Just a quick one!

Trying to fit in everything I have to do in the next few days and I've also got the untidy house blues. I know the answer. Less fun time on the 'puter. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!

Kathy came up with a fab dare for DCM this week!

Be Inspired at Home
The idea is that you look around your home and find a pattern, design, motif etc - or just part of one that you can replicate and use as the inspiration for your card design

I decided to go with a feature that won't be around much longer...
After Christmas our conservatory is going to be painted and the funky squares - which don't seem so funky any more - are going to be painted over. We don't have any plain white walls in the house so I am looking forward to having some - mostly to take photos against! I may just have some vinyl word art instead - we'll see.
Anyway that is the inspiration and here is the card
the lighting is off. This time of year drives me mad! Optimum time is late morning/afternoon but that is not the time I need to take photos. Lovely and simple this one. Yellow square punch, the SR Sonoma papers still on my table from yesterday, yellow and green distress inks, foam pads and an Imaginesce stamp.

I used the same papers to make a sample card for Church card club tomorrow. I wanted to make a fun shaped card and used my Nesties to make this one
It isn't a big card as I only have the petite scallops! And I think I ought to have cut further up the scallop. But it makes a cute thankyou card for after Christmas I think. I added a few Auntie Sarah's Bloomers, various brads and jumbo ric rac.

Right back to Church work. This stage of life is the busiest as services need to be prepared in advance in order to get readers etc. By 21st it settles down a bit!

Oh what have I done?

Little C had one thing on her Christmas list. A kitten. And I suddenly realised that although I like other people's cats, I only like other people's cats in other people's houses. The thought of living with a cat made me feel quite ill. So I said that she had a choice. A cat or me. Which didn't go down too well. But better than it might have done as she is a very loving and understanding girl. Which made me feel even more guilty. She was still mulling it all over obviously as, on Saturday she suggested that maybe she could have a hamster instead. Now, I had been wondering about a similar compromise, so it made sense. But the one thing I know about hamsters is that they are very nocturnal so do not always make brilliant pets.
So I said something which seemed like a good idea but in hindsight I wish I had done some research before opening my big mouth.
What I said was this
"what about a Guinea Pig instead?"
BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG smiles from Carys.
BUT
within a few hours I discovered that apparently

• GP's are social animals and you have to have two.
• They need a hutch/cage more like a rabbits than a hamsters (I was hoping that the GP would live in a little cage in her room and I would never have to see it).
• They like to be around people so the best place for them to live is in the sitting room.

Oh my.
they will be coming in the new year once my parents have gone home. To fit in with the rest of the pet household they will be rescue pigs. It is quite a trauma you know to be a really rather non animal person in an animal loving family.
Big H really wants a snake...

It is Salt day today with a great theme from Kimberley.

God is good

I was still thinking about the anniversary of my ordination.
Told you I looked young! We have had problems with our scanner so I had to use an original photo. Eeek! Actually it was a spare one so that is ok. I am standing behind the communion table of my first church. The organ is behind me and advent candles in front. It was a wood heavy building.
The scrap details are these - all the papers are Scenic Route Sonoma, title cut with the craft robo and mounted on foam pads. Added bling and dots with Stickles and Liquid pearls.
Here is the jouranlling made easier to read
and some details including my cheeky chops
those glasses were v. fashionable at the time I tell you.
Do have a look at what the Salt girsl have prduced this time round as every entry has something great to say about how good God is.

16 years ago today

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

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

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

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

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

Production line

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

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

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

Its coffee time

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

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

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

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

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

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


(It usually works)

I've got a new glue pen

and I know how to use it.

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

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

Comfort in Suffering

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

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

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

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

Boy racer

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

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

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

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

Bird, Birds and More Birds

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

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

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

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

Ever wanted to match your clothes to scrap product?

I can't capture the photo but look here

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

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

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

Going Dotty

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

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

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

Here's another one 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sparkle and Bling

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

Hope

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

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

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

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

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

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

Karma bites.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proud Momma

That's me!
Last night Hywel had to go back to his old school to receive three awards. ICT Achievement, GSCE Excellence and the much coveted Library prize (family joke. H and his mates all helped out in the library for their 5 years at school. It was a way of keeping out of the line of sight of those who thought them just to nerdy to exist. Every year one of them would get the prize and it was never H. I like to think they saved the best til last. The librarian has said that she misses him!)

It was for this that H had to have a suit. He is still quite small - about 5' 8 I reckon and stick thin, so I was surprised that it was so easy to get one that just about fits. I think he looks quite smart in a long haired geeky kind of way!
We are standing in front of his English coursework. He got the second highest score, losing out to his "rival" NW who was at primary school with him. (for many years in the Juniors they were secret loves. She is really nice and clever and pretty so I would be happy for the love to continue. H would not. She did get more prizes than he did but he claims it doesn't bother him. I suppose 16 is a bit young to settle down. She goes to a different sixth form anyway. So I better stop looking at hats)
And here he is at home in full length glory. I'm so proud of him!

Onto things crafty then!
The theme of Daring Cardmakers this week is ...
WARNING here, if you are of a certain age (early 40's ish) then these two words may get a certain song going round your head. Every time I read them a flute going "do, do, do, do , do, do, do do, do, do, do, do , do, do, do do,whhheeeeeee oooo" starts playing in my head. I do love the song - and the whole of War of the Worlds but it is driving me nuts now!

I blame Sue who chose the theme because she heard the song on the radio.

Forever Autumn.
make a card that depicts Autumn.
It can be an Autumn scene or it can be something completely different but using a palette of Autumn colours……the choice is yours!

The trees along the M11 towards Cambridge are glorious at this time of year - makes the tedious journey there and back just a bit better. So I tried to get some rich autumn colours going

The papers and ribbon, including the card base are from an old Self Addressed kit. I took some brown Bazzill and ran it through the cuttlebug with a Fiskars tree bark plate. The effect is more subtle than an embossing folder - but it is also easier than trying to hand emboss with the plate!The hero arts birdie has been hanging round, coloured in on my desk for months so I slapped her on with a little extra inking round the edge. The leaves are QK - yes those dies again! I also used my threading water punch and stick on pearls. The greeting was done on the computer and inked to death.

This weekend is a little easier than the last one. And then it is half term and we are half on holiday (I have to go to Cambridge for an MA seminar on Tues.) So I hope I have time for crafting, sleeping and family. Perhaps not in that order!

That was quick

Where did the week go?

Saturday - did the gardening at church. I hate weeding. Especially pulling weeds up through cracks in gravel. The Open Doors evening was really interesting. We heard something about life in North Korea. It is grim. The person who gave the talk was there in a group of 6. They were put up on the 43rd floor (out of 46) in the tourist hotel in the capital. They were the only guests... At night, in the capital there are no bright lights, no cars, everyone is at home. The visit was very strictly regulated.

Sunday - the Salvation Army farewell service was FAB! I really enjoyed marching from our church to their newly refurbished one. I was at the front behind the flag. If it wasn't for the fact that female officers have to wear skirts and heels I'd be tempted... their building looks amazing and is v. high tech. There are cameras everywhere to help record services and the boys in the AV room were having fun zooming in on unsuspecting people!

Monday - a tiny bit of crafting but more of it spent with DS1 buying a suit in Lakeside. I love Lakeside. Not. But we had a bit of chat time and managed to get him an el cheapo Primark one which ALMOST fits. In the evening we watched "Oceans 12". There was a tricky moment as the film gives away the twist in the Sixth Sense - which Emrys was to watch in school as a GSCE assignment (when did English get to be THAT much fun, shouldn't be allowed). Fortunately he had already seen the first half and like me (smug) had guessed the twist straight away. I enjoyed Oceans 12. The fact that the plot was good was a bonus but quite frankly Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon in a film together and I don't really care about anything else.

And then it has been mostly work since. I did sneak in time to make a few cards like this using my new stamps. The corner stamp did come out a tad smudged but I wanted to send the card off and so decided to leave it like that (oh the shame!)
I have stamped and cut out loads of the flowers like this so I can make some quick cards for the church fair. I think black and cream is quite sophsiticated, n'est pas?

And I managed my layout for Salt.

GIVE THANKS

(with a grateful heart)

Isn't there an abundance of things that we can be grateful to God for?! For starters - sending his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sin, so that whoever believes in him will not perish eternally in hell, but live with Him forever and ever and ever in heaven- praise God!

Ok so it might not be easy to thank God in the hard times, but lets not forget all the blessings he has given to us and be thankful for them! Amen?!

After wondering what to do I decided that the thing I most had to give thanks for was the cross - everything else comes from that - my life, my family, my hopes and dreams, everything.
The photo is from Scripture Pics. The papers all from my MME pad. I love the colours and becasue the papers are quite thin they are so easy to distress. I used a Technique Tuesday tile as a template then got messy with Making Memories paint and Heidi Swapp masks. The butterflies are to symbolise freedom and new life. The layout also features a Heidi Swapp stamp embossed with white emb. powder, a Rhona Farrer stamp coloured with distress ink, some brads from a Costco kit, flowers cut with punches, nesties and a Quickutz die (hello old friends), another QK die was used to cut some grungeboard which BROKE my cuttlebug B plate!!!! American Crafts thickers, a peel off(!), lots of different stickles and doodles and I wrote on some self adhesive lace tape which is rather hard to read from a photo!

The blurb says
"I could write of my thanks for my family
or for all the gifts you have given me
but my grateful heart knows that even they are as nothing
compared to my thanks for your cross"

Sadly this week we have had to announce the loss from our team of Gillian and Casey who have been - and will continue to be so inspirational. May God keep blessing all that you do!

Do the funky chicken with me

Aren't they fab? Phil made these as a present for his mum. EVENTUALLY we will get our own set but there are lots of other crafty things for him to do first. You can see one of the real chickens there too which gives a sense of scale! They weren't really fooled though. Sadly he posed them by the messiest area in our garden. We have another new animal in our garden mind. Lucky keeps trying to get her to play but she is very lazy. (Found in some woods between here and Brentwood. How did she get there?)

I am feeling very smug because I cello bagged all the cards last night. Go me. Although now I need to make some more. Which makes me desperate to scrap. And I haven't really got time for either for days. I suppose I can sneak a few cards in where I can't scrap. Oh well.

We have a big service at church on Sunday. The Salvation Army who have been sharing/renting our buildings for a year are moving back to their refurbished building. So we are starting the service at my church, then marching to theirs and worshipping there. And then it is time for lunch and a nosey round. It is weird how excited I feel about this. NOT that they are going. But there is something sacred and special happening. Quite what that will be I will have to wait and see as the preparation and the worship unfolds.

I did have time yesterday for my DCM card. Of course I had time! It is a special day for us as we have now been going for 2 years. We are not making a big fuss 'cos that hasn't ever really been our way. We don't get much sponsorship and apart from Jo and increasingly Kathy, none of us are "big name" cardmakers but we enjoy the challenge of challenging each other and seeing what other people come up with week after week. I don't write comments on every blog. I'm sorry if that offends some people but I just can't manage it. But I always, always appreciate the people who are playing along.

The first dare was done by Jane, Kathy, Rhi, Kel, Debbie, Saffa, Jo, Lynda, Keryn, Tracie and me. there have been lots of changes in our lives and in the team - lots of joys like babies and weddings and some tough times too. There have been other people who have come and gone within the last two years. All wonderful people and amazingly talented crafters. I'm not going to attempt to name them all now as I will only leave someone out and I don't want to! And the current team is simply fabulous - all supportive of one another and what we try and do. So thanks DCM guys, past and present and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

on to the card after the sentimental bit! Its a bit poignant that one of the "originals" is taking some time out. Rhi we will miss your wonderful cards and hope you will be back with us soon! Anyway she left us a corker of a dare.

Paint the Town........
red, green, sky blue pink with yellow dots on, or any colour you fancy, with acrylics, H2Os or watercolours, with brushes, sponges or splatters. We don't mind, as long as you use paint on your cards. So have some fun with the DCM and get Painty this week.

So guess what papers I went for?
Uh huh. No "Surprise" at all!
But can you blame me? They are so fab and go nicely with the ranger dabber colours. Its not the most economical way to buy paint but the colours just can't be beaten.
A cutie pie at church is one this week. Her name "Reya" means Queen so I thought she ought to have a crown. The crown and the 1 are grungeboard, the 1 cut with a Sizzix Lollipop Die. I cut some acetate using a Nestie die and painted the back. NB this is even messier than you would think. BUT I love the effect and will be doing it again. Probably quite a lot. The stickers are also Scenic Route and the bling I can't remember and I'm not walking all the way to where I craft to find out. Then a bit of penwork aka doodling. I saw it called pen work the other day and it makes adding a few swirly lines sound much more grown up!

Tomorrow I will be gardening at one church, eating chinese food and hearing a talk on taking Bibles to China at the other and sorting washing in between. What a great job I have! At least it is never dull.
Have a good weekend

I can spend 15 minutes thinking up an interesting name for the post

or just get on with it.
So I will.

Although blogging time has been sparse, I have managed to fit some crafting in recently.
I can now show you two cards I made for my bff Sue and my god-daughter Nerissa as their birthdays have gone by...
This one uses Daisy Bucket papers. a robo'd butterfly (template from UKS) and letters and one or two doodles.

Everything on this card is from Scenic Route Surprise, my top, top cardmaking paper de jour. Oh everything apart from the glitter letters from Making Memories and the Bazzill scallop made with the threading water punch that sleeps under my pillow every night.

Then on Monday I was able to do a concentrated spell of card making - I need to get some stock made for the Church fair in November. A church friend called Jill came round to help for some of it. I was also assisted by the challenge on Just Bex to make cards and layouts using white space. It was like remembering a style of cards I don't really do any more!

So here are the 17 I made
and a few in close up
the papers are all Basic Grey Boxer. The button I bought from Button It at Alexandra Palace
These two both use a stamp set also picked up at AP - by Impression Obsession . I looked at this set last time I went to AP 18 months ago and am glad I succumbed this time. I can't remember the stall name and nothing comes up on google but you can drool over Spring Squares and other gorgeous sets by the same company here.
I used various inks on the cards and manage to stamp beautifully almost every time!

I'm itching to scrap but need to be disciplined about card making or the stall will be empty. May even put some in cello bags tonight!

Quick one today

I thought a long lunchtime meeting today had been cancelled. But I was wrong so I'm having to step up my work today! So this will be short and sweet (like me!)

It was my turn to choose a Daring Cardmakers dare today and apparently my choices can be scary! Hope this one is not too challenging.

Gotta Wear Shades

This week your challenge is to be Bright! Clashy is good, hot colours are good, anything super duper bright is good too. If you want to double dare then why not use the sketch that Vanessa made for her marvellous mid week dare?

Actually it was fairly straightforward for me as I love bright colours. My choice of card began with the buttonNow it is hard to get the scale or the true brightness of the button here. I won it at the Capture the Magic stall at Alexandra Palace. It is at least 2" across and a really vivid plastic orange. I think the shiny glare got to the camera! So i had to find papers to match. I picked out these American Crafts papers as they have lovely bright patterns on one side and the colour on the back matches perfectly. While I was reaching for them I knocked something off my desk which turned out to be some blue bling Bazzill flowers which I thought just set the button off. A bit of doodling helped to tone the button down slightly. A wielding of my black and white pens later and 'tis done. The sentiment was hand written - a little wider than I normally do and I like it. Expect to see more writing like this!

I will visit all the blogs that link to DCM, but it may take a few days as I have oodles to do. Weekends as often happens, are times of work, work, work for me!
Have a good weekend

Rest

Thanks for the comments on the last post. I am now as much back on an even keel as being a volatile little Welsh person will allow :)

I have been making cards like a mad thing recently. We have a church fair coming up... I have been using some of the Scenic Route Surprise papers which I love - in fact I bought seconds which is hugely rare for me! I have been taking a little kit into the sitting room so I can craft and be with the family. Gosh, what a sacrifice! (although I do have to keep nipping out for what I have forgotten!). Here are a few of them.
But I've also made time to scrap for this week's Salt challenge.

Rest
Casey reflects ...
What Jesus is saying is that we can take on his yoke and will not burden us. He promises to give us rest from all our seeking and striving to be acceptable. That's the bit I think is cool. So often I find myself striving so hard and have not even asked God to walk with me through it.
When I consciously walk through things with God, it is then that experience the REST he is talking about. It is a rest or peace in my heart, even amidst chaos.

My prayer is that you too may experience this rest.

Unfortunately the pattern of the paper means that the photo slightly hurts the eyes. In real life it is much more rest-ful to look at!
It began as a Just Bex challenge - to use grids and lines. Mine is scraplifted from Lis' (Funky Fairy's) wonderful layout. Mine was even more like hers until the last minute when I added the swirls so I don't know if it counts any more!

The photo is of some geese on the fishing lake round the corner form us. I've said before that we are so blessed to live where we do. In 5 minutes we are at the lake or can walk through corn fields, in 10 minutes I can walk to a craft shop and walking from my house to the station I can be in central London within a hour!

Anyway I added the Be still and know that I am God in photoshop using Scriptina and Times and Times again fonts. I did a lot of distressing and curling of the edges of some Scenic Route Sonoma paper and used other Sonoma for the paper strips. It just needed something else so I went for some Grungeboard which I coloured using some cream rub on things I have had for years. I then outlined it with white pen - a pen which is not very white any more! Title is thickers (of course...)

Here is what the printed journalling says...

Finished it

Yay! I am finally done with the holiday 2007 album with these two layouts!
Next to do will be the holiday with the choir - last October. I'm going to make a large mini book for that (if that makes sense) , so it will be photos and simple notes rather than full pages.
The photos of these layouts are appalling - I am rather embarrassed but don't really have time to redo them. So just imagine these are square and in focus...

This layout is called "to and fro". Its a teeny title - I am just showing off that I have finally got my hands on some MM teeny alphas. The papers are mostly Scenic Route Liberty. It may have been made for US July 4th celebrations but I have loved using it. There are some stickers in there from an old Self Addressed kit, a Hero Arts stamp, some bits from a QVC card and scrap set I bought ooh 3 years ago?, a few doodles and lots of space to let the photos sing.
this looks far better in real life - but was a disaster at one point. See unbeknownst to me, I had some black in k on the side of one of my fingers. So I couldn't see it until I had made a big black mark both on the side of the layout - which was going to be a white border - and in the middle of the Dream Street cloud paper. So I really had no choice about where to place the photos. I decided to make a half label journalling spot tracing a Technique Tuesday tile. It was all looking a little stark, but I think a Katie Pertiet overlay printed onto a transparency managed to soften it up a bit. I did a lot of inking with blue and green distress inks - including the thickers which really do look better than they photographed (do I keep saying that?) I also added some Scenic Route Grafton paper, a little bit of fabric paper (the blue/green strip) a few buttons and some Fancy Pants (I think) bling bits. Oh and a little green ribbon.

I'm like a bear with a sore head today. Either I have had a personality transplant or its PMT. I do hope its the latter. Otherwise we will be spending our retirement in different countries. Here's hoping I wake up a nicer person in the morning!

Contrary Mary

I'd just like everyone to know that the reason number 2 son went to school in his uniform for jeans for Genes day is not because his mother forgot to pay the in advance money nor because his loving mother forgot that it was jeans day but because said child decided that he would rather wear uniform than anything else.
I'm still shaking my head in amazement.

Today is DCM day and we had a fabulous theme set by Keryn

Scallops!

I was about to make this card last week until I realised it was crowns and I'm so glad they were in this order as last week I didn't have the ubiquitous threading water punch that is my new best friend.

Yesterday Phil and I were invited to a fund raiser by one of his church members - she is in her eighties and gave a poetry recital at her house in aid of Pact (parents of autistic children together) She was just about able to recite 10 long poems from memory which was quite something. So we needed to make a thank you card, hence this one...
I managed to make it more tricky than it should have been by creating the green scallop strip first, then deciding on the size of card then having to cut the card down the sides a bit. The papers are We R Memory Keepers Vintage Brass ones. The colours are so rich, the photo doesn't really do them justice. I used a Heidi Swapp stamp - its big so you need a big card! I wanted a bit more scallop so made a layered flower using punches and nestabilities. It didn't look right at first so I cut it in half and I think it works better.

Faith scrapping last night went well - people are disappointed it is finishing next week. I have to admit though a part of me is relieved as it is quite hard work - both preparing and trying to help people along. Something funny happened last night actually. Someone had begun an A4 layout by glueing a patterned piece onto some card. She left the table to look for something and it had disappeared. 10 minutes later we still couldn't find it. Until we noticed that someone on the same table had used a small piece of the same patterned paper to frame a photo. Apparently somehow the paper had got separated from the card... There was a very red face and lots of hilarity when we worked it out!

Well I must get on with work as I have two services on Sunday and it is also card club on Saturday which works better if I have samples to share...