As Seen & JYC 2011 finally finished

WEDNESDAY

I had a little trip to the hairdressers, always a pleasure for me. Just across the main road 2 minutes from home.
They are trying out a new range of colours, a new company. I am show the extremes, one day I'll dare to have it dyed purple. Perhaps for Christmas 2012, now wouldn't that be fun.

But for now I'll be content with a similar colour as before but a different style for a change

THURSDAY

Today I make the effort to get up to the church early as I know Ann is rather incapacitated with a badly bruised knee and damaged hand. We still have a lot of new to us stuff come from a house clearance. So we did pretty well today.

I managed to involve two of the ladies to get crafty with me and make bunting for the big Lunch we are holding in our church on Sunday. should make a nice splash of Red White and Blue.
It did help sitting doing that rather than wandering around all morning, I didn't feel nearly as tired as usual.

I notice that my climbing rose which has been in bud for a few days now, produced it's first full blown flower of the season. This just has to be my picture of the day.

Hooray hooray I have finished my last few pages for Journal your Christmas 2011 I decided just to go to Christmas day this year and as I had already done up to the 21st there was only four to do.









Finally as I was sitting quietly at the computer I heard the most horrendous noise, I thought at first it was a fox just outside, but no it was a baby starling that one of the kittens had brought into the house, it had escaped the clutches of the horrors but I had to shut all three cats away before I could attempt to rescue it. Luckily my waterproof trousers were to hand as the material wouldn't catch the bird claws or beak so I grabbed it and released it on top of the fence, it immediately flew away none the worse thank the Lord for its brush with death.

Today I am grateful for not being so tired in spite of waking at 5.00 this morning
for having fun making bunting
and for rescuing a baby bird

Tuesday diary

Cat in the bedroom at 5.00am too early and how did she get there? can't get back to sleep so might as well get up.
look at what I had been fiddling with last night, embellishment clusters OK, need to find a photo, Kittens hugging that will fit the bill.
Oh I remember that Creating Keepsakes had a tutorial on how to make chevron paper, that should be good to go with the flower clusters.
Weekly challenge on UKScrappers was to try a new Technique from Cal's Technique Thursday on UKS I tried the faux Metal and also making beaded hat pins.
Use metal (in the hat pins)
Friends, well the kittens are friends sometimes.
cluster of embellishments
Patterned background paper.



Decided to cycle down to ASDA today, need the extra exercise but I really had too much shopping to safely cycle back though I did a little bit, down the lane.

This evening I went skittling with folk from church, enjoyed the fun of it and too photos of course.

today I am grateful for slightly cooler weather
for still being able to cycle
for fun evening.

Melting Monday

Well we are still sweltering in the summer heat my room thermometer is on its highest number

when I tried to see what the it was in the conservatory it went black as there is no number above 27, and I have been working out there. No wonder I was tired and had to go into the lounge to cool of and have a doze.

I have done the Counterfeit Kit challenge #3 Three embellishments, 2 pattered papers and 1 photo



The embellishments are lace, metalic ribbon & Bling (on butterflies' antenna)
I cut lots of butterflies and the swirly bits from the pp (no name)
border punched the New Leaf pp
used the little hearts that came from the border punch as a scatter element.
Title is from Fancy Pants it's the little things I used the outside edge of the letters to make the first word (didn't have enough of the original)
A lot of fiddly cutting but I think it's worth it.
I've not done any journalling on this one as I feel the title says it all.

close up of some of the embellishments


I am grateful that I didn't have to go out,
that I could have a snooze this afternoon
that I could still scrap even in the heat.

Weekend happenings

SATURDAY
pottering around in my cotton dressing gown, I get a phone call from Neil "we are coming into town do you want to meet us". Yes please" anything not to do housework :D
I think maybe I was in the sun too long because I felt very hot and tired by the time I got home again. But I couldn't have been as hot at this chap

I have a page to share,



this one was mainly finished Friday night but I realise Saturday that it needed something else, the torch just added the finishing touch



SUNDAY
Today has been another scorcher what to wear that looks nice and is honouring to the Lord but I won't feel too hot in.
Now I don't do short skirts, in fact most of mine cover my ankles but with this heat I need to uncover my legs a bit. But what do I really look like? The only way to tell if I have no one to ask is to ask myself, so out in the garden early this morning with camera on tripod and set to self timer.

Oops in the first one you can't see my legs
next one better but try again
not so keen on my stance
Rudi gets in on the act., but at lease I can see what I look like, it will do

I quite like how I look on the top half so take a few photos in doors, want to capture the necklace, which is really a magnetic one with a broach attached. rather pleased with the effect.

Nice meal with the Ladies Club folk at the Blunsdon House Hotel. they have a good carvery on a Sunday, with lovely salads as a starter, and yummy desserts to finish.

my picture for the day is this wall art above the coffee self service table in the Blundson

Today I am grateful to the Ladies with whom I have a Sunday Lunch once a month
To finding something nice to wear
for time to relax

Getting excited

I'm a little bit nearer to being ready for my holiday, I'm a whole lot more excited now too. Today I got my money and entrance pass to the theme parks. I also managed to get a pair of cotton/linen shorts if I dare wear them but maybe only under my skirts we will see.

The day started with me getting up to the church to be there when the charity shop driver, Phil came at 8.30. Ann had arranged this for today as he won't be around for the next two weeks, and we do have a lot to pass on each week. Ann would have done it but yesterday she fell and has badly bruised her hip and knee which is swollen and broken a bone in her hand.

So here I am sitting on the wall waiting for Phil.

Then back home and noticed the wisteria looking spectacularly fine hanging over the garage which is far from spectacular so nice to see it decorated in this way.

After I got back from town I scrapped some of the photos I took of the torch coming through Swindon. Too dark to photograph by the time I'd finished so I'll share that tomorrow.

Today I am thankful for the anticipation of the holiday
getting sorted.
picking up a magazine that had just the right freebie papers in for the layout.

Thursday trivia

Thursday, an early start, well early for me up at the church having lugged my trolley loaded with books up the hill. Not so hot just pleasant today, perfect for being outside. Lots of customers, lots going on. We took a goodly sum today for we had a lot of new (to us) stuff in, a house clearance.

I was so tired when I returned home I got myself some lunch sat in the chair and promptly fell asleep, I think my Tuesday night of hardly sleeping had caught up on me.

What to use as my picture for the day, well the sun is shining, the daisies look particularly fresh in this light so maybe that ought to be my photo of the day.

As nice as that is perhaps I'll go with something else. I had a need this evening for a sweet sticky fix. so rummaging through the freezer for a magnum (which I didn't find) I found this

It must have been in there for at least a year but whatever I was going to try it. I couldn't at first get my spoon to penetrate the surface so zapped it for 30 seconds in the microwave. A bit hard a bit ice crystally (OK I know that isn't a word but you know what I mean) but it fulfilled the need.

today I am grateful for being able to rest this afternoon
for another lovely day
for a yummy find.

The Olympic Torch

I got to see the Olympic torch on it's way through Swindon, such excitement, great to be in a super happy crowd. Did get a photo but not all that good but it has to be my picture of the day

I managed to get into a good position, I noticed a space across the road from where I was originally so made my way there. Then they closed the road and people were venturing into the centre of it. so darted across to the other side again and sitting on the ground I had a brilliant view. I should have left the camera on single frames but I wasn't sure I would get anything if I did so put it on multiframe which resulted in not very good pictures but I WAS THERE
I did take lots of photos of the crowds too so at some stage I will be making a layout of the event.
Because the last few hours of having the PB monitor on were taken up with the excitement and afterwards relaxing in Neil shop my reading were much lower. Do hope that will be noticed and the rest put down to my anxiety.

I have a page to share



I thought I had already scrapped these photos but I can't find a page with them on anywhere so must assume I haven't.
The splashes were cut on Robo using a dingbat font SC Inkblot and a mirror sticky backed plastic which I had picked up at the sale we have at the church.

Today I am grateful for the excitement of the day
for not having the squeezing of my arm any longer
for being a little nearer to our holiday of a lifetime.

Counterfeit Kit challenge - Fabric

Early post today I have done the CFK challenge to use fabric so here tis


I found a lovely piece of fabric at the sale last Thursday and thought the pattern would look good on a layout. Carefully cutting around the design and adding some buttons and bling to pep it up

Even the title is fabric, American Thickers

A bit of scrapping and a bit of squeezing

Summer has arrived at long last, it has been a glorious day. I've done a little scrapping and I've had to have a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours. so far my bp has fluctuated up and down a lot. not sure if it's because I'm anxious or if that is natural
I tried to take a photo of the reading which doesn't stay for long that one was high but I going to use it for my picture for the day anyway.

The page I did this morning was for a challenge on UKScrappers like a speed scrap but with pictures this was done using a strip of photos made to look as though they had come out of a photo booth slot a bit of fun to do using this site I used the photos of me in the fitting room trying on a two piece swimming costume



Tomorrow the Olympic torch comes through Swindon, I would like to see it if I can, I will be in town but the crowds are likely to be horrendous but we will see.

Today I am grateful for the sun
for not feeling as frightened of this monitor as I thought I might be.

Monday musings

It's Monday, another day nearer to my holiday, do hope my passport come through the postbox this week.
I really have to do a thorough clean of the lounge. I have really heavy furniture and not an awful lot of room for manoeuvres so I don't often pull out and clean underneath. I wonder if I'll find any treasures?
Apart from buttons and a magazine I don't think I've read there was nothing of interest at all. Shame.

My picture for the day is my little teddy with my magnifying glasses a good way to know where they are as I am always loosing them. (mind you I can only find the one pair and I have at least three)

So lets get back to more interesting things. I finished a page late Sunday night, (well really very very early Monday morning)



it had been sitting on my desk all Sunday afternoon and when I returned after my lovely afternoon with Neil and family I looked at it and thought I'll just do a little, well when the ideas are flowing go with it and as usual I forgot the time until I had it all completed.

I have been following the Loch of Lowes Ospreys for several weeks and yesterday we saw the first of the three eggs crack open and a little chick is hatched so exciting and we are so privileged to have such a grand view of the nest thanks to the dedicated team who keep guard 24/7 during the whole time the osprey are in Scotland

The weekly challenge on UKScrappers this week is to use two photos, Black & White with a touch of Yellow, Something old and something new and, because it was set by the crafty Magpies team to use a line from the poem

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told,
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird you never want to miss.

that last line was perfect for the Osprey, but as I have no photos of my own I borrowed two stunning ones from the Wildlife village site. They are all superb photos, which to choose, I chose two by Paul Jessett

I kept the page simple and stylish as befits such stunning photograph I really didn't want to distract from them.

Today I am grateful for getting the housework done early enough to be able to scrap
for the excitement of the first hatching

Sunday scraps

Sunday and the sun don't shine again, still the Son is shining in my heart, a good morning at church. As I went to leave I checked my phone to see if Neil had called, no nothing there. Dinner nearly ready when I got home, just the veg to steam.
took some photos of the Mittens at play and also asleep on my bed. Better not leave the others out of the frame Muffin chose the radiator sling bed and Rudi of course his new favourite place the back of the settee with the orange and white blanket, perfect colouring for him.

I Scrapped and finished the page I had been struggling with, it came together quite well in the end
it was a sketch challenge this one by Janet F

it was getting the photos to look right that had me in a quandary but once I had changed the size to 8x8 it worked well.



I had fun scanning in money and the till receipt.

I then had a phone call from Neil, he had been frantically leaving messages on my mobile but I wasn't receiving them. something is definitely wrong no network signal, so switch off the mobile completely and rebooted it. two messages received and two voice mails.
Too late to eat a main meal with them, but nice to go over and I did have a lamb sandwich very tasty.
As usual Rufus was the centre of attention and of course I took loads of photos and chose one for today's picture

When Nana comes over it means the paint pots can come out. Oh what fun and Oh what a mess. painting spider with a mixture of all the colours

We also did some baking, but that involved everyone except Daddy, cakes weren't too bad but the biscuits were not good, tasted very strange

  

Today I am grateful for family days, fun with Rufus and for not getting any of the mess on my clothes lol as I hadn't changed out of my Sunday best

A couple of days

Miss posting yesterday, forgot to take any photos.
so an archival one will have to do

10.00 am sees me at the church to get the tables ready for the celebration meal, 8 years of collecting for Jeremiah and the orphans he has adopted.
Over £54,000 pound collected and sent out to him in that time
Bring and share meal so apart from doing jacket potatoes everything brought and laid out on the tables at the side.
a goodly spread but unfortunately only 23 people to share it.
Friday evening was fun night for the Green Button house on UKScrappers. We had some challenges to get through but we didn't have to do them all Friday. I managed two, the speed scrap, in which we were given written instruction to follow every 10 minutes and to produce our own page from them, here is mine


and a page on the Dark side, we were challenged to do a page not using bright, or light colours but dark subdued ones


Today I haven't done any scrapping, I did intend to but somehow nothing would come together right. I did however have fun with my camera and took some 'You've been framed' photos

and this one that didn't make the 'As seen' page but was fun to attempt. I'm not sure what it is, but it is situated outside the Manor pub opposite ASDA

Today I am grateful for the walk down the back lane that always lifts my spirit and today gave me a boost with the framed photos

As seen - Takeaway As seen Laburnum

Just a quick post tonight as it's late and I'm tired I couldn't make up my mind which photo to go with for today's As Seen the beautiful laburnum in my neighbours garden or the takeaway shop that is my usual haunt on a Thursday? So I've done them both

Today I am thankful for the sale at the church
for being able to help others in this small way

An eventful day

Last night I had just printed a sheet off and my printer made funny noises and they brought up an error message, no clue as to what or how to rectify it. So this morning I got on the phone to HP to be told that is was a hardware error and couldn't be mended the machine is only 18 months old not a good start to the day. I've ordered a new one which I could well do without having to fork out for with my expensive holiday looming. Still I can't be without a printer. Luckily the one I've ordered takes the same ink cartridges as I have only just bought a set.

I have to have a BP monitor for 24 hours and I have been given no information at all about what I need to wear etc. so I phoned the doctors, to be told by the receptionist that she didn't know and to get in touch with the centre that will fit it. I did that only to be told that the person I need to speak to wasn't there today and didn't the letter say, I haven't had a letter just a phone call, then she check the records and said that she would get a letter out to me. That had raised my BP I'm sure today, so goodness knows how I'll be when I actually am wearing it.

I was also in a bit of trepidation because I was having lunch with the husband of a good friend who died 5 years ago. Silly I know but I don't have man friends who take me out even if it is only lunch. Saying all that it was a very pleasant lunch and chat was good so I really enjoyed my time with him.

Just a short while ago my neighbour phoned me to say quick grab your camera and go out the back there is a hot air balloon overhead, did manage to get some photos so here is my 'As Seen' for today

Oh yes I succumb to a little bit of stash buying from my favourite haberdashery shop Sew Craft. They have had a new delivery of buttons and there were some really scrumptious ones but I was good and only bought a few along with some rikrak and trim

Today I am thankful for good advice
for friends that care
for a nice meal out

Believe in Yourself & Wedding Hats

What is the weather doing, I woke before it was light to hear the rain beating down, went back to sleep and when I next awoke it was sunshine since then we have had rain, sun, cloudy and windy all before noon. Still the wind has helped to dry the clothes that I refuse to bring in last night as they were still damp. I am lucky as I have my line under the carport so if it does rain it wont rain on them.

I've also managed to get the weekly challenge, on UKScrappers, done and am the first to post which as it is Tuesday is very unusual.
Challenge criteria was to do a before and after theme, intricate cutting, use a frame and something hidden. I used some of my counterfeit kit plus the prima flowers (should have added them in the first place :-D)



The hidden bit is the journalling which I printed out on Safmat and stuck to a Denim Co clothes label



5 years separate these two photos, same face, same wrinkles, but the decision to go red has made me feel so much younger.  The first photo taken in May 2007 the second one taken May 2012.  In 2008 I decided enough was enough, grey had to go, at first it was gentle a subtle shade added but that wasn’t good enough Oh no, darker please. Until today it is a rich chestnut

Well it has rained on and off all day so I haven't been out, no need to get wet if you don't need to go out is there.
I have however done another challenge from Counterfeit kit blog this time it was 'be inspired by vintage hat collection'. The picture I took as my inspiration was this one

I love the positioning of the hats and thought circular photos would represent that, the stands I represented with the dangling ribbons (added to my kit) and the vintage part was the carriage printed on Safmat (downloaded from this site)  Oh and I used hats too for the theme
I hand journalled (in pencil) around the edge of the pp and photos
(over the years I have worn many hat to different weddings but the best ones were the fascinators I made for my Son & Daughter's weddings)
 



Today I am grateful that I didn't have to go out
A nice tea quickly prepared and cooked.
scrapping to my heart's content