Thursday 31 July 2008

My Freedom Prompt 19

Thanks for your comments on yesterday Teenage Idol girls - giving my age away a bit here though - for those of you who have never heard of Sacha- Sacha Distel (born Sacha Alexandre; January 29, 1933July 22, 2004), was a French singer who had hits such as a cover version of the Academy Award winning "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (originally recorded by B.J. Thomas), "Scoubidou" and "The Good Life". He was born in Paris. So sorry to all you younger girls you dont know what you missed!

Todays prompt was: What do you do when you don't feel very creative or feel like you've hit a creative block? Share a few tips that help you get back to yourself.

Well my first thought just had to be - a bottle of wine and a large bar of chocolate!
More seriously I often just leave a LO lying out and then go back to it later. Or if inspiration is really lacking then I would look at a book or have a browse online somewhere. At the moment I am working my way (slowly) though Elsie Flannagan's 52 Scrapping Challenges.

Wednesday 30 July 2008

Teenage Idol


Todays blog prompt for My Freedom was: Who was your personal favourite teeny-bopper pin-up?
Well I have to admit that I had a rather large poster on my wall of Sacha Distel, the French singer! I even managed to go and see him in concert at Glasgow and had quite a few of his records.

June and July

I was busy last night and managed to do my pages for both June (a bit late I know) and July for Shimelle's Scrap Your Day. For the June page I decided to take pictures of things that my hands did for the day - cutting veg for soup, typing and needlefelting.

For July we were on holiday at Keswick and I changed some of the photos to B&W. The rather forlorn looking one of me in the top left corner is because I got locked out of the holiday house - so I made them take a photo when they all came back. The middle photo on the bottom page is of John, Andrew and myself all wearing our new Buffs! Andrew loves his and has had it on, pirate fashion, ever since buying it.


Tuesday 29 July 2008

No Parking



We just had to take this photo on holiday. My sons tell me this sign is just for me - they say I never park within lines anyway - can't think what they mean!!!

My Freedom Blog Prompts

I have managed to print out all the prompts for My Freedom class that I have missed when away on holiday - now to read them and play catch up. I still haven't decided what size of album to go for, although I really fancy trying something different, possibly 11 x 8.5, will need to decide that today - my target for today.

I dont think I will even try to play catch up with all the blog prompts that I missed, but hope to carry on doing them from now on (although you never know, there might be one or two I really like).

Prompt 17 was What's your favourite reading material? Like the kind of favourite that you would take if you had to cut off the rest of the world for years and years?

I love reading and our house is filled with books. I like reading most types of fiction with the exception of Murder Mystery Thriller type books, never really got into them. I have recently finished Jodi Piccoult Nineteen Minutes and really enjoyed it, although I still think her best was My Sisters Keeper. I managed to finish one of the books I took on holiday with me - Prisoner of Tehran - it was quite interesting. Another excellent book I read not too long ago was The Island by Victoria Hislop, it was great.

I am currently reading the other one I took on holiday by Mark Haddon (the name escapes me at the moment - see post further down).

Monday 28 July 2008

Alnwick Castle

One of the first places we visited on holiday was Alnwick Castle, it is a lovely place and we had a great day - thanks to our Tesco Vouchers! Alnwick Castle has been used for filming lots of films - especially Harry Potter and we arrived just in time to go on a Magical Tour, where the guide showed us all the parts of the castle that had been used in the film.


There was a courtyard bit where you could practise your training as a Knight and go on a Dragon Quest, which was quite scary - Andrew had to hold his Auntie Karen's hand so that she was not scared!!!

I got my head cut off!


Andrew practised his jousting skills.


John got put in the stocks.



The boys are now off to their Auntie Kirsteen's for a few days so peace reigns here in the house. I am supposed to be studying but hope to manage some time for some scrapping.

Sunday 27 July 2008

Back from Hols

I'm back from a great two weeks holiday. The first week we were staying in a village near Alnwick, which is a lovely place, great beaches! The second week we were at Keswick for the Keswick Convention, which was also great. The weather the first week was a bit mixed but the second one was really warm - I don't think I have ever managed to stay in Keswick when it was so warm. Photos to follow when I have uploaded them. At the moment my washing machine is going constantly and my washing line is full! I hate unpacking.


When I was away Maggie kindly awarded me this blog award - thanks.
It's a special award given to weblogs that somehow catch your eye!
The rules for this award:
1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated
I am going to nominate the following people whose blogs I love reading

Friday 11 July 2008

Prompt Five - The Hare and the Tortoise!


Todays blog prompt was to talk about how you prefer the pace of life? I think I would like life to slow down a bit - there never seems to be enough hours in the day to do all that I have to/want to do. I also find the year passing a lot quicker now than it used to (at least that is how it seems). I have recently stopped working which is supposed to give me more time to do things around the house and to study, we shall see!!!


I am also very very impatient and want things to happen quickly. Whenever we have made a decision about something I then want it to happen right away - and that is just not what is happening at the moment! I really need to work on my patience.
I am also very much a last minute person and no matter how long I actually have to do a project I am generally found running at the last minute. For example we are going on holiday tomorrow and I am packed yet? No not yet - but at least all the clothes are looked out and lying on the bed. I generally get there in the end though.!

Prompt Four

Prompt Four from Shimelle was to blog about a poem that has inspired you or means something to you. Again I found this a tricky one as I dont really know a lot of poems, or at least I can never remember them! I did a google search and found this one that seemed to speak to me


Sound of the Sea by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


The sea awoke at midnight from its sleep,
And round the pebbly beaches far and wide
I heard the first wave of the rising tide
Rush onward with uninterrupted sweep;
A voice out of the silence of the deep,
A sound mysteriously multiplied
As of a cataract from the mountain's side,
Or roar of winds upon a wooded steep.
So comes to us at times, from the unknown
And inaccessible solitudes of being,
The rushing of the sea-tides of the soul;
And inspirations, that we deem our own,
Are some divine of foreshadowing and foreseeing
Of things beyond our reason or control.


I love just sitting watching the waves crashing over rocks or breaking on a beach, so this poem seemed appropriate. Perhaps I should try reading more poetry sometimes, when I get the time!

Wednesday 9 July 2008

Prompt Three

Today's blog prompt was about Travel, what is essential for travelling. Well I don't travel light, I can never decide what to take with me and how do I know what the weather is going to be like! Especially as we generally holiday in Britain. I really dont know how people manage to take only a few things away with them. I tend to fill the car.


I do always have to have a book (or two) with me and often take some cross stitch with me, which does sometimes come back without being done!!! This year I am taking my crochet and knitting with me and I will do it - I promise - photos on my return.

These are the two books I am taking with me this year.


Prompt Two


Prompt two for Shimelle's My Freedom class was to say what period in time you would like to go and visit for a day. I found this a really difficult question to answer as I don't think I have a specific time or event that I would like to go to.

If I have to choose then I think I would like to go back to visit one of the Ancient Civilizations Ancient Rome or Egypt I think. It would be very interesting to see their lives then and the wonders of the time as they were being built. Having been to Rome last year and seen the ruins it would have been good to have seen them in all their glory.


Or first century Galilee at the time of Christ to hear and see him for myself.

We had great fun last night at dinner talking about this and hearing what everyone's ideas were about where or who they would like to meet.

Tuesday 8 July 2008

My Freedom

This is the new class from Shimelle that I have just signed up to do. It started yesterday, so I am only one day late. It lasts five weeks and there are prompts each day Mon-Fri. Each week there will be two broad topics and this week is Time and Travel, at the end of the five weeks I should have a completed album! This time there is also going to blog prompts - the first was to post a photo of a clock in your house.

This first clock is the one that is in the family room and the second clock is in the living room. It was a gift from New Cumnock church when we left. As I went though the house I discovered that we have a clock in every room (except the bathroom), so time must play quite an important part in our lives. I know I always seem to feel there is never enough time for everything and that time seems to be passing quicker and quicker these days. I also tend to use a diary and in the kitchen we have a calender with a column for everyone in the house, so we all know what we are doing.


I like the school holidays because we are not so tied in to times as we are when the schools are on. The kids can get up later and lounge about more. Although one dispute about time in our house during the holidays seems to be how much time they each get on the computer - so I have started a signing on and off system for each of them, so we can all see how long they have each been on for.

Monday 7 July 2008

Kingfisher


This is my felted Kingfisher for Linda's class at Altered Elements. The feet were a little tricky to do, but I think they look not too bad! That is the class finished and I have really enjoyed making my owl, cat and kingfisher. I will have to decide what to make next.

I made this card for the school secretary on her retirement. It was her night out on Thursday and we had a lovely meal. That's the school off now for the holidays - six lovely weeks! (well I hope they will be lovely, maybe the rain will stop sometime!). We are off for our hols on Saturday so this will be a busy week getting things ready. I also have an OU assignment to do before I can go.

Wednesday 2 July 2008

Jellicle Cat

Jellicle Cats come out to-night,
Jellicle Cats come one come all:
The Jellicle Moon is shining bright -
Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.
Jellicle Cats are white and black,
Jellicle Cats are of moderate size;
Jellicles jump like a jumping-jack,
Jellicle Cats have moonlit eyes.
TS Eliot


Here is my Cat for the Needlefelting workshop. I found him harder to do than the owl and not quite sure he looks totally right - but he is my Jellicle cat. Wonder if I now need to make the rest of the cats from the Poems to go with him.
I was at Johns S2 Award Ceremony last night, he got a Citizenship Award, of which we are all very proud. Only three days left until the holidays. Although I do wish the nice sunny weather would come back - its freezing here!
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