Monday 16 January 2012

Real winter weather

Finally we seem to have some real winter weather, you know the sort when there is an icy frost when you wake up and gorgeous low milky sunshine. If you wrap up warm it's a joy to get out in the sharp crisp air. I love it. On Saturday we went down to Southampton to visit my daughter and her fiance for the day. There was a really deep frost when we woke up.





All my plants had a dusting of frost over their leaves.











We arrived by 11am and spent until 2pm just chatting, catching up and being treated to Tom's wonderful cooking....sea food fried rice with extra prawn and squid and a dipping soy sauce...mmmm! Later in the afternoon the sky had clouded over and the temperature had risen and we thought that it would be a perfect time to try a walk down by the coast.





There was little wind and we were well wrapped up so it was really delightful to stroll along the cliff path. The sea looked so cold beneath us. There was no one around.











As time wore on the skies really clouded up and it looked as though a storm would break.....
















It was spectacular the way the sunshine was shining through the thick clouds in huge shafts of light. It was almost like a scene from the film "Independence Day".
The coast line we looked out to is none other than  the Isle of Wight, one of my favourite places to visit in the UK and home of many happy holidays we took our children on when they were tiny. Through binoculars we could even see Osborne House and it's gardens.




No storm broke and we were able to continue our walk down to the shore line.






We took the countryside route for our return  and saw the sky changing all the time.















We even walked past a super thatched cottage.
















Until by the time we got back for a welcome cup of tea the icy blue winter sky was back again! I do love it when we get this crisp cold winter weather. There has been more of the same again today and I even dug out my hat to wear for the first time this weekend.



I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and if it's been cold that you have been able to wrap up warm and get out for a bracing walk?

Here is my card challenge for today. I was able to make some new cards on Sunday as cold weather is also a good excuse for some extra crafting!

I have used a super cute Penny Black hedgehog stamp which I have had in my stash for years and decided to ink him up again to see the light of day!



Here he is in close up. I coloured him with my trusty ProMarkers. I highlighted the coloured image with my Prismacolor pencils. I added glossy accents and glitter to the parcel to make it stand out.










I used the same heart papers and red embossed heart card that I used for my recent cat card. We card makers never waste a scrap of anything! I finished everything off with a polka dot red button and a prima flower.
The little sentiment is a shrink plastic one I made. Shrink plastic is something else I have not played with until recently and is really great fun.
I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;
 Penny Black Saturday challenge 184 anything goes
Winter wonderland Birthday wishes
Stamping for the weekend Use old stash my old stash is my PB hedgehog stamp and my shrink plastic.
I love Promarkers Cute and cuddly 2nd entry
Joanna Sheen Celebrations
Squirrel and the Fox Critters challenge 9
Whimsy Stamps challenge blog  Happy Birthday #21
Dream Valley Anything goes 3rd entry

I have popped him up for sale in my Etsy Shop here

So here we are on a cold Monday evening. It's Tango again for us tonight. It was great fun last week, a really low dance with no rise and fall...our teacher told us all to keep low enough to get splinters in our legs!  We will need to wrap up warm and I hope any real hedgehogs out there are fast asleep in their winter hibernation nests. We may even light our fire in the front room tomorrow evening...we have not had a real fire yet this winter. Now that is another winter favourite of mine......

Have a great week,

Bye for now,

Jane x

30 comments:

  1. What stunning photgraphs Jane, you should think of adding them to Annie's Project 365, they really are amazing!
    What a cute little hedgehog. :)
    The tango sounds just the thing to warm you up, have fun!
    V x

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  2. It was such a spectacular sight Vivienne and I was glad to have my camera with me. On way to dancing now it's freezing out so we hope the tango does the trick!
    Jane x

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  3. stunning photos and a great take on this weeks theme at the Winter Wonderland with this lovely creation, thank you for joining us this week.
    Hugs Kate xx
    PS I have candy if you are interested

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  4. So sweet, love the image and fab colouring, thank you for joining us at I♥Promarkers this week
    Ruth x

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  5. Such cute, sweet card - love that little hedgehog! And wonderful pictures...

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  6. Thanks Kate we had such a great day there .
    Jane x

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  7. I think hedghogs are one of my favourite creatures Lori but let's hope they are all asleep at the moment. Keep cosy.
    Jane x

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  8. Beautiful photos and super cute card. Thanks for joining in this week at Penny Black Saturday,

    Liz x

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  9. Beautiful pictures, Jane! And the card is so cute, the hedgehog is adorable! I hope your days will continue being pretty and not too cold so you'll flowers will stay that pretty!

    Happy dancing, dear friend!

    Yours,
    Mia

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  10. Thanks Liz he is a cute stamp isn't he!
    Jane x

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  11. Hi Mia the forecast is just for a few more days of cold winter weather then it's turning mild again. That will suit my plants just fine. Dancing was great and warmed us up nicely. Keep warm in snowy Finland my dear.
    Jane x

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  12. Hi Jane.. gorgeous photos.. my fave was the thatched cottage! Just imagine the inside of it! Love your card, I'll hop over and see your Etsy page.
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  13. Gorgeous cards and great photos. Love the colouring on your 'critter', lots of details, thanks for playing with us at the Squirrel and the Fox, blessings Hilde

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  14. Hi Teresa we said the same thing as we walked past that cottage! Do have a peep in my Etsy shop, I am adding cards there all the time. Happy Tuesday,
    Jane x

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  15. Hi Hilde, he is a great little critter isn't he ;0)
    Jane x

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  16. Stunning card - I love it! :) Gorgeous photographs too!

    Thanks so much for joining us at I ♥ Promarkers this week,

    hugs

    xxalisonxx

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  17. Hi Alison and thanks for your visit,
    Jane x

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  18. Your photos are amazing today! I love the dark clouds with shafts of sunshine picture, so dramatic! Glad you had a lovely weekend. And I love the little hedgehog card!
    Helen x

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  19. Really cute card - love the gloss and glitter accents! (Really love your amazing photos, especially the ones with the sun shining through the clouds!) Thanks for joining our "Anything Goes" challenge at Dream Valley. Susie x

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  20. Hi Helen, the sky almost had an end of the world feeling...so glad it didn't!
    Have a great week,
    Jane x

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  21. Hi Susie thanks so much for your visit and your kind words.
    Jane x

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  22. Gorgeous card! such a sweet image and I love your choice of colours :-) Thank you for joining us at Dream Valley! Love 'n' hugs, Mel xx

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  23. What stunning photos, Jane! Oh, it's lovely to vicariously enjoy places here with you on your blog. Winter's upon us too, finally. We are hoping for much needed rain!

    LOVE your sweet hedgehog..I just painted a few over here...oh, they are such funny and sweet creatures! Hope you've been well Jane!

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  24. Shirley we have also been so short of rain this winter, at this rate we will be heading for a hosepipe ban by summer :0( Hedgies are the sweetest creatures aren't they...I bet you draw some super ones.
    Jane x

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  25. Hi Mel, thanks, red and black are one of my favourite colour combos.
    Jane x

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  26. I'm enjoying the frosty mornings as well, feels correct for this time of year and might kill some of the pesky bugs in the garden (and hopefully not the nice ones!). Lovely card :) Bethx

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  27. I totally agree re needing some real winter weather Beth. There will be a blackfly fest this summer otherwise!
    Jane x

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  28. beautiful photos and love your cute hedgie jane...thanks for joining in the fun this week at Penny Black Saturday...hugs kath xxx

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  29. Thanks Kath, PB do the most adorable hedgie stamps don't they.
    Jane x

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Jane x