As seen - little things

Today has been a very dull day, not exactly damp but my washing hasn't dried at all still as wet as when I put it out.
I was determined to go out, well I had to or the cats would have had nothing to eat.
Walking down the back lane I was more concentrating of exercise than on taking photo. But I was stopped in my tracks when I saw this little clump of violets, out came my camera and it didn't go back in it's case till I reached Asda. As well as the violets, I took a photo of the lovely little tree that gets photographed by me every year such pretty delicate yellow flowers, I must try and find out what it is. the catkins of course are so attractive at the moment. Just before I reached Asda I noticed little gems of water the size of a seed pearl on the grass. I knew there and then what today's picture would be.

I discovered something the other day, there are now three kinds of icing sugar, the ordinary one, Fondant icing sugar and Royal icing sugar. I bought the fondant one as it was a 1p cheaper, but I really don't know what the difference is, think they are just trying to confuse the consumer into buying them all, crazy.

Today I am grateful for little surprises

As seen - Gemma's present

It's my dear daughter in Law's birthday on Monday but as Neil is taking her out for the day tomorrow I thought it would be nice to take them out for a meal today. We ended up in Bristol and had a lovely meal in The Clifton.
Why Bristol you may well ask? Gemma, her Mum Gill, and Auntie Lynne had been to the theatre the day before and Lynne had stayed over at Gill's place but needed to be taken back to Bristol. A long drive for a meal but it was worth it just to see a different area to usual
Rufus was his usual charming self keeping us amused with his antics. Hopefully I will have some usable photo.
I gave Gemma some pretty spice jars for her present and did manage to get a photo of her opening the boxes.

Today I am grateful for Family and a chance to speak to Neil uninterrupted (just us in the car)
for a very tasty meal
and snatching photos of Rufus

As seen - saved

I am getting to be a home bird, not wanting to go out, this is bad, I should have at least gone to Asda today but I didn't, realising I needed a photo for today I took my camera into the lane at the bottom of my garden. I thought perhaps the daffodils would make a good photo. When I drew near I saw flowers cut and strewn on the ground, must had been done today as they were still looking fresh. I really don't understand some people, why pick them and throw them away or drop them where you pick them? I didn't want to leave them there so I picked them up and brought them home. Adding a twig or two from my willow

I hope that I am going out to lunch tomorrow with Neil and Gemma but I am still waiting for Neil to confirm.

I do have a page to share I started this one with an inspiration from a page by Kirsty Smith in March's Scrap 365 I liked the grid effect she obtained and although mine ended up nothing like her page I am quite pleased with it.


today I am thankful for the comfort of my own home.

10 on the 10th - Making a paper flower

The other day a friend showed me how to make a simple flower that looked really nice so I thought I would put it on my blog as a demonstration

punch out a circle of card stock  (mine is 1½") you could use double side patterned paper too

begin to cut into a spiral leaving a centre circle (this will later have a glue dot)

Using either a quilling tool or  a pair of tweezers wind the spiral up

release it and let it spring open a wee bit then place a glue dot on the centre circle pushing the flower down onto it.

ink the edges

put a spot of glossy accent in the middle

place a pearl or gem in the centre
I am using a little blob of blue tack on the end of an old ball point pen

The idea for the tool to pick up gems came from a real tool I saw my friend using and it looked rather like a bit of blue tak in a pen hence my innovation.
thanks for looking hope this will inspire you.

why not head over to Shimelle's place for more 10 on the 10th

As seen - Money gobbler

I took a trip out to Hobbycraft today, it means catching two buses and I had to wait nearly half hour for the second bus but it was worth it. I managed to get the things I wanted plus some and ended up spending quite a bit. It's not somewhere I get to very often because of the journey so better to get all I need or want in one go.
my photo for today is of course

but I thought I would put a picture of what I bought as well.

I have done a page today but I didn't finish it before the light was too bad so will take a photo tomorrow.

so just a short post today.

My thankfulness today is
for an enjoyable shopping expedition
for lunch in Dunelm
for the March edition of Scrapbook 365 and the inspirations therein.

As seen - Captured

The saga of getting the kittens to the vets for their 6mth check up (6 months since first seen)
1) set alarm to go off with plenty of time to get there
2) trap both kittens indoors half hour before need to go
3) get bike with cat basket out
4) carry one kitten to basket and manage to get her in
5) capture 2nd kitten and take her out to basket
6) she escapes before I can get her in
7) shut basket door with one kitten in
8) chase 2nd kitten trap her in greenhouse
9) take 2nd kitten to basket to find
10) bike on the floor with basket door open and 1st kitten gone
11) shut 2nd kitten indoors
12) bring cat basket indoors
13) put 2nd kitten in and shut tightly
14) go find 1st kitten trap her in greenhouse
15) carefully open basket indoors with all exits firmly closed
16) get both kittens in basket and shut firmly
17) take basket with kittens and fasten on bike
Phew

Next time take basket to kittens not the other way round. Glad I had given myself plenty of time. They were weighed and are both healthy.
Oh and I have a scratch for my troubles that is beginning to hurt

Today I am thankful for two lively kittens
for sunshine for the sale (after yesterdays blustery rainy day)
a meal that I had already prepared (see yesterdays post)

ps after Lizzie said about the tale of how to pill a cat I found it on line here well worth ready as it will have you in stitches (not literally that was for the cat's own human)

As seen - Hidden in full sight

I haven't been out today, should have taken the kittens for their 6 month check and then I was going to try and get to Hobby Craft but it was such a miserable wet and windy day. I phoned and changed the appointment to tomorrow.
I hadn't even taken any photos. I have been scrapping or rather fiddling with bits of paper but getting no where fast. I keep loosing things. Last night I couldn't find my very thin double sided tape. Where do you hide a reel of tape in full sight, by putting it on top of another reel that is exactly the same dimensions and colour. I eventually found it this morning so that is my photo for today.

Can you see it?

I had prepared dinner early, I was going to have Chicken and Broccoli Pasta bake, it was in the oven and all set to switch itself on, but just before it started my neighbour knocked and handed me a dish of fish & chips, he had inadvertently bought 3 portions instead of 2. So had that today and my pasta bake will do for tomorrow. It's nice to have dinner all prepared especially on a Thursday when I really don't feel like standing and cooking.

Tomorrow is dustbin day and I've just been outside to put them ready for collection, boy is it cold and windy I daren't put the plastic bottles out they will land down the road somewhere but I can leave them a bit longer.

So today I am thankful for a nice warm bungalow
A super neighbour
dinner for tomorrow already prepared.

As Seen - Blossom

Yesterday I used a photo of Muffin looking so sweet and today I was going to try for one of Mittens I did actually take one I was pleased with. She had climbed into a plastic bag that was part of a home made collapsible waste paper basket. I could hear something rustling and when I turn round the bag was moving grabbing my camera I managed to capture her looking out of a hole she had torn in it.

well that was to be my photo for today but when I went food shopping, walking down the back lane in the sunshine I saw this beautiful blossom and with the blue sky behind it looks just like a Japanese painting.

I've also done another page using my CFK

a little bit of the details, title is made up from sticker and I stamped the top right hand corner to balance with the printed bottom left hand corner


Today I am thankful for such a lovely sign of spring
for a nice stew prepared earlier and put on auto cook ready when I wanted to eat
finding places to display my layouts before I put them in albums, it's nice to see them hanging up

Counterfeit Kit Challenge - March

I was flabbergasted cuffed and worried all at the same time when I was asked if I would be the guest designer for this month over at Counterfeit Kit Challenge. The reason for the worried bit is not being sure I can do this honour justice but I will try.
this month we are counterfeiting a lovely blue and yellow kit from Birds of a feather

Unfortunately I don't have any papers in that lovely dark blue so I have gone for the nearest I can. They are all single sided  (except 2 but the other side colours are not in the scheme)

I can only name a few as most do not have anything on them.
The yellow woodgrain is by K&Co
the floral blue one is Sandylion
Swirly blue is Lilykate by Basic Grey
Blue brown lined one is My Minds Eye
Blue artex ceiling design is Up Up and Away
the circle blue one is Sweet Pea by Fancy Pants
I didn't have any corrugated card so chose textured white

As there is a lovely 12x12 sheet of stickers in the kit we are counterfeiting I grabbed lots of stickers and cut outs that had the right colour scheme (don't think I'll go short of things to add to my pages)

the little bunches of flowers from the original kit I have had to improvise,  the yellow ones I made and the blue ones I died by spritzing them with glimmer mist.
frames are by Colorbok
Alphas It's the little things by fancy pants
No wooden butterflies (found one after I made up the kit)so I've grabbed some E-Z stick on 3D ones by Royal Langnickel

Now that will never do there are no button in the original kit and I can't be without buttons after all that is my username isn't it.
So here is my add on kit
buttons of course, more bling, odd bits of patterned paper, more ribbon & lace and more butterfly stickers and another alpha

and of course I just couldn't wait to use it so without further ado here is my first page

I had a little play with the first photo making my face hair and hand sepia leaving the rest black and white. Quite pleased with the effect.

To see more kits that the design team have come up with your next port of call is Crystal or head back to the Counterfeit Kit challenge blog for the full list

As Seen - Muffin

I didn't go out again today, this seems to become my usual Monday habit. I did do a little bit of hoovering but then I had some fun scrapping. Still not finished the page though as I've got so far and don't know quite where to go from here. Tomorrow is another day hopefully I will get the inspiration I need after a nights repose.
So what can I use for my photo today, well I have always got ready and will models in my three cats so here is the smallest one looking so appealing

I do have a page to share though as I did this one for the weekly challenge that my second team set. the criteria was to use this sketch by page maps



today I am grateful for my three live in companions
my on line friends
Skype which lets me keep in touch with family too far away to visit often

I was sent this email today and want to share it with you

Christianity is now the target of persecution...

Tennessee Football
This is a statement that was read over the PA sytem at the football game atRoane County High School , Kingston , Tennessee by school Principal, Jody McLeod

"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country."

Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate life style," and if someone is offended, that's OK.

I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK.

I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable! Means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem...

I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology.."

I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment.."

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated.

This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical.
Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments.

Nevertheless , as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.

For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time.

" However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM,in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so..As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet."

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray.

They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box!

The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America- the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD."

Somehow, Kingston , Tennessee Remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains!

JESUS said, "If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER.."

This was in America but we are being restricted here in the United Kingdom too

As seen - flowers for church

It was my turn to do the flowers for church this week. I asked the Lord what colour and I immediately thought yellow.

I had to arrange them at home and carefully take them up to church. They survived which is more than I did we had a service or more like a pantomime aimed at teenagers too loud and I was unable to worship, If I hadn't been going out for lunch and had order my taxi to pick me up at the church I would have come home.

The weather has been very strange, raining when I went up to church but then we had snow, not much and it didn't settle of course, then the sun came out briefly and finally rain again.

I did enjoy the company and the meal with the Ladies Club though. But haven't felt too well this afternoon, possibly too tired as I didn't get to bed till gone 1.00 this morning and was awake again before 7.00 still early night tonight hopefully will set me back on my feet

today I am thankful for the lovely sunshine yellow of the flowers
a nice meal with good company
being able to change into my pj and just sit and watch tv

Story Telling Sunday - Swimwear

Today story was sparked off by Sian the other day when she said about having to go home in a borrowed pair of somebody else's big purple pants.

When I was very little I was evacuated to Worthing with my Mother and baby brother. We were made so welcome there that after the war we would go back to the same address for our holidays. I was about 5 and my brother about 2 and because it was just after the war probably 1946 and things were hard to get hold of we didn't have bathing costumes but I remember these plastic pants

I do truly remember them they were bright orange I remember my mother taking off our liberty bodices and telling us if we were cold to come straight out of the water but I was desperate to get into the sea so although it looks as though I am shivering I wasn't going to tell her how cold I felt.
I did a layout with this photo a few years ago

For more stories why not pop over to Sian's place

As seen - a crop of ladies

I've been at our local crop today about 18 of us gathered at the church we had the tables set up in a circle so we could talk to each other much easier than usual when there is a lot. a brilliant day was had by all we scrapped and chatted and chatted and scrapped, admiring each others work and gleaning ideas from what we were doing.
So my picture for today just had to be this.

I also managed to get two pages done pretty good for me when they are paper ones.



this next one I had to do today as I had promised those two grandsons of mine that I would get one done. I still have a lot more of these photos and will do more pages at a later date.


today I am grateful for being able to gather together with friends who love to scrap.
For Alli how picks me up
and for a naughty Pecan plat that I had for my 11sies

As seen - Statue?

In town today I was amused to see this

I've seen him before and he always attracts quite a crowd, especially those with children, this time the little ones were a bit afraid of him, he made strange noises as he moved, he just had to be my picture for today.
He had even sprayed a wellie boot to use for any donation given

I managed to get all I needed in town except one present will have to have another look very soon as my youngest grandson's second birthday is looming.

ASDA shopping done, flowers got for Church, not sure when I will take them up there though.
All day Scrapping crop tomorrow so I have been printing off some photos, found some of John that I haven't used, not very good quality but still worth using.

Last night I found two photos I wanted to scrap of Daniel Helen and Andy taken 2 years ago before Ben was born. I spend some time shuffling papers around getting no where. This morning even before I was dressed the whole page fell into place and I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and what is more I've used up some more of my scraps of patterned paper.


Today I am thankful for a good days expedition into town, not feeling tired from all the walking around and for finding photos I wanted to scrap

As seen - Entertainment

It's Thursday so it's the sale at the church. Today we had Mark on the keyboard entertaining the customers and helpers alike.

I awoke to fog, haven't seen fog for such a long time. It was even there when I went up to the Church, it was there most of the morning. We had the majority of the tables inside but two of our ladies really do prefer to sit outside and sell the jewellery and such

by the time we had packed up and I was walking home the sun had broken through the fog and it was a very pleasant day indeed.

I am thankful for a good morning despite the fog
Sunshine on the way home
and a comfy chair to snooze in with my feet up.

As Seen - plumbers at work

I've had the plumbers in today. For some time now the overflow pipes from the tanks in the loft have been filling up an old dustbin rather fast so I have been wasting a lot of water. I had tried to adjust the ball valves myself but not very successfully.
they put new ones on for me and now hopefully I will not be wasting such a precious commodity.

while I was waiting for them to arrive I did some scrapping (one page I can't share yet) but here is the second one which is a challenge for the crop I go to. It is done using a pagemap sketch

and we had to include a bit of pink or red in it. (I had forgotten that but luckily the butterflies have red in them, phew!


today I am grateful for the plumbers
and receiving very good news from a Friend

As seen - a good read

Today was my trip to the hairdressers, I have it coloured once a month. While I am waiting for the colour to take I enjoy a good read of these magazines.

I get so many great ideas from them, colour combos, designs that will equate in digital scrapbooking, or even hybrid.
Today's gleanings

I finished my book today too and was a little bit disappointed in the conclusion that really seemed to leave it up in the air. But it was still a good read none the less.

Today I am grateful for a hairdressers just across the road
a nice home cooked fish and chip dinner

As seen - Me Reading !!!!

Well a very unusual occurrence happened today, I found a book I couldn't put down. The Gingerbread Woman by Jennifer Johnston. I haven't finished it yet because I had to put it down to do a bit of housework and I also wanted to get the weekly challenge from UKScrappers done, but I know that I will be going back to reading it later in bed probably.
So my photo for today is THE BOOK

I had picked it up at the sale one Thursday and dumped it on the side, and promptly forgot it, it had got buried under junk mail which was beginning to form a mountain on my hall table. I thought it was time to remove the mountain from inside to the outside and put it all in the recycling box, and there at the bottom of the pile was THE BOOK I don't remember picking it up, I don't remember reading the blurb but I must have thought it looked interesting and worth trying.
The blurb, when I read it this morning
On a rainy afternoon on Killiney Hill a young man walking without his overcoat, happens upon a woman gazing out over Dublin bay, standing perilously close to the edge. From their testy encounter develops a remarkable friendship which will enable each to face afresh their very different, damaged pasts, and to look towards the future

I have finished the weekly challenge but it is too dark to photograph it tonight so I'll share this tomorrow.

Today I am grateful for the book
and for Skype when I can not only talk to my daughter way up north but also see my grandsons and they can see me

As seen - Mittens & Me

I should have gone to church this morning, I was dressed and ready to go but I was trying to sort out something financial and forgot the time. I could have rushed up there and arrived after the service had started, but I didn't.
As I was dressed smartly I decided to have a photo shoot, I thought I might do a new book of me, a book about what it is like being in my 70s or maybe not?
They are the only photos I have taken today so I chosen one of them

I have been scrapping today, it is so nice to have the room to do it, and to know where to find what I want to use.

Not sure I am completely happy with it but unlike digital scrapping I can't now alter it.

today I am grateful to having space to scrap
A nice meal (cooked by myself)