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?

The Night begins to turn your head around...

Andy and I met an old chum that we haven't seen for 30 years last night. It brought memories flooding back. Do you ever wonder sometimes what happened to the people in your past?
We were part of a gang that used to travel all over the country to all nighter's and all dayers, dancing to northern soul.... if you're a lover of soul, you know that the music beats with the rhythm of your heart!


We did some catching up and the news we exchanged caused much reflection, made me know how much I've changed as a person... and thankful for the direction my life has taken....there will be lots of art journal pages to come out of this encounter!
But here's Martin (aka as Stan as his name is Martin Stanley!) We re-connected last year when we celebrated another friend's 50th birthday at a soul event. He's the most adorable chap you could wish to meet, truly, we have been able to pick up where we left off with him.

And here's my hubby dancing to "Man of Value" - very fitting 'cos he is!

In my other world, guess where I went recently? Had a fabby day at Dy's making some fabby tags - she asked all of us which were our favourites, of course the correct answer is "all of them!"

Secretly though, I'm drawn to the ones with the Santa's on! and the one with the reindeer, oh and I like the one with the lantern on because it reminds me of Narnia (I love those books by C.S.Lewis!) and then there's the beeswax one.... see its hard to choose, so I guess the correct answer is "all of them!"

The ladies at my Friday scrapbook class at the Craft Box finished their "12 Days" project and all declared they have loved it. Don't ask me why I didn't get a picture of their lovely work! I took photo's during the class and forgot at the end!

Beautiful sisters Helen and Deborah

A work in progress... tags by Karen ...... and here you can see Christine triple embossing her title tag.... everyone loved doing this and it is magic watching as the utee begins to melt....

My most favourite thing though, is my Mum gets so much pleasure attending these classes, she has always been able to 'create' ..... sewing, baking, magically making things out of nothing(!) In recent years though, she has had a few health problems but she has such tenacity and always keeps going... now that gives me a fitting ending for this post... a great old northern soul song ... 'You gotta keep on keeping on, no matter how hard it is... A great mantra for those hard days in our lives eh?

TTFN

You GOTTA see this!

A friend sent this to me via email and I just had to pass it on to my artistic blogger friends.... It is pretty amazing art - its a clip from UKRAINE'S GOT TALENT!
A young Ukrainian girl tells an entire story by moving sand around on a table!
She uses nothing but sand and her hands to create these images.

To help you understand the images, this is what a youtube viewer wrote about the video;
The story is about World War II and its influences on Love, families and on the life of 'common' people who were just victims: they either died or lost each other. They are crying because they understand it from their point of view: they got invaded and pressured (Ukraine as well) first by the Nazi, then by the Soviet Union (they 'only' had total control on people). Their life changed so much! Nearly the same happened in all Eastern countries.
Amazing artistic talent! She won!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo"

Work(shop) and Therapy!

I had a lovely time meeting new people when I did a workshop in Stocksbridge recently....

There was some very talented people in the room, one of the ladies, Gaynor, was a Tutor herself, she makes jewelery and I think I might have to attend one of her sessions as the bead chain she wore on her wrist looked pretty amazing...wish I'd taken a photo to show you!

We used the new Blonde Moments papers (yes again!) the 6x6 pad this time and we are making the box which I posted earlier.

A bit of careful cutting out......

A bit of careful tearing....

And a whole lot of mess.... but this mess is strangely tidy don't you think!!

Madeline is a stand up crafter....

And here is the youngest member of the group, Emily who came along with her Mum and was an absolute treasure.
The box is an ongoing project so I'll post pictures when they are all finished.

I'm being brave now and posting a journal page... I shall add a bit more to it I think, but I am beginning to feel more comfortable as I play around with different styles...I think that's my

problem, I'm a bit eclectic in my art style so try to incorporate everything I like!

I liked this one though so you get to see it! It incorporates a Teesha Moore style border and Dyan Reavely inspired doodling. I shall keep playing around because I have fun doing it and this

art is for me so its OK if no-one else likes it! A favourite saying of Andy's is "Enjoy the journey!" So that's what I'm doing.... exploring as I go along - it's great fun, you should try it!

THE Book!

Instead of doing scrapbook pages in my Friday classes at the Craft Box we have been making this '12 days of Christmas' mini book... Many people have admired it. I used the gorgeous Blonde Moments 'All I want for Christmas' range of papers.... have I told you that I love them? (tee hee!)
Seriously though, I do love the colours and their versatility... I've made some great Christmas cards with them too.


What a lovely group they are... all very hard working, see them all on task here!
That lady with the white hair in the top left hand corner is my Mum - 78 and still loves to create! I like to think I'll be like that in 30 years time. (Oops, spilling the beans here!)

Mum, Deborah and Helen (sisters) Christine, Irene, Cynthia and Christine.

When other people saw the book, they wanted to make one too so Lynn put on an evening workshop ...

Diane (my sister - creating runs in the family) Virginia, (the speediest crafter I know) Jess (who hogged the biscuits all evening) and Sue right at the end.

There was lots to do so everyone got to work straight away.

Jan and Margaret watch intently as I suggest stamping ideas for their tags..

The paint was out and everyone got messy.... Julie was going to a fancy dress party the following day so wore rubber gloves to keep those nails clean! Karen just got to work - she really enjoyed the project.

And Ann.... well Ann is a bit of an enigma! She's so funny even when she doesn't mean to be... which can be a real gift.... Here is Lynn helping her to triple emboss the title tag.

There were some new ladies (to me anyway - they came from Lynn's card classes) on this workshop and I enjoyed meeting new people....I had some great feedback, which is always encouraging, but the best thing about workshops for me, is the sense of camaraderie and well being they provide for many people, I'm thinking of my Mum as I write this, she loves being part of that Friday scrapbooking class - it's a new lease of life for her. Belonging to a crafting community does so much more than teach new techniques or give new ideas (great though that is!) - don't under estimate its value!

Had mucho fun this afternoon making some mosaic tiles. Reason? because I needed some art therapy! I paid my first visit in five years to the Doctors this week and ended up having to have a load of tests. Its taken me 10 years to get over my mistrust of Doctors due to some health bungles that nearly cost my husband his life (don't misunderstand me here - I know there are good Doctors - its just my irrational fears)
Anyway I felt a bit out of sorts, so I put all my college work to one side and decided to play. Lynn often buys me a book and earlier this year presented me with this beauty by Laurie Mika, it's been a favourite night time read for months so today I intended to rise to the challenge...


So after a bitty sort of morning with a visit from my sister and a few odd jobs (whilst still in my PJ's) I set to gathering supplies to make some mosaic tiles.... how brave am I?
Of course the trusty old IKEA mirror would make an ideal base...



It was unknown territory for me but the hardest part was conditioning the sculpey... it made my hands ache a very lot!
After rolling out the clay, I cut out tiles in varying shapes and sizes, stamped into some of the tiles and made patterns with a thickish knife (not the blade edge) - I don't have a clay blade.... yet (but Christmas is coming!)
I embedded a few things into some of the tiles before baking. So far so good.


Out came the Jo Sonja acrylic paints...

And off I went...

The frustrating thing was being interrupted by the telephone.. it pulled me out of my art reverie
and the paint dried up while I was on the 'phone so I ended just sat there looking at my work so far and wondering whether to pack up or carry on when Andy came to say he needed to get out (He's been busy working on a report for a charity) so he said he'd take me out for a frappucino at Starbucks (delish!)

I'm quite happy with the tiles so far, its a bit tricky getting the paint neat on such small pieces but for a first attempt I'm pleased.

I'll leave you with this.....

www.theinterviewwithgod.com/popup-frame.html