Dumbing down? I think not!

1: Happy St David's Day! Its the day for being (extra) proud to be Welsh!
Here I am a short while ago in traditional costume. If we lived in wales my kids would be getting at least a half day off school. But they are not. we will have leeks for tea though

2: The dumbing down bit. we watched Solomon Kane last night (5 out of 10 but it is unusual to get theological reflection in a film that also involves blood spatter and decapitation). There were some characters dressed up like this. "What are they supposed to be" Phil and I asked. "Plague doctors" said our two almost simultaneously (but not close enough for "jinx"). "Whuh?" said the parents (including the one with History O Level) "those masks are full of herbs" said one child airily, the other nodding corroboration. Readers, I have never heard of such a thing and yet, here they are (ok so its not always correct but even so). Please tell me I am not the only one? So, obviously not everything is easier than in my day - or Phil's which is even older.

In crafting news I managed to do a Sketchy Thursdays sketch on time this week. whee!
I turned it around though. It is all about us climbing up Roseberry Topping and looking exhausted at the top (I really was!)
Details: Papers: Crate Paper Restoration; Cardstock: Bazzill; Embossing folder: Sizzix; Glimmer Mist: Olive and Caramel; Stickers: Crate Paper and Paperchase; Die cuts: Crate Paper; Chipboard: Basic Grey; Leaf: Grungepaper; Letters: Jillibean, Making Memories, Grungepaper; Buttons: Nikki Sivils; Distress inks: Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Pine Needles, Brushed Corduroy

Having had a few days at home as well as away last week meant that I have had time to do more than one layout for fun
This one features Carys sitting on the landing just before the turning to her room. Her teeny room is down a narrow wonky corridor and the lighting isn't great in there. so she sits here quite a lot to read. It never looks that comfy. she had just had a shower and her hair is wet, not super greasy! it is based on an old Pencil Lines sketch
Details: Cardstock: Bazzill; Paper and Chipboard: MME Fine and Dandy; Letters: Adornit and American Crafts Thickers; Tools: Sharpie and Wilkinsons fine black pem; Ranger enamel

I think the title is probably a mistake on this one
It is supposed to be "Going Grey" but Phil says that it reads "Grey Going" Sigh. I added the arrow but it hasn't really helped!
This one uses all sorts of old stash - tick! and Shimelle's sketch of the week for 16th Feb.
Details: Papers: American Crafts, Chatterbox, Papermania, Fancy Pants; Letters: American Crafts; Numbers: Sassafrass; Felt:Queen and Co; Letters: Thickers; Flower - Aachen euroshop; Arrow: Grungepaper; Glimmer Mist - black; Distress ink: Black Soot; Journalling Spot: Crafty Templates Quirky Kit cut down with Sizzix Die; Punch: Fiskars
Back to reading about being teams in management Studies. I may have read too much of this (for my dissertation) but it is so, so interesting! (No mention of Plague Doctors in there either...)

Refreshed

Well a few days away did the trick! We've been back 'oop north to see our Hywel. As Middlesborough is not really our holiday destination of choice we found a cottage about 45 mins away close to Saltburn and Staithes to stay in.
We picked Hywel up on Wednesday after exploring his room, his kitchen/sitting area with the "lovely" art work (male students plus Budweiser bottles and masking tape. I'll say no more) and watched True Grit (fab) before returning to the cottage. Can you believe that after 11 years of having the same mobile tariff it was the first time we have used Orange Wednesday? Maybe because I almost always have meetings on a Wednesday. We'll do it again though! Anyway as H doesn't have lectures between Wed afternoon and Friday lunch time he came and stayed with us and we climbed Roseberry Topping on Thursday.
It's not that big a hill but it is straight up and it was very, very muddy. We ended up having a competition to see whose shoes were the most impractical. I won (fur lined crocs) and slipped twice on the way down. Fun though.

It was very hard leaving H behind on friday. Harder than its been not having him around this term. Still he comes home for two weeks in a month's time and then I will find he is under my feet! Although today we have cleared the boys room of huge amounts of old tut so he can spend his time up there in comfort now!

This week on Daring Cardmakers the lovely Samm chose the dare and what a cool one it was - "POUND SHOP PRETTIES" - use some items from a Pound Shop
I'm afraid I wasn't very inventive though
I used foam pads and gems from Poundland. Some of the other things were pretty cheap though - especially the felt from Hobbycraft which I cut to rough circles with sharp scissors and the Banana Frog letter stamps bought on sale. I made this card at the last minute beofre going on the break so didn't notice the smudge of Ranger enamel accents (they are so lovely and white though!). "Bother". is a version of what I said when I noticed it.
Also used: Echo Park papers and Nestability Label 1 dies
Do have a look at all the wonderful cards my team mates have made!

Punked

Apparently that is not really a word. "Punk'd" is what Google took me to. So I am claiming Punked for my own. Punked is when several pieces of news or events that although sad/demanding in their own way are really copable with, come together at the same time and leave you feeling like you have been dropped from a great height. So that's me - some rubbish news for a friend, some meetings that left me wanting to bang my head on a desk, some uncertainty over the future, some failure to do my Dissertation study that makes me feel like I am running behind (maybe because I am?) and I am punked. Still I have some days of rest and recharge coming up and I can't wait! And I know through it all that I am not alone - that God is with me and will take care of me - and all those I am worried about. It got me thinking about a wonderful song that brings me comfort - He will raise you up on eagle's wings

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.

Actually listening to it (even though it sound much better when sung by Phil - but he isn't on Youtube) makes me feel better. I'm going to do my best to shine...

Of course, my new edition to the Oxford English Dictionary (or should it go in the Uxbridge one) came about while thinking on the Daring Cardmakers Challenge for this week. Rein asked us to make Steampunk inspired cards. Phew that was hard! My thanks have to go to the Graphics Fairy who has a collection of Steampunk free digital images which helped a lot. And here is my take on the dare

Apart from the images almost everything has been in my stash for years. The papers I had in a
Self Adressed kit in 2006. I used a lot of it up on cards and 8x8 layouts at the time but knew I had some left. Here is one of my first layouts (first blogged in July 2006) using the same collection!
5 years makes a difference! As I did a little bit of a stash tidy recently I panicked that I had thrown the papers away saying "I'll never use them" glad I didn't. Which is all a VERY long way round of saying I know not who made the papers.
The penny farthing was printed directly onto the paper. Fortunately I had two sheets of it as I didn't think to check which way up it needed to go the first time. I jsut couldn't bear putting the words upside down on the card! The face was printed directly onto the green paper (wich may be WRMK but was in the same kit). The cogs and washers and beads are from my creative embroidery bead box and stuck on with Glossy Accents which i also used to highlight the binoculars.
Other items used: Cosmo Cricket letters; Black soot and brushed corduroy distress ink; Nestability dies and Martha Stewart punch.

The "I see" has a follow on inside
If you are feeling Punked today I hope you feel held by the hand of God too.

Not such a good idea

Yes, I had fun on Monday crafting without a cause but - now I am wondering if I will make my deadlines this week. Ah well such is life! I am running (along with my colleague) (which is what I now get to call Phil as we are in a team) Eldership Training on Saturday. I do enjoy running such courses but it does squeeze time slightly! We are just hoping that the acorns arrive in time... Taken along with a rather meeting heavy week - some of which have needed an emergency (small) sherry afterwards - I am rather pooped.

Anyhoo, here is my Salt layout for this time around. The lovely Ruth asked us to think about truth. Which turned out to be quite hard to do, forsooth. (!) I spent some time mulling it all over and there were a few Biblical phrases that stuck in my mind. One was "What is truth?" which is what Pilate askes Jesus at his trial. Pilate is trying to work out who Jesus is and asks “You are a king, then!” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” "What is truth?" (John 18:36-38)

Because knowing the truth is hard. I'm reading a lot more about politics at the moment and what is truth is a question that I keep asking. In the end, being a bear of little brain, I looked to see what else Jesus said to help me make sense of truth and I found this phrase from earlier in John's gospel "“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31;32). Which freed me to say - follow Jesus teachings and that is where truth lies.

Of course it is not always that simple. the current Sunday readings are the Sermon on the Mount which is really tough teaching by Jesus. Following Jesus teaching is demanding. Maybe that is what is true. Being a Christian is hard. Sigh. As I have noticed this week...
Anyway all that reflection is in this layout which again doesn't spell it out but hopefully will still have meaning for me when I look at it again in 20 years time...

the papers are My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy collection. I thought the numbers would remind me that I have to be true to my calling 24/7. I printed a huge chunk of the Sermon on the mount using Times and Times Again font.
The pic is one I took when trying to do a self portrait with the Nikon D60 which doesn't let me see what is in the lens but I kind of like the way I am looming at you demanding what is truth? (Thanks to my colleague for cleaning it up. And I suppose it was true to leave all the wrinkles on it)

Details: Cardstock: Bazzill; Papers: MME; Letters: Doodlebug; little gems from Imagine That; Ribbon: Seam Binding from the Ribbon Girl; Tools: Black Soot Distress Ink; Sharpie and Wilkinsons thin black pens

Just because

I got to do some scrapping for fun today. I do have two crafting deadlines this week and not loads of spare time but sometimes you've just got to say blow it and go for it! (thoughts on the others are churning away Design Team mates!)

One of the pages I can't show you as it is an entry for another design team which I have not really the slightest chance of getting on to but decided that the sketch suited the photo anyway. I also can't show it because despite using two different cameras and various spots I couldn't get a decent photo. Dusk is a pants time to try really...

But I will show you part of the photo I scrapped because it is a treasure. It is a photo of Phil and I with the Ginger Group (a Christian youth team we spent a year on, visiting churches around the country and helping them with various projects).This is what we looked like when we met and fell in love. Eeep! I have never been so chubster. (What made me lose weight? Love I reckon!) Look at all Phil's hair.
Here he is now
I love this self portrait he took. He is the king of photoshop and he has given it a lovely brown hue. I faffed about with the other layout and this one took about 30 minutes! It is all about today. Sadly, I goofed up and we have not had 25 Valentines - it is only 24. Boo hoo. I think I might just leave the mistake there as I can't see how to cover it up!

Details: Paper: Bazzill Basics Kraft; Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934; Banner : Bazzill; Dies: Nestability and Sizzix; Doily: Poundshop (!); pin and ribbon: Ribbon Reel; Distress ink: Black Soot; tools: Close to My Heart line guide.

Here's a close up of the words
and here is what I look like now...
more lines and moles and a hint of grey is coming - but there we go. (Oh if only my arms were longer I could do better self portraits. Or maybe I should just learn to use the timer like Phil can). While I have spent the day making a mess, (and doing a few loads of washing) Phil has also cleaned the kitchen including the cooker and is now about to go out to lead a bereavement course. I am heading out for another Youth Praise and then we will meet up again for family film night. It's the all time romantic Girl With a Dragon Tattoo. In Swedish.

Say it isn't so

that a whole week has gone by again...
Most of my crafting time has been taken up with making wedding invites (which I am not going to show until they have arrived with people so that could be months) or more of the canvasses as Christmas presents (this time in more neutral colours). I had to give up on one because it was a plain disaster but as I buy packs of 4 I now have three unpainted canvasses staring at me. I'm wondering if I can bear making some more as mother's day presents...

Legally Blonde was fabulous. Better than I expected. Very funny. Catchy songs and clever choreography. Denise Van Outen was not on (a friday night too!) and the lead has just changed but it was no matter - the cast were all great and I have a soft spot for Emmett. And HOW can they sing and skip flawlessly at the same time for ages? I am in awe. Sigh. I do love being able to go to the theatre with my best girl. Oh and we had pretty good seats too. I thought they were at the side but they were right in the middle of the aisle so the view was great.

Onto Daring Cardmakers for this week
OK so that's not it. But I am giving my DCM card to Phil for Valentines and my blog posts to Facebook and uses the first photo so I'm using a card I made for someone else. At Card Club on Saturday Helen had brought along this fab Sizzix die and I wanted a go. But I forgot to take my Distress Inks and Sizzix dies always look better with some definition so I couldn't make him up til I got home. This must be the most layered kids card ever!

Details: Card from Anitas; Papers: Daisy D; Dies: Sizzix and Nestabilities; Distress Ink : Brushed Corduroy; Tools: White pen; pinking wheel; brown pen

Now Phil, stop reading here...
This week on Daring Cardmakers we had a fabulous treat - a sponsor!
The Ribbon Reel sent each of us a mouthwatering array of ribbons, trims, pins, buttons and twines. And there is a gorgeous prize on offer for someone to win too if you play along with us. Nat set the challenge of

Two items of ribbon/trim/twine

One or more buttons

At least one heart element

Here is my take on it
Details: Papers: Jenni Bowlin; doily: Imagine That; Buttons: chipboard Jenni Bowlin; real Paper and String; Glimmer mist (on doily) gold and toffee apple; Dies: Sizzix and Nestability; embossing folder Cuttlebug; letters:Cosmo Cricket; foil and double sided sticky sheets - Stix 2; Distress ink: Brushed Corduroy

Why not have a go? The rules are simple

1. Make your card using the recipe above and add it to your blog

2. Add links to both The Ribbon Reel and The Daring Cardmakers

3. Enter your card for no more than FIVE challenges (including this one)

I'm hoping to have a proper crafty day off this Monday - well until Guides Youth Praise and Movie Night. We have lively praise services on the nights that our uniformed organisations meet and they are popular with the kids and their families - we have three in 7 days this time as we try and fit the girls around Thinking Day. But if I can get motivated hopefully there will be more than one blog post this coming week.

Tonight I'm going to be legally blonde

Ok actually tonightI am going to see Legally Blonde and remain officially brown with some grey bits coming in. (I've decided to see how going grey goes. if I like it I'm going to leave it. If I just see an old lady well, maybe I'll end up blonde after all!) Carys and I are taking advantage of Get Into London Theatre and having a girly night out. Which I hope will be as succesful as our girly shopping day last week. (We had a lot of fun. She tried on dresses and I drooled over Fenn Wright and Manson which is absolutely out of my price league but I am sure I would look adorable in all of their stuff. We bought... six pairs of tights for school between us).

So today will be mostly taken up with Service preparation time. This week the Bible reading is about being Salt and Light. Which means I can use my most favourite passage from the Message

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. 16 Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine!

Isn't that a lovely image?
And for more lovely images of a different kind, pop over to Daring Cardmakers this week. As it is the first Friday in February (eeeep! where does the time go), it is the time for a flower of the month. There is a choice of Feb - voilets or primroses. I decided to go with violets - but not to take it too literally.
The papers are from Kaisercraft. I bought them to use in my Doniford Bay scrap album because I noticed how many of us had purple clothes. And then I didn't use them. They are double sided with plainish on one side and patterned on the other. Nice! The flowers are made with a Sizzix die - the lazy persons way of making the flowers. Using felt means that this has to be a hand delivered card as the flowers turn out BIG!

Materials: Cardstock: Craft Creations; Papers: Kaisercraft; Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug; Felt: Hobbycraft; Dies: Sizzix, Tim Holtz and Nestabilities; Trim: Ribbon Girl; Stamps: Imagine That;
Inks: Memento; Glitter: Stickles

My crafting plans for the weekend are to finish off my Christmas present canvases that have been sulking in the corner and also take a chunk out of making my sister in law's Wedding Invitations. Scary - but exciting! I also have worship; Elders meeting; Bereavement course advertisments; Craft club and various other bits and bobs to do before I can play so better get on...

Love your enemies

A quick post today as I am running about like a mad thing!
Today is Salt day and Pauline came up with a fabulous challenge for us, reflecting on Jesus' words in Luke 6 where we are called to love our enemies.
My first problem was - who is my enemy? There was no-one, no category that I wanted to have as my enemy as I know life is more complicated than that! I wondered about making myself the enemy but that isn't really it either. So I went to my fall back of photos of me when I was little and found one of Lythan "the nurse" aged about 3.
Now if I was prepared to nurse my enemies then that would show great devotion as. although i love watching Casualty and Holby City on TV, I would rather eat my crafting supplies than do actual nursing.
The only writing on the layout is the quote from the Message version of Luke 6
as the idea of me going the extra mile to care in a practical way plus these words really says it all to me and the layout demanded lots of white space.

Here is the rather spooky/wonderful bit.
The day before I had been sorting through scrap papers and came to my pile of Basic Grey"Offbeat" bits. Right, i said to myself. They are such a jumble of colours you can use them on the next layout no matter what the photo is like. Without referring back, I chose the photo. I couldn't quite get the coluor balance right on my photograph of the finished layout but the blue of my cardigan, the blue of the door and the blue of the papers? Exact match. The reds are pretty close too.
OK so not life changing - not really enough positiveness and difference to the world to be a miracle but it still felt sort of profound (but maybe in a way only scrabookers can understand?)

Do have a look at everyone's wonderful contributions on the Salt website

Materials: Papermania Cardstock; Papers: Basic Grey; Stickers: Basic Grey (hearts coloured with red Sharpie pen); Jenni Bowlin and Papermania; Rub-ons - Basic Grey; Stamps (can't remember the name!); Black ink; Punch: EK Success; Brad - Nikki Sivils

Completed

and its not even summer again yet. I have finished my summer holiday scrapbook. I do one every year as it is a good way of capturing the memories and pictures of the family. I'm often still going until just before the next summer hols so ending by the end of January must be some kind of record...

I adore the colour of that Bazzill cardstock that came in a Gottacraft kit to match the Glitz papers. I also used Fancy Pants and MME papers; Chatterbox, Making Memories and Bella Blvd; Rnager white paint and Nestability dies.

I've put another needle in my sewing machine and also played about with tension and stitches and so am ready to give the sewing lark a proper try again - as here
I'm so cross that there appears to be a brown caterpiller across the page. It is actually some beautiful flower ribbon
here it is with the light turned up!
I used cream cardstock; MME papers; a doily inked all over; Cosmo Cricket lettering and a Jenni Bowlin button. Phil took the beautiful photographs and edited them.
And finally
Papers: Basic Grey and Echo Park; Daisy D rub on put on acetate with paint one the back; Glimmer mist; Embellishments: WRMK, October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket; Making Memories; Bazzill;Nikki Sivils; Paperchase; Fiskars border punch

And that is that!
Yesterday I was not preaching as it was my Study Leave week but there was a Pastoral Tea Party at one of my churches. There the Elders, who have a group of people to care for within the Church, sit with their groups so that folk can get to know each other and their Elder better. It is a really good time of sharing and helps us to feel like a real family. I asked the children what to sing for one of the hymns for our short closing act of worship and they chose "O come all ye faithful", then after some thought "Come and join the celebration". We sang the latter. Why should carols just be for Christmas after all!

My new favourite number

is 78.
'Cos I did quite well in my last Dissertation module - results came out yesterday
OK enough of that.

My other favourite number is 216 as that means home. I have been away for three days doing some research for said dissertation in Cambridge. I did have a fab time, catching up with some of the most adorable people I know, meeting the new ordinands at Westminster College (thats someone training to be a Minister and where they train) walking a lot (it is 30 minutes walk from where I was staying to Anglia Ruskin university) and reading lots of Management Studies books about teams and leadership and making connections to Ministry until my head buzzed. But it is good to be home and hanging with my babes and laughing over tea again. Tomorrow Carys and I are having a girly day at Lakeside which will be fabulous I'm sure! (Even though I detest Lakeside :))

Because I have been away I haven't been crafting but I actually managed to do my Daring Card early in the week rather than 10pm on Thursday night as I usually do.
Lynda gave us a fun dare to think about.

The Year of the Rabbit

3^rd February 2011 will welcome in the next Chinese New Year – the Year of the Rabbit. So this week I’m going to let you have TWO options to choose from:-

Make a card with an Oriental feel to it

OR

Make a card that features a rabbit.

It’s entirely up to you.

I went for rabbit as I knew I still had one of these cuties left
Cosmo Cricket Togetherness - what a great collection. I only have a few sheets left but loads of the chipboard pieces as i couldn't bear to use them. Serve me right! So I'll have to make some cards with the rest of it I think. Everything is Cosmo apart from the ribbon which is Papertrey Ink. Oh how I wish they would make it easier (ie less costly) to order for UK people as it is soooo expensive.

My other favourite number is 30. That is the date this Sunday and although I have a tea party at Church I do not have a service to prepare this week as I am on study leave. Although I look forward to Sunday's away from the pulpit there is often a sense of regret as well because of what I won't get to wrestle with. This week its the Beatitudes - some words that Jesus said and I love this version from the Message

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope.
With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less.
That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God.
He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'carefull,' you find yourselves cared for.
"You're blessed when you get your inside world - your mind and heart - put right.
Then you can see God in the outside world.
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.
That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

May you feel blessed this weekend!

Passing on the style

My wonderful friend Sue has just passed on an award to me and said lots of lovely things that make me blush. Thanks Sue!
I ahve to share 7 things about myself. I can't believe there are 7 things people don't know (that I am willing to share!)

1. My mum wanted my middle name to be Xantippe. It isn't.
   
2. because both my parents are 5' 7 I thought I would be as well. At 45 and 5' 2 I need to accept that the only way from here is shorter
3. I look a lot younger than I am - and being 45 as I said this is now a good thing.
4. When I see people struggling with 3 small children under 4 I pity them, wonder how they do it and also why they chose to have kids so close together. Then I remember that was me 14 years ago. (it gets better but more hectic in terms of exams/university)
5. my voice is one of the biggest things about me. Not when I speak one to one but I know how to PROJECT.
6. My singing range is almost 3 octaves. it is rather weak or shrieky at both ends but I would love to finally get there!
7. I bite my nails but not down to the quick so I just about get away with looking like I just can't cut or file them properly.

So who do I pass on to? I jsut can't link to 15!!
but here are some of the best crafty blogs that Sue hasn't already mentioned. Many of them I am/have been on teams with and they are lovely people as well as great crafters!
Jo Kill - unique and amazing talented. The details on her cards are amazing
Nat - it was seeing her creations that got me into Self Addressed kits that kept me going the first few years of my cardmaking. She is still fresh and funky!
Samm - she does bright and beautiful so well. I hope we'll meet one day as we only live about 15 minutes from each other!
Keryn - one of the original Daring Cardmakers still going strong and she is the person to go to in NZ if you want Stamping Up goodies
Rein - there is always something fun and unusual to see on her blog
Asia - makes such sweet and pretty cards
Lynda - I am in awe of her stamping
Jules - great cards and I love playing hunt the heart
Anice - best boss ever and creator of the wonderful Funky Hand goodies
Ruth - her cards are great but it is the other creations that she makes that inspire me
Allison - I love the soft and subtle colour palettes that she uses. (And the feathers!)

there that is 10. Enough for now I think!
I finished another scrap page today.
This uses the November Gottacraft kit as the basis
I added
Papertrey ink stamps; White dabber paint; letters: (Making Memories; Cosmo Cricket; Tim Holtz dies;) Martha Stewart butterfly punch; EK Success and Fiskars border punches; Prima bling; KI memories striped paper (how old is that?); Paperchase Deer.
The silver disc is a chipboard circle covered in glossy accents covered in fine glitter covered in glossy accents.
And lots of ink and black pen work.

Its a toofer day

Yes, I ran out of time to do my Salt post yesterday and so it is "toofer the price of one" today.
Yes, almost as funny as the reason why Milliband chose Balls as his Shadow Chancellor - cos "two Eds are better than one".
I'll get my coat.

So ... Salt.
It was my turn to choose the subject and so I went for something that I needed to process and reflect on - bereavement. As I am a Minister I get to take funerals which is an enormous privilege. It is harder than you might think - a funeral itself is usually 45 minutes tops but there is a huge amount of emotional energy to try and deal with and I find them spiritually draining. I try and help the family to come to terms with the fact that their loved one has died. I know it sounds obvious when you are staring at a coffin but it needs that full stop. And also to let go of that person and give them to God. And to say thank you for the way that they touched the lives of others. A mixture of laughter and tears and tough moments and prayer.
But it is only the beginning really of the long hard road of living without that person and thinking about all the "what might have beens". I have suffered some bereavements in my life which had a profound effect but it was not until a close family member suffered an even greater loss that I began to realise just how hard this is. How long the path is. And that no-one else can travel it with you. Apart from God.

Which is why I am involved in Bereavement courses and set the tough challenge for the team this week.
Here is my take on "Walking through the valley of the shadow of death"
The photo I used was taken by my very talented photographer hubby. I had wanted to explain the significance but ran out of room (as you will see). See more here and click Phil's link for more information. It is a path that you cannot take without guidance from one who knows the way.
I thought that I would have plenty of room for the Bible quotes and my own thoughts on the left hand side but I had more to say than I expected.. I have a Creative Memories lines template that helped me keep the writing straight. I did some handsewing this time as I haven't changed my sewing needle yet.
Materials
Cardstock - Bazzill cream smooth
Papers: Pink Paislee(Parisian Anthology; Queen Bee) : MME (Lost and Found); embossed paper from stash
Embellishments: Copper brads and button from stash
Inks: Distress - Pumice Stone and Brushed Corduroy
Letters: Making Memories; Cosmo Cricket; Adornit: Jenni Bowlin
Here are a couple of close ups of the hard to read bits...
I do appreciate the wonderful work the rest of the team have done for what is quite a challenging challenge!

Asia chose a fabulous dare for the Daring Cardmakers this week!
It's All about Me!
where we had to choose some of our favourite stuff to put on a card that you would like to receive yourself. well... I should have made a bigger card as I had to take some bits off
So what are my favourite things?
Kraft cardstock - check
Square card - check (but the ones I have are smaller than my usual square ones. Sulk)
Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology papers (which I love so much I bought some more at Imagine That yesterday. I NEVER buy more of the same paper!) They look pretty without anything done to them (the mat for the photo above is the reverse of one of the papers) but when you put ink or spray or anything on them - oh my. They have a fab resist. Isued tow of my fave Distress inks - Peeled paint and crushed olive on the paper which I then faux stitched using the more time consuming punch and outline technique.
I used papers from another favourite collection - Crate Paper Restoration - hand cutting the doily and letting it hang off centre (which I love). The doily is covered in Glamour Dust but you can't really see it, not even up close. (The butterfly has white glitter on it)
then there is a little bit of ribbon, a sticker border and a punched border - there had to be a punched border - this punch is Fiskars.
On top I inked a Waltzing Mouse stamp for Nesties label 4, cut it out and embossed it and then decided I wanted to use my best new stamps and matching ticket die - my Christmas present from the adorable Sue Hyde and also bought from Imagine That.
A punched Martha Stewart butterfly on foam pads and some pearls and the card is complete. Phew!
Although now it is on big screen the card looks like it is leaning to the side to me, I do think the presentation looks professional. wanna see it before cropping?
My work and play desks are much more like the right hand side of the picture than the left!

I have quite a full weekend ahead. At one church we are trying something new by inviting the people in our road in for coffee to see what is needed by the community and if we can get something going. I wonder if anyone will come?
Two services on Sunday and in the afternoon there is a tea party at the other Church. For two sunday afternoons these are held so people know who their elders are (the Church leaders who have special care for them) and get to know others a bit better - ending in a short act of worship.
I hope whatever you are doing, you have the chance to be creative - it is good for the soul!

How I spent my day off

I am quite a lazy person. I think sloth is probably my biggest deadly sin - although I can score quite highly on most of them if I put my mind to it. And I am very good at berating myself for all my deadly sins, rather than looking at what I have achieved and trying to amend my bad habits.
So in some ways I didn't do very much yesterday but in others I did so I thought that if I wrote it down that would help

• several loads of washing (5 0r 6) either put away or washed and dried. Actually I have just realised that the whites are still in the dryer which means I will have to iron some shirts. horlicks.
• cleaned and tidied downstairs loo and conservatory and also washed floor in sitting room. (Please let our next house have wooden floors)
• Did a few work emails and highlighted others to deal with today - which I have!
  
• Worked on my second set of 4 canvasses. Have a bit of a problem with these as having merrily stuck down paper in a slapdash way with multi medium (which I was sure is what we did in a class I took) I have discovered it is acting as a resist and is an ugly looking rim around the paper. Each canvas is now having a different treatment to try and hide it. Horlicks is not what I said when I discovered this.
• booked two holidays - one near number one son so we can spend some time with him and the others can see where he lives; the other near my parents so we can join in the 80th birthday celebrations when they arise.
• Finished two layouts (see below)
• Watched movie with family - Nativity! and Glee (not so keen on the second series and am close to muting Lea Michelle as she makes my ears bleed. No offence)
• Spent far too much time sitting on my backside on the computer.

but it was not so bad was it?
I can see that what was missing was

• quiet devotional time. I do struggle with this. I feel really bad as I should be able to concentrate on long times of quiet prayer surely? However I am 45 now and I still haven't caught the knack so I need to truly find what works for me. Which I think is spending more moments in quick prayer and contemplation - a bit like one of my fave hymns (we don't usually sing it like this but all the organ versions had VERY loud organ and quiet singing and I rather like this). Being a "good" Christian does not come easy and at the points that it does, well, that can sometimes be a sign that things are not actually healthy either (although there are some really blessed saints who have their act together!). I preached on Sunday about it being "all about Jesus" - not John the baptist, or us - that success or failure is not just about how good/bad we are. I've found that phrase has stuck with me this week and as next Sunday I am leading worship at two other Churches and the readings follow on, I think more will be said along those lines then.
  
• exercise and fresh air. I've been having a few annoying health issues and so am not throwing myself around like an idiot at the moment but I really ought to do something - even if it is taking a reluctant dog for a walk. Yes I ahve the only dog who is pulling to go home after 100 yards...

so lets see how I do on my next proper day off which won't be next week as I have a funeral in the middle of it!
Phew this is getting long and I haven't shared the crafty makes yet. I am waiting to take another funeral. It is hard to settle to anything on those days so I have been catching up on emails and looking at the lessons and ideas for Sunday (and wittering on in this blog)

Layouts then...
This one is about Phil being on a boat when they did an Air Sea rescue exercise. I suppose it could have been Prince William!
Papers: Echo Park; Bazzill white card stock
Embellishments: sassafrass (stickers) ; maya road (flower) ; prima (gem)
Lettering: American Crafts; Making memories; Cosmo Cricket
Tools: Nestabilities circle and label; Fiskars scallop punch; Sewing machine (either I need a new needle or to give up trying to sew on layouts)
Distress Inks - blues and greens used together;
Turquoise glimmer mist

And this one uses the photo that Phil photoshopped in December
Do you know this is the first non holiday or Salt layout that I have to put into an album since April 2010? I ahve made others - for the competition - and I hope they will be returned. But that is quite something. it takes me a year usually to finish the summer holiday album which is fine by me as it tends to be about moments or reflections on the family rather than events or a linear documenting of the hols.
This was based on an old Sketchy thursday sketch, originally for two photos. I am usually good at working out how much space I need for journalling. This was an epic fail...
I am fed up with just using all papers from the same manufacturer and also feel I am good with using loads of papers in different ways but rubbish at adding embellishments so I actually went through lots of paper selections to try and find colours that fit and having a pile of potential bits to use too. Kind of worked! The star tag is really the wrong colour so I might take it out and paint it a bit. Or leave it. The flower was white as was the little paper ric rac but I used the scarlet glimmer mist to paint them.

papers: Bazzil Cardstock; Basic Grey Junebug and Ambrosia: Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo
Embellishments: papermania brad and metal tags; corner and "family" plate from Costco kit; prima flower; Doodelbug paper trim; acrylic shape from a Gottacraft kit
Lettering: basic grey boxer
Tools: papertrey Ink die scallop die; nestabilities circle; Cuttlebug embossing folder
distress ink - Pumice Stone Glimmer mist - Scarlet

And the song still plays in my head every time I look at this photo!
And what do you know - I just went to see the intro to possibly link to the photo and you see the group walking sideways; individual headshots and a back view and never en masse towards you like this. Its an iconic shot that never was...
Hmmm got to be a sermon in that somewhere (yes ministers really do think that way!)

By the way - thanks for all the lovely comments on the last post - they make me all warm and fuzzy!

Running up

I'm chuffed to bits to say that I am a runner up in the Scrapbook Magazine Scrapbooker of the Year competition.
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I had to send in 3 layouts and the one they chose to feature in the magazine is this one
It uses more of that fab Pink Paislee paper that you can ink. I also used Nestability and Tim Holtz dies; K and Co and basic Grey embellishments; Paperartsy stamps and lots and lots of Distress Ink. Thanks to Phil for taking the photos of the butterflies!

Would you like to see my prizes? This is most but not all of my haul
Ooodles of types of adhesive which probably only crafters would get excited about! Two 12x12 albums; brads; flowers; ribbons and also a magnifying glass on a stand which I am using for my cross stitch at the mo but may be donated to Auntie Jones who could then read her paper without holding a magnifyer as well.

I've also managed to make a whole two things this week
1: My Daring Card -
This week we had a No Calorie Recipe!

Here are the ingredients you must use on your card:

1 image (stamped, digital or other type)

2 pieces of ribbon
3 different papers

and we were also sent some lovely digital freebies from Robyn's Fetish digital stamp store.
The green and orange papers are digital as well as the green/orange patterned one and the image is coloured with prismacolour pencils. One of the orange layers was embossed and there is a lot of foam paddage going on - it will have to be a hand delivered card. The stanp is a Paula Pascual one and the ribbons are Maya Road and part of my prize which arrived on the day I needed orange and green ribbon!

Finally I also made a layout this week
You can't see the title thanks to the dark morning but it says "Simples". well it is a layout about meerkats so what else would it say? The circle took ages because I made a mask and misted the rest of the paper and then decided to hand sew around it. Looks good though for the effort I think! The layout is based on a sketch from Get Picky which is a sketch blog all about using more than one photo. great idea! I used Cosmo Cricket papers; Bazzill black card stock; Sassafrass and Prima embellishments; Tim Holtz and Papertrey Ink dies and the same Martha Stewart border punch as above. Sigh. I haven't used it on a layout since but it looks like I use it all the time now. Mind you it is pretty cool...

Here is what the journalling says for those of you who would also like a magnifying glass (like my hubby whose life has been changed by one...)
back to balancing the needs of two different churches and one order of service - this week it is Induction of Elders at one church and Reception of a Member at the other. That means I must be careful not to talk too much!

Changes

This year will see some changes for me - mostly work wise.
Firstly, I have now started (just) the new pattern of leading worship on a Sunday which means most Sundays taking a 9:30 and then an 11:15 service. I actually wrote 9:15 and 11:30 down first. Must make sure I get them right... Last Sunday was straightforward as it was the two Churches I am already Minister of - familiar territory and I could use the same material with a few tweaks. This Sunday it is Parade services at 2 of the other Churches and I am having to do different things at both for various reasons. All age services are never that easy to gauge for me - plus there are all sorts of little things that happen that you take for granted when you know how but can throw you when you don't - e.g. is there a sung amen at the end? What happens to the offertory?
So I am a tad nervous...
There is also the issue of getting out of one and over to the other - these two are the furthest apart. Not far in terms of mileage but if the Sunday shoppers are already out then it can take for-ev-ver.

Now Phil and I need to sit down and see how this new way of being Ministers in the Churches is taking shape. Exciting new challenge but daunting and scary.

And then there is the MA. My Dissertation paperwork is in, just need to wait for the OK in terms of subject and then ethical clearance and off I go. Up until now my work has been marked by seminars and tutor guidance. Although I have a fab supervisor now it is really all down to me.Ulp! My Christmas present was a digital recorder so that I can transcribe interviews which makes it all very serious like. Still I hope that what I look into will be helpful for the Church - I want to focus on how we get team ministries to function when in the United Reformed Church there is no leadership hierarchy. In our team that is just as well as Phil and I would not like one to be the boss of t'other. But you do need to have systems in place to make it work.

What I hope won't be changing is my crafting time. I do need some creative outlets. Being an introverted type I need time on my own to make sense of the world and crafting helps me do that! So here is this weeks card for the Daring Cardmakers. This year we are going for flowers of the month starting with Snowdrops or Carnations as January gets two! I adore snowdrops so it was no contest choosing really. But then how to do it? I did some googling and found this lovely digi stamp at Doodle Pantry (the shop isn't working today - perhaps I broke it! so the link is to the blog)
I painted the image (badly) with Peeled Paint and Antique Linen distress ink and coloured the petals with Glamour Dust. I used the same inks to distress and colour the card stock. The background paper is the fabulous Pink Paisless Parisian Anthology (Fancy Filligree) which you can buy here. Its kind of like the old magic painting whereby you add some colour - ink or spray or paint and the resist is revealed. The sentiment is also from Doodle Pantry - it comes with the snowdrop. I used several different nesties incluing that new Circle border one so expect more circular images to appear on my cards. The ribbon is from stash.
Here is a close up of the lovely image and my terrible colouring. I need to find a reeeeeeeelllly fine brush and a steadier hand. It doesn't look so bad from far away.

If you are one of the people expecting presents from me, look away now.
Have you gone?
I give people from my churches parts of animals for Christmas. Or parts of toilets. Or teachers. I buy gifts through Oxfam and then make a token crafty present for them as well. Only I ran out of time this year and so have promised they will receive something before Easter. I have just about done the first batch of 4 (another 4 to go)
They are (about) 6x6" canvases. I used lots of different paints and distress inks and sprays, plus some vintage book paper. Then I added stamped text and flourishes to the canvas. Some thin chipboard or mountboard (depending on the scraps I had) was painted with white paint and given a grain effect and then distressed with Antique Linen and vairous blue and green inks. The house was made from papers by Crate Paper; MME and Glitz Design. The knob is a bead from Hobbycraft and the heart is Ten Second Studio metal, cut using a Sizzlet heart, embossed, painted and sanded.