WOYWW 291 Happy New Year Everyone

Oh, I cannot believe I have been in America for a full week.  The time is going to go so quickly and before I know it I will be heading back home to the snow - no more sunshine!

We have done so much and yet I have been doing lots of crafting.  Went to a Christmas Eve meal (fabulous), had our own (huge) Christmas Day Brunch, been to a "Texas Hold 'Em" evening (is that how you spell it?) and it is almost the New Year.  Been to Walmarts too but not been to a craft store as yet.  No worries, there are some on the horizon.  And CHA is not far away - be sure to look in then.

This coming weekend I have two workshops where I am showing them how to mold flowers, or is it 'mould flowers'.  This is my desk at the present - just a portion of a huge desk that I have taken over.

 



Here are some of the flowers I have been working on over the past few days

 

 



 

 Now I just have to come up with a couple of cards for them to make so they can choose which flowers to use to adorn their creations and someone has requested a "rose" so I have to perfect one of those.  (Funny thing is that when I did cake icing and learned how to make flowers from pastillage I detested making roses, I felt mine looked like cabbages..  I feel the same about the paper ones - but I will persevere and try.)

Want to see what others have planned for 2015?  Head on over to Head Honcho Julia and see what is going on in various parts of the world.  But before you do may I take this opportunity to wish you all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and may your year be filled with lots of friendship, love and happiness.

WOYWW 290 and A Merry Christmas to You All

Well, I am all inside out and upside down - and only just, as I was dropping asleep, realised that it is Wednesday morning and WOYWW will be publishing any time.  Visit here to see what I am talking about if you don't know.

Well, not got a desk to show you as I am so pooped I cannot get out of bed to take a photograph but I can show you a photograph I took earlier today.

and one from tonight

Some of you may know, and some of you may realise that I am not at home.  This Christmas we are spending it in quite a different way - we are in California, sunny California - quite different from home and the first time we have had a warm Christmas.

Only arrived yesterday, and it is still Tuesday here so I am totally muddled and still suffering a bit of jet-lag although the main jet lag will be when I get back home. 

Tomorrow will be spent getting ready for the visitors, as our friend Mary, has Open House on Christmas Day and we can expect anywhere between 50 and 75 people.  Phew!  So I must get to sleep and then I can be of some use to her as we try to get some things done in readiness.  Tomorrow night, or I guess I mean tonight, we are out at her Sisters for Christmas Eve with party games.

Expect more pictures as the days go on but for now I am craving sleep.  We were up, unpacking at 4 am and have been out for a meal with her nephew and family tonight.

Have a Wonderful Christmas every one of you and see you here for New Year's Eve if not before.

Merry Christmas came early

Just before we left for Manchester we had a visitor to our garden and I was thrilled to bits as we have only seen him once before and that was months ago.  May not seem a big deal to a lot of you but I was ecstatic.

Hope he does not start on the blue tit box as they are nesting, or getting ready.  He was sniffing around it later before he took off.

The first time I saw him, a few months ago, he was closer to the house (this time on a tree on the perimeter of the front garden) and I had not a clue what he was.  Rang a friend of mine who is keen on birds and she told me it was a woodpecker.  I was blown away - but he only stayed a short while so no photos.  Imagine my delight today when he stayed, knocking hell out of that branch by the look of it. Lots of piccies!

Must look up and read about Woodpeckers.

WOYWW 289

Well, it is almost Christmas so I hope you have all got your cards in the postboxes and things are coming together for you.  I said last week that I thought I would have some cards left over - ha ha ha - needed another 38 so it was back in the craft room.  Some got photographed and some didn't as I was rushed so here is a selection for you of the ones I did manage to snap.

the two with the flowers are extensions on one I did earlier - I think I did about five of these - still not in the mood for making really elaborate ones so I guess one of these is for my GP.

I have done quite a few cards with a black background card - the poinsettia ones above are also black cardstock.

I've actually taken two off from the photo of these as I realised the one by the side of the vodka drinker might be a tad too rude for some to take in this morning.  Anyway, this concludes my card making for this year except there were some die cut ones that I just didn't get photographed. Definitely CAS ones.

Guess what someone said to me yesterday?  "I bet it's not that much cheaper to make your own than buy them" - makes me wonder if it is worth all the hours it takes to make the cards, buy the products and the envelopes when you can pick them up for a song in the January sales.  Don't think I will be making as many next time!

Right, off to see what everyone else has to say via Julia, Desk Queen - next week will be Christmas Eve so I wonder just how many will still be posting.  Will I?  Will have to wait and see.

Merry Christmas!

ps thank you to Julia, Jan, Shaz in Oz and Darnell for their lovely Christmas cards.  Muchly appreciated and loved!

WOYWW 288

Thank you to Krisha and to Annie (Wipso) for the delightful cards which popped through my letterbox.  Nearly ready to post mine.

Cannot believe that it is so close to the Big Day itself.  Now getting in a real panic mode.  Typing this out Tuesday night as I am uploading some photos of Christmas Cards I have done - yeah - almost finished!  In fact I probably will have some left over so there will be a good start to next year as well. Must remember to keep sets of cards together and not split them or I could be sending the same ones out to the same people next year.  Just one or two 'special' ones to do now - the other half, my GP (who is lovely with me) and my son.

So this is a view of what is in my craft/stamping room - which is being abandoned at the moment

This is Chloe's card - still waiting for some words - must find something suitable.

there are quite a few of these girly ones

I like these three blue ones - all folds

The end one needs a poinsettia yet

Nearly forgot these three

So that is my neglected desk in my craft room as it stood last night - whist I tried to do a mail merge on the computer for addresses.  Pages no longer supports mail merging - what the .......  can you believe it?

So this is my desk this morning - I am in the utility room - got some sewing to do.  Making a cape for Chloe and altering a skirt for myself.  Chloe's cape is Black with a pink lining (although I bet she wears it the other way around, she loves pink) and my skirt is too big.

Don't think I have been losing weight, I wanted this skirt from M&S but kept on thinking I would make one - even bought some fabric.  Didn't!  Then found they had all sold out.  I found this one but it was a size 20 so I bought it and took it in but didn't take enough in so now I am doing it all over again.  If Annie saw how I am doing it she would scold me something rotten.

Now the confession is over go and see what others are confessing and showing on their work desks today.  Visit Julia, our Queen of Desks for the list of where you can go.

Artful Times Challenge 70 Wrapping Paper

Wendy chose "Design your own sheet of wrapping paper" for our final challenge of the year.  As usual I was last minute with it, had an idea in my head and was reasonably happy with the result until the other half looked at it with obvious disapproval.  Well, "like it or lump it" as they say, he will find his Christmas present wrapped up in it.

I just used some copy paper and scrumpled it all up and then undid it and swiped all over with Brilliance Peacock Ink pad (tri-colour greens and blues).  Then I scrumpled it all again, opened it up and went over with the Brilliance Gold.  Then the iron came out next day and I smoothed it out on the wrong side.  Next I stamped some tiny holly leaves in black because nothing else seemed to be showing and went over the berries with some red Stickles.  Still not jolly enough for himself so I went around each holy leaf and the centre vein with a green Gel Pen.  "Needs red" says he, so I stamped some words in Red Rocket and said "told you it wouldn't show'.  Here it is:

Feeling a bit more like trying again this morning I took a large, really big, sheet of paper and my Brilliance Jade Green ink pad (what's all this with Brilliance all of a sudden?) and stamped these images in a brickwork pattern all over.

Sorry about the photo but I guess Brilliance and a bright utility light don't work very well.  This was the best of the bunch.

I lined the stamps up (you need stamps of similar size, I messed up with the snowflakes) and stamped them in order, moving two along to the other end after each row.  Didn't take too long to do but it kept wanting to roll up so masking tape was the order of the day.

He liked this one - still not bright though for me this time.  Wonder what Wendy has done?  Wonder what you will do, and whose gifts will be wrapped in your own paper.  Hurry over to Artful Times and join us with this challenge - please.

In the meantime I would like to thank those of you who have joined in with the challenges during 2014, special thanks to Sam for helping out and always being there when I was down - and to Wendy for coming along and joining in.  Two good friends!  And now:

Here's my "C" card for you all

Merry Christmas!

WOYWW 287

I just cannot believe how quickly the days are going at the moment.  I think my feet are stuck in treacle the whole time - well something is happening as I do not seem to get any closer to being ready for Christmas.

Went to the Christmas Market in Manchester on Friday with my friend Paul, it was lovely to see him as we haven't met up for a while.  Photos lower down in my blog.

Anyway, I am here to show you my desk, aren't I?  Yesterday I actually made four Christmas cards - I now have a grand total of six ready.  I am sure if I get going in earnest I will reach double figures before long.  You might just about be able to see the four on the right hand side and two on the left.

Now I am hoping to make some flowers and I have my EBosser out, I have cut some ordinary flowers out in the hope that I can have a stash for after Christmas.  

The cards on the right are using a stamp that my friend Lorraine chose out of my old stamp box and it just didn't get put away.  I really like what I did but I am waiting for the berries to dry as I used quite a bit of Stickles, in red, on them.

Well, that is it for today, I must get on so it's toodle pip from me and I hope you all go and visit Julia in her craft room and see who else has called in and bared their desks for you to see.  If Shaz in Oz calls in she should be able to see my new crafty baby, Monkey - and look who has come down from her usual perch to sit with him - it's Katie Koala.

If Eliza (Yoda's mum) doesn't get on here today she says "Hi, Julia, and everyone else" - she's been busy at work and driving her truck around to get presents and things for the needy.  Bless her, she is never still.

The Great (Caring) British Public (not)

Today I was on the Metro travelling from Manchester to Bury and witnessed what a caring public we have - NOT!  A lady boarded the tram with one of those walking machines that have a seat on allowing the user to sit whenever necessary.  There are designated places on the tram for disabled people to sit and to park their wheelchairs/walkers.  The tram was rather full and the space for a wheelchair user was taken up with a young woman and her pushchair. One could argue that the pram could not fit elsewhere as there is no room apart from there but no apology was given to the disabled lady and the two men who stood leaning, where she could have parked her trolley and sat, occupied themselves looking at their phones.  For 25 minutes?  Really? The lady had to stand all the way holding on to the overhead rail and her trolley whilst the tram lurched from side to side.  Should she have said something? Should I have said something?

The sign I have got in my photograph applies to the two seats underneath it - give up for disabled, elderly people - occupied by two elderly ladies who vacated the train halfway through the journey but the seat was immediately taken by two young women.  Perhaps the disabled lady was invisible to all except me!  Or does this just sum up what a selfish nation we have become? Merry Christmas, Goodwill to All Men!

Anyway, now I have got that off my chest I will show you some photographs of the lovely half day I had with my friend Paul in Manchester. Here he is just before we entered the ginnel (because I like the faces etc on the archway.

and here is a closeup of what caught my eye. Look at all the tools around the edge and inside were all manner of carvings. Must go back with my camera and take better shots some time.

The Christmas Markets were mega busy - that is the cathedral in the background

The singing tree (above) in St Ann's Square treated us to "Oh Tannenbaum" whilst the one on the corner in Albert Square was collecting donations for Macmillan Nurses.

and this one, in Spinningfields, is self explanatory

These chalets were also in Spinningfields and a welcome resting place with a hot drink (chocolate or Gluhwein?) especially if it turns to rain - or worse - before Christmas Eve.  This is also where the ice rink is and the helter skelter which Paul threatened to put me on.

On our way back to the tram we walked along Market Street and saw this real live man (he acknowledged some money being put into his box so he was real).  Now how do you think he managed to do this? People were feeling beneath him - there was nothing there.  I think I will leave you with this puzzle.

Linking this to Annie's Friday Smile as I had a lovely time seeing Paul, lots of laughter and smiles all round, even though I was a little cross on the tram home.

ps liked these two printed pieces of fabric in a shop window thought Annie might like them too.

WOYWW 286

Oh dear, I have not been a very good blogger.  Meant to put some cards up that I did last week - also meant to include some photos from the Knit and Stitch Show - instead - nothing!  So quickly, here's an easel card I made for a friend who needed a bit of cheering up

and one for a friend who had a birthday

I was trying out my Sunflower Die that day!

Here is my desk, believe it or not.  Won't be like that for much longer as my friend Lorraine is coming over - and we are going to craft.  Must fly, need to get a meal cooked, a girl's gotta eat hasn't she?

Before you go, pop along to see Julia here and see what others are offering this fair morning.  Oh, and if you are the Tracey who left me a comment on the 13th - sorry, I just cannot get into your blog - did try, honest!  Over two weeks.

Artful Times Challenge - A Triptych

For our challenge over on Artful Times this week we have chosen a Triptych.  (NO matter how many times I type that word I transpose the 'y' and the 'i') and I chose these stamps for my rendition.  Then I realised it was "cute" and we don't do cute on Artful Times so I had to start over.

These are a set of three stamps I was given by my friend Mary over in the USA.  They are wood mounted and she had them bequeathed her and let me have them because I liked them so much. I stamped the images and then spent ages enjoying colouring in.  You know how sometimes you just want to sit, listen to the radio and chill - well that is what I did, with Promarkers to hand.  I am no colourist but I did enjoy myself.

As that was 'cute' I set to and made this one for the blog

Cheating somewhat I just used a script stamp on the background but I did like these lady pictures that I had in my stash and they lent themselves to cameo shapes.  Below is the outside of the triptych with Spellbinders Parisian motifs on.

Then to hold it closed there is a lace garter

Wendy and I are off to Harrogate for a couple of days, leaving the men to sort themselves out, which means this post has to be scheduled as we won't be back in time.

Please think about entering our challenge, no prizes at the moment but you can get our Blinkie and have fun in sharing your Triptych if you are a winner.

A New Home Card

This is my card for my friends Wendy and Peter who have recently moved into their new home along with their menagerie of cats.  Wendy and Peter used to live in mid-Wales and they seemed to be the ones who attracted lots of ferrel cats.  Being animal lovers (and soft hearted but don't tell her I said that, Wendy would hate to be described that way I am sure) they have adopted several cats, or have the cats adopted them?

I was quite concerned when they moved a long way away and, rightly so in my opinion, took the cats with them.  Anyway, things have turned out for the best and the cats have settled into their new homes, none of them packing a spotted handkerchief on a stick and battling their way back to Wales. They know when they have it 'cushy' don't they.

Oh gosh, I digress so much - here is the card I made for Wendy and Peter, both keen gardeners and with a beautiful garden to potter about in:

It's an easel card and I have broken out the Promarkers for it plus made some flowers to go on for added interest.  Just hope they like it.

WOYWW 285

Phew!  Made it!  Another week has flown by but this time I have something to show for it.  I have at last finished and hung up my picture started weeks ago with Rae at a workshop - and guess what? All I did was add a couple of Sunflowers.

Without the guidance of Finnabair I cannot seem to get what I want.  I am not being vain in using a photo of me but as the only female in the household I had to do it - oh, and by the way, it is a 15 year old photo, not me now.

Made some cards too but until the recipients have them I cannot show them on here.  Wendy & Peter are coming up today and Wendy and I are going to the Stitch Show in Harrogate tomorrow so I might upload one later - perhaps for tomorrow - depends on time.

Anyhow you came on here to see my desk - in the aftermath of card making not so bad but in an hour or so it will be pristine ready in case Wendy and I want to do some crafting later in the week.

In the foreground are some word stamps and other wordy things (need putting in a drawer), my lovely Artisan, iPad, Box of Promarkers (been used quite a bit recently), my rubber mat for stamping on (love it), scrap papers and at the back my mug and card ready for more "C" card making.  Oh, and my tools for flower shaping and my water pot which collapses.  

The other week someone commented on my dirty heat gun - it was covered in alcohol inks at one time but they have worn off over the years with constant use - it is not dirty, just unloved by the look of it.  Now where did I put my alcohol inks?

Right, off you go to Julia's blog to seek out other deskers.  See you next week, or maybe tomorrow.

WOYWW 284

It's yet another Wednesday closer to Christmas Day and I am floundering.  So much so that my desk was just "walked away from" last night so it remains like this.  Simply because I did not have the heart to look any longer for what I wanted.  What did I want you ask?  Not sure!

Anyway, here it is

The five boxes on the left have nothing to do with Christmas, I just had to take them off the shelves to get to the Christmas stuff behind.  The striped box below does, however, contain some Christmas mounted stamps and the bubble box on top has stamped images and other things in it.

Just at the side of it but out of view is a large polythene bag crammed full of unmounted stamps:

There's another striped box more or less facing you, well on the chair below there is a silver Ikea tin - both of these are full of Christmas stamps.  Now do you wonder I walked away?  I don't know what I want and don't want, what I used last year and what I didn't.

Think I might go back to bed now rather than face that room.  And most of my cards have been made with diecuts ... but that is another story.  For more stories why not pop along here and see what Julia has in store for you ... and her merry band of crafters.

I Would Lose My Head if it was not Attached - new Challenge!!

Thanks for the reminder that I had not blogged my tag for the Artful Times Challenge.  Truth is, I forgot all about it, thought I was a week behind where I really was when Wendy rang up to see why I had not done the post or put my tag on the Admin group.  Doh!  I thought it was 'winners week'.  So it was a quick dash into the craft room, grab some pages from a magazine/book and get crafting.

Of course I could not find the rubber stamp I wanted and so ideas were flitting about as my brain raced frantically around in my head whilst my eyes flitted from one box of stamps to another.  The stamp I finally chose did not stamp very well (despite it being an expensive wooden mounted one and not new either), neither did the next one which I actually stamped directly onto the tag so in the end I settled on what I did - which was:

First of all I did a quick Distress Ink background and then stuck some pieces of paper across which referred to France.  A few stamps over the top, including the Eiffel Tower - disaster struck.  Where I had left a gap in the papers the Eiffel Tower did not stamp well!  I had the word "Paris" ready and waiting but it could not cover up and make amends.  Then I spied my 'recycle box' which I had decorated with stamps reminiscent of Paris all over.  I quickly chose the dancer, coloured the image with Twinkling H2o's and stuck her down using foam buddies.  She was a perfect fit over the Tower.

And so my tag was finished in good time, but I forgot to 

a) add Mr Linky, and

b) do this post on my blog.

Thanks "Craftyfield" for letting me know.  I promise to do better next time, well I will try.

Oh, I still haven't found the red, white and blue ribbon I wanted to go through the top!

WOYWW 283

Well, that got off to a good start.  I must not have clicked on the box and I have been typing away with nothing to show for it.  DOH!  Mind you I have nothing to show you either as I have made a start on my "C" cards and I am hiding them for the time being.

Here is a tag I made for the letter "I" at our local stamping club

I think my friend, Mo, was glad she did not pick this one as she said, in a not so happy voice, "what's Ikebana?"  I thought it was an ingenious idea as I was trying to avoid 'India' thinking many others would do that - nobody did!!  Took me ages painting these rectangles in those pale Twinkling H2o colours too.

Today I am showing you two desks - well my desk and a table really. Here is my desk, with my Halloween stuff still on it waiting to be put away.

I am disappointed that I did not make anything new this year but I did buy the skull to the left of the pumpkin and how do you like my Harry Potter Box?  £20 from Newark - love it but not a clue what I am going to do with it.  The pile of card by the orange box marks the start of my "C" cards and yes, the sunflowers are still there.

My table - all neatly arranged for you to see is my stash from Eliza. How many of you remember Flat Susan?  Well she has just spent an enjoyable month or so with Eliza, Myrene and Yoda of course and Eliza sent me these things to put in my book made for me by Annette.  

Flat Susan has now left Eliza and is with Sandy and then she will go off to Spain to see Kate.  After that I am hoping she will spend Christmas with me before venturing off again around the UK for her other new friends to host her.  It is 18 months since she left home to begin her travels and she only had one accident as far as I know. That is, if we discount the puddle she was dropped in early on when Jo took her out and about in Europe.

Just had to share the photo above, hope Julia does not mind as it is so obviously staged.  Well, now comes the time for you to visit all the other lovely ladies and gents who like to share their desks on a Wednesday.  Ta Ta for now then.

WOYWW 282

It's late Tuesday night and I have been curled up watching tv or letting it wash over me most of the evening, sleeping too.  Went to my friend's funeral this afternoon so needed some chocolate and quiet time.

This is my desk - as you can see my bag is not unpacked and that is from a workshop I went on on Saturday.  I think there are three cards in there somewhere and you can see the sunflowers are just the same as last week - same number, same place:

But I did make a card - an ex colleague/friend of mine celebrated his 10th Wedding Anniversary so I went over to their house on Sunday. This is the card I made using the Arianna Blooms set.

The silver card underneath the heart must have picked up some colour in the reflection, couldn't work out where it came from but it was silver - to represent "tin" for a tenth anniversary.

That's it folks - very short - over to the Queen of workdesks for some links to much much more.