A good, Good Friday

It is Good Friday. One of the key days of the year for a Christian. Many of us gather together from different churches and have a walk of witness. I offered to create a bookmark style leaflet for handing out to passers by  to explain what we are doing when we walk together. If you have ever wondered why - here is my take on it

On the first Good Friday, a crowd followed Jesus as he carried his cross to the place outside the city wall, where he was crucified.

They mocked and cursed him on the way.

God’s son died for us out of love for the world, to forgive us for our sins and bring us into a loving relationship with God.

So on Good Friday, as Christians worshipping in St Marychurch and Babbacombe, 

we follow the cross -sharing songs and prayers and readings- 

with sorrow for the way the world rejected Jesus, 

but also with thanks and praise that through his death and resurrection 

we know that God still accepts and welcomes us.

I didn't think I would be able to make a card for this weeks Daring Cardmakers but managed a few spare minutes or so - I wanted to support Beckie on her first official dare. She challenged us to Spring into Spring - with a spring!

Plus to highlight to you that this is a prize draw week - woo!

Little Blue Button are sponsoring the dare and offering you

All you need to do is leave a link as usual to show us your finished creation and you'll be entered into the prize draw. The winner will be picked at random and announced ahead of next week's dare (Friday 5th April). Big thank you to Little Blue Button for offering this cool prize! Don't forget to check out their store.

As I didn't have a lot of time I wanted to do something more simple and remembered I had some spring type things in my stash. (As you do). I was quite surprised to find they were pink. I don't usually have that much pink. I combined them with a new Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 6x6 pad.

 

and some negative space letters using alphabet dies. Note to self - it really is better to do these one at a time even with washi tape. Most of the papers were already in stripes but I still cut them up and ripped the edgeof each one a little. Kind of faux washi tape if you will (I would love to have all of those as washi tape.) I made a tag with a dienamics fishtail die and a little flower with some neglected punches. Its not my favourite ever card to be honest. Perhaps because I decided not to do any outlining and as usual, regret it.

I made another card this week that went a bit wrong. The end result is ok

 

 I bought these beautiful stamps and dies from Clearly Besotted. I thought it would be good to stamp on vellum. It took so many goes to either get the stamping or the die cutting right or to find that the ink from one piece had migrated on to the clear jar. I used almost all of an 8x8 piece of vellum for what is really a tiny image. Not happy. And then I decided to put the vellum through my sticker maker. and the leaf broke (as you can probaby see) but by then I decided that it was going on come what may. I added a glittered vellum cross, some yellow paper from the Crate pad, oh yes and there was supposed to be a tasteful die cut border that didn't cut properly. Sulk.

Here are my final Quirky Kit layouts using the latest kit. Visit the blog to find out how I made them and get heaps more inspiration from the rest of the team

My second favourite

and my top favourite - bright memories of a fab day - even with the slightly squiffy writing

Have a great Easter - however you celebrate it! For me it will be a Sunday full of love and hope. And I'm not jsut hoping I remember to put the clocks forward...

This week could have been so different

Whenever Phil goes off on his bike I worry a little. When he is a bit late I worry a bit more. I hadn't actually got to the big worry stage when he came through the door and told me he had been involved in an accident. He is fine apart from a few deep grazes. The bike is no more. But I am so glad it is that way round I really am. We've been doing bereavement course training today and it brought home once more how it could have been me in need of it. He would tell me not to be so dramatic... but I think he also knows that if he ever gets another bike then he will have to wear as much protection as the Michelin Man and ring me every 30 minutes to say that he is ok.

But let's not dwell on it!
this week the amazing Nat challenged the Daring Cardmakers to join in the latest chalkboard craze. I think it looks fabulous.
But I have a slight problem.
The thought of using cotton wool and chalky ink on cardstock just makes me feel sick. Don't like suede; don't like polystyrene; don't like the things you need to do for the chalkboard effect. They all have a certain sort of texture that just gives me the heebie jeebies. Ewwwwwwww.
Sorry Nat.
However the website "it's always autumn" saved my bacon by offereing a free Easter chalkboard printout which I was able to print onto white textured cardstock and use. Thanks Autumn! Here is the result

I added some new Fancy Pants papers; a Memory Box flower die and a Dienamics sentiment die; various Distress Inks to add depth to the papers and a Clearly Besotted stamp.

I've put another layout up onto the Quirky Kits blog. I've got another two layouts to showcase and then it is almost time for another kit. Yay!

I made my own cut out title using alphabet dies. Apart from the silver stick on gems and the tools I used everything is from the kit. Its now sold out which just shows that people have good taste! This is the family hanging around together at half term. It was such a fab cottage. Wish we were back together again. Em is home for the hols but H has stayed at Uni to finish his coursework/play WoW undisturbed.

Holy Week is beginning tomorrow. VERY busy but fulfilling time for me, so I expect my blogging will be even later next week. But the week after there is time to rest, rest and play (with no work) which I am looking forward to... but the work that comes before hand will be good as well.

Moaning Minnie

that is me! I've just got shedloads of work at the moment, all of which needs doing NOW. Most of it is good stuff - I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I'll be out of balance for a few weeks until Lent and Holy Week are over and then life will be easier. In fact almost too easy as I have three holidays booked between April and July plus a week away at Ministers Spring School. Still as I only work one day a week anyway...

I did manage to squeeze in time to make a card for this week's Dare on Daring Cardmakers. Just as well as it was my challenge! In fact I made two cards but the second one has had a Liquid Pearls disaster. Well it has had two in fact and the second didn't really cover the first and I haven't had time to do anything about it just yet. Do you want to see it anyway? Maybe you can suggest how to make it better. I'm determined not to just toss it as it took a while to create

This is the one that went on the blog anyway. The dare is called "Make a cute angle" and involves using geometric shapes

I layered up white card which had been put through a Cuttlebug embossing folder and used papers from American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm 6x6 pad; Nestabilities to cut out the squares and a corner chomper to, well, chomp the corners. Another Nestie was used for the tag shape and the sentiment is one that came free with a new Stamping mag I tried out. A ubiquitous Martha Stewart butterfly punch and some half pearls and call me done.

And then there is this...

See where the original line of pearls went wrong and was covered by grey card but is trying to sneak out. And the final pearl blob which must have got hit with something before it dried as it wasn't like THAT before. Sulk. And it is a pretty good masculine card, though I say so myself - the papers are by Athentique. So I will have to revisit it.

I've been putting quite a few layouts on the Quirky Kits blog. I'll show them here but if you want deets then head over there. All of them use the latest kits

too tired to say more now!

Daring to be different aka the post where I go parentheses crazy

AKA I haven't posted any of my Daring cards here for THREE WEEKS. Oh the shame. Lets just say lovely as it was being away and seeing my gorgeous boys for a few days, sadly no little work fairy (or should I say angel?) did everything that was needed to be done whilst I was away and I have been thrown back into a demanding time.
However before you get the violin out, some of my work time this week was with 2 real angels who have been sent by God to keep me going. Yup, even angels go to Travelodges. (And they give the best presents ever, thanks both, they are things I will always treasure) (to everyone else, sorry for the obscure bit but I wanted to be public in my thanks but private in the rest)
Even Travelodges in Derby.
(And I am STILL not used to travelling for 2 hours and still only being in Bristol, which I thought was South West before)
I also had the pleasure of watching Milton Jones live last night. Oh he is side splittingly funny. And is never crude (don't mind a bit of crude but always v. impressed if a comedian can be funny without it) But apart from that it has really been work o'clock most of the time.

Anyhoo - cards!
So this was the last dare of February - Hot Chocolate
This card was fiendish to make. I know it looks simple enough

but first, I made the card base too big for the embossing. And had to trim it down. And the whole cut words out of one sheet of paper and then replace them with the words cut from another piece and then back them with a third as you can't read it right, what with the pattern thing? Just don't mention that "Happy" is wonky ok? Then those lovely chocolate liquid pearls actually melted into the scallops because there were holes in the scallop die cut. Sigh.
The papers are Crate Paper Random; Basic Grey (very old); PTI cardbase. The word dies were bought from Joanna Sheen; Prima gems; Ranger liquid pearls; paper flowers from stash

Next! March began last week with a new colour challenge

which meant that we had key lime pie for tea last Saturday!
and I created a pie inspired card...

I used the other half of the Letter sized piece of Kraft cardstock from last weeks card, this time folded at the top not the side.
I used the same papers as last week too (ok they were still on my desk as I was too lazy to put them away) and also a Crate Sticker and some old Bazzill. I managed to use 3 embossing folders as well - all from different companies! (Sizzix; Spellbinder and Cuttlebug); more Prima gems, some Spellbinder circle dies and a PTI stamp.

And finally... my card from this week when the dare was Typography
Mother (and Mother in Law) look away now. Yes, the fact that I made 2 cards like this may seem ironic but they are the best to their children. And a close second to their children in law. It is a split decision with their grandchildren...

 

White paper card base; Echo Park yellow paper; Spellbinder die cut on white card; word dies are PTI (the ever was trimmed from "forever"); Sizzix; Memory Box and Dienamics alphabets; and "the" is cut from a Spellbinder Donna Salazar word thing. It did say "them" to start with! Also Memory Box stars and a little bit of Liquid Pearl (daffodil) and Stickles (ocean I think) action. The white die cut piece has the thinnest foam pads in the world underneath just to give a little something to the card but still get it through the post.

And that's all folks!

Storytelling Sunday: The jumper

At some point normal crafting service will be resumed but life has been filled with a holiday and then a whole lot of work catching up from the holiday. Hey ho! So instead I will share my story - and the layout I did that arose from last month's story too.  Sian encourages us to tell stories of things that are precious to us and link them here

So this month it is the story of the jumper. Alas I don't have a photograph of it from when it was first bought and worn. You would think that I would have made sure to take a photo of me going off to University for the first time. But I didn't. So you will just have to put up with a slightly less fresh faced person wearing the jumper (and who didn't check that her hair had moved from being funky and pixie cut to convict style thanks to changing clothes before taking the photo. Rats)

So it begins with the September 1983 edition of Look Now magazine. The 18 year old Lythan loved this mag and inside was an advert for the latest styles to hit Miss Selfridge. She saw the jumper. She loved the jumper. She must have the jumper.  The very next morning bright and early she jumped on her bike and cycled the two miles into Swansea town centre (downhill most of the way - it is Wales after all) and was there for when the store opened. "Please let the jumper be there" she pleaded, not having the common sense to ring the store and check before leaving home. It was. Readers, she bought it. And a pair of black cords to go with it. It was cropped and bat winged and comfy and fashionable and everything. And so just had to be what was worn to make an impression on the first day of University.

Did it? I have no idea. 1983 is a very long time ago now. But as this photo was taken at 12pm on 3rd March 2013 you can tell that I still have - and still wear the jumper. Its not quite as fashionable. But people still comment on it positively! And it connects me back to a girl who was at once shy and confident, eager to learn and have fun and to start life away from her parents and begin growing up. OK she thought she was grown up and learned the hard way that there was a lot more growing up to do. But that's another story...

I also still have a cropped black and white jumper that I bought in my second year that I have donated to Carys and it makes me smile whenever she wears it. I haven't given her this one yet, but if she likes it, maybe I will give it to her when she goes to Uni in 18 months time.

(NB for sake of honesty I admit that in a moment I will put a cardigan over the top because my tum and back are cold. I'm such an old lady now!)

And here is the layout I did for the last story. This was created using the latest Quirky Kit and it feels like all the papers were chosen just so I could tell my story!

for more details look on the Quirky Kits blog

Just nipping in

as I have loads to do and little time to do it.
And for the next few weeks it will get more so.
Lent is a really important part of church life but it puts extra demands on and leads up to the biggie - Easter! I will have some down time but will talk about that after it has happened...

So this is just a quick marker to let you know I am still alive and still trying to create.
My Lenten discipline involves a wee hint of crafting, but very simple so the creating doesn't become more important than the devotion. Will photograph it at some point

Zuzana chose an awesome dare - putting butterflies on your card. I love putting butterflies on cards so that was no trouble. I had two sympathy cards to make and kind of like the symbolism of butterflies so wanted to do something clean and simple. Which I thought would be quick.
Oh ha,ha,ha
ha,ha,ha
ha,ha,
ha
No

Not helped by (and I am really not complaining about this) the sunshine that made the cards difficult to photograph.
I went for a smooth white card base. I cut a sunburst die from more white card, cut that out with another circle and cut out the centre. I also then die cut the centre of the card base (with me?) die cut and dry embossed some vellum which I stuck across the hole in the card with a glue pen; die cut two butterflies, one from vellum (also dry embossed) and one from patterned paper (Basic Grey PB and J). The butterflies were attached together with a little tape and some thread wrapped round several times. This was covered with silver stick on gems. A scroll was die cut from a Studio Calico 6x6 pad. Butterfly and scroll were stuck to the sunburst circle which was layered over the vellum with small foam pads. I added a Marian Emberson sentiment. Yes it would have been easier to stamp it before I added everything else but why change the habit of a life time?

Having said all that, I do like the way that the card came together. Or cards, as I made two at once. Here is a view that shows off the dimension and the vellum a little better.

I have just made another card which features butterflies but as it is already a day late I have put it in an envelope without photographing it. It is quite nice - you will just have to trust me on that!
And that is all there is for now!

Slightly Squishy

is probably a good description of me at the moment.
All the good work I have done over the past few years in terms of keeping fit has sadly become undone since we moved and in some of my trousers I feel like I am like a little sausage ready to burst out of its skin. Thanks to the way I dress you probably can't tell that much but I can feel it. I'm being honest just to try and shame myself into doing something about it. So far its not working. As Jesus noted about his friends when he asked them to stay awake and pray "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" or in my case "would rather eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and play on the computer rather than running or doing the Shred". I have bought a Zumba DVD but it hasn't done much good yet. perhaps because it hasn't come out of the box.

I need to gain some discipline. I'm still trying to work out what to do about Lent. For these 40 days i try to take things on as well as give things up. I have bought a lent devotional book which I hope to combine with some light crafting. I will do the Christian Aid Count Your Blessings and I might have to give up sweets and chocolate. (Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Its only worth giving things up for Lent if it really hurts. I think this year it will)

Anyway onto something much more slimming (more for the wallet than anything else) Cardmaking.
This week on Daring Cardmakers the theme is Love is in the Air (song now going round my head) and here is my rather bright interpretation of the theme

 

It wasn't really meant to be like this. I knew I wanted to do a button filled heart. I've seen one recently and fell in love but of course didn't keep a link so please let me know in the comments so I can credit properly.

The papers are old Echo Park. I do love a bit of pink and orange together. I drew a heart on white cardstock and coloured it with pink distress ink. Then I had fun choosing buttons to match the colours on the patterned papers. I glued them on lightly and then sewed them to the heart with white thread. I then decided to add some liquid pearls which had mixed success!

The sentiment letters are Dienamics dies. I stuck three layers together, the top one being embossed with Swiss Dots and outlined like everything else with a Sharpie pen.

I've only made one other card this week. I actually remembered my rule of trying to make a card using off cuts from a scrap page. I've almost finished this paper - but still not quite. This October Afternoon paper is quite similar in some ways to the Echo Park used on the other one. Its a bit older though I think

Yuppers - I know what I like in cards and that is a variation on  the same theme! Dies, embossing folders, Sharpie pen, base layer just a little smaller than the card base. Check. Only difference here are some handcut flowers and leaves. And the fact that the Liquid Pearls (check) was used to create a few large blobs not a lot of little ones.

And that is all she crafted! I've got a sermon to write, a wedding couple to talk to and a house to clean tomorrow so I'm not sure much crafting will be done. Its no good me hoping. I know that saying to a congregation "I didn't finish the sermon, but look at this lovely get well card" won't go down particularly well.... Have a lovely weekend whatever you are up to.

Telling Tales

I've joined a really fab scrapbooking class called Telling Tales. Miss Smith has put together some great pages and prompts AND it is pretty cheap AND it is part of her fundraising for Girlguiding UK which makes you feel good into the bargain. (Not too late to join up)

As ever with such classes I dream of having oodles of time to keep up to date. That is so not my life. But I have now managed two layouts which kind of fit the prompts. I'm not telling you what they are as that would be like, telling tales and you will just have to sign up if you want to know.

BTW what is it with the whole telling tales thing. I think not giving away paid for information is one thing but why do we say to children that it is wrong? So often we need to know what is happening and it is not tale telling. It leads to secrets and lies and all sorts? And why do we still seem to punish whistleblowers rather than praise them?
I don't have any answers, just a bit of idle wondering there....

Here is layout 1:

I was looking through some old photos and found these from a VERY long time ago. NB they are slides that my dad converted and then "edited" which is why my right eye looks funny in the second photo. The tale of these photos is a favourite one in my family. How we were fighting until we saw the camera and stopped and smiled like we were best friends. Anna came over again a few times. Although we were the same age we never really clicked. I think probably someone didn't like sharing their parents (that would be me then)

I used some old October Afternoon paper and the lined paper background is Basic Grey. I also used a Heidi Swapp journalling card coloured with Distress Inks, one of my Dienamics camera dies, a Spellbinders embossing folder, Making Memories/Adornit/American Crafts letter stickers. And some spray inks.

Oooh and some Prima plastic flower thingies. And a cute flag that I found in my stash.

The NCH home is where my brother came from. They had an open day every year. I always found it very exciting. I'm not sure he did though. (But then he can't remember it and I can and THAT is another story)

This one mostly uses Echo Park Times and Seasons with another BG Basics background. I think I have cracked layering papers. What I still want to be able to do is add lots of little details tucked in - like Lilith Eckels does (sigh). She is fab. And not just because her name is a bit like mine...
The only non Times and Seasons things are some Card Candy dots, some spray, Black Distress Ink, some stick on gems and some Liquid Pearls. Oh and the bit of paper with the writing on is from a BG journalling pad.

I don't know what I am doing in the middle picture of the three. It looks suspiciously like incy wincy spider....

Are you sitting comfortably?

because it is Story Telling Sunday.
I knew just what precious thing to pick this time.
It may not look that precious to you though

Its a radio alarm clock.
Which was given to me on my 18th birthday on behalf of my most beloved grandfather - known as Pop. It was on his behalf because he had died just over 5 years previously on 28th May 1978, the day after my mother turned 40. I think Mum and Dad chose to give a gift from him because they knew of the close bond that we had and wanted something to mark it. It was lovely to have something to remember him by (although my next "precious" might be something else I have of his too!). There are a few significant things with regards to this radio alarm.

1) Pop and I really loved each other. He was my only grandfather - my dad's parents had both died before I was born. Until I was two we lived in the same road and he did a lot of caring for me. Gramma, his wife was lovely too but more distant in my life - not just because she died when I was 8. Pop chose his grandad name because he wanted it to be something that a baby could say easily and even be the first word. Being a teacher he worked hard to train me and according to mum it worked. I think he was a much better grandfather than father

My first memory is of being pushed in a pushchair along the Baglan Road and pointing up at the street lights and saying something about them. In Welsh. I lost my Welsh when we moved to England so it must be before I was two (I did start talking early much to everyone's chagrin delight and my Welsh was on a level with my mother's at the time. Apparently)

Most photos of me and Pop are at my parents house. And there are lots of memories that were not photographed as I used to spend precious holidays with him on my own, or with my brother. But the few I have, he is always looking like this at me. I hope he still does

2) The radio still works! I will be 48 next birthday. It is still going strong after almost 30 years. True, the cassette player stopped working but hey, who uses cassettes these days. But I do remember using the radio/cassette combo to create my own playlists

3) A few years ago, off their own bat the children decided to buy Phil a new clock radio as a Father's Day present. I tried to hide my feelings but I suspect my face was a little like Mrs Doyle at getting an instant teamaker

(Best. Father. Ted. Ever)
For a while "my" clock radio was removed. But to be honest, I pined. I felt like my arm had been cut off. It is only a thing. It is only a thing that wasn't even really given to me by the person whose love it somehow encapsulates for me. (And I am always cross with it when it goes off in the morning as I would rather stay asleep) But my lovely husband understood and although it was hard for him not to use his specially chosen and paid for the very first time by his children present, it is mine that we use. I don't know how I will feel when it finally stops working.

(with Pop as bridesmaid to my Uncle David and Auntie Clare)


4) By chance - at least in my eyes, our wedding date was 10 years to the day after Pop died (yes, the day after mum's next milestone birthday) and it has created another memory in which he is still very much part of life, even though it is almost 35 years since he died. How strange though that something as mundane as a clock radio could sustain this bond of love

Bet you never expected all that when you first saw the picture (and yes I might have cried a teeny bit whilst writing all this down!)

Life imitating art

The very lovely and highly talented Kathy who is one of the founder members of Daring Cardmakers also acts as unofficial prodder in many ways. One is making us talk to each other regularly. (We do love each other loads we are just all super busy) Anyway, she poses a daily question during the week. Today's was "what are you wearing". As I described my outfit - mostly black with a red/light grey/dark grey/white/black top - I realised that I am basically wearing this months Daring colour combination

This is the combo that Kathy found for us
This is not my dress but it is remarkably similar - by the same company (Purple) that sell through Dorothy Perkins. I love their dress/tops

If I could find that dress I would buy it too. They always have interesting details on them.
I still feel a bit silly :)
Thatnotwithstanding (one of the best words ever)
here is my card

which didn't quite go as planned. I think that my decision to be brave and not line everything with black pen meant that I don't like it because there is no black outlining...
I used an A4 cardstock cut in half and folded so it opens the tall way. I found some Echo Park papers and also some Kaisercraft ones in the right colours. oh and the heart i the middle is cut from Basic Grey. Hey 3 companies on one tiny card - not bad. I also used a QK heart die and a new Memory Box Chesapeake circle die which I cut from two sheets of heavyweight cardstock at one time and gently eased out most of the top layer to let the lighter grey show through. The white panel uses one of my favourite Cuttlebug embossing folders. The stamp is Marian Emberson, cut using a Dienamics Fishtail die. I then mounted the white panel on foam pads and the grey panel on more pads. I thought as I would give this to Phil for Valentines this would be ok. I have however forgotten to hide it so it is all slightly less romantic...
Much less romantic than the flowers and card I got for St Dynwen's Day (the Welsh equivalent of St Val. I didn't even know when it was)
I also used Liquid Pearls, Stickles AND enamel accents. Overkill?

 

Here is another card made recently using a new Memory Box die - the small sunburst. Oh so cute! The papers are all MME

Spot the other new die...

I have a rather lovely Simon Says Stamp die that cuts a shape into the card. I thought this die would do the same. Imagine my surpirse when that mesh part came away in my hand. Then I remembered the crafters new old best friend - vellum. I used some behind the cut out part to stick it back in again and used some more as one of my sentiment layers, along with some old scraps of paper. Note to self - black outline (or blue as on the card above) makes everything better.

Here is a sideways look at how vellum came to the rescue

 

It could almost have been deliberate...

I've been writing this blog post as I recover from Messy Church. Actually it was fab tonight. we gave the kids an idea of what to do and they ran with it. It was the rather abstract concept of drawing a road surrounded by things like forest, sunshine, the sea, a cave, mountains. The idea is that during the 40 days of Lent they reflect on each day and write the number next to the picture that most sums up how they felt that day. And most of the kids aged 6 and over really got it. And even the ones younger loved drawing the shapes ("squiggle, squiggle" "thats a cave in the sea" "I'm dwawing a weely big wiver" etc)

I did the double of doing a craft and leading the worship part. Thinking about Lent, in the Messy Church book they likened Jesus stay in the desert to Big Brother. But it hit me that with the tests and everything it is much more like "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" which has my brain doing all sorts of things and really looking forward to preaching on the temptation in the desert already. 

But first this Sunday which combines the reading that everyone knows that isn't the 23rd Psalm - 1 Corinthians 13 (all about what love is), with Jesus telling people that even in the Old Testament it wasn't always the Jews that were God's priority and his hearers decide to throw him off a cliff. (Spoiler - he escapes). So a lot to think about and not much written as yet.

Tonight we watch the last episode of Buffy Series 2 but I am not sure it will be much help!

And life goes on

it is the beginning of February the day after tomorrow. We are 1/12 of the way through the year already. Today I was at a meeting which was starting to plan for work from Sept 2013-August 2014. I already have two weddings booked in for 2014. And realise that if I am going to have a sabbatical that year I had better start deciding on dates now. I was looking to see when the flower festival might be as well (important stuff you know) as well as juggling other things like Carys and my birthday celebrations and realising she will be 18 then.
And life goes on.
But still that is aaaaaages away.
Yet only a heartbeat.
I think photos of my three when they were little become even more treasured now as they are not sweet smelling bundles of joy that sit on my lap and give me kisses (ok Carys still does that and they are all still bundles of joy. We'll say no more about whether they are sweet smelling). And actually it won't be THAT  long (she hopes) before the next generation arrives.

OK before I start wailing about how my liiiiife is neaaaaarly ooooooover, how about showing what I have been creating recently?

the layouts are all  based on sketches.
One from Creative Scrappers #245

I used a Studio Calico template and various sprays. I also used a Heidi Swapp mask and some white paint. I also included a few strips of Crate Paper Random; a Hambly transparency; American Crafts thickers and Studio Calico chipboard hearts. Oooh and Lily Bee/Crate Paper stickers. And lots of black pen.

Secondly Sketchbook 365 Challenge - which included multiple photos - eek!

You can see the dimension thanks to the fact the actual sun cast shadows. 

I made the background as muddy as the walk! Including a woodgrain stencil and a Kaisercraft stamp.

All the papers and stickers are from Basic Grey Clippings apart from the little bird and kite cut from a MME 6x6 pad. The letters are Amy Tan "thoughts" and very, very old something "foxed". And buttons from stash threaded with twine.

Phil thinks the blurb is really hard to read so here is it in close up

 

Here are the fussy cut details which you have to admire as they took ages to do

and finally one based on Creative Scrappers #244

Papers are from all sorts of places. Some are October Afternoon. The background paper is Heidi Swapp coloured with Distress Ink. I added stars cut using a MFT die - and used another for the journalling block. My favourite part is the title - I die cut letters in black funky foam and then smooshed lots of silver Stickles over the top.

 

And that's all there is right now!