Project life week 35

This summer has sailed by. I can't believe I am now sorting photos into the September file. I am excited for the change of seasons though and what these next few weeks will look like in project life...

Photos:
Quite a few this week and the right hand page is certainly photo heavy. A real mix too with some instagrams with are really just one line stories and some photos of the littlest one going back to school which is a big event in itself.

I wanted to include photos of some of my latest craft pieces. I think it will be fun to look back on in the years to come and see what sort of things I was making. I also popped in that fun picture of my mums shoes which I think make her look like Mary Poppins! I had to include photos of my jot page too- thank you for all your kind comments about it yesterday. I am hoping to write up the story of how it happened at some point.

Journalling:
Mostly just snippets this week. The right hand spread documents the pictures we took of the littlest one heading off to school for the last time. He finishes sixth form at the end of this year so it does feel like the end of an era in our family. I also included journalling about my Dad's new ministry as it is the beginning of an era in many ways for him.

Techniques:
After reading the latest issue of Jot I have a list of techniques I want to try in project life. Nothing wild this week though! I used that circle perpetual calendar on the right hand spread which is quite fun. I also adapted the black tag on the left hand spread to say "he bought tickets". I like how graphic this is and how it sums up in a few words my excitement at going to see Matilda soon.

Anything else: 
Big pictures made a come back! I loved all these photos of my little brother and they all needed to be big so I just went for it.

Week 35 and I feel in a really comfortable place with this project. The end is in site and whilst I don't want to be finished as such I am itching to get that book made!

The secret's out

You know that new online magazine Jot?

You know how its full of pretty project life pages, diy's and links to products? 

Well the new issue is out and you might see a familiar face...

On a serious note I am so so honoured and still in shock to have an article in the latest issue of Jot magazine. I love the style of the magazine that Kim has created. I like how it is bringing all different aspects of memory keeping together and I love the talent of the many people who contribute to the magazine which includes the lovely Sian! It is packed full of inspiration and I come away from reading it feeling like I have another ten projects I want to create! 

If you haven't seen issue two, grab a cuppa and have a read. It's online and the best thing is it's free! 

The story of the blue peter badge

I was a big Blue peter fan for many years.
I am assuming that most readers will know what Blue Peter is but if not, it was and still is a children's tv program. More information can be found here.

I liked the format of the program, I liked the presenters, I liked the competitions although I never ever won anything, and I liked the theme tune.
Looking back on it I think I also liked the sense of history that came with the program. The sense that I was watching a program that my parents had enjoyed when they were younger.

I was a fan in a big way. When I started watching, the internet was around but not in the way it was now. Fun facts about the program could be found in the annuals rather than on the web. I started collecting. My Dad gave me his old Blue Peter annuals and I filled in the gaps by buying them second hand. I'm still quite proud of the fact that I have the 2nd Blue Peter annual right through to the 36th when I stopped watching.

And I didn't just collect them, I read them too. I liked to name the past presenters and compare the stunts and features with the ones on the program at the time.

The big thing for me though, the thing that made this show different, special even, were the badges.

Age nine I could recite them to you. What each badge was and how you could earn them. From simply writing a letter and getting the blue badge right up to saving someones life and getting a gold.

It was inevitable really that before long I wrote my letter, trying to get my badge.  

It was whilst we were living in the Falkland Islands. A photo of one of the presenters had reached our local paper when she flew in a helicopter on the island.
I cut it out and typed up a letter about what life was like as a child on the island.

I expected to get a nicely worded letter in return.
I was one of the lucky ones.
I was read out on the program. No lie, my letter was read out in the "mailbag" feature.

If this wasn't excitement enough a month or so later (post was slow in the Falklands) I received my badge and the booklet of places I was entitled to get into free whilst wearing it.
I was so proud of that badge.
I was so proud to go out wearing it.
I watched Blue Peter, I was dedicated enough to have earned my badge.

Here was the deal with Blue Peter though. If you wrote a second letter you were entitled to the next level badge. The Silver badge.
I duly wrote another letter and waited expectantly.
The nicely worded letter came but with it, not a silver badge, but another blue one. We had moved house by this point and naturally they assumed I was a new "Abi Beach" not the same one who had written from the Falklands.

I remember feeling sad about this for a while but also a bit special. The other children could keep their silver badges. I had two blue ones and I don't think many people can say they have that!

Today I am joining in with the lovely Sian and her Storytelling Sunday- pick your precious. Do pop over to visit other bloggers and read about their precious things.

Paper Feather Garland

So I feel like I am sort of cheating putting this here as a DIY.
I posted this feather garland on instagram and there was a lot of good feedback so I thought I would share how I made it.

The reason I feel like I am cheating is that the feather template isn't mine. 
I used the template and tutorial for making the individual feathers from this post by Lia Griffith.

I cut mine out of plain white card and old book paper glued to card to give it a bit of extra rigidity.
I then gathered all the feathers I had created and put them together in groups of three. No rhyme or reason here. I just layered them up in ways that made me happy.

I added a dab of glue to the end of each to secure them together.
Once I had enough groups of three I tied them with a knot onto a piece of garden twine.

The feather template is beautifully designed so there is enough of a "tail" on the feathers to tie them onto the twine without glue.

I think these would look so lovely at a party strung up with fairy lights.
Whimsical and light they flutter in my room above my desk. Another garland to add to the collection.

Around here- August edition

This is what life has looked like in August. Drinking many cups of tea. Going on long walks with friends, re-organising and clearing out the space I work in at home. Exploring new places and capturing their details. Going through and editing photos from our time away in France.

My around here photos are the photos that get left behind. The ones that are left on the memory card or never made it to the blog post. They are often imperfect but they capture now. This month.

What would be your picture for the month?

Let's sit and have a cup of tea

Hello,

It's so good to see you. It feels like only yesterday we were sitting down to share life over a pot of tea and here we are again, another month having flown by.

If you were with me now I would take you by the arm to our weathered garden table. It has been bank holiday weekend here in the UK and uncharacteristically for a national holiday the weather has been hot and sunny.

I would tell you that I am keen to enjoy this weather for as long as it lasts- which I don't think will be long- and ask if you will be warm enough if we sit out here. You would assure me that you are just fine so I would pull the tray towards me and pour the first steaming mug out of the big blue teapot.

We would sit there leaning back in our chairs, comfortable with each other as I started to tell you what had happened in the last month. I would start by saying that I am looking forward to Autumn. It has always been my favourite season, partly because my birthday is in September but also because I love the sense of anticipation of this season. Laughingly I would tell you that Autumn appeals to two sides of me, my nesting instinct and my craving of routine. I am not a huge winter fan but I see Autumn as the grace period before the horrible weather starts. The time to knit and sew and create warm and snuggly blankets ready for the snow. I also like the vibe that "back to school" brings. Autumn says organisation to me, fresh paper and new folders. After a lazy summer I need routine.
I would gaze up from my tea and ask you what your favourite season is?

Would you like a cookie? They are freshly baked and there is the choice of two. Peanut butter and chocolate or straight chocolate. Healthy you say? I don't think that exists with us. The more chocolate the better!

As you took your first cookie (yes I am anticipating more than one) I would talk to you about how my creativity seems to keep track with the seasons. That summer makes my creativity sleepy and lazy but now the cooler weather is drawing closer I feel myself drawn to more projects. I would tell you how excited I am to share some more simple DIY's I have made in the last week or so. That I am pondering carrying on the series I started this time last year called "the student makes". A series of DIY's on the cheap. I feel like my creative mojo is slowly seeping its way back it. I would ask you what you do when you feel creatively uninspired and you would probably share with me very wise tips from years of crafting and making.

How about another cup of tea? As I cradled by second mug in my hands I would tell you that August has been a busy, busy month. A month of good busy things but one of those months where I feel like I am on the go a lot. I would smile as I recounted the adventures I have had from going to France with the boy to visiting uni friends to catching up with long time school friends over a cup of tea. We would smile as we talked about friendship and I would tell you that I feel very blessed to have a life where I am surrounded by wonderful, funny and kind friends.

Speaking of friendship I would say with perhaps a hint of longing in my voice that I am eager to head back to Durham. I have another month yet but that nesting instinct is kicking in. My next project is to collect recipes from my mum and start practicing in the kitchen. I would look you in the eyes and tell you honestly that I am beyond excited to share a house with three of my closest friends but am also so intimidated by that big step into adulthood. What was your first house like? I would smile and ask you if you had any tips?

Doesn't time fly when we are together. The tea is turning cold now and there is definitely a bite in the air. I have been meaning to ask you a question. I have just had a good clear out and have a lot of scrapbook stuff, still in good condition, that I am thinking of selling on the blog very cheap. Do you think there would be much interest? I so value your opinion.

The clock would soon strike the hour and the clatter of plates in the kitchen would tell both of us that we would need to be off soon. As usual I would walk you to the gate and just before you left I would tell you, trying to conceal my pride that there is a big secret this month. I want to keep it a surprise but would wink and ask you to have look at the latest issue of jot magazine, when it is published, and see if you can see a familiar face.

On that note we would laugh and hug and say as we always do how good it is do life with one another.
I would thank you for coming and make you promise to come over again next month.

If you were meeting with me now, what would you tell me? 

If you would like to write a "tea" post please add it to the linky at the bottom so we can all sit and share with you! The linky will be open for a week so you have plenty of time! 

An Invitation

Who fancies a good catch up, a piece of cake, a steaming cup of tea and a comfy chair? 

On Tuesday the 27th I want to invite you over to my little slice (pun!) of the web to share tea and a good natter. 

It's been a month since we last met and there are all sorts of things to fill you in on. 

As always I love to share life with friends but the conversation gets dull if it's just me doing the talking so feel free to join in in the comments, write your own "tea post" or simply grab your favourite brew and sit back and relax. 

A "tea post" doesn't have to be long. It can be funny, serious, trivial, down to earth or a list of grumbles. It can be bullet points, a scrapbook page, a quote that made you laugh or perhaps a current favourite song. 

Whatever it may be. What would you want to share if we were sitting down together for tea on Tuesday? 

For previous "tea posts" click the "Time for tea" tab in the sidebar. There you will find my own ramblings over the last few months and the wonderful, funny and endearing accounts from women the world over as they too shared what was on their hearts over a piece of cake. 

Can't wait to see you soon!