No I really was a fat baby

to those nice comments that said surely not! Sadly, it is True. I was a little puddin'.
Now I am not much taller (5'2) and a size 10-12 (though it is creeping up!) so people find it hard to believe. Actually I was fat at uni too. But that is another story and not to do with my mum giving me too much milk.
I was about 25 and looking through photos of Big Baby and pondering how I could have got so fat on breastfeeding. "But you were bottle fed" said my mum. That explains it then.

Today is Salt day and Kim S came up with a great challenge. Forgiveness -Matthew 11:28
The idea for this challenge came from a hymn we sang in church a few months ago. The focus of the hymn is on man's natural state of sinfulness and how, through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we can be set free from the bondage of sin and be "set faultless before the throne."


Many people would state that they don't need forgiveness and yet, when we compare our every day acts against that of Christ, a sinless man, we are able to see our utter hopelessness of ever being worthy or "good" enough to receive the gift of everlasting life. Praise God, He sent a Savior who can forgive even the worse sinner and create in us a clean heart. "Mine the life won, and thine the life laid down...."

I was limited by only having a handful of photos on my hard drive (most of which are people dressed as British and German soldiers) so I was delighted to discover this stock one.

The papers are all We R Memory Keepers, the rub ons are Pink Martini and the layout is based on a sketch by Kim Sonksen on Scraptitude for NSD. It is about as direct a use of a sketch as you can possibly get - with the addition of the cross!

Have Alpha tonight so must fly!

Loooong weekend

mostly working though :( I did the card club at Church on Saturday. I am going to have to issue strict instructions and possibly fines from now on. I did try saying that I had brought a brand new ink pad and that you don't need to smother the stamp in ink. But ended up with stamps looking like they were black and not red rubber based. And glue sticks dry out if you don't put the lid back on straight away!!!!!!

OK I feel better now. The samples idea seemed to work and there are loads of people there now which is all good. we are charging enough that I can buy staples and not use my stuff all the time anymore. The basis is still all the papers that I bought and will never use at home (oh the shame) but it makes me feel better to know it is used!

Yesterday we went to the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey where they had a VE day reconstruction event. Why do people want to dress up as soldiers from WW2? Especially as German soldiers from the time, knowing what they did? I do hate the anti German stuff we Brits can come up with but choosing to identify yourself with a fascist regime that annihilated people just becasue of who they were puzzles me. Except you do get to die horribly in battle which I would enjoy!

I now have to go and watch Holby with hubby so I shall leave you with my late contributions to the National Scrapbooking Day fun at Scraptitude...

Oh so slightly squiffy

I had one glass of wine last night - not a big one - to celebrate a successful Alpha course evening. It is obviously a wine that I need to water down... I do ahve a low tolerance for wine but good grief - you would have thought I had had a bottle or two. So needed a bit of a lie in this morning. Feeling very wussy now!
We are running a small Alpha course at Church but it is very exciting to see people making connections and exploring faith. I don't really know how Alpha works - especially as it involves a long talk in the middle. But it does! However my wind down with Heroes next week will just involve a cup of tea...

It was my turn to choose a dare for Daring Cardmakers this week. Which rather caught me on the hop. So eventually I came up with a dare that proved to be tougher for me than I expected!

AD-dicted
I want you to browse the tv and magazines for advertisments and use them as inspiration. It might be the format, the colours, the products, the slogan - whatever floats your boat. Remember you can do this anytime, any place, anywhere as long as you link it to the blog in the usual way!

When it came to doing the dare I realised I don't always watch tv ads anymore and although I used to be known as "Mrs Magazine" don't have many of those around either. SO I had to browse the Sunday supplement from last week! This is the ad that I chose
There were actually all sorts of things I could have gone with: As a colour combination - including my favourite at the moment orange!; all those fabby fonts; "Why should women get all the best birthdays" but I went for the rather more simple
which for some reason (not wine) I photographed on a cushion. It would have been easier to mount a white card onto a green one but instead I cut out a frame from MME paper and used some other double sided ones as blocks. This would be a great card to use up scraps and ends up quite manly I think!
I also used some Making Memories Heidi rubons. I discovered that some of them had stuck together :( so I won't be saving them for best any more! Adornit mini letters - I see MM are bringing theirs back again - hurray! American Crafts Thicker number and some white pen.

It is Scrapbooking Day tomorrow. I will be mostly working though - boo hoo - although that does include card making club at church. I hope you have the chance to do something creative!

And I am happy as my new computer has arrived. NOw I just need to get the info from the old one loaded onto the new one - though it is quite nice having empty files for now!

Disasters!

The first one came when Carys lost her baby. They are reading "Flour Babies" by Anne Fine at school and all had to choose some sort of baby to adopt for 3 weeks. Carys chose a potato called Wilibur. There was no more devoted mum. She would wash him, talk to him, read the bible to him... she took him to school in a little bag inside her big bag which she left open "so that he could breathe" and on getting to school discovered he had fallen out along the way never to be found. She was distraught. She called herself "the worst mother in the world". The weekend gave some perspective and now she has a new child called Javier. Who WON'T need as much air on the way to school.

The second came when my computer died. The hard drive is fine - but there is something crook. There was a time when I thought the edits I had done to my essay were lost as I didn't back up as carefully at home. And then the laptop stopped working so for one bad moment I thought that I might have to start the whole thing again. But Phil has grafted my hard drive to another computer - which has a dodgy keyboard. And I handed my essay in yesterday. Phew! All done for the year. I keep worrying I have failed. But that is how I am.

The third has been trying to find a dress. I won't go into the long and tedious trips out. I now have a very nice if rather boring little black dress. It is the Monsoon one I loved only in black. I knew it would suit me. Still want the green one!

Other shopping news - had a fab few hours at the Imagine That open day on Saturday. I watched Paula Pascual demo with grungeboard and art from the heart powders and paper artsy stamps. She was so inspiring. And I did a make and take card too which caused me to buy some more new stamps from Paper Artsy. I love their new ones - not so scary!

Onto craft stuff. I am limited with what I can do on this puter. But I have a new one coming tomorrow. We are really computer reliant at Nevard Towers. So I am not going to attempt to show you the Template that Kathy did for the Little Extra on Daring Cardmakers this week - just clik on the link to see it.
Here is my take on it
I used those lovely alien stamps I bought and some Cogsmo papers from Cosmo Cricket (I usually like the name but it is the C that stiks on this mahine)

On Monday I did a Scrapitude pre crop. You had to make a layout, then a card and tag from the scraps. Now I am sorry about the size of the layout. It may get bigger if you clik on it.
It is called "O I do like to be beside the seaside" and the rest of the blurb says "even when it is freezing" "and you are at the mouth of the Clyde not the beach". It was cold watching Carys and Phil! The paper is Pink Martini. I traced the scallop shape (I love it so a the moment!) The heart is bazzill and the flash card is from a self addressed kit. I have an Around the Block version of a Dymo which I used.
And here are the other items
I am slowly filling up my holiday album. Just as well as summer approaches!

That is enough of sticky letters for now. Roll on the new omputer (but thank goodness the hard drive is ok and I really, really will back everything up now honest)

Distressed

Well the essay is really very nearly done. For some reason I really get myself in a twist over important things like that. I get all churched up inside and it takes me forever to do the simplest part of it. If I could just put my big girl pants on and deal with it I would have felt sooo much better. I know this. But do I do it? No. Anyway I just have the Bibliography page to do and then I am FREE! until next year. I have actually loved doing the course and found it hugely useful. I love going to Cambridge and I love my student discounts! Just don't particularly love actual hard work. Although as it reflects on an aspect of my ministry I hope to find it helps one of my churches in the long run.

All my stupid self indulgent angst yesterday meant that I got my Daring Cardmakers card done in daylight hours! And as I was distressed with myself, distressing the card seemed apt! Keryn has dared us to

Distress your cards.

You can make a card for any season, any holiday, any occasion but you need to use either a fingernail, curled edges, sandpaper, tearing, anything you like really as long as looks like it's had a fair bit or wear and tear.

I decided to make a distressed flower my focus for the card and after choosing some old Gin X papers from my stash I was away.
I used my Nestabilities dies as the circles come up lovely and close together (and I get some upper arm exercise using the Cuttlebug) The cream curcles and stms are from some cardstock. All the papers were sprayed, crumpled and distressed. The pink bazzill background was roughed up with my Basic Grey precision file kit but I think I need to use a new file as it didn't really do much damage. And I ripped the flower paper as you can see. Everything was distress inked to within an inch of its life. I really, really wanted not to outline on this card. But it looked naked without. Here is a self indulgent close up of the flower in its crumpled glory and its cute little button from my button box.
I also finished off a layout that has sat for a while. It goes in our holiday album. We have some great photos from the holiday that I just like making into random memories rather than giving any sense of chronology
I have had these little scraps of material for an age and thought they would look funky on a layout. I'm not sure I have totally pulled the look off but I love the sentiment! (It doesn't matter where we are {the Pizza Hut in Glasgow in this case} you are always at home in a book). Which, apart from having to carrying said books around - and two of them prefer 500 pagers - makes life loads easier when you are out and about.
The material scraps are from Bits N Pieces - I bought them at the Stitch show. The two stamped scraps are identical but shiny gold doesn't photograph well. I used Purple Onion stamps. I also used Scenic Route Grafton papers and stickers, Adorn it stickers and um, some other letter stickers and some Acrylic Dabber paints.

Contentment

Now often I struggle with Salt layouts. In a good way. Part of the joy of Salt is working out how to convey what I want to say with photos, paper, ink and glue! But this one eventually came together a lot more quickly. I say eventually because my first idea was vetoed.
Hazel chose the theme of Contentment
I was drawn to Philippians 4, particularly verses 11, 12 and 13, where Paul says:
'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.'

My first idea was to have a picture of me jumping in the air, launched from a trampoline, possibly with Carys as well. This was inpsired by the book I have just read - Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. He is so wonderful to read - or watch on the Nooma series of films. And he talks about faith like jumping up and down on a trampoline. But Phil did not look content at the idea of dragging the trampoline out from under the tree and putting the washing line away. So I changed my mind. In retrospect I think the idea of me jumping is much more attractive than the physical reality would have been...

SO I decided to do a slideshow of photos until one spoke to me. And the one that did was rather unexpected.
We went to the Big Pit whilst in Swansea. On the day of a Museum workers strike. (Just typical that) But the Iron works round the corner was open and free so we went there instead. It had been used for a BBC Wales programme where families lived in some of the houses and worked as ironworkers last year so it was fascinating. They used this water pump to get their water. AS people always used to do. And many in the world still dream of getting water this easily. So it got me thinking...
The backing paper and the two cut outs are from Cosmo Cricket Wanted. A must have that hasn't been much used. The other paper (double sided) is from Scenic Route Grafton. the little word stickers are Adornit. the circle ones from my QVC kit of years ago. the typewriter ones I can't remember but suspect came in a Self Addressed kit, as did the green journalling block. (Hiding the fence that rather spoils the photo!)
The gorgeous ribbon came from my window sill. It had been there for ages waiting to be used and was just right. (And it isn't squiffy in real life!) I couldn't remember how it got there until it came to me that it wrapped my Secret Santa present from the wonderful Gillian Hamilton. See it pays to be untidy!
Here is a close up of my journallingI almost didn't manage it this time but I am always surprised that I can take a scrap of paper and write on it and finish what I have to say in just the space I have been given. Not the most useful gift ever, but a handy one for a crafter!

Have a look at the amazing variety of interpretations on the Salt blog. There is so much inspiration there.
I have to finish off my essay today ready to take to Cambridge on Tuesday and I am procrastinating madly. It isn't helped by the fact that the kids are home. Its not the interruptions - its the noise of the computer games.
And getting told off for being messy...

Copper load of this

Took me ages to come up with the blog heading!
And it is all to do with it being Little Extra day on Daring Cardmakers. I decided that I had to join in as it would be a great excuse to buy the copper Dabber to continue building up a rather gorgeous set. I don't always use these paints as dabbers as some don't come out easily. But I love the colour and consistency soooo much!

We are starting a little series of cards based on wedding anniversaries. This week it is 7 (why start at one, that is boring) and so the theme is

'Wool or Copper'

My next anniversary is 20th. That sounded like a good excuse for a present so I looked up the gift for that. China. Humph. I don't want china. Incidentally we are going for some posh nosh to celebrate. Which is also an excuse for buying. In this case a nice dress. There was one I have had my eye on in Monsoon - a real treat for me. Price was good, colour lovely, style would suit. I just didn't have time to try it on. It was in the shop for six weeks. Until the week when I did have time. And they have a whole new stock range in Monsoon. Now it was a summer dress - small straps and sleeveless. How can it be out of season already? Gah. There are lots more nice dresses around but of course none as nice as "my" dress. Sulk. Now I am going to have to go clothes shopping in a serious way. Which I don't like. Although NO new dress would be worse...

Anyway my witter is over for today. Here is my card!
A white square card, covered in 2 Basic Grey Perhaps papers. The flower paper was ct out and raised on foam pads. I also covered a grungeboard scroll with copper dabber and cut it up to add something extra. Finally I dabbed dots of copper around the edge of the card and added a hand written sentiment.

I am trying hard to keep to my "make a layout, make a card" rule. So here are some more cards made using Lynden by Scenic Route. All very sweet and simple, using some very basic but highly usuable templates by Nichole Heady
I had a real treat yesterday - it was a Christmas present actually - a facial! Someone at Phil's church is a beautician who comes to the house. I have never had a facial before - it was amazing. Phil reckons that some of my lines look less prominent. Mind you I think they were back in the afternoon when the class I led at Imagine That turned out to be less straightforward than I had thought! The lovely cards were made using die cuts of chocolate and cake and were a tad more fiddly than we might have believed. I think the ladies were pleased in the end though. On Saturday Paula Pascual is doing some Paperartsy demos at the shop so I might just have to pop in! Its worth a look if you are anywhere near Upminster

Hot and Spicy

that is the Daring Cardmakers theme this week. Makes me fancy a curry! Actually I'd settle for a hot water bottle and bed today but there we are!

We'd like you to take the phrase
"Hot and Spicy"
and make of it what you will.

It could be colour themed, food themed or maybe have just a hint of saucy spicy-ness

I decided to do a Kraft coloured base as it can make colours pop in a different way to white. Now I'm not so sure if white wouldn't have been better!
It is another Kristina Werner inpsired card. I just love the way she takes simple strips and makes things look lovely. I have a way to go...
The papers are all Marieke Vermeulen free downloads from a while back, given the old doodle treatment. The chipboard letters are Heidi Swapp, coloured in with a sharpie pen and the ribbon is a little bit of lushness bought when I was seriously into embroidery. Still love it but paper is my passion right now!

I've been really loving seeing what people have done with my doodle tutorial from Tuesday on DCM. I had been feeling rather down about my crafting abilities so reading the nice words people have used really made my day. Thanks!

And I finished the dreaded double layout. I always post what I have done here but I am almost reluctant to as it isn't up to scratch. Still hopefully I will be able to look back at my learning curve!
The paper is all Piggy Tales - the title was cut from it as well usig the craft robo.
{Grammar police (including my daughter) please note that I am aware it should be chickens' or chickens's or even chicken's as they are plural, to match the "women's institute". But because of the possible variations I decided to go for none! }

I also added some chipboard from my huge QVC store and of course the dreaded copper Stickles that I was cursing over. Plus some more "hide the mistakes" gems. And some buttons from my box. I put all my buttons together when I buy them so can't tell you where these are from. Some maybe doodlebug.

I think maybe I should have left off the chipboard as I couldn't get it painted the same colour. Ah well you live and learn. The journalling is printed on the plain side of some of the paper. Here it is to save your eyes...
Right as it is Friday you know what I will be doing for the rest of the day. That is right, regular readers - preparing the Sunday service! We have new people coming into membership of the Church which means several good things
a: new members!
b: short sermon! (to stop the service getting toooooo long)
c: I have to make cards to welcome them!

Have a good and crafty weekend

Daring Doodling

For this week's Daring Cardmakers Little Extra it was my turn to do a tutorial. Ulp! I wasn't sure what to do as my work is pretty derivative and basic, but Rhi suggested showing how I add more patterns to patterned paper. So that is what I have done! The Queens of doodling like this are really SJ Scrappyfairy and Tracie Hudson - just look at the details on their cards and layouts! Anyway if you find the tutorial at all helpful or inspiring let me know.

I did do some crafting yesterday - I finished the tute stuff and then made two cards using up some scraps from the Love, Elsie page of the day before. Now the cards were supposed to be quick - and the second one was - but the first took for EVER! It was just getting the inspiration right really.
From Love, Elsie came the little square of fabric paper cut using a cuttlebug die, and also the blue paper. It actually says "love art" but I think that on its side it looks a bit like alien language. The little fella is Mimo from the Doodle Factory. I've only got the aliens in this tiny size - just to see what they are like. V. cute I think! He was coloured in with sharpie pens and mounted on a foam pad. The red paper is DCWV card stock with a few extra doodles. And I was very pleased with my roundy writing. I'll have to practice some more fonts as I am too lazy to print them out or stamp them if I can get them neat enough by hand.
Tip: to do the fonts as neat as possible I cut the strips of paper down first. "hope your birthday is" is about 1 cm high, the other lettering about 2 cm. And I don't usually try to do a whole sentence like the one above in case it all goes wrong.

this was simpler! 3 squares of love Elsie and one sticker mounted on white squares onto a blue square onto a white card. "Enjoy" and "your birthday" have foam pads underneath.
(totally unecessary angled shot but it looks quite cool!) The purple thing is my stamp mat.

And then came a layout based on an old Pencil Lines sketch
Bazzill - kraft
Lynden Scenic Route papers
Scenic Route letter stickers
title done using craft robo and mandingo font
shisha mirror squares
Ranger dabber paint to create journalling spot - my own handwriting!
Grungeboard heart
Scroll above photo is from an old Self Addressed kit.
I've also been working on a double layout - maybe my one and only as I really struggled. Mind you I found 12x12 hard to start with. It needs (a lot) more work and I have RSI from trying to squeeze out copper coloured stickles glue. Anyone got any hints about making stickles easier to use?

Crafty crafting

I have managed to claw a little scrapping time from my schedule this weekend.
Which is a bonus as tomorrow is official crafty day!

My weekend has also involved: a meeting; service prep on Friday; Saturday - Sermon prep and admin (though desk still looks like an earthquake hit); short hospital visit; quick supermarket trip including picking up a GORGEOUS dress for Carys to wear at my mum's 70th birthday celebration in May from Sainsbury's of all places (now working on getting the boys to wear proper shirts and maybe even comb their hair); Dr Who (ooooh) Casualty (ahhh, Carys gasped at the end over the twist which made me smile. I know it goes after the watershed but I do have the feeling that Carys is getting all her sex education from the programme now); today - 1 service and two elders meetings and doing some tidying up. Yuk. Didn't have to make lunch though thanks to my lovely hub.

So what did I make?

A few cards - I want to try and discipline myself to use up a few scraps of papers I use for layouts on cards so here are some using the Lynden line and some Self Addressed cards made of Bazzill.
One of my favourite boatsa Kristina Werner style one for my mum's collection
Adding a little fab May Arts ribbon.

And one using a new rubber stamp from Starving Artist Stamps
they arrived within a few days from the US with a hugely reasonable price and shipping. I just need to buy a little more EZ mount. I am going to be tempted by more of the doodle ones I can tell!
All the cahracters have their own names. This is Pip and Oggy. Aren't they tweet?

And finally... I had to create this quick layout when I was inspired to use the impulse purchase of Love Elsie Art papers which are not that easy to use when you get them home. Phil sent me the photo when I was at mum and dad's. If Lucky is bored she goes foraging for "things" to put in her bed - like umbrellas or food packets. Nice. It made me think of Tracey Emin and the lightbulb went on.

Everything is from the Zoe collection - I hand cut out the letters from some of the fabric paper, the red strip is from the other one. "By Lucky" is done using Penny Black stamps. There is liberal use of black and white pens. For a change. Not.

Right must dash to meeting 2 today. Will catch up with crafty stuff tomorrow I hope!

UPDATE: Had been driving for 5 minutes when I had the urge to look at the paper work for my 7 o'clock meeting which takes place 45 minutes drive away. Time of meeting 11:45 am. Uh-oh. Phoned the Church Secretary who admitted that she had put the wrong time on the agenda but no-one had mentioned it until this morning so she was confused as to what the right time should have been. I said a quick prayer of thanks to Big G for a: making me look at the papers before I drove all that way b: meaning I didn't have to be out all evening as well. Result!

It is finished

or I should say they are finished.
And I don't know which I am more pleased about.

While I was on my own in Swansea - the family having decamped home, I finished my 6,000 word essay, (well it is about 5,800) some revision not withstanding (must get back out of essay speak now) and also this
its about50,00o stitches I think. I've been doing it, as I just might have mentioned before, for about 4 years - as long as I have been cardmaking! Now I will have to wash and iron it - I'm always so nervous for that bit, before the expensive outlay of having it framed! I have just bought my next pattern - equally as complex, as I prefer my cross stitch to cover the whole piece rather than having canvas showing. I'm going to attempt a version of the Lady of Shallott by Meteyard. I have a thing about pre raphaelite paintings (or sad dying women as Phil puts it). LofS is one of the most common but Meteyard's painting is very hard to find in a good print. So I shall have my version on the wall instead - in about another 4 years time! Sadly you can't get all the detail - but it will be fun - I need 148 different threads!
I'm just doing the maths... and concluding that cross stitch is expensive. Just as well I shall spread the cost over 4 years in order to justify it!

It was very worthwhile staying in Swansea to do the essay. There were less distractions - and I am always easily distracted! Mind you I could have done without the work on the sewers on the road opposite. I also got to see a little of my school friends which is always nice. It would be good to be nearer but there you are.

Last night involved cuddles, but also some crafting time. Boy do I miss it! Cross stitch and knitting are not quite the same (I am knitting a cushion cover. I have a feeling that the kit is not going to have enough wool. Of course I didn't do a tension thingy. And I had forgotten how to cast off. It has been 11 years...) I managed to do my Salt dare a day late.

I love Gill's challenge.

His Presence
what does God's presence mean to you?
Does it mean Comfort in time of loss,
Strength when you face a battle,
Reassurance that you Walk the Good Walk...

I was going to use the words of a chorus (again) but then started to think about how I know I am always with God, but sometimes I don't count him into what I am doing. And so came up with this.
I was also helped by the arrival of a new package of goodies from a Million Memories in the US. Some Cosmo Cricket Robot stuff and a little Jenni Bowlin (not so keen, rather flimsy) and two lots of lush Scenic Route. This is Lynden. If I was being fussy I wouldn't mind some plain in with the patterns but the patterns are just fabby. As you may have noticed I lurve blue and green together. So it is all Lynden with a little bit of blue and white bazzill, blue and green distress ink and a grungeboard key painted with chalk ink. Two lots of ribbon from stash and a sprinkling of green flower sequins. They may have been added to hide a smudge. See if you can guess where. the photo is taken in one of my favourite places ever - Verdi's in the Mumbles. Oh how I hope there will be a little corner of heaven just like this. I had just eaten a scoop of cinnamon icecream with hazelnut crunch.

I am also beginning to struggle with the issue of pictures of me. I want my faith scrapbook to reflect my faith so there end up being a few pics of me. But it does seem a bit self indulgent - or "vain" as Phil helpfully commented when I shared this dilemma with him. ANy thoughts?

And today is Daring day!
Jo chose the dare

Butterfly, Flutterby

I seem to like butterflies at the mo. This week therefore I would like you to put some butterflies on cards. Stitched, felt, shiny, bright, plain, paper pieced, stamped, drawn... you get the idea :) any theme of card but it must have a butterfly somewhere on the card!

I loved the idea of this dare. I came up with the idea of using a grungeboard key for the layout and then spied butterflies in the pack. There is almost too much in a pack of grungeboard - but I am NOT complaining!
I also used some more new Scenic Route - Grafton this time. I bought the collection pack and matching buttons. Oooh be still my beating heart. Some of it is a tad surf orientated so I might save it for our summer holiday this year as we are going to a water park.
but then again I might just use the other patterns...
the grungeboard was painted with orange dabber and then I got out my old wax colour things that you are supposed to add on with your fingers - a bit like cream eye shadow. Bet you have some if you have been crafting a while! I layerd on colour and distress ink and outlined it on the sides with black pen. The greeting is "Happy Birthday" in Welsh as I said I would make my mum some cards for her to send to Cymraeg speaking friends. I am very proud of mum as when they retired to Wales in '96 she could only say a few things. She has studied, done her A level and now is pretty fluent. I can say swyddfa'r post and allanfa dan and hufen ia but unless you want the post office, emergency exit or icecream they are pretty useless. The tiny stickers are from Adorn it.

And now it is back to the usual Friday service prep. Still life should be on a slightly more even keel again now and I am looking forward to being crafty and updating the blog more than once a week!

How much is too much

Its Daring day again
Cor this weeks dare was a toughie. OK it wasn't helped that I didn't read the rules properly. The wonderful Kathy set us this dare Shrink to Fit You are allowed to cover no more than a 5x5cms area of your card with paper or embellishment - the rest of the card must be left plain.

I read it as make a card using lots of white space. And made this one.
I used some Stampendous clear stamps with Colorbox Queue chalk inks. The flower was mounted on some black card given the dots treatment and then some Sassafrass paper. I added a bit of bling and some teeny letters. Yes the kind of teeny letters I was looking for. Jo Kill sent me to Rebecca's Scrapbooking Stash where I found some teeny letters. I bought a few other small bits and bobs and the stash came to me so speedily and with a lovely little packet of freebies. I heartily recommend the site!

Having made my card I re-read Kathy's blurb and created one that actually met the brief.
5x5 cms is very small you know...
White card embossed with yup - the dots! The top layer is an embossing folder which was covered in ink first. The next two layers were embossed and then inked. A few little gems from Hobbycraft finished it off. Actually strictly speaking it still isn't right as I was supposed to leave the rest plain and I made it dotty. Ah well.

We are having a good holiday. We did travel for one and a half hours to the Big Pit yesterday only to find there was a Museum Curators strike in Wales for one day. Who would have thought it. We still had a good time though. We went to the ruined ironworks instead where they have done up some of the cottages (and people lived in them for a serial shown in Wales last year). Blaenavon, where pit and works can be found, is now a World Heritage Centre. I do understand the reasoning but it does seem amusing when you watch a film about it which says " Taj Mahal! Manchu picchu! Stonehenge! The Great Wall of China! And a South Wales Coal Mine"...
In the evening we won the quiz. Those of you who are regular readers may remember (though I doubt it) that Thursdays in Swansea means the pub quiz at the New Inn Penllegaer. The highest we have ever come is third. But last night victory was ours! OK so there were less people there than normal but a win is a win right?
Last day of full hols today and then the essay is looming!

Musing

How come no-one told me how fab Muse are before? I am currently driving the family mad by playing tracks over and over again. Especially Supermassive Black Hole and Knights of Cydonia and Soldier's Poem. Just so cool. Queen meets Keane meets Radiohead. Or maybe just their own sound... anyway the Hoosiers are out of the car cd and Muse are in. I tend to overplay stuff and then not listen it for ages!

Here is this week's l'il extra for DCM. The theme is Pretty Pastels
Now I have more pieces of patterned paper than many shops. But not many pastel ones. As you may have noticed I am more of a bright colours kind of girl. But I persevered and found some BG Lily Kate that I reckon counts as pastel. Pink and cream. Mmmmmm (bleaurgh).
I also used a stamp that was a docrafts freebie that I don't think I have EVER used before. Its quite nice really! Watercolour pencilled and tiny gems bling. Then mounted on two nestability circles, the cream one having been run through my latest fave embossing folder. Swiss dots. Layered up on more LIly Kate paper and mounted on cream card. Add a bit of ribbon and a hand written sentiment and bobs your girly card.

I finally remembered to take my camera to Imagine That to photograph my work... on the day Emma gave them to me to take home as the new classes are going up!
But it is kind of cool to see them in situ
The two layouts that I did were using KI Memories Pop Culture. It is "lush" as I can say while I am in Swansea. Here is the right hand side one in close up.
The funny thing is that one day when I was teaching I said how much I love brown and lime green together and then looked down at what I was wearing. Yup, the exact same colours!
The background is Bazill but the green is the back of one of the coloured papers. I think that outlining them makes the patterns both stand out and work well together. The flower has a ribbon stem and centre and the word "goals" was cut out using a sizzix alphabet but I can't remember what (I used one of the alphabets at the shop). A bit of white pen doodling finished it off.

I'm in Swansea at the moment and the sun is shining. I think I remember what that looks like! And I am CHILLING. Mmmmmm.

Pins and needles.

My arms are aching this morning. I think I was sleeping with them flung over my head again! I've started doing that a lot. Or I wake with them above my head and folded. And I'm just not young enough to spring back easily any more. I also sometimes sleep on my arm and have pins and needles enough that I lose all feeling in my arm. Its quite funny in that I can feel it is there when it makes contact with the rest of my body, but not in itself. And I can't move it either. Well it is funny until the blood flow starts working properly again and the the pins and needles REALLY hurt.

While I am wittering away (yes it is sermon avoidance Friday), isn't it strange how we only say "pins and needles". "Needles and pins" doesn't sound right. And I knew a chap from the Czech republic who told me how much he loved "chips and fish" and I had to suppress a giggle. And my all time fave one of these (whatever it is) is that the French for "walkie talkie" is ...
"talkie walkie"

All of which is an inane way of introducing today's Daring Cardmaker theme.

Pins and Needles

Its very simple really (prickly maybe but..:) I want you to design a card to any theme- but I want you to include pins or needles of some sort. Sewing needles, safety pins, dressmakers pins- any type of pin goes !:)

I was stumped to start with.
It wasn't helped that I found a cute little safety pin and promptly lost it. And I know I have a few coloured ones somewhere. But I eventually found a pretty dressmakers pin and decided to use that to fix a flower.

Everything bar the flowers, gem and pin is from the February Self Addressed kit. I love these shaped cards and on the kit inspiration page they had a few turned this way up. You have to lean them to display but I figured that was ok!
The paper is We R Memory Keepers whiteout given the ol' black pen treatment. I have to admit I am mighty pleased with the effect. The flowers are a gift from the radically awesome Kathy B. I jsut love the vibrant colours and they are so soft and pliable. They also took black pen really well! The little punched green circle has orange stickles (current fave) and white opal liquid pearls on it plus a cheapo gem. Handwritten "hello".

I am hoping to do some of the dares and challenges for when I am away over the weekend but it depends how long it takes me to pack ready for Monday! SO this may be "goodbye" again for now. But like Bianca and Rick-AY... I'll be back

I'm so tired all I want to do is

moan about it!

I'm not a doctor or a teacher or a nurse. All of whom have far more stressful and hard working lives than me I know. But the week after Easter I get sooooooooooo tired ands having to work through it is pure torture. I have an easier week than I have for a long time for sure. But I can still enjoy the whining. Still next week I shall be chez mum and can sleep eat and read to my hearts content. Less crafty time but you can't have it all. When the family return I am staying at my parents to work on my essay. The deadline looms and I am tres nervous.

Anyway I did have time this week to create my latest Salt layout. I have chosen to always do layouts so I can keep them together in a special album. Which has become my top favourite! But I am constantly blown away by the variety of art that happens on the Salt blog. Whether you are a person of faith or not it is worth a visit just to see the talent. I'm not worthy really. But it was my idea so they are stuck with me!

Esther came up with a fantastic topic.

This week's main topic is 'Believe',
but I (Esther) also wanted to share with you a verse that
has particularly struck me recently which is taken from
Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

If only we truly believed in God's promises- we would worry so much less. It is such a reassurance to know that we have a great God who is in control of all things.

Here is my take on it.
I have a small photo album with photos that have not got anywhere else in them. Photos that should have been in albums. But that sort of thing stopped partly becasue of digital cameras and partly when I started working full time. But it is full of potential photos to scrap which is great because it stops me just using up to date ones.
This photo is the kids climbing in a tree house Phil made in Grandma's garden. I think they are about 2, 4 and 6. See who is at the top? Little Miss Daredevil. She used to love heights at that age. Hywel looks so cute. And Emrys (the blondie) was the most photogenic little boy. He really should have been the Milky Bar Kid. I never, never, thought I would have a child with blond hair. It is dirty blond now and he is a spotty moody teenager. Which is why these sorts of photos are important I think. Because it reminds me that those sunny natured kids are still there. Just as cute, daring and beautiful. And my prayer for them remains the same. that they will share the faith that sustains me and that it will help them grow to be the people God has made them to be.

If you want to know what I have used it is Scenic Route Laurel - the backing paper and the cut out flowers. Bazzill blue and Stampin' Up red card cut with the Craft Robo. Hand cut photo mount. Some 99p gems from Craft Central. Orange stickles as it needed more orange (what doesn't) and of course lots of inking and outlining. There is a tiny bit of writing in the bottom right corner which is my version of Kim Hughes handwriting. I have discovered you can buy her fonts at Scrap n' Fonts if you love it and want some for yourself

And yes, as ever I managed to photograph the layout slightly squiffy and counldn't straighten it much in photoshop. I think i need longer legs...

Even happier Easter

We have had a fabby weekend here in Nevard towers.

Not only was it the celebration of Jesus rising from the dead. And there we were at 7:30 in the morning worshipping on the hillside in the snow (well not all the family, but quite a lot of Christians!) But also we had Phil's mum and sister to stay. Easter is just so much more meaningful for me than Christmas. Although with less presents! It is quite work intensive with lots of services to prepare but it is just such a privilege to lead people through the story of the passion and resurrection of Jesus. We call the story of Jesus last week the passion and I always hope that there is passion within it. I spend a lot of time with the family playing down the over excitement of Christmas and then whipping up the excitement of Easter!
It is always a bit sad that because we are both ministers the Nevard family is never all together for the big services. But at least it gives us something to talk about when we are together . (Kids "we had that fat balding boring Minister again this week" Me: "you mean your father")

This is the flower cross from Trinity Upminster. My camera batteries died as I was taking a photo of the one in Harold Hill. Less artistic. more colourful. But I love the message of each of them that new life comes from the cross.
And Lucky was over the moon to have her doggy friends here for a short time. As she lived in kennels for 4 years she is used to the company of other dogs. We are used to having a dog who attacks others when they come near (ah dear old Dutch) and so it is still strange and marvellous to have a dog who runs up to others and just sniffs them. She is pining a bit now though. Spin, Topper and Spell have gone back home. Spin is still the most photogenic dog in the whole world.

And yesterday I got to do a big of crafting. Absolute bliss!
I only made 2 cards and half a layout but it was all good fun. Carys joined in and did a layout of me and Phil. Aw. I love the way she felt the need to point out who is who. My little crown is made from the white wall above me. I think I look good as a Queen!

Anyway here is my card for this week's Daring Cardmakers Little Extra
Our midweek Little Extra is titled ‘The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring’ and we would like you to create a card with flowers.

Simple? Aww but hold on…….there’s a little twist because we don’t want to make it too easy for you. We want your cards to have flowers on but we don’t want to see any Prima’s or shop brought blooms. The idea of this dare is for you create your flowers yourself, so let’s see what you can come up with.

Not a new kind of card for me. I love making layered flowers with punches. Even better, I've used scallop nestabilities to add closer together layers. I can't send this in the post though as it sticks out a mile!
The papers are from a recent Self Addressed kit - Collage press I do beleive. So is the scalloped card and the green Bazzill. The whole thing is mounted on a cream square card and finished off with a gem which looks more like a pearl in the photo.

I'm hoping to fit in more crafty time this week but with all the work of the last few weeks the house also needs a bit of attention. Oh for a full time housekeeper!

Good, Good Friday

It's only 2:15 in the afternoon and I'm ready for bed!
I'm exhausted - but in a good way - following our annual Journey with the Cross through the centre of Romford. I got to lead the part about Jesus dying for us on the cross - that part is always done in the middle of the market place. I was just a teensy bit nervous (you know most of us public speakers still do get the butterflies, we just get better at hiding it!). I think it went ok though. There were LOADS of Christians from many Churches worshipping together. Amazing. And we also gave out hot cross buns with leaflets explaining why they have a cross on them to those who were shopping in the market.
That reminds me, I haven't had one yet. There were buns for everyone at the end of the service but there were so many of us we ran out :( Well :) really but not if you didn't get one like me!
But it has left me rather drained. Many of my Church of England and Catholic colleagues have 3 hours this afternoon as well!

Onto this weeks Daring card. Sue H came up with a fantastic dare this week

It’s all in the Game
Tiddlywinks, playing cards, dominos, jig saw pieces…….the list goes on and I’m sure that most of us have a drawer somewhere that has the odd one or two of these lying around in.
Well now’s your chance to use them because I dare you to make a card using some of those pieces.

I have had these mini playing cards for yonks. I bought them from Crafts by Carolyn with all sorts of ideas of how to use them. This is the first I've used...
The paper is "play" by American Crafts - rather apt doncher think? with just a bit of doodlling added. How did I manage before my crafting buddy Jo Kill started the black and white stripes and I slavishly copied her? They just add something fresh and funky wherever they appear!. I just added some letter stickers from my QVC card kit from two years ago and that's it really. You may be able to tell I had to create an apostrophe. But I bet you didn't notice that the 'r' was originally an 'n' did you? I love letter stickers like this but they are hard to find. I don't know WHY Making Memories stopped doing their bitty letters, especially before I ever had a chance to buy any. If you can source any other similar ones then do let me know!

Once I've rested and eaten my hot cross bun I have to tidy away my scrap space NOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!!!! until Monday as Phil's mum and sis are coming to stay and my suggestion that one slept in Carys' room to save me the bother fell on deaf ears....
I am looking forward to seeing them though!

Surprise

I'm back briefly!
Finally managing to get my head above water. Thanks in part to DH who has twice forced me to go and do some crafting. You know you are seriously overworked when that happens. This week too is busy, but in a good way as it is Holy Week and there are services of some sort every day preparing for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is just the best time for having your faith renewed and revived.

Then this weekend Phil's mum and sister are staying over. Erica arrives at Heathrow on Saturday morning and we are a good recovery stopover! It does mean that I have to tidy up my craft space to turn it into a bedroom, but you can't have everything.
I'm around another week and then won't be able to craft for a while again. Sob. Combo of a little holiday time and a lot of essay time. I have a 6000 word essay to do. I keep telling myself that I write about 2000 words a Sunday so it is really a breeze. But it all looks a bit scary from here.

Anyway I have two services today so must get on. I have done a dare card for today - hence the post! The theme was Easter Greetings.
Which actually is harder than you might think for a Christian because cute as they are - and the other Easter cards on the blog are just the cutest I have ever seen, Easter bunnies don't mean Easter to me. But an empty grave and people looking puzzled don't really make for an exciting card either. So I was inspired by what we now do at both my churches. Which in turn was inspired by my dad and his church in Rochdale. That is, to have an empty cross outside the church on Good Friday and fill it with flowers on Easter Sunday. Here is a picture from 2 years ago. At this church the cross is outside all the time. We just cover it with chicken wire and fill it with flowers.


And this is my card interpretation of it. (When I showed it to DH he informed me I used the same design last year. Oh well)

The lens of the camera apparently needs cleaning...
I printed onto the card using the new Ali Edwards free font from CK. If only you could really join it up... The papers are from a BG Mellow 6x6 pad. Prima flowers added with Opal White stickles type stuff in the middle.

I do Sympathy cards in a similar vein. The strip effect on the side was an accident as I didn't have the greeting spaced evenly. But it adds a little something I think. Sadly I have had to make far too many of these recently...
I'll be back sometime on Friday - but worship preparation starts early so it will be afternoon. Have a good Holy Week. Think of us Christians as we go on the final journeys with Jesus through cleansing out the temple, eating with his friends, trying to share everything with them before he died, being betrayed, arrested, beaten, treated unjustly and crucified. All for the sake of the world God loves so much.