Exciting news!!!

Hello everyone, I hope you bear with me while I share some wonderful news.... our oldest daughter got engaged on Christmas day! Here are the happy couple... we love Jim, he is a lovely thoughtful man and he makes Laura-Beth so very happy - just look at that smile!

This lovely photograph was taken by Stan of Stan plus Stan Two. and this one too... the whole family.... Martin and Niamh, Jim and Laura-Beth, Andy and I, Steph and Alastair

It's been a wonderful Christmas and that news has certainly made us count our blessings!

I haven't had much time to create as we've had our son home from Belfast, this is the first day I've had some me time so I caught up on emails this morning, shopped for fresh veg as we have more visitors tomorrow, then, while Andy was finishing his book I thought I'd catch up with the news in blogland!

I love The Kathryn Wheel blog and Kate has set up a 365 day challenge.... mmm, I thought, I'd like to have a go at this.... it involves making an 'art calendar' and keeping a mini journal every day - and it is mini - the journaling blocks are 1 1/2" square so there's only so much you can write in there - it shouldn't take that long! I've never done any kind of challenge before so I feel quite excited and raring to go! Check out Kate's blog (its got a wow factor!!) and join in, its a great way to meet new arty friends.

I've prepared January, however, my journal is only an A5 one and I think I'm gonna have to go larger... I painted the background after adding book text, added a few snowflakes around the edges (well it is for January and there is still snow on the ground!) but once I'd cut my journaling blocks, they filled the whole page! There isn't enough room to add any doodling or other bits!

I'm really looking forward to doing this - in fact I feel like a giddy schoolgirl, I'm so excited.... I hope you join in... I can't wait for the end of each month to see what everyone else's calendar looks like!

Busy, busy, busy, such a lot to do!

It seems ages since I last blogged, thought I'd better post what I've been up to besides Christmas shopping, visiting our daughter's (one lives in Leicester and one in York), interviews, work, medical visits...blah blah blah... doesn't it get crazy this time of year... it can become so easy to lose the real reason for the season.

The ladies at Stocksbridge have nearly completed their Christmas box and it's coming together nicely. Here they are hard at work - I mean play!!! Madeline the stand up crafter....

It takes two...... sometimes! The creative hands of Deborah and Sam

Gaynor....

Some of the ladies were missing due to illness - I know how that feels - had a grotty cold myself last week! Anyway this is how we left it...

At the next session, we will add the finishing touches and put the whole thing together.... I'll remember to take photos to show their accomplishments!

It was our Sisters day out recently as it was Diane's birthday. We went to a Christmas Fayre at Harewood House.

Diane got lost and Lynn, Brenda and I spent nearly an hour looking for her! How? The place wasn't THAT big! But it was crowded - we just kept missing each other - after all these years we've decided we need a better strategy for finding each other in case one of us goes missing!!!
I can hear you all shouting - why didn't you use your mobile 'phones! Well that would have been too easy! Problem was, the marquee was erected in the courtyard and blocked all the signals!

But us Jones girls always make the most of this precious time together and we managed to buy a few Christmas presents, had lunch at a pub where we gave Diane her birthday gifts, before heading back to Brenda's (preventing her hubby Steve from watching the footy on TV!).... well somebody has to make the coffee!

Brenda found Diane, who had been so fed up trundling round looking for US that she decided to stay put on a chair situated near the loos thinking surely one of us would come by soon!!!


And finally....last week, Gill arranged a play night. She had admired the Christmas box I've been teaching up at Stocksbridge and fancied one herself... "I'll make tea" she said. "You show us the ropes.."

A done deal..... Lynn, Julie, Me, Gill and Shelley all gathered for an evening of pure delight, full of laughs (Gill is slightly mad!) We enjoyed a lovely meal together, cleared the table in double quick time and set to with the gorgeous Blonde Moments papers.

I laughed so much my sides ached...

Lynn and Julie kept mixing up their work and we all watched as they argued (jokingly!) "that's mine!" "No it's mine!"

No, Gill wasn't hinting at us to leave 'cos she was so tired...she was actually jigging to the Christmas tunes on the CD player!

Shelley needed that cup of tea...well it was Friday night after a long week at work.

We made a lot a mess - always a good sign that you're having fun!

We had to work in the kitchen because Gill's craft room was so FULL - of crafting goodies, there wasn't enough room for us to get in there! (I know she's gonna kill me for putting this piccie on my blog!)

Seriously though, its the bestest thing in the world to have crafting pals and great get togethers like this... now why don't we do it more often?