Naptime Cuddles

Last week I did a layout for the weekly challenge over at UK Scrappers.
Part of the challenge was to use this sketch:

To use five of something and to use new stash.  As part of my New Year's Resolution was to use a kit as soon as it arrived this challenge was great for me.  My brand new Studio Calico kit had just arrived and I couldn't wait to cut into it to create this:

I'll often walk into the room and find these two snuggled up like this :)

I used these cute little velum arrows for my five things.
We are currently in the middle of a terrific hail storm so I'm going to snuggle on the sofa and watch a film with Maddie.
I hope you've had a great weekend.
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Another Hat!

At the weekend I was snuggled indoors watching the snow falling with nothing to do but scrap, bliss!
I headed over to UK Scrappers for inspiration and decided to do a couple of the challenges.  The first challenge was to just use a sketch.  Great, I thought that would ease me gently into scrapping and it did.

I hunted through my photos, grabbed my new kit and set to work cutting and sticking to create this:

Maddie in another hat.  Now I spotted this hat, I fell in love with it and I wanted it...she has worn it every day since!  Next time I go hat shopping she can stay at home :)

Every day Maddie worries that the pom poms are about to come off though!
The snow is leaving, the grey sludge is still here so I'm snuggling on the sofa and watching The Great British Bake Off!
I hope that, if you still have snow and ice, you are staying safe and warm.
Thanks for stopping by
Jo x

It's Cold Outside!

But the home fire is burning, in fact it's doing overtime to keep me warm!
Like most of the country we've got snow and it makes everything look so lovely, this is the view from my living room window:

 And this is me kitted out with my boots and Nordic walking poles ready to walk to the shops!

The weather has meant I've had nothing to do but stay in and scrap, it's been great and I've been very productive.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to use my stash and that's exactly what I've been doing.
On Wednesday I got my new Studio Calico kit and by Thursday I had produced this:

The picture was taken in the gift shop at the V&A museum.  Everywhere we go, if there's a hat to be seen, Maddie has to try it on!

And every hat she tries on always suits her!
I hope you are staying safe and warm if you've had a helping of the white stuff this weekend.
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Some Actual Crafting!

Ok, so it's not crafting from this year yet but I realised there were a few layouts from last year that were yet to be blogged!
Following on from the introduction of my new, beautiful, niece I thought I would share a couple of layouts featuring established nieces who are equally beautiful :)

This is Elsie trying so hard not to smile for the camera, she failed :)

 I love these old papers and thought it was about time they were in an album rather than hidden in a box!
Next up is Elsie's sister Bella, she's a right little tinker!

Bella is not a dog lover but she loves my Alfie.  She doesn't love him enough to visit him but every time I see her she wants to see photos of him.  I bought her this cute, cuddly dog for her birthday and straight away she called him Alfie :)

Although her Alfie went everywhere with her she has now informed me he went for a walk and didn't come back :(
I am getting closer to starting my Project Life album, photos are printed and supplies are sorted, now I just need to find the time to get cracking on it!
I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes for my sister, she's still in hospital but is getting much better :)
I hope your week is going well and you are staying safe if you have snow.
Thanks for visiting
Jo x

Introducing Alice Rose

On Thursday my sister finally had the little girl she's been dreaming of for such a long time…Alice Rose:


Weighing in at 5lb 11oz she is a little bundle of gorgeousness!


Such perfectly formed fingers.


And she is so good considering the problems my sister has had for the last few months due to the placenta blocking Alice's exit route!

My sister is still very ill at the moment and I'm going to the hospital to visit her later.


But with this little beauty lying next to her I'm sure she'll get better soon.

I now have 15 nieces and nephews and a great niece, I wonder if my family will ever stop growing!

I hope you're having a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo x

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

First Week's Over!

How quickly did the first week of the new year go? Seems like only yesterday I was getting ready to see the New Year in with friends!

I decided to do Project 365 again this year and follow that with a weekly round up (I'm toying with doing a Project Life album this year and think these posts may help) so here goes:

On New Year's Day I drove to Fleet services to meet Paul on his way back from Disney. Meeting him at services on the 1st January is becoming a bit of a tradition now!


I got straight back in the saddle and returned to the gym, I'm sure this helped with the 2.5lbs weight loss I had this week :)


I found this cute little case in the sales, full of lovely smelling products and all for £5! I intend to store my washi tape in the case and, if I'm honest, that's the only reason I bought it :)


I bought a new Slimming World cook book and got back into menu planning:


The decorations came down and this really is one Christmas in a box I don't like, I miss my twinkly lights :(


Celebrated a friend's birthday with a treat, these cakes - not made by me - looked great and were delicious:


I bought oil for the car last night and put in on the passenger seat as a reminder for the morning. I got in the car this morning and the oil had leaked all over the passenger seat :( I then realised I hadn't put the radiator cap back on when I put water in the car last week so had to track down a spare:


If only all car parts could be that cheap!

So all in all my week hasn't been too bad.

I hope your year has had a good start.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Storytelling Sunday 2013

Yay it's back for another year, Storytelling Sunday!  For 2013 Sian, over at From High In The Sky, has added a little twist and has asked everyone to Pick Your Precious for this year's storytelling.  I do hope you'll join in.

It was easy to pick my current 'precious', although it will be packed away later today for another year, it's the stocking that I made Maddie for her first Christmas 18 years ago.  She was six months old and it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision to make it, I knew she was too young to understand, but went ahead anyway.  I sewed each stitch by hand and she has put it at the end of her bed every year ever since.

It was filled on Christmas morning this year and instead of putting it at the end of her bed and disturbing her I left it under the tree...big mistake!  I left the room for 20 minutes and when I had returned Alfie had the stocking in his mouth and was trying to get the chocolates out!  I shouted, Maddie ran in, saw what happened and ran straight out again.

I managed to wrestle it from his jaws but it kind of ruined Christmas Day.  There were lots of tears and lots of discussions about how the stocking could be repaired, at one point Maddie wanted him gone, never to return.  It was during the day that I realised how precious the stocking was to her too.  She asked me how I would feel if the dog chewed something my mum had made for me, I couldn't answer because my mum has never made anything for me.

The next day I inspected the damage and we've decided to leave it as it is for the time being.  It has even more history now and, like I said to Maddie, when Alfie is no longer with us she will always look at her stocking and remember the naughty dog that we loved so much.

It did take her a couple of days to make friends with him again though!

Now it's your turn, tell your story about something precious to you.

Thank you for stopping by
Jo x

Happy New Year!

I hope the New Year has started well for you.  It did for us as this picture, taken at one minute past midnight, shows:

We were at a friend's house playing board games and laughing so much, a great way to see in the New Year.

This week, well the three days at work, have gone so slowly.  I feel like it's been the longest working week ever and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  It has given me time to think about New Year's resolutions and what I would like to achieve this year and I thought by sharing I would have more chance of reaching my goals so here goes:

1. I want to manage my free time better.
2. I want to take more photos.
3. I want to read more - I'm using Good Reads to help with this.
4. I want to visit different places and have more days out.
5  I want to use the stash I have, especially the buttons I collect!
6. I want to join in with more challenges that I see in blogland.
7. I want to continue to lose weight.
8. I want to put myself first more.

I think I should be able to reach my goals, nothing is out of my reach there and if I sort out number 1 first then I shouldn't have a problem with the rest.

I hope you all had a good Christmas and a jolly New Year.

See you Sunday for Sian's Storytelling Sunday, can't wait.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx