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?

"Doo dee doo doo dee doo dee, doo dee doo doo"

"I'm siiiiiiinging the rain, just sing-ing in the rain
What a glorious feeeeeeeeling, I'm ha-ppy again"

If you have been reading this blog a while and have a long memory you may remember that each February for the last two years we have made the most of Get into London Theatre. From December onwards you can book tickets for most of the London shows in January and the first week of February for half price. Last year it was Legally Blonde, the year before Wicked - which had been my top fave until I was able to score half price tickets for the first week of Singin' in the Rain. We went last night and it was unbelievably good. Oh the dancing! And from where we were sitting you could see how raked the stage was and yet they were hoofing away as if it were the easiest surface in the world. Carys and I are seriously thinking of rebooking for our birthday trip, it was that good. Sadly the "get wet" seats are already sold out for that night (no, I'm not kidding) but I could easily see it again tomorrow.

Which is partly why I haven't blogged my Daring Card this week as yet. Nat came up with the theme of Hearts and Doilies
 
I'm still using up my MME pads. Love this colourway. I wanted a card with a bit of colour and maybe it has a hint too much! The doily is a Cheery Lynn die - it takes a lot of work to get all the bits of paper out but well worth it! I also used a Martha Stewart butterfly punch;  sizzix heart die; Nestabilities circle dies; PTI label stamp and die and "you" die.

I decided to layer two papers when I die cut the word and liked the idea of leaving the other paper in the holes. The word above was made using Imagine That stamps. Then the whole thing was surrounded by Enamel Accents.

Here's a few more cards using the same pad - now finished!

A lot of Martha Stewart punching going on here

An image I was sent in a swap years ago, coloured in with distress inks

And finally, how to use up all your scraps!


I've only got one service tomorrow and then it is hols time. Much needed as we haven't had a full break since the summer and won't have another full one until next October I don't think (our summer holiday will be taken up with moving!) The story is that of Naaman which is a brilliant one to reflect on. Hope you have a good (if cold) weekend

1/6

this will be a year of two halves for our family. The first half will be spent living in Upminster. The second half will be spent living in Babbacombe. And the first month has gone already. How did that happen? I'm feeling very anxious as there are an awful lot of balls in the air at the moment and lots of things to finish and/or set down. And a countdown that is unforgiving.

It will help a little when the MA dissertation is finally handed in. I met my supervisor this week and he didn't think it needed much changing. But I need to read one. more. book. Hopefully not all of it as it has just arrived and is 500 pages long.  And write the abstract (a version of the whole thing in about 500 words) Then resend the updated version to him, then to my lovely school friend Sian who has offered to proof read, then get it bound and then submit it. I'm sure that is all possible before the end of March. well it has to be as that is the deadline. But it does wake me up worrying in the night. I am about 7/8 through the process I reckon. And then I need not mention it again until I know if I have passed. (You may be pleased to know)

So time for crafting is still limited but it is a wonderful release when I can't really think about important stuff. (Although I wasn't quite as relaxed this week as I listened to an audio book about cannibals and mad sadists on an island. Gruesome). I managed the Daring Card for this week which had a colour theme

and here is my take on it

the colour is a little off on this. The red is not quite as in your face as it looks in real life. well all the colours are just a little more muted. The papers are all American Crafts and mostly Dear Lizzy from spring last year (or was it the year before?) Oodles of layers. The little pennants were cut from the paper. The little owls are from Paperchase and the greeting is from the Imagine That stamp set that I used on the next card...

I used some more old papers from Basic Grey (one of those pads that I then wondered why I had bought it). The trees and house are a die that my talented coDarer Nat pointed out and I couldn't resist it! This card was molto fiddly to make (but fun).

And finally (for now)


I keep looking at all the lovely stamp sets I have and don't use enough. This is a Claudine Helmuth set. Well two actually - a sponge set and an acrylic one to go over the top. They deliberately don't match but I always feel like mentioning that in the card! I made a little skirt from patterned paper. These are all MME Lime Twist papers (again using them up and really mustn't buy more as I am supposed to be downsizing) The greeting and the grid are from two Paula Pascual stamp sets, the label one fitting an EK success punch. I have had a few acrylic stamps break on me recently - including the birthday greetings from that stamp set. Anyone got any clues why?

Incidentally while writing this I nearly had heart failure. While waiting for the pictures to download I thought I better re-read the rubrics of the MA dissertation. Which mention a word count of 18,000, not 15,000 which I have been working to. Cue a fretful face and a few tears (I'm Welsh and I am temperamental) and a panicky email. But it turns out that I only have to do 15,000. Phew!

That Friday feeling

It has been strange not participating in Daring Cardmakers for the last few months. I get a bit anxious every Friday about 9 o'clock and then relax, a bit sadly, as I remember that I am on a break. So it was lovely to think this week that actually, I have some time to join in! So I did. Plus it was an excuse to go shopping.
The wonderful Jo set the theme of Wishi Washi - making a card using washi tape. I didn't have any so browsed the net and discovered this shop . I was worried that the tapes wouldn't come in time - they were at my house the next morning! So I had no excuse...

The papers are all old MME, as is the chipboard bird. The doily is my Cheery Lynn one again. The sentiment is from a Marion Emberson set. I stuck the washi tape on some card as it is very see through (its USP really but I wanted the colour of the tape to show through) The sentiments didn't stamp totally clearly so don't worry it is not your eyes. I couldn't be bothered to walk all the way through the house to pick up my black sharpie (all that exercise and I am still that lazy) so used a similar pen. NOTHING  is the same as a Sharpie. Yes, that does sound obsessive. The rose is a Wild Orchid one.

It was a friend's big birthday this week. I was kind and didn't put the number on the front of her card, but wanted the card to look special. Anpther recent buy was a Hero Arts cling stamp after seeing it used here - isn't that card amazing?
Here is my version

For some reason I decided this photo at an angle was the best one! The petals are painted with various red distress inks. I swooshed some green paint onto some card and drew the leaves. Then remembered I do have a large leaf stamp so will use that next time. How did I get the red cardstock to match so perfectly? I painted some white with distress ink to match the flower. Simples. Add an Imagine That sentiment (NB watch out for the new stamps arriving soon) and a little MME patterned paper and bob's your card.

I added a little glossy accents to the stamens and centre of the flower.

Here's another quick cute card to finish the crafty stuff with

Oh how I am loving those pennant ends at the moment. More MME and Distress Ink colouring and that lovely stamp from the first card too.

Its not just been sermon avoidance day today - although that is next on my to do list. I have been at a meeting to look at the pastorate profile of one of the churches I minister with. It is a bit sad thinking about not being with them, but it is also a good way to celebrate what is great about the church, what work needs doing, and how that might happen. I have been involved in two of these in different places and found them both quite uplifting and a positive way to face the future. I'm also booking in weddings at one of my new churches for later in the year and having to think about patterns of work there, all of which is rather scary.
And the Bible stories set this week are interesting - authority, power, influence and evil spirits. Will my story of being freaked out by The Exorcist help or hinder I wonder? Hopefully some lunch (and the Holy Spirit) will help me decide!

14,733

14, 733 words that is.
That is the sum of my dissertation not including bibliography. (ooh forgot to attach that when sending the rest to my supervisor. Be right back) Done.
Also 14, 733 does not include any quotes over 50 words long.
or the 47,737 words I transcribed from interviews.
Its not finished yet. I will be in fear and trembling next week when meeting the lovely Revd Dr C.
But I am so close now, so close.
I may go on about it a lot but it has rather taken over my life for the last 13 months.

Then it will be lots of finishing things off and beginning to start new ones. A very strange feeling.

But it is lovely to have just a little time for play. And I played ad played on Monday.
(flashback to Carys as a 3 year old when I would pick her up form the child minder. "What did you do all day?" "I played and played and played and played and played" "What exactly did you do?" "I played and played and played and played and played")

 This is where it pays to sort through your scraps. I've seen paper like this in a new MME line coming out and thought "oooh love that painted blue". Opened an old box and lo, there was some there. It is paper rather than cardstock so I stuck it to a white card for better backing.
The papers are Echo Park Times and Seasons. I also used a Cheery Lynn doily die (lovely die, terrible name) plus some Kaiserkraft wood pieces and an angel from Tesco, painted cream (she was pink and gold, bleurgh. They sound like Cheery Lynn colours).

Phil and I thought it was so funny that on this hard to reach island which basically is a monastery community there were all these signs for Facebook in random places.

This layout was inpsired by Miss Smith's Just One Sketch. You are supposed to choose your own, which I will one day but for now just nabbed hers! Everything is from a Gotta Craft kit apart from the sticker with "Skrinkle Haven" written on it and the gems. And the sprays.

Its another funny story about how we forced everyone on a family trip on holiday and then it rained so we went home again.





Right, just getting ready to Shred. I've actually recovered enough to go running twice since starting to throw myself around the sitting room like a mad thing. Wish I could master the press up though. I blame gravity myself...

BTW thanks to all those who said that they read the blog - much appreciated!

I can run 5k but I'm still not fit

says it all really!
I am pleased beyond measure that I can now run 5k, something I NEVER thought would happen. But I haven't lost any weight - to be honest I have put on a pound or so over Christmas and my squishy tum is still squishy. So I decided I needed to add some other kind of exercise to do the trick. I have now done two days of the 30 day Shred.
And I won't be able to run again until I have done a few more days Shredding.
Why?
My body is in agony! My thighs are dying and there is no way I can run until it has all settled down. As I have shredded before I know it will, but right now everything is screaming.
Sigh.
But it needs to be done.
If you saw me you might not think I needed to lose much because I dress quite carefully and have thin legs up to just above my knees. But with my frame I should be a size 10 and I am a good size 12 so there is work to do. At 46 I know that if I let it lie now then it will be there forever.
(If this were an article for the Church magazine I would then launch into a bit about caring for our inner selves and working on the bits that are unsightly so that we are a fit part of the body of Christ. But it isn't. So I won't.) (Plus that sounds remarkably like the last Church Magazine article I wrote. See Ministers don't just work on Sundays you know. We have to be journalists as well)(Bad ones, admittedly)

Enough of that - show us yer scrap pages I hear you cry. Well I don't really, Not sure anyone is reading this anymore but its a good place to record my crafting life and other news

Title: Every Day.
In a chapel on Caldey Island was this amazing desk crammed full of small pieces of cardboard with heartfelt prayers written on them. There was a note to say that they would be taken regularly and used in the prayer life of the monks
Products used
Papers: Lilybee (from November Gottacraft kit) plus scraps from stash. Stickers: Lilybee and Basic Grey; Stamps: Studio Calico and MME; mask: that special touch; Mists: Glimmer Mist in olive and suede;  buttons from stash

Title: Good Times
Our family holiday was all worked round being able to share in my Dad's 80th birthday celebrations in Swansea. His birthday was on a Monday but he chose to have a party the day before and he wanted to make preaching part of it.
I used a Studio Calico sketch
Products used:
White Bazzill; Cosmo Cricket Salt Air from Imagine That; Cardstock Stickers Cosmo Cricket; dies: Papertrey Ink; Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Mister Huey white spray mist; twine.
Scallop detail: these were offcuts from a card I made that were lying on the desk and just gave the softness needed for the journalling. The journalling strips were layered together

Title : Jolie laide
This photo was taken at Dad's birthday meal. Its not a bad one really. "Jolie Laide" really means someone who is unconventionally attractive but I have used it to sum up what I see when I look in the mirror. This will go in the Tenby holiday album even though its not really about the holiday but that is what I like to do - have photos from the time together but sometimes use them to reflect on other things

I was going to use a sketch but somehow that didn't happen! Instead i jsut cut boxes and strips and layered them. It all came because the edges of the masked bit were harsh and needed disguising

Products:
Cardstock, Papers and Stickers: Lilybee from November  Gottacraft kit; Doily, Crown and Mask from Imagine That; stick on gems, mini postcard and lace from stash; Studio Calico Mister Huey white ink; Black soot distress ink and everything outlined with black pen

Must now finish my sermon on the call of the fishermen (Did you know there was a woman with them? "As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with Annette" I always want to go "boom, boom" at that point in the reading but so far have managed to restrain myself. One year...). There is also a chapter of Jonah as well, the least action filled one but perhaps the most dramatic. Jonah says "In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed!" And the Bible goes on to say "The people of Nineveh believed God's message". SOME of us have to say much more than a sentence to make an impression...

Have a great weekend - and if you are curious I am playing Romford, Western Road at 9:30 and Chadwell Heath, Mill Lane at 11:15. Love to see you there!

2 months and 2 days later

Now I'm really back!
I have been rather quiet I know but life is beginning to settle down again - at least for a short while so I can update you on a few things if you are interested

• Dissertation: Draft one is done and needs reading through and culling. But I am on schedule which is good. Spent a lovely 8 days writing the Diss at my Mother in Law's house where I was looked after royally. She lives in Milford on sea - one of the most gorgeous places in Britain
• Running: I have finished Couch25K and am still running three times a week. I have put on a pound or so rather than losing weight so am thinking about redoing the Shred as well. I am certainly fitter than I was. I managed a 6K run at Milford and another with sea on one side and ponds on the other side of a path. I'm afraid Upminster doesn't seem quite so scenic
• A year of two halves. Jan - Jun will involve packing up, saying goodbye, GCSE's and A levels. It may also include learning to ride a scooter. then July onwards will be hello Torquay, (hopefully) hello University, making a new home. After a bit of a rethink, I will now be making my bedroom the craft room. The room was going to be Carys' but she rather nicely gave it up (possibly because she didn't want her mum coming in to her room to make cards). It will be repainted but look at that lovely light

In other news... I had a lovely crafting day with Sue H yesterday. Because of the Dissertation I hadn't had a real day off for a while and certainly crafting for the last 2 months has not really been on the agenda (did have fab Christmas and family time so not all bad! Oh and I did knit 5 scarves as presents. no photos though)

Sue brought me lots of fabby presents including some cute stamps. I made a card with them after she left. Isn't that bunny sweet? I coloured him in with Distress Inks and a water colour pen. I am trying to use up some of my paper pads (as you will see below). This is a MME Lime Twist one. Also used loads of Nestabilites, a Sharpie pen and some stick on gems.

the rest of the cards used a Kaisercraft pad - all black, white, red and silver. This card came about because I wanted to cut the circle out of the middle and then rather liked what was left. The black panel is actually raised on thin foam pads. The middle section is Nestability die cuts plus die cuts from the pad. The greeting is PTI (my fave one for birthday cards as you may have spotted). The black dots are Ranger Enamel Accents. That swirl looks rather James Bond doesn't it.

About 2 years ago Emma at Imagine That hosted a PTI party where we brought along our stamps and swapped them. I am now using up the images! You may wonder how I got the whole border of the card embossed when the embossing folders are too small. well, I trimmed it down to be an American length card and problem solved. Also my usual crafting suspects of dies, black pen and stick on gems. The sentiment was computer generated using Papyrus font.

And this is the circle from the other paper. All from the Kaisercraft pad apart from the bird which is Paperartsy and the sentiment which is Imagine That

Finally I trimmed a border from one of the card sheets, stamped a phrase onto a die cut label from the pack and added a few glossy pen dots. Simple (good for a man). (not that men are simple)

I've even made some layouts but I shall share them another day - and not in two months I hope!

Incidentally, when I try to look things up in my new home I keep putting TS1 as the start of the postocde, rather than TQ1 and ending up with a map of Middlesborough where Hywel lives. I am obviously still missing him loads