About Me

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Hi, Welcome to my Blog. I'm an eclectic kind of crafter delving into many pots. I am just about managing to keep up my Scrapbooking Diary (usually about 6 months behind), plus any cards as required. I have a new found love of watercolour and Bible Journaling plus recently Junk Journaling too. Previously I've also dabbled in ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Mixed Media, Art Journaling, Décopatch, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery amongst other things. I live in Surrey, UK with my husband, our son has left home now. For exercise I usually play Badminton and go Ballroom and Latin Dancing, but am plagued by a bad back. I like walking which I couple with Geocaching and sometimes Bouncing on my Rebounder (mini trampoline). I guess I am officially retired now. I am a born again Christian, currently worshiping at my local Vineyard Church.

Saturday 29 June 2013

Scavenger Hunt - More Photos

Been on the look out for some more photos for the 2013 Scavenger Hunt and now have 3 more ticked off.











Firstly, Last week I took a couple of photos of our #18 Local Coffee Shop in the Village. It is held in the Church Institute building next to the church green.

Today, as I was lying in the garden I spotted CLOUDS so ran for my camera and waited and waited. I saw a heart and a dolphin and a bikini but by far the best (and the only one I got a picture of) was this #12 Scotty Dog Cloud. I asked my son if he could see anything in the picture and he spotted it too, so I hope that is tested enough and you can see it as well. My husband has just seen it and thought it was Snowy from Tin Tin - he was quite amazed at the likeness.













Then I thought I'd pop along to our local Lavender Fields as they have an #01 Open Air Market Stall there. Gosh they have come a long way since the little table and umbrella stall they had a few years back. Just had to buy one of their lavender coloured jute bags as I LOVE lavender and purple and the like.

Oh and finally, not for the scavenger hunt but for the 12 months in view challenge a chance sighting of a hedge of white Dog Roses or Wild Roses at the Lavender Fields. Had to snap them too.

12 Months - Roses in Design

On the 12 months in View Blog we were tasked to walk through our house to see what items we had with roses in the design. Living, as I do, in a male dominated household, this was going to be a challenge for me.

My first thought was the Tudor Rose memento we got from a National Trust Visit some years back on the wall in our lounge.

Then I spotted the yellow roses on the fire surround tiles and then behind me was my husband's Grandfather Clock with roses on the pendulum and the clock face.


My son spotted my china box with a rose design on the top, it was my maternal grandmother's.


 Upstairs there are my net curtains.

Then the cross stitch I made to commemorate my engagement to my husband, more yellow roses.




And finally, do I get away with the ceiling rose? Not a rose in design but a rose all the same!


Friday 28 June 2013

Craft Club - Distress & Water

This month at Craft Club we did a master class in distress.

Never seen this technique before so I was keen to have a go.

Here is what I came home with.




Tap a few distress colours on an acrylic block and lightly spritz with water.

Turn over, place on some card and press down to distribute the ink around the block on the card.

Remove block carefully and blot with kitchen towel if required.

When dry stamp a silhouette image using archival ink.

I have made up a few cards with my results.

Gotta love that poppy stamp! Said she who isn't really a stamper - Oops!


Wednesday 26 June 2013

WOYWW #212 - CD Mini Album

Hello all you WOYWWers and welcome to your weekly snoop round my desk, hosted by Julia at the stamping ground.

Just a few already blogged projects this week; Bonfire Night for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge letter "B"; my Summer of Colour twinchie; and Postcard Theology for 12 Months.



I have also completed a couple of pages in my CD mini album I made in the 12 months Challenge.

And folded a shirt for a card for my son to give his Dad next week.

The backing paper was from an advert leaflet and it caught my eye.

The only other thing is this weeks contribution to the 2013 Summer Photographic Scavenger Hunt which you can find here.

So that's me for this week, please leave your number in comments and I'll be sure to return the favour. Happy WOYWW everyone.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Summer of Colour #03 - Lime Green and Purple.

Oh yummy, my favourite colours together! So where do I start?

My sofa and the lime green and purple throws and cushions.

Or Perhaps the curtains I made with the backdrop of the lime green of our hedge.

Or even one of my Alliums next to the ferns this year.

I wonder...

So here's my Summer of Colour twinchie for this week.

What critter could I use (trying desperately to avoid butterflies as I did them each week last year!) - ah yes a beetle, how's that?

I used a Quickutz die with pearlescent and plain purple card. The background is from a few leftovers from Dylusion spraying and embossing.

A couple of purple flowers and gems, some crystal stickles and even the left over spots from the beetle's coat! Oh and some purple lace which I adore. Definitely need some purple liquid pearls or stickles - best add that to my list.

Monday 24 June 2013

Alpha Challenge #13 - Bonfire Night

Yay The Craft Barn's next letter in their Alpha Challenge is "B" so for me an easy Special Day or rather Night as I have gone for Bonfire Night. Here in the UK this is celebrated on 5th November as a thanksgiving for the failure of the gunpowder plot in 1605.

I never thought I'd be using my leaf dies as flames, first for my Pentecost Page, now for this one, but they seem to lend themselves really well. I covered my 6x6 paper with the relevant "b" pages from my dictionary and masked out the Bonfire definition before spraying with my black Dylusions! Thought I have obliterated all notion of the dictionary pages at first but fortunately not.

I piled various branches to make the fire. I cut the letters out of different pearlescent or metallic card before dotting around them with stickles and liquid pearls like fireworks. I had to add our little saying, "Remember remember the fifth of November" to finish off.

Friday 21 June 2013

12 Months in View - Postcard Theology

The guest post on 12 Months in View today is from the Rev. Andrew Hall.

We were challenged to choose a Psalm from the Songs of Ascent Psalms 120-134, meditate on it and create a postcard to illustrate our meditation.

Having been left feeling rather low lately due to all the bureaucracy which seems to surround establishments in this day and age, the opening words of Psalm 120 really sang out to me.

Why can't people just say what they mean and not try to hide stuff. I'd have much more respect if only people were "real".

So yes, LORD save me from lying lips and deceitful tongues.

Scavenger Hunt Photos

Really enjoying the 2013 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. Been keeping my eye out for further opportunities to snap items on the list.

First of all #05 a lovely sunset, whilst dangling precariously from the bedroom window! I did find the twilight setting on my little camera  which helped enormously with the shot. Oh and does the airplane count for #04 Airplane?


Then there is #06 Someone or something taking a nap. My son was quite taken by the Baby's Tears growing in the garden and thought it would be all soft and comfy to lie on. Don't think he realised it would be rather damp down this end of the garden in the shade where the grass refuses to grow!

And finally for #08 A Tower, my husband and I took a drive over the way to the old Victorian Water Tower which has since been converted into flats.



Only ever seen it from a distance before but found our way up the hill and there is was in all its glory on a sunny evening on the longest day of the year. Sigh!

Guess what it is called! Made us chuckle.

Wednesday 19 June 2013

WOYWW #211 - Twinchies

Seem to have taken to twinchies since doing a set for a Swap a few months back.

Did the Bee one for a twinchie challenge blog and now have 2 for the first weeks of Summer of Colour 2013 as well.

Finally did my June Timmy Tag although not inspired by distress markers or any other markers for that matter!

Made the bowl and the journal page for the 12 Months in View Challenge.

Been taking some photos for the Summer time Scavenger Hunt too (check out previous post). So yes that is me for the 211th WOYWW mega desk hop hosted by Julia.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

My Dad and photos

As is my custom on the anniversary of my Dad's passing I pop along to a local church to light him a candle and sit in their garden of remembrance.


This year was no exception so what better candle to show for #17 Candle(s) for the 2013 Summertime  Photography Scavenger Hunt and then too #10 A Bench that is Outside is where I sat for a while.




After lunch, I thought I'd take a trip out to our local sister town of Reigate where our town hall is situated to fulfil #3 City Hall, Capitol or other similar civic building.








I even got a photo of the Mayor's car outside and the sweet smell of the roses was lovely to behold.

I was then going to go to the Police station to lurk outside for #15 A fire truck or police car. 



 But would you believe I heard a siren and round the corner came a Fire Engine, couldn't believe my luck! I snapped away with my little Sony Cybershot and got the following photos, oh did I giggle to myself on the way back to my car.


I took a few photos of the sculpture of Dame Margo Fonteyn, the prima ballerina, whilst I was at it but don't think I can attribute those to any of the items listed. Nor the Zebra Mini, but just had to share them. Unless either could be attributed to #9 A photo with someone or something that is clearly out of place or doesn't belong but that would be pushing it wouldn't it?













And lastly the Windmill on Wray Common was just waiting for me to go visit for this challenge #16 A windmill. 

A lovely warm afternoon in old Blighty, don't get many of those and it has clouded over now and looks like a storm is brewing.