God rest ye merry

And so it begins. This afternoon is the first carol service of the year.
To be fair, they really wanted it next week but the church will be filled with people being Messy, so it is this afternoon instead. Next Friday I will be Christingling away. I've caved in and bought some Christmas presents today too. I try not to start to early and then panic for a few weeks before I settle again. The thought of doing a December Daily journal your christmas type thing gives me the shivers. I love actual Christmas - and this year 23-25th December will be filled with worship and family celebrations. But the bit before - eeeeeeeeeeeek. Tidings of comfort and joy indeed.

Anyhoo before all of that, Rein, our Daring Cardmakers host this week invited us to join in with some Fun and Games.
I had several ideas going round in my head - most of them daft. But decided in the end to make a simple card game.

I dug out all my cute animal stamps (more than I expected). Stamped each twice and coloured them in with Distress Inks and a watercolour pen. Discovered the card I was using, whilst it stamps beautifully, does not like watercolour. Carried on regardless. I fought the urge to add a black line round each of the cards, but they just looked bare without. I made a pocket on the front of the card with MME Lime Twist papers. I added some paper ricrac and Papermania letter stickers and stuffed some of the cards into it. The others went into a similar pocket on the inside

and the stamping used a Banana Frog stamp set - the best for individual letters. I may have mentioned before that I have two of these sets as I lost the tiny "A" from my first one and so treated myself to a second in the closing down sale as I love it so much.
And here are all the cards

The animals are all either Starving Artists rubber stamps or a cute Hero Arts set that I bought for £1 in a charity shop. I think there are about 12 different animals so the bonus for parents is that it will never be a long game either!

I did make some non religious Christmas cards with some of the sticker left overs from the Basic Grey kit that I bought. Want to see them?
Well I'm going to show you anyway

One of my favourites. I bought a new Nestabilities doily die that is beautiful but you have to learn how to eject the cardstock without breaking it. I call it "Sweary Circles" but I don't think that is the official name.

This one uses the rest of the doily die and two more of the stickers from the sheet. The snowflakes have a glitter paste added to them for extra sparkle.

You can see the paste better on these ornaments which were cut out of one of the BG papers.

And my favourite card which uses one great big sticker and that's it really

I used an embossing folder on the card base but added another layer with the sticker on it, cutting round some of the sticker for effect and added Rangers enamel accents as a feature. No glitter but it is still very pretty.

And do you like the paper I photographed these cards on? It is perfect for white based cards I think - it is from Crate Paper Random and I might have to buy two more just for photos,as I also want to use it in layouts!

Whether you are carolling or preparing to countdown to Christmas or anticipating Advent (now a journal of Advent reflections - maybe I could do that!) - have a great week until I blog again. I'm always hopeful that I will blog more than once a week and then life happens....

Waiting for the big freeze

Well actually for the big freezer and the big fridge.
Now we have a lockable back garage door we can have a chest freezer in the garage and a tall fridge in the kitchen. We are most excited (sign of middle age?). I am too cheap to spend £10 on a designated delivery time so the slot is 7am-7pm. Nothing yet.... It will be fabulous to be able to buy lots of frozen stuff again without worrying how we will fit it all in!

That does mean I have time to prepare my two services for Sunday and blog about Daring Cardmakers this week. I've had another full on week but did manage to make a total of 100 Christmas cards in the design from last week and will just make a few more different ones as I have stickers and papers left over.

It was my turn to choose the Dare this week so I also had to find time to squeeze in making another card. I went for "Twinkle, twinkle" asking for a star to feature on the card in some way. As I had made a card to send to one son last week I have made one for the other this week.

I can't get away from stars and circles and liquid pearls yet! I used Basic Grey papers and stickers - apart from the large star which is Echo Park. Also used an Imagine That stamp and a PTI word die. I love the way that the ink (Memento Bamboo Shoot I think) matches the paper - especially on the little green star. Yes little things... (The three gems next to "you" are from Sarahs Cards. You get oodles for £1 but have to add your own glue!)

The team have done me proud this week so do have a look at all their wonderful cards

It is the last Sunday before Advent this week. Which means that the lectionary - the set readings for the year - will move from Year B focussing on the Gospel of Mark, to year C - Luke's turn. It is sometimes the last "normal" Sunday before Christmas, depending on how long you can focus on truly Advent themes before getting stuck in to Christmas. I have my first carol service next Friday...
The other service I need to prepare is more informal as it celebrates 4 years since one of my churches moved home from a building no longer fit for purpose to one that was then not fit for anything. It had been the central Post Office for Brixham, and then a funeral directors, complete with chapels of rest, and then a shell that is becoming a multi purpose space. The members have come a long way with many struggles over the years so we are having a real celebration as well as looking forward to the future!

Its beginning to look a lot like

Halloween

Carys came home last night and said it was fancy dress for Children in Need at College today. After several changes of mind regarding what to wear, once her Dad's funeral cloak was discovered, it had to be "vampire". I was in charge of hair and makeup. She went in on the bus, eager to find out what everyone else was wearing. Most hadn't bothered. I didn't know when I booked her hair appointment yesterday about today - and didn't really think about the fact that I spent ages spraying and backcombing her hair (more post the photos) which the hairdresser then had to spend ages smoothing out. She had her hair straightened after the cut and it looks fab. And she doesn't look a bit like Jac Naylor on Holby. Oh no.

It is looking a bit like that other festival next month as I have to do my cards early this year in order to post out our new address. I've done 57 and hope to finish the lot off this weekend if I can. As ever, i choose a design and then make it in different colourways to stop getting totally bored. I was getting a bit of RSI with the liquid pearls mind.

 

The papers are mostly Basic Grey Aspen Frost, with a little bit of older Basic Grey. And then some pink Crate Paper selections (second card from the right) which are not Christmas themed at all but kind of look festive. I had to send out for more papers as the design took up a lot more than I expected. I did make one or two similar to this a couple of years ago but not as a mass produced card. The card stock is Card Creations smooth white. I've always used their linen effect as I like it but this is fab. Really heavy and - smooth!

This weeks Daring card came as light relief. Gez asked us to make a card "Just because". And here is mine

The papers are all Echo Park Times and Seasons. The resin flower is actually more burgundy than it looks and matches the paper on rather than the paper underneath the card although you wouldn't think so would you? I also used some October Afternoon letter stickers and a smidge of washi tape. There were 6 pearls in a row at one point but I have no idea where the last one got too. Still asymmetry is an art form. 

I might send the card to one of my sons at Uni (taking off the flower because a) he wouldn't appreciate it b) it would make the post expensive and c) I can then use it on another project and I am sparing with my resin flowers!) but will have to make one equally schmaltzy for the other son.

The Daring Cardmakers blog is looking absolutely spiffing - you can tell everyone is ready for a break from preparing for the old C-word. Or from panicking because they haven't really started. Cards aside, that will be me then. Part of the annual struggle not to let it take over my life and work

Since I came back from holiday life has been as full on as ever and there are only two Sundays left in the Church year. Which means it is nearly Advent - a rather strange time for Christians in that we mix readings all about when Christ will come again and signs and wonders, in with beginning to hold carol services as there isn't time to fit everything in otherwise and we tend to go along with the world and do most of our Christmas celebrating during Advent and not during the season of Christmas which is the 12 days afterwards (you know when my true love gave to me some really unsuitable presents). What we should do is start Advent early so we can have our full four weeks and still have time for all the Christmas jobbings. So why do I only ever remember this fab idea when it is just too late to do it?

Sheesh

Once more I am dusting off the cobwebs of my blog. Sorry trusty (few) readers but sometimes life (and holidays) gets in the way.

So what have I been doing?

I've been to Swansea to visit my family (and St Fagans - best museum ever according to me, but not necessarily the English part of the family. But as you only pay for parking @£3.50 it is a bargain so there) and see my lovely friends (hi Sam and Sue) and go to Sosban with the family to celebrate my MA

with a champagne/raspberry coulis cocktail. Even with 5 of us there it was a lot cheaper than the Graduation would have been and more fun. Expect scrapping of this grainy phone photo when I have recovered from Christmas stuff.

I've been adding pages to the Quirky Kits inspiration blog and even making a few cards. Two were given to special people this week. One, which fits with the Daring Card challenge this week, may need a little explanation.
Jo asked us to use a camera, photo or frame on our cards and as a friend needed congratulating on a new job I went for this

Its not a promotion as such so I decided to write "something to crow about?" on the inside (nothing to do with how fiddly all those letter stickers or stamps would have been...) I used a mixture of Echo Park and MME papers. Phil took this fab photo at St Fagans. I did make the mistake of printing it 6x4 so it had to be quite a large card! The stickers are also Echo Park For the Record, for the record (ha!)

Another friend reached a milestone birthday so received this

I decided to go for subtle!
All papers from a MME 6x6 pad and the chipboard letters are American Crafts. As I was handing it over in person I went mad with the foam pad layers. Bliss!

Now, cover me as I am going in with my very first Christmas cards of the year. And I need quite a lot very soon....

Its a twister, its a twister!

It is blowing a gale outside. We have a very pretty windchime (plays proper notes) and it is going off like anything right now. It doesn't feel like Kansas any more...

Just as well I get to stay in for most of the rest of today then. Apart from the search for a Boots Opticians later on. Long story that involves several texts to Carys. "Get on the bus" "No don't get on the bus" "Yes do". None of which she has responded to yet...

I'm going to warm myself up by the power of candle light, thanks to Kathy's dare for this weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge - Let there be light. It ends our 6th year of dares. Pretty good going eh?

It is another simplish card. It still takes just as long somehow! And I am still using that Echo Park Victoria Gardens pad. I've also used my Cheery Lynn intricate doily die with a new metal shim called a Cuttlehug which made cutting it a breeze (it wasn't before). The middle of the doily falls out and I was going to stick it back in but I liked the way it created an off centre frame for the little Quickutz candle so left it empty.  The sentiment is a Clearly Besotted stamp - they ink up beautifully. Also used a Dienamics Fishtail die and a Cuttlebug embossing folder

Somehow I have managed to carve out a little scrapping time - I think this is mostly due to the way I have spread out the wonderful Quirky Kit I have been given to play with. You can see more about what I have been up to here but here are the pages...

Mustn't grumble

But it is slightly irritating that at midnight you get an email saying there is free postage on a website that you placed an order on a few hours before. That's a whole 2.50 I could have saved.

Let's be positive instead. This week I have had lots of interesting conversations with people that could lead to positive developments in different ways. It is good to make connections with people that take you off into new directions. I read a book by Richard Wiseman about luck and he said that generally speaking it is more about having a wide network of people around you. The more connections you make, the luckier you seem to be. I don't think that can be applied to everything but it does make a lot of sense really.

So I will be happy.
It is good to count your blessings and try to find joy in life, even when there are stresses and strains. I am so blessed to live where I do now. In these last three months things have really not been all plain sailing but I never fail to be awestruck by the view from Babbacombe Downs just a few minutes from home. At night when it is clear the constellations over the sea just make me sing praise to God in my heart. And I have a fairly long commute to my other church, but I drive along the coast which looks amazing in every kind of weather (apart from mist when you can't see it at all!)

And I have a family at home who never fail to make me laugh and gently poke fun at me when I need it.
And a craft space with a sea view that is compact AND tidy. I love it.

Be happy - is the theme of Daring Cardmakers today. I knew what I wanted to do - use my Papertrey Ink die. So I did! And I didn't let the fact that sometimes I am annoyed that the phrase set does not include "birthday" get me down.

I used papers from the Echo Park Victoria Gardens 6x6 pad. The card would have been a lot quicker if I hadn't decided to outline each of the words but it did make them stand out a lot better. "Birthday" is from an Imagine That set

I am also happy - nay, ecstatic - that Leo has asked me to Guest Design for Quirky Kits again. My first post is here, which features my design process (ooh sounds posh) and the first of my layouts.

Mum and Dad on their Golden Wedding day (aw!). When I first saw the kit I thought that orange day of the week paper would be hard to use but I think it is the first paper I used up completely!

Now if I can crack on with service creation (it is Psalm 91 this week so we will look at being frightened and having the security of God's love. But its all age so I need to think of participative ideas. Hmmm) then I will also have time to clean the house
what am I saying
then I will have time to craft - which makes me happy!
Hope you find time today to count your blessings and do something that makes you happy too!

Just like buses...

Another post so soon?

Well I thought I would share the card that I made for the 90 year old and the wedding that I officiated at yesterday. Which went off lovely in the end despite me not confirming with the organist that we needed the bridal march so he didn't bring his copy. (He managed to find a one line version and put in all the harmony and pedals as he is a star). And the bride being half an hour late (apparently it was due to the vintage car). Just as well there was only the one wedding. And the sun actually shone which I am beginning to think is rare for South Devon.

This was quite simple but brave for me as I stamped directly onto the circle of woodgrain paper with two Scenic Route stamps. I added glitter around the circle and on the little punched hearts. The colours of the wedding were burgundy so I went for dark red/pink (don't have a lot of burgundy papers)  I've got another wedding in 2 weeks so I might make another one like this.
Cardstock: PTI; Papers: MMI; Martha Stewart punch; Nestabilities dies; WMS stamp; stick on gems.

Because I was handing this over I could go mad with big flowers and foam pads. Although it was a struggle to fit it in the envelope!
Cardstock: Craft Creations; Paper: Echo Park; Dies: Nestabilities and PTI and Dienamics; Stamps: Imagine That; lace and flowers from stash (I had to wipe the dust off the flowers!).

Last night was the tedious job of bagging up cards. I have about 60 birthday cards but had only two sympathy cards and 1 new home so made a few of those this afternoon ready for the church fair. I will offer a selection for sale I think! I have tidied up my desk ready for tomorrow's excitement. (I am so much tidier now I have a little craft space in the bedroom. I like to put everything away and it only takes 5 minutes!) (This only refers to my craft desk not my work desk. That is still pretty untidy) (You can't have everything).
Anyway the excitement is that I am guest designer for Quirky Kits again. How fabulous is that!
Here is the main kit I get to play with and this is the lite kit. I can't wait to spread it all out and decide what stories I am going to tell with all the goodies. The new hat? Reflecting on life here? Halloweens of old? My time as a semi Goth? The time I recorded backing vocals so was really with the (one man) band? we'll have to wait and see!
But I expect the new hat will have to feature!

Yawn

Today I have been brought up short in a prayer time. Probably because that is the only time I am quiet enough to really hear God speak. I had gone to prayers in a very grumpy mood. VERY grumpy. Our greyhound sometimes gets anxious in the night and wants to sleep somewhere different from where she sleeps. (The solution will NEVER be in our room though). Last night was an anxious night for some reason so she whined. She has a very loud and persistant whine. She whined basically from 3-5 during which time I did not get much sleep - even though Radio 5 were playing the Vice presidential election debate from the US. I was still cross about the lack of sleep this morning. I was shouty with her, narky with Phil (Carys was glad to escape). I stomped to church.
I sat down for prayers.
And then I thought about all the people who have broken sleep every night. Those who are carers who need to help people to the toilet in the middle of the night. Or who have to find a partner with dementia who is wandering. Or who have to turn a loved one regularly. Or those with babies who are desperate, desperate, for sleep.
So I confessed my sin of taking my petty gripes out on others (even the cause) and prayed for those who have broken nights,e very night.

I'm still tired though.
And there was no way I was ready to take a photo of my DCM card before prayers so I am late again!
I'm going to put another card photo up first as one of my friends is spider phobic and I suspect even a fun foam one might be too much. So the first photo will be a more mundane card being made for the church fair next week.

This card uses a MME pad of papers (finished it up too!); PTI card stock; EK Success large border punch; Nestabilities and MFT dies; Imagine That stamps; Vintage photo ink. I love the way there happened to be a sun shape in the top right corner of the paper!

OK now to the main event - the Spiders! Leo chose the dare Incy Wincy Spider.
I was hoping to combine this dare with a 90th birthday card I need to make. I'm not sure this is quite the thing though so will make another tonight (If I can keep my eyes open after Messy Church)

I don't do Halloween cards so needed to think what else I could do, so came up with a terrible pun. It is not really a pun to be honest!
I made the spider from fun foam using Nestie dies; the eyes are Cropodile punched with stick gems in the middle. I die cut a circle from the black square card and a larger one from the MME  orange paper.  The Bakers Twine is sandwiched between the paper and the cardstock. A little metal corner tag (to bring some red in) plus stamps by Imagine That and Banana Frog frame the pun spelled out in American Crafts thickers.
And here is the inside...

Now who can I send it to?

There is a wedding at church tomorrow. PLEASE let there be sunshine after all the rain. There can't be any rain left in the clouds over South Devon, surely? I do love a wedding though - and as Minister I get the best view of the love and the nerves and the tears and the laughter. Its fab!
Let's hope I am awake enough to enjoy it!

Thank you very much

Thank you for staying with my despite the cryptic moan in on my last post.
Thanks to Roy who stepped in at the last minute to take a service for me as I was really not well enough last week (I do hate that happening)
Thanks to Alan who organised an extra special church trip to the zoo yesterday.
And thanks be to God that I was well enough to enjoy it.
Bad enough missing the Exeter Stitches show when I had bought a ticket and everything, but to have missed meeting the baby giraffe (she was a surprise birth apparently!) that would have been terrible.

Both Roy and Alan are getting one of these

as I made two of them! They are for this weeks DCM colour challenge - a lovely Autumn colour scheme chosen by the wonderful Sharon
I think there are 4 different manufacturers of paper featuered - October Afternoon; Studio Calico; MME and Heidi Swapp. Not bad for a small card eh?
It also features a new Cheery Lynn die that I won - so another thank you this time to Tracy from Dies to Die for.
The notched sentiment strip is also from there - one of my compensation for missing Stitches parcels (I was very sorry not to go!)
The other dies are Nestabilities; the stamp is Purple Onion and the gems are from Sarahs Cards.

I didn't get round to blogging last weeks dare - Chevrons. (I love chevrons). Fortunately I had made my card in advance of falling ill. To be honest I had made it thinking that the chevron dare came before the "thanks" one the week before!

 

I used Echo Park papers with a smidgeon of MME; some Imagine That stamps and white emobssing powder; an old button and paper flower and some white, yellow and teal liquid pearls. I may have gone liquid pearl crazy!

I've shared some zoo photos on Facebook but had to repeat and add a few more here. The gorilla was on his way to jumping out and scaring teenagers. We watched him do it twice. Hilarious!

You can see what a lovely day it was yesterday in South Devon. Back to constant rain today. I'm off to Messy Church now. Which is VERY loud and VERY  hectic and VERY messy and VERY  fun and full of the love of God

I don't want to talk about it

No stories about the boys going off to Uni (both safely ensconced though)
No stories about funny things at work
No stories about my health
Some of these things are hard going at the moment.

So instead - as promised, some layouts. All using photos from my parents Golden Wedding photo shoot

This was based on a Creative Scrappers sketch with a bit of tiddling around with the photos. Most of the papers and stickers are Echo Park Graceful, with a few left overs from other projects thrown in!

 This one uses Basic Grey Clippings (love this collection so much!) Again I cut out all the bits and stuck them back together again so they don't look quite so printed on the page. This uses a recent Capture These Sketches sketch. I trimmed out one of the papers to make the banner and really like how it turned out.

I'm sure I used a sketch for this one too but can't find it in my file!

This uses Basic Grey Paper Cottage. I bought the 6x6 pad and a few of the larger papers as well as stickers and badges. I added MME stamps and embossed them with white powder. Also used some Hambly, a Prima resin flowers and 2 sorts of thickers and some BG chipboard letters.

Off to the theatre tonight with the leftovers (that's Phil and Carys). MUCH more expensive than our local theatre in Hornchurch was - and we are going to see a local Musical Theatre group, not a professional company!

Not again!

I can't beleive that I have been so neglectful again. I just seem to miss the time between being able to photograph things and then get them on the blog. I find myself very irritating.
I have been very, very, very busy and also been helping get the boys set up to go to University.
They went yesterday and Phil is on his way home with an empty car and a full heart.
But all of that is no excuse really.

So I could do a mahoosive catch up.
Again.
I'll stick to a couple of cards at the moment.
And try and find a space later in the week for some layouts.

Here is my Vellum dare for Daring Cardmakers

 

I saw someone make their own vellum feather as part of counterfeit kits and thought I would try to make my own. I drew a feather type shape on some white vellum and stamped some words in white ink. I added some wire and covered it in masking tape.

I used the same stamp on the green bazzill card and added some MME 6x6 papers. A stamped sentiment and some black gems finished it off.

For this week I had an idea of what I wanted to do straight away.

For a thank you card I wanted a simple phrase and remembered one that my friend Cathrine used a lot - "ta muchly". I wanted "ta" as I had a vision of thicker style letters on the card and didn't fancy having too many letters to cut out! I die cut the letters using Dienamic dies 4 times each, 3 on old paper and the top layer from navy blue paper. I then stuck them together. I added them to a piece of white card with some rub on letters on it.
Other materials: PTI kraft card stock; Basic Grey PB and J 6x6 paper pad; Doodlebug paper frill; white pen and Sharpie and lots of stick on pearls.

I also made a card to a recent Basic Grey sketch

I used a BG Paper Cottge 6x6 pad and stickers; MME and Imagine That stamps, a QK die and lots of Liquid Pearls.

Rather than fill in more stories of life and work I shall try and give you a treat to make up for not blogging.
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
He makes me laugh so, so much.

Which I need when the house feels very empty without my boys

Three strikes...

Four years ago when Hywel started Sixth Form College he got on the bus fine, but then did not return home due to a very scary bus mix up. He was bought his first mobile phone the next day.
Two years ago when Emrys started Sixth Form College, he failed to catch the bus on the first morning because his dozy mum told him to wait at the wrong bus stop.
This year when Carys started Sixth Form College, she failed to catch the bus on the first two mornings because the college website said to wait at the wrong bus stop.

We think everything is working fine now.
Although Carys' route will change in 3 weeks so who knows...
She has very long days (Leaves home at 7:30am and gets home at 6:15 pm) but seems to be enjoying it all so far.

well fishstock was awesome. Lots of music, food, cider (cider Pimms mmmmm)

and of course lots of fish

It raised money for

Which does an incredible job of supporting the fishing trade around Brixham. Another boat was lost on Tuesday and the hunt for the Captain has been called off. It is still a dangerous job and the Mission offers valuable pastoral care. We went on board the lifeboat (station soon to be closed at Brixham) and a fishing boat. Boy, that is a grim life

That pretty blue boat is fairly spartan and stinks of fish despite being freshly painted.

I managed to squeeze just one layout into my day on Monday. Monday's just are not long enough!
I used the latest sketch from Sketchbook 365

One of a series of layouts about my parents Golden Wedding celebrations. I've not done much with it whilst waiting for them to receive a photobook as part of their present. That is on its way now so I am free to play with the pics! We had done formal shots the night before but they look so much more relaxed and happy in these off the cuff ones with their hats on!
I stuck pretty rigidly (as ever) to the sketch but added masked circles using one of the summer range of Distress Inks. The papers, stickers and die cuts are all October Afternoon Woodland Park. I added some pink and green mist splodges (so hard to leave them off these days!). The letters are American Crafts Thickers, Jenni Bowlin and LYB; I used an EK Success border punch and a Sizzix film strip which I backed with vellum. Two tiny punched love hearts (the other is a sticker); lots of outlining with black Sharpie pen before sticking down, a slick of journalling and my work was done!

Area Quiz night is on tonight. Am I going to be the loving, helpful Minister or will my competitive streak win out? I have a pretty shrewd idea of the answer....

Messy Friday

Well, it is Friday and the first Messy Church of my new pastorate. Both my churches do Messy Church so I get to have "fun" twice a month. Actually Messy Church is fab - it is just very tiring! You start with craft and messy activities which tie into a Bible reading, then have a worship time (lively and interactive) and then everyone eats together. The idea is that families come and play and worship together. I am doing the story of Creation using Rob Lacey's version which will need practicing a bit. Its my first Messy Church worship so I hope they will be kind!

I've had a bit of a mess about time as well as I ordered Carys a new mattress (hers is awful) and paid by Paypal which had retained my old address as the main one unbeknownst by me (I am sure that I changed it, and the new address was there, just not as my main one) Anyway thanks to Mattress Online who have sorted me out and saved me from one of Carys' looks. (Scary)

Aaaaaaaaaand I got into a bit of a mess with the Daring Card challenge this week, suffering from the ownchallengeitis that we all get (aka getting stumped when you came up with the Dare). It being the first Friday of the month it was colour challenge day. I love this photo that Phil took and used a colour generator to create a palette

I love those colours. But then looked for papers to use. I have a lot of papers. A LOT of papers. I almost got depressed at the amount of paper that I have (so much lovely stuff and yet I buy more. It's shameful really). And yet, hardly anything to match the colours AT ALL. So this was as near as I could get

The blue is a little paler in real life and is embossed with a brick pattern to echo the photo. I do like the black/white stripe that goes with the woman's top. The papers are MME; Basic Grey; Piggy Tales; Bazzill and the sticker is Echo Park (with added gems). The focal point is raised as the black stripe bends round a bit

See? The cloud and phrase are an Imagine That set

And look at this

the answer is that I need to take photos in the morning and not in the afternoon/evening which is the opposite of what worked in Upminster. Doesn't it look better now? And you can see how the three buttons together have a colour in them (only in certain lights)

While I am on a roll

Basic Grey Clippings has come into my possession. It is right up my street and I have had fun cutting out all the bits they have stuck together and then sticking them back slightly differently. Almost everything is from the paper kit apart from the green washi tape; the bird die cut (K and Co I think); the grey button; the ships wheel (a freebie from Dies to die for) and the Liquid Pearls/glitter glue dots that I don't seem to be able to do without at the moment.

Even set on large that writing is small so

I say "music" it is mostly music from computer games. Yup he is a true geek.

And finally

The patterned strips down the side were on one paper so I cut them all out and stuck them back down on another! I prefer that even though it is hard work as otherwise the pieces just look printed on the page. Which they are. The top and bottom strips were the top of another paper! I sprinkled some Mister Huey on first and stamped some random Banana Frog and another set, circle dot stamps. I added two stamps from the Imagine That new sets on top of the photo (you can buy them now here and here). I asked Phil if the layout looked better with or without the Studio Calico butterflies and he said "you can never have too many butterflies" I am impressed! The photo was given a treatment on Picasa. The same one I keep giving all my photos at the moment but I love it!

Off to get messy with lunch. I ought to wear a bib really! And tomorrow we will wind down with Fishstock (isn't that a fab name?) - fish, food and music in beautiful Brixham in aid of the Fishermen's Mission. here's hoping it is as sunny as today!