HS:MS Chop

To cut into small pieces. Find chop in your space.

This is my 'oh so useful' guillotine. I have a few paper trimmers (you can also see my rotatrim underneath the guillotine). A lot of chopping gets done here!

Salt: 'Life to the Full'

The second Salt challenge is up now!

This is what Casey wrote:

Wow! We have been so encouraged and excited by all your lovely comments and awesome contributions. Keep them coming!

This week it’s my turn (Casey) to set the challenge:

I have chosen the theme ‘Life to the Full’. This theme comes from the verse John 10:10b where Jesus says that He has come so we may have life and have it to the full (or in abundance)!

So, we would really love to see your take on this challenge of what ‘Life to the Full – in Christ’ means for you.

You can do it whatever format you like e.g. a layout, card, beyond the page, canvas etc

We’d love you to leave us a comment so we can enjoy your artwork too!

Please take a look at Salt


This is my contribution:

I feel so privileged to be part of the Salt team - it is such a fab opportunity to combine faith and crafting. And Casey's challenge has been an opportunity to reflect upon all the benefits we enjoy with life in Christ.

I used my new craft robo to make the words for this - if at first you don't succeed, try, try again - in the end I got there and have learned quite a bit about using inkscape and robomaster.

HS:MS Window

An opening in the wall, filled with glass. Show us a window in your space today.

This is a terrible picture - will come back again with a better one if I can. It's the view into the garden from the room where I craft:

Today's crafting

Having been to the doctor this morning and not feeling too good (won't dwell on it, but the back pain is ... so even stronger painkillers ... there could be other spinal fracturers) I went to our (fairly) local craft shop to pick up my Making Cards magazine. I needed a few 'essentials' - this is what I bought (not a good photo because the light atm is awful - raining):

I can't show everything I've done today, because one piece in particular is a surprise.

Last evening I started my cards for the August monthly swap on Carolyn's but couldn't get much enthusiasm for finishing them. So, today I came back to them and put the finishing touches. I think I can show one because Melissa (the organiser of the swap) has shown hers.

The brief this month is to make four cards all the same. The main stamp is a Magenta one (I love it - can look so different depending on the inking and background). I decided to stamp direct to 6 x 6 paper from Warm Tones Colossal Paper Inspirations by Papermania, using blazing red Stazon. The swirly stamp is one from a QVC TSV kit bought in June. Ribbon is from a pack of Anita's sticky ribbons and the gems are from a bargain Poundland pack.

The following card is a decoupage one made for a friend's birthday:

HS:MS Pasta

An Italian food made from dough. Find pasta in your space today.

This is emergency pasta (don't have it very often - much prefer fresh!):

Crafty Recycling CJ

This is my first CJ for the Paper 'n' Lace forum. I'm not that happy with it, but as it needs to go in the post today I have to say goodbye to it as it is.

Unfortunately, the bright early morning sun has now faded and it's quite cloudy, so the photos aren't that good (not that mine are ever very brilliant!).

Front cover:

Welcome:

Rules:

My DLO:

Sign in:

Back cover:

Completed CJ:

HS:MS Drive

To operate a vehicle. Show us drive in your space today.

As neither of us drive, we don't have a vehicle - our most frequently used vehicle is a bus. We live in a maisonette on the main road, set back by a grassy area and our own garden. I decided to aim my camera from the bedroom window (twitched the nets a bit!) and here's the result:

A bus was just leaving the stop:

And then another arrived:

Not very good photos, because I was looking into the sun, but didn't want to wait till later.

HS:MS Thread

A long strand of fibres. Find one in your space today.

I had loads to choose from for today's word. I got out two of the four or more boxes of fibres I have and took photos of part of the contents of two of them. Then I got one of my three boxes of embroidery threads and took a photo of that (not that I use them much nowadays).

Yay!!! I managed it

I managed to create welded words in Inkscape and put into robomaster to then cut. Have finished my LO for the next Salt challenge - please come back on Thursday to see what the challenge is and hopefully join in.

Oh dear - pride comes before a fall!!

I've successfully created some welded words in robomaster (seems just as effective to use this as to use inkscape and import). I ran the cardstock through my Xyron first so that there was adhesive on the back to save fiddling once the words were cut.

Unfortunately, I can't show the results here because the welded words are for the next Salt challenge that won't be revealed until Thursday.

I am really pleased with what I've done, considering this is the first time I've tried creating and cutting welded words (except for a play with inkscape before I actually got the robo). The only thing I'd cut before was a frame and a rocking horse, both of which were templates I found on UKS.

I wish I could show you, but I can't!! Perhaps later I'll do something that I can show.

Having written the above I started to take my letters off the backing - only to find that they hadn't welded but were separate - obviously I need to go back to inkscape! Oh well, it's a learning curve!

HS:MS Down

To fall to the ground. What moves down in your space?

Josey, John's guide dog, lies down for a rest after a play in the garden.

Lovely lunch

We enjoyed a lovely lunch together.

Following on the story of the ducks, Sue said: 'sorry HAVE to ask how often do you turn one round !!!:)'

This is where the romance gets tinged with reality!! As John is visually impaired he doesn't really notice the ducks that much - I don't think he's ever turned them round (although he does know they're there)! I'm sure there have been many times when he should have done! As for me, on the odd occasion that I have turned them round, he's failed to notice anyway! The idea of them is really so that the other person sees and gets the message that the other is not happy, but in reality this is wasted on us.

But the truth is that we don't often fall out, but like all couples we have our moments.

HS:MS Double

HS:MS 'Two of the same thing. Find couble in your space today.'

Early on in our marriage we heard a tale about the two ducks. If there is harmony between husband and wife the ducks face one another. If one of the partnership falls out then he or she turns one duck round to face the other way. When he heard the tale my dad bought us two ducks and they happily sit on our bathroom windowsill facing one another.


This seems very appropriate for today because we are just getting ready to go out for lunch to celebrate the first date we had together 17 years ago - at the same restaurant - ahhhh!!

Girls love ...

This is the DLO I did last night for Jo's CJ (on JB). The New English Papers I got recently seem to be perfect for the subject:


Nothing else to show today - still doing boring inserts, bagging etc - checking stock - boring! (Not been feeling too great for the last couple of days, so perhaps I ought to be doing something less boring!) I've had QVC craft day on in the background, but most of the time I've taken little notice of it - is it me or does everything seem to be similar?

HS:MS Earrings

These are a pair of my favourite earrings.

DCM Time

Just a quick card for the Daring Cardmakers challenge on Time.

This is what Kathy said: 'OK, Absolutely anything goes this week as long as it's on the theme of TIME."It's About Time" So you can use clocks, calendars, quotes, sayings, pictures, nursery rhymes, or altered art-type stuff, whatever takes your fancy - just take some time out to play and have some fun; remember, time flies when you're having fun!'

I was going to do something with clocks (might still do something else) but meantime have made this with the 'Happy Time' caption:

Just Bex August Challenges

I thought it's about time I join in some of the challenges on JB for this month (still got a lot of old ones I'd like to do as well - some are WIP).

August Challenge 7: Touchy Feely: 'We want cards and LO's good enough to touch, feel and stroke. It's all about textures for this challenge':

August Challenge 3: Way to go: 'for this we want you do use somethng that helps you find your way for example maps. signs. compass.....................':

August Challenge 6: A little gem: 'we would like you to make a CARD or LO with GEMS use as many or as few as you like'. For this I made two, because they are 'less is more':

August Challenge 2: A Family Affair: 'A nice challenge with no rules except for you need the word 'Family'...any colours, any size, card, layout or whatever you want.......':

August Challenge 5: Sugar 'n' Spice: 'and all things nice. Anything edible for this challenge please. LO'S and cards welcome':

August Challenge 4: Tantalising Tangerine: 'Your challenge is to create a card using an Orange colour scheme':

HS:MS City

The word today on HS:MS is 'City' - a photo of a city near you. Well, London is the nearest city and here is a photo taken at dusk when we went on the London Eye:

CBC July swap cards received

This morning I received the fololowing lovely cards:

From Debs (Buttercup):

From Nigel (Freebird): From Helen (helenc):
From Sue (SueF):
Thank you, everyone. And thanks too to Melissa for hosting the swap and all the hard work that it entails.

Nice Matters Award

I have been awarded the Nice Matters Blog Award by Paruscirle. Thank you, you are so kind. The Nice Matters Award is a new friendship award started by Bella Enchanted.This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. I understand that I have to pass it on to 5 others who I feel are deserving of this award.

So I nominate:

Sheila
Wendy
Lythan
Rachel
Sue

Please nominate 5 people each - thanks.

HS:MS Eyes

Have you come across http://www.herspace-myspace.blogspot.com/?

I came across it yesterday by a mention on someone else's blog and so I included the pictures of roses from our garden, because the subject was 'blooms'. Someone warned me that this site can become addictive - I just had to have a look this morning and the subject is 'eyes'. I've previously used this picture of our grandson on a LO, but thought it would be good now for this:


I'm already now wondering what tomorrow's subject will be!