Punch Drunk at Halloween

We're at a turning point with Halloween celebrations here. Gone are the days of the school Fireworks display, and the Fancy Dress competitions, and the I'm-scared-of-sparklers-but-let's-have-some-anyway. We will still have the traditional apple tart; and some nuts, and maybe a toffee apple or two. And I hope to catch a glimpse of Little E in his dinsoaur suit. We do have treats ready for callers, though, and we have done a bit of decorating.

But it's more grown-up decorating this year. I made a "chandelier" for the Gotta Craft Blog, with scraps of blue and grey paper and black cardstock; and a LOT of punched shapes. Dozens and dozens of witches, all punched out and hot glue gunned on. More pictures on the shop blog!

And tonight? Stay safe, but have a spookily splendid time!

Calm, Calmer, Calmest

..or is that most calm? We are certainly hoping for a quiet, restful week here as we head into half term after a busy few days. Time for a bit of what The Tall One laughingly calls "Family Togetherness".

While I've been breathing deeply and thinking about keeping calm, I've been noticing a new kind of poster popping up on Pinterest. As you do. It's a sort of subway art. Like Keep Calm, you can adapt it and make it your own. Have you seen the ones I mean? Those posters with words to live by; rules for life; funny tips for getting through the day?

Words to live by: I've started thinking about my own. If you had to list the rules - no, not rules, let's call them aims, of your household, what would they be? Or are they values? Anyway, which ones do you hold dear? I made a few notes. Quick ones, stream of consciousness ones; and this is what I came up with. It's interesting, what you can find out about yourself when you do something like this. Seems like I love learning and laughing; and I value honesty and - hope I guess you'd call it.

I used this tutorial from Oopsey Daisy to help with my poster. If you don't have Photoshop, you can make something similar in Picnik - I tried this tutorial and found it very helpful. Or, use up all your leftover alphas instead and glue it down!

And that brings me back to the slogan competition from last week. I had intended to pick my favourite; but that turned out to be too hard because I liked so many of them. So I did a random drawing and Suzy came out as the winner. She said "Keep Calm, it's Only a Creative Opportunity!" and I think that's perfect. Suzy, drop me an email with your address and I'll put something in the post.

So really that just leaves me time today to remind you that it's Storytelling Sunday next week. The penultimate! let's make it a really great one.

Imperfectly Perfect

One party down, here. One to go. One more cake to bake - a really big one. Eighty candles is a lot.  I took pictures, but they probably won't be appearing here, so I have a different party pose for you today.

I found this one when I was uploading photos a while back. I don't know who took it; but I am glad that someone grabbed my camera. That's me, being taken by surprise by Little E, who arrived for my birthday (months ago) and brought the party with him.

For various reasons I don't have many photos of me on my birthday. Two, I think, over all my years. And now this one. It's grainy, it's blurry. It's certainly imperfect. Look - I've got my glasses on; my hair doesn't even look brushed; and I've got a cone on my head.

But I think it's perfect. Don't be too quick to delete the duds! This one proves -

- that you don't need to be looking your best to have a great time

- that if you've got cake, a messy house doesn't matter

- and that (of course) party hats are always good

I like that. It's keeping it real.

Which brings me back to Keeping Calm - any more suggestions for a new slogan are still welcome. I'll choose a winner at the weekend.

Keep Calm

We're taking a deep breath here today; and trying to stay calm ahead of a week of birthdays. We are celebrating a 40th and an 80th in the family, within days of each other. That's pretty special. There is a lot of cake baking, present shaking and photo taking planned..

With grateful thanks to Carmen wh sent me this poster many months ago, but hasn't yet seen it framed

..but of course that means little time for layout making. I pass this poster every time I make my way upstairs to create. It's on our third floor landing, and even though the slogan isn't so new anymore, I'll never tire of its urging me up the final flight of stairs to my desk.

But I've been thinking...that slogan. Fancy thinking of a new one? There are lots of examples floating round Pinterest - do you have a favourite? It can be silly or sensible, as daft as you like (Keep Calm and Cut Cabbages, for example. Now that's daft, but I like it). I'll offer a suitably patriotic prize for the one I like the most..

Have a wonderful Sunday. We are off to party..

Peas Not Trees

Uncle Dave has been a bit quiet round here lately, don't you think? He's busy writing his book. Or so he says. If I ask him how many words he has managed today, I just know he'll try to distract me with another one of his stories.

He's close to home now, but Uncle Dave spent many years living in Los Angeles; and he is still a bit more Hollywood than we are used to round here. Take the other night:

"Dave?" asked The Tall One. "What's that strange mark on your jacket?"

And Uncle Dave smiled patiently and said This jacket was brushed past by Elizabeth Hurley's chest once, at a party in Beverly Hills. It hasn't been washed since 1998..."

But wait. As Uncle Dave himself wuld say, I'm losing my narrative thread. That wasn't what I was supposed to be telling you about. So I'm pulling us right back to the dinner table and Uncle Dave's lack of vegetable enthusiasm. The only vegetable he is really prepared to consider is a serving of Birds Eye Frozen Peas. And it's catching on. I'm starting to sense rebellion. I've spent years training them up to eat their veg. (The Tall One again circa 1997 "I don' like the little trees" That's broccoli to the untrained ear) And what am I hearing every evening now?

Peas, not trees. Peas, not trees...

It's catchy. I'll give them that.



Fresh Sheets

Today -

a couple of journal pages from my favourite source Grace Is Overrated:

a tip: don't use a blob of Gripwax instead of blu tac to hold something on the wall because you think it'll be easier on the paint. Because you'd be wrong.

an update: I have posted out ten sets of paper bags and I have spotted two albums already - one by Jayne here and one by Mel here. And a big thank you to Deb who has sent me another lovely sewn version to try along with some of the cutest little red and green bags I've ever seen. They are pushing me over the edge - my Christmas album this year just has to involve - bags. 

That's me for today The title? I have a sick one at home this morning, and I am posting my journaling sheets. See what I did there?

The Art. The Story

" In the end, the only thing you really own is your story" The Drover. Australia

That's what  Cheri chose to put on the beautiful canvas she designed for me. It arrived with me this week and I have been moved ever since, each time I look at it, by the words and by the thought and care she has put into making such a lovely thing.

I have it on my bedside table, where I can see it right now. Isn't it just me? Didn't she get it just right? She is one talented artist! Thank you Cheri. I love it.

Just like I love the story. So I guess that means I'd better think of a quick one for today. Mmm..one about art. ..

Little E, that ruffian nephew of mine, is two and a half now. He 's starting to think of himself as a bit of a man of the world. He sees how things work, he knows what he likes. Swimming is good ("I swim like a fish"). Rockpools are bad ("It went over my head"). Mobile phones are fine ("Show it to me"). Big light fittings, not so great ("It not fall on me?"). And hoovers? he has a love/hate thing with hoovers. Loves to dare himself to approach one, hates the noise.

So, not long ago, Little E and his family to decided to visit a pizza restaurant. Lots of you know what taking a two year old out to eat is like. He loved the phones on the desk, he hated the wait. But one thing, especially attracted his attention as he sat there, hoping for pizza. The art on the wall. I think it was for sale. I think the artist hoped someone would see it and love it and take it home. Little E saw it. But he didn't love it. He looked. he considered. He shook his head. "It," he opined. "It like noisy hoovers."

Nothing at all like Cheri's stunning canvas, then.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Crumble Night

I love gathering blackberries. I look forward to it every year. This season has been a slow one, though. We have collected only a couple of pounds, nothing like our last harvest. Some say that means we'll have a mild winter. Maybe.

I've got into the habit of making a crumble for everyone to look forward to on a Monday night, Last year we had blackberry until well after Christmas. This year it will be mainly apple. But good all the same.

I've used an older Making Memories design here - and it turned into an 8.5x11 because I had already used a bit for something else. I haven't done any this size since last year's Christmas album. Time for a few more, I'm starting to think..

Paper Bag Update : with a message for Louisa-Jane. I'd be happy to send you some bags if you email me with your address please. I'm sending out the last few tomorrow.

Purple Reigns

Today you'll find me over at Notes on Paper where the ever inspiring Julie is going through a Purple Phase

She has been taking an autumnal look at the colour purple, with tips and hints on using it for crafts, clothes and interiors. There is a lot to enjoy, including a selection of purple palettes to inspire, a special Purple Phase Pinterest board full of inspiration, and a few guest bloggers ready and willing to take playing with purple to a whole new level. I'm here with a post about purple boots. Thanks Julie for your lovely invitation to partner up with purple!

Update on the paper bags from last week. I've posted out 8 sets of bags (I hope they'll be with you today) and I could stretch to a couple more if anyone is still interested. As an extra challenge, I'm wondering if you can work out a way to include the envelope your bags came in?

The Best Bit was the Bacon

I did it. They said I'd never manage it; but I did. I got up at 6.00am to watch Ireland play wales in the Rugby World Cup. And we lost.

With grateful thanks to Karen of Random Reflections for the Slice card which cut the (un) lucky clover leaf

Halfway through I thought about switching sides. What with being half Welsh and all; but my heart wasn't in it. I'll save that for the next round.

I thought about when we were little and my Welsh dad would offer a prize to the child who brought him the best red thing-to-wear-while-watching-Wales. Once, he ended up with a biscuit tin upended on his head and a dolls scarf safety pinned to his sweater, for the entire match. While we worked out how many white chocolate mice we could buy with the extra pocket money. We got a bonus if Wales won.

Maybe I'll try that myself next week. One thing's for sure, though. We'll be having bacon sandwiches again. You've got to take your fun where you can, on rugby weekends.

Paper Bag Albums: To Infinity and Beyond

So it turns out that Paper Bag albums are having a bit of a moment. I'm not quite as behind as I thought. Which is very handy because I decided to make another one. Several of you asked for some instructions, so I too a few photos along the way.

1. Of course bags are right at the top of the list of things you need. Mine are gussetted lunch sacks bought in the U.S. The gusset gives you the little extra smaller pages, but if you can only get plain "shop" bags, don't let that stop you. Try Homebase in the UK or keep reading

2. Decide how many pages you want. I used three bags . The gussets do make them bulky, so don't get too ambitious. You can always make Volume Two!. Fold each gusset up towards the top of the bag, then take two bags and glue their gussets back to back. repeat until you have a stack of pages. My pages measure 6 1/4 x 6 inches, but I trimmed them slightly so that I could use 6x6 patterned papers, for economy. You can cover four sides with one 12x12 sheet - and if you use double sided paper you'll get to use two different patterns with that.

3. This is a great excuse to use up a paper collection you love! Yes, you could spend a happy couple of hours working through your stash and choosing coordinating items, but this album will go together really quickly if you use one line or a kit already matched. A few sheets pf paper and a sheet of label stickers is enough. The secret to making it look good is to be prepared to use the whole sheet.

4. Trim your sheets to fit and adhere. Choose an especially nice square for the front. If you'd like to punch along the edge, punch the bag first, then the paper. It's too thick to do it all at once. You'll see at this point that the paper bags are open. I like them like that because I love to stuff extra bits inside, but glue them together of you'd rather. It's easier to do now than after you have embellished.

5.Then, decorate away! Layer up your embellishments, but remember you need room to bind it at the side so keep it clear. I work in stages - all the blank pages, then all the stickers, then all the stamps instead of on each page individually.

6. I chose book rings to bind and I made a quick template with a hole punch to help me place my crop-a-dile holes

And that's it! There are other way to do this (and there are lots of Youtube videos if you are interested), but don't forget you can make a joliprint pdf of this one if you want to keep hold of it.  Now, here's my plan. I know bags are hard to get hold of, and I have quite a lot going spare. So I'm happy to give some away. Leave me a comment saying you are interested and I'll send you enough for an album. BUT you must make it! I want to see it when it's finished! Mine is going to Little E, that rascal nephew of mine. He is just about getting big enough now to think about a bit of Space exploration. Just the other day he was wondering why the sky was broken..

My Month in Numbers: September 2011

Over at Notes on Paper, Julie counts things. Once a month she rounds up what she she has done and what has come her way, and she makes a list. In numbers. It's a fiendishly clever way of pulling a whole month of life together, as I discovered when I tried it for myself.

My September went like this:

A lot: (bit rough and ready, I know, but who wants to admit how much coffee they actually drink? Plus, I'm feeling my way in here..) - the number of empty coffee tins I have achieved. I just know I can come up with a plan for them. Eventually.

She was experimenting with ice cube moulds. Why do we have numbers for ice cubes? See below

30: bars of soap produced by The (Not So) Small One's soap kitchen. It's her top activity at the moment, combining as it does many of her favourite things - microwaves, mess and delicious smells. I have high hopes for Christmas.

1: picture of The Accountant looking accountant-ly in a new work ad campaign brochure. Not sure about the caption which says (essentially) Phone this man for added value. Really?!





2: books I have especially enjoyed. I've been recommending the Guide one to anyone I know who was a Girl Guide. It's not about making wonky gadgets and singing silly songs, it's actually a very moving story of real courage.



500: rows of knitting in the cardigan I'm making.

3: trips to the dentist, but the less said about that, the better.

7: buttons sewn back on a school blazer. And it only has 3 buttons to start with.

and 92 comments from bloghoppers and well wishers on my Scrap365 post. Again, thank you! It's just over 6 weeks until the first issue appears.

That was September. If you would like to join in, give Julie a shout. She'd be happy to see you!

Storytelling Sunday - The Man who Wasn't There

It's Storytelling Sunday time again. So come on in! I was just about to start..

When it gets to this time of year, and the nights get cold and the darkness starts to come down before teatime, I always think back to one foggy night when the children were little..

The house. The gate.

It wasn't late, just after seven, probably, when we heard a knock on the front door.

We hadn't been living in the house very long, so it was still a thrill to make our way down the hall and discover who had found us. But, this time, when I opened the door, I couldn't see anyone at first. It was so very, very foggy. Cold. Dark. And then, suddenly, without a sound, out of the mist appeared a little old man. He was standing on our doorstep and he was wearing a crumpled overcoat and the kind of hat a dad would have worn to work many years ago. He said nothing, nothing at all.

We looked at each other and then, with a quick flick of his hand, he gestured for something to write on. I ran for a notebook and pencil, don't know why really, and I held it out to him and he took it. When he handed it back I could one short sentence:

"Please, one pound for bus fare home."

I could spare a pound, I thought, for a man who needed to find his way home. So I offered him one from my pocket and he took it, tipped his hat at me, turned on his heel and disappeared down the path. As the gate clicked I found The Accountant standing behind me. "Why would he come here?" he said. "We're almost at the end of the road. Wouldn't any of the other houses have been closer? Did he really need a pound for a bus?"

And he opened the gate with another click and took a few steps down the street. The man had completely disappeared. Through the fog we looked, right to the bottom of the road, right to the bus stop. There was nobody there. Not a soul, of any kind.

We never saw him again, that gentleman who tipped his hat but didn't speak. He came out of the fog and the fog carried him away again. But I hope we did help him to find his way home. Wherever that was...

And that's my story for today. Why not add one of your own below? It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be clever. We are interested in any little memory you would like to share, today or any day for the rest of this week, but please do remember add a link back here so that your readers can join in too. The linky stays open just for you!