Hello world!

I know the sun has been shining for the last week or so but I am finally, finally coming out of my cocoon and really feeling better and ready to face Holy Week. I love Holy Week. Even though it is the busiest week of the year workwise. (Some kind of service or devotion at least once every day, with a rest on Saturday ready for THE BIG ONE on Sunday). I've been pondering whether, if it feels so fulfilling, I actually need more public devotion time in my Ministry. This is the advantage of a move, in that you can think of new things to try out. And it will help that one of the churches is opposite the house. Which then will need to be balanced by offering something at the one that is more like 25 minutes away...

I even went for a run last night. I promised myself that I must not push it too soon or feel down on myself for not managing too much. Its hard though. The good news is that I wasn't the slowest ever. The bad news is that I only did 2.6 miles. Still onwards and upwards now! And I need to make the most of the terrain I am on now as soon it will be running with HILLS.

I just about managed my Daring Cardmakers card last night before having to go to bed early with a headache. Man, I hate getting back to running after a break! Keilly chose the theme of "Material Girl" and after some thought I decided that I would have a stuffed heart on the front of my card. And here it is

And it really is that bright (well, with the sun shining on it!) It will be hand delivered, what with postage now being eye watering, so I made the heart as puffy as could be

It is cut from pink felt using a Sizzlit die (wasn't sure it would cut through but no problem). I die cut two and used blanket stitch to sew them together. Once I had remembered how to do blanket stitch that is. I stuffed it with the scraps of felt as I was too lazy to hunt out any fillings I might have! The papers are Echo Park. There are yellow, grey, black and aqua versions of the same papers including herringbone and chevron in the set and I adore them! I also used PTI and Nestabilities dies; Imagine That stamps; Liquid Pearls and Docraft flowers and brad. And a Sizzx embossing folder.

Here are the cards for my Imagine That class. Note: they are also bright.

They use some lovely Kaisercraft papers which feature yelow, red, pink, pale green and a teal blue. If anything they are a fraction brighter than in this photo. Here I also used Nestability and Sizzix dies; ribbon and Imagine That letter stamps (best set ever) and some (slightly squiffy) black stick on gems.

as above but also a Martha Stewart punch and some Candi. I think the label needs something else but still can't decide what. If I was making this for home I would have outlined everything with a sharpie pen and that might be all it needs. Or maybe some blue pen round the outside? Hmmmm

The bird cage is one of the patterned papers. The bird is a Claudine Helmuth stamp. Well actually two as you stamp a sponge one and then add the outline. It is meant to be not quite in the lines, it's not my bad stamping!

Right, the rest of the morning needs to focus on Holy Monday and Tuesday, sorting music for an hour of singing and reflections on Wednesday and if possible, the service for Women's Guild on Tuesday afternoon. See - Holy Week is fun!

A quick catch up

family news:

Carys said her exam "was fine" (told you)
I am heaps better (finally)
Its nearly time for Hywel to go back to University (so soon?). No more interviews as yet. i really do hope he gets something for next year. Arg. The worrying is as bad as when they were small!
Emrys has possibly filled in his UCAS form. And if he hasn't will have his mother standing over him tonight while he does.
Phil has a new "#prayforMuamba" t-shirt. He doesn't twitter. But he does pray and does support Bolton.

Crafty news:

I've completed my last two class samples for Imagine That (sob!) I'll preview the cards on Friday. Here is the layout

 

When we were talking about what to do, Emma and I were thinking about the new trend for hexagons and what to do. Then Emma ran round to the Sale section and found a template and the layout came together from there really. There is a lot of cutting out - but it is all very easy really. The papers are Cosmo Cricket. I added a tiny pennant (also cut from the template) and a chevron, which I could do easy as, well, pie at home and did a major fail demonstrating it to Emma so will have to practice!

Here's a close up of the blurb as it is hard to read on pink

 

 And  here is a layout about Carys singing in the Gaynes Factor, using a new set of Imagine That star stamps and a Gotta Craft kit

I stamped some of the images directly onto the cardstock and others onto kraft paper which I cut out. The letters for "Superstar" were cut using Dienamic letter dies and some cardboard. 

Here are a few detail close ups

I'm in the middle of writing up session plans for Messy Church at the moment and my eyes are boggling. However I must get back to it now - I'll be back on Friday with a Daring card.

Foxed by a box

Thought I would start the post with the craft stuff this week rather than make you hang about! (Or delay your gratification if you are more interested in the wittering than the card making) (And if neither, why are you here?)

This week's Daring Cardmaker challenge was quite a stretch for some of us. But what is good about that is that it brings lots of innovation and I think the blog looks stunning myself. Fran gave us the title Box of Tricks and told us to include a box on our projects. I was stumped for quite a while. And then decided I wanted something that I could put another part of the card in (like .... a box then Lythan). I looked up some box templates on line and came across a pillow box. "oh that might work" I said to myself. I should never listen to myself. And maybe should have a template with instructions.... so mine looks more of an envelope than a box. But it is dimensional and it has something inside. So with all my petty excuses out of the way (I could throw in, 'and I'm still not fully recovered' for the sympathy vote but I would not dream of stooping so low), here is my card.

I used Echo Park papers and stickers, a free tag that I found whilst starting the decluttering of my craft stuff pre move (oh such a long way to go); EK Success punches, A PTI scallop die and Banana Frog stamps. I adore this set of stamps and already had one set - but managed to lose the "A" (they are only small) so when BF was closing down I decided to buy another set as I can't go without an A. So glad I did. I shall keep the other set for spares just in case! Inside my pillow BOX (not envelope) is a tag

 

And I also must draw your attention to the black sparkly ribbon, purchased from Imagine That

Isn't that gorgeous? It is really smooth to the touch as well. 

The card is for Carys' piano teacher. Carys takes her grade 5 exam this Saturday (I'm so nervous) which will mean the end of her formal lessons. Her teacher has the patience of a saint and is just all round awesome so the card and something lovely will be winging their way to her, with an exam run down afterwards. (My bet is Carys will say "it was fine")

Just one more card to share today. I have done a little more crafting this week but not much as my energy/concentration levels are still quite bad. I have developed a love of "Police Interceptors" on 5* this week. It has helped me not to over do things. It is fab as the series is based with Essex police and I know most of the places that they drive around. Anyhoo, this is my Mum's mother's day card, made with a new set of Imagine That stamps

 I've still got a way to go to making them look as fab as Emma does, but I had fun making it! I also used some Nestabilities dies, Mei flower gems and Paula Pascual round stamps. Crochet lace from stash. My Mother's Day present to mum this year is .... me! Phil visited his mum this week and took her to lunch and I'm taking mum out in Easter week. We have to wait so long because I need more time to get too and from my parents. She is delighted though (phew)                                     I must photograph my cards as they are fab. One bought one with lovely words written inside; two hand made - one with a great drawing of me and the other laugh out loud funny. I had some great things to read and to eat and Carys and I watched Singin' in the Rain as she had never seen it before (and I reckon that some of the dance routines in the show now on are BETTER that the film)

I've had two funerals this week and they, along with Police Interceptors, have taken up a lot of my time so I must crack on with Sunday's service and some confirmation materials for three teenage lads who want to be baptised and become members of one of my churches. So exciting!

This week is mostly going swimmingly

Every now and then my body decides it has had enough and needs a holiday and I have a system crash. Normally after 48 hours rest I am beginning to feel fine again. I'm on Day 4 now and my head is still swimming which means I can't stay at the computer (or upright) for that long. I've had to cancel just about everything this week - even missing Carys in the Gaynes Factor last night. I actually felt better then than I do now and was able to do her hair and makeup and take some photos at home.

Phil took the camera for some action shots. He said she was fabulous and she loved it, even though she wasn't placed.

I think she looks a bit like Adele here

And apparently in this one a bit like Janet Devlin.
I still wish I had hair like that. Serious envy here!

Onto my Daring Cardmakers Card this week. The theme is "Lucky green". Mine is very green with a kind of a four leaf clover for the luck!
I used Basic Grey Origins papers and chipboard; Fancy Pants ribbon; Imagine That stamps; Petaloo Flower centre and EK Success and Martha Stewart punches; Tim Holtz tiny attacher staples.

Some arty close ups

And I'm going for another lay down!

I hate student finance

Not only do I hate the fact that students now have huge amounts of loans, not grants like in the olden days. (Although actually a wee bit of a loan is not a bad thing as it reminds students that it is not all about partying - but I would rather it was seen as a Student Tax)
But I hate the kerfuffle every year about signing up to support students and the way it makes me feel so stupid.

I think part of the struggle is that you have parts of the online form that are about the past (need the 2011 P60) and parts about the future. How many dependants do you have in further education. Is that now? or in September? and is that sixth form or university? It all feels a bit existential somehow. Anyway Phil (who is on study leave this week) has been tasked with discovering the answer. Could that be because it involves actual phone calls? (Maaaay-be, as Carys would say)

And there is the realisation that even with all of this loan (and tiny bit of grant) that the kids get, there is still an unwritten expectation that parents also contribute. I may have mentioned this before, as when we went to Hywel's student loan presentation I noticed that the amount that the lowest income students were entitled to was greater than the sum of loans and grants for living expenses that other students would get. And where would that shortfall come from? Well either getting a job (in Middlesborough? Lets save those for people who need full time work in the city with a huge unemployment rate) or the bank of mum and dad. Fortunately the boys are clean living, modest hermit types so they will manage ok. But still....

Rant of the day  over with.
And here is my card of the week

Leo set a fab dare for Daring Cardmakers this week "Tesselation" (which has got me singing the Record breakers theme now). I found these amazing free download patterns from Melstampz which I used for the card. I printed the hexagons out twice so I could cut some out and stick them on top of the first sheet. I wanted chevrons too so trimmed one from that pattern. The flowers were die cut using Tattered Florals and nestability circle dies. The green paper is from Echo Park. I decided a few more green accents were needed and so added some green thread to a vintage button and sewed three french knots in the bottom left corner. The sentiment is from a new Imagine That set.

Here are two more cards made this week

This card is for a friend whose mother has died. The diagonal stripe paper originally had a pink stripe which jarred so I coloured it white with gel pen. I was only going to use one lily but it looked a bit bare. The papers are K and Co and the sentiment is PTI

 

I've bought some Dienamics dies recently including this doily and a twig and leaves. I've used both here but it ended up very different to what I had intended. The papers are Cosmo Cricket, K &Co and Lily Bee. I also used some QK flower dies and a Tim Holtz embossing folder for the twig.

I'm just about ready for Sunday morning. I'm trying out Mind Mapping service prep thanks to Phil's inspirational talk at the Elders Training last week. Sunday evening is still a bit of a blank which is a shame as I have Synod all day tomorrow,  a murder mystery in the evening and not much time free today. Hmmmm need inspiration so better stop blogging!

Farewell Student Days

On Monday I handed in the two bound copies of my MA Dissertation. They look ever so smart. Dark green with gold lettering. I could have just gone for comb binding but wanted something that would last and I never intend to write something as long again in my life. (14, 989 words. Limit 15,000. But that doesn't include quotes and bibliography which bangs it up to about 17,000)
I went for the cheapest place I could find, ordered Tuesday and arrived Friday. They didn't send a confirmation even after my rather panicky email but maybe that is because they were working hard on my magnum opus. If you need something bound then I would use ithesis again.
So that is it. 15 months of dissertation and 5 years (almost) of being a post-graduate student (again) over.
It feels strange not thinking "what should I be reading now?"

However I have been saying I will do "x,y,z" when it is handed in and now it is so I have to do them. Some fun things like... seeing if I can ride a scooter and then going on a CBT course (or is that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?); learning to play the ukelele that I begged for as a Christmas present...

And some less fun things like... going through every cupboard and decluttering. I may have some craft bits to sell or pass on as freebies so watch this space.

I managed to squeeze in some celebratory scrapping

 

using Simple Stories papers and stickers along with some other bits and bobs (like a Pink Paislee paper I think, and Authentique sentences). The thickers are not all that they seem. One of those letters used to be a number 9, one the letter "b". And see how many old school crafting things I used up? 5 brads (that is coloured paper fasteners to normal non crafters Ruth)

Here is the story in close up

The photo was taken at Manor House Wildlife Park near Tenby, around the gorilla enclosure. But why take photos of monkeys when there is my own wildlife about? (OK so I did snap the big hairy ones too but am not sure if any of the shots are good enough for the album). The photo on the next layout came on the same (hot) day.

I have been looking forward to documenting this for ages. The kids still talk about how nuts I was for taking a photo of a zebra's backside. The background paper is Basic Grey Basics and the rest is all MME - apart from the moustaches and the green which are Echo Park. Using the 'tache paper was a personal challenge. Doesn't say much about zebras but the colours match. I used my ever so nice but slightly difficult to use in a straight line, alphabet stamps, a whole heap of different letter stickers and some Card Candi to finish it off.

And if you were wondering ....

 here is the answer

OOoh me aching thighs

Decided on a slightly lighter title than the last few.
My friend Ernie was "Promoted to glory" (as the Salvationists rather wonderfully put it) on Wednesday evening. I kind of like to think that he has had a nice surprise in unexpectedly meeting Dave in heaven... Both funerals, for various reasons, will not be straight away so it will be quite hard on their families and on the church family too. I'm going down to Boys Brigade tonight to talk with them about death as Dave was a much loved leader (and so was Ernie in his time) and I will share this story, which I was rather touched to see was used in Rev to talk about sudden death too (side note: I am still reeling from discovering that Miles Jupp's dad (Miles plays Nigel in Rev amongst other things) is a URC Minister and Miles has a theology degree. (Doesn't stop him having a potty mouth at times. Actually might explain it)

Anyway on to my thighs...
I didn't take my running stuff on holiday (and then was a bit miffed as I could have done one run on the beach at least) and then last week was super busy with work so it was very hard starting again. Phil has had a month off with a poorly knee and only added 1 minute to his time. My first run I had to stop early as I was overheating (I did wonder if I could take off my shirt and just run in my sports bra and then realised I must be even more light headed than I thought). I could hardly walk the next day! Ran my full 6k last night (but veeeerrrrru slowly) and then had to go to bed early. But I can come down the stairs without going "OW!" on each riser so that is progress.

As its Friday it is Daring Cardmakers day and it is also the beginning of another month (eeep!) so it is a colour challenge. Kathy found this fab photo

which has such lovely colours. I think the blog looks wonderful today. Here is my interpretation

 

The card has already been given to Beryl who has made me the most amazing knitted nativity set. I hope to take photos of some of it soon but it is something I will treasure and use for always. I've even got a spare baby Jesus in case he goes missing one day!

I used the other half of my PTI kraft cardstock sheet and some Lily Bee papers, which do tend towards cream rather than yellow but hey ho. The birdcage was die cut and embossed with versamark which was covered with a mixture of Distressed Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo and ordinary Gold  to try and give it an aged look.

Other details: Dies: Sizzix; PTI and Nestabilities; Embossing folder: Cuttlebug; Button from Crafty Templates Kit (I think); roses: from various places I can't remember(!); stick on gems: Mei Flowers

I'm off out again soon to Women's World Day of Prayer. I love these services as you know that all across the world in different languages and at different times during the day, the same worship materials are being used and God is being praised. I've got a really busy working weekend - I hope you have a restful and creative one, in whatever you are doing

No goodbye at all

Having talked about a dear friend wanting to die in the last post - and he is still just about with us - I was shocked to hear on Saturday of the sudden death of someone else from the church. I was teaching at Imagine That at the time and would like to thank those taking the class of their patience and understanding as I had to keep making and taking phone calls. Dave was Captain of the Boys Brigade until a few years ago and was still a fit and active almost 70 year old, still taking a leading role in BB and was our key technology man. He was at the church running sound and vision for a youth service on Thursday night. As Chaplain, I'll be at Boys Brigade this Friday trying to help the boys through this first difficult week. When he retired there was a surprise party and we sang, to the tune of the song from South Pacific "There is nothing like a Dave". Which is so true.

Last week was Work Central, even before hearing about Dave and so I really, really needed a day off this week. (The clue might have been the toddler melt down I had when I couldn't get the bath water hot enough the other night. Why that is difficult is a whole long and boring other story) Yesterday I had a lovely time - chores aside! Time to veg and to do some crafting and ended up with watching "Attack the Block". The 2 watchers in their 40's both gave it 9/10. The teens gave it 6.5 or 7. The senior reviewers now want to spend their time talking street - fo shizzle. They have been banned.

I really enjoyed the Adventures of Glitter Girl this week and while I didn't slavishly follow the advice given it certainly made me think with both of the layouts I completed yesterday.  I chose the papers because I love that background one and had bought two copies so I could use the back as well. I wanted to use the big glittery tag with the yellow flower from another paper and ended up layering it with several other papers as well. Which led to ensuring there was more yellow. Then I looked at the photos and could see that there was a fair amount of bright pink thanks to my scarf and the inside of Carys' coat. so I added a few bright pink details in with the yellow. Actually now I look at it this page is basically inspired by the school uniform of Rosebery Grammar School for girls in the 1970's when I was there aka Lord Rosebery's racing colours - green, rose and primrose. Hmmmm

Details: Papers and Chipboard: MME, Lilybee; Stickers: Studio Calico; Dies: Dienamics and Nestabilities; Letters: October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket and Websters; Punch: Martha Stewart; Also: Pinking Scissors and pink bits from stash

I'm still scrapping the summer holiday photos as well. This one was kind of based on a Skissedilla sketch. I adore that top left hand photo of my daughter! She did stand up quite a lot but I wanted to keep all the other photos portrait so you will just have to take my word for it!

Here's a close up of the title
 
and the rather hard to read journalling

 
Details: Cardstock: Bazzill: Papers: Studio Calico, MME, LilyBee, Cosmo Cricket; Letter Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, Websters pages, October Afternoon, Authentique, Simple sotires; Other stickers: Simple Stories; Chipboard: Pink Paislee; Gems: Prima; Punches: Martha Stewart; EK Success and Fiskars; Stamp: Kaisercraft; Ink: Ranger Distress Ink

I have sent off my dissertation for binding today and hope to hand it in next Monday. V. nervous now! And v. busy so I do apologise for not blog hopping as I should but blog writing is about as much as I can do at the moment

The long goodbye

Last night was one of my final performances. There are quite a lot to come as there are still 5 months until we move but they are all quite hard (and liberating) in their own way. I have been the Convenor of a quite important committee in the local area of the United Reformed Church, important in that we have responsibility for pastoral care and decisions about deployment of Ministers. It has been quite gruelling in its way and I would have stepped down now anyway, but knowing we are leaving the area has made it easier to do. I took along a bootfull of papers which are the history of the churches of the area that no-one really knows what to do with. Suddenly our understairs cupboard looks bare! But I hate goodbyes. And planning the "lasts" of things (many of which will all too soon be replaced with quite similar "firsts" when it comes to meetings!), but it is part of how things are I guess.

At the same time a dearly loved member of one of the churches is coming to the end of his life. He is in his late 90's and longs for heaven. He is comfortable in his bed in the house that he built and is now asleep much of the time. But when awake he tells people they are "wonderful" and has been heard singing hymns when no-one else is in the room. The care he is receiving is exemplary and his house is filled with love and peace. I do hope his goodbye will not be too long as he is so looking forward to the welcome he will receive in the next life.
Which puts my feelings about goodbye's into perspective eh?

to change the subject completely, it is Daring Card day today and the fabulous Sharon gave us something to get our teeth into  - Marie Antionette. Some of the girls have produced amazingly frou frou and ornate cards. I went for a simpler interpretation!

This is quite an old school card as I used some of my Quickutz Dies and papers from Self Addressed kits from way back when. The problem I have with QK is that they are quite small. So I made an American sized card (5 1/2 x 4 1/4" for the interested). The colours are just slightly off - that ribbon is more of a dusty pink than a dark red and the papers match but I couldn't get the balance right on the photo. Love the colour in the photo though!
Details:
Cardstock: PTI and Bazzill; Dies: circles - Nestabilities, Scroll - Sizzix, Cake and Spoon - QK; Ribbon: Dear Lizzy American Crafts; Papers: unknown from SA card kit; letters - Authentique and Cosmo Cricket

Here is the other layout I did at the weekend

The photo was taken in Whitby last Friday. I can't believe they actually posed in front of the sign for us. Em made sure most of his face was covered, but he did stand there. They do love to argue about stupid things when out for walks. We went for a long walk during the week while Hywel was with us - and he just joined in as well! Its a bit of a busy layout but I had fun playing with colours and patterns. The alphabet is a new die that cuts out all the letters but has them in random order so I was able to make my own alpha mask. I had to use white opaque spray ink as it is hard to find cream in the UK. (Hmmm, get a life Lythan)

details:
Cardstock: Bazzill; Papers: October Afternoon from various collections; Dies: Nestabilities, Dienamic Dies; Border punch: Fiskars; Spray: Studio Calico; Letters: American Crafts and October Afternoon

A close up on the writing

and best of all, Phil was taking photos of the pier and caught them in a snuggle. How nice to see siblings so close even at (nearly) 16 and 18!

And now, its goodbye from me!

A week of fillums

Sorry I've been quiet again but we have been away and I never like to broadcast it first!

We stayed here at the Power House. Sadly not all of it! We had the first two sets of windows on the right. The other part looks gorgeous too (I had a peek in the windows and on the website). It was in Skinningrove and this was the Power House for the Mine there. I would tell you more about it but the Mining Museum that the house is in the grounds of does not open until April. How the teenagers in the party sobbed. Skinningrove is very much an old mining village right on the coast. It would have been thriving at one point - if harder to live in due to pollution etc. We were away for half term and like to be near Hywel in Teesside. We thought we could only see him at the weekend but he was able to come and stay for 24 hours with us in the middle which was lovely.

Here is the front room of the house

Isn't that lovely? And best of all those stairs meant that the dog couldn't come up and visit during the night! We had a gorgeous 4 poster bed in our room. Really lovely. You can see more here . Emrys had an interview at Teesside (for the same course H is doing!) but we couldn't stay in the cottage as you can't have a short break including a friday night. So we decamped to the Grey House hotel in Middlesborough as they accept dogs. This was also fabulous. We were all booked in to share one room with lots of beds but as there was a cancellation we were allowed to use two at no extra cost. And Phil and I had another 4 poster bed!

During the week we got to see a lot of fillums ( as they say in the North East. It was kind of sad that the kids struggled to understand the gentle Teesside accent. It is their heritage, having all been born in Hartlepool General!) Before we left on Monday we went to the cinema to see Woman in Black. Mixed reviews from the family. Carys - studying it at GSCE didn't think much of it. I was quite scared myself! Then we watched Limitless from Tesco DVD. Hmmm. Not a very moral tale and lots of questions about plot. Poor. At the cottage there were some DVD's including The Adjustment Bureau which I had wanted to see but can't get on Tesco DVD for some reason. I'm glad I saved my money... This was followed by Inside Man - which I liked but only averaged a score of 6.5 from the family (yes we give marks out of ten for fillums). The last night we watched 50 First Dates. Oh. My. Days. Not my sense of humour and a rather nasty hero. Drew Barrymore was cuteness itself but why she fell for him, brain injury or no, I don't understand. We had the rest of the week off but then tonight finally watched Robocop. A tad violent but it has worn pretty well. Emrys gave it a remarkable 20 out of 10.

On our return from the North East I finally got to do some crafting. To have a real break we need to get away from the house but I can't take much with me. So better late than never is this weeks Daring Card on the theme of Postage People

 

The lovely Sue H bought me some BoBunny papers and stamps for Christmas which I used on this card. I also remembered I had a cuttlebug square stamp die which the focal image rests on. I bought some dies from Dies to Die For including the Dienamic alphabet used here and Tracey bundled in some die cuts with the package including a purple shiny corner treatment. I tried to turn it brown and failed - until I thought of turning it over and adding distress ink to the other side. Doh.

As this post is now epic I will just share one layout. It is based on the Studio challenge sketch for this month which I just loved.

I did try using a mask for my mists (you can just see some circles) but all my blue mists are cloggnig and came out as splats and drips. Hmmm. I combined some Die cuts I bought at Imagine That, with October Afternoon papers and stickers, some washi tape, gems and that alphabet again. I am following Miss Smith's Just One Sketch class which is brilliant although I haven't used it properly - just her sketch once and now her style of journalling which i just love. The title is a play on words as the sea looks balmy. How was the photo taken? Phil took the camera (carefully) into the sea. That is the summer sea at Tenby not the winter sea at Skinningrove I hasten to add.

Here's the words close up if you want to see them

I MUST go to bed now as I am off out super early in the morning to drive 2.5 hours to lead a session on team ministry in Salisbury. Yes it is a long way, but it does give a chance to test out my dissertation findings on real people. I am very, very nervous. You wouldn't think I do public speaking at least twice a week would you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

A lot of Martha Stewart punching going on here

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

And finally, how to use up all your scraps!


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

1/6

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

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

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

and here is my take on it

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

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

And finally (for now)


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

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