And For the Rest of the Week

Quite a lot going on this week. 

Sadly one of Mike's uncles died this week, so he has to head off for another funeral at some point next week.  I think you do seem to hit patches where you get 2 or 3 of these happening - coincidence I guess.

Jamie had a cubs trip on Saturday to a place called Gilwell which is a cub-scout place and had a brilliant time.

He has been practicing hard for his Guitar Grade 2 exam and I am keeping just about everything crossed for him, he had his exam on Thursday so now we just have to wait and see.

I was looking after K & K again Thursday and Friday after school so that was fun, Jamie stayed at French this week, he sneaked out last week, naughty chap - couldn't resist the lure of his pal at home without him!!!!

It was also the school summer fayre on Friday, I gave the arrangements I had made at college as raffle prizes all cellophaned and ribboned up, and have a guess who won one, my friend Andrea - Georgia's Mum, I was pleased as she got my favourite of the two!

England managed somehow to get through to the next round of the World Cup, not sure its deserved but they did it anyway.  Me I've had some cricket on, but England are doing well and the Aussies not so well, not sure who I want to win - cos I just love the Aussies!!!!

Mike did the guitar and drama run, whilst I finished off an assignment, only 1 to go now!!

On Sunday we went for a walk around the woods, but it was mega hot, then came home for a little 3 of us BBQ and to watch the England match - urgh!  The least said about England's football performance the better.

And so will this be the last week in at college - fingers crossed!



Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban

It's an awfully long time since I have managed one of these - it's so nice to be back!

1. On vacation, I like to read and read and read some more.


2. I love to swim in the ocean.

3. One of my favorite vacation spots has to be Greece so I can do 1 and 2.

4. My husband worries when he sees its the full moon.

5. Up, up and away in an aeroplane on holiday with my family would be rather nice at the end of next week, but sadly it isn't going to happen!!

6. Bananas in a crusty roll and a big mug of coffee, mmmmm breakfast!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting an assignment finished, tomorrow my plans include getting another assignment finished and Sunday, I want to have a BBQ with Mike and Jamie and watch England win in the football World Cup.
 
Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban

College - The Final Week (Well Sort Of!!!)

So the final week of classes has arrived, although not the final week.  We still have two weeks which they call re-submission weeks, which are for any re-takes, any mopping up and any other bits which need sorting out.  I handed in another assignment, a mere 80+ pages and about 15,000 words, City and Guilds please take note, this does need looking at!  I didn't go in Monday or Tuesday I decided to crack on with written work made more sense as there was no more course work for me to do.

Below is an all round posy arrangement with a candle I have re-done here's a link to my first attempt.  http://suesfamilyflowersandfunstuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/back-to-college-week-7-spring-term.html   - hardly a comparison really!!  This one is an awful lot better but the flowers are an awful lot better so that makes it easier to make and plan the design and I do like this colour scheme.  I upgraded my pass to a Merit, which is all you can do (a Merit can be upgraded to a Distinction) but you can only upgrade a piece once.  But I needed to get a Merit on this and I did so job done!!

Here is a piccie of both the upgraded pieces together.

My second upgrade piece of the week was this front facing arrangement which is a vast improvement on my first assessment which you can find here (http://suesfamilyflowersandfunstuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/back-to-college-week-7-spring-term.html).  I needed to get a Merit on this piece too and I did which means I have upgraded that unit to a Distinction which makes me very happy.  I can see one or two problems with this piece but still it did the job and don't the Chrysanthemum 'Anastasia' look lovely - well worth the price!!

And now for my penultimate assessment (well I may try and upgrade 1 or 2 more yet) but excluding resits.  This is the raised buffet which I decided not to submit last week as I wasn't happy with it.  Getting the oasis and the dish to sit securely in the Martini glass was a bit of a challenge, but I got there in the end, thanks to profiteroles from Tesco.  Well we had them for supper on Father's Day and I realised the shape of the top of the container was going to work perfectly - it would sit inside the Martini glass and not be seen or would be easier to disguise as it was clear plastic.

I did spend quite some time working out how to secure the dish and it worked - hooray.  I modified the design slightly changing the larger thicker stemmed bamboo for Gladiolus 'Green Star' which are lighter and taller so makes the proportions look better too.  I kept to the same colour scheme orange carnation, yellow roses and Chrysanthemum 'Anastasia Lime', I had used some lime sisal and a few ice-cubes and there is your citrus cocktail.  I was very pleased with this and I got the Distinction I was looking for which means I got a Distinction in that module as well, so I was a happy happy bunny.  So that was a couple of units totally completed.  I have completed 7 of my units completely now (except for any resits and pending some work being marked!)

So classes are now over and I probably am only going to be in for another 2 or 3 days excepting dropping or picking up written work, so almost done!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban

Scrapbook Crop

Sunday was crop time again, that has come around very quickly, not that I am complaining!!  So I had got myself  all packed up and had spent some time putting together some kits, with pictures, papers from the  scrap crap and any ribbons, letters or embellishments I thought might work.  It means I don't have to take so much stuff with me and I can be quite organised in what I am doing.

Below is my main scrapping subject - Jamie in a layout using some October Afternoon papers and a handmade paper flower wot I made myself.  Quite plain but good fun being ready and organised.  I am into one colour layouts and keeping it to a monochromatic colour scheme, but using the tints, tones and shades of that colour.  I've used just a hint of brown as a contrast.  The journalling reads "Jamie in his first school assembly at HP School, behind Jamie is his good friend G".

The layout below is part of my 'rockstar' album.  It's my lovely lovely Ian McNabb, although this LO is still to be finished, I tried to rush out a third one in the last 20 minutes (and I think may have given rise to next months challenge - a speed scrap - but I will have to wait and see).  This is pictures of Ian at Guilfest in 200?, at another but can't remember where and backstage at The Stables (from which he has now got himself banned for being a naughty boy!!).  Ian looking fab in the picture and me looking dreadful with my very short hair, which at the time I thought looked great, but oh how wrong I was!!

Back to Jamie and back to a monochromatic colour scheme.  This was the challenge for this month, a scrap lift.  That is a totally super picture of Jamie so I needed to find a LO to lift which made use of a large picture.  I will add a bit of journalling to it now, the photo was taken in the Maze at Hampton Court Palace in 2008.  I am very into do it yourself embellishments at the moment as most of the ones I've bought have stayed largely in their wrappers, I never seem to have just what I want so I have thought I had better make my own.

Very much looking forward to the crop next month, as always a lovely bunch of ladies.  We had a raffle too with a lovely prize but I didn't win (shame!)  But the lady who won was new to scrapbooking so it was nice for her to win and see if she gets bitten by the bug.

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

And The Rest of the Week

Basically for me its been college work all week, when I haven't been at college so nothing too much happening.  I looked after a friends boys after school for a couple of hours for a couple of evenings which was fun and I have them again next week. 

Jamie had a really fun day at Gillwell on his Cubs day and had lots of stories to tell when he got home.

We have watched some of the World Cup and England seem to be trying very hard to throw it away!


Ciao Sue XX Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

College - The Penultimate Week!! - AARGH AARGH!!

And it was a bit of a damp squib, largely because I felt I spent nearly all of Monday sat around waiting for the tutor to stop spending her time with one student and remember that there are a lot more of us in the class.  So on Monday I got very very little done, when I had planned to get a lot more done, frustrating!

But I got my handbag corsage crossed off, this one looks a little sad but it is all there.  The flowers were 'well' old and not really up to the job, but at least it's another one off the list.

The design below I did at home to get is signed off, a compact textured posy, which I did grouped I like it, and everything in it has been recycled from another arrangement or free of charge courtesy of neighbours gardens!!  The large fir cone in the centre is one which we picked up in Kefalonia so is a lovely reminder of a fantastic holiday there.

Tuesday I didn't bother going in, spent my time working on written work at home, of which there still seems to be so much.  Could I please make a very simple plea to City and Guilds, for goodness sake give us a bloody clue when it comes to how much you want written for each level as assignments at over 80 pages a throw is beginning to get a bit tiresome!!!!!

Above is my circlet practice which I did on Wednesday and was pretty pleased with, now I just need to have a practice and check out the timings and work out when I am going to do this assignment.  And below is the most frustrating of things - I did my raised buffet but just wasn't happy with how it sat in the martini glass so withdrew it rather than getting it wrong and only getting a pass.  This was a big shame as it was a lovely design a citrus cocktail with fruit and lots of lovely coloured flowers.  Shame it wouldn't sit correctly in the lovely martini glass I have - so it is back to the drawing board on this one.

Overall a very frustrating week as I had planned to do so much more and get so much more out of the way!!  And then next week is the last week of classes - oh how that date has been yearned for and not just by me but by those who live with me and have had to put up with me being cranky and distracted just about all the time!!

Ciao Sue XX Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

And The Rest of the Week

It was college, college, college for me this week, just seem to have been in a total haze and letting everything else pass by, but Mike was keeping everything ticking over.  I took Jamie to guitar and drama and did college work whilst I was waiting for him!!

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

College - The Final Push - 3 Weeks To Go

So it's now the final push, lots of assignment work still to be done, the assignments just seemed to be huge, I end up writing pages and pages and pages.

Three weeks to go and lots of practical work this week, some good and some very bad!  Below an assignment, not good, I've struggled with this piece, I managed to get a pass, but I am not happy with and will be back to the drawing board on this one!!  It's supposed to be a tied posy in a collar and I hate it!

Below is my standard corsage from the wedding unit, simply lovely (sorry but it is!!) quite simple in one way ivy, roses and a little bit of gypsophilia, but it is very pretty and perfect for that summer wedding, I got a Distinction for this so I was pleased.

Below is a bridesmaid's posy in a foam holder, again really  pleased with this, I got a nice shape, colours and proportions have worked well, and its a Distinction too!!

Function decorating unit this time and a table centre arrangement, I went for something very modern, banyan leaves, call, gypsophilia and delphinium, it was a bit tight in terms of time but I was pleased with the outcome, and I got another Distinction - so overall not too bad a week!!

Two weeks left to go!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Friars June 4th - Paul Weller and John Otway

A good night!  Not much to say just lots of photos from a good night!  Lovely to see lots of friends old and new and Bob - I love you - what you did in NL truly one of the funniest things I have ever seen!!  Big thanks to Martin for driving and putting up with some drunken passengers!!  And finally apologies to my neighbours for my husband's outburst when we got home - he drunkenly walked into Martin's boot - nice gash and lots of blood!!  My apologies to my neighbours for my hysterical laughter and total incapacity when he did it!!!!!  It was a fun night.

So not much else to say just lots of photos courtesy of Mike's website where you can find the appropriate credits for each of the photos.  My camera broke, the battery cover final gave up (thankfully now repaired - how would I live without my camera)

David Stopps being interviewed by BBC Oxford

The Merch stall

Paul Weller

Timetable

Friars old and new

The Legendary John Otway

who was amazing to see

and will be seen again

Paul Weller

Weller

Otway after the gig

Getting his Friars Last Night Phase III Award

The End

it was incredibly sad to see this after the show and to know there would be no more gigs or events in this venue

One of the bar staff I had met when doing my work placement - small world

Sold out!!

Speaks for itself!!

All jumbled up but this is earlier in the day - setting up - Paul Weller was playing huge venues - Albert Hall etc on this tour and then diddy old Friars - a real coup for them

The trucks

The cake

The crowd, Mike meeting and greeting (ha ha!!)

Paul Weller

Paul Weller

The legendary Kris Needs - DJing

Rick and Judy working hard on the merch stall and celebrating their 33rd Wedding Anniversary

A face or two oh and Mike and I

John  and Judy

The end of an era - literally

Mike and the lovely Don

Kriss Needs on the decks

Mr Webmaster and Mrs Blogger

Some of the HJ crew - we'd met at the Here and Now last year

The packed venue

Stuart getting a piccie of the cake

Simon Bettinson  of the Young Punx - look for him behind Dizzy Rascal

David Stopps

Would you please make your way to the exits!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox