Laura's Rebel Journey

  Make a Festive Ornament & Handmake At Least One Present This is the French Hen cross-stitch that I made as part of Conscious Consumer where you have to make gifts rather than buying them.  I always buy a new Christmas decoration for my children each year, but this year I have made them. I have also made a couple more cross-stitch gifts ready for Christmas. Take Part In Whamaggedon Oh, this is so happening!

  CRAFT - I have completed this, although I still have a candle kit to try. CRITIC - I have completed this and blogged about it.  I also used this for the Quarterly Challenge. WRITER - three months done and into the fourth month. CONSCIOUS CONSUMER   Clause 2 - two months left to only buy myself second-hand clothes. Clause 6 - I have the printing blocks and need to make at least two more items. I'm using this for the Quarterly Challenge. FUNDRAISER - made a final bank donation today, so this complete. BAKER - I'm using this for the Quarterly Challenge. Banana Bread done - two more breads needed. Rock cakes and Carrot Cake done - need one more cake. No progress made on biscuits. Apple crumble made twice and forgot to take photos twice. Savoury Pie - I'm unsure what to do for this when half the family won't even eat it.  May need to adapt. No progress made on eclairs. Sweet Tart - I'm going to make a pumpkin pie, which is actually a sweet tart, despite the name. Spo...

All eight Clauses have to be completed to gain this Badge.  Seven of them are totally doable, the eighth? Not so much.  Visit a Planetarium, Observatory or Science Centre.   I've done all these things in the past and more than once, theoretically I could just back date it and be done with it. I will be visiting a science centre (if all goes to plan) at Easter, so perhaps I will just not let myself buy the badge until then.  Either way, I won't be completing Clause 8 during the three months that I'm going to be doing this Badge, time and finances mean this isn't an option.  I'm still Consciously Consumering until the end of December, and beyond at this rate! Clause 1 - create a two month log book and observe the night sky twice a week .  I'm going to put the log book in my planner so everything is together.  As I'll be starting from November I will make this after I've made my November journalling spreads. Clause 2 - research any astronomical events ...

 Saturday 8th October 2022 Nerina Pallot at Storey's Field, Cambridge I'm not sure how to start this.  How do I critically review Nerina except to say that it was wonderful?  I can't recall the last time I went to a gig, it was certainly the first time that A & B have had a babysitter that wasn't a grandparent, so it was already a memorable day. She had chosen her own support act, which she told the audience doesn't always happen, and she had chosen well.  They were a wife and husband band that started during the first Lockdown.  They apologised that this had caused more sober songs than upbeat songs, but let's face it, Lockdown was a sober time.  THe band is called T.I.G.Y. which stands for ' Thoughts I Give You'. I enjoyed them hnd bought their C.D.  Supporting a small business and being a Conscious Consumer! 😉 Nerina's set started at 9pm.  She came on stage, picked up a guitar and... there was no mic!  She chatted away while the sound...

 Time for a new quarterly mission! Complete one badge from every section of the book Make a birthday cake and eat a slice Learn to sing or sign Happy Birthday in another language Make a Rebel birthday card and share it on the group! The badges I'm choosing are -  Creative - I'm counting Critic as this is ongoing in this time period Global - I'm counting Conscious Consumer as this is ongoing in this time period Grown Up - Baker .  Happy to use this challenge as a reason to complete baker. Self Aware - My Collection .  I really need to sort this out and not just keep adding things to the collection! Wellness - Self Care .  I feel most of these Clauses are doable. Wild - Stargazer .  I'd planned to start this in the Autumn anyway. Making a birthday cake and eating a slice will be easy, this is my birthday month! I'm going to get my friend to teach me the song in Welsh. I'm sure I can come up with something!

 Holding myself accountable with a Badge Work update to head into October. CRAFT - over three months try five activities. I'm working on this badge through August, September and October. I have completed projects in felting, weaving, origami and block printing. So many ginger cats! The block printing was a Craft Along raising money for the Cats Protection League - Craft for Cats .  It was brilliant!  I immediately went and bought some more kits from The Arty Crafty Place to make Christmas presents. I'm still working on my Desert Escape cross stitch kit , but I'm loving this as well.  Even bought myself a subscription to the Cross Stitch magazine.  When this piece is finished, I will have completed the required five Clauses.  However, I do still have candles to make, so I'll end up with six new crafts. Stitchy progress! CRITIC - over six months write a review of five things I'm working on this badge between July and December. I've written reviews for two e...

 I hadn't really intended to start the Craft badge so quickly, but Hawthorn Handmade have these gorgeous felt brooches and a cross stitch kit featuring a cactus .  So I was rather torn between needing to save money for the Money Saver (and other Clauses), but also make presents. Anyway, I bought them, and I may also have bought a weaving starter kit at the same time. 😬 I figure that these starter kits will give me the skills I need to be able to make presents for the Conscious Consumer.  You can't give gifts of gorgeous felted brooches if you don't have the skill set to produce the thing in the first place. I decided to give weaving a try first. I love it!  Obviously, it's going to need a bit of work, but it's really enjoyable.  They give you instructions on how to add the warp (the white string bits) to the frame, supply some wefts (that's the woolly bits) and explain some of the stitches.  There's a pattern included if you want to follow a pattern, but...

 Keeping myself on track, here is a list of what I need to work on during September. ACTIVIST Clause 7 - study one example of how art was used to communicate a message and create cultural change. Make a scrapbook or similar about your findings . I'm not certain where to start with this, especially as making a scrapbook seems rather excessive.  Perhaps I'll make a blog post about it instead, that will save paper and printer ink! CONSCIOUS CONSUMER Clause 1 - Actively aim to buy as little as possible . September is the last month for this Clause and I am expecting it to be easier once the children are back at school and ice creams are no longer an essential sanity-saving purchase. (Overlap with Money Saver) Clause 2 - Buy only second hand clothes . This is month three of six.  I've done alright so far with two hand-me-down long sleeved tops ready for the autumn and a long skirt from Mind that I can wear in the autumn. Clause 5 - Learn to fix items that you would otherwise t...