Dear Reader

Here's another project I finished a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it's another Laura Dennison design. I think I'm becoming a groupie! I just love Laura's designs. I've put her blinkie on the sidebar so check her out. I know I've lauded her designs on this blog before but they're so cleverly put together that they're a joy to craft. And they always work out. They are to crafting what Delia Smith is to cooking! Years ago when I used to cook lol and I wanted to try something new but really needed it to turn out ok as others were eating it too I always turned to Delia. And she was never found wanting and we were never found hungry. Apart from the time I added two tablespoons of cayenne pepper instead of paprika to the Hungarian Goulash. Wow - that made everyone blink a bit. I digress.

This project followed the "Pocket Full of Memories" design. There's room for lots of photos and journalling mats and for a Christmas version see Tracey's lovely and beautifully crafted 'Days of Christmas' minibook on her blog. I think this design lends itself to lots of uses. In my case I've made it as a Christmas present for my daughter's Australian housemate called Ebony who we've all taken to. I thought she might like a book to record some memories from her trip. She's never seen much snow before - there was some, she said, on the top of mountains a three hour drive away from her house in Australia - and her wonder at the snowstorm we experienced on the drive back from Leeds a couple of weeks ago was so funny. Every couple of miles I'd hear from the backseat in a beautiful Australian accent "Holy Moley". She told me her mum had lived in England until her grandparents emigrated when she was six. Her mum had told her about the roasted chestnuts she used to eat at Christmas and when we saw a stall selling them she ran over to get some. I didn't say anything wondering how they would go down as they're not to everyone's taste. She peeled one, popped it in and I waited. Her face told its own story but I don't think she wanted to appear rude. So when I asked her how she found it the reply came "I think it would be improved with some chocolate round it". Had to smile at that one. But she's right - there's not much that doesn't taste better with chocolate round it! Which brings me neatly on to

The Reverb10 Day 9 post which is

Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

I could think of a few parties I've been to this year that have been fab and which I'm still smiling about. But I think the day out I had in Leeds with Chloe and Alice, Maurice and Richard (Chloe's new man) and Ebony was just lovely. We shopped 'til we dropped and had a great lunch at Nandos, Alice's fave restaurant. Lots of people, lots of buzz, lots of drama when Maurice played skittles with four bottles of lager and got a strike! I never knew there were so many ways of eating chicken and chips - allow half an hour just to read the menu. But I'm now a peronnaise (spicy mayonnaise) afficianado and the Portuguese lager that got re-ordered(!) - was good too. Apparently they sell peronnaise in Sainsbury's so must get along to buy some. It was a really good day and great to spend some overdue time together and have a catch-up and our new Australian friend made me see everything with new eyes. Luckily I didn't 'rock my socks off' as it was -4 but it has made me realise that sometimes you don't have to go to a party to have a party.

Papers I used were My Minds Eye Pretty Please. This was from QVC in their sale and was very cheap, even taking into account the postage. When it arrived I was amazed to find that it included some ready made tags and embellishments with it. I don't normally do 'ready made' but thought they would be just the job to use on this quick project. I used the labels punch from Stamping Up (sorry the tags aren't better arranged in the photo - rush job in precious daylight hours!), a Magnolia die flourish and the Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet. Flower is punched from EK punches and the pearl brad is from The Hobby House. The photo journalling mats poking out the 'pockets' are punched with the Martha Stewart stars punch. The little handbag was in some charms I won in a Candy Giveaway from Jane at Jane's Lovely Cards (thank you Jane). Lace, card, ribbon and everything else from Running With Scissors.

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME ......ABOUT COMMUNITY

Dear Reader

My finished bird house

Here's the side view. A bird house wouldn't be complete without a bird.

And here's how the roof lifts off and surprise! there's a mini book attached to it

Whoops photo came out sideways on for some reason! But you get the idea of what the book will be used for and an example of the lovely bird tag on one of the pages.

And here's the cover of a page with a couple of tags peeking out the side 'pockets'. The birds in these papers were so lovely I didn't embellish much

The above pix are of a project I made a few weeks ago, photographed with a borrowed camera. I loved making this' bird house'. I'd been hanging on to the Martha Stewart bird papers for some time looking for just the right project when I got inspiration from Laura Dennison's birdhouse mini book and they seemed, well, just right! The 'shell' for the mini book is made of four chipboard pieces held together with laced ribbon, covered with a removable 'roof' to which is attached the mini book. I've made mine into a birthday book (to be filled in before the New Year starts!). The design of the mini book is so clever that it allows for four tags to be hidden away in the middle of all the pages, giving oodles of room for journalling/extra photos etc. Each of the pages has a front flap and a back flap, there are six pages so bingo! enough space for a different month on each page plus an extra page for gift ideas, receipts etc. I didn't make my tags and used the suggestion of the Cavallini ones. Not cheap these but so pretty I couldn't resist and the tin they come in is beautiful too! There are also butterflies and travel tags in the range and I'm sure I'll be seeking them out soon. I've used a little owl charm to remind me to be wise and check my book often! The flowers I used were Petaloo.

Reverb10

Day 7 Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

Community - a word I love. Who could not love a word which broken down into its syllables literally means 'together harmony'. My job is about community. Not a community that instantly springs to mind. It's the business community. But just as in so much of life human beings want to 'belong', to interact, to help each other, so that it is true of business too. And as a business community we are able to help build relationships with our local communities too. I could really get on my soap box for this prompt! But I do believe that it's only by being involved with others, that being actively part of a community initiative - any community initiative I'm not fussy - that we can live fulfilled lives, help our area to thrive and each other to flourish. And the community I'd like to join? I'm hoping to join a creative industries forum that meets monthly to share ideas and promote creative and digital industries locally.

And here's today's Reverb10:

Prompt: Beautifully different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful.

Whoa! Now this one is a bit too strong for me, a little too much navel gazing. I'm thinking we're all different - that's what makes us unique individuals. What makes me 'different'? Just being me!

MAKE, DO AND MEND

Dear Reader

Reverb 10 - Day 6
Prompt = Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make but you need to clear some time for?

Phew! An easy one and no angst today. But first I'm posting the last thing Maurice made, a masterpiece of culinary genius. We had lamb for Sunday dinner yesterday and I was saying how much I loved Shepherds Pie but never seemed to have the time to make it these days (perhaps being truthful the lure of crafty projects is a bit stronger than culinary ones but anyway.....). When I got in from work tonight here's the surprise that was waiting. What a guy, what a pie! I took a picture (discovered camera is not completely kapput - takes one pic before switching itself off) as I thought I could use it in my 'Days of Christmas' book that's all in my head but not yet on paper (something I want to make but need to make time for). You're probably wondering why this picture would fit in a book on Christmas. Well I know it's tenuous but I'm thinking Shepherds lol I told Maurice who wondered if we'd be eating King (geddit) Prawns later in the week !!!

Below the pie is my latest crafty effort, a star mini book for Maurice's son Maurice (yes, the entire family seem to be called Maurice. Shout Maurice at his mother's house and you can fill a room instantly). Maurice Jnr has a son Adam (had to break with tradititionsomewhere!) and he adores him, as dad's do.. As we all do in fact as he's such a cutie. I thought I'd make him a mini brag book, somewhere to store some picture memories of his son growing up.

It was a quick book to make as it was fresh in my mind from a project class Tracey taught at RWS. This one used some papers I bought from the shop (sorry can't remember the make but there's some left) and the rest of the stuff is from my stash, just chipboard, bits, bobs and buttons that shouted out to be used. I wanted the book to be in bright cheerful colours as kids always love them. I'm not normally a fan of yellow but I think it works here.

And now away to finally start that Christmas book.......

LET IT BE

Reverb 10 Day 5

Prompt: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?


The glib answer here would be my waistline. Why nobody thought to warn me that menopause = complete change of body shape I can't think. Or perhaps they did and I just didn't pay any heed. That's probably it. Funny how selective hearing is at times. Seriously, tough one this prompt - there's nothing that instantly springs to mind. I did however at the start of the year make a decision to stop acting like Dobby in the Harry Potter films, constantly beating myself up. In my case because I hadn't achieved 'perfection', done everything myself, that everything wasn't quite exactly the way I'd planned. I decided to try and make life easier by delegating and sharing or sometimes, where possible and without compromising quality, try an easier option, a more laid back approach. No one else was putting pressure on me to be perfect so why was I doing so myself. I decided to adopt the mantra "if red isn't available use blue - and do it happily". !! Strange mantra perhaps but in my case it's worked and I'm definitely more laid back about 'stuff'. Of course the valium helps too. Just joking!!!

A couple of years ago I organised an Awards dinner and had chosen a main course of chicken. Unfortunately, for reasons I never did fathom the chef cooked lamb. I was wandering round the venue early evening getting ready for the guests that were arriving in around an hour's time and something was not 'smelling' right. Couldn't put my finger on it until suddenly I realised I was smelling lamb cooking and put two and two together. Oh! disaster. I consulted with the Operations Manager who confirmed
that it was definitely lamb in the oven. I was so upset - all the menus were wrong and everyone would think I'd made a mistake. What could be done? And now? Oh! woe was me. The Operations Manager (lovely guy - cool as a cucumber but actually pretty hot if you know what I mean wink wink) whisked away all the menus and stuck in a fresh piece of paper with the 'new' main course on. I started to breathe again. Do you know out the 100+ guests that showed up only one lady came to see me to ask what had happened to the chicken. And she was impressed that we'd managed to alter the menu - she'd checked it and seen 'the join'. I'm sure she was a crafter! So what was all my concern about. And so what if people realised there'd been a mistake and thought it was me. Was the world going to end, were people's lives in danger, did it really matter? The answer of course was and is no. And the only person putting pressure on me was me.

So now I do my best but if my best isn't good enough, well tough (always a worry with lamb)! And of course I never count my chickens 'til they're cooked.

WONDERLUST

Prompt: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Nature always provokes a sense of wonder in me. I love 'big' nature, the kind you get in the USA and nearer to home in Scotland, the kind that dwarfs you, is humbling and awe-inspiring. I remember once seeing a train travelling through one of the glens along the side of a mountain and a loch and it looked like a little toy chugging along. Seeing it suddenly gave me perspective, made me realise the scale of the scene I was witnessing and it definitely had that elusive 'x' factor - without switching the box on! This year we were lucky enough to travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains and that was wonder-ful. To my mind there's a strange irony that such dramatic and stark scenes can promote such a sense of peace, relaxation and well-being. I guess sometimes you have to wander to wonder.

GETTNG MY TEETH INTO BLOGGING AGAIN

Dear Reader
Sorry I've not been blogging. The problem lies in the fact I've had no camera since it went down the pan (literally) and quite frankly blogging is just not the same without it. The whole raison d'etre of the blog was to post my craft projects and obviously can't do that without a camera. Here's hoping Santa reads my blog and brings a new one. If not, it's top of my 'What to buy in the January sales' list.
Which brings me quite neatly to what I can blog about, which is to follow the Reverb 10 challenge. This gives a word prompt every day in December.. A million thanks to Tracy to alerting me to this great challenge for which I don't need a camera. I'm playing catch- up (as normal) so I'll post three days worth tonight and try and stay on track for the rest of the month...

December 1 Encapsulate the year in one word. Explain why you're choosing that word. Now, imagine it's one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

My word is TEETH. And no, before I hear you groan, I'm not re-blogging the saga of the teeth problems from the beginning of the year - traumatic as it all was lol. It's just that the whole teeth episode brought home to me how much we take stuff for granted in life. Like your teeth! It's that whole getting older thing, the general feeling that you're falling to bits and the taking it on the shoulder when you're told there's a 99% chance of saving your tooth and you turn out to be the 1% and lose it. Like winning the lottery the wrong way round. Of course, there's far far far worse stuff healthwise than a lost tooth and I appreciate that, it's just that it's emblematic of my year, which quite frankly has not been the best. I've lost my smile at times in more ways than one this year.....

I've also spent much of the year at work trying to keep up with national and regional politics and the perplexing problem of how this area is going to fare, in short what projects will have 'teeth' and what we need to be involved in. A year of change and uncertainty for us all.

I'm also reminded of the teeth of my comb. Combs are so old fashioned now but I still have one. My grandmother always used a comb and every day after lunch and the morning's housework she'd religiously make time for us to have a wash and she'd comb my hair and 'dress' it. She always kept her comb pristine and washed it regularly and I can still 'see it' - a big pink thing with teeth that graduated from thick to thin, sitting in the drawer she kept it. Anyway, my personal time for grooming - hair appointments and the like - have been sadly neglected in 2010. Now that's a sign I think of an unbalanced life when you're too busy to get your hair sorted, to generally take a little 'me' time. Shame on me!

There's also been times this year I've had to 'grit my teeth' and carry on despite what's happening to me and around me... as I say it's not been the best of years. But it has made me appreciate what good times I've had, a particularly lovely birthday celebration with my family, a very happy year's crafting, a new business venture and some good and valued friends.

And as for the word I'd like to encapsulate 2011 it is SNOWLESS !!! lol

Seriously, my word would be SMILE

Heavens! Gone on a bit there. Hope it's not like pulling teeth! Next two will be shorter.

Day 2 - WRITING
What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing - and can you eliminate it?
Actually writing is integral to every day of my life and my working day. To me living and writing are always bound up together. I'm always writing something - emails (must answer between 20 and 40 emails every day) articles, scripts, Minutes, reports, my blog (just not lately!). I love all sorts of writing and at the moment I'm writing a piece on what 2011 will hold in store for Grimsby in terms of economic development and business prospects for a Lincolnshire Life magazine article. Love that kind of writing. Hmmmm what doesn't contribute something to my writing. Very little really. Surely all experiences inform your writing. Perhaps junk emails - yes sometimes junk emails. They say you decide in 2 seconds whether to read an email or not but I seem to have a penchant for junk - always think I might miss out on something by consigning it to the 'bin;. Although I do like watching the little icon of a bin 'swallowing up' the junk lol. Wish we could do that in real life with crappy stuff.... So yes, I suppose I could eliminate the 'junk' in my inbox if not my life but I don't really want to!


December 3 - MOMENT Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid details (texture, smells, voices, noises, colours).

My moment surprises me. It is Enrique Inglesias singing 'Hero' - you know that 'I can be your hero baby' song at the Help the Heroes Concert at Twickenham. Can't say I've ever been a fan of Enrique or indeed the song and that's what makes it so surprising. The concert - and cause - was just great and being there with my partner Maurice, who had a long army career and lost a lot of friends over his 24 years of service, was very special. I was so looking forward to seeing the Robbie and Gary re-union song moment but in the event it was Enrique who gave me one of those unforgettable life moments. He climbed into the audience and sang swaying from a 'fence', propped up by fans.

I guess it was the sight of this one small man perched precariously and singing his heart out to an electrifed 60,000 fans and servicemen and women who all joined in singing, swaying and and lighting up the arena with their lighters that had me completely overawed. Priceless! I've attached the video but I guess you'll all think 'what's she on about!" .. As my daughter Alice would say "One of those have to be there moments mum" ! But I was and for me it was a highlight for 2010.

SEALED

Dear Reader

When I was little my grandma used to let me play with candles. I can't remember why - we had electricity lol - but perhaps it was when we had a lot of power cuts. Anyway, I remember making little wax shapes by dripping the wax into patterns on a saucer and then imprinting into it. I'm still fascinated by wax so was really pleased with part of my birthday present from Maurice back in August of the Papermania Christmas wax set. And I've just got round to starting to play with it. I'm sadly out of practice but by the time this year's Christmas cards are finished I'll be back on form as I'm loving it. Also in the Papermania present were some vellum papers. I don't know about you but I love the look of vellum but am always puzzled as to quite how to use it to best advantage. So I've tried to combine vellum and wax seals and although I think I can do better I've posted tonight's results. I've made a few cards this evening but the camera is playing up so I'm just posting two. Unfortunately Maurice 'sealed' its fate by dropping it down the loo whilst charging the battery and although it dried out it's just not working properly - keeps switching itself off. Can't blame it - I probably would if I'd been dropped down the pan lol. Maurice has already lost two phones down the loo and one in the pond at work so I was hoping he'd be wary around water but unfortunately it looks as though he's moved on to sending other gadgets to a watery grave. As he's cross with himself there's no point in me being cross too but I am missing it as I used it a lot. Deep sigh!

Here are the two cards. One is traditional. It's papers are by Bo Bunny - a 50p bargain at the Doncaster Show in the summer - and one is a modern design. Both feature a wax seal from the set. The titling on the modern card is stamped with Versasmark and then embossed with gold embossing powder. Background gold paper is a really nice textured one from RWS. The sentiment on the traditional card is Magnolia - stamped with Archival Ink and matted and layered using nestabilities.

Back soon - hopefully with some more wax seal cards.