If you celebrate a special day on Tuesday look away now

No, not Carys
or me,
but a friend who is celebrating a special something that isn't their birthday on Tuesday.

And just to make sure in case she reads this on Facebook I'm going to make sure the first photo is a scrapbook page I did recently...
using some lovely MME papers and a sketch. Possibly Sketchy Thursday. I really must right them down better...
Also used doodlebug stickers and a Bazzill Just the Edge, edge.

Right now back to the celebration in question. A dear friend and absolute brilliant person is celebrating 25 years as a Minister which doesn't seem possible. She is just a wonderful person who has been reminded recently that Ministry is a rollercoaster and all you can do is hold tight and trust in the Lord. we all need that from time to time but could do without some of the twists and turns I know. 25 years - that is awesome!
And so when I found out the Daring Cardmakers Dare this week - Ice and Snow - I thought I could combine the two cardmaking needs into one! See I was thinking white, silver, sparkles (every Minister deserves sparkles) . Didn't quite come out that way - but is better for being slighly less frosty I think.
Card is cut out using a Paperartsy frame die which I borrowed from Imagine That to do a card class and might just have cut out some more to use at home (blush) but at elast one of the big dies is coming home with me on Monday as a surprise birthday present so I can feel less guilty :)
The papers are WRMemoryKeepers Coppered Out also from Imagine That although I mostly used the back. My two fave emobssing folders were made to work. The dove (sign of the Holy Spirit) is a KandCo paper template I use A LOT; cross is a Nestabilities die, 25 are doodlebug letters. I also used lots of gems and heaps of Glamour Dust. Here is a close up of the sparkly cross
Although I am always humbled by the fact that Jesus died like a common criminal on rough wood, as we celebrate his resurrected gift for us I think we can give the cross sparkles too!

Almost finally... another layout for the holiday album - just two pages to go and 2009 is done. Result!
This is from another sketch - there was a hop round various blogs with sketches and I snaffled them all without keeping the links. This sketch was so much fun and perfect for the new Cosmo Cricket Delovely papers. Also used Kand CO and MLS letter stickers; heart from Gotta Craft and strategically placed Martha Stewart butterfly and Prima pearl!

And really finally... my Nikki Sivils giveaway goes to ....Becky G at Camellia Cottage. Contact me so that I can send your goodies off soon!

Dashing in, dashing out

One of those super busy days today with just a moment to blog. Well 5 minutes...
So I'll keep it short (5" 2. And a half. Well it was a half but I might have shrunk what with getting old. So lets say and a quarter).

Today is Salt challenge day. Kim always writes amazing blog posts - both when introducing her challenge like today and also when reflecting on others. Her theme really got me thinking. Well puzzling at first - "to obey is better than sacrifice." And then after days of staring at it I finally understood it. I had been reading sacrifice in terms of sacrificial living and not actual sacrifice and the reason obedience is better is because in this case Saul was doing what he wanted and not what God wanted. Kim explains it better so do have a look.

Then it was a case of what photo? My dad recently sent me some vintage slides he had put onto CD which means that I have a lot of material to use that is me, but not me now (if you see what I mean!) I thought that this one of me walking was a good one and it gave me the title

I was inspired by a thread on UKScrappers to use up old papers so got out these Jenni Bowli "too pretty to use" ones from about 3 years ago. I use the pink one a lot as a template which I think stopped me using them all so drew round it first. I think the colours go well with my coat! Lots of inking, outlining and some glossy accents were used.

Here are my reflections and some pretty flowers made using Making Memories stamps


Right I am 4 minutes over deadline - that'll be the waffle on my height.
Byeeee

Blink and it's over

H finished his A level exams on Monday and E finished his GCSE's on Friday. Currently we only have one child who needs to get up for school in the morning... When did that happen? This week has felt a tad more even keeled than last but the week coming is a little heavy in places work wise. I'm also aware that I am back in a funk about being 45 in just over a week. (see that is half way to 90!). PLEASE let me have adjusted to ageing by the time I am 5o because all this angst is just BORING.

On a nicer note! I have had fun playing with paper this week. I've done a new card class for Imagine That which has put some new things on my "want" list - dies that make fabby big shaped cards. I won't show you those just yet though... And I have also started making cards using the soon to be released Funky Hand CD - won't show you those either! Instead I will reveal some cards made with Nikki Sivils papers and embellishments as she has been a most generous sponsor of Daring Cards this week.

And through Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker and Sarah's Cards (who stock some of the range) you can win one of 5 fabulous prizes in our prize draw.
There are rules to qualify and here they are:
1. Make a card using the sketch prepared by Kathy.
2. Submit it for NO MORE THAN 3 challenges, including this one.
3. Add links to your blog for the Daring Cardmakers, "Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker" and Sarah's Cards.

And I've also got a goody bag of papers and bits which I will send to one of the people who leave a comment under this post on my blog.
So what did I make? Two cards, inspired by Kathy's sketch.
Firstly the one that was featured on the blog. Dad, if you are reading this on Facebook before Father's Day, LOOK AWAY NOW!
I didn't use one particular line, jsut tried to find some masculine-y papers. Everything is NSS except for the letters (Kand CO) and Stamp (Imagine That), Nestablilities and Prima Bling that might have been needed to hide a smudge...

And the other card uses papers from the Flaming Butterfly collection
and lots of black card to back it. the butterfly was cut from 12x12 paper the rest is from the paper pad. I added some glitter to the butterfly. Stamp and gems from Imagine That. Scallop border die is Papertrey Ink.

The team have made some amazing cards so go and have a look at the blog and then have a go yourself to win, win, win!

Not waving but drowning

I am just overwhelmed by everything going on and decisions to be made and prayers to be said and meetings to take part in at the moment. Aaaaargh.
And I am trying very hard to keep balance in life at the same time - making time for rest and play as well as work. But it is so hard and when I feel like this I often end up doing nothing and just giving my best White Rabbit from Alice impression. God help me. That is both an exclamation and a prayer!

I can't share the bulk of the work stuff here but can share the play!
Firstly, yesterday's Salt challenge where Julie asked us to think about a Mother's Love - particularly in terms of Hannah. I was struck by this paragraph

I was reading an excellent book this week the author talks about motherly love and one of the best examples of it in Bible, Hannah. We all know the story well I'm sure. As a mother I cannot imagine giving up my son, my firstborn son, to live far away from me the care of priests at the temple. But the author pointed out that the very next verse after Hannah takes Samuel to the temple and gives him over to Eli is I Samuel 2:1: "And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart rejoices in the Lord.'" After doing what was probably the most difficult thing she could have, she praised God! Hannah knew, as we should, that our children belong first to God - He loves them more than even we do and He has given them to us for a short time to raise for His glory!

which formed the basis of my layout
alongside this weeks Studio Calico sketch. I don't get SC kits. I did once win one and it was fab but I just can't afford to so instead stand with my nose pressed against the window drooling. So I used Cosmo Cricket papers, chipboard and stickers from various collections which I inked and sometimes punched. Here is a close up of most of the blurb
I am aware I have three kids not two but Carys will be at home a lot longer than the boys!
This is something I have always felt profoundly - when H first went to Playgroup at 2 and a bit I thought "ah, that's it. I am already beginning the process of him being independent and that there are parts of his life I may never know about and can't control". To think only 2 years before that I was wondering how my newborn could sign his prescription when it dawned on me that he was my responsibility.
And all to soon he will be - to all intents and purposes - leaving home and making his own decisions. Sigh.

OK enough being maudlin, on to Daring Cardmakers.
World Cup fever even appears here (is there no escape?)

The World is Your Oyster

I'd like you to celebrate all the amazing and diverse countries and cultures we have in this world of ours by making cards with a "feel" of any country you like. There's a whole world of possibilities out there, so don't just go for the obvious {wink

I don't mind the footie it is the all encompassing nature of the coverage - with Wimbledon coming to fill in any sport free holes in the middle - that makes me despair. But I'll say now - Come on England!
Which, as they play the US for the first match means my choice was not great... I went for almost the obvious - stars and stripes - and ended up with (close to) red, white and blue colours.
I used some really old double sided papers; Purple Onion stars and sentiment embossed in white; Martha Stewart punch and Papertrey ink ribbon.
Some of the others have been ooodles more creative so go and take a look!

I have two services this Sunday - in the morning we will focus on Greed and Generosity with the wonderful story of Naboth's vineyard which has the whiff of Macbeth about it. Sunday evening we have the first of a monthly communion service shared by our emerging group of 5 churches in the area which is a significant marker to our progress and I will talk about being a New Creation - even though I am feeling very jaded myself!

Pearl's a singer

(do-be-di-do)
she stands up when she plays the pi-aaaaano

This is what goes through my head every time I hear the word "pearl".
Every time.
It makes me wish I had a big blues voice like Elkie Brooks. Sadly I sound more like Aled Jones before his voice broke.
Ah well I can sing like Elkie in my dreams!

Which is all an excuse to showcase my very late addition to the Daring Cardmakers challenge this week. Its June's birthstone which is, yes you guessed it...
Moonstone!
Oh, and pearl. Obv.

I had already used these rather lovely Queen Bee papers on a layout (see below) so enjoyed using some of the scraps to make a card. Had no real idea what I was doing (can you tell?)

Papertrey ink cardstock and stamp; EK Success punch; Nestablilities Label 8; Liquid pearls and Bazzill in Stitches template; brown corduroy distress ink; ribbons, button and flower from stash. Oh and little pearls from Imagine That. Love those pearls so much. Have now run out. Must get more. Why am I writing it like I am a zombie?

Here's the layout
Also used Tim Holtz and Papertrey Dies; Fiskars punches; Purple Onion stamps; K and Co embellishments and Jenni Bowlin stickers. And a quilled flower that I had in a swap years ago. The person that made them died from cancer last year so it is always poignant to use them.
Here's the blurb in close up
Its an amazing place to visit and TE Lawrence is buried in the graveyard (which isn't next to the church).

And another layout for my summer scrapbook
This was the way through to a fossilised forest and the sign made me very nervous. I tried doing a close up of the journalling but the combo of crammed together words and lines meant I couldn't focus them. If you are desperate then click on it and use a magnifying glass!
Papers are Cosmo Coricket Garden Variety. Also some embellishments from my new Gotta Craft Dabble embellishment kit. Its fab.

I am back to work proper today after spending yesterday mostly cleaning and putting away (OK and a wee bit of crafting). It will be another busy week one way or another but I will be back on Thursday with my Salt Dare

Good Day Swansea

We have been away for half term to Swansea and the weather was wonderful. It is always a bt hit and miss - you want green rolling hills, you need rain, but it was balmy just about the whole time. We went on a long walk which happened to have Verdis in the middle on Bank Holiday Monday. We visited a bookshop on Tuesday. Some of us had a stroll along a lovely little river on Wednesday with one of us visiting that again early on Thursday. And all of us braved the "Park of Doom" (so called because two seperate visits ended in trips to A&E) where some of us got to ride in Dragons and Swans and most played crazy olf with no-one getting cross and we all ended up at Joes Icecream Parlour. Which is better - Verdis or Joes? There's only one way to find out - eat more of both!
A lot of games of Bananagram were played and Dad put some old photos of me on CD which everyone found hysterical. I was a fat baby. No really I was. Here is one when I was beginning to lose the chub on March 1 1968 when we were living in Clapham. I was then cute for a few years. Sadly it didn't last. Still, lots of scrapping potential!

Home yesterday for a double dose of Movie Night - Monsters vs Aliens (loved it) and Mummy 2 (OK but the kids loved it but blamed the script writers for making the young lad say some inappropriate things!)

All of which meant I haven't posted about my Get Funky card this month. The theme chosen by Allison is brown, pink and cream (yum!) and I used Funky Seasons again. I love going back over the old Funky Hand CD's and reminding myself of all the gorgeous colourways. But then I can't wait to get the new CD either! Here is my card
Lots of layering up and inking of edges going on. Inking means you can pile on the patterns!
Also used

• Fiskars border punch
• Purple Onion sentiment stamp (its in two halves and I am happy to have found "Happy" again after about 2 years!
• Nestabilities circles
• Stampin Up bird punch. Love it so much!
  

Today Phil and I have tramped the streets of London looking for Elephants - I'll post more about that soon!