9 pilots

So, I sat down yesterday afternoon for a little blog hop, and came across this post on Shimelle's blog.  And decided to join in. I shopped my stash, came up with some suitable papers and a photo I took on holiday in Cornwall last year.  The photo had a couple of stories I wanted to tell, but I just wasn't sure how to scrap them.

And about an hour later, had this layout. Thanks for the inspiration, Shimelle.

'Tis the season

This year, I decided to go a slightly different way with my Christmas cards.  For years I've made my own Christmas cards, but this year, with working full time, it just wasn't going to happen.

I decided early on - in about October, that this year, I would do just one piece of art, using the She Art course, that I did earlier in the year.  Then, this would be printed out for my cards.  I finally got around to doing the canvas, which is actually 12" by 12", late in November. I got it scanned at work and set about printing them off at home.  I decided to go the easy route - and print straight onto the cards.  However, three hours later it just wasn't happening, and I even ended up with the printer spewing out dozens of copies onto ordinary printer paper, which promptly got put to one side.

About a week later, whilst considering buying cards, I decided to just go with what I'd got.  Although the prints were on very ordinary paper, they were printed at best quality.  So, a production line of cutting and sticking brought me a neat pile of Christmas cards in about half an hour - result!  Some doodling around the edge of each picture gave just a little bit more of a hand crafted edge.  And I also have a Christmas piece of art, as I said - Result!

A birdie told me

 
Ages ago, I made a papier mache boat. Do you remember?  And I wanted a bird to go in it.  But, you know how it is, I had in mind the perfect bird. And, I just couldn't find a pattern.

Every so often I'd look at the boat, and the bird that was looking after it.  And wonder, will I ever find the right birdie sailor? 

So, a couple of weeks ago, while wandering around the internet, something prompted me to go on a bird hunt.  And I found just what I had pictured in my mind. I bought the pattern from The Paper Shed, although this pattern doesn't seem to be available at the moment. But, there's an owl one! I may just have to go shopping there again!

The pattern arrived, and after about an hour or so, I had the sweetest little bird for my boat.

 

I think there may be a little flock of these on the horizon.

 

 

13.1 miles

I did it.

On Sunday I completed the Great Birmingham Run. It was hard, really hard. But, it was a huge achievement, and I've raised over £400 for Macmillan Cancer Support, who do a brilliant job in the UK supprting people with cancer. 

I sort of aimed to complete in about 3 hours, and my official time was 3 hours 10 minutes.  Not too bad for a short, overweight, forty-something who only started running 8 months ago specifically with this goal in mind.  All of the people mentioned in this post ran as well, including my brother - who is happy and healthy, and ran a very respectable  2 hours 20 minutes.

I feel so much fitter now that I run, and I plan to carry on.  But only for a couple of miles a couple of times a week.  And, that last sentence still amazes me - I still can't quite believe that I'm a runner!

I'm a Winner!

 A couple of weeks ago, I was having a little blog hop - as you do.  I was visiting the lovely, creative blog
Efemera Ink when I was invited to hop on over to another blog.  So, off I went, to yet another inspiring blog, Scattered Scarlet .  Where I was invited to leave a comment, which I did.  And in return, I am now the very happy owner of "this little bit of nonsense".

 

Thank you, Effie.  It's so lovely, and is inspiring me to do something creative.

I'm missing my makings - but, I have less than a week now, until I run my half marathon - and then I can return to real life, and the long list of ideas I've gathered over the past few weeks and months.

One of the first things on the list is that  header, up there...

Strictly knitting

It's that time of year, Strictly is back on our screens.  Last year, I knitted a pair of wristlet/fingerless gloves mostly whilst watching Strictly. I knit while the chat goes on, then watch when the dancing starts. 

Just after last Christmas I bought another ball of the wool, cast on and knitted a few rows.  Then, put it away. After all, I didn't need another pair of gloves for the summer...  But now, my Strictly gloves are back on the top of my to-do pile, and by the end of the series, I should have another pair of wrist-warmers. It may take that long, as I am an extremely slow knitter.

Hello, anybody there?

Hello, anybody there? I know, I know, you thought I'd fallen off the edge of the blogosphere, didn't you?

Well, not quite.  I've been busy, busy, busy.  Getting used to working full time, and then when I get home it's all train,train, train for the half-marathon.  Which is in just four weeks... eek.  

Oh, and we're also looking at Universities for Luu for next year.  We just came back from Chichester this afternoon, then out for a 4km run, and now about to have dinner.

The pictures?  It's against my self-imposed blogging rules to post without any.  And I'd uploaded these to blogger in May (!) so, I thought you may as well see them.  Back in May we were very busy in the garden, and re-vamping the shed for Mark to go and "play" in.