Now I am a-Muse-d

Earlier in the year I had notice that Muse were playing the O2. Tickets went on sale at 9am. I remembered at 9:30 and I just couldn't get tickets. Now I think I gave up too easily. Yesterday I had a note to say they are playing Wembley next September. Tickets went on sale this morning at 9. "Ah I won't forget this time" I said to myself and wrote a note and put it on my desk. I looked at it at 9:30 and then said some words that a Minister shouldn't know and decided to give it a go and got tickets! Naturally it is going to be a bit more of a trek as the 02 is easy from here and Wembley isn't but I hope it will be worth it. Nope, I know it is. My poor hubby is coming with me and says I am not allowed to sing along. It is on a Saturday so there may be a tired and hoarse Minister at Church the next morning!

I think the meeting on Wednesday went well. It certainly generated a lot of food for thought. I know what I would like to do next but it needs to be collaborative so I must present a range of options as to how to take it further. Very exciting though (not as exciting as going to see Muse but then what is?)

It is Daring day today and Rein came up with one to get us thinking!

and mydare this week is:

"The First Letter"
I'd like you to put things on your card which begin with the first letter of your name. You can use other things too, but see if you can use at least 3 things that share their initial letter with your own name.

You must go and read the struggles that the "K" and "V" girls had. I was a bit stumped until I found a kids picture dictionary with lots of simple "L" words in it.
And so brought to you by the letter "L" is
it has
Layers (just thought of that)
Lemon ink and papers and gem
Lace
Leaves
Lollipop flower
Ladybird
Loveheart
a Label
and...
a Loo roll (which is what the heart shape is made from)

actually that may come off to be replaced by an ordinary cardstock heart before I send it!

the papers and stickers are all October Afternoon; the gem is Prima and the leaf punch is Martha Stewart. The lace is from a bag beside the table. Before that, I have no idea. The bag beside the table contains cards other people have sent me and this lace. I don't know why I haven't put it with the ribbon or in my other accessories box but it did mean I knew where it was. I seem to be able to remember where things are better when I am untidy than when I tidy. Weird.

Here is the page I amde for the class on Monday. The idea was that people broughtphotos of themselves so that is why there is another "about me" page. They mostly didn't so I could have done something else but there you areLovely K and Co papers, my Sizzix letters and embossing title and doodling and punching and it is done. Phil took the photo of me on Monday in the conservatory (why does that sentence always end "with the lead piping" in my head?) where the light and reflection are flattering... Last night I looked in the mirror and realised I can't have looked properly all day as my hair was all over the place. Ah well!

It is Church Fair tomorrow and I will be "helping" kids make cards. They better put the lids straight on the glue sticks - that's all I'm saying.

I'm a bit nervous

I'm off out soon to do the first part of my MA coursework for this year. We have to do a Church Consultancy. The place I asked nearly bit my hand off and wanted to start NOW!!! We discuss how to do the first part next week at college... It is the sort of thing I know how to do really so I shouldn't be getting in a state. But that has never stopped me before. And then I have to run off to the second half of my church meeting.

I was going to put some washing away but decided that the blog was quiet and needed an update instead :)
I ran a class at a local Church on Monday. As ever, things were not quite how I had planned but they all had a whale of a time which was the most important thing. I had prepped a lot earlier and my Dreamkutz was so invaluable in cutting down sheets with ease. Tomorrow night I begin a Journal Your Advent 5 week course at Church. To complicate it I won't be there for week 2 so they will decorate the covers that week I think! I haven't got photos of either project yet as
1: isn't photographed
2: isn't started - that is tomorrow afternoon's job

but can show you some cards made for the church fair on Saturday. Except one has already been given as a birthday card. They mostly feature Kraft. And Cosmo Cricket Early Bird. Mmmmm I love it so.

Oooh I have obviously pressed a wrong button as the photos aren't where I expected! This card also features Papermania foam letters, a Martha Stewart butterfly, a Fiskars border and Woodware circle punch and I scrunched up the paper "ribbon"
This is my fave! Paper roses and a Martha Stewart leaf punch and lots of Kraft space. I did add Happy Birthday at the bottom (and hand delivered it as it was so bulky)
MOre of the same, and a WRMK rubon. Oh, and a peel off (yes I know!)
This is BG papers - Lemonade I think, a Craftwork cards sentiment and Candy dot thingy
This one uses the embossing/inking technique, Christmas papers, that same punch and my best bow EVAH.
And another peeloff.

I have to make a few more cards for Saturday then I have a list of crafty must makes as long as my arm (that's even before the hand was nearly bitten off) and not a lot of time to do it in. As ever. Monday (my crafting day) I am teaching in Imagine That in the morning and going for lunch and sofa shopping at Ikea in the afternoon (we had hoped our sofas would last a few more years but just won't so we will be replacing them with something else that teenagers and dogs can wreck slightly. They have reached embarrassing proportions now though) followed by movie night in the evening.

And I must say thanks to Tesco Film as when I complained about a bonus disc being sent out as one of our choices (Still haven't quite worked out how to delete that as an option without deleting the film choice), they replied promptly and are sending another film too. That's the second time recently there have been issues (first one the film was rent in twain) and they have been impressive in dealing with them.
I would have moaned here so I will praise here.

And sadly, I've still got time to put that washing away...

Be Still

I have had more of a chance to be still this week. Such a relief!
But there is a long way to go...
When I started out in Ministry (17 years ago on the 28th November) I thought that I just had to get through December and then could relax. Now I know better. Minister's diaries are full of stuff from September until June/July and if you think there is any down time you are sadly wrong!
It is not so much the going out and being at things, it is the the thought needed and prioritising that I struggle with. Still, it is an amazing and varied job and God continues to teach me so much through it.

It was my turn to choose the Salt challenge this time. If I am honest I was going to duck out of this one due to all the stuff I have been whinging about recently! But I am so glad that I didn't because it was something I needed to do. Phil looked at my journalling and said "hhmph, so are you going to live it out then?". That is where I am and what I needed to remember this week.

I chose the theme of Psalm 46 as there are so many helpful words of comfort and strength there. And this is what I came up with
The papers are Scenic Route Belleville with a tiny piece of WRMK (the leaf). There was supposed to be a bigger piece of WRMK but I forgot to stick it down and it would have been the bottom layer. Ah well! The black strip is glitter paper and the letters are black glitter stickers by Doodlebug. There is a WRMK journalling spot and rubons too and that is that really.

The photo is me at half term at the top of British Camp in Malvern. Phil photoshopped the bag of doggy doings I was holding out of the photo. (No bins on British Camp) Thanks hun! We came down to extra special ice cream - I had Damson and Sloe Gin. Mmmmmmmm.


And here is the layout I posted for the previous challengeOooh look, more Scenic Route! This is a mix of Liberty and Salem. SR - I will miss you.
The photo is of the kids at the eco centre in Machynlleth in the summer. (Go on, try and say it! I can't even begin to explain it in writing). I liked the fact that there were signposts pointing in all directions that life might take them in serving God in the future.

And finally...
this layout is in the latest Docrafts mag. I spent half term searching for the mag to show Phil's aunt as I did a layout about her husband - only it hasn't been published (may appear online though). But this one was - it is the story of my Dad's cousins and how the one who died was the one kept at home in a reserved occupation. I love that turquoise and brown Papermania paper. It has built in gradient colour. And look at all the brads I used! Can you tell I didn't pay for them as I would never be so extravagant otherwise. Although maybe I should be as I love the look. The brads, ribbon and letter stickers are all Doodlebug

Here is the journalling - you may still need to click on it to read it


I'm listening to songs that might form part of our Christmas kids service as I blog. Multi tasking at its finest!

Getting There

thanks to those who commented last week. I really appreciated it. Life is easing a little but not much and I can't afford to relax too much or I will drop some of the balls in the air. It has meant that I have had some decisions to make about a few things to give up or change. Most of that won't affect my blog (unless you are interested in Compact for Havering!) but one or two things will.

One small change that is coming already is about commenting on challenge posts. I am really bad at remembering the Get Funky posts which is a shame as the Funky Hand posts and challenges are awesome. I am usually better at Daring Cardmakers - although i missed last weeks altogether. However I have decided that unless Daring Cards is one of three or less challenges a card is being submitted to, I am not going to comment. I'll still have a look see! Maybe no-one minds or cares, I'm not a big cheese or anything but just so you know why my commenting doesn't seem totally equal.
It is a little thing but somehow it lifts a tad of the weight off my shoulders!!!!!

I'm just going to catch up on three things I've made recently today and it shows how I am a Kraftaholic.
First - the Get Funky November challenge - Autumn Woodland.
It is so much fun browsing through the Funky Hand CD's. I keep finding lots of fabulous patterned papers tha ti hadn't yet seen - or forgotten. Ance is so talented as a designer!
The selection I chose was American Fall from Funky Seasons
Yes, its a Kraft card base! This kraft card was as cheap as chips... until I factored in postage from the US. So basically it is as frugal as fries but not so good for us in Blighty. I doodled the edge of the card base, then punched circles from two of the designs and stuck them on the edge of a rectangular mat of leaf paper. More doodling ensued. More layers were added (one has a Fiskars punch border). This whole think was adhered using foam pads.
Then I cut the swirly branch from another of the papers, doodled on it and added some Craftwork Cards card candy. I think the white pen detail makes them look shiny! More foam pads were used to stick the branch on. (Mmm, may have to hand deliver this one) Final touch was a hand written sentiment. Oh how I wish I could write like Kristina Werner!

Next is the last October dare for DCM -Getting Punchy With It
This is an offcut of 12x12 Kraft Bazzill. The paper is really old and I had fallen out of love for it. (so old I even forget the company. Horrors!)
But two things make it zing again - one is the Kraft background and the other is the old Sharpie outlining technique. I do this a lot rather than just inking and it gives a sharp edge. Warning though - at times your hand will slip and you have to improvise how to hide the skid! Loads of foam pads yet again and three punches were used
Fiskars Border punch
Woodware scallop circle
and my newest punch (at that point) Martha Stewart butterfly

and finally the card that was supposed to be Krafty - this week's challenge on DCM...
I used a letter sized sheet of Kraft (from that US company with the not cheap shipping)
All the papers - believe it or not - are Basic Grey Gypsy. It was a happy accident this card. I knew that it would have "70" on as it is for my mother in laws special birthday. So out came the Urban Lily numbers again. I ahd decided to do a lot of inking and started with the scalloped piece and my favourite mixture of green and blue distress inks (I layer them on). I was a bit heavy handed but realised that it subdued the pattern but still let the colours through. SO then I went a bit mad, adding embossing to the mix then inking and trying to leave the middle much clearer. I LOVE the result and will be doing this again - especially with papers I don't like much now!

Here's a close up

as you can see I layered the numbers onto more kraft to give definition.

The stamps are from Imagine That, which is also where I purchased the Making Memories gem templates I used to create the swirls in the corner. I did these with stick on pearls
Incidentally if you click on the Imagine That link you can see where I teach every now and then - behind the square shelving. It is a lovely bright and comfy corner!

Eventually I might get round to sharing our half term fun - but this is enough for now :)

I'm almost here

I've been away - hence the silence. Had a lovely mini half term break with my wonderful mother in law. Came back, did a class at Imagine That and then discovered that someone at the centre of church had died suddenly (that'll teach me to leave the answerphone messages until 12 hours after I get home). It has been mad since then.
I have so much to show and tell from the various challenges I am part of, but I just don't have the spare capacity and energy right now.
I'll try and catch up soon!

Every day when I wake up I thank the Lord I'm

Welsh.

I'm not the best at being Welsh - I can no longer speak my mother tongue (Its on the list for retirement or if I go back and work there) which is rather embarrassing but there is a long and boring reason why.
But I am also proud to be British. Part of the band of tribes that make up our Islands. I am not English and it is often frustrating for us non English people to be called that when what is meant is British. And British means people of different races, faith expressions and ideologies living and working together and always has. (At least since the English managed to take us over and subjugate our mother tongues but us Celts are not known to bear a grudge. Ha, ha).
I watched Question Time last night when the leader of the British National Party was allowed to speak. I could say a lot about it here, but won't. Enough I think to remind everyone that British is something wonderful and bigger than being English or Welsh and that very, very few of us could claim to be racially unmixed (I am pretty pure Welsh but my children aren't!) and that is one of the beauties of being British.

Right off my soap box now! That song by Catatonia you found if you followed the link is one of my favourite things (yes, even though I can't sing along to all of it as I don't know all the Welsh words) and Fave things is what the Daring card challenge is all about today.

"These are a Few of My Favourite Things"

This is a chance to go mad with the papers, embellishments, tools and styles you really love to use.
I'd like you to use at least 5 of your own personal favourite things on your card this week - if you can make it 10 then you can claim our DCM Gold Star - virtual, of course lol.

As it happens I needed to make a card for my Uncle who reaches a special age this week!


SO here are my favourite things
1: Kraft card
2: Square card
3: October Afternoon papers (Farm Fresh in this case)
4: Urban Lily number templates. They came on a patterned paper sheet and I have them cut out in a bag and they are some of the most used pieces of kit I have as they are lovely and big
5: Distress ink (black soot in this case)
6: Embossing folder (argyle)
7: Glue pen and glitter
8: faux stitching
9: random photo corner
10: ribbon (Anitas)
11: buttons (vintage)
12: tied with string/floss
13: foam pads (under the 7)

Oooh I am fickle. Look how many faves I have and I missed out nestabilites, doodling and white gel pens! And gems. And Scenic Route. etc. etc. etc.

Some of those things can be found here
IF drawing a line round the edge counts as doodling. The chipboard pieces are Scenic Route. The papers are Fancy Pants. the chipboard is Basic Grey and the Journalling Spot is from Scrappy Fairy. The lettering is all Doodlebug.
I do wish that I had reversed where the title and photos are as I prefer to read left to right and top to bottom and it doesn't quite work like that! My fave bit is the arrows. They are actually cut out of FP paper and stuck on with foam pads which looks quite cool.

Hywel and Phil are going on the last Uni trip today - to Middlesborough. Which is just down the road from Hartlepool and makes me feel a bit last home sick. I can't go as I am Boys Brigade chaplain and it is Enrolment tonight!
I hope he does go to Teesside as it will be a great excuse for hols up that way! It has just been voted Times Higher Education University of the Year so it does sound pretty good. Last night was the first Sixth form college open evening. Eeeh its a never ending merry go round this parent hood lark!

She's a model #2

Yesterday I made Carys up to be a Goth. She is Leader of the Flying Monkeys in the school play and they will be Goths. Having been a little bit of one in my time I knew what to do...
Now I am trying not to be feel funny because
1: she looks so grown up
2: She makes a better Goth than I ever did (although she wouldn't let me put kohl inside her eyes. Doesn't she know you have to suffer for beauty?)

Second shot I finally broke out my reflective circle - you can tell the difference I think!

Onto other rather splendid news
Use this code and get all sorts of loveliness from Funky Hand. There are some fab Christmas downloads for example as well as the now even greater value for money CD's!

And finally, catching up with some of my holiday layouts
Scenic Route Surprise with a Pink Paislee rub on
October Afternoon - Detours or Cherry Hill
Can you beleive it is the same girl just a year ago?