WOYWW

 Hello all.

Thanks for the lovely kind comments last week. I think I managed to visit all who commented.

I've not felt well. Wondered if it was Covid - all the symptoms. Tested negative so far. Hope I am OK. It is our eldest granddaughters Sweet 16 celebration on Saturday. 

I have not done a lot of crafting. Twice DH came and found me asleep, head on table.

However started an Anniversary card for Matthew and Carolynn and money wallet for Ella ( 16 year old)  had to buy her card. 

 Start of card and money wallet- not quite finished.,

A little further along the table. 

SU stuff that I am going to sell. Just not got round to sorting it all out. :-( 

Thank you for looking. Take care all. 

WOYWW

 Sorry I've not been here for a while and for this sad post. 

I think I wrote last time that things had changed. I had been going to write about the Retreat Weekend I was due to go on with a friend from Billericay. 

My friend was due to arrive here on 4th August, stop until 7th. We were going to Craft event on Sat and Sunday. Our D.I.L. was due to visit on the Sat to take our grandson to run in a half marathon nearby.

On 27th July, Carolynn's ( D.I.L.) birthday, her mum had a terrible stroke, Carolynn didn't know about it until early hours of Friday. After that it's a very long and sad story. 

I cancelled going to the Retreat and my friend's visit. Our son brought grandson down. It was his 16th birthday on 4th August, his mum had to go back up to her family in Scarborough after he opened his presents. So Matthew brought him here on the Saturday, and we spoiled him. 

He came third in the marathon, bless him. 

Sadly Carolynn's mum didn't make it. 😢 

I'm sure the above is a bit muddled, might not make sense :-( .

There's a lot more detail of course but won't say more. 

We are devastated. 

The funeral was very emotional but a lovely celebration of her life. 

 I have the stuff from the Retreat but haven't been able to do any yet.

Our youngest son and family were away ( remember the guinea pigs) we had to keep the news from them until their return. 

We had all been together for Harry's birthday on 24th June, just hard to believe that she's gone. 

I shall miss our get togethers and chatting about our shared grandsons. We were very close, she was a good friend.

Carolynn's father is of course struggling 😪  - sadly Carolynn's sister lives further away than Carolynn. They are doing their best though to look after him. We hope to see him again before too long. 

Anyway, not much on my table. It is back in its normal place but not fully extended yet.

All ready for action.

These bags contain everything from the Retreat, all  still waiting to be made. 

Hope to be back next week. Take care all.

WOYWW and other things

 Not much to show on my desk,aka dining table ( only used when both sons and families are here).

At the moment we have taken out the extension pieces of table and turned it round. It was a bit like packing up my classroom from days gone by!

I am also having a big sort out so not a lot of crafting going on at this table, just stuff dumped there. 

Needed to make room for the guinea pigs. Yes they are at Grandma's! 

Youngest son and family away now, in Florida. 

Eldest returned safe and sound from Vietnam. 

Buttons

Desk 😞

There are two guinea pigs, Buttons, shown. The other, Florence, is very shy. 

I held my 'End of Summer Term' craft event on 22nd July. 

We started with brunch, very light one! 

I then showed them how to make a flower that I'd made last year at the Craft Retreat. Then we made a home decor piece. It was a super class. Four of us popped to the Garden Centre afterwards for lunch. 

My next class will not be until September. 

One of the completed decor pieces.

The flower. This one not mine. didn't mean to add at all and can't delete it now.

A few extra cards I made using those dies.

Well there was going to be a bit more  news but things have changed. 😞

 Probably enough here anyway.

See you next time. 

WOYWW

 Well hello again. I don't have any really good reason for being absent. I think it was just that I was going to be out on the Wednesday the week before last, and maybe last week was busy and left it all too late. 🙃 

I have enjoyed some lovely 'chats' with LLJ this week. You can see why on her post. 🤣 Many thanks Jan. It's not arrived yet! 

Nothing major to report this week. I am preparing for my class on Saturday- end of Summer Term Class 😀 . Starting with a very light brunch followed by crafting! We are going to be making a home decor piece. I will share next week 🤞

Last Wednesday the washing machine decided to be difficult. No one could come out until yesterday (Monday) needs a new hose that had to be ordered of course :-(, so not going to be back up  working, we hope, until next Monday. Thank goodness can pop to our youngest son's and do some washing. 

I recently bought some dies - called Paper Florist. I am having a lot of fun playing with them and they will be used on Saturday:-) 

I used up some paper to make some bags for each lady to hold all the bits and bobs for class. Also made up packs of chocolates for treats. 

Our eldest son and family are half way through their holiday in Vietnam. It all sounds so exciting. I love the adventure of it all. Matthew has a real sense of adventure. They chose Vietnam and the activities to accommodate all their interests. These last two days they have travelled on back of  motorbikes, today has been along the Ho Chi Minh trail and the jungle. Matthew is like me, I loved doing something a bit different, sadly I can't now but love hearing about all their experiences. 

So a little late posting. Had to take the aforementioned laundry to our son/d.i.l. 😀

To finish - ' latest from Vietnam' 

Back soon 🤞

WOYWW

See below re photos above 😂

 Hello all. I tried to visit as many as I could last week. It was a full on week. I had a hair appointment, dentist and treated myself to having nails done. Then on Saturday it was up to Yorkshire to celebrate our eldest grandson's 18th birthday. It was fabulous, weather was so good. He'd gone out on Thursday with his mum, dad and brother for dinner. On Friday, the actual day he went out with his friends. Saturday was family. I loved having both sons, their wives and all my grandchildren together. His other grandparents were there as well. His mum's sister and family were away in France, but I think they will get together later. It was so good for our grandsons that all GCSE'S and A levels were finished.

 We gave him some money and I bought 18 different bars of chocolate, put them into a box and made a wallet for his money. He was happy! 😀

It was all such fun and hard to come home and settle back into the usual routine. 

Have been back at my 'desk' prepping a kit and getting ready for my next class.

Not very interesting at the moment as I had tidied up prior to starting next projects.

Not best photo, but you get general idea. 

Present and money wallet.

A flavour of the day - sorry re all the photos Julia

One with his friends on Friday.

I had always wanted to recreate the photo we were given our 40th Anniversary of all four grandchildren. Finally did it! 😀  - see above -as the same as last week original and recreation at the top and I can't change them. 

The day before Harry's birthday we remembered my mum. Went with my brother to place flowers on the grave. Three years now since she died. I know she would have loved to have joined in the celebrations. 

Sorry for such a lengthy post. Hopefully back next week. 

WOYWW

 Hi all. Back again. Thanks for all lovely comments last time. I think I got  to everyone in return. 

Healthwise I am battling on. Slightly less pain and have been able to drive again. 

This was a desk tidy the ladies made,  see below. Cannot move this photo to correct place - or delete - grrrr

Did do another class last Saturday. Had 6 ladies. Have to admit am finding it harder these days. Going to do one in July but not August - that will be busy enough anyway. We are looking after the guinea pigs for a fortnight, I have a friend coming to stay and we are going to a Craft Retreat Weekend. After that hopefully having kitchen and outside of house painted. 

Saturday class. There was cake. One of the ladies made two cakes as it was her birthday yesterday! She was 89 yesterday and comes to every class I do and makes cards in between classes. A very creative and talented lady. You can just see here.

One of the cards we made.

Below is the birthday card I made for the lady who was 89 yesterday.

My workspace. I am making a money holder for grandson's birthday. He will be 18 on Friday! Where did that time go! 

Well could rabbiting some more but won't 😆 

Will be round to visit other desks.