A dark day...

Today I've had to say goodbye to a good friend... the perfect comfy pair of jeans that you just know that you'll never find another pair quite the same again. It wasn't dramatic or disasterous, I finally just admitted they were a little threadbare and not really fit for purpose... I guess this means i'll have to trot off to Next to attempt to find my next best friend...

Talking of friendly... they say there's nothing as friendly as a wet dog, but a slobbery one comes a close second!

Combining a big ol' wodge of photos waiting to be scrapped from my 365's and an almost instantaneous fix from the new Selphy, I churned out a few pages this weekend including this one - I actually don't much like the papers that I used on this one so sliced them up nice and small! I'm on a bit of a drive to use some of my old stash at the moment, I want to have a nice clear out of my craft area so I can buy a few organisational goodies in Ikea next month. The Prima's and the tape, I've had for an age, but I still love them, so I'm happy to drag those back out into the light!

Dig deep...

After a couple of mild days (and very, very wet nights) everything in the garden seems to be greening up, I think even the grass is growing! All the wonderful lush greens in the mosses around the pond are pretty inspiring - I want to dig out all my sumptuous green supplies and get scrapping. Talking of digging I think it might also be time to start on the veg plot!

I adore this picture of Martha that I took in the fading light in the living room this afternoon. I adore the contrast and  her to-die-for expression -love that newf.

Weekends are tiring...

...especially if you're a little bear called Martha, who's had lots of fun playing and paddling today... a snooze is the only way to recharge your batteries ready for more action!

Spotted some gorgeous Fallow deer while out today - they were a bit far off for my 70-200, and I think I really could do with some longer glass... shame money doesn't grow on trees!!! I reckon I need something at least 400mm... think I'd better get saving!!

Keeping up...

Just a quick post today for my pic of the day - one of my favourite trinkets - my gorgeous chicken toast rack.

And serious-faced Martha Moo - love her cute little whiskers!

More Moo for your Moolah...

I love Moo. They are a cool company that produce loads of cool photo products - the best thing being the Moo cards. Skinny little photo cards that you can either use as business cards, change of address cards or just as a cool photo size for scrapbook pages - I've just finished a project for the next magazine using them and this project from a little while back used them too.

If you'd like to give Moo a chance there is now 20% off for each new customer if you quote the code - T3GK9W

Over excited?

Yesterday I learnt some very exciting news... the long awaited Southampton Ikea opens next month! But no matter how exciting, I still had a bit of a sulk on because seemingly everyone I knows has had a catalogue stuffed through their door... in our little village I wasn't really surprised - we bearly get the free newspapers, so when tonight the letter box went and a huge thud was heard, I just KNEW what it would be...

The girls were less than impressed and glared at me as I skipped about the house wielding the new arrival, then quickly went back to soppy nose kissing!

Teeny weeny..

Not a phrase that's often directed to my girls, but this fella certainly fits the bill. Another day without seeing daylight as we slave over hot PC's to put the next Creativity Life magazine to bed so I grabbed a pic indoors again tonight for my 365. I'm really liking mono conversions on the 'round the house' stuff - makes a ho-hum subject a little bit more inspiring.

My real girls are a little bit more animated and are so funny when they play - all play growling and lots of ear munching, resulting in two very slobbery faces!

I've also got a page to share... and it features my Martha pic from the 2nd... great to have a big ol' supply of pictures to scrap!

Double Trouble...

With a 365 it's inevitable that during the winter months you are going to need to take lots of pictures indoors... and to that end it's only a matter of time before the breakfast shot... so here for you viewing pleasure are my morning Shreddies... or more accurately in these hard-credit crunch times... Malt Wheats from Morissons...they're half the price don't you know!

As much as a 50mm is a must have, an ultra-wide lens is great fun to have in your camera bag. Mine is the Sigma 10-20mm and I took my 'Martha' pic using it today. It's the same lens that I used for my Jan 1st pic - so you get sensible landscapes and fun super wide candids all with one lens. Today my pic features both of my girls - I think Lola's felt a bit left out of pictures so muscled in with her sister today. Check out all that gorgeous slobber!

My page to share today features Martha settiling down to watch TV... using my leg as a perfect head-rest. The cute little felt-embellishments are Chatterbox. I love the cute scallopy border especially.

Transformers... printers in disguise...

My one concession to the Xmas sales arrived today and rather fantastic it is too! It's a Canon Selphy Printer and was less than half price! I printed off a few of my 365's to test it out and it's awesome! The prints are gorgeously glossy and look better than photobox prints! So in celebration it's the subject of my 365 for today... And by the way how cute is it?? It's like a handbag!

Martha was rather reluctant for her picture today, I think she was a bit cheesed off after a day of pouring rain - as much as they love being IN water, Newfies aren't so keen on the water coming down ON them...

While I go and play with my lovely new toy, I leave you with a page from the weekend - lot's of fun Sassafras and a cute picture of Martha.

Jump and Shout...

Shockingly today saw the first day without frost for weeks! So of course I was straight out with the girls... a walk without 6 jumpers, 3 scarves and two pairs of gloves was quite the novelty! This also meant I could just about muster the energy to grab some action shots, so to celebrate my pic of the day is Martha in full flight!

It's been nice to grab a couple of pictures in the daylight over the weekend... it's a lot more challenging in the week where I seem to go to work and com home in the dark! Watch this space to see me attempt to find 5 more interesting subjects this week!!!

Brrr...

Round here it's not often we get a proper frost that holds on all day, but the last couple of weeks have been a totally different story - just down the road from me the other day, the sea froze! So I was thrilled to spot this frosty lane leading into the New Forest today... Grabbed a few pics and then on the way back to the car, I couldn't resisit taking a pic of my little car for my 365! He looked so cute!

Talking of cute, Martha had great fun padlding in the ford - one of her favourite spots - she didn't think it was cold at all - even plonking her big bum down in the water!

And here's the frosty evidence... I've never seen this ford frozen before! - it was pretty amazing to see... of course once Martha had finished with it there was a lot less intact ice!

And on the icy theme, I love the ice blue of this paper (sorry I can't remember what it is!) and of course the cute pic of lovely Lola.

party time

Finally I managed to sneak a bit of daylight (just) and grabbed a picture of an interesting patch of foliage!! Love the colours and form of the various leafy twigs...

Martha's pic today is of her enjoying her dinner, you have to be like lighting to get a shot of this... it takes all of 2 mins for her to finish.

I've also got a little page to share, it's a pic of Martha waiting patiently for a snack during my Auntie Sandie's birthday back in December... The page is mostly October Afternoon.

One week down...

Poor little Martha's been a bit poorly today but after a trip to the vet she still magaged to muster enough energy for a big whoof for the camera for her pic of the day...

My pic of the day is my (lovely, new) handbag (that I got for Christmas) where i've plonked it in the hall on arriving home from work.. sticking out the top is my sub-copy of Digital Camera mag that I have so far had no time to even flick through!!

Ready For Action...

Pics seem to be back at Blogger so as promised here's one of my pages. This page took all of 15 mins and that's how I love my pages most. You get the instant gratification of playing with paper (and those drop-dead gorgeous chipboard Sassafras frames!) without agonising for hours over placement of bits and pieces. The papers on this one are Cosmo Cricket - Mr Campy. I got them in a kit and there are several sheets I'm sure I wouldn't have bought separately... Loads of camping phrases that I'd never use and in any case what the hell is a smore??? But once you've hacked off the bits that are never going to suit a page (and binned them - I refuse to have bits in my stash I won't lov using) you get plenty to make lots of cute pages. Lots of nice woodgrain and fun clouds etc.

These are my pics of the day - one for my 365 - my favourite beaded Chameleon ornament...

And one for Martha's - yes... my dog can happily rest her head on the table...

No fair...

Looks like blogger doesn't want to play ball with pics today... and just when I had some pages to share!! In any case my pics of the day are up on my flickr (link on the right) if you fancy a peak...

Forgotten...

I'd totally forgotton about this page that I made for the new Scrap Schemes challenge  - but as it's all scanned and stuff, I thought I'd share.

It's using the November Studio Calico, which has been one of my favourites. Enjoy.

You do the math...

Dark nights plus a willing model in the form of Martha equals another Newfie pic of the day... and lets face it she's pretty cute so it's all good...

I know... I know... I promised to share some layouts this week... I'm still planning on it but I can't seem to find a spare min to scan them!! Maybe tomorrow will be the day!

Bits and pieces...

Going back to work after 10 days off is always a strain and today was no different... you get rather used to drifting vaguely around till mid morning, having a wander with the dogs and taking your time with your 365 photo... And therein lies the truth of the matter - I'm happy to go back to work, but I'm already addicted to the 365 and trying to fit it into either a dark morning or darker evening is a bit of a strain... But in any case I've managed it so it can only get easier from here!

First up is the pile of some of the various bits and pieces I seem to need to get through my day. My phone, my lovely new iPod, and my keys including my 'blipper' from work. Such a thrilling selection of bits seemed to need some of the ol' B&W treatment.

Next up is Martha's pic... she was settled down watching a bit of TV (yesterday's Countryfile) and I'm not sure she was altogether thrilled with my shoving a camera up her nose!

It only took 4 days..

I think if I'm honest with myself I wouldn't have predicted that I would last until the fourth day before one of the girlies featured as my pic of the day for my 365.... this was a total grab shot over my shoulder in the car with my 50mm lens (not whilst driving I hasten to add!!). I just love that once you nail focus with this lens, that you get an awesome level of detail. Not bad for a 60 quid lens!

Watching you...

My picture for today's 365 image is a mystery... if anyone (cares and) can correctly identify what this little fella is I'm sure I can rustle up a little prize...

No prizes for guessing who this 'little' person is though.... we all enjoyed a bit of the rare sight of sun (that it has to be said has a bit of warmth in it... roll on spring!) and got out and about for a paddle and a wander.

I've got lots of scrapbook pages to share... but that means i'll have to muster the energy to photograph or scan... it's unlikely but we can only help!

Sublime to the ridiculous...

Popped to a local farm shop and feed store today and was rather excited on my arrival to come across a little group of some fairly massive chickens!! They are a breed called Cochins and I've been harbouring a slight yearning for some of these giant chickens for a while! 

Sadly or perhaps thankfully they weren't for sale... not sure how big a house I'd have to get for them!! Maybe a converted shed???!

By absolute contrast here are a few pics of some of my teeny weeny girls!!  Noelle, Maggie and Mabel.

2 for 2...

Well my 365 is continuing apace... at least I can say i've managed 2 days! popped to a local farm shop today for veg and chewies and couldn't resist a quick cuppa in the little tea-shop...

Prior to that Martha accompanied us to Haskins, our local garden centre. I couldn't resist posing her against some horticultural backing...can't beat a nice bit of trellis!! She loves meeting all the folk merrily shopping and had lots of cuddles from passers by... and most didn't mind her big dribbly jowels from having a little drink from a decorative fountain... i think £250 is a tad extravagent for a dog bowl though... so it had to stay put there!

Day one and counting...

The traditional way for a blogger or scrapbooker to greet the New Year is to pledge to strive to complete a 365...one photo everyday... I started last year and did pretty well, only lagging about August if my memory serves correctly... so this year I resolve to try again! I'm not going to use any sort of theme or topic, just whatever grabs me about each day...

Out and about on a bracing New Year's stroll I popped my wide angle lens in my bag and brought along my wide angle lens and thought I'd try and get something approximating a fair landscape shot... it's not a type of photography I do often so it's the perfect way to start my 365.

While I'm at it I may as well feature a pic of one of the doglets daily (that's if they aren't my main pic!) so here's Martha looking her gorgeous self... she was a bit of a scaredy cat last night with some rather late fireworks so I had a big ol' snuggly bear stealing the duvet for most of the night! Bless her cotton socks!