New CJ with Bumbleberries group

Kathy is organising a new CJ on Bumbleberries - it's just a group of five (which means it won't be too long before the CJ comes home - a regular once-a-month posting).

As is often the case, although I had an idea of what I would do, I hadn't actually got on with it, so I started it last night and spent this morning doing the rest.

My subject is 'There's no place like home' and, as I wanted to include a photo of my craft room, I wanted to tidy up this morning before I took the photo - lol! So, at last, nearly a year since the room was fitted out (well, it was actually at the end of June last year) I've taken photos of the room, one of which I've used in the CJ - and the others I'll put on the blog later. (I have to confess that the room doesn't usually look as tidy as it does on the photos!)

For the CJ I used BG 6x6 sultry papers throughout, inking the edges with ColorBox chalk lime pastel and then Distress ink tattered rose - although on some of the photos you can't see this, because I somehow chopped the edges when taking the photos because I did them in a hurry in order to get the CJ in the post this afternoon.

So, here is the front cover:



Welcome:



Rules:



My DLO:





Sign in pages:





Back cover:



CJ put together:

HS:MS bathe

HS:MS today: bathe: 'To immerse ones body in water or light. Find bathe in your space today.'

Having rained this morning, it seemed to clear up for a while (I managed to get to the PO and back more or less in the dry). During lunch time the sun came out. However, just at about 2 pm when friends were due to pick us up for a drive into the country to have an afternoon cuppa, black clouds loomed and by the time we got in the car it was not just pouring, but bucketing, including hailstones. When we got to the garden centre tea place we had to quickly get out and into the dry.

We enjoyed a lovely cuppa and scone - and while we sat there, the sun came out. When we got ready to come away, the sky darkened once more and down came torrential rain again!

When we were dropped off at home, the sun came out!

So it's been the kind of day when there's been a mixture of being bathed in rainwater and in sunshine.

This is a little corner of our garden that I took since we got back - if you look carefully you can see a puddle as a result of all the rain, but shadows caused by the sunshine:



The second photo is of me coming in through the back door into my craft room with my shadow cast on to a cupboard door opposite:

Salt: Contentment

It's my turn to choose the topic for this fortnight's challenge and I have chosen:

Contentment

I was drawn to Philippians 4, particularly verses 11, 12 and 13, where Paul says:

'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.'

I find this both a comfort and a challenge. Some of us have been, or are going, through difficult circumstances and yet God is so good and his grace is sufficient for us in the most difficult times. And when we look at some parts of the world, we are so conscious that we have plenty. In this regard I find the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 to be such a challenge.

Our team has yet again come up with some beautiful crafting for this theme and we would love to see what you are prompted to create. Please link to Salt on your blog and then leave us a comment and we will add you to our link so that others can take a look at your artwork.

For my contribution I very much wanted to depict the contrast between being content with my own circumstances and not being content to sit back and witness the injustice, unfairness etc in the world - as a Christian to respond in some way to the needs of others - certainly a challenge.







Please have a look at Salt and see the lovely artwork the other girls have come up with.

Sarosa, a regular contributor to Salt, has kindly given us an award - you can read about it on our blog.

Rain, rain, go away!

Last night I tried unsuccessfully to get a photo of the card I made for the Tanda comp on CBC, so I thought I'd have another go this morning - now the light is poor, because it's pouring with rain!

But this photo does show the colours more true to life than the scan did. The patches of 'white' aren't white at all, but are areas highlighted with matte accents - better irl:

CBC Tanda stamps competition

Over on CBC Tanda stamps have kindly donated a lovely prize for a competition that's closing this evening: 'So to win this fabulous prize you need to get some sun and..... shake off the blues and make a spring/summer themed card.'

I made one earlier this evening and I had to wait for the matte accents to dry and then I found I couldn't get a photo because the flash was just making the accents look like streaky white patches. So in the end I've resorted to a scan, which doesn't show any of the detailed embossing or the matte accents.

The stamps I've used are ones I bought ages ago and have never used - they are by Elusive images.

Everything was stamped with Versafine Onyx black and embossed with fine detail clear. Colouring was done with Karismacolor and Sansodor:

HS:MS delicate

'To be very fine in texture, structure or workmanship. Find something delicate in your space today.'

John had a diabetic clinic appointment at Guy's this morning so we were up early. I looked at the prompt and thought of a spider's web, so I went out into the garden armed with my camera, but it started to rain so I came back in!

Then John suggested that I should take pictures of some flowers that I received on Monday. A friend from the church where we used to go had heard that we have both been in poorer health and called round with a big bunch of some of the flowers from church.

Here are a couple of shots:

HS:MS road

Today's prompt: road: 'A way of course on which to travel. have you got a road? (Im betting you have!

I went out by bus to a fairly local post office and craft shop and I remembered to take my camera with me. The first two shots were taken from the bus stop looking in either direction - a busy main road. And the third one is a quieter road just round the corner from us.

ATCs for CBC swap

This morning I worked on my contribution for the Salt challenge that will be launched on Thursday - so can't show it yet.

Since lunch, I've made my ATCs for this month's swap on CBC 'quick and cute'. I used some stamped images that were kindly sent to me by Purplepenguin (Nick) - by Dewdrop Crafts 'Misty' designs.

The background on the giraffe one was achieved by using a Fiskars embossing plate in my big shot and inking it with Stazon saddle brown. The background of the elephant one was done with alcohol inks: pepper red, butterscotch and a touch of slate and silver.

The colouring in was done with karismacolor pencils, pastel pencils and inktense pencils, blended with Sansodor (I'm still very much at the practising stage):

HS:MS yellow

Today on HS:MS: yellow: 'A golden colour - vibrant, sunny and warm. Have you got some delightful yellow in your space?'

I'm afraid mine is nothing like the wonderful photos of Anita and Kirsty. Mine are just artificial blooms for crafting:

DCM hot and spicy

The challenge on DCM set on Friday is 'hot and spicy':

We'd like you to take the phrase
"Hot and Spicy"
and make of it what you will.

I hope these are hot and spicy enough!

The papers are from the Far East range by DCWV; some of the other bits are DCWV and some are (I think) Brenda Pinnick. The flower was inked as I didn't have any matching ones.






PS: I've decided that I'll send these to Melissa for the April card swap on CBC.

HS:MS SOS

Today, being Sunday, is SOS on HS:MS: 'go on...you know you want to...show off a little :)'

I thought I'd show a few of the photos taken when we did some of the sights of London with our DIL and grandchildren.

The first is just one of those 'sightseeing' ones - taken from near Buckingham Palace:



Dani and Chloe posing in a red phone box:



Standing to attention at Horse Guards Parade (Dani would never make a soldier!):



A welcome stop at McD after walking around:



And one little lady is tired out (probably my favourite):

HS:MS SPS

Saturday has come round again - and on HS:MS it's SPS day: 'Show us a portrait from your space today.'

Following on from yesterday's post, Sue asked if I would show picture(s) of Josey. Here is one, taken at Christmas:



And I thought I'd also show one of my favourites of John's previous guide dog, Oscar:

HS:MS sad

Today's prompt: sad: 'Feeling or showing sorrow. Show us sad in your space today.'

I think most people reading this will know that John's guide dog, Josey, went back to Guide Dogs a couple of months ago. John's health hasn't been so good in the last couple of years, which has meant he was using Josey less than previously, but also at the beginning of the year he had to have a toe amputated because of an ulcer that wouldn't heal - all to do with the diabetes. It was said that one of Josey's hairs could have got into it and made it worse. This made John make the final decision to part company with Josey, especially as other factors were pointing in that direction too.

We still miss her - and, obviously, particularly John, because it's not as safe or interesting to go out with a white can instead of a dog.

So my photo today is the corner of our bedroom where Josey used to sleep on her fleece. I still miss seeing her there last thing at night and first thing in the morning:



Some of you have kindly asked what has happened to Josey. She's now been retired and adopted by the mother of the person who is in the office of our district GDBA, someone who John has never met but has chatted to over the years. We think she will be happy, so this post is not all sad.

HS:MS repeat

Repeat: 'Say, do or show the same thing again or form a pattern. Find repeat in your space today.'

There's quite a few repeats scattered in just this bit of today's TV schedule, not that it bothers me:

HS:MS investigate

When I saw today's prompt on HS:MS: investigate: 'To carry out an inquiry, discover or examine. Show us investigate in your space today.' I didn't have to think much of what to do, because I was already on my laptop investigating articles in order to try to get a friend's computer back up and running. It was hit with a virus and refuses to boot, even with a windows disc in the CD drive. So I'm going over there this afternoon to have another go at rescuing it.

So this is my shot for HS:MS - I'm afraid it's not a good photo because as soon as I put the camera on the battery went dead, so I turned it back on and shot quickly before it went again. (I might replace it later when the battery's charged):

Cricut expression

It arrived yesterday!! (and four cartridges; another one in the post and two more to come).

I decided last night to have a go and see what I could produce. I used a piece of plain pink 12 x 12 paper that quite honestly wasn't good quality - quite thin - the reason being I didn't want to waste good paper. Oh dear! The mat was so sticky that when I'd done my cuts (and I did quite a few, because they seemed to be going so well) I just couldn't get the paper off the mat. Even when I tried using an old credit card to scrape at it, it still wanted to stick fast and only the top layer of the paper coming off, leaving white backing still on there.

I sought help on one of the craft forums and googled 'cricut mat too sticky' and found that it was a common problem at the beginning - and there were suggestions what to do about it.

So, after running the mat under warm water and scraping away with the credit card, I managed to get all the paper off. Then I felted the mat on my clothes so it wasn't so tacky and got out a piece of K & Company double sided Brookfield paper to have another go.

I figured by now that I probably hadn't paid attention to the pressure setting (something that was pointed out among solutions of what to do in this situation), so I looked at the manual (mmmm I suppose I ought to do that more!) and turned the pressure down. First time I turned it down too much and the cuts didn't go right through. Then, when I turned it up a bit, success:



I've no idea whether I'll ever actually use them, but at least it worked!

What a pity I've got other things I need to get on with, otherwise I could have another play - hopefully later.

In fact I need to make a card for my niece's birthday on 22 April (gosh, that's only a week away and it's got to be posted) so I think I'll set myself the challenge of making a card using the cricut.

HS:MS window

HS:MS prompt for today: window: 'An opening in a buildings filled with glass. Show us a window in your space today.'

I've got a poorly toe so I'm staying in today. I didn't even want to walk up the garden, so from the open back door I got a couple of shots of windows in our little summer house, zooming in on them. It's really showing neglect from the winter, but these sunnier days is making me think that it won't be too long before it can be cleaned up and put into use.

In the second picture you can just about make out the reflection of trees.




And this is our front door taken from the inside (we have a tiny porch which was quite dim when I took this):

I meant to say

Thank you to all of you who commented about mum - she was able to join us yesterday for lunch.

In the morning John and I managed to get to church together. There were some really prolonged showers - we would have been caught in one if a friend hadn't kindly given us a lift from church to the restaurant.

We were worried about mum because she moves so slowly with her wheelie frame that she would really get soaked, but, fortunately, by the time her taxi was due the rain had stopped and the sun came out.

Mum really enjoyed her meal (so did we) and said how pleased she was that she had got out. And, even though it rained again heavily when we were in there, it stopped just before we left, so mum had a taxi home and dry.

HS:MS puddle

The prompt today: puddle: 'A small pool of water. Find a puddle in your space today.'

This morning has been beautiful sunshine here and no sign of any puddles. However, early this afternoon I was sat here with the sun streaming in and suddenly there was a tremendous clap of thunder almost overhead. I went and looked out the front and, yes, it did look stormy! It then began to rain, but not for long. John needed to go to the hospital for blood test and Xray and I needed to go to the PO, so we waited for the rain to stop and went over to get a bus. As I went into the PO the rain came on again and, although it was quite a quick shower, it was quite heavy.

I came out of the PO and went to the bus stop to go back to the hospital to meet John. What did I see but a few little puddles dotted here and there. And the prompt does say 'small pool of water'. The only trouble is that there were a couple of people at the bus stop and I thought it would look really odd to get my camera out and be seen taking pictures of the road! I waited till they were in conversation and looking the other way, whipped the camera out of my bag and took two very quick shots looking each way. Then I decided that the second one would look better if I zoomed in on the puddle, so I went round the side of the bus stop where they wouldn't be able to see me and took the third picture.

What some of us do to join in!

HS:MS SOS

Sunday on HS:MS is known as SOS (Show off Sunday): 'Show off your favourite photos today!'

I make no apology for the lack of quality with these photos, but they were taken in 2002 with a poor resolution digital camera.

I've chosen these today, because yesterday would have been my mum and dad's wedding anniversary, but, sadly, dad died over four years ago.

These photos were taken on the occasion of their diamond wedding anniversary - 60 years of marriage celebrated on 12 April 2002.

The first one shows them holding the card they received from the queen:



The second one shows them with one of the huge bouquets of flowers they received - their room looked like a florist's shop within the space of a couple of hours.



To see these photos it's hard to imagine that dad was already poorly with dementia (by then he was already 84 - although I don't think he looked his age at all)and it wasn't long after this that he was admitted to hospital and then permanently to a nursing home.

I'm actually writing this Saturday evening, ready to post in the morning. Today I went over to see mum - took her some flowers - deep pink carnations (she had similar in her wedding bouquet) - dad used to buy these for her.

We're hoping that mum will feel well enough to meet us at the local Beefeater for lunch tomorrow (today by the time this is posted). She hasn't been out for quite a while - has trouble with her knees and also giddy turns and has really lost confidence, so we're hoping that she will feel up to coming out.

HS:MS SPS

Having returned to HS:MS this week, I wasn't particularly looking forward to Saturday, known for a long while now as SPS - Self Portrait Saturday. Well, the good news is that you don't have to look at another of those awful shots of me, because now the prompt says:

'Self / Someone's Portrait Saturday!!!!'

So I'm definitely opting for 'someone's portrait'.

On Tuesday I took quite a few photos when we met up with Mandy and the children. On our way between Westminster and Downing Street we stopped at a phone box - one of the old-fashioned red ones and Dani and Chloe both posed 'on the phone'. Here's the one of Dani:



What an expression on her face!