Hello my friends. Well, if you have found your way here – well done. I know that this new website isn’t properly up and running yet – lots of things missing, in different places, etc., but I am seriously indebted to a friend from church who has painstakingly copied all the posts of the past three years into this temporary “nestled” site. He has spent hours copy and pasting all your beautiful comments so that I wouldn’t lose anything when these magic smart objects (whatever they are) turn off in two days time Thank you Kevin!!!

So, a three week break – oh my word! The Isle of Mull is spectacular – great sweeping cliffs falling hundreds of feet into the sea – narrow roads (almost all roads on the island are single track with passing places) – a population of merely 3000 on the whole island which is almost 70 miles long – a lovely house. I could continue… but instead – a tiny foretaste

OK, so I managed to get a photo in here, but can’t work out how to centre it or grow it!! Hmm – talk to Kevin!!!

A week on the island with the whole family, then on to the Lake District to a small campsite, all on my own – so different, but still lovely

So now I am home, and preparing for the crop a week on Saturday – how quickly that has come round. I am really looking forward to seeing so many of you making your way to Llandudno – it will be a great day, with an extra special guest amongst us! Before that, though, I’ve begun to work back in my special space…

From the closest part – some stamps, an acrylic block, neatly laid out distress inks, water spray, lamp, cutting mats, empty mug of tea, coloured sheets I have been playing with ready for the crop, Christmas present list (yes, I took FULL advantage of Mull and Iona, pile of purchases from before I went away with some mags I bought whilst in the Lake District, my computer with Snowdonia in winter as my screen saver, and the pink bird which used to keep turning her back on us all – now firmly blutacked down to the little speaker!

So that’s me this week, folks, already feeling my holiday was a million miles away, looking forward to seeing many of you next week – there is still room to come, just let me know, so I can cook you some lunch – and now to work out how to publish!! It is only a temporary address – I’ll have a permanent one soon.

Take care. God bless.

Margaret

Hello my friends. I trust this finds you well and enjoying your creativity. It’s early Wednesday morning here on the North Wales coast, it’s sunny, I already have windows wide open, and so can hear the birds out over the field opposite. A lovely day to greet my friends from WOYWW. My desk has seen absolutely no action this week apart from being used as a bit of a dumping ground – why? After all the frenetic card making last week? I’ve been making Roman Blinds for some friends at church – they are done. The most glorious sheep covered fabric – they are delivered, but not yet fitted in order to have a photograph (sorry!). I discovered they are not so hard to make, and although they took me a couple of days (I’m sure Annie would have run them up in her coffee break), I have had a lot of fun doing them. So my desk his week looks fairly abandoned…

The yellow pieces of card are all pictures drawn by the children in Uganda to thank you all for your support of them – bags, dolls, teddies, squares for blankets, wool, a really generous donation from last year’s crop. Thank you! The blue and white handmade pot is a personal thank you from the team for enabling them, collecting everything, helping them actually get out there. Beyond that is my paper pile on which I lean when stamping, and last week’s card making efforts which I must write and get sent off. And that’s it!

So, as the recipients of said cards don’t read this… here they are…

A mixture of birthday, anniversary, men and lady cards, and a real mix of fancy die cuts, photos, and decoupage.

The Uganda team had a fantastic time, and have brought back for me just a few photos (so far)… the children receiving their Bibles in a bag. So many folk have given generously of their time, energy, and fabric stash this year and made dolls, blankets, bags, teddies…. that I already have almost sufficient bags for next year! But here are a few smiling faces …

As you can see, the classroom is basic – BUT – it has a proper concrete floor, and proper brick walls – due in no small measure to your help over the years. Your help has provided them with a kitchen area and so they receive breakfast of a porridge on arrival each day, and a meal mid-day. The fact that these children have received their bag and Bible means they have learned to read and write sufficiently well to be able to use it and read it by themselves – for so many in the world that means so little – but for these youngsters it means they are a step nearer to achieving their dreams. Thank you!

I will be missing for the next three weeks. A couple of reasons. I am spending time with my family on the Isle of Mull. We are all travelling up to a rather large house, and spending a week there. Never been before, so I’m looking forward to potential visits to Iona, Staffa and a sailing experience like I have never had in my life! As an aside – I do have to ask what the schools teach youngsters these days! My mobile phone is used almost exclusively for texts – I don’t spend hours on a tiny screen watching films, going on the internet or anything, so when I got it the company turned off my data (??). However, because one of my friends is seriously ill I want to keep up with them whilst away – by email – so yesterday I popped into the local mobile place and asked if they could turn on the data so I could get emails when I was on Mull. The, very pleasant and helpful, young man said “Are you staying in Britain?” “Yes”, says I, somewhat mystified, “I’m going to Mull”. “But where’s that?” he asks. I could not believe he had no idea of our own set of islands! Even when I told him it was an island off Scotland he still persisted in asking if it was Britain or was I going abroad!!!

The second reason I will be missing for a while is that I use Serif for this site – and the blog will cease working at the end of August (something to do with smart objects and google???) – so a friend from church has spent hours transferring all this info, all your comments over the past years, etc., onto a new look, new company, site. Not sure yet what it is going to look like – but I’ll be back, even if the whole site isn’t fully functional, the blog will be – it might mean that the web address has to change a little – but I hope not. Watch this space, as they say – or the new space!

So that’s me this week folks. Take care – enjoy the summer. God bless.

Margaret

Hello my friends. Sorry I was missing last week – Marian’s hubby asked me if I would be prepared to drive down to Cheltenham and pick up his mum for the funeral. It wasn’t a hardship! I enjoy driving – so went down Tuesday and back Wednesday ready for the funeral on Thursday – a huge affair, very emotional, folk came from all over the world, the service was beautiful and it was precious to catch up with friends – some of whom I hadn’t seen for nearly 20 years. Thank you for all your prayers and support.

But here I am today to tell you that Mrs Bun the Baker’s wife didn’t win the best dressed duck – and didn’t win the race either… oh well – try again another time. But we did raise well over £100 by sponsoring her within the church.

The window people have been, done their stuff, and gone. The ceiling is re-plastered where they had to cut out – but not yet re-painted as I have discovered the wall is cream – and I only have white paint!! However…

ta-da!!…

Today, for the first time since the window was put in, I have spent all day having a card-fest. It has been really dull here until this evening, and normally I would have been working with the ceiling lights and the daylight lamp fully on. Wahoo!! No need. That window lets in a glorious soft natural light right over the top of my workspace – brilliant! Well worth the money spent! Having to completely empty the space means I have had the opportunity to tidy and do a bit of sorting. So, what can we see…left to right – a little display area of things made or given to me, a clear area around the cutting mat and glass mat, a daylight lamp, mug of tea, two piles of cards, and my computer. Basically on the shelf are the same things as before – but tidier!! I even had time over the past week to hunt in my scraps box and sort! This means that I have made 12 cards today – and not cut into a single new piece of paper or card stock. Everything has come out of the lovely, neat, sorted, scraps. YAY! It also means I have made almost all the cards I need for the year, plus some Christmas cards. So I shall go to bed this evening feeling very chuffed with myself – just some for the hotel now!

So that’s me, folks – happily playing in my re-vamped space.

Take care everyone. I’ll do my best to visit over the next few days – I have an important church meeting Wednesday evening, and three Roman Blinds to make for friends. Never made them before, but they don’t look difficult on the internet!!!

God bless you.

Margaret

Hello my friends. Here we are again, peeking at one another’s desks – mine this week is exceedingly boring. It’s completely empty… and when I say Completely Empty…

Well, I did warn you! The reason being I’m having a velux window fitted just above my workspace. the roof this side of the house faces North East, so ideal light for crafting, and the guys want to come do it before the weather breaks – hope they are in time!

But, you know me. Can’t bear to be totally idle, and most definitely am certifiable… so, when a friend asked me last Thursday if I had ever dressed a duck… It appears the local hospice, for which we at church are extremely thankful, are running a duck race as part of their open day this coming Saturday. Local companies have been asked if they would like to buy a duck – with a prize for the best dressed!! There were the usual thoughts about orange sauce… but when I sat down and stared at this huge plastic duck (about 15 inches lond and nearly 12 inches high!), well, I decided it was most definitely female. What’s more, the company to be represented by this particular duck is Food For Thought Conwy – a fairtrade cake company established here in Llandudno on the Great Orme. So what was more appropriate than to make my duck into Mrs Bun the Baker’s wife – those of a similar age will remember her from the card game Happy Families!

So, here she is, ready to race. I’m hoping the owners of the company will lower her wings a little before they allow her in the river Conwy!

And, erm… yes, that IS a knitted cupcake on her head!

So that’s me this week folks. Hope I have brightened your day with hilarity. The men in white coats will most definitely be around as soon as this goes live…

Thank you to everyone who visited and left comments last week – and for your sympathy and prayers following Marian’s death. I appreciated them. They mean a lot. I think I managed to visit everyone last week – and leave comments for everyone except Kathryn. I hope I have now realised how to visit and comment.

Take care everyone. God bless.

Margaret

Hello my friends. I really want to apologise for hardly visiting anyone last week. Life took a turn I both was, and wasn’t expecting – and I found myself rather thrown! Those of you who came to the crop last year will remember Marian who popped in at lunchtime to thank you all for your generosity. She has been one of my greatest friends since I first met her in the early 1990s. When John died she was the one who came with me to register his death, and came with me to a craft show – completely out of her comfort zone! In March this year she was diagnosed with cancer and within a month was told it had spread too far for any treatment. She knew she was facing the end of her life on earth. I have never seen anyone face death with such quiet certainty and with such hope of Life Eternal in Jesus – it was beautiful to behold. Last Wednesday as I prepared to come visiting I learned she had significantly deteriorated that day. Whilst on the Welsh Highland Railway on Thursday I received the word that she had gone as an inpatient to the local hospice – how fortunate we are here to have this facility right on our doorstep. On Friday evening I learned she had died. You can probably imagine the sadness in church on Sunday – we completely re-wrote the service, allowing people to weep, to ask their questions, to give glory to God as we spoke of Marian and her life. An amazing time with God!! So it all meant I simply didn’t find the energy, or actually much time, to come visiting – sorry.

I have hardly touched my desk all week – I’m sure the heat hasn’t helped, as my house hasn’t dropped below 23 degrees in over a week now – day or night! However – here is the said desk:

Almost the only difference is the fact that I have taken the photo from the other end! But – I have finished the wedding card and a couple of other cards today – so not completely unused! Piles of paper and card, some ready cut images Shaz Silverwolf gave me – still going through them, Shaz! – box of sticky risers – or whatever their name really is – glues, DST, fairly dead baby wipe, peel-offs, scissors, etc. An empty cutting mat means the three cards are finished, and behind the corner cutter is hiding a list of cards I must make before I go away in August. Seemingly most of my family and friends have birthdays or anniversaries in the next two months!

So, if you can bear to peek at a few more images…

The completed wedding card – Brambly Hedge stamped images, heat embossed then water-coloured and diecut. Used the matching CD to print off the banner and the backing papers, then cut loads of leafy swirls. A bit of silver ribbon, lettering and – voila – an easel card.

I have received three more ATCs – and they are lovely. Thank you so much to Christine:

To Kelly:

And to Nikki C:

PLEASE – if anyone has sent me an ATC this year and not received one in return…. let me know! Don’t sit there and think “what an old meanie” – It hasn’t been done on purpose!!!

So last Thursday , on the hottest day of the year, I headed off on the Welsh Highland Railway with two lovely friends. The trains takes two hours to travel from Caernarfon down through the mountains to Porthmadog – yes, the Porthmadog which has consistently been the hottest place in the UK! Fortunately, because we all had to get back, we only had half an hour there in that lovely little Welsh town. But never fear, I’ll do the run again and stay longer! Oh the blessing of a resident’s pass which means I travel for only a third of the regular cost! The day was glorious – and the views spectacular. Cloudless deep blue skies meant we saw all the tops. Wonderful!

Snowdon:

At three and a half thousand feet – the highest peak in Wales – showing off its beauty!

The river estuary at Porthmadog – even got the horizon line fairly level!!

Our gallant little engine which was singing the children’s song, “I can do it” up the pull and then all down hill from just before Beddgelert, and then did the opposite journey in reverse!

My childhood holidays were taken on the North Wales coast so my mum could visit her family. Coach trips out invariably took us past this mountain – famous because of its shape… Any guesses?

Yes, elephant mountain! It was such a beautiful day, a good time with friends catching up as they prepare to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, glorious views everywhere we looked, sun, friendship, meeting strangers on the train. Brilliant.

So that’s it folks. That has been my week. A complete mix of emotions, as you can guess, but as a Christian, I know that Marian is now safe in God’s arms – free from cancer, pain and suffering. I praise Him for that fact!

Take care. God bless you.

Margaret

Hello my friends. Not a lot going on here at the moment – motivation gone missing! Maybe I can blame the weather?? Too hot for me, I’m afraid – sorry all you folk who just love the sun and the heat, I can’t cope.

I’ve pottered around making a few Christmas cards, then today (Tuesday) I’ve made a golden wedding anniversary card, and begun a commissioned wedding card. The photo of my desk today looks a bit staged ‘cos I’m waiting for inspiration to strike and for the water colours to dry…

Like I say – not a lot of action here. The gold card is for the wedding anniversary of two dear friends who rang up Monday out of the blue and announced they are in the area for three days this week, and where shall we meet? Welsh Highland Railway is the final choice! It will be a great day going through fantastic scenery – let’s hope the air quality is good in the mountains so we see the tops! The two coloured images are for the wedding card. They are Brambly hedge stamps – gorgeous cute mice! Just need to get the CD out and hunt a few backing papers.

So that’s me really – wondering about summer holidays and the crop in September – wondering how many are going to come – wondering if I’ll have a good drive up to Oban to meet my family for our holiday in August on Mull. As you can tell – not really concentrating on the present – just dreaming about the future!!

Well, short and, hopefully, sweet this week. Take care everyone. I’ll be visiting over a couple of days as I am shopping for step inside this week. God bless.

Margaret

“It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas…” Yes, my desk this week contains a load of Christmas bits, and around 25 finished Christmas cards. I realise that, compared with a number of you, that’s nothing – but it’s a start. So, hello my friends – my desk this week…

From right to left… a pile of finished and almost finished cards – the robin die is lovely. I have been given two – one cuts out and one cuts into the card – slightly different sizes, and patterns around the edge – but both really attractive. So I made lots of those! I discovered a pad of Jayne Netley Mayhew images which I have been busy playing with, and at the bottom of the pile, the red cards are a die image of the wise men. Also out are the necessary scissors, DST, tweezers, blade, the next images to be cut into, glues, ruler and paper pads for backgrounds. The cards are simple layered designs – nothing fancy.

I have also been given a load more dresses and shorts from Dress a Girl Around the World for the team to take out to Uganda next month. We now have a local group sewing – which is great, because we don’t have to think about transporting the items to get them up here. So, dresses, shorts, jumpers, more bags, and a large blanket I crocheted in the evenings whilst watching TV, all now with the team and their suitcases. And now, until late this afternoon, I was right out of squares for more blankets… then someone has delivered more. But, in the meantime, I have to do something… so…

I found this rather pleasant and fun picture in a charity shop (never buy my jigsaws new), and as it was top of the pile of those not yet done… I cannot quite believe it only took two evenings. Can’t have been much on TV!

So that’s me folks this week. Thank you all so much for your encouragement over my caravanning efforts. It honestly wasn’t as scary as you might think, and I would always rather tow a caravan than a small trailer! I managed to visit everyone last week – and I think the only people I couldn’t comment on were those on Instagram – sorry guys – I don’t do social media.

So, take care, everyone. I’ll endeavour to get around folk whilst interspersing visits and gardening. God bless.

Margaret

Hello my friends. Well, I’m home again after my time with the family – but more about that later! You are here to see what mess I have made of my desk since being home…

An incredibly blurred photo taken Tuesday late afternoon, after a mammoth card-fest. 19 altogether, including an anniversary card for daughter number 1. I can’t quite take in that she and her sister have been married for 21 years this summer!!! I know, I look far too young… Anyway – on my desk are peel-offs, sticky rise pads, some decoupage pictures given me by Shazsilverwolf, which I am slowly working my way through, some pots of gesso gifted to me from a lady at church “looking for a new home for them”, glue, scissors, corner cutting thingy, hand cream, and specs. I can see two pairs – one with a closer focal length and one more distance. As the preacher on Sunday said of himself, “I’m at that age – if I wear the specs I can see some things but not others, if I don’t wear them I can see the others but not the things!” I know the feeling…

So, the end result of all this swapping and changing of specs?

All to be shared between the hotel, charity shop and June charity stall. I obviously can’t show you the anniversary card.

Well, last week I was MIA. I was heading South for my eldest grand daughter’s AS level art exhibition – there was an incredible amount of work to look at – I think it took us two hours to go round everyone’s work. Beth’s cousin had her A level art work on display too, so there really was a lot of personal interest. The surprise bonus was that grandie number three had work on display, and grandie number five discovered he had a piece on display too! Because the work was all to be externally assessed we were not allowed to take photos…

Of course, I live in North Wales, and it is nearly 250 miles to get to my younger daughter’s home – so I decided to try something out. I had fitted a towbar onto my car, so drove first to my elder daughter’s home, hitched up the caravan, and set off for a small campsite near to Ruth! I hadn’t towed for around ten years, so was just a little nervous – but, as soon as I was on the road, I discovered an incredible bubble of excitement rising inside. I was loving it!!! I had a great time pitched on an alpaca farm and visiting the family each day, then returning the caravan at the end of the week before coming home. WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another part of the new life I am having to carve out for myself, without John, achieved!

And to prove it…

I know the caravan is old – this is its 36th season! – but it’s comfy, I can pitch all over the place, go where I fancy, when I fancy a break. I even managed reversing it on the car – something I hadn’t ever done on my own. To be honest, I gave myself three cheers and a good pat on the back!

Well, folks, that’s it. Mr and Mrs D are coming over on Thursday to rescue all their house and garden plants from my sticky clutches, and for Chris to pick up all the rest of her craft things. I hope they have a lorry!! It will be good to see them again.

Take care all. God bless.

Margaret

Hello my friends. I trust this finds you well, and raring to go after the party last week. Firstly – thank you SO much to the folk who swapped ATCs with me. The ones I have received are simply lovely – so much creativity has gone into the making of them – and the thoughtfulness in putting together the little envelopes and gifts. Zsuzsa passed forward to me – a gorgeous package of gifts. THANK YOU! So, a little collage of all I have been blessed to receive thus far. In no particular order:

They are lovely. Thank you.

And what chaos is on my desk this morning?? It is simply groaning under the weight of everything as I have been having a massive card-making-fest!

What have we here? On the cutting mat are a couple of unfinished symphonies… the larger of the two is supposed to be for my friend here in Llandudno – but it isn’t working.. so not sure yet where to go from here. On the glass mat are die-cuts, scissors, blade, ink, babywipe, and DST. Further back is my scrap paper pile for leaning on when I stamp an image – the paper you always comment on and tell me to use… and beyond that is the card-fest finished pile – around 25 cards ready for the hotel and local charity shop. Ready apart from bagging them. Beyond that – my diary with mobile phone and a pile of little pieces of paper – the result of a lot of time spent on said phone trying to arrange for Velux window people to come  and tell me what is possible above my desk space. Then I have absolutely no idea what a cardigan is doing slung over the back of my rapidly dying computer chair – the temperatures are well up in the 20s here – so I certainly don’t need to be wearing it! Apart from all that, there’s the usual clutter of inks, DST, perfect pearls, glitter glues and some recently acquired washi tapes up on the shelf, and the glue, scissors etc down on the surface. Note to self – Must tidy up as I have visitors this weekend and then am spending time with family. My eldest grandie has her AS level art exhibition – and the presence of Nain (a Welsh grandma) is cordially invited! So I’ll be MIA next Wednesday!

So that’s me this week folks – I’ll be around to visit throughout the next couple of days – I have to be in and out a bit today – but I’ll get there.

Take care. God bless.

Margaret

Happy 9th WOYWW Anniversary everyone!!!

Can we believe this fun get together has been going for nine years? I know I wasn’t in at the beginning – but I remember sending out my first ATCs to my PIF and a few others in 2013 – so I must have been around since 2012 some time. Goodness!!! And what a lot of fun we have – gazing at one another’s space, looking to see what we have each been up to in the previous week. Surely there cannot be another blog group like it??

So, what is on my desk on this auspicious occasion?

Not a lot. I’ve just had a tidy up after finishing ATCs and cards to go with them, before setting off again to make more cards, this time for the hotel and local charity shop. Just peeking out is the last of my ATCs awaiting my PIF partner. The rest have all been posted today – so some may arrive on the day, although the American one will take a bit longer… sorry Kelly!

So, in between visiting lots of folks tomorrow I need to make a 90th birthday card, a second birthday card, and then an assortment of cards for others. One day soon I may even start on my Christmas cards!

That’s me done, folks. Short and hopefully sweet, as there will, I’m sure be lots of blog posts for us all to read this week.

Take care. God bless.

Margaret