Nature's Calendar - Daisy

Another Paper Layout and Paper Roses

Goodness me I am on a roll this is another paper layout done today for the monthly challenge on UKScrappers. We had to use a sketch and fabric or fibres
here is the sketch

and my layout using squares of curtain fabric with netting over the top and a fringe of fibre


I've also been playing with making paper roses

I thought you might like to know how I made them.
First I cut five 5 petal shapes from thin white card and inked them stroking the pad from the centre out to each petal edge to give a lined effect.

Next spray them with water to soften and scrunch up. Open up slightly and rearrange the petal of the first (inner) one, in a tight circle I then pinned it to help keep its shape whilst drying. The second petal I opened up a little further pinning that one and again for the third. the last two just curl the petal under.

add a little liquid glue to the inner centres and build the rose up.

I also made some with only three layers to make buds these one were slightly smaller to start with
Final touch was some stickles on the edges of the petals

Nature's Calendar - Early blooms

Productive weekend

Yesterday was our all day crop and I managed to get two paper layouts done which make me feel good as I have been struggling for a while. Today I have been out most of the day, but tried to do a layout for a challenge that requires fabric and fibres to be used and I'm struggling again. Still here are the two I did do.

another page for my daughter's wedding album


This one of my son in his usual pose phone to the ear talking to clients and landlords

Hopefully I will be able to get this other layout done during the coming days

Nature's Calendar - Moon in the afternoon

Nature's Calendar - Mint

Can you smell it?

Crafting - v - housework

No contest crafting has won, still in my pjs with an idea in my head for a flower to go on a layout, I just had to try it there and then. Quite fiddly that is why it has taken so long but now I have it sussed they should be easier.
The inspiration for this flower I found on Mel's blog ( thank you so much Mel your blog is a great inspiration to me) but rather than folding the paper flower flat I did it rather like her felt one.

Each circle I pinched together on one side, stuck a mini glue dot just in from the pinch and added the next petal, joined them together in a circle and carefully opened it up sticking the whole flower to a square of waste cardstock. I then added a fringe of black paper to one and a button to the other.
OK now I had better shower and dress and get on with what needs to be done before I spend the whole day in my PJs
And no I am not showing you a photograph of myself with my hair all over the place :D

Nature's Calendar - Magpies

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 must not miss

Nature's Calendar

The cutback branches of this uprooted shrub look so startling, a tangle of sharp short ends stark in their appearance.

Today's bible verse

Psalm 72 verse 19

Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
 Amen and Amen.

Nature's Calendar - Morning Mist and Sunrise

At 07.33 the mist was heavy at 07.51 the sun was brilliant what a difference those few minutes made. Photos taken from my back gate yesterday morning.

Today's bible verse

Psalm 59 verse 16

But I will sing of your strength,
    in the morning I will sing of your love

Nature's Calendar - Moss Flowers

Another really close up photo of moss this time showing what I can only believe to be flowers

Today's Bible verse

Jeremiah 32 verse 17

Ah, Sovereign Lord,

nothing is too hard for you

Back to Digi Layouts

I've found my mojo, hiding in my computer, he didn't want me to do paper scrapping, it had to be digitally produced.
This is what I did for this week's challenge on UKScrappers
The Criteria was to use the sketch provided a Becky Fleck one 4th one down here
A photo showing a group of something - people. animals,flowers, trees. etc
Include pink
Some stitching

Nature's Calendar - Moorhens

Two moorhens is one a male if so why is he not call a moorcock after all a female peacock is called a peahen?

Today's Bible text

Hebrews 13 Verse 5

Be content with what you have, because God has said

Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you

Sunday Sunday I love Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone. Hope you have time to do something you really want to today. I do love Sundays I don't feel so guilty sitting doing craft or just sitting on a Sunday after all it is our day of rest and relaxation. Saying that I do craft things most days but always with a sense that I should really be doing something else.
I love Sunday Roast dinner too, such an easy meal to prepare and the oven does the hard work for me. Just pop the joint into a dish add any vegetables that are going to be roasted put said dish in oven and set it to come on the set amount of time before I want to eat. I then prepare the vegetables which takes 10 minutes at the very most. Put them in my steamer and off to church. When I return the oven is on, the smell of cooking is inviting and all I have to do is turn the gas on under the veg and make the gravy. Cooking for one can be just as rewarding as cooking for a family especially if you enjoy food.

I have been struggling to do any scrapping at all lately, nothing seems to feel right or good enough but at least I have managed to do this paper layout and although I am not wowed by it I am fairly OK about it. Except my sight dyslexia has reared it head again and I put We'er instead of We're, but have managed to change it on the hard copy by putting the word onto another piece of cardstock and sticking it over where I had gone wrong.

The title for this was dictated by the strip of Tortoises that I found in my cut outs drawer when I was searching for how to embellish the layout. I then took a photo of the creatures and printed a couple out reversing them to look at the words of the title.
The links are from a chain I had bought at B&Q sometime ago with the intention of using them on a layout. This is the first time I've used them I also filled one of the links with glossy accents and seed beads.

The journalling on the tag reads
Neil used to walk pigeon toed when he was little (still does a bit) Rufus is the opposite his feet are at 10 to 2.

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Today I am grateful for a cooker that I can programme to come on while I'm out

Coming home from church to the smell of dinner cooking

Nature's Calendar

The Snowdrop now showing its pretty underskirt.

Today's Bible verse

Matthew 6 verses 28 & 29

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Nature's Calendar - Golden Light

There was such a wonderful golden light this particular February morning it stopped me in my tracks and I had to get my camera out. The photo didn't really do it complete justice but the memory will remain.

Today's verse 

Psalm 113 Verse 3

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,

the name of the Lord is to be praised

Nature's Calendar - Hairy leaf

I love the way this hairy leaf has held on to the moisture when all around is dry

Today's verse

Philippians Chapter 4 verse 4

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Nature's Calendar - Coot

Perfect reflection, well almost. A place to enjoy nature close to town. Queens Park

Today's bible verse

Psalm 24 verse 1

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it.

A day with Rufus

I have had a lovely day with my 17 month old grandson, Rufus. He has been at his most charming. We did a bit of shopping in town, met up with his Daddy, my son, for a coffee. Rufus enjoyed the froth from mine especially as it had chocolate sprinkled on top. He did a bit of walking which he really enjoyed and then we went to Queens park to see the water fowl.
Later on we visited the library, Central library have a lovely children's area and Rufus had fun finding books for me to read to him, trouble was he would only let me read the first page before he wanted another book but it was such a lovely way to while away and hour. I was so pleased to get the perfect photos of him for my gallery of grandsons on my lounge wall

AMAM - embellishment

A new month a new Minibook for this challenge but we don't know what it will be yet. First week we are encouraged to try a flower made up of hearts, well it is the month for love after all. Karen did two variations of this here is the other one and this is what I have made this was using the fatter hearts but arranged in a slightly different way.

Nature's Calendar - Yellow Bud

I love taking photos of this little tree half way down the back lane. I watching it in all seasons and have been photographing it for about 3 years now. OK the photos can be similar but it is still a pleasure to take them.
Today's text is from Genesis 1 verse 11
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.

Missed opportunity

I could kick myself for being so untidy. Most times I don't mind, most times it isn't that important. The muddle that was my desk only took a short while to bring into some sense of order.
From this

To this

But last night after I had finished downloading my photos I put my camera on the floor instead of back in it's case. Today I grabbed my bag and camera case as usual before setting off down the back lane to ASDA and for the first time ever I saw a woodpecker, he was in clear sight and staying put so good I thought I would have the best photo ever. Sad to say I didn't get it, and although I went back for my camera he wasn't any where to be seen when I returned. I do hope he stays around and I do manage to find him again with my camera in hand.

Nature's Calendar - catkins in the sky

Clear blue sky with just a few clouds, the tops of the trees bearing catkins look like delicate branches of an oriental flower arrangement.
For this month at least I am, going to seek the Lord for a verse to go with the photograph, this will be particularly useful when I make the whole thing into a calendar for next year, I pray that I can continue this right the way to the 31st December 2011.

GE 8:22

"As long as the earth endures,

seed time and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease."

Freebie

It's been a time since I last shared a freebie kit so thought I would add this one here do hope you like it. This one is called Golden Days

although it doesn't show up very well there is an overlay and a stitched frame here, hope you enjoy it.

I have used a few of the bits from the kit for this layout, done for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers. We have a sketch to follow, but for the rest there are so many choices this week. I went for the Friends theme and for the elements Doodling, 2 colours, ribbon and 10 of something.

Ramblings

Good morning bloggers, hope you have had a good weekend and a good January. My hasn't this month flown, it seems like yesterday that we were celebrating the new year.
I haven't done a great deal this month, either scrapping wise or anything else, so nothing much to share here, except this one digital layout using a sketch from Shimelle, I especially like this sketch because it uses two photos, something I find difficult to do, one photo, three photos or a collection, easy but two are so much harder to balance somehow. still enough waffling here it is


I have plans in my head one to do as a paper and bits one using a sketch from the Pagemap collection. Now this lady, Becky Fleck, is so good at sketches that it is hard to imagine how she comes up with fresh ideas all the time but she does.

Nature's Diary - Feather

Do birds loose feathers like we loose hairs? for everywhere I look, no matter what time of the year, I find these little fluffy ones caught on the hedges

Nature's Calendar

Wild Arum also called Cuckoo Pint, Lords and Ladies, and Jack-in-the-pulpit
I just love the way the inner leaf is curled.

Nature's Calendar

I was so thrilled to be able to get this photograph, this is only the second time I have seen a goldfinch along the back lane and the first time I have got a clear shot of one.

The walk to Asda

I needed to go to Asda and I needed more nature photos for my daily calendar. So hopeful for the walk to Asda and as usual God didn't let me down when I asked for something special. I saw new growth all around, I managed to photograph a cute little squirrel and best of all I got a reasonable shot of a Goldfinch. So all in all I had plenty to thank my Father God for today.
I have also completed another paper and elements layout, but I can't share that one yet as it is for my team's weekly challenge on UKScrapper, which will go live the week after Valentines day. I will give you a little sneak peak as I am really pleased with how this one has turned out.

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This word of wisdom has come from Word for Today and really struck me as so right

A Sunday school class was memorising Psalm 23 and little Tommy couldn't get beyond the first verse. On the big day he stepped up to the microphone, grinned at the audience and announced, 'The Lord is my Shepherd-and that's all I know!' And it's all you need to know for now.

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Today I want to Thank My Father God for His all surpassing love and how he blesses me, I asked and I received in abundance.

Nature's Calendar

There are still berries around but shrivelling up and looking a bit the worse for wear.

Nature's Calendar

Early Snowdrops

Quiz Answers

I posted a quiz on Sunday to find 16 books of the bible in the following passage, not sure if anyone had a go but here are the answers


I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu; kept people looking so hard for facts... And for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalised. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a pastor to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found! A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are sixteen names of books of the Bible in this paragraph.

Nature's Calendar

Cavity wall installation of a different kind. These succulents are planted in a shoulder high double wall in a front garden (not mine I'm no gardener)

Nature's Calendar

Looking very closely at plants we call a nuisance can put a whole new perspective on them. This is a clump of moss. If it was a bit bigger in reality we would use it in our borders and rock gardens.

Layouts and stories

I have two layout to share today both digital ones. This first one is for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers the criteria for which is to make the theme of your page a baby, human or animal, or something new
use the colour red or earth tones
feature a star or a planet
use the word 'who' in your title



This one is the record of Rose Walk, I wanted something printed out to go into my album. I also wanted to try a different size/shape than my usual 8x8 square.

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I think this little story is priceless one of my friends on UKScrapper just posted it.

a mother was doing her best to look as if she was enjoying the birthday cake her daughter had made for her. Seeing her mothers pleasure as she struggled to swallow, the daughter said "I'm so glad you like it mummy, there should have been 32 candles but they were all gone when I took it out of the oven".

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Today I am thankful for a much better nights sleep
for really enjoying doing this week's challenge layout and how easily it came together.

Nature's Calendar

A lovely furry bud, which bush or tree it is from I do not know, it is a cultivated plant in someone's garden. Oh how I love these signs of spring around the corner. Such diversity

Something Different

It's Sunday and that means a roast dinner, but today I decided to go with something a little different. I popped my pork chop in the roasting dish as usual but I didn't have any sage and onion stuffing, and no sage to be able to make my own. So instead I chopped together the crust from sliced white bread a handful of dried apricots and rosemary leaves added a pinch of salt and blended together moistening this with a drop of boiling water and spread over the chop.
No time to par boil the potato for roasting so washed and oiled it added salt and popped beside the chop. Pre set the oven to cook for an hour and be ready for when I returned from church at 1 O'clock
In from church and stir fry chopped veg (leeks, peppers, mushrooms, baby sweetcorn and peas) ready in no time at all. Garnished the baked potato with a yoghurt and chopped apricot topping. Ate and thoroughly enjoyed, will have to do this again.

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Today I am grateful to Father God for prompting me to go to church when I was really too tired and down to want to. For giving me words of encouragement not just for me but for others, and for lifting my spirits so much, that although I am tired now I feel renewed.

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I found this little quiz on Mel's blog the other day and want to share it here with any of you who visit my blog but not hers. Thank you Mel

In this passage there are sixteen hidden books of the bible see how many you can find.

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu; kept people looking so hard for facts... And for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalised. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a pastor to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found! A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are sixteen names of books of the Bible in this paragraph.

I'll reveal the answer in a day or two

Nature's Calendar

I love my rosemary bush, mainly because it grows so well and is always green, but in this photo it is white with frost.

Nature's Calendar

Just outside my back gate, along the back of the gardens are hedgerows where the sparrow congregate and nest. It is lovely to hear them twittering away, but very difficult to photograph them. Standing back and putting my camera of full zoom I have just manage to captured this one, with wings still extended, about to land.