A Jar Full of Happiness

Well the New Year has begun in earnest & am starting to get back into my daily routine.  I work at a wonderful day centre for the elderly which is a drop in centre so get to spend my time talking and learning from the wise (hardly work as it is so rewarding) My aromatherapy massages are going well and I have a good client base of lovely people ageing from 20's to 80's  I do a couple of cleaning jobs (which are quite boring) but bring in the pennies to allow me to indulge in my Stampin' Up! obsession and buy lots of crafting bits and best of all the cards I make I sell at the centre & get to make one-off bespoke cards for people who are looking for something special (my recent baby naming ceremony card was a huge success & was the talking point which was very humbling).

So it is time for me to get back to doing my daily blog and sharing with you all what I am up to in my crafty world.

The first thing I want to share is a jar idea which was posted up on facebook several months ago.  Take any jar (I used an old coffee jar) decorate it (I used flowers & ribbon in bright summery colours) and then during the year fill with happiness & all the special little things that happen during the year.  Then during the festive season, or New Year next year, or even during the year when sometimes your feeling a little down or want to be reminded how great life is, open the jar & read.

I used the Stampin'Up! New In Pursuit of Happiness stamp set which is 5 stamps with the most lovely wording & I find that I use it all the time.

• Now and then it is good to pause in out pursuit of happiness & just be happy.
• Do you little bit of good where you are. It's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
• A grateful heart is the mainspring of happiness.
• Everything will be ok in the end. If it isn't ok it isn't the end.
• Live in the sunshine

The stamp set comes in wood or clear to mount onto your own acrylic block £15.95/£12.95

Well I began filling my jar at Winter Solstice this year 21/12/12 I went to Avebury with my besties and saw a beautiful dawn & then went & had breakfast in Marlborough at The Polly Tearoom. My gorgeous partner bought a huge homemade Yule Log, very chocolaty & indulgent, which we scoffed over the next week.  The Yule log was tied with a cute ribbon which has gone into the jar.  I am intending to open my jar at Winter solstice this year to see all the things I have collected during the year and my mantra is definitely going to be,

" Now and then it is good to pause in out pursuit of happiness & just be happy" and I intend to spend most of this year being happy.

If your interested in any stampin' up! products or would like a catalogue then please don't hesitate to get in touch on my email allmark.j@sky.com

Thanks as always for looking :)