Dessert Evening

Despite being really late (after 11.00 pm) I wanted to share a couple of pictures of our Crafty Women's dessert evening. In my rush to grab the extra bits I needed to take along I forgot my camera and had to borrow someone elses, so I am lucky to have any photos to share.


I had set up 3 round tables and enough place settings for 6 at each table. I was thrilled to look around and see that they were all filled and then even more as we added 4 extra chairs when a few more ladies arrived. There were 22 of us in total - not bad for our first Christmas event!

We had a lovely mix of ages as well as a few new guests that hadn't been before and even one or two who were just visiting family and had come along for the fun.

After eating our fill of all the yummy desserts everyone had brought along to share we played a gift game. Everyone picked a number and took a turn at either opening a gift or taking someone elses gift. Each gift could only be 'snatched' twice and once a gift was 'snatched away' from the owner they could then open another gift so that everyone left with a gift.

Of course the best number to have is the last number because then you can have your pick of ALL the gifts that have been opened. This game is only fun if people 'snatch' the gifts they like the look of when they take their turn.

We all had a great time and the turn out was very encouraging as we head into the New Year and an exciting new programme of classes and events. The more members (and support) we have the more we are able to do, including some of the outreach I'd like for us to do to help others.

All in all it was worth the hard work and extra effort it took to put it all together. Now that my absolute last engagement of the season is over I can concentrate on getting my baked goodies and last minute gifts made.

Christmas Photo Shoot

Last Monday I found myself swapping my day off and babysitting a couple of my grandkids. One because she is almost 3 years old and not yet in school - although she had a trial day and just loved every minute of it! - and the other because he had been sent home very poorly with a fever.


Thankfully he slept through most of it - I hate that there's no way to make it suddenly all better when kids are ill - and though I'm not supposed to I did let Maddycakes take a nap so her brother could have some quiet.


I have been poorly myself with a chesty cough - we just don't seem to get the cold weather that we desperately need to kill off the bugs lying in wait for us out there, so all in all I have to confess I didn't feel like babysitting.


Yesterday I got to see the photos of my two girls when they spent a day in London at a studio. I know the girls had a great day together and I'm so pleased they're such good friends; even more so as they have gotten older. I can't show them all (there are too many even for this proud mama!) but I think they want to share them with friends and family so I won't spoil it.

I am so glad I babysat so they could do this.

I am only sharing one photo though I'd love to put a lot more on my blog. Maybe we'll all go to one of these shoots next year who knows? I like this one because it 'feels natural' and the girls are obviously having fun in these Santa hats. Vicky had just gotten a new hair-do days before the shoot and it's lovely to see Jess with curly hair - it's usually dead straight!

I think this photo serves as a nice reminder that Christmas is a time for family as well as some fun.

On that note may I say that I hope everyone of you crafting gals checking my blog have a fun filled Christmas with the love of friends and family to warm your heart.

Season's Blessings

Announcing a Birth

I am hoping to have a couple of the girls from our Crafty Women's group over in a few days (assuming I get well enough) to make about 150 of these 'birth announcements' for the kiddies during next Sunday's service. We will be having our nativity play and I have had this story for several years but never had the chance to use it.




Dave's father died of cancer some years ago now but during one of his hospital stays over the Christmas period this story was attached to a candy cane with curly ribbon and on his food tray - on all the food trays for the patients. Mom thought we would appreciate it so sent it to us and I've been hanging on to it ever since. I don't know where it originated from but it's a lovely reminder that the kids can take away with them after the play as well as a nice way of giving something back - something that teaches them about Jesus - the reason for the season.

Because it is a story announcing the birth of Jesus I decided to make mine into a little book that can be opened to reveal the tale.

This meant that I had to find some way of attaching the candy cane so I simply made 2 cuts in the back of the 'book' and tucked the candy cane in. In the first photo you will notice the 'crook' of the candy cane hangs over which keeps the book nicely closed until ready to open. This should make it easier to fill a basket or two full of these for distributing.

They could probably have been far more decorative and elaborate and maybe they will be next year if we do them again but that will take far more planning, time and (wo)man power than I have this year.

This is the story:

Announcing a Birth

How can a candy treat be a birth announcement?

Many years ago a candy maker had an idea. He wanted to show, through the candy he made, that Jesus Christ was born among us, lived and died to save us all. So, through the use of colour and shape, he created a piece of candy that told the story of Jesus. He created the candy cane!

Colour - the white stripes on the candy cane stand for the fact that Jesus was sinless and pure. The thin red stripes stand for the scourging that Jesus endured before he died. The larger red stripe stands for Jesus' blood, shed on the cross.

Shape - the candy cane is shaped like a shepherd's staff, reminding us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Turn it upside down and it is a letter 'J', the first letter of Jesus' name.

We can learn a lot from the candy cane - both to look at it and see Jesus, and like the candy-maker, to share the story of Jesus in whatever we do.