Normal service will now be resumed

I've been away for Easter week at my dad and mum's house. It is always quite busy going to Swansea as there are so many people to see - my parents, occasionally some relatives on mum's side, my friends from school and also Phil's brother and family who live down the road from my pal Sue. I still find that rather bizarre - but it is good. Sohad a fab time all in all. Just wish it wasn't so far away and then I could visit more often.

Haven't got holiday photos to show as yet (who is that saying "phew"?) because they are all on the laptop. What has been funny is Phil and I tussling over the D60. Our Powershot S2 that just a year ago was the bees knees to us, just isn't any more. It is still a nifty camera but the Nikon just makes us look like better photographers. Especially Mr Nature Watch. Still I'd rather he was snapping that kind of bird rather than the unfeathered kind...

I did manage to get my Daring Cardmakers card done and posted for Friday, but haven't written about it yet. And failed miserably to finish my Salt layout now. All done but really hard to photograph, even with said new posh one but I will do my best. As that SHOULD have been finished first that is what I will drone on about first. The Salt challenge was

Sheep of his Flock.
The Lord has really been impressing on my heart my need to trust His guidance with everything, just as a sheep follows his shepherd.

As Gina gave us plenty of notice I mulled it over for a while but didn't quite know what I wanted to do. Then, during Holy Week we had a labyrinth at my church and one of the verses to reflect on was Psalm 23 verse 3

he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

And that was the inspiration for my layout - that even when we wander all over the place - like sheep do, our Shepherd brings us back to him. My layout ended up rather busy which maybe why it was tough to photograph - too many things to look at!
The verse was applied to the photo (of me and my mother in law walking down a straight path!) before printing. the scallop card stock is Docrafts. Papers are Scenic Route; Kaiser and Sassafrass. I used a Heidi Swapp mask and chalk inks; Making Memories mini letters and a card from the Crafty Templates quirky kit to do my jounralling on. The title is cut using a Sizzlit alpha - Playground I think. The sheep has a quickutz head and a Nestability body!

A close up of some of the details and here is the journalling
I don't think the Salt team need to feel sheepish about their contributions - every one is gem - rush over and see! Whenever I think of sheep I am taken back to other holidays - to the Rhondda where my dad's family is from. There, you used to see the odd sheep just wandering down the street. I wonder if they still do? (sadly there isn't really any family left there now)

Slightly less bright was my Daring card this week.
Rein went for quite a challenge for most cardmakers I know!

Games and Toys for Boys

put a race track, dart board, vehicle... on your card.

As I was already using my Archaic pad to make some male cards for my mum's card box I decided to keep with the programme
This is an A6 card. Pretty simple really. I'm afraid I can't remember if I used a sketch or not so if it looks familiar let me know! (yes I am old enough not to remember what I did the week before last now). The centre panel has my latest obsession - faux stitching. the car is a Quickutz die, the letters are Adorn it. Copper brads I have had for ages and the gorgeous velvet ricrac is from Imagine That. A lot of foam pads were also used in the making of this card.

Today my holiday has finished with an explosion of crafting all ready for the launch of the latest Funky Hand CD which will be unveiled next week on Ideal World. Stay tuned for some peeks and more details!
And of course all those lovely holiday snaps...