A Landmark Day

It is 25 years today since Karl and me said 'I do'.....to each other.....and I am so happy to say that we are still best friends and totally in love with each other...

I don't know about you, but I think in this day and age that is some landmark...

We've had a great 25 years....lots of laughter....and some tears....well don't we all.....but when I have some news....Karl is the first person who I want to tell....I certainly wouldn't be the person I am now, if it weren't for having him by my side....

So here is a 'blast from the past' and one of our wedding photographs....

 

Last night we went to a local hotel and spent the night in the Bridal Suite.....ooooohhhhh

 

It was fabulous and I loved every minute of it....tonight is a quiet night at home, as I am off for my scans tomorrow so I will be nil by mouth....(better have my champagne early tonight then!)

 

Last Saturday, I spent the day at Crafts4u2do in St Helens....it was great to meet the lovely ladies there and Chris who manages the shop is so funny....but he does know his craft products too...

Here are two of the four projects that we made...

 

 

 

Thanks for popping in today and as always, I love to read your comments...

Hugs, Jo. X 

A bit of embossing

Good evening all ...well how lovely was it to see the new parents, Will and Kate with their baby boy....I just had to watch....

Yesterday was workshops in Hazel Grove and I would like to thank all the crafters who came.....it really is like crafting and catching up with friends...

We did some heat embossing with gold embossing powder on vellum and some stamping with the Mr Darcey stamp set from IndigoBlu.

This is the first card that we made.

The lace stamp is lovely and very useful.

Our second card was created with masking, using sequin waste and Distress inks. The two figures were stamped using black Archival ink and highlighted with a white gel pen.

This week two of our regulars have birthdays ....so ...

Happy Birthday to Val and to Our Vicarage.....

Have you seen the new stamps from Hobby Art? If not go to the web site and check them out, gorgeous....I had a lovely catch up chat with Jenny today and I will post some samples when I have had a play...

Thanks for looking in today, pop back soon...

Jo. X 

Another week flies by.....

Hi all, I really don't know where last week went....is it me ...or do the weeks seem to be racing by!!!!!

Karl had a week off work and as usual we had a lot to do, but decided that we both really needed a night away (as you know with Mikeys health issues we can't really have a proper holiday) ...so we packed the van and with Tess we headed off to a really lovely little campsite in the Peak District...

Crowden is run by the Camping and Caravanning club and is a perfect place to find peace and quiet....

We went on lots of walks....around the nearby lake...

 

And nature reserve...

 

And sat with a glass of wine in the evening sun....Tess sits in the van ...pretending to be a guard dog!!!!

 

We had a lovely couple of days and off course the weather really helped...

Yesterday, I went to a workshop with Maria Simms and Annette Lee...I had a brilliant time...(not quite finished my project...so no photos yet...sorry).

I am off now to get my thinking cap on for our Wednesday workshop gang ....what shall we do this week?.....mmmmm

Thanks for looking in today.....and remember ...we all need friends....

Hugs....Jo.  X 

Catch up time

Hi all, just time for a quick catch up. 

Well, on Saturday I went to a workshop to learn all about the melt pot....oh...my new toy..I was very lucky that my friend Bernie Simmons gave me one for my birthday.....so I really needed to learn how to use it! The workshop was run by the very talented Maria Simms, who the regular crafters at the church will know....

I had a fantastic day ....which to be honest was just what I needed, as I have been a little down recently....you might say it was just what the doctor ordered....

My companions for the day were Louise Hall who is one of my Facebook friends and two lovely ladies who I met for the first ...Sandra and Leone ...

And what a lovely day we all had....and nobody burnt their fingers.......!!!!!

Not even me.....

This is the project we made.....

Thank you Maria it was fantastic and I have lots of ideas of what to make next....

Thanks for looking in today....

Jo. X 

Lemon and Lavender.....

Hi and Happy Friday,

Today, is the new Challenge over at the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge Blog...and the theme is.......Lemon and Lavender...

Oh and what's more, I'm hosting this Challenge......

This is my take on the theme....

The paper is from the Secret Garden Collection from Graphic 45....it is the first time that I have used Graphic 45 papers and oh how lovely they are...Thank you to my lovely friend Clare Charville for bringing them to my attention...I Need more....

The main image is stamped in VersaFine ink....Imperial Purple and is a stamp from HobbyArt....Beauty...BK-HAO10

The butterflies are also from the same stamp set.

A few embellishments, ribbon and card finished...

I do hope you like it and if you would like to join in please just click HERE...

Thank you for looking in today, have a good weekend and please call back soon. Jo. X 

Good Evening

Wow, how hot is it? ....not that I am complaining.....

Yesterday, was play day in Hazel Grove......sorry....workshop day...

Some of the ladies had requested cards for children as they have grandchild to make cards for...

So that is what we did...

This was the first one and used a stamp set from Creative Expressions, which I stamped using Memento ink and then coloured with ProMarkers.

The background was made with a Sue Wilson technique.....

If you haven't tried it, all you do is tear pieces of Masking tape and then randomly place them on a piece of card.....then use Distress inks on top...It really does give a great effect....

This second one was a quick card...(you know the ones....that you need ...Yesterday!!!) I used patterned paper and a topper.....simple....just added ribbon and dew drops...

This third card was made with papers and decoupage sheets featuring Rupert Bear....I thought this was useful for the Big Kids too...

Thank you to the ladies who came and as always, thank you for your help and making me a brew....oh and Chrissie ....enjoy Summer Crafting....

See you soon. Jo. X 

Oh no, that hurt.....

Hi everyone and how lovely is this weather......

It really is summer after all.....

Well picture this, on Sunday I was merrily pruning some of my plants in the garden, when I some how managed to drop my new Secateurs .....

The problem is that they were open and I didn't manage to move my foot out of the way in time......

The large pointy blade sliced into the top of my foot.....no pain or blood at first...but by the time I got to Karl for help....yes, you've guessed it ....there was plenty...

The first Aid training came in and with some cold water, compression and keeping my leg raised managed to stop the bleeding and used some Steri-Strips.....so glad we always have some in the house...

So I have hobbled around for the last few days....which was really funny on Monday when I had to go for a scan.....and yes, they did laugh at the story!!!!

Apart from that it was a great weekend and what a good  win for Andy Murray....

Back to all things crafty, it was Clarity weekend and as usual I sent some homework in.

These are the two cards. The first one uses the Graph it markets for colour.

And this is the inside,

The second was made using Perfect Pearls and a bit of shrink plastic.

It's workshops in Hazel Grove tomorrow, really looking forward to catching up with all the lovely ladies..so I had better go and get my bags sorted out.

See you soon. 

Enjoy the weather.....Jo. X 

In the pink

I am not a colourist, there are many talented people out there who are so when my local craft shop in Stockport advertised a workshop with Nikki Hall, I signed up immediately. 

It was a few weeks ago and I had a brilliant time, so much so I went back a few days later to buy some Graph 'it pens.

I still have a lot to learn, but I'm finding it very relaxing just colouring in...

Nikki has launched a Graph It blog and it has a Challenge running at the moment....so I am going to enter ....just for the fun off it...

This is my offering....please be gentle with me....after all it is my first card using the markers. The flowers are from Sweet Lilac. 

http://graphitmarkers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/28-jun-week-1-challengenew-beginnings.html

Nikky is going to be at CJ CardCrafts in Edgeley again on Saturday August 17th, so if you fancy coming and joining in, phone Glynis on....

0161-477-7027.

Take care and have a good weekend all. Hugs Jo. X 

What time is it Mr Wolf?

Do you remember playing the game when you were younger?....I do....

Those of you who are regular readers will know that Mikey, my younger son, has Epilepsy and has been attending Salford Hospital for a while on a weekly basis. Well, this particular block of appointments will finish tomorrow and I wanted to take a small Thank you gift.....as a former Radiographer, I realise that you can only eat so many chocolates...so I have made a clock....

This was inspired by the fabulous work of a good friend of mine...Karen Clare AKA  'the Clock lady'...(visit her blog http://karenslittlegiftsandcards.blogspot.co.uk ).

I do hope you and the staff like it.

I have also decided to spend more time with my family, so I have stepped down from the Design Team with IndigoBlu, this was totally my own decision. I have had a brilliant twelve months and wish Kay and the rest of the family all the best and will be keeping in touch. I will be spending the summer, with family, sorting some health issues out and concentrating on my workshops. As we all know life is a journey, full of ups and downs......and we never know what is round the corner .......

Off now to walk Tess, take care and see you soon. X