Can't force the farce

I feel such a wimp. I've had to bail out of movie night. We were hoping to watch the new Adam Sandler but all the copies were out so Phil chose a film called "our house". There aren't many kinds of film I can't stand but comedies when everything goes wrong is one. Same for 30 minute shows. can't stick "Some mother's do 'ave 'em" or most of Fawlty Towers for the same reason. I tried so hard but as the things that happened went on and on I just got more and more wound up. They just put me in such a bad mood it is better not to be in the room. But you are not supposed to leave the room on movie night. Trust me family, it was in your interests really...

I woke this morning feeling a little washed out which was a blow as this is the only crafting time i will have this week. I have done my dare card for Friday and am struggling with my circle journal - probably becasue I still have a week to do it and I need my deadlines to be creative! I popped into Imagine That as Emma needs to borrow my punches for the exploding box class on Wednesday which I will be teaching next Monday. Gulp! (and why I have to get that CJ done today!). I got to drool over her CHA photos and all the things that she got Tim Holtz to autograph. Not that I am jealous of her going to CHA.



Grrrrr.

Right as can't show what i have done today I will show what the crafty club folks from Church got up to on Saturday. It makes me realise how much I have as I still am able to take loads of stuff I don't want anymore for people to play with and we don't seem to be using it up at all! I usually take certain colours of paper and try and teach a technique or suggest a theme although it often gets ignored! This time it was men's cards and I also took my supply of peel offs. I think they breed you know.
Here is the haul which isn't bad for two hours and some talking too.

How do I love you?

So this week's Dare is extra Speshal!

This week we're joining forces with the wonderful team of Scrapbookers over on the Everyone is Speshal blog. We're daring each other and you to make a Really Romantic Scrapbook Layout - but on a card!

Hmmm. Quite a challenge. I got a sudden flash of inspiration (rare) and made a mini book out of 8x8 square sheet of black Bazzill from my January Self Addressed kit. Just score into squares and cut along one score line into the centre and fold. et voila.
All the papers are from the kit too. It also features a Sarah's bloomer, bazzill button, various ribbons, Crate stickers (plus a few others), my new journalling stamps (will need to buy more), loads of ink etc. The text on the front, various hearts and stars were craft robo'd.
There are a LOT of photos so be warned.
And... I've given him the card already cos I couldn't wait!




The heart on 5 is made using little squares of paper cut in a heart shape. There maybe something similar on the Scrapstars challenge crop tomorrow.

All the Daring Cardmakers and Speshal Girls have done some fabbo work on this dare so go and look at all the lushness that being romantic produces!

Monday, monday, tra la, la,la la, laa

So good to me...

Had a pretty good weekend too though. As Phil was poorly (and saving himself for church and the match on Sunday), I had to take Carys and Hywel to the science Museum on my own. Emrys was "devastated" at having to stay at home. we had booked one adult and two kids to go to the computer games exhibition. Embo didn't want to go in so I was going to stay out with him and take arty photos (he didn't know about that bit). if I had thought I could have booked for us to go to IMAX, but it is just as well I didn't cos I couldn't have taken just one of them and left the other outside. that is why Emrys stayed home in the first place.

There was a slight wrinkle in the plans as there was no Circle or District line on Saturday. But the friendly Railway man said we could get the 15 bus from the Tower of London (where we get off the train) to Piccadilly Circus and the tube from there. I never get the bus. I'm scared I will miss the stop. (yes I know, big wuss) But thanks to the man next to me we managed that ok. And what an awesome bus the number 15 is. It goes through the banking district, round Trafalgar Square and up Regent street and on to Marble Arch. I shall get that bus again!

Science Museum was pretty good. I will be using these photos in a page called "but is it science" becasue as far as I could see I just paid £19 for the two of them to play arcade games for 1 and a half hours. (I just can't do them. Yes i know, big wuss). still a bit of nostalgia for me.

And the picture of Pong is taken before they played becasue Carys whupped Hywel (and me but that was a given) and he always wins computer games.
did fancy the look of the new guitar one and the Wii though.

Yesterday I tidied the craft area and today I untidied it again. Craft Day in my house! I caught up with my art cards
This one uses an ancient SA kit and some purple onion stamps that I coloured in with white pen, homemade arrow a la Elsie (I wish) and my Poudland gems
And this weeks using BG Blush and oodles of Krylon pen. Emily Falconbridge has left me a comment which is so nice of her. Imagine her sitting down and scrolling through all the links to art cards that people have started. how cool is that!

I have also got ready my class for the Scrapstars cyber crop next weekend. V. nervous as haven't done one before and worry that it is a little too simple. And made a scrap page. Another 12x12 one. still not sure about doing them that big...

I took this photo at Little Dunmow in September and have just discovered Picasa so am playing about with all my piccies. love it now it is soft focus. the three small strips are some lyrics from the song. Here is the journalling close up - and it is in focus!
because my camera is better at having small bits cropped than coming up close apparently. The font is CK elsie. Papers are all Crate Cowgirl. Old chatterbox letters from an SA kit and the glitter chipboard was made by me thanks to a tip on UKscrappers. Acrylic paint, then mod podge and glitter. (I have some extra fine from Stationary Box, it is brilliant). But that glitter gets everywhere as you can see from the close up
.
I'm going to round off the day with trying to get on with my Daring Cardmaker challenges for this week as I have loads of work all the rest of the week. Still Monday will be back again soon!

Duh, duh, duh, duh,nu, nu, nuh

to be sung to the riff of "Smoke on the water"...

I went to a meeting last night about the Square Wheel Project in Romford. We now have premises (woot!) BUT the young people there were anxious because it is in the "chavs" territory and they are "alternatives" and were worried (seriously scared looking) about their safety. It made for an interesting and serious discussion - the police are involved and aware - but we also noted how it was the same for those who were going to youth clubs in the 70's. And then we got talking about what the groups were and the sub groups. Wish I could remember them all now - hiphops, emos, goths - they listed about 15 or 20 different groups delineated by what they wear and what they listen to. One of the lads at the meeting came in wearing the biggest full length leather coat you have ever seen (cos he is about 6'2 and it was full length on him). Oooh I did covet that coat. See scratch my surface and there is still a little bit of Goth left under there (and still a lot of black in my wardrobe). And beneath the Goth lies the Headbanger...

Which is all a hugely long and rambley introduction to the dare cards this week. But if Saffa is going to call it heavy metal then she has to expect a walk down memory lane to the time when all I would listen to was Led Zep and Rush and jug about like a mad thing at the Coach house in Wind Street, Swansea on a Friday and Saturday night. Happy days.
But I (just about) managed to put such thoughts aside and concentrate on yer actual card making. As Saffa said
..no I don't mean rock music! I would like you to make a card on any theme you like with the rule that it must include something metalic...thats all!You could use wire, charms, foil or even metallic pens.

This card kills two birds with one, um, card. On the Self Addressed forum we have been challenged to do male cards. And here is one using more of the scrumptious double sided scenic route paper (every one a winner ladies and gents). Plus 3 charms, four brads and a buckle from Carolyn's shop and (cough) a peel off. Well it is metallic.

This one looks better on here than in real life I think! I reckon it is because of the way the light hit the alcohol ink covered metallic card! So we have flower font flowers cut out by Jimbo and then inked. Underneath is inked acetate with doodles done with silver metallic pen. On the left are two metallic silver ribbons and a tag which si from carolyns again as are the two silver brads. All in (to round off the post nicely) silver and (almost) Deep Purple.
Duh, duh, duh, duh,nu, nu, nuh ... repeat to fade....

Hmmmm

Sometimes I wonder about people.
That is all I can say.
But please be understanding if I suddenly run down the street naked shouting "the sky is falling down"

Sometimes I wonder about my family.
Now this I can say.
Carys has started a blog. She did explain the title (but it is lost on me). But its not jsut that. it's the comments that the rest of the mad family made...

I haven't kept you up to date with me art cards.
Here is the title one - alas not very focussed (why do i suddenly have trouble focussing my camera?)
Some lovely metallic paper, a quilled flower I had in a swap, ribbon, chatterbox paper and some 7gypsies rubons
And week 2

BG Lollipoppe Shoppe (being withdrawn - noooooooooo!) circle punch, charm from Carolyn's shop, prima flower and Poundland diamente
Can't show you week three because it doesn't exist yet. must say that compared to some of the fine works of art, mine feels a bit amateur. BUT I think the whole exercise of putting together and reflecting will do me good. I have already put the three of them on a book ring and it looks nice!
It's dare time tomorrow. How can it be Friday again?
And Phil is poorly bad. And if he says he is ill, he's ill. He isn't a 'man flu' kind of guy. upside is - I will get the bed to myself! (coldd sufferers sleep in the spare room). But awww I hate seeing him not well. Get well soon honeybun

Craftylicious

I've had quite a busy working weekend but thanks to lots of crafty time yesterday have a bit to share!
I made more of the aperture cards with the brackets because they are fun, quick and easy. And because I spend a little more time on most of my dares - and on scrap booking. I am running out of cards!
I completed my circle journal entry and sent it off - all on the last day possible! I was a bit stuck because the theme was "the visitor"and nice though Upminster is, it isn't really a place to visit. then inspiration struck... (but I can't tell you or show you because we are doing the big reveal when we get our journals back)
I did Shimelle's I have something to confess book. I loved doing this - and not just because I could talk about my favourite subject - me! It was a quick, effective and fun style of small book. You could do this for anything. I kept everything simple using some more of the lush December Self Addressed kit, Stamps Away journalling stamps, Heidi Swapp flowers, Basic Grey rub ons and a few robo'd flowers. I used acetate for the cover - which looks a bit blotchy with nothing much inside it but should protect the cover.
So here are all my secrets!

The Hills were (just about) Alive with the Sound of Music

I am anal about being late for trains, cinemas and theatres. Particularly the last as they don't let you in if you are not there are the beginning. So I was not much fun to be with when

1. the coach was late
2. the A13 into London was chocker
3. it was 7:30 (curtain up) and we weren't there.

BUT we arrived at 7:50 and were allowed in! Thank you so much Palladium Theatre! the children were just being introduced to Maria and the whole thing was fab, fab, fabby
(apart from coughing man {I gave him my bottled water as he was coughing through "Something good" one of the best and quietest songs. He gave it back to me at the end of the night. Cos I so want his germs obviously} and the flying saucer at the end. I'll say no more so as not to spoil it for those going to see it )
Connie Fisher was superb - her voice obviously is showing some signs of use but she can sing and dance and act. And she is very good at smiling. The captain had a beautiful voice. Not quite the simmering under the skin passion of Christopher Plummer but I think that is hard to do on stage with about 3 lines anyway. The children were awesome. ooh I'm still so happy.
I always love SofM because the plainer girl with no money wins! And I'd like to go again now (and see the first 20 minutes)

And its dare day today! I enjoyed being called the "lovely Lythan" last week and this week it is the turn of Ravishing Rhiannon (best I could come up with Rhi!). Here is her dare

I dare you to make a card with an aperture in it, it can be any shape you like and can be see through or have something covering behind it. It could be a ready made aperture card or lots of small windows punched out, diecut or handcut or one large window.

Well, I have a lot of Self Addressed aperture cards to use up and some new Stamps Away stamps to be used (ok so I bought the punctuation and the days and the journalling spots. But they are lovely) and this is what I have come up with.
Chalk eye ink, a circle punch, computer made greeting, distress ink and black pen, a teeny bit of Scenic Route (I think) paper et voila! Will be making more of these.

For the other card I was inspired by Carole Janson flowers and edge of paper curling technique.

The papers are chatterbox (which I said I would never use again but they are probably v. good for this idea and I love these colours so much), Prima flowers, Bazzill brads, ribbon from stash and a computer greeting

I just can't get a good close up of the flower. But here is what I did. drew a circle on the actual card. Cut through the middle, chopped most of the bits off, painted with water and rolled back the edges around a pencil. Cut a square of chatterbox paper, did the same thing, then stuck it through the middle. Distressed the edges. Did the same with the next two layers but distressed before stuck them on. So you are left with a small aperture through which you can see a tiny flower part (just cut and curled the edges, not through the middle for this) and added a diamente. And finally some sparkly glitter glue!

Incidentally, my Poundland has got kits including buttons and diamentes in at the moment. Some of the stuff in the box i will give away but the diamentes are fab!

I'm not sure I spelt diamente right but my US spell check on my blog wants to put parliament instead...

OK back to service planning. Its the reading about the body of Christ where bits of the body try to say they don't need others this week, which is always a favourite (I Corinthians 12:12:31 - it is worth a read here
Happy crafting this weekend if you can!

Play hard, work hard

The exploding box is in da shop!And Emma liked it (phew)

I had a fabby time with Susan. And we didn't just stroke supplies (though a certain amount of oo-ing over paper and ribbons did take place). we crafted too. Sue is a stamping queen and was making the most beautiful flower cards. I wanted to do some scrapping so I took my whole tote full of stuff (and ricked my back taking it back in the house afterwards). I spent hours on this
Does it look like hours were spent? I don't think so. The letters were cut out on Jimbo and all the papers are MM cosmopolitan pink. The ribbons I nicked from Sue's stash! The chocolate sauce on the strawberry looks funny because the glue hadn't dried when I took the photo

Then my second layout took about 15 minutes! It is all stuff from previous SA kits. The rubons were not totally successful (you can't really see the one on the left of the photo and I had dreams about it being all vibrant and lovely)

I have now nearly finished my scrapbook! But sadly only until I have some more inserts. Yes I may finish this Scottish holiday album in time for the next holiday...

And since then it has been work almost constantly - phone calls/elders meeting/prayer meeting/church meeting/women's meeting. Ooh Bible question. What is unusual about the genealogy in Matthew's Gospel? (It is what I talked about at the women's meeting and {big clue} I don't think it is often they have talks about prostitution, incest, seduction and adultery). And I went yesterday to "getting on brilliantly" about how to be a good manager. It provided lots of good food for thought plus lots of good food...

Did manage a little time to play today so I have my dare cards done. I have my CJ entry to do on Monday (yes the day it is due to be sent but it is planned in my head. Sort of) And tomorrow it is the Sound of Music. And I am soooooo worried about leavng the tickets at home...

Beautiful face

Phil took a photograph of this beautiful face yesterday.
The detail is just amazing.
Strangely she looks like one of the girls in his Church.
Strangely, because this beautiful face lives in his church.
And sadly, no-one ever gets to see her - or the others, close up like this. (Just look at that tiny double chin!)
But at the moment the Church is being painted and so Phil nipped up the scaffolding and took photographs of the church and the stained glass windows in detail.

Yes, this is a face on a stained glass window.

I am glad I didn't realise until I saw the pictures just how high up the scaffolding was that Phil climbed up in a church all on his own. Otherwise I would have tried to forbid him, we wold have had a row and I wouldn't have seen these lovely pictures. ("why should take anyone with me. If I fell I'd still be dead")

Here is a bit more of her. can't show you the whole panel as there is scaffolding across her but maybe when the Church is finished you can see how high up she is. How people can't see the detail in the face. I find something intensely moving and spiritual in all of this. That the artist cared enough to put so much work into something that people can't really see and appreciate. But the artistry is there. Part of the Church's own worship of God.
There are four angels altogether who each remind us of the "key elements" of being Christian, which are apparently,
Industry, Religion, Benevolence and Education.


I am very excited that I got my Craft Robo (jimbo) to work without me actually bursting into tears an saying I am useless!
Here is my first cut out (I'm not saying how many goes it took til I could cut out...)

I have also made the exploding box ready for the class at Imagine That. Emma chose Colour Me Silly by BG and it makes for a very colourful box! (I'm about to take it into the shop - hope she likes it!)











The last photo is a card for my playing card art journal for the year. It is an idea from emily Falconbridge and i have decided to make it a spiritual one by reflecting on on of the Bible readings set for the week. I'm not altogether pleased with it. I think something this small needs a lot more planning before you stick down. Hopefully by the 52nd I'll have cracked it!


Right I'm off to play with Susan now! A day of crafting. I love it!

ooops I did it again!

Remember my Sound of Music tickets what I lost? You'll never guess what.... Yup. They disappeared off the pinboard. Fortunately I found them down the back of the radiator. They are now stuck with two pins on the board and as I have less that a week to go before i need then (woo hoo) I am hopeful that it won't happen again.

Well I think I managed to launch the Daring Cardmakers blog successfully! we now put our own cards on during the week which makes it easier and the new Blogger is more reliable too. I am always in a panic that I will accidentally publish instead of saving as draft so I have to chant "draft, draft"until I finish. Can you unpublish? So my idea was to use items in your wardrobe for inspiration. I was quite pleased with my idea until I opened my wardrobe. I am a Minister. I still haven't quite shaken off the semi Goth look of my youth in the 80's. Most of my wardrobe is dull and black and grey. But luckily I am trying to move away from all the gloom especially in the summer so I did have two colourful skirts to play with!
Both skirts are from Primark!

This card uses a SA kit card, Fontwerks Elsie flower stamps, some ribbon and red diamentes










This one is very simple! Circles of DCWV card stock, Distress Ink, Prima flowers and stickles glue. Oh and a tiny peel off! Yes and I like it!


It is so exciting to have a new team member at DCM. Debbie is just 'resting' but we like to have a large group so that if anyone can't make a dare then there is still plenty for everyone to see. we chose Gillian for her talent and her enthusiasm. It was hard cos there are so many talented people. But we have plans to highlight other people who play along so just watch this space. well that space I suppose.
As it is Friday I am trying to put my worship service together. It is the story of the wedding at Cana this week - the wonderful time when Jesus turned water into wine. Think I might talk about how he uses us and turns what we might think is ordinary (our lives, our skills) into the good stuff that makes a difference to people (but not obviously that makes them very drunk and sick after only two glasses as happens with me and wine. For me I would hope that he also turned some water into gin. Not too much of that either though).

But in the middle of my thinking I have to go out and collect my Craft Robo. Way hey! And if that thought doesn't cheer you up as much as me - try this monkey's back
(for those not in the UK this comedian and the monkey starred in tv adverts for a tv idea that went belly up. Everyone preferred the monkey to the tv concept)

This layout makes me laugh

and not just because Emrys is fooling about. No, it is because my challenge to myself was to use NO BUTTONS on this layout.... So I used 24.
PP is from the December SA kit. Who would think that they are the same papers as in the layout of Carys on my previous post! They are fabby (can't find the maker now though, sorry) Ribbon used asframe from American Crafts. Buttons are all from Carolyn's shop. Rubons are a freebie with Scrapbook Inspirations and other words I won in a comp on Scrapstars but can't remember who they are by.

Tomorrow is Dare Launch Day and it is my turn. It is v. exciting and v. scary and if blogger breaks tomorrow you will know why!