News & Updates from KiJu · Page 3

For my 40th Birthday I was given the book that is in the picture. My cousin, Aime, is a wonderful gifter.

She puts lots of time and effort in to sourcing gifts that are pertinent to the recipient.

She has always sought to get me "crafty" gifts and this one was exceptional. I had not seen anything like it previously and was thrilled with it. I was equally as thrilled when I saw Karins templates in last weeks news letter.

Now, when I have some spare time, I can attempt a folded book of my own!

Looking forward to the challenge ;-) Also, the book has to stay in my bedroom as my crafty kittens are very keen on eating paper!

The designs attached are special age themed, although they can be used generally and they allow lots of creative crafting with optional elements.

This is Diddy Dottie. Dottie is the newest animal arrival to the family. She is my cousins dog. She's around 12 weeks old in the photo, snuggled up in her blanket.

Since the photo Dottie has had tummy troubles and a little cold but she is on the mend now and getting bigger by the day, so I'm told.

I have yet to see her in the flesh and I can't wait to give her a cuddle. No doubt I'll get puppy bitten. The first design is an old favourite of mine - for special Mums. The second design is one of my recent scroll collection.

More news from a few months gone by . . . . . . Before my birthday, as a gift to myself, I sponsored Angel - a guide dog for the blind - she is in training at the moment and I get a regular dogalogue update.

It's a great sponsorship as, eventually (after 24 months, if she completes the training) she'll help to support a blind person. Cocoa is an adopted donkey - he doesn't live with me, my house is far too small ;-).

Cocoa was the oldest donkey at the Manchester sanctuary and we adopted him whilst we were there. At a grand age of 20 he is looking great. I was surprised to learn that donkeys can live until 50 years old.

In my updates from the sanctuary I learned that there is a donkey of 50 years old in Devon. Cocoa is a relative youngster by comparison. A design for the boys and for the girls. One is from my new range of scrolls. x

Following on from last weeks update, I said a lot had happened in the last 6 months. During that time I turned 40. I was neither excited or saddened by the prospect of turning 40 and I had made no plans to celebrate in any way different to normal.

I decided that there was nothing I wanted or needed and that peoples money that would normally be spent on birthday gifts would be better spent on a good cause. I asked my family if they would like to celebrate with me by going to the Donkey Sanctuary in Manchester.

I was surprised by the response and by how disappointed those were who couldn't make the date. It was a wonderful day where I had the opportunity to groom a donkey aswell as learning lots about the sanctuary and the work they do there.

It was an inexpensive and enriching experience and I would highly reccommend it to all animal lovers. The work the sanctuary does is fantastic. The first picture shows me being hugged by a donkey . . . it took me by surprise.

The second picture shows Charlotte getting a nuzzle and handling it far more elegantly than I did.

The first item is my 'little donkey', for children and babies, the second item had to be something sweet. Both are celebrate the month designs.

Over the last 6 months lots has happened. Some things I knew were coming and was prepared for, other things I knew would happen and wasn't prepared for. Sadly, in September, after 13 years I said goodbye to my cat, Claude.

His heart condition finally took its toll with numerous heart attacks and fluid on his lungs. I was heart broken. My home was so quiet and empty. I missed my furry companion terribly. After lots of consideration I decided to get another cat.

I looked in to adoption but was turned down due to my living near a busy main road so I started to look for a kitten. In my search I found 3 adorable kittens.

All from different litters and all with their own unique personalities already. The picture is slightly poor quality but it shows my 3 new fur babies.

In age order they are: Hugo, Ralph and Esme. Bundles of fun and energy :-) The designs attached are animal themed.

My bumper kit is wild animal themed and the sheet . . . well, obviously it had to be cat themed.