Hello my friends. I trust this finds you well, and in less of a tizzy than I find myself! I go off on Friday for my “summer” holiday – which includes a craft course (pergamano), and then time with my whole family for half term. I shall be visiting crafty friends too – Shoshi, and Sarah – so I’m really looking forward to the whole time. But – the house looks like a bomb site as I try to prepare and not leave anything behind – my to-do list gets longer each time I cross something off – and the hotel are desperate for more cards before I go (I only gave them a couple of dozen a week ago!). Oh well, Friday will arrive, I will leave at the prescribed time, and simply ignore what isn’t done…

Well, I did warn you! Bottom right, a brief peek at my never ending to-do list, the orange bowl contains water and stencils I have used, waiting to be cleaned, a plastic box of tear drop inks, cutting mat on which are two attempts with a 3D embossing folder and wax – not at all successful!, wax pots all neatly lined up, stick and spray, scissors etc., acrylic blocks, a pile of stamps and papers, and embossing powder. Fading into the distance beyond the edge of the chair you can see that most of my drawers are out of the cabinet and on the floor. The shelf almost looks neat – well, everything is relative!

The reason for this chaos? here’s a couple of examples…

One of the 16 thank you cards I made and wrote from my brother and myself to all the folk who gave of themselves at my dad’s funeral and provided us all with an incredible meal!

One of the cards for the hotel – using sparkly texture paste.

And one of the Christmas cards I have done for them.

So that’s me this week folks. Untidy, but hopefully by Friday, reasonably organised! I shall be away for the next two weeks – missing in action as it were, but I will do my best to visit as many as possible today. Thank you to everyone who visited last week, and left such beautiful comments – I managed to visit you all, but couldn’t comment on two or three – sorry.

Take care my friends. God bless.

Margaret

Sorry – a picture heavy post!!!

Hello my friends. Well you have seen it on all the other desks – but I simply couldn’t let today go by without pictures of last Saturday’s crop. What a day! When Julia threw down the challenge earlier this year that maybe we could meet up elsewhere – that was it. I LOVE a challenge! So…

Welcome to Llandudno 2017

Back row: Jan(LLJ), Eva(Sarah’s crafting friend), Elizabeth, Annie (Wipso), Sarah (Sarah’s crafting shed), Neet, Julia

Front row: Dolores (Cardarian), Christine(Bishopsmate), Margaret (glitterandglue), Chris(Mrs D), Anne(Copper beech crafts)

What a bunch we were – what a lot of noise we made – and what else did we do???

Drank lots of tea and coffee, and ate lots of cake – on the hour every hour!…

Filled a very large room with stash…

Did a lot of talking…

From top to bottom: Anne, Chris, Christine, Sarah, Dolores, Neet, Jan, Julia, Annie, Elizabeth, Eva.

The whole day was fantastic – lots of fun – lots of friendships forged – incredible generosity was shown with over £150 given to Parental Care Ministries (www.pcmuk.org) Thank you all for travelling all this way to the Welsh seaside! You are great.

We missed Shaz and Doug – such an integral part of a WOYWW crop – but too much pain prevented the journey.

So my desk today has reflected the fact that after the crop, on Sunday, I travelled to Rugby for my dad’s funeral – everything was just dumped!

Left to right – an RUB containing a few bits and bobs brought back from Rugby; a plastic carrier box containing the makings of woven ribbon cards – Neet wanted to learn how!; my cutting mat upon which are some papers and stamps picked up from the table on Saturday; piled on that is my clipboard – my go-to for instructions when catering; my big shot cutting plates. On the floor is a bag containing ATCs, presents, gifts, and everything I was given on Saturday. Want to peek?

From top left, round in a circle: a tissue holder from Annie, Mad hatter ATC from Neet (thought that exactly fitted me!), autumn ATC from Dolores, Butterfly ATC from Christine, sewing ATC from Anne, Tag from Sarah, a new WOYWW badge from Julia, Butterfly stone from LLJ, little basket and ATC from Elizabeth. Thank you everyone – they are gorgeous.

Also in my bag…

This wonderful pile of goodies – given as a thank you for organising everything. Thank you. It was actually a real pleasure and a great excitement!! I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Be warned – I’d do it again! In the cream basket to the right were lots of card packs, a mug, a notebook, and a picture frame. Sarah made that lovely card for me – thank you.

Jan and Julia found this gorgeous little storm in a teacup by Mo Couper of Dolgellau. Isn’t it just great?

My gift in the non-raffle draw! I love this short sentiment.

I have just, as I am writing this, received a message from Marian of Parental Care Ministries UK. She called in to see us all on Saturday, explaining a little about the work and her sister in law, Ruth, who had recently died and was such an avid supporter of PCM. This is what she says…

Hello Margaret
Could you please pass on to your crafting friends our sincere thanks for their very generous gift to PCM. We are putting it into the pot in memory of Ruth and hope that soon we will be  able to start building a classroom for the youngest children at the school in Kyehimba.
So thank you very much for your part in giving an education to children in Uganda.
God bless
Marian

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

She has sent a couple of pictures for you all…

This is Ruth, in whose memory your money will be going.

The site for the new classroom.

Goodness – I shall be reprimanded – a long post. Sorry Julia. If you have achieved getting to the end – GOLD STAR!!!Well done.

Take care, my friends. God bless.

Margaret