over... I added a die cut frame and printed a piece of cardstock with a digital paper called Cashmere - a sort of pale grey colour.

A few sequins and my card is complete and ready to mail to some friends who are celebrating a wedding anniversary in a few days.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, thanks so much for your visit

~ Ros ~