ATC's

Here are two ATC's I've made for a swap. Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, I'm just a novice!

I so enjoy ATC's, the beauty is you can do ANYTHING you like! Its your art, a little piece of you that you can share with like minded people.

Soul Satisfaction

Hey Bloggers, I've had a trip to AFTH today. I booked not one, not two but three workshops for myself! I didn't leave empty handed either....now I know you're thinking I bought some goodies but that's not what I mean - I came away with Dyan's collection of Northern Soul CD's! tee hee hee! And NO I didn't steal them!!! I borrowed them to sync to my IPod.
A short post for now as I'm making some ATC's for a swap - I feel like binning one of them as I'm not happy with it but I've put it to one side for now and I'll come back to it maybe tomorrow... (well maybe not as it's my Mum's birthday and we're having a party!)
Will remember to take photos and post soon.
TTFN (old fashioned slang for "Ta Ta For Now"!!)

Special Times!

It was my birthday recently and my DH was away for the weekend! Our eldest daughter couldn't bear the thought of me being alone on my birthday so she promptly arrived on the doorstep, suitcase in one hand, bottle of wine in the other! It's mum and daughter time she said. Oh I loved it (EVEN THOUGH I HAD SECRETLY PLANNED TO PLAY WITH MY NEW MELTPOT PREZZY!!!! Didn't have the heart to tell her that!)
And anyway, I'm glad my plans were spoiled - these times are too precious....
We got straight into our PJ's, closed the curtains and lit the candles....chit chatted all night and had cuddles in my bed. The next morning (my birthday) she came and snuggled up in bed with me before we got up and made breakfast. A mango smoothie (It's too thick Mum, I need a spoon!)
How gorgeous does she look?

Yes that's me with a mango moustachio!

She stayed for 2 nights and then Jim and Charlie joined us on Monday, we went to Exscape

where Laura-Beth and Charlie "climbed the wall"

This was their first time ever and I'm glad to say they both reached the top and were pleased as punch with themselves!

My birthday treat to myself was a workshop at Dyans

Shelley picked me up at 8:30am as usual but we didn't arrive at Dy's till 10:40!!!! (Harrogate is about 45 - 50 minute drive normally!) No we didn't get lost, there was an accident on the A1 so we took a detour. headed for the M62 intending to get on the M1, but unfortunately there had been another accident on the M62! So all we could do was sit there, inching forward in the car. Would we get there at all I wondered.....

But make it we did, as ever Dyan had produced a fab project..... A Zetti/beeswax accordian folded book ... we played with Claudine Helmuth paints, images from Lisa's altered art and beeswax...

I love going to AFTH Dyan is a great Tutor and just has that gift of making you feel so welcome you're almost like family. (also she has great taste in music) Jill was there for her first time, I think she probably thought the rest of us were a bit crazy but I will bet you a £1000 she'll be back!

Try not to cry!

I keep forgetting to add this You Tube clip, I came across it on someone else's blog (sorry, I can't remember whose)

It is such a powerful reminder of God's love in the most dire circumstances and I thought Id share it with you....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxa70NF_fPs&feature=related

Sister's Day Out!

Every year for our birthdays, my sister's and I make sure we have some quality time together, just us four (although one year we did let our Mum come!) Brenda's birthday is the day after mine so we share the day and take it in turns to choose.. The sister whose birthday it is gets to choose where we go, this year was Brenda's turn. The sun shone for the Jones girls (no relation to Indiana) as we set off bright and early to Biscester Outlet Village. A two and half hour drive later courtesy Sandy Schumaker (just kidding!) we arrived. The village itself is lovely, had a kind of New England feel with painted clapboard buildings. Lots of designer gear at (supposedly) knock down prices. Well we set to and trundled in and out of every shop.... stopping only for a gorgeous Italian icecream ... just to cool down you understand... it was hot!

After our shopping experience at the Outlet Village we headed off into nearby Oxford for a little more retail therapy...My sisters bought me these gorgeous shoes for my birthday....I could pretend that I bought them from the Jimmy Choo boutique or LK Bennet's, but I didn't- they're from Schuh, which is fine really - I don't need designer gear, just have to like what I'm buying ...

Our Diane thought they were good enough to eat!

Seriously though, Oxford is beautiful and Diane pointed out Trinity College where my nephew (her son) studied for 3 years and his "quarters" during his first year... the architecture is amazing!

Apparently, this is the most photographed building in Oxford..... (I overheard a guide telling some people on a walking tour as I was taking this shot!)

Mr.... er ... don't know.... but he must be important to have his head adorning this building!

A bit of latin....not that any of us understood what it said but we thought we'd get a shot to show that we are women who appreciate culture.....because we do!

After trundling round this very beautiful place, we went for a meal at Michaels Kitchen, the restaurant was in this gorgeous building.....Brenda and I held back here because we're the babies and they are the oldies in our sistership!

The meal was gorgeous, we decided on a 2 course meal (watching the waistline!) my choice was goats cheese gallette starter and red snapper with pesto mash and lavendar carrots for my main meal...... oh my! The chef must have known it was our birthdays because he sent out complimentary pumpkin cappucino before our starter (a pre starter, starter???) and then after our proper starter, he sent out four tiny dishes of bananna semifreddo with the smallest mother of pearl spoons, to cleanse our palette before the main meal. Just perfect.

I shall be 50 next year.... its my choice of where we go, I wonder if I could get away with choosing a weekend in Paris or Rome or something like that ....

Ah Yes!

We spent a day at Filey this weekend with our daughter, her partner and his son...it's years since Andy and I went rock pooling with our own kids on Filey brigg, so it was a real treat to take Charlie and it made Laura-Beth happy too as it brought back loads of memories. We had parked on the cliff top so we clambered - yes I say clambered! down the cliff to the brigg (NOT advisable!!) and we had a brisk walk back along the beach to beat the rapidly incoming tide!

Charlie loved crabbing and we saw a seal right at the end of the brigg....

Steph and Al joined us and she brought my birthday present.... a melt pot!

It was Tuesday before I could have a quick play... and it was quick! just enough time to melt some beeswax and make this card for a friend....

Andy is away this weekend so guess what I'll be doing......

Eclectic Post!

I thought I'd better catch up with this space! We've had a busy 2 weeks. We've got 6 birthdays next week so today I've made a start on some homemade cards.... Alcohol inks and thistles for Al

Girls just wanna have fun - for Niamh...she so appreciates all my arty stuff so she'll love this..




And for my baby sister - a "you & me an' stuff" card....there's a story behind this, She likes to tell the tale and is always adding "an' stuff" on the end of her sentences... you know blah blah blah... "an' stuff"! It makes me laugh so I thought she'd appreciate the sentiment.





Our youngest daughter graduated from York University in July, so I took the opportunity to scrap the photos while I was preparing a few pages for my scrapbook classes at Elsecar




And a page of me singing at Sun Studios in Memphis - famed for the likes of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins (don't worry the mic wasn't switched on!)

But I really did sing here....Drax Northern Soul Night... these two lads (...em.. 50 year old men!!) in the foreground are our mates from the 70's when we used to dance all night. I haven't got the stamina now. but they obviously have!

Some friends came for a visit from Nottingham, we haven't seen them for 10 years so we had a lovely meal together and lots of catching up to do

Another card, this is for a friend (Jane above - next to Andy on the right) who loves gardening - appropriate eh?

And I'm reading Malcom Gladwells new book 'Outliers' This guy has some seriously good insights into postmodern world thinking. Very enlightening.

We have a wedding at Church tomorrow and I've still got their card to make...better get to it!