Images From The Garden

I went away for the weekend to the Highlands and had a couple of really nice nights in this holiday home (believe me, the hot tub is amazing even when it is really frosty outside!). The wintery light was just beautiful and the garden at the house was just full of plants and leaves glowing in the sunlight just asking to be photographed. Here are just a few of the images I took - as you can see the Macro lens was out in full force!

Dream Of Silver

It has been a while since we have welcomed a new designer to our RLR family but today we are so pleased to announce that we have some gorgeous new products by Dream Of Silver added to our Jewellery section. I cannot get over how cute these silver studs are and am finding it really difficult to pick a favourite - at the moment I think it would be the hedgehogs but the Scottie dogs are a close second. The little birds have a festive feel to them too and as the Christmas department is also up and running I might just need to get them added to that section too. Take a look at the full Dream of Silver collection in the shop here.

Winter Images - Part 2

So I decided to try out another image - still needed a bit of help in the Photoshop department but I managed once I got going! Penguins in scarves and mittens - what else.

Winter Images

From Halloween to Christmas in one easy blog post! 

I really need to brush up on my photoshop skills, I love to draw and really want to add colour to the background of my scanned images but the steps in between are all very foreign to me! My very patient husband tries his best to help me get somewhere with photoshop but I am a complete nightmare and freak out whenever he tries to show me anything. Anyway this is the outcome of this afternoon's photoshop trial - I quite like it and am going to get a few printed up to see how they look in card format. As for re-creating this process again using Photoshop - hmmm I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to ask for help yet again!

Happy Halloween

Illustration by Anna Brinded

Just saw this really cute Halloween illustration on Illustration Rally which reminded me I haven't put any Halloween images up for you to see. I have had no one round at the door guising tonight which means I have just sat eating lots of chocolate all night - not too shabby!

I will add my own Halloween drawing under this soon - was going to do it today but the weather was so dull that it wouldn't have photographed well....... just in case you are wondering what it is going to be, i have drawn a bottle of Skele-gro (one of my favourite film props of all time).

Here it is....

Neon Blocks

Loving these coloured blocks by Sketchinc on Etsy. I don't know too much about the seller or the shop but was completely attracted to the photographs and great colour combinations. There are some really lovely brooches, sketches and drawings in the shop too - take a look.

New Job

It's been all quiet on the blogging and website front lately, I've had a busy couple of months and have been all over the place. I quit the day job and got another one so have been away training for the new role and am pleased to report that it is all going well so far. My brain has been scrambled with all the new information to take in but I know it will all come together soon enough. I have spent all day today at work re-merchandising the shop floor and eyeing up lots of lovely clothes and chunky knits so I can pretty much spend all of my first pay cheque on them! The perks of working in a clothes shop :)

Holiday and Hen

Last week, well just over a week ago now I worked my last day in the day job (ever), and set off to the Highlands for a weeks worth of R&R with Danny but first was the madness of my sister's hen weekend. I have been trying to organise this alongside her other Bridesmaid Karen for what seems like ages now but we did a great job even if I do say so myself!

We booked the most amazing house in Nethy Bridge called Mountain Bear Lodge, a huge log cabin originating from Canada before being dismantled and then re-built in Speyside. If you click the link above you can see all the photos of the lodge and just how amazing it looks. I made lots and lots of goodies for the occasion but didn't really remember to take many photos but i will post some of the ones i have shortly.

The lodge can sleep up to 16 people, has a 10 person hot tub in the garden overlooking the Cairngorms, a sauna, jacuzzi, log fire and a Grillkota (BBQ hut) in the garden. Danny and I were SO lucky and SO spoilt to be able to spend the rest of the week here alone - bliss. I wish I was back there relaxing but it was off to start a new day job today I'm afraid.

Stitching

I tried my hand at a spot of embroidery last week. I really don't have much of a clue when it comes to doing this properly or any official stitches but I don't think that matters too much - it's more fun just to wing-it! I started this thinking I would do some kind of love heart design and hey it managed to become a tree, a pretty pastel coloured tree but it is a finished design nonetheless.
I find it quite relaxing to sit in the evening with a nice cuppa, some TV and to do a spot of sewing so who knows i may do some more in the future, unless I decide to move my fickle self off to try out something else new - which lets face it is probably more likely to happen!

Beautiful

This is such a beautiful photograph, all credit to Yang Tee Mon on Flickr - amazing! I know it is a total blog cop out to just share other's work but wanted to keep it on here to look back on as it makes me smile.