Sunday 21 December 2008

Solstice Celebration

Well all the winter wonderland scenes of the last post have kind of set the scene I guess, so now it's the shortest day of the year. I've had a few days off and sorted and cleaned and tidied, and even decorated the heart wreath and put a few other decs out and cards up. I won't be here on Christmas day itself so am not putting the tree and all the decs up but one or two have sneaked out of the cupboard! OH is coming over for dinner tonight so it'll be a solstice celebration I guess!

Tuesday 2 December 2008

Travelling through Narnia...

Or so it seemed, some pics on my mobile phone from the train window at the weekend.

Another month goes by in the blink of an eye...

I found it hard to get decent pics on 25th November, I guess I was tired and it was a not too fabby day and nothing much was happening and I forgot to take pics at work so I just have a few this time round. My cactus flowered again - twice in one year- very strange. My workspace was quite tidy - also very strange. And I took a piccie of my feet in the mirror - strangest of all. But then I was trying to follow the self portrait prompt but hated all the ones I took....

Saturday 25 October 2008

25th!

Has come round again, so here's some pics from today, in all it's wet, wild and windy-ness.
Oh and er, yes that was my morning clock shot!

Friday 24 October 2008

Christmas is coming...

We came, we saw, we shopped! My sis and me went to the craft fair at the SECC yesterday, lots of stalls to look at and stroke and touch and poke and deliberate and try to choose things, but we managed and came home with a few bags between us! Some stamps from Clarity stamps (for Christmas cards!), some patchwork (for Christmas too, but my sis is not saying which Christmas...), some wool, and all sorts of odds and ends. A lovely day out.
And the penguins are on parade! I made another one for an online pal, so he's all excited about going off in the post soon...

Friday 3 October 2008

Caught up again...

Well hey, I feel all up to date on this one now... wonder how long that will last? Finally resolved my argument with Virgin photos - they refunded me and I printed them out myself! So here are August and September's Save the day pages. Wonder what I should go and catch up on next? I never really got started on My Freedom so maybe that's top of the list!

Sunday 28 September 2008

The 25th, from a railway carriage

Well I came home and was disappointed as I'd hoped my miniprints from Virgin media would be here so I could do August's page then send off some pics for September, but half my order (and all the pics from the 25th) was missing. They have said they will reprint though. But it seems to be hard to find any place that does those neat little 4 on a page miniprints. If anyone knows a good supply please let me know! Anyway the photo prompt for this month focussed on reflections, and as I had an early morning train journey I tried a few things out, just on my camera phone.

Sunday 14 September 2008

More July catch ups!

August was so busy workwise, that this is me just sitting down to scrap for the first time in ages... and catching up on another July page! This was our team challenge on UKS for the Bitty Blossoms, where we are running a Book of Months (or seasons) with Willow setting challenges. July was about the Celtic tree month of Holly, so I took these photos at Alnwick Castle when we were on our hols in July - looking through the castle doors to a big holly bush! It was strange as I always associate holly with December and Christmas, but of course it's all year round, and the young green leaves were so vibrant.

Monday 1 September 2008

Wordles

Just had to have a go at this!

Thursday 28 August 2008

Catching up on July's pages

I was away on holiday on 25th July - all the family down to Keswick for lots of games and books and fun.. think Gran might be getting fed up getting snapped though! So guess I should be thinking about getting August's piccies printed out and organised.

Tuesday 26 August 2008

25th again

It comes by so quickly - I haven't actually quite done July's page yet. Yesterday was an at home day, a get organised and do some work and I've got a headache day. It started out very wet, got a bit sunny and then back downhill again. I took a few piccies with my camera phone, not always so good though... It was nice to sit in the wee bit of sun in my tidy craft chair corner though!

More fun with felt...

This started out life as the pea green boat for the owl and the pussycat, but I kind of got carried away, and they preferred sitting out on the windowsill rather than being in a boat, so it became a fancy bowl thing. I used some wet felting to get rid of the fuzzy sticking out bits at the back, then reshaped and needled again - all just experimenting really, but fun. I tried to do another one and it came out very differently - this became a birthday gift for my sister. And this just wanted to be a penguin....

Friday 22 August 2008

Well it does kind of feel that summer's over, so here's a few snaps from my hols in July. Sand castle on the beach, the Roman baths at Chester fort, patterns in the stonework at the Lindisfarne Priory, the doorway at Alnwick Castle, and the embroidery I did this summer!

Sunday 3 August 2008

Chronicles of Me

Chronicles of Me, originally uploaded by Flapsi Hapsi.

Having a bit of fun this morning over the breakfast cup of tea and a leisurely skim over my blog favourites and I found this fun little idea on Emily Falconbridge's blog, and she got it from Denise. You answer a series of questions about yourself, type the answer into flickr search, choose a photo from the first page of results then do a photo mosaic. I love this! Have a go.

The questions are:

  1. What is your first name? (Karen)
  2. What is your favorite food? (Chinese)
  3. What high school did you attend? (Garnock)
  4. What is your favorite color? (Red)
  5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Louis Armstrong)
  6. Favorite drink? (G&T)
  7. Dream vacation? (Iceland)
  8. Favourite dessert? (Chocolate cake)
  9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Musician)
  10. What do you love most in life? (Togetherness)
  11. One word to describe you. (Creative)
  12. Your Flickr name. (Flapsi)
1. Coffee with Karen, 2. Sumatran Tiger ; bathing, 3. Garnock (HDR/Tone mapped), 4. Awrad ( Flowers ), 5. Louis Armstrong Giants of Jazz Series, 6. Dew and Bubbles, 7. Lost in Iceland, 8. mini chocolate cupcakes, 9. Party on the Patio !, 10. togertherness, 11. he loves me/he loves me not., 12. Flapsi

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Sparkly things

Well it's nice to know that folks like this blog - I go away on hols and neglect it terribly but thanks to Fiona and Eleni who both gave me this sparkly web button! So here's what it's about: 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. Hhmm, now blogs do catch my eye - usually when I should be working on something else oops - so my nominations go to: Starr, Carrie, Chiara, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Scrapdolly

Friday 11 July 2008

Saving the day (late in the day I know...)

A quick catch up of Shimelle's Save the Day here - it's amazing how quickly you can scrap when you have the basic page all done just waiting on photos .... mind you I think it might have been easier if I'd left it til I knew which photos I was going to use! May was holiday time in Shetland with mum so loads to choose from there, and I was working in June rehearsing a new project.

My Freedom 4: inspired by poetry

Well I'm not that inspired by this class so far in scrapping terms - I'm quite enjoying it in terms of the questions asked and things to think about and they work well as blog prompts but I'm still struggling with something worth actually scrapping over ... maybe I'll do it more as an art journal. Maybe. Anyway this was yesterday's prompt but it came in quite late so I've just got it - have you ever been inspired by the words of a poem? Well - yes - loads! But then I did do a degree in English literature so it would be weird if I hadn't. The problem here is what to choose! But I have always loved this poem, and it seems to suit the time and travel themes as well. Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Robert Frost Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. There are other bits of poems that I find apt too (in fact I keep meaning to do a poetry journal or A-Z maybe): from T S Eliot (The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock): For I have known them all already, known them all:— Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; from Andrew Marvell (To His Coy Mistress) But at my back I always hear Time's winged chariot hurrying near; The end of Paradise Lost by Milton Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide; They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way. And finally - if rather long windedly - thanks for making me search out this one that I remembered bits of - and again it seems that a lot of the poetry I recall and that has made an impression on me is all about time and travel (and I haven't even touched on Joni Mitchell's lyrics yet...) Ulysses Alfred Lord Tennyson It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Matched with and aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me. I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vexed the dim sea: I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart Much have I seen and known; cities of men And manners, climates, councils, governments, Myself not least, but honoured of them all; And drunk delight of battle with my peers, Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy. I am a part of all that I have met; Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades For ever and for ever when I move. How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnished, not to shine in use! As though to breathe were life. Life piled on life Were all too little, and of one to me Little remains: but every hour is saved From that eternal silence, something more, A bringer of new things; and vile it were For some three suns to store and hoard myself, And this grey spirit yearning in desire To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought. ... There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail: There gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners, Souls that have toiled, and wrought, and thought with me - That ever with a frolic welcome took The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed Free hearts, free foreheads -you and I are old; Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods. The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks: The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die. It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Wednesday 9 July 2008

What's in your suitcase?

My Freedom prompt 3 - necessities for travel ... well I travel a lot and try to do it lightly but my real necessities are:
  • change of clothes and spare knickers
  • paracetamol
  • first aid kit (including wipes and anti-bacterial gel) and any medication
  • tea tree oil
  • ear plugs
  • shampoo or liquid soap
  • moisturiser
  • towel
  • hair band / scrunchy
  • notebook and pen/pencil
  • phone
  • money/cards
  • passport
  • book
  • water
  • swimsuit
  • decent pair of socks
  • comfy shoes
  • something warm and waterproof
  • sunglasses
  • noel - my travelling bear companion

And that's it - you can go round the world on this lot! (I have...)

So what's yours?