This week is mostly going swimmingly

Every now and then my body decides it has had enough and needs a holiday and I have a system crash. Normally after 48 hours rest I am beginning to feel fine again. I'm on Day 4 now and my head is still swimming which means I can't stay at the computer (or upright) for that long. I've had to cancel just about everything this week - even missing Carys in the Gaynes Factor last night. I actually felt better then than I do now and was able to do her hair and makeup and take some photos at home.

Phil took the camera for some action shots. He said she was fabulous and she loved it, even though she wasn't placed.

I think she looks a bit like Adele here

And apparently in this one a bit like Janet Devlin.
I still wish I had hair like that. Serious envy here!

Onto my Daring Cardmakers Card this week. The theme is "Lucky green". Mine is very green with a kind of a four leaf clover for the luck!
I used Basic Grey Origins papers and chipboard; Fancy Pants ribbon; Imagine That stamps; Petaloo Flower centre and EK Success and Martha Stewart punches; Tim Holtz tiny attacher staples.

Some arty close ups

And I'm going for another lay down!

I hate student finance

Not only do I hate the fact that students now have huge amounts of loans, not grants like in the olden days. (Although actually a wee bit of a loan is not a bad thing as it reminds students that it is not all about partying - but I would rather it was seen as a Student Tax)
But I hate the kerfuffle every year about signing up to support students and the way it makes me feel so stupid.

I think part of the struggle is that you have parts of the online form that are about the past (need the 2011 P60) and parts about the future. How many dependants do you have in further education. Is that now? or in September? and is that sixth form or university? It all feels a bit existential somehow. Anyway Phil (who is on study leave this week) has been tasked with discovering the answer. Could that be because it involves actual phone calls? (Maaaay-be, as Carys would say)

And there is the realisation that even with all of this loan (and tiny bit of grant) that the kids get, there is still an unwritten expectation that parents also contribute. I may have mentioned this before, as when we went to Hywel's student loan presentation I noticed that the amount that the lowest income students were entitled to was greater than the sum of loans and grants for living expenses that other students would get. And where would that shortfall come from? Well either getting a job (in Middlesborough? Lets save those for people who need full time work in the city with a huge unemployment rate) or the bank of mum and dad. Fortunately the boys are clean living, modest hermit types so they will manage ok. But still....

Rant of the day  over with.
And here is my card of the week

Leo set a fab dare for Daring Cardmakers this week "Tesselation" (which has got me singing the Record breakers theme now). I found these amazing free download patterns from Melstampz which I used for the card. I printed the hexagons out twice so I could cut some out and stick them on top of the first sheet. I wanted chevrons too so trimmed one from that pattern. The flowers were die cut using Tattered Florals and nestability circle dies. The green paper is from Echo Park. I decided a few more green accents were needed and so added some green thread to a vintage button and sewed three french knots in the bottom left corner. The sentiment is from a new Imagine That set.

Here are two more cards made this week

This card is for a friend whose mother has died. The diagonal stripe paper originally had a pink stripe which jarred so I coloured it white with gel pen. I was only going to use one lily but it looked a bit bare. The papers are K and Co and the sentiment is PTI

 

I've bought some Dienamics dies recently including this doily and a twig and leaves. I've used both here but it ended up very different to what I had intended. The papers are Cosmo Cricket, K &Co and Lily Bee. I also used some QK flower dies and a Tim Holtz embossing folder for the twig.

I'm just about ready for Sunday morning. I'm trying out Mind Mapping service prep thanks to Phil's inspirational talk at the Elders Training last week. Sunday evening is still a bit of a blank which is a shame as I have Synod all day tomorrow,  a murder mystery in the evening and not much time free today. Hmmmm need inspiration so better stop blogging!

Farewell Student Days

On Monday I handed in the two bound copies of my MA Dissertation. They look ever so smart. Dark green with gold lettering. I could have just gone for comb binding but wanted something that would last and I never intend to write something as long again in my life. (14, 989 words. Limit 15,000. But that doesn't include quotes and bibliography which bangs it up to about 17,000)
I went for the cheapest place I could find, ordered Tuesday and arrived Friday. They didn't send a confirmation even after my rather panicky email but maybe that is because they were working hard on my magnum opus. If you need something bound then I would use ithesis again.
So that is it. 15 months of dissertation and 5 years (almost) of being a post-graduate student (again) over.
It feels strange not thinking "what should I be reading now?"

However I have been saying I will do "x,y,z" when it is handed in and now it is so I have to do them. Some fun things like... seeing if I can ride a scooter and then going on a CBT course (or is that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?); learning to play the ukelele that I begged for as a Christmas present...

And some less fun things like... going through every cupboard and decluttering. I may have some craft bits to sell or pass on as freebies so watch this space.

I managed to squeeze in some celebratory scrapping

 

using Simple Stories papers and stickers along with some other bits and bobs (like a Pink Paislee paper I think, and Authentique sentences). The thickers are not all that they seem. One of those letters used to be a number 9, one the letter "b". And see how many old school crafting things I used up? 5 brads (that is coloured paper fasteners to normal non crafters Ruth)

Here is the story in close up

The photo was taken at Manor House Wildlife Park near Tenby, around the gorilla enclosure. But why take photos of monkeys when there is my own wildlife about? (OK so I did snap the big hairy ones too but am not sure if any of the shots are good enough for the album). The photo on the next layout came on the same (hot) day.

I have been looking forward to documenting this for ages. The kids still talk about how nuts I was for taking a photo of a zebra's backside. The background paper is Basic Grey Basics and the rest is all MME - apart from the moustaches and the green which are Echo Park. Using the 'tache paper was a personal challenge. Doesn't say much about zebras but the colours match. I used my ever so nice but slightly difficult to use in a straight line, alphabet stamps, a whole heap of different letter stickers and some Card Candi to finish it off.

And if you were wondering ....

 here is the answer

OOoh me aching thighs

Decided on a slightly lighter title than the last few.
My friend Ernie was "Promoted to glory" (as the Salvationists rather wonderfully put it) on Wednesday evening. I kind of like to think that he has had a nice surprise in unexpectedly meeting Dave in heaven... Both funerals, for various reasons, will not be straight away so it will be quite hard on their families and on the church family too. I'm going down to Boys Brigade tonight to talk with them about death as Dave was a much loved leader (and so was Ernie in his time) and I will share this story, which I was rather touched to see was used in Rev to talk about sudden death too (side note: I am still reeling from discovering that Miles Jupp's dad (Miles plays Nigel in Rev amongst other things) is a URC Minister and Miles has a theology degree. (Doesn't stop him having a potty mouth at times. Actually might explain it)

Anyway on to my thighs...
I didn't take my running stuff on holiday (and then was a bit miffed as I could have done one run on the beach at least) and then last week was super busy with work so it was very hard starting again. Phil has had a month off with a poorly knee and only added 1 minute to his time. My first run I had to stop early as I was overheating (I did wonder if I could take off my shirt and just run in my sports bra and then realised I must be even more light headed than I thought). I could hardly walk the next day! Ran my full 6k last night (but veeeerrrrru slowly) and then had to go to bed early. But I can come down the stairs without going "OW!" on each riser so that is progress.

As its Friday it is Daring Cardmakers day and it is also the beginning of another month (eeep!) so it is a colour challenge. Kathy found this fab photo

which has such lovely colours. I think the blog looks wonderful today. Here is my interpretation

 

The card has already been given to Beryl who has made me the most amazing knitted nativity set. I hope to take photos of some of it soon but it is something I will treasure and use for always. I've even got a spare baby Jesus in case he goes missing one day!

I used the other half of my PTI kraft cardstock sheet and some Lily Bee papers, which do tend towards cream rather than yellow but hey ho. The birdcage was die cut and embossed with versamark which was covered with a mixture of Distressed Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo and ordinary Gold  to try and give it an aged look.

Other details: Dies: Sizzix; PTI and Nestabilities; Embossing folder: Cuttlebug; Button from Crafty Templates Kit (I think); roses: from various places I can't remember(!); stick on gems: Mei Flowers

I'm off out again soon to Women's World Day of Prayer. I love these services as you know that all across the world in different languages and at different times during the day, the same worship materials are being used and God is being praised. I've got a really busy working weekend - I hope you have a restful and creative one, in whatever you are doing

No goodbye at all

Having talked about a dear friend wanting to die in the last post - and he is still just about with us - I was shocked to hear on Saturday of the sudden death of someone else from the church. I was teaching at Imagine That at the time and would like to thank those taking the class of their patience and understanding as I had to keep making and taking phone calls. Dave was Captain of the Boys Brigade until a few years ago and was still a fit and active almost 70 year old, still taking a leading role in BB and was our key technology man. He was at the church running sound and vision for a youth service on Thursday night. As Chaplain, I'll be at Boys Brigade this Friday trying to help the boys through this first difficult week. When he retired there was a surprise party and we sang, to the tune of the song from South Pacific "There is nothing like a Dave". Which is so true.

Last week was Work Central, even before hearing about Dave and so I really, really needed a day off this week. (The clue might have been the toddler melt down I had when I couldn't get the bath water hot enough the other night. Why that is difficult is a whole long and boring other story) Yesterday I had a lovely time - chores aside! Time to veg and to do some crafting and ended up with watching "Attack the Block". The 2 watchers in their 40's both gave it 9/10. The teens gave it 6.5 or 7. The senior reviewers now want to spend their time talking street - fo shizzle. They have been banned.

I really enjoyed the Adventures of Glitter Girl this week and while I didn't slavishly follow the advice given it certainly made me think with both of the layouts I completed yesterday.  I chose the papers because I love that background one and had bought two copies so I could use the back as well. I wanted to use the big glittery tag with the yellow flower from another paper and ended up layering it with several other papers as well. Which led to ensuring there was more yellow. Then I looked at the photos and could see that there was a fair amount of bright pink thanks to my scarf and the inside of Carys' coat. so I added a few bright pink details in with the yellow. Actually now I look at it this page is basically inspired by the school uniform of Rosebery Grammar School for girls in the 1970's when I was there aka Lord Rosebery's racing colours - green, rose and primrose. Hmmmm

Details: Papers and Chipboard: MME, Lilybee; Stickers: Studio Calico; Dies: Dienamics and Nestabilities; Letters: October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket and Websters; Punch: Martha Stewart; Also: Pinking Scissors and pink bits from stash

I'm still scrapping the summer holiday photos as well. This one was kind of based on a Skissedilla sketch. I adore that top left hand photo of my daughter! She did stand up quite a lot but I wanted to keep all the other photos portrait so you will just have to take my word for it!

Here's a close up of the title
 
and the rather hard to read journalling

 
Details: Cardstock: Bazzill: Papers: Studio Calico, MME, LilyBee, Cosmo Cricket; Letter Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, Websters pages, October Afternoon, Authentique, Simple sotires; Other stickers: Simple Stories; Chipboard: Pink Paislee; Gems: Prima; Punches: Martha Stewart; EK Success and Fiskars; Stamp: Kaisercraft; Ink: Ranger Distress Ink

I have sent off my dissertation for binding today and hope to hand it in next Monday. V. nervous now! And v. busy so I do apologise for not blog hopping as I should but blog writing is about as much as I can do at the moment

The long goodbye

Last night was one of my final performances. There are quite a lot to come as there are still 5 months until we move but they are all quite hard (and liberating) in their own way. I have been the Convenor of a quite important committee in the local area of the United Reformed Church, important in that we have responsibility for pastoral care and decisions about deployment of Ministers. It has been quite gruelling in its way and I would have stepped down now anyway, but knowing we are leaving the area has made it easier to do. I took along a bootfull of papers which are the history of the churches of the area that no-one really knows what to do with. Suddenly our understairs cupboard looks bare! But I hate goodbyes. And planning the "lasts" of things (many of which will all too soon be replaced with quite similar "firsts" when it comes to meetings!), but it is part of how things are I guess.

At the same time a dearly loved member of one of the churches is coming to the end of his life. He is in his late 90's and longs for heaven. He is comfortable in his bed in the house that he built and is now asleep much of the time. But when awake he tells people they are "wonderful" and has been heard singing hymns when no-one else is in the room. The care he is receiving is exemplary and his house is filled with love and peace. I do hope his goodbye will not be too long as he is so looking forward to the welcome he will receive in the next life.
Which puts my feelings about goodbye's into perspective eh?

to change the subject completely, it is Daring Card day today and the fabulous Sharon gave us something to get our teeth into  - Marie Antionette. Some of the girls have produced amazingly frou frou and ornate cards. I went for a simpler interpretation!

This is quite an old school card as I used some of my Quickutz Dies and papers from Self Addressed kits from way back when. The problem I have with QK is that they are quite small. So I made an American sized card (5 1/2 x 4 1/4" for the interested). The colours are just slightly off - that ribbon is more of a dusty pink than a dark red and the papers match but I couldn't get the balance right on the photo. Love the colour in the photo though!
Details:
Cardstock: PTI and Bazzill; Dies: circles - Nestabilities, Scroll - Sizzix, Cake and Spoon - QK; Ribbon: Dear Lizzy American Crafts; Papers: unknown from SA card kit; letters - Authentique and Cosmo Cricket

Here is the other layout I did at the weekend

The photo was taken in Whitby last Friday. I can't believe they actually posed in front of the sign for us. Em made sure most of his face was covered, but he did stand there. They do love to argue about stupid things when out for walks. We went for a long walk during the week while Hywel was with us - and he just joined in as well! Its a bit of a busy layout but I had fun playing with colours and patterns. The alphabet is a new die that cuts out all the letters but has them in random order so I was able to make my own alpha mask. I had to use white opaque spray ink as it is hard to find cream in the UK. (Hmmm, get a life Lythan)

details:
Cardstock: Bazzill; Papers: October Afternoon from various collections; Dies: Nestabilities, Dienamic Dies; Border punch: Fiskars; Spray: Studio Calico; Letters: American Crafts and October Afternoon

A close up on the writing

and best of all, Phil was taking photos of the pier and caught them in a snuggle. How nice to see siblings so close even at (nearly) 16 and 18!

And now, its goodbye from me!

A week of fillums

Sorry I've been quiet again but we have been away and I never like to broadcast it first!

We stayed here at the Power House. Sadly not all of it! We had the first two sets of windows on the right. The other part looks gorgeous too (I had a peek in the windows and on the website). It was in Skinningrove and this was the Power House for the Mine there. I would tell you more about it but the Mining Museum that the house is in the grounds of does not open until April. How the teenagers in the party sobbed. Skinningrove is very much an old mining village right on the coast. It would have been thriving at one point - if harder to live in due to pollution etc. We were away for half term and like to be near Hywel in Teesside. We thought we could only see him at the weekend but he was able to come and stay for 24 hours with us in the middle which was lovely.

Here is the front room of the house

Isn't that lovely? And best of all those stairs meant that the dog couldn't come up and visit during the night! We had a gorgeous 4 poster bed in our room. Really lovely. You can see more here . Emrys had an interview at Teesside (for the same course H is doing!) but we couldn't stay in the cottage as you can't have a short break including a friday night. So we decamped to the Grey House hotel in Middlesborough as they accept dogs. This was also fabulous. We were all booked in to share one room with lots of beds but as there was a cancellation we were allowed to use two at no extra cost. And Phil and I had another 4 poster bed!

During the week we got to see a lot of fillums ( as they say in the North East. It was kind of sad that the kids struggled to understand the gentle Teesside accent. It is their heritage, having all been born in Hartlepool General!) Before we left on Monday we went to the cinema to see Woman in Black. Mixed reviews from the family. Carys - studying it at GSCE didn't think much of it. I was quite scared myself! Then we watched Limitless from Tesco DVD. Hmmm. Not a very moral tale and lots of questions about plot. Poor. At the cottage there were some DVD's including The Adjustment Bureau which I had wanted to see but can't get on Tesco DVD for some reason. I'm glad I saved my money... This was followed by Inside Man - which I liked but only averaged a score of 6.5 from the family (yes we give marks out of ten for fillums). The last night we watched 50 First Dates. Oh. My. Days. Not my sense of humour and a rather nasty hero. Drew Barrymore was cuteness itself but why she fell for him, brain injury or no, I don't understand. We had the rest of the week off but then tonight finally watched Robocop. A tad violent but it has worn pretty well. Emrys gave it a remarkable 20 out of 10.

On our return from the North East I finally got to do some crafting. To have a real break we need to get away from the house but I can't take much with me. So better late than never is this weeks Daring Card on the theme of Postage People

 

The lovely Sue H bought me some BoBunny papers and stamps for Christmas which I used on this card. I also remembered I had a cuttlebug square stamp die which the focal image rests on. I bought some dies from Dies to Die For including the Dienamic alphabet used here and Tracey bundled in some die cuts with the package including a purple shiny corner treatment. I tried to turn it brown and failed - until I thought of turning it over and adding distress ink to the other side. Doh.

As this post is now epic I will just share one layout. It is based on the Studio challenge sketch for this month which I just loved.

I did try using a mask for my mists (you can just see some circles) but all my blue mists are cloggnig and came out as splats and drips. Hmmm. I combined some Die cuts I bought at Imagine That, with October Afternoon papers and stickers, some washi tape, gems and that alphabet again. I am following Miss Smith's Just One Sketch class which is brilliant although I haven't used it properly - just her sketch once and now her style of journalling which i just love. The title is a play on words as the sea looks balmy. How was the photo taken? Phil took the camera (carefully) into the sea. That is the summer sea at Tenby not the winter sea at Skinningrove I hasten to add.

Here's the words close up if you want to see them

I MUST go to bed now as I am off out super early in the morning to drive 2.5 hours to lead a session on team ministry in Salisbury. Yes it is a long way, but it does give a chance to test out my dissertation findings on real people. I am very, very nervous. You wouldn't think I do public speaking at least twice a week would you?