Yawn

Had a busy and long day yesterday!
Job 1 was to buy DS1 new shoes. Went to Clarks (cos I like to think of myself as a responsible mother!!!). He tried on slip ons. They apparently didn't have as much room in them as the sales assistant would like but as long as he didn't grow much it might be worth the risk. He needs to grow! I am putting spinach in his cereal to build him up! Plus they cost £36 and as I did a quick how much patterned paper is that calculation in my head I decided the risk wasn't worth taking. He tried on lace ups. Which even he admitted felt better. went to pay and the sales assistant was having trouble. She kept scanning the price and shaking her head. The manager told her it was right. They were £5.
I know.
I thought even the shoe polish was more than that. But I didn't argue.

The rest of the afternoon was spent beginning a compy layout and making a card for DS2 to take to his friend's baptism party. I was thrilled that his friend was getting baptised; that he was having a party and that E had said yes as he is notoriously cripplingly shy. And doesn't like new situations. So over the last few days I have talked about the party and buying the preset and making the card and that we would start our grand family movie night when he got back.
Or so I thought.
I asked him 10 minutes before we had to go to sign the card.
Then I lost him.
He turned up in his sisters room saying he wasn't going. A "full and frank discussion" ensued when he claimed he knew nothing about the party, i was springing it on him and he wasn't going. My heavy arsenal of threats (which I will follow through on usually) was spent. I wasn't sure what was happening at the party so decided that the only thing to do was to take present and card and explain. The parents were so nice and understanding (we'd never met before) and I stayed for ages. Which helped me see that
1: E would have hated it (there were girls there and everything. And boys who care about their clothes and hair. I dream of having one of those)
2: Obviously all the conversations I thought we had either we didn't really or he didn't hear what I was saying
3: he can't help being cripplingly shy and ill at ease in new social occasions and I shouldn't punish him for that

And as I had been away from home for an hour thought that was long enough and we had a good talk and he even said sorry (which is quite something). I did first but hey, I'm the adult and I have to give ground sometimes (shucks)

So Dr who and grand Family Movie night were back on. Our plan was to watch all three Lord of the Rings films in one go.
Now there are two things you need for that
1: lots of time
2: the dvd's

We didn't really have either. But I went to Tesco and lo a hugely expensive set was there, (plus some bright pink pants and feminine hygiene products). I loaded it all onto the conveyor belt and then noticed that the cashier sharing the cubby hole with mine was one of my church members. Cue Lythan trying to hide the several pairs of bright pink nicks and panty pads under the rest of her shopping...

And really 8:30 is not the time to start watching the trilogy. It was only 15 minutes in that I remembered how long the first film was...
And readers, the children talked the whole way through it. Cheering characters on, laughing at the silly elves hairstyles, spotting Gollum etc. For. three. hours.
By film 2 they were not as talkative - because I brought out the snacks. At 1:30 when that finished we decided that was enough as we had the Baptism service to go to today. we will watch the other next Sunday evening as it is Bank Holiday Monday next day!

The baptism was intensely moving and it was lovely to go to church as a family (sometimes we are in 3 different churches on a Sunday!). Our yawns were not to do with the quality of the sermon but the late night!

I haven't told you about the chicken rescue Phil and Carys did, but will save that for another post
I leave you with a few of the cards I made using old Self Addressed kits!

Did you miss me?(yeah) while I was away?

Did you hang my picture on your wall?

Ah.. innocent days when Gary Glitter was just fun.
Anyway I am back. Again. Phil did go to the loo first but I did smile to note that both of us headed for the computer before doing anything else. Not that we are addicted...

So our time in the Clacton caravan is over. We worked. I slept a lot. I ended up thinking about taking some cardmaking stuff and took my tote stuffed to the gills! And made a few cards in the evenings. Phil did loads of work on his NVQ. I read a lot of books I have bought and put on the bookshelves. We watched Little Miss Sunshine - brilliant film. And have come home to a lovely clean house. My mum is fantastic. Or to use my dad's favourite adjective - tremendous.

Because of going away I had to do this weeks dare last Sunday. So to be honest I had almost forgotten what the cards were like!
This week's challenge was a little different for the Daring Card Makers- as it was completely sponsored by Self Addressed.
Self Addressed very kindly donated papers, cards and envelopes (from various SA kits) to the whole of the DCM team to see what we could come up with. So I (Jane) came up with the following template for you and the team to follow. We would like to thank Jenn at Self Addressed for her generous support of our blog, we really appreciate it. Many thanks Self addressed!

I have been getting the Self Addressed kits for a few years now and they are always brilliant value for money. There is so much in the kit for cardmaking and scrapbooking and I value it even more now than when I started. I was given the job of parcelling up the stash and sending it round the world (sounds grand doesn't it!) Somehow I managed to miscount the bits of stash and had sent half away before I realised it. So thanks to Kathy, who alongside me had to dig into her own stash of precious kits to do this dare.
Yes, I really am a Muppet.

To see the template - and all the other awesome cards, visit the Daring Cardmakers Blog
I am particularly excited that Lynne has joined the team as a full time member and that Tracy is joining us for a few weeks as Guest deisnger. I know it's Designer really. The alternatives spellings given by my spell check were "derringer" and "mudslinger"!

Here are my cards then...
February SA kit papers (sold out I'm afraid). Flower stamp cut out and layered. Fibres given to me by my lovely friend Sue (they actually tone with the papers in real life but you can't see the blue of the pattern very well here. Honest). Safmat greeting. Details picked out with a lime green stickles

The card itself as well as the paper is from the same SA kit. Wooden button from same place as cute house. Little tag is from a Making Memories set I splurged on at Alexandra Palace. I couldn't beleive how well it went with the papers and stuck a safmat sentiment on top.

I've been tagged by a few people so will give it a go!
You have to do seven fact/habits about yourself .
Now because I tend to tell all I don't know what there is to say that I haven't already blogged about! but here goes

1. I bite my nails but not down to the quick, so I've always got short finger nails
2. I hate celery. It is repulsive. Interestingly Knorr stew sauces contain the warning "may contain celery" so I can't be the only one
3. I will read anything and everything. Including ingredients lists on Knorr Stew sauces.
4. I am very messy.
5. If I really were a Muppet I like to think of myself as Animal but am really more like Beaker
6. My head is full of useless information like what I was wearing on a particular day
7. I would love to be a backing singer
8. I am still a bit scared of dogs even though we had one for 14 years and I am looking forward to getting another. I am also scared of cows.

Ok that is probably enough to have me carted off.
I won't be away for ooh another 4 weeks so I promise to blog a bit more often!

Felty fun

It was Gillian's turn to set the dare this week...

Make a card and include some felt,

the theme & style are entirely up to you,

My first thought was "help" as I don't usually use felt. Then I began to notice it cropping up everywhere and I have ended up with 3 felty cards, plus loads of cut out pieces that I haven't used yet.
This one was helped along by a little make your own book from Poundland which included sticky backed felt pieces. The flower is actually made up of red and orange but they look the same in the picture. The cool corner is orange. I added a few stitches, some white and red brads, orange and yellow ribbon, a safmat sentiment and some BG Gypsy papers (inked natch) et voila!
This one was a tad more elaborate. The little handbags are QK dies cut from felt. Now not all dies will work and they don't always work a second time. I have one lovely photo corner and then had to give up on a second. Bags are fine. But nothing smaller. Some Sizzix dies will also cut in my Zipemate as well. Diamente buttons and some Scarlets Letter paper. I inked and embossed Banana Frog swirl stamps. The stamps on the paper corners are Stamps Away corner stamps. Safmat sentiment using a 2Peas Cards font (ie the word happy birthday in black is actually one letter of the alphabet)
And the only one hubby likes. Hand cut felt flowers; same safmat sentiment as above; stem done using doodling genie and a white gel pen.
No news - just work this week. Although I am off again next week - not hols but work. Study leave in a mobile home in Clacton! No internet access (sob!) but lots of reading "proper" books and writing prayers and suchlike.The Oldies are coming to look after the children on Sunday so I also need to get the house straight. And tidy away my craft stuff. Eeeek!
Have a good weekend
And don't forget to check out the Daring Cardmaker Blog for more colourful felty fun!

Home sweet home

Was the Little Extra Dare on the daring cardmakers site this week and as I have had two weeks off I thought I had better have a go!

The first card is a Self Addressed card blank from April 2006, but it is completely covered in various Stella Ruby Basic Grey papers from a 6x6 pad. Just shapes cut out and inked. This is based on a card that Netty from Self Addressed did. The SA forum and gallery got wiped last year and I did the card from memory. But I have just found that I saved her original!
so I might have to do some more cos I love her shapes better than mine! The stamps are Purple Onion but I got them with an SA kit. How cool is the kit. Stamps, ribbons and the most gorgeous papers. check out this months kit. it is a drool fest!


My other card was a simple one. A bit more Stella Ruby (I think), ribbon, a few sequins, printed sentiment, Auntie Sarah's bloomer and a wonderful button I bought at Ally Pally on Sunday.

Yes I have broken my craft fast!
Saturday I went to Imagine That and bought some paper and card stock. I was very excited 9becasue I am sad that way) to discover that Emma stocks the Bazzill kraft paper - it is called Paper Bag and I can't wait to use it. I also bought some rather lovely Piggy Tales chipboard and paper.
Then Sunday I went with my friend Sue to the stamp and Scrap show. we had free tickets due to the failure of the scrap classes event to happen. I'm glad we did because I wouldn't have wanted to pay. I suppose I was expecting something on the scale of the knitting and stitch show with exhibitions as well as shopping. This was just shopping. I didn't let my disappointment get in the way of my wallet though and picked up a fair few bits and bobs. Paper (no surprise there then), daubers, UTEE, stamps and some doodle genies. And these wooden buttons. oooh so many to choose from. And you can see the whole range here

And before I forget I had a fabby parcel from the uber talented Tracie Hudson today. Loads of gorgeous chipboard which I can't wait to cover in my new paints and powders. Cheers me dear!

And so she's back

from outer space.

well Swansea really. A lot more relaxed than before I went!
Thanks so much for all your notes of condolence. I really appreciate it. It was good actually to go away so soon after losing Dutch. I still think I hear him round the house but not being hear immediately afterwards makes it more bearable.


Well I won't bore you with all the details of the hols - some of them will be coming to layouts near you shortly anyway. But here are some highlights.
Cousins getting together - having fun despite the age differences
Time at Caswell beach and caves
Cardiff bay
for Dr Who exhibition (not as good as it might be but still cool)
and boat trip
traditional trip to Verdis (this is cinnamon flavour with hazelnut crunch, yum!)
and walking in the sunshine afterwards
meeting up with old young friends
and old old friends (I'll send the pics pronto Sue).
Plus theatre trips and pub quizzes, swimming, going back in time at a Manor House (brilliant), mummifying a dummy (pulling his innards out and everything. Poor Jeffrey) and chilling. Bliss.
And notice the sunshine. All week. Apart from the last day - hence the trip to the Egypt exhibition.

I'll share more of my crafting news tomorrow but leave with a glimpse of my design collective class book that I did over the weekend using scrummy Scarlet's Letter paper from Basic Grey. All about our dog. Sniff. it was good therapy really. And I realised how few photos we have of him. Pet owners - take photos immediately!

Happy Easter!

Jesus is risen!

... And I made it through the week - just. Phew that was tiring. Really good. Really feel that it was full of worship. But tiring all the same.
I did manage to do two scrap pages though. I just had to. They were both using a lesson from the Design Collective. I'm really pleased with what has been sent through so far.
The first is a direct copy just about of the original idea. I was going to use other photos but then took these on Friday and needed to scrap them straight away.

We took the difficult decision to have our dog put down on Saturday. we took him to the vet on Thursday who confirmed what we thought but sent us home just to make sure it was time. So on Good Friday after the Walks of Witness (two Ministers in the family means we can never do these things together), we took Dutch for a last walk round the fishing lake. He could hardly manage which showed us how right we were. But it still hurts. i took the camera so we could have some last photos of him. Carys was really upset and spent lots of time with Phil crying and talking about what she would miss about Dutch. So that is what this LO is about. it would have been called Comfort but i didn't have any black rub ons with the right letters left and I was not allowed to buy any new stuff (til today!) so used a sticker that i have had for ages. Paper is Crate paper carnival (I think)

I couldn't sleep Saturday morning so got up early and scrapped the photos I was going to use in the above layout. I played about with the basic idea (and ruled out setting eyelets at that time of day). Hearts instead of circles and much less journalling but the idea is still the same really. Paper is Basic Grey Urban Couture, QK and Sizzlet hearts, BG & SEI letters, new Sassafrass lass bracket stamp.

So we took a very tired and in pain Dutch to the vet Saturday morning. Carys, Phil and I went. it was very quick, very peaceful and the vet was lovely. We had Dutch as a rescue dog when he was about a year old. He had 3 owners in quick succession before us. As a young dog he was bouncy, naughty, grumpy and would go for other dogs if they came near him - even if they were bigger than him. But over the years he has mellowed a lot and has just been an important part of family life. He has never been a really affectionate dog, you still had to shout at him to get him to do anything and he would latterly love to lie in the middle of an open door or anywhere that he thought he would be in the way.
But he was ours and we loved him and are all very sad.Though happy that he is out of pain and running free and happy again.
Rest in peace Dutch.

New stuff

New stuff #1
Grandma arrived with her new puppy spin. Aw! Of course the best photo of him I took without a flash. waah! so here he is in black and white. which is a shame as he is really a red collie (that's a kind of brown really). Now don't let Dutch our dog see these because he is not allowed on the sofa...

New stuff #2
I have had my hair chopped
Had to endure a ticking off from the hairdresser about the state it was in!

This isn't really a good photo of the front as it swings forward more. But the back is quite cool
New stuff #3
its card dare day and it was my turn to choose a theme. Mwah, hah, hah, hah.
This week you can do ANYTHING you like on a card BUT you can only use one colour.

I have enjoyed "helping" the team work out what is allowed and what is not. It is a shame to give up the power now!
anyway here is my humble attempt.
I used a March SA kit card and stamped sentiment. Aunt Sarah's Bloomer, Bazzill button, green staples from the 99p shop, Sophistiquins green sequins from Get Crafty and various bits of paper and vellum from my pile of green card and paper. The card swings out and I must add that the paper you can only see a little of has a green fleck on a very light green background and is NOT white (!)

New Stuff #4
I won the draw on Tracie's blog for some chipboard shapes. I am in awe of her talent and I think I have this idea that if I have some of her chipboard I will be able to scrap like her.
I know, but a girl can dream!

well we are heading into Holy Week - a very special week for me as I remember the last week in the life of Jesus, his death on the cross for me and his bringing of new life through his resurrection. It is also a very busy week work wise followed by a break/collapse at my parents the week after. so it is likely that this blog will be neglected for a little while.
May you too know the hope of new life in Jesus
Happy Easter!

About time I posted again

Life just gets too busy!
Saturday I did some work at the Church contact centre. Some weeks you can just read or cross stitch while keeping a careful eye out for trouble. I am woman. I can multi task. The cross stitch did not come out of the bag at all. Phew! new families, demanding children, infringements of the rules - I was exhausted! Afternoon was spent doing prep for Sunday and taking Carys to a craft party at Imagine That. She has done a lovely canvas which just needs a photo now. What a great idea for a party! (although i am still smarting from being mistaken for one of the partygoers. Yup 11. Time for some makeup I think...)

Sunday was spent celebrating 200 years since the passing of the abolition of slavery act; celebrating the retirement of my lovely church secretary after 34 (!) years including a big celebration lunch and doing tea and songs of praise for a group that takes the housebound out for tea.

And in case you thought I wasn't really a Minister...

Monday was spent taking Hywel to the orthodontist as some of his rubber bands had pinged off. Its all high tech stuff. Mr Davis was really fast - H was only in the chair about 3 minutes. But the whole journey there and back etc took 1 1/4 hours... that's my crafting time yer know.

Monday my friend Sue came round and we talked crafting and went to 2 craft shops. oh the restraint by yours truly. Sue had an Artbase card to spend. i did persuade her to buy me the piece of Bazzill i needed to finish a page as I couldn't wait another two weeks. It was hard to remember the page plan in the end but this is what I came up with

then we went to Imagine that and I booked some classes (not scrap spending) whilst Sue bought one or two more things and we bumped into Anita there who has got a potential new big order for cards. you go girl! So she stocked up on bazzill bling to help her do it. Bling is just heavenly and I will get some in my next SA kit! Managed not to upgrade my SA kit as to have it delivered on standing order is ok but to upgrade would count as shopping. (Hope the Lord is playing by the same rules or I'm in trouble)
The above LO uses the Feb kit.
The next LO uses the March kit.

its an 8x8 double lo and yes my hand did ache after all that cutting. Letters and journaling tags done on the robo.

I love the way my kids still need to do the same things every time we go places even though the oldest is now 14!

I leave you with Carys' very first LO planned and executed with her own fair hand and only a bit of help from mum programming the robo (font of went to town is Elise. v. cool. Paper is Junkitz)

Sad and tired

Tired... because I have spent all day at a meeting on Governance issues for trustees Actually a LOT more interesting than that sounds, but tiring.

Sad... becasue I have 2 funerals to attend next week. One for a dear friend who has died after a long illness. Our choir will never be quite the same again. One that I am taking, for a mother leaving 2 kids younger than mine, just about on their own.

So all that means my Friday blog post is late. And the photo is pants. But there you are. This weeks Daring Cardmaker Dare was set by the marvellous Keryn. She said

Your dare for this week is to create a card using any technique, any style, to welcome the birth of multiples. If you keep the card long enough there is bound to be someone you know having twins or more to send it to.

So here is my take on it...
White square card; printed sentiment; printed out lettering then covered with lots of tiny primas and opal liquid pearls (my style du jour really)
NB it takes quite a while to stick that many primas on. Just so you know.

Two posts in one day

Don't faint. But if you do I can send one of my Get Well cards. I thought I better post about them now in case someone was so impressed on the Daring Cardmakers Blog that they came racing here for details. (Pause for laughter) Actually I deliberately made them simple because sometimes simple is good.

Cream card with printed sentiment (I think the font is LD Delightful). Large QK plaster die and papers from an old SA kit.

Pink stardream card, printed sentiment (font Digs My Hart), lots of different size prima flowers, some mounted on sticky pads with pearl Liquid Pearl centres.

white card, printed sentiment (font tweed); hot water bottle (I thought you couldn't get any more but they are back at Mad About Cards - isn't it sweet); Making Memories ribbons wound round white card.

Told you they were simple!

So much to share

Had a busy weekend!
Carys and I had a lovely time with my good friend Anna. It only took 11/4 hours to get to Barnes Bridge from our house - I'm sure it has never been so fast before. Barnes is such a lovely place to live (slightly out of my price range) (well so is everywhere as we live in tied accommodation!). We spent the evening chatting, eating and watching Freaky Friday on DVD. Carys told me she has seen most of it before but she still enjoyed it. I love body swap films. The best is probably Face/off but Carys can't watch that!

Saturday we had a leisurely start then went walking along the South Bank to Tate Modern. Sadly there were tickets for the big slides and they weren't giving any more out at that time, but Carys went down a little one. But is it art?

She says yes.

There was a games area for you to choose things to do for free. We chose the surrealist stuff. I love this bag so much.

which was full of all sorts of things to do. We didn't use most of them and the gallery was a bit too full. But it was fun though! Then we carried on strolling through little shops and galleries etc up to London Bridge station where we went to our seperate homes. We had all brought each other pressies so came home lade. I made Anna a little prayer book and as she has nearly finished the notebook from last year I had better make another one of those soon. I have realised that I forgot to leave the thank you card behind (the one I made for the dare) so will have to retrieve it - but it may now be fatally bent out of shape!

Saturday night Phil's friends from the Omlet forum came round. I tidied away all my craft stuff too (big shock). They had been to Helen's grandma who lives nearby. poor Mike had eaten something that disagreed and spent the couple of hours with us throwing up. Poor chap. Phil ahd just cleaned the loo too...

Mother's Day was fun with brekkie in bed - Heat magazine (usually banned from the house for being a gossip mag and Carys frowned at Phil for even buying it for me then. She disapproves of such things). I later had some home made cards. Emrys' had a balloon attached. Must photograph them as I usually get cards as surreal as anything in the Tate and this year was no exception.
My favourite mothers day pressie was a song composed by Carys. "Mother dear I love you so" Awwwwww.

My Dad stayed with us overnight as he had a London meeting yesterday. I spent a lot of the day doing crafty things. Finally did a DCM midweek dare (see later for the reveal but don't get too excited) and two LO's. I'm getting in to this 12x12 now. May even change my SA kit again...
The first was more snow picutres - this time of the boys. I do worry about scrapping Carys more than them - but then she poses more!
{the layout will be back}

White card stock, BG Dasher; Craft Robo lettering, two circle punches and wooden snowflakes from an SA kit that I didn't think I would ever get to use!. I painted them white then embossed several times using winter wonderland embossing powder. You can't really see the sparkle but it is there. I did outline the letters but there is NO distress ink.


This one of Emrys flying through the air uses Crate Paper Cowboy paper and letter stickers; Craft Robo (heck I love my Jimbo and even if all he ever does is cut out letters that is great for me) ; distress ink (can't do without twice in one day); Christina Cole stand out stickers which are exactly the right colours. Don't you love it when that happens?

Then video night watching Van Helsing which is only a 12 - but still a bit scary which i how the kids like it. You can tell when they love a film cos they talk ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Later started Carys off on her first scrap page. She is so excited. Hopefully we can finish it tonight.

Work beckons so have a good day!