16 years ago today

I was ordained as a Minister! Its an odd time of year as most people are ordained in June or July. I was later because I had a baby in August. We had my ordination and his dedication on the same day.
I'll try and scan in a photo later on as if you think I look young now - I think I looked about 12 then! (27 actually). Its gone by in a flash - although there have been times when I have felt like giving up and working in a shop. I don't know why that is my default of what I would do if I took off my dog collar but it is... But I'm still here and I think God has more work for me to do. I celebrated by going to a meeting in St Albans and in a mo' going to do a hospital visit. Life is never dull!

It was a huge squeeze to find time for DCM this week. It was not helped by the fact that the card kept going wrong. Honestly I had to throw away so many pieces! And it is not that fancy at all...
I loved the theme

we are dreaming of a WHITE (and splash of pink Christmas!) I would love you to design a card which includes white mostly (ie: snow, snowmen etc ) and also a little splash of pink somewhere on the card. :)

and had a clear idea what I wanted to do. So why was it so hard?
I think it is down to my stamping and embossing. I stamped this image so many times and found it hard to get a clean image. I embossed with a tinsel white and then smooshed over an opera pink chalk ink. (Hint: if you want to use some sponge for this use a clean but and not the clean end of a used piece otherwise you will get an orangey hue and have to start again). I layered two ornaments together, used nesties to frame it, then my fave cuttlebug embossing folder. The word "Christmas" is also an embossing folder, inked and cut around. "Happy" is a PUrple Onion stamp and the two brads were embossed with tinsel embossing powder. Poundland bling finished it off. And what nearly finished me off was trying to get a decent photo. Still not brill. Grrrr.

I have an awfully busy weekend and pretty busy week so if I don't manage to comment on your DCM contribution I do hope you won't be offended. We do love each and every one of you who play along with us - it is what makes being part of the team so much fun.

Production line

Today I have been mostly doing this
about 50 done - about another 40 to go!
I used the craft robo to cut the crowns thanks to my DCM buddy Kathy B. I have used a variety of papers - Piggy Tales, Crate Paper and Junkitz to stop me getting bored of the same design

Christmas card making was interspersed with more pages of the Aachen mini book. Actually I don't think mini book will be the right word when it is done! Here's hoping I don't bosh it up when it comes to Binding it all!
I'm still loving those Ambrosia papers. Just as well as I still have many photos to go!
I've also done some boring home stuff too but I've enjoyed crafting as I will have very little time for it later this week. Its Advent Sunday this Sunday and once more has caught me by surprise - despite me knowing that Advent usually begins in November. Friday is also the 16th anniversary of my Ordination (becoming a Minister). It always amuses me when I throw that into a conversation as people reckon I am only about 25 now. (Its creeping up thanks to the odd few gray hairs and the odd many lines)

I did squeeze in making a card for a Church Member in hospital
It features more of the papers from Fridays dare. I'm trying to make more than one card out of papers and even (gasp!) use them up. Sadly I still have enough left for another one or two cards, from this kit, but I'm getting there!

Its coffee time

at Daring Card Makers.
But not for me - can't stand the stuff! Wish I did as coffee drinking now is so sophisticated - "I'll have a grande skinny pumpkin latte" sounds so much better than "cuppa please mate". But no. It is still awful.

But as this is Vanessa's first dare I am not being churlish but stepped up to it!

Cafe Chic!
I want to see lots of cards inspired by coffee!! Coffee colours, cup shaped cards, card inspired by a coffee jar label, using coffee beans on your card, coffee shop logos on your cards etc etc.....

I decided to take my inspiration from a coffee jar.
We do have coffee in the house - but only fairtrade! I used the label and the colours as inspiration. The colours I chose were in the end slightly more muted than the jar.
The papers are from an old Self Addressed kit. They are thick and double sided and lovely but I can't remember who makes them. I have to be honest and say that the navy blue square is actually dark brown in real life but the photo makes it match the jar better! The centre piece is made using 10 Second Studio metal and alcohol and distress inks. And a cuttlebug embossing folder. I watched a demo using these at Imagine That where Emma makes the most wonderful Christmas cards with this teqhnique. I, however, have not got it quite right so will go back for another demo. It looks quite nice - but not as nice as hers!
The stamp is from the Stampendous Window Box set. The embossed circle and the square are raised up so this is quite a dimensional card. For hand delivering then...

If you like the card design here is my very first sketch to try out
You can tell I took ages over it (sarcastic laugh). And possibly that the sketch came after the card as it was only then I thought about the little side pieces from the label. Still, if you do find it even a tad inspiring I would love to see what you do with the sketch.

Right I am now going to stare pathetically at Phil who is on his computer opposite me until he makes me a cup of TEA.


(It usually works)

I've got a new glue pen

and I know how to use it.

I went to Imagine That's birthday weekend for a while on Saturday (after my church fair. Yup it will be a clash every. single. year. No fair. Well actually yes fair, no to spending all day in my fave craft shop. And to be fair, the Church is my paying job...). Anyhoo I did a Slice demo - its a fab machine if you don't have an electric cutter or if you have arthritis and find punching painful. Sadly I have one and not the other but I may just book a crop every now and then and use the shop one! I also did a make and take using fab craftwork cards goodies and - even better - a glue pen that really works (I've had bad experiences in the past). So one came home with me. And now I am gluing crazy.

Which brings me to this weeks Salt challenge. It is a really profound subject which got me thinking hard...

Comfort in Suffering

Recently, I (Kim) came across a heading in my Bible that made me read further, “Comfort in Suffering.” Suffering? Doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? No one likes to suffer and yet everyone has suffered to some degree in their lives, affected by sickness, death, divorce, disappointment…the list goes on. What good thing can be gained by suffering?

So what sort of a photo could convey that I asked myself? Of the ones that I still have online (due to losing many on hard drives that should have been backed up) Actually it was a good thing because I had to go deeper. And came up with an unlikely choice of shot. My feet in a pair of crocs
I realised that I do gain some comfort from my own suffering in that it gives me more understanding of other people's lives. Experiences of bereavement, family problems, serious illness do help me in my ministry. Not to play "oooh I have had that too" although there are times when that can be helpful, but just to know what to say, what not to say and when to shut up, hug and pray. SO that is what the layout is about.

I thought it was Letter size until I put it in the album yesterday. I think it is actually A4! (Why do we have to have different standard size papers here and in the US? makes no sense to me)
I found some Crate Paper Samantha papers that matched beautifully. The flower paper is one of those I love so much it is hard to cut into. But I did it! The quote from Romans is computer printed using my fave Journalling Hand font. The circles were cut with nestabilities. I have had this lace in my stash for years and never used it. And the half flower was left over from another layout. The title is made with MM glitter stickers. What you can't really see is just how bonkers I have gone with the glue pen. I added sparkly sequin flowers to the top of the layout and added glitter to quite a lot of the flower centres on the bottom. The journalling blocks also have glitter round the outside, and the flower is not unscathed either. Oh and there is a touch of stickles on the corners too!

Here is a close up of the journalling (and glitter)
Who says you can't be deep and sparkly at the same time?

Boy racer

Mid life crisis anyone?
OK only half a one as a moped is only half a motor bike...

My seminar went ok I think. It doesn't help that my tutor is kind of an expert on these things. The advantage of going first is that there is no-one to compare it too. And my work is done :)

I've even managed to fit in a teeny bit of crafting this week. Suddenly realised I needed some time off and could take it so I spent yesterday morning mostly washing and putting away washing and the afternoon making some cards. Not many, but a few more for the old Church fair on Saturday. Not sure the notebooks are going to happen though!
I've gone old school with the cards. Pre printed on the computer, lots of white space. The image on the first card has been knocking round for about 3 years - painted and ready to go! The other two are wood mounted stamps coloured with prismas. All the papers used are Basic Grey - trying to use up my paper pads. Long way to go though... I made other similar cards as well but there are only so many I can show you without your eyes glazing over...

And then this weeks DCM card. I LOVE everyone else's cards. Not so keen on mine. Rein gave us a great challenge.

Bird, Birds and More Birds

I love birds so I'd like you all to make a card featuring birds this week

......a bird in the snow, a birds nest, a carrier pigeon, a white stork or birds in the sky, or...,or... even big bird!

I decided to try something a bit different for me after finding some great vintage images images on a free site.
UPDATE: found it - but not where I followed the link from!
Click here for some fab images.
I apologize to Eleanor who is still rubbing her eyes after trying to help me...
I googled vintage images free daily and that was all tasteful. There are a whole host of lovely free image sites to be found!

I went for a baby on a stork as I needed more baby cards! I think this card would have worked better without a pre printed bottom. But there we are.
The image was printed onto cardstock and mounted on Daisy D papers. I added glitter glue to the clouds and the baby's hair and nappy. Which turned from white to gold! the image is raised and I also added a few other details.
Phil thinks it stinks. Hence the quips about the bike.
We're even.

Ever wanted to match your clothes to scrap product?

I can't capture the photo but look here

(its even better in this weeks Bella not that I would admit to buying such a mag to read with my tea. Oh no)

Do you think the designer is a scrapper? It is such a match for Ambrosia!

Right back to a powerpoint on the Desert Fathers and their passions...

Going Dotty

My family would say "going?" I'm feeling the pressure a bit at the moment! I have loads to do and very little time to do it all in.
Some of it is work related - I have my service for Sunday to finish today, and the Youth Alpha session for Sunday afternoon and a powerpoint for Guides Youth Praise on Monday evening. (We find it hard to get our uniformed kids and families to come to Church Parade on Sundays. We still have 4 a year but also offer short fun worship on the nights that they meet. Church members attend too. These are really successful and relationships with parents are so much better!)

This is in order to free up Monday for me to write my seminar for Tuesday when I have to talk to my MA class on how the desert fathers help modern Christians with the control of the passions. The subject is actually a lot more interesting than the title sounds. The desert fathers lived as hermits in Egypt in 3-5CE. Their sayings and stories are recorded and they are a wonderfully human lot. Here is one of my fave stories - just makes me laugh!

Two brothers had lived together for many  years and  they had never fought with 
one another.
The first said to the other, "Let us also have a fight like other men."
The other replied, "I do not know how to fight." 
And the first monk said, "I'll explain. Do you see this brick?
I'll take this brick and put it between us.
And I will say it is my brick, and you will say 'no it is my brick'
and we will argue whose brick it really is."         
So the first monk took the brick and put it between them
and said, "Brother, this is my brick."
The second monk looked at him and said, "If you say so, brother."

Here's another one 

The story tells about Abba Macarius speaking to another monk, asking how he is going. The monk replies, ‘I’m great.’ Abba Macarius replies, ‘I sometimes have trouble with sexual temptation.’ The monk, relaxes, saying ‘ I, too, sometimes have trouble with sexual temptation. How can I be helped?’.

Actually it goes on further with Abba Macarius confessing lots of things which the other monk is finally able to say troubles him too.

I am sooooooo nervous about the seminar. So much so that it is giving me font burps! (no actually I don't know why when I cut and paste text I can never get it all to look the same. Even when I fiddle around with sizes etc in Blogger. )

I also have to sort out the conservatory/craft room. I had a shelf of stuff in the kitchen but we have just had the flooring redone in there so Phil took my shelves down and we decided the kitchen is better off without them. BUT there are now boxes all over the place with no home to go to in the conservatory and it is SUCH a mess. Also the guest room (I know, how la di da are we...) is in a total mess - some of it stuff that needs putting away from the summer hols (blush) , my mum is coming to stay for a few days on Wednesday and Phil and I have very little time when we are both home at the same time in order to make it look presentable. Aaaargh.I won't even talk about regular chores piling up.

Oh and its church fair weekend after next and I really need to have made more stuff. This Saturday is taken up with a larger Church meeting in London and a quiz at one of the churches.

So I better get on with my post and get my nose down to sermonising then.
I'm really going Dottie today as our DCM challenge is

Sparkle and Bling

We are sponsored this week by Louise Brigden (the designer of Dottie and George plus a whole host of other fabulous images) and Charmed cards and Crafts (the shop who sell the downloadable images) and there are prizes to be won with a random draw!.
Here's my card. I chose to colour in Dottie myself using prisma pencils. I printed up three images and layered them, just subtly. I find it helps when I don't keep within the lines! I did my usual thing of colouring first and then hunting out paper that matches. I remembered that I had been saving up these Dreamstreet papers that I actually wish I had used straight away as I am not AS keen on them now for some reason! Found them eventually. "relax" speech bubble is also from one of the papers, I just added a few etra words. There is some obvious Prima bling but I also used a fair bit of glitter glue on the bubbles. See?
I can't cope with the font changes that won't do what I want any more so I am going to stop now!
Have a great weekend

Hope

this is the challenge on Salt this week. It has come at a good time for me because I was really pushed for craft time this week but I had a half finished layout on Hope from the Church faith scrapping study. For some reason at that time I just couldn't fill in the journalling and add a few finishing touches. Now I know why - because I needed to do it now. I love it when God does stuff life that. Also when Hazel chose the theme a while ago she did not know that "hope" would be a part of Barack Obama's acceptance speech. Whether you wanted him to win or not (and whether you could vote or not) it felt like the world was full of hope in a different way. I was also moved by John McCain's speech. I do hope that the tenor of their words is a good sign for the future.

We talked about hope at my elders meeting last night - and focused on this reading Colossians 1:3-14
It is one that I want to keep reading when I start to feel grumpy and /or down which I am very good at doing at this time of year!

Anyway, here is the layout. The papers are from a Costco kit . The butterfly is cut from vellum from Papermania. I used a Crafters Template to do many of the doodles. I'm not sure if you can see but some of then have stickles on to add extra sparkle.

Phil took two of the photos and I took the one of the rose :)

Here is the promised start of the Aachen book. It will get bound at the end. Almost everything is Basic Grey Ambrosia. The pages are 6x6

Some of the pages I have cut using a Technique Tuesday tile as a template
Most of them are pretty simple with a little paper, a paper punch and the odd stickles
I won't bore you with them all!

Karma bites.

Not that I believe in it I hasten to add. Still...

Last year I had a layout published in Scrapbook Inspirations. When it arrived back instead of the one herma I was expecting I got two! Go me. Did I tell them I had been sent too many? No I did not. I fell in love with this easy way of adding adhesive. I fell out of love with the price and ended up getting an ATG gun. I love that too but it is a bit unwieldy for carting around so I was looking forward to getting the layout featured in last month's SI back along with my brand new Herma. It arrived back really promptly. BUT there was a hole in the box. No Herma at all... There is a sermon in there somewhere.

Actually there is a sermon in most things if you look hard enough.

I've decided it was about time I blogged again otherwise there was a risk that I never would. (Hear the world cry Noooooooo. I don't think) I've actually done quite a lot of crafty stuff but it is either something I can't show or it is rather boring and repetitive. So I'll show a couple of photos from half term and then be boring and repetitive.

We had a half a half term as I had to go to Cambridge on Tuesday and Phil had a meeting he couldn't change on Wednesday. The traffic from here to Hereford was appalling Wedsday afternoon. But even the short break was worth it. We visited Hereford cathedral for the first time. That is shocking considering Phil's mum has lived near it for 13 years. She hadn't visited either. No offense cathedral but we were a tad underwhelmed. However I use Durham Cathedral as my yardstick which is the most holy, amazing and beautiful space so you have to be brilliant to match it.
We went on long country walks and to Bodenham Arboretum which was beautiful (and muddy)
BTW you know how men are supposed to marry women who remind them of their mothers? It works with us at least from a back view!

I read some philosophy (snore) for my course and did lots of vegging too. I'm back to crafting for the church fair. Yet more SR surprise cards
and oodles of black and cream with a hint of colour ones
this is my fave one
I can't beleive I made a card that looks so sophisticated!

I've made a start on my October 2007 mini (ish) album but as blogger is playing up I shall save them for another day.