Crafty Cows

 

One of the groups of churches I help with has a social group for widows called COWs - Companions On the Wolds and although I am not a widow, I tag along as a chaplain.  Not much pastoring is needed from me as these lovely ladies take the newly bereaved under their wings and do mutual caring, but still, I am useful to have around.  They meet for coffee or light lunches, they have days out (the visit to the International Bomber Command Centre was their idea, and sometimes they have crafty times.  Yesterday they were being crafty.  So was I!  But not altogether successfully.  To put it mildly!

I didn't get the sequencing of the strips quite right.

And I made the whole thing wrong way around.

Oops!

(I have ideas how to rescue it, don't worry. It will become a basket of flowers.)

X is for Xmas preparations

 I don't often write Xmas instead of Christmas but when it comes to X in a second round of alphabet posts, I'll take what ever I can!

I start preparing for Christmas on 26th December when I note what I have given and received each year.  On 26th December 2023 I made a list of the people I would like to give things to this year, and I've been revising it throughout the year, adding ideas for gifts or crossing them out.  The vast majority of the presents I give are home-made so I often start  in January or February.  I reckon if I haven't got my cards made before the end of July, they're probably a lost cause!

You have seen some of the things I have made this year: poinsettia wreaths, partridge and pear, and my Christmas cards.

I've got a few projects in progress - but you'll have to wait for future post to see what they are!!

TWAHAM

 TWAHAM?  That was April, how about May!  

I used to write the occasional post like this years ago but haven't done so for ages.  So here goes!

April

I made my Christmas cards apart from the inners.

I made strenuous efforts to keep energy consumption low. 

I started a coding course but realised it’s not for me!

I celebrated, very quietly and alone, the thirtieth anniversary of my priestly ordination.

I led worship at three different churches as well as my regular on line commitment.

I got a video doorbell.   I decide that I need to get things whilst I can still learn how to use them!

I did three nights dog sitting

I joined the Scottish National Trust again.   They ask only £62.40 where as the National Trust (for England) would want £91.20.  My Scottish card gets me into English and Welsh properties and, although I won't get an (English) handbook, all the information in it is available on line.  

I hosted a couple of lunches. 

I went to a confirmation for a severely autistic (non verbal) man.  His faith expresed through that service, moved me to tears.  

May

I'm taking a short holiday, staying with my nephew in Worcestershire.

I'm booked for ten nights dog sitting. 

Im booked to lead worship on three Sundays. 

I have thee more lunches to host.

And my garden is coming into bloom!

Bring it on!

244 days

 

244 sleeps to Christmas!  Do I hear a chorus of groans?  Probably.

It’s also ninety-three days since I last wrote a post.   I typed a long post from Jack a mere thirty-five days ago. 

I’ve not been idle.  I’ve taken quite a few services. I’ve been dog sitting.  I’ve been knitting and sewing.  I've met a fellow blogger in this lovely county of Lincolnshire.  

But it’s a mere two hundred and forty-four sleeps to Christmas so I’ve got my cards made. 

And writing this post may get Jack off my back.  Here’s hoping.

Sorry about this one

 I know many people are allergic to any mention of C*******s before mid-November by the very earliest, but if you make your own cards and presents you will know that not starting before November means not starting at all.

My first job is always making cards.  I make around 100 each year, most of them the same.  I also address the envelopes but leave the card writing until November.  I've gone back to writing envelopes by hand as I found seeing endless address labels as I opened cards last year made everything feel a bit impersonal.  

So here's a batch of this year's effort.  

,, , , with an English slant

 My cousins daughter has been living in Maryland for several years but she recently moved back to the UK and her parents' home.  She put in her request for a Thanksgiving meal.

I was invited.  It would have been ride to refuse.  I am rarely rude!

So we had our turkey (crown) dinner.  But we had it English style.  

And although I know Thanksgiving cards aren't all that common, I made one.  

That is Mary style.  

Ten weeks to go

 You know what I'm talking about!  Sorry about that.

Every year I say I will be more organised at Christmas.  I will write things down.  I will plan better.  But somehow it doesn't happen and some time around 16th December I have a panic.  How those of you who have families manage, I have no idea!  Apart from toddling off to church Christmas morning I will spend the day alone.  My hope is that each week in the run-up to the great day I can write down a few of the pre-Christmas things I have done so that I have the start of a Christmas planner.  Well, that's the theory

I've volunteered to take an 8am service Christmas Day so that one of our local clergy can be at home with her children while they open their presents and the children won't have to wait until after lunch for that important time.  I think a lot of clergy children get a pretty raw deal at Christmas as their parents work so hard that they just don't see enough of them and I feel that this is a way I can help.  That vicar will still take her midnight service (when the children are in bed) and Christmas morning family service (when the children will go with her) but they will be her priority early morning.  

I've got my Christmas cards made and the labels printed.  Many years ago I created a database of Christmas cards to send so sorting the labels is a doddle.  I make all my cards the same and make sure it is a simple design.  Now the only thing is to write a message in each card.  Groan.  

Each time I have an on-line delivery from Sainsbury I include a few stamps on my order.  This makes sure that my order is always over £40 so I don't have to pay a supplement for a too-small basket and I don't have to buy a huge quantity of stamps at once.

What will I have done by next Saturday?   Watch this space!

169 days or 120 days depending on how you look at it

It was 11th March that I made the decision to withdraw to my little bubble of a bungalow.  That's 120 days.  I'm not intending going out much for a long time to come.  I'm quite happy here.  I feel safe.  I don't want to make unnecessary demands on the health service.

I always spend Christmas alone although I usually take a service if I am needed.  It is highly likely that I will still be living in my little bubble then.  However, I will want to stretch out from my bubble and send cards and presents.  This year more than any other I have time to have a very home made Christmas, although much of my Christmas is always home made.

My first job is always cards.  I've made a hundred, all nearly the same.  Like these.  

And I've got 169 days left to make other things.

Wrapping up February

Well it wasn't dull.  

I had a couple of days away.  I realised a few years ago that a treat in February was A Good Idea.  January and February can seem interminable but something to look forward makes life a little more interesting.  This wasn't one of my better breaks (I'm not even going to write about it) but it was a break and it served its purpose.

I saw off a ghost!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I had a message from a cousin whom I hadn't heard from for twelve years.  Each year I send Christmas cards to all twelve of my surviving cousins on my Father's side of my family and each year I get cards from six of them.  Each year I invite all twelve to a picnic and only four come.  S never sends a card or greetings but in February she contacted me out of the blue.  I feel very happy about that.  

I had days out, meals with friends and lots of relaxation.

And I went to Mandy's to make cards.  Enjoy.

End-of-the-month joy

The last Friday of each month always brings a particular pleasure - going to Mandy's to make cards.  So here is last week's haul.

The ladybirds are on vellum with a stamped and embossed "extra" at the bottom.  The frame is a die cut

I've never made a card as plain as this before but I really like it!

A very simple card using die cut pictures.  

Background made with a spatter technique - I think I should have spattered more. 

More thankfulness

Today was play time!   

Add caption

Each month I go to a craft group at Mandy's to make cards and today was the day.  Usually Mandy designs cards for us to copy (but she doesn't mind if we personalise her designs) but today she let us loose to play with her stamps, dies, punches and Christmas themed toys and we made our own designs.

I didn't want to make Christmas cards but I think I have persuaded Father Christmas that I have been good (OK maybe I told a few porkies) so I am hoping he will bring me one or two presents and I made thank-you cards in anticipation.  

57 days

You know what I'm talking about!

And, like it or not, the high street is gearing itself up.  I went to our local garden centre last week and as usual found that I could buy Christmas there.  They sell trees, decorations, food, gifts and anything else you could possible need.

I think many people will, by now, have quietly started their preparations.  Maybe a fruit cake has been made.  Or a pair of socks knitted.  Or special meals planned.  Or even the odd parcel lovingly wrapped and hidden away.  

Most of the blogs I read are written by people who are not content to buy Christmas.  The love which is in our hearts is funelled through our fingers as much as our purses.  We bake, sew, knit, crochet, craft out of love for our families and friends.

One of the first things I make is Christmas cards.  I have a new design each year but I make about a hundred, all the same. Yesterday I finished making the cards.  All I need to do now is write in them!

It's been a while . . .

. . .  since I posted on this blog.  I'm having one of those times when getting anything done seems to be an impossible dream.  My get-up-and-go has, as they say, got-up-and gone.  Not unhappy, just a bit flat.

But who could be a bit flat when card making calls!  I went to Mandy's today and came home with three cards - here you go.

You may be thinking that I can't count as there are clearly four cards.  Well, the "Thinking of you" card has already be posted.  

I'm not as dim as I look.

Greetings!

Yesterday was my monthly card making session at Mandy's.  Mandy really is the most patient of women.  There were five of us there yesterday and although she had prepared everything for us, we still seemed to be keeping her permanently on the hop finding extra things when we made mistakes or decided we wanted to make a few variations on her cards.  She's a great gal and she always assures us that we don't make mistakes: we create learning opportunities.  She used to be an infant school headteacher and I think she's got our measure!

So here are the results of my learning opportunities.  

This one was stamped and heat embossed and uses a stamped greeting cut out using a punch

Lots of layering and showing off the pretty papers.

Again we were using the papers to their best advantage.  

Probably my favourite of the four.  The background paper, including the small butterfly, was already printed and I just stamped the greeting and die-cut the large butterfly

Thank you, Mandy!

Four cards, two dinosaurs, one dog

Yesterday I went to my monthly card making group and as always it was great!  We made four cards and in some Mandy was encouraging us to use our scraps - but if I hadn't told you that I don't think you would have guessed!  So, here's what I made.  

 

   

   So that's the four cards.  Here are the two dinosaurs and the dog.  My cousin has brought her Shih Tzu, Buster, to have a sleepover here whilst his regular staff have an evening out.  His two favourite toys are dinosaurs.  He wouldn't even put this one down to have his photograph taken.  

Three cards

It was my monthly card making session yesterday.  I couldn't be there for the whole session but, with even more help than usual from Mandy, I made three cards.  

HWJ & WDFH?

My most important aim this month was to keep my spirits up.  January can be such a bleugh month but this year it really hasn't been too bad.

Sharon did more than her fair share at helping by taking me out for a delicious afternoon-tea-at-lunchtime.  Hard to feel depressed when there's a treat like that.

Mandy hosted her usual card making session.  I say "usual" but we never know what we will be doing until we get there!

I received three comping wins and had the pleasure of sharing them with others.  I've even been over to visit Jack this morning and he and Mrs Jack were glad to get a tin of Quality Street.  

I think I've got a bit fitter by increasing my daily step count.  I've started work on my Vision 2020 (more to come on that one), I wrote eleven blog posts, I've knitted a scarf, I've led worship on three Sundays and baptised two babies as well as conducting one funeral, Annie-the-home-enhancer and Paul-the-gardener have both been and helped me, I've been to Women's Institute and Trefoil Guild, I've been out for several meals and in between all  that the usual round of daily life has gone on. 

I've also got plans for February.  There will be workmen in doing house maintenance and improvement next week.  I've got a short break booked.  I'm going on a snowdrop walk,   I've got lunch booked with friends several times.  I'm going to a book launch.  And there will be the usual round of daily life again.

I might find time to write a few blog posts as well!

A bit of creativity

I had a morning at Mandy's aka Dunholme Crafter last week and here's the results.

A wonderful end to the month

I hadn't been to my card making group for weeks but today was the day to remedy that.  It's my last session before Christmas and I was determined to go.  So, here's what I made.

95 days to go.

Third Friday in the month - so I've been to Mandy's for my monthly card making session.  Three Christmas cards were made - don't forget there are only 95 days to go!

I think I like the first one best!