Weekly Challenge

Today it's my turn to set the weekly challenge over at UKScrappers. I really do enjoy setting the challenges and coming up with example layouts.
For my challenge I've used this sketch:




As well as using the sketch the challenge is to use a stamped image, buttons and ribbon or trim. Here are my examples:



I love this photo of the painted beach huts me and Paul saw on a walk in February.


My friend Sarah at bingo showing an uncanny resemblance to a young Blanche from Coronation Street. She has a Blanche bingo dobber!


Maddie outside the BBC Television Studios when we went to watch Pointless being recorded.

I hope my challenge inspires you to scrap.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Week Three

I realised that, not only am I slightly behind with Project Life, I am behind with blogging the pages I've already done!
Already it is lovely to look back on and remember what happened at the start of the year and here is week three:




Day one of week three was my birthday and I had a great day. I turned 41, it snowed and I had a win at bingo! My first Studio Calico kit arrived, I got some bargains from Boots and Maddie decided to pose for a quick snap in the office :)




I had my first cuddles with my niece Alice, I'd forgotten how small newborns are, my sister bought a new hat that made me think of Where's Wally, we had a lot of snow and Alfie turned Pippy into a snow dog when he rolled her in it! I drank a lot of coffee, nothing new there really, me and my friends battled through the snow to bingo, we're hardy birds! I had a lovely walk in the snow with my walking poles.
Like I said, it's already lovely to look back on.
Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by
Jo xx
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Seventy Four Days!

That's how long me and Paul went without seeing each other due to his job as a coach driver. We were apart for Christmas, New Year and both of our birthdays but we managed to get together for Valentine's Day. I arrived at his house at about two minutes to midnight so we only just made Valentine's Day!

This photo was the first one taken of us after the 74 day separation:


The layout was based on this sketch:


Only another 36 days before I see him again!

I hope your week is going well.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx


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Another Precious

Well it's the first Sunday of the month so that means just one thing, it's time for Story Telling Sunday! Head over to Sian's at High in the Sky for more details about picking something precious for you to tell your story about.
My story begins with my Great Uncle Vic. I didn't know Vic, he died at Pegasus Bridge during World War 2, I did know his mum though! I was lucky enough to know my Great Nan, Rose Coppin until I was 17 years old and she was a remarkable woman. I have so many stories to tell about her because we were so close but this is just one of them.
A few years ago my mum took my nan, Vic's sister, to the the graveyards for the fallen soldiers in Normandy.They looked through the book of remembrance until they found something written in my Nanny Coppin's beautiful handwriting.
This is what she wrote for her son Vic:
"You may be one to all the world but you were one in the world to me"
It made us all cry.
Fast forward a few years and I was going through a terrible time in my life. My husband had left me for a women he met on the Internet. I was in hospital having a miscarriage whilst worrying about how me and my 5 year old daughter would cope. When I got out of hospital and back at home a friend came over to cheer me up, she arrived with a Chinese takeaway. I really was at the lowest point in my life and didn't know how I would survive.
At the end of the meal I opened a fortune cookie and found this:




I knew then that my Nanny Coppin was with me and that everything would be ok.
It's something that I carry with me all of the time, without fail and I think it's one of the most precious things I own.
Thank you for reading my story, don't forget to head on over to Sian's to share your story too.
I'm away this weekend but I promise to comment on all of the stories when I get home.
Take care
Jo xx

Changes

This week I had a bit of a change around at home.
I have a lovely craft desk in my bedroom but I never use it. I prefer to be in the living room with Maddie and Alfie and not shut away in another room.
This meant I was taking over the dining table and the pile of 'few essential bits' I needed in the living room to scrap was eventually over running the whole room!
In one corner of the living room I have this:




My computer cupboard and some of the over running stash!
Now I don't use my desktop computer now, it's old, slow and not that convenient so it was time for it to go.
I decided to swap things around and move the cupboard to my bedroom and use it for storage and to move my craft desk to the living room.




I love it and I'm hoping that I'll be far more productive now!




And here's my beautiful assistant, I couldn't have done it without her because that cupboard sure was heavy!
So, after years of dreaming of my very own craft room I've decided it's just not for me. To be creative I have to be in the heart of the home with my family :)
Today I'm looking forward to going down to Paul's for the weekend and this Sunday is Story Telling Sunday!
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx
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This Weekend

I'm kicking back my heels and relaxing with Paul.
The weather's on our side:




We've been for a lovely walk to the beach.




Watched the world go by while enjoying a coffee.




And dreamed of owning a beach hut.




Before enjoying a bottle or two of fizz :)
This weekend has been a good one so far.
I hope you're having a good weekend.
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Week Two

I am a little bit behind on Project Life, currently halfway through week three, but I'm not letting myself get stressed by it because I'm enjoying the process so much :)

Here's week two, side one:


This was a busy week which started with some gorgeous cakes to celebrate my friend Sarah's birthday. Car parts had to be purchased when I forgot to replace the cap on the water bottle! I learnt, after owning one for 15 years, that Money Trees flower! It was our first full week back at work after the Christmas break and Maddie found it difficult to muster a smile. My beautiful niece Alice Rose was born :) and I wanted to document that I'm the only one who ever makes the tea at work!

Side two:


Cute cuddles with the dogs (this will probably be a weekly feature me and Maddie will never tire of) I read My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding and she replied to one of my Tweets!!!! I baked a birthday cake to take to my monthly crop and spent a fab day with the girls at the crop, actually did two whole layouts! Finally there is Lily, my neighbour's cat, who loves to join me in the garden for cuddles…when the hounds aren't around!

Already I'm loving going back and looking at the weeks that have passed.

Well another weekend is over and a new week is about to begin. I am so excited for the week to start because I'm going down to see Paul on Thursday and, apart from 30 minutes on New Year's Day, I haven't seen him since 1st December!

Have a good week and thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone