Stamping Ground

Ouf!

2012-01-30T16:23:00.001Z

Next weekend is Ludgershall crop. Ouf! That's come around quickly. If you're a long time visitor to this blog (thanks) you may remember this LO, from the January 2010 crop. Yeah well, the 'Intention' to do this annually may seems to have escaped me. Surprise! But no sweat, I can do one this year. But can I? The January crop this year was too early, too soon, too sudden for me to get my head around anything like looking toward the rest of the year, so my 'intentions' LO will be revisited this weekend. Probably. I have every intention of doing a 2012 page based on this idea, because I think I've got some. Intentions that is. Some of them are even good. Mr Dunnit managed to contribute to my conversation about this yesterday by making a couple of suggestions that will not be put into print. Although I do acknowledge that number eight - 'spend less' was meant to mean spend less on craft stuff, rather than honing the grocery bills! Wish me luck...this year I fell I'll have to hone the list of intentions just to get them all on one LO!

I have some housekeeping to do.....if you're a WOYWWer, this may be of significant interest to you. Mary Anne has found this:

http://xxxtglxxx.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogger-issues-white-screen-no- comments.html

This will take you to a blog called The Great Leveller and talks about how to make a fix that allows people that currently can't, to comment on your blog. A lot of us find if the comment box is at the foot of your post, that 'embed' prevents commenting...but where the blog provides a new page with comments and comment box, all is possible! So if you wanna get a few more comments, this may well be worth the two minutes and two tabs it takes. It is a temporary fix....Blogger itself has to come up with a permanent one...so no growling at The Great Leveller, huh!!

And not only but also...this blog, thanks to Janet at fairythoughts, is featured as Craft Stamper's March blog of the month. Janet nominated, the magazine contacted me, I wrote a few words and promptly forgot all about it; March seemed a long way off. But of course, the world of magazines runs strangely and the March edition is out now. Shopkeeper Gal saves me a copy, so I will see it at some stage, but meanwhile...thanks. There's been a really warm and positive reaction and I can't tell you how big headed smug and self satisfied I am about it. This edition will not be used for chip wrappers any time soon!

Really, that was a week?

2012-01-28T09:54:00.000Z

Oh I know we say it a lot on Wednesdays, but only because it's true..the last week has just disappeared. And what have I to show for it? Ah well, in craft terms, not a lot. Although the two very similar cards you see here are the result of a very long time spent at my desk, mostly fiddling about. The stamp is from a set (of course) by Stampin'Up!. There are three outline sketch florals and three semi solid 'fillers' for adding colour to the blooms. I say semi-solid because they aren't solid, slightly grained to give a watercolour effect. As always with SU! stamps, for the price, I get cross that I have to mount and index them myself. And then for this set...I had to dig out my stamp positioning tool. It was a dig too, and that's why I've had the set for nearly a month without producing anything worth showing. Still, now I've been through the last box in the room of shame (in your house it's called the spare room), I've cleared some more junk, found my two re-positioners, put one up for sale and made these cards. Feels like a result huh! It most certainly does, although if you could see my desk, you'd think I'd made enough cards to re-stock a shop!
Turns out the little deckchair (Bookchair, Trademark) that I've taken unused from Miss Dunnit's room to use for my ipad stand is doing a good job too - whenever you see jaunty canvas striping, you'll know I wasn't even energetic enough to get off my butt and take a photo away from my desk.
You will probably notice too that I've re-decorated the blog again. Had to. The 'Queen of Trends' and the zebra stripe edges was doing my head in, please don't ask why I liked it only a month ago and now I don't - I'm a very complicated person you know.
Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 138

2012-01-25T05:44:00.000Z

Actually, nothing. Well, loads of stuff of course, but nothing that shows I've moved on from last week..I've just covered it all up with office work, which does not merit a photo on the blog! So instead, I've been planning and plotting, and here is my lap as at about 9pm last evening. I did have my feet up on the wooden chest you can just see, but for reasons of anonymity, I put my feet on the floor and sat in the chair as I was taught by my mother. Grainy photo aside, I'm a bit jubilant that you don't get a down shot of my ample bosom and tummy too! This notebook shows stamp codes and ink colour choices - I've been asked to do a workshop for my friend Janet who has a shop in Exmouth and so I'm in planning stages...which is hard. It involves looking at stamp catalogues. I know.
Meanwhile, back in the real world...how goes it with you? Show us do, how your mojo is allowing your work surface to evolve. Put a pic on your blog, put WOYWW in the post title and link it here. I have to say that there were so many desks last week that I didn't make it...and blogger was a bit unco-operative too; it was heart-warming to read comments on my way around and discover it wasn't just my computer! The thing is, I now have to decide - spend the week visiting WOYWW posts, or catchup with your blogs on other days as well...I'm a bit torn!

I wanna talk Pub Grub....

2012-01-24T17:32:00.001Z

....since there's been absolutely no crafting at my desk, let me tell you a story.

My girlfriends and I - you have seen them referred to as 'The Coven' - a name inferred by the Enthusiastic Educator's husband (a very brave man indeed)- have for a few years, celebrated our birthdays, by getting together once a month, for a nice pub meal and gifts. It's lovely. At Christmas, we do the same and for as many years it's been a table booked at the same place.

Free photo courtesy of Winnond.

Because the food is great, the menu vast and the service friendly and timely. This Christmas, not for the first time, we were forced to comment on the general lack of lighting, acknowledged that the masses of Christmas lights strung about the place were indeed atmospheric, if a little lacking in erm, light. (And actually on that particular night, a lot of lights going off unexpectedly type action..we suspected fairy light overload.) In fact, we had pre-ordered from the Christmas menu, so we kinda put up with it and a jolly evening was had. Now, fast forward to last weekend. Mr Dunnit, my one true love and all round best ever person, had a birthday. When I asked if he'd like to feast on some home cooked delicacy involving hours of preparation and toil and therefore the necessity to enjoy and be grateful, he suggested that we went to this same pub, so that he could taste for himself why we 'The Coven' liked it. And so I must admit to some reservation when I made the reservation. I was right. We had to use our phones to light the Menus. Of course, I took this up with our waitress. I of course alluded to our 'old eyes', but really, this was a bit much. She expressed surprise at our discomfort...and gave us more time to wrestle with the choices that we could actually read. Rather unsurprisingly then, our enthusiasm for our meal was a little coloured - indeed, Miss Dunnit couldn't actually see well enough to distinguish the colour of the leaves in her mixed salad..red lettuce leaves or green....and oh no - is that beetroot or not? It sort of ends up making you cross. So, when came bill paying, I mentioned it again, adding that we were skipping dessert because we couldn't be bothered to battle in the dark with menus or not being able to see the food properly, and I said, sadly it would put us off returning. The young woman said that she would tell management. She came back with the credit card machine and then had to step away from our table to gain enough light to see the screen on the machine . And without a hint of irony, she said "I've spoken to the Manager. He says the lights are deliberately low to create atmosphere and if you want them, they have torches behind the reception counter'.Well now, colour me dim....but rather than buying torches and expecting us to swallow the dark-equals-good-atmosphere idea, wouldn't it be a better thing to complement the fab food with decent lighting and surroundings to match...that's atmosphere, isn't it?

A sort of half day...

2012-01-20T12:29:00.003Z

Strange colour.....it's navy red and white really!

Here's a couple of cards from the first workshop that I half conducted this year. Lemme explain: on a Thursday there's a workshop in the morning that repeats in the evening. In between, I generally have a late lunch with Mr Dunnit and faff around the house getting not much done. I know, that's a shocker. Often I come home and because I've spent the morning watching other people make cards,I feel quite inspired to get stuck in. But that wears off really quickly when I realise that my guillotine is in my tote, at the shop, waiting for the evening re-run. Oh well, I'll manage. Just die cut some...oh, can't..the die I want to use is also in my tote...you get the picture. So I've learned to sort laundry or do a bit of baking after the morning workshop..not such a mojo killer as not having your stuff to hand. Yesterday I discovered why it's such a good idea to leave the stuff at the shop. I squeezed in ANOTHER dental appointment in the afternoon. He really hurt me...took the offending (and expensive!) problem out. So I wasnt able to go back to conduct the workshop...I was still shaking at tea time. And I'm not even scared of dentistry....just my age showing I guess! Shopkeeper Gal stepped up and did it instead of letting the gals down, how nice of her. So, I just need a couple of days to get over the feeling that someone smashed my jaw with a brick, the feeling that I now have a 6 foot deep hole in my jaw, the feeling that the three lots of treatment that I paid for prior to yesterday were a complete waste of money and that the dentist knew that, and then of course, the galling feeling of shelling out £47 to be so bruised. And then I'll be back at the front of the line, supporting and believing in the NHS as I thoroughly do. Miss Dunnit and I worked out that this treatment may well have cost over 900 dollars in the US. Well, I would have had to suffer, no doubt. And you would have been hearing about it. No doubt!

Have a lovely weekend. Off to create delightful supper involving mashed potato!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 137

2012-01-18T05:47:00.000Z

Gracious me Julia Dunnit, is that actually something crafty going on at your table?
Yes indeed it is.
And why is it daylight?
Because I took the picture on Tuesday lunchtime, just as Mr Dunnit came home to ask me to go out to make some deliveries. And I was afraid that I wouldn't get back to it. And I was right.
And why is there a large ladder and a fork in the garden, interrupting your erm, view?
Because Mr Dunnit had to repair a wind tortured fence. (The ladder is stored on the ground in a small gap between our shed and said fence panel). What I should have answered is the bleedin' obvious: Mr Dunnit doesn't excel at putting stuff away. Unless it's in his workshop of course!
So what's on your desk?
A pad of fresh, cheerful Tilda papers - the nearest I've come to liking anything Tilda-ish enough to buy it. My jar of buttons...with a few pink ones sprinkled about the desk (sounds artistic that way). Lots of rolls of different size and dimension glue dots. A small deckchair. Yep. Bought for Miss Dunnit as a book holder some years ago, and relatively unused. Now employed for my ipad. A wire bound notebook, standing on its side. I'm using the pages of this book as the 'scrap' surface to swipe, splosh and 'clean' stamps and sponge inks and blah...Elizabeth did something similar last year and ended up with a bunch of wonderful journal pages. We'll see!
So now I've seen yours, shall I show you mine?
Yes, please! Upload a pic of your work station/surface/floor/worktop/armchair/lap tray to your blog, title your blog post with WOYWW and link here. (The title is important, finding the right post can be time consuming enough to make a visitor click away...) Not everyone will visit, but a few will, and believe me, the inspiration is: well, inspirational.
Can I promote my etsy/shop/tv programme/latest product?
No. We love a recommendation based on good service, and no-one minds you mentioning your sources, but really, this is not an advertising platform. It's a bit of fun. If you want to advertise...write a really good blog that people wanna visit. Take my advice, I ain't using it. And if I'm exercising a double standard, it's OK see, because this is my blog.

Thank you a kerjillion times if you got involved yesterday. Huge fun, a great buzz for Stephanie and, as Di almost suggested, we're currently considering our own range of knickers *grin*!

Heart on sleeve moment

2012-01-17T12:18:00.001Z

Well, the title suggests that this post will make a change, but I'm a 'heart on my sleeve' type of gal and I'm too old to change now.
I had this idea to freshen theWOYWW logo in preparation for the new year, because it's a ridiculous acronym and deserves a spring clean, and because it looks as though it's going to make a third anniversary for goodness sake. Honestly, you'd think none of us had anything else to do!

So when you need a nice design and you don't have a single atom of clue about such things, to whom do you turn? Yep, I commissioned a design studio! I know, how self important is that! And the Design Studio took the brief and frankly ran away with it and gave me choices and asked me questions that I didn't understand. So I made up the answers, and now have three styles to choose from. Of course, it happens that my sissy Stephanie is a partner over at the Design Studio, but y'all knew that from previous bragging posts.

Steph has posted these on her blog too....wanna visit her and tell her which you prefer? I have already chosen, and will not be influenced. Well I might. But likely not.
See you tomorrow for WOYWW, old style or new! The badge might change but believe me...oh lord, nothing else does!

Is it just me?

2012-01-16T10:51:00.002Z

I did this LO at the Crop, the weekend before last. (Originally, I typed that sentence as 'I CREATED this LO'.... and when I read it, couldn't believe how pompous it sounded dahling..)

over exposed...only good light in the conservatory this morning and it's absolutely freezing in there. I actually moved fast!

Anyway, until this morning, I hadn't done any more than unpack and set it onto the work surface behind my desk. My 'pending' pile, I think we could politely call it. The other LOs I did at that same crop were immediately put into the album. Note to self: you need more page protectors. Now here's the question: Is this LO (of me and that Lunch Lady Jan) in the pending pile because I've run out page protectors, or is it, as I rather worryingly suspect, waiting to be finished? Damned if I can remember, but feel rather sure that I'd have doubled up in the album for now rather than have it hanging about....so what had I intended to do? If you don't know and I can't remember, how am I going to get on with the rest of the day? Argh, makes me so cross with myself! But the biggest question remains - is it just me?

Who doesn't like a show?

2012-01-13T15:26:00.000Z

badly copied advert..please follow the link for good pictures and proper links!

Of course, I mean a craft show. The nearest to me geographically is the Make It! Show at Farnborough's FIVE exhibition centre. (If you're anywhere near as old as me and know the area, you'll remember it as Farnborough Airport - it still is, of course, but there's more to it these days!)
This year the show opens on February 24th at 10am each day, (half an hour earlier for disabled visitors) and continues till close of play on Sunday 26th February. It's a good show; plenty of catering or space to eat your picnic, free parking (unusual) and aisles that are wide enough to mean there's room to walk around the crowd clamouring over one thing or another. All these things are important to a woman of a certain age who has a bit of cash to spend, huh!
The list of exhibitors includes card making, stamping, scrapbooking, beads, finished crafts from foreign shores, wools, fabrics, a few clothes, storage, honey and books, the introduction of stitching and knitty type crafts certainly reflects current trend, another good reason to visit...it's so important to be trendy.*cough* . So there'll be a lot to look at and even more to buy I suspect! There's also a selection of workshops that you can book yourself into; a good reason to purchase advance tickets for sure. A full list of exhibitors, and other important details can be found at the web site. There's a Facebook page too.
If you're a demonstrator or exhibitor and read this old blog, or join in with WOYWW, do let us know in the comments, am sure a number of us will be visiting and would be nice to be able to say hi!
Make It's website, further details, booking forms for workshops and advance tickets can all be found here.
Please note that this post is brought to you by me, Julia Dunnit, at the request of the Make It organisers. No money changed hands. Although I now have a free ticket. But I'd have been going anyway (on the Friday) - don't tell them!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 136

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000Z

Well, mine feels relatively unchanged to be honest. And acts as proof that if you pile enough stuff on it, you can use the stuff as a work surface without any problem! So I've wrapped up a couple of bits for posting and used the marker and ruler to draw some charts for Mr Dunnit...and spent a few quiet minutes cleaning off a stamp or two - Stazon cleaner at right. And cleaned off my scissors...at left. And made no decisions about the apparent 'pile' at the back..yet. All this on top of the Really Useful Box I collected yesterday. This is the clear stamp storage. It's deep enough to hold loads...it's shallow enough to fit where it's going and it's the best I can do...laminated sleeves neatly loaded with stamps and stored in file sleeves just doesn't work for me. Renders them inaccessible and renders me absolutely pathetic when it comes to putting them away. I'd rather rummage through a box! So I'm going to deliberately STAIN each image with black Stazon (so I can see what it is!!) and then chuck 'em in the box...you can't say the style doesn't suit me. We all know that would just be kind words..really, and I know 96% of you are horrified by this as an solution. It's OK though, cos I'm in the 4%!

Go on then, spill. What's going on at your workspace this week. Put WOYWW in the title and link your Wednesday desk photo here. The visiting will be slow, but visits you will get...it doesn't matter if you link at No1 or No 150, promise! No blatant advertising please!

Points of Inspiration: 5: My Sister

2012-01-10T16:04:00.000Z

You know that Sissy Dunnit is Stephanie over at Luscious Life Studios right? And she's a designer and a clever clogs and all round good egg, right? Well, she had some some of her designs committed to fabric just before Christmas. And then, after a holiday in Australia, Hawaii and England, just to prove she's no slouch, she made these cushions up from her designs. You'll recognise Lily (at the front) because the original design was bragged about on this blog. See, Steph took my advice and made a brightly coloured version of it. It's a beauty aint it, all bright colours and polka dots and you know, it speaks vividly of the fun in my sissy's character. Actually, so did the original, paler, more grown up colour way. You couldn't help but be cheered by these two patterns, huh.
You know how it is, my advice amounted to a kerjillion emails worth of going on and on and on about loving turquoise and lime, so she changed it to shut me up. Works for me. And now it's a fabric...wow, works for her too. And won't it be amazing when it's a paper or a digi? Makes me giddy thinking about it. When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like my big Sister.

Note to self

2012-01-05T17:09:00.002Z

Stop moaning about the lack of space in your work area. Or, stop buying stuff. Today I've tidied up sufficiently to discover that I need a shoe horn to get anything new into the correct places.

So a shoe horn I have fashioned! Yeah, I finally made it over to Shopkeeper Gal's to have a rummage in the sale. The beeyoooooootiful wood mounted stamps with little orange stickers were £1 each. £1. And the boxed Hero Arts sets were £5 each. I mean, it would have been rude not to, huh. I shall choose a quieter day to go back again - so I can fully concentrate; it was busy, and I was chatting of course, and that doesn't help my focus! Also pictured is the new Portobello Road stuff from DO Crafts. The first I think, of many vintage and new style scrapbook collections featuring all things Great Britain and Union flags. It's a big year here, in dear old blighty, and this particular Brit intends to make the most of it. Meanwhile, back in the bulging cupboards...I think I've resigned myself to a storage 'solution' for the clear stamps, and will show and tell next week. I've also had a good clear out of the 12" paper section. I haven't tackled the felt pens or embellishments yet. There's a limit to my strength of purpose. Well, unless it's about taking note of my own notes. Then I'm hopeless, obviously.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 135

2012-01-04T05:30:00.000Z

Well. Loads of shhhtuff. Waiting to be organised. After my mugs made me want to do something, I made a calendar page for January. And got it into my head that the clear stamps and Christmas stamps should be put away properly to make some room. Which involved emptying the shelf that they were on. Which involved cluttering up the desk with stuff that I've been shoving onto the shelf for the want of somewhere to put it. My bad. So today you can see detritus. Some very large Heidi Swapp playing cards (boxed, under the CD), a blank canvas (there's a joke there somewhere) a bag of souvenir postcards and tickets from Tenerife. (A year ago this month, that holiday!) and then the usual suspects too. Even Jan's desk bin has been unceremoniously shoved aside to let me at the clear stamps. Man if I didn't love the images, truly, I would dump the lot. Instead, they are on the floor in the lounge.

I thought that perhaps if I watched some catch-up tv it would make organising them a bit easier. Not so. Uh uh. Gave me pins and needles. Couldn't see the small images properly to sort them. Couldn't get some clean enough to make 'em clingy. Lost the will to live. Time to compromise! Sorted the Christmas from the others, filed those with the Christmas wood mounts and have squashed the others back onto their original shelf. There has to be a better way. Part of my day was spent modelling today. Man, I have such a varied life. This is a scheduled post...am off to the Dentist again; 3rd time this holiday. I may be some time!

So, post and brag, do. Please show us your work surface and what you're up to; upload a pic to your blog, put WOYWW in the title and link it here. People will visit - reciprocal visits are plenty, and please: no blatant advertising, this is about sharing what you're doing, what you've got and where you do it. Don't be the spoiler.

Points of Inspiration: 4 More colour!

2012-01-02T15:37:00.003Z

I was chuntering a little about the loss of the dishwasher this morning. I know it's hard to imagine me in a whiney, less than good tempered mood, but stretch yourself if you can. The dishwasher situation is serious. I noticed on Christmas Eve eve that it was taking rather longer to run the cycle than it should. So there followed a test run after we'd provided supper for 7 that evening. Suspicion confirmed, the programmer is shot - it won't stop working! Next day, Christmas Eve, after supper for 9, I decide it's safer to wash up..because I don't know how long a cycle is meant to be, I don't want to forget and leave it running pointlessly and I'm scared that if I do leave it, it'll blow up and spoil my kitchen. And therefore, Christmas. So I've been a slave to the sink and the drying up. I know, how tough; but do note the use of the singular person in that sentence. I. Turns out everyone else is really busy at washing up time. Ha! My childhood excuses coming back to bite me on the bum!

why are iphone photos always so bad?!!

Anyhooo....for once when putting stuff away, all the other, non matching mugs were still waiting to go into the cupboard, so I piled up these, my favourites and took a photo. I don't know why it pleases me to have them, but it does...shape, colour outside, white insides, practical handle I can actually hold properly and of course, the colours. Made me, for the first time in ages, want to get to my desk and make something. So I'm going to. Even if it's just a mess, at least it will be colourful. And probably not red and gold.

Oh also, you can see, I've been housekeeping. Honestly, I don't believe myself to be trendy at all, how funny a delusion that would be!! But, I love the blog template, so I have to use it!!

This last day of the year....a profound story...

2011-12-30T17:40:00.000Z

a completely unrelated photo - but these Easter treats found on a shelf in Sainsbury's this morning....am in no doubt you can easily find them in a store near you too! No wonder the years pass so quickly!

For a couple years now, the grey in my hair has bothered me a bit, and I've been colouring it. My darling says that it's nothing and I shouldn't fret about it; so for about the last 8 months, I haven't spent money or minutes on hair dye products. I decided to embrace the grey...and to be honest, apart from my beloved father, most people were silent on the matter. Either from pity or embarrassment, who knows.
I keep my hair fairly short, so any colour has long grown and been cut out and I'm back to my natural brown. Turns out, it's not the grey that bothers me so much as the dull brown of this natural colour. 'Spect if we ever met, Tim Holtz would have a name for it.
So for the New Year, I decided to 'enliven' my hair colour and improve my complexion with a 'warm and rich' brown hair colouring. I actually bounced out of bed having made time to do it before I went downstairs. I remembered to put on the loose neck stained t shirt that we keep for this. I even turned on the iron, knowing that I would have 20 minutes to spend ironing whilst my head got very cold, but oh so rich and warmly coloured. Put on the gloves...for the 100th time, think aloud about writing to the manufacturer to remind them that people with fat hands also colour their hair. Snap off the top of the 'chemical' squirty nozzle bottle. Unscrew cap. Open the colourant. Empty the entire tube into the chemical squirty nozzle bottle. Take care to empty tube, rolling it down and being uber careful not to spill. And then, replace the squirty nozzle cap. Place finger expertly over the broken off tip and shake. No colour change, no magic, frightening dark coloured chemical reaction. Check box and basin which looks a bit like a lab. Bottle of COLOUR still intact, in the basin. TUBE of high powered, ultra soft conditioner, empty. Put the wrong thing in the wrong thing. Feel very cross for about 10 seconds. Then very foolish. And now, well, in a mood to share; even at this late stage in the year, it's not too late for me to make a fool of myself!
Me, my grey temples, and my Dunnit lovelies wish you everything you need for 2012. May it be happy and filled with the love of your family and friends. You deserve it.

Motivation to do: Anything!

2011-12-30T14:59:00.001Z

It may finally be coming to me...the motivation to get on and tidy up in my work area, clear my desk and sort things ready for a lovely clean and tidy, uncluttered start to next year. Next week. Well, as long as it lasts! This desire comes hot on the heels of my needing to do a great deal of office and other work. Naturally, if I'm busy with one, I'm full of ideas for the other!
Another reason for a sudden need to get to my desk is this lovely package; it arrived before Christmas from Emily at Make The Day Special. Mr Dunnit put it under the tree; it's Emily's way of celebrating 500 posts on the blog, and I was the lucky recipient. Check out the blog, Kim, a WOYWWer is on her design team and the ideas are just wonderful.

The very best thing about the whole goody box is the whole sheet of mounted stamps..honestly, if I'd chosen them myself they couldn't be better!

And talking of gifts under my tree, and motivation, and my way of erm 'coping'.....my dear friend Lunch Lady Jan and her husband important G, think it's terribly amusing that I'm a list maker. Really they do. We can be talking about absolutely nothing related to it and G will just suddenly suggest I make a list. Well, now I can, look at this book!

No doubt Jan and important G think it's very funny, and I have to say I did laugh (a lot) when I opened it. But secretly, it's perfect and I'm very pleased to have a book of pages to make my iists on!
So now I must get to the bookwork, make sure we still have a roof over our heads for the coming year, so that I can then get to my desk without guilt. Oh, ha ha, that makes me laugh too, guilt free craft time!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 134

2011-12-28T05:30:00.000Z

I have nothing to show you that you didn't see last Wednesday. I'm also sorry that I didn't make it around to all the desks last week, I just couldn't give up the time; see, my Sissy lives in California, so we don't get Christmas together too often, and that's why.

So instead of a desk, here's a picture that has touched my heart. I was sitting on the sofa behind my father who was sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa (by choice!). He was playing with his new Kindle and not having a lot of luck with button comprehension. So my darling Miss Dunnit sat beside him and explained, many times, the 'home' button function and where to go from there. He's still giddy at the fact that she loaded 1500 books onto it in about 5 minutes flat, so I'm not sure how much info he's taking in at this stage......
So how was your holiday? I see a few of you actually made it to your desks....show us do, or a snippet of your holiday memories...we'd love to see...upload a pic to your blog, put WOYWW in the title and link here. I thank you! See you next year!

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-24T22:37:00.001Z

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, may your day be filled with the joy of the season. And no washing up. And definitely don't do any housework. Again, probably won't be taking my advice; can't see that I'll be getting out of the washing up! Enjoy, friends.

The Manifesto revisited

2011-12-23T16:49:00.001Z

Thanks to Kerry for the polystyrene ring, I decided to continue the Pay It Forward and gave this to Shopkeeper Gal as a 'card' for this Christmas. Idea (not mine of course), from Laura, my friend and Stamping Up! demo.

Remember back in October and November I preached at you about staying calm and getting stuff done and setting a sensible deadline to preculde you from stress at midnight on 24th December? My Manifesto for Christmas preparations? Well, as you most associate a manifesto with politicians, and as we mostly don't get the full reality from our politicians, you'll be unsurprised that I haven't stuck to it. Here's a precis:

1. Make, whilst in the mood, whilst the going is good.
2. Make and finish one thing at a time..midnight on the 24th December is not a time reserved for frantic finishing and crappy wrapping. No, it ISN'T.
3. Set a reasonable, seasonal deadline to finish the makes. Mine is December 15. Then, I shall gracefully (!) accept if I've failed to finish and trot out to buy gifts where needed, and still have time to wrap them.
4. Do not get silly about this. Do not make loads of stuff and then lose your nerve and decide against giving any of it away. To this end, I recommend wrapping as soon as possible after finishing!

Well, home made gifts are now under several trees and I am a bit nervous about them to be honest. So that's a moderate fail. The worst fail is the December 15th deadline. I still l have the shadow box gift on my desk. Tradition dictates that the lovely recipients will be here tomorrow evening for supper and late church....so I kinda have to finish it. Very soon. Epic manifesto fail then! Argh. But it's OK,it's the only one. My eye is no longer particularly on the Christmas ball.....Stephanie Dunnit and neice Bizz are home from California for a quick Christmas. I'm concentrating on quality time. Whatever else I preach at you, this is the one you should take notice of. Spend some time with people you love. For once, I'm going to take my own advice!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 133

2011-12-21T05:30:00.000Z

Well here it is..not even cleared off for use as a bar this year. Yet. That may or may not come to pass, we'll see. After a visit from Morti and Mr B, my tree is a hand beaded bauble better decorated and my desk - described by Morti as part of an 'efficient' space, is back in use. Mr Dunnit heads out to a couple of customers to spread Christmas thanks and cheer today, so I'm making the bottle label things that look kinda like door hangers - you can just see them above the black punch at right. Nothing like last minute, huh! There's the beginnings too of what looks like a scrapbook page. It will in fact be a shadow box containing a lovely candid photo of a young couple at their wedding and some of the bits that I collected on the day - you know, confetti, favour wrapper etc. I'll try to remember to show it at some stage...which means photographing it before it gets wrapped up. Which implies my intention to finish it. Great stuff, intent! It's all a bit over exposed I think, but there's a half finished bag of silver curling ribbon and the rest of the wrapping up stuff, just dumped. Not a single stamp has been put away. Again, I hate storing clear stamps. I'm still trying to 'do a Neil' - yes you, Neil! Sign of some progress is standing on top of the button jar. Of course!
I know lots of you don't or wont pass this way between WOYWW days, so please accept my best wishes and warm fuzzies for a peaceful and Happy Christmas.

Join us by linking here - show us your 4-days-to-go state; post a picture to your blog and link up here. Please put WOYWW in the title and don't link if it's not a post about your desk/surface/blah...it should at least be a link for today, not a non WOYWW post earlier this week. Thank you. Please don't make me set real rules, this is meant to be fun. Off to Heathrow today, Sissy Dunnit's coming, Hurrah!!!

Motivation to do: mmmm, baking

2011-12-19T21:32:00.001Z

Well, I don't do much baking per se, because I'm not great at it. I do a lot of cooking, but the cakes and breads aren't my forte. Turns out Miss Dunnit is the baker in our family; I can't get the oven to behave in the same way that she can. However,Miss Dunnit has more of a life than me of course, and so there are times when I'm happy to bake. And no better a time than when there's a new Mason Cash mixing bowl to be christened (my secret Santa gift from our Kelly of The Coven) and a recipe from The Pioneer Woman cookbook (my Birthday bunny gift from our Laura of The Coven). So I made the chocolate sheet cake. It wasn't difficult, and the motivation to start my festive baking and cooking was simple; an invitation with the request to bring a chocolatey pud. Similar then, to my motivation for getting the wrapping done.

So now I'm in the groove a bit, today I even planned a couple of menus and checked stock for shopping purposes - gracious my beloved Mother's efficiency and role modelling may well be paying off! There has been a horrible lack of mince pies in this house considering the season, so I really need to correct that too, they're almost the way to Mr Dunnit's heart, so I never mind making them. I need a couple of puddings and some nibbles for a couple of occasions...Nigella will help me with those. And that will be me done with cooking. Just to make you less jealous of the sudden smugness that you may feel is appearing, there's a pile of laundry waiting to be ironed that frankly looks as if I haven't done any for about six months, and I still, STILL have a present to make. all in good time. Ahem!

Motivation to do: gift wrapping

2011-12-16T22:41:00.001Z

There comes a point in December when you start to visit, party and see the people you want to celebrate the season with, but who you won't actually spend 'the day' with. This often causes the wrapping of gifts in time to head out of the door...which leaves a deposit of rolled paper, scissors, tape and a pile of strung labels...they take up room man, and for a while you have to sort of move around them. And then there's nothing else you can do. Drag out the gifts and just get on with it. Get another large tick on the list, tidy away the papers and blah and enjoy the sight of your life savings wrapped like jewels and under the tree for as long as possible! That's what I've been doing. No blogging, housework chores, phone chats or lounging about. Thursday, after lunch, I wrapped. And today, from lunch time again, I wrapped. I wrapped until my hips ached. Oh yes, you read that correctly...I sat on the sofa and used the whole coffee table...and the leaning forward and down made my hips ache. I didn't know that of course, until I sprang up to answer the phone very nearly passed out from the effort!

I really had no idea that it would take so long; even though it catches me out every year - like writing the cards...why is that? The reward, apart from the obvious one, which I acknowledge of course, is the family reaction. Mr Dunnit came home; I bemoaned the lack of tidiness, getting other stuff done, etc etc, and he put it very simply: 'so what' he said, ' it looks amazingly Christmassy'. I'll take that.
Have a lovely, getting ready weekend!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 132

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000Z

There is a reason for the shakey photography. And for the gifts on my workdesk. This photo and post are scheduled. Right now it's Tuesday afternoon. Tonight I'm out with my crafting galfriends for our Christmas meal and Secret Santa. So I've finally broken into some Christmas paper and done some wrapping. And I realised that if I don't schedule this.....I have to get up really early on Wednesday morning..and I don't intend to; you will I'm sure understand. I'm tonight's designated driver, but nevertheless, it will be a late night. And I've planned a lie in. What's the betting I'll be wide awake at 5.30am!
You can see a set of nesting box lids...which match the nesting boxes upon which they stand..you can't tell that I've actually done something to the boxes, but I have. I'm doing a Neil. If they are ever finished, I'll explain.
Meanwhile, I'm off to the meeting of The Coven (as the Enthusiastic Educator's husband refers to us. He thinks he's joking; only we know whether he is or not.) That's why the photo is a bit shakey - I'm hungry! Show us what you're doing this close to Christmas, if you've time. Upload a pic of your work surface to your blog and then link here. We'll visit. Slowly!

Motivation to do: Decorate

2011-12-12T17:38:00.003Z

This tree image is from the John Lewis range.

Back in the day, before the decorations went up, a mini spring clean would take place chez Dunnit. And furniture would have to be moved. Yes indeed, the arrival of the Christmas decorations was a matter of some work and lots of excitement. I don't know why, but in her 18 wonderful years, Miss Dunnit has never taken any interest in decorating the tree, or helping with the other bits either, come to that. I don't understand it. Perhaps it's because year after year she sees me doing it and has decided that it's just another chore that the girl gets to do. I know it's not and shouldn't be, but it kinda is. Mr Dunnit is marvellous with the shopping, choosing, trimming to fit it in the stand and rigging up the lighting for the tree, but would rather leave it naked than get involved in its decoration. Indeed, some years - take last year for example, when we were up to our eyeballs in the misery of illness and closing a business, it was he who reminded me that we needed a tree. He clearly sees the need. And the year we went to Australia on Christmas night so didn't bother with a tree, both of them felt cheated. I don't get it. So secure in the realisation that Christmas Day is now a week on Sunday (which sounds very, very close) we bought a tree this weekend. I have made a huge effort in the cleaning department today, and thrown the vaccuum across the carpet where it will stand. There was enough winter sun to make me wince at the state of the windows....but luckily, not enough winter sun to make me actually clean them. As I type though, it is bereft of ornament. Mr Dunnit wants to arrange the sockets and extensions before we put it in position...and he isn't home yet....and as she left for college this morning, Miss Dunnit said to wait till she got home before starting on the tree. It's a Christmas miracle. Now all I have to do is bite my tongue and stop myself moving bits around to fill gaps and better suit my idea of a well decorated tree. Easier surely, than having to do it all myself?

Motivation to do: the cards

2011-12-09T09:32:00.001Z

I know I've said this before, but here's a little tiny bit of my domestic life - it's vaguely relevant: Mr Dunnit and I wake up at the same time - he's already awake, but for me, it's that damn radio. I always, always lie in bed and let him get on with his day for a good half hour. Doesn't matter if we awaken at 5.30 or 8.30 - that's how it is. We don't speak, but just before he goes downstairs, we manage a kiss and a 'good morning'. I listen to him fill the kettle and start his day. I muse upon the way my day will turn. I have to have some definite goals. 'Working' at home can very quickly slide into doing nothing. This is why I prefer a routine. Because genuinely doing nothing would make me feel even more guilty! Here's the relevant part: Yesterday, whilst trying to preserve the warm spot vacated by himself, it occurred to me that there's more to making the Christmas cards than erm, making them. I don't know why or how, but I had not factored in the writing and posting part. It's not, to be honest, amongst my favourite Christmas jobs. I get tongue tied about whether the card is from all of us or just me or just him, depending on the recipient. I get bothered by children's names and get guilt over having not seen or communicated with some recipients since last sending a Christmas card. And for a special this year, we have cards to send from our business, which gave me another attack of the vapours - is it 'de riguer' to send handmade? Maybe I should just buy some after all. Oh lawks.

Mr Dunnit always sprints upstairs to say goodbye. We have a brief discussion about work things that I may need to do and he always feigns an interest in my plans for the day. Yesterday, I ran off a list of chores and added Christmas things that need doing...including the cards. (It makes me feel a great deal better about myself if I sound really busy when asked what I'm doing by the bread winner). Mr Dunnit as usual, lends his wisdom and left brain logic to my angst over the card situation. He said ' you've made them now haven't you?' and when I confirmed that, he said 'well, just write in them and send them, that's a job done then.' Indeed it is Mr Dunnit. And I suppose no one will take the trouble to ring and moan about crappy handmade cards will they. They haven't before. So yesterday I spent the afternoon writing, enveloping, addressing, licking. It wasn't exciting and man, it took much longer than I'd anticipated. At least today I have a satisfying 'done' pile. And a strike through on the list. Now that IS a job done. Wrapping next? No. I'll just consult my list.

Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 131

2011-12-07T05:47:00.000Z

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, please hold the family of Sarah Lawrence in your hearts. Sarah died suddenly, last Friday. You will know her from WOYWW; and appearances on TV and at major craft events for Crafty Notions - she was the fun, bursting with ideas and enthusiasm for mixed media person that we all want to be. I didn't know her personally, but that doesn't make any difference. I do know that the world in which we all blog, craft and share is a poorer one without her.

Detritus is what's on my work desk this Wednesday. No glass mat and nothing that reflects what I'm intending to make next. All the useful stuff is still packed in my tote after Sunday's crop and my desk has become a wrapping area and general dumping ground. Soon rectify that though. Got things to make so I can cross them off lists!

Sure had you going with this last week. G3 is in fact the blog nick name of Lunch Lady Jan's younger son. So I've decorated them with some references to his interests and hope he can find somewhere to prop them in his room. After all, he may need reminding who he is. Politically, some of you were a bit off the mark..it's actually G20 these days!

Link here to guide us to your blogs and show us what this week has you working on:

So, I'm making the list...

2011-12-05T10:11:00.001Z

I thought you may like to know that this Monday, today, only the first in December and the 'oh-my-word-it's-closer-than-I-thought' day for kerjillions of us, is the 'big list' day for me.

This year's present list...turned up pages mean they're ready....

I need a list of Christmas cards to be written...subdivided into a list of those to be posted and those to be hand delivered.
I therefore need at list on my workdesk of the number of cards I still have to make!
I need a list of the presents left to be brought. Not many, but you don't wanna be forgetting one because it wasn't on your mind at the right time!
I need a list of the 'bits and pieces' left to buy - you know, batteries, the odd stocking filler and such.
I need a list to be made as I wrap gifts - I put them all under the tree (because I love the look of my matching wrappings and ribbons before they get jumbled up with others that don't match!). But I need to be sure that on the right day, we take the right presents. It may be obvious that if you're going to your Mum's you need to take hers, but there's loads of other people who will be there that you won't see otherwise...and if there's a list, I don't have to be the one to make sure that the right presents are loaded...one less job. Cunning!
I need a list of essentials that we'll need over the holiday. But not the essentials of everyday or other holidays. Tonic water, bottled lemon slices, cherries are good examples. Not a weekly grocery list essential, but definitely a Christmas list essential!
I need a list of the customers that our new Company has enjoyed this year, there are more, quite important cards to be made.
I probably need a list of last posting dates.
I need a food shopping list. It starts off at this time, a horrendously long and frightening affair, but I wrestle with it over the next 13 days or so and as things get crossed off, so it stops looking like a dinosaur sitting in my path!
I have a list of presents I'd like for myself, as I do for Mr D and Miss D. I keep them on my phone and top them up whenever either of them mention anything, at any time of the year. This efficiency is then utterly ignored because I forget to refer to it when shopping. I'm such a luddite. I still need lists on paper!

I don't need a list of lists. Really, I'm attempting organisation in a way that works for me. And as I'm a stationery junkie and have had thirty adult years to fill the junkie cravings, I've got appropriate notebooks for these lists. And some. And truly, that's one of the great pleasures of my Christmas preparations - I get to press into action some lovely, often decorated, some lined, some plain blank pages. It's a bit like journalling for the journalling challenged. And you're allowed to doodle. Stationery, ideas, a bit of art, all in the name of organisation. Bliss.

A bit ragged already

2011-12-02T08:37:00.001Z

I've been going around the WOYWW posts for this week (and I'm still doing that). It cannot go without a comment - especially as it is now December. I've sensed a lot of mild panic about this month. And a good dose of organisation, shopping, planning. I'd say that in equal measure, we're really getting on with it! I also surmise from my very non-scientific reading material that working or not, it is the household's women who plan, shop and deliver Christmas.

It's all about choices and allocating your time. If you wanna do JYC or December Daily, ring-fence the time you need..after all, you've done a lot for everyone else all day. If you wanna do Tim's tags, do 'em. Or......leave them - maybe until the Christmas break starts.....the twelve days of Christmas actually start on Christmas Day you know.

Whatever you do, be gentle with yourselves this month...collapsing in an exhausted stressed heap on Christmas Eve isn't part of the plan! As usual, I've only decorated the blog so far. (Thank you LeeLou, for making it possible). It'll be at least another week before I get the house decorated...and the tree - a bit longer I suspect.

And because blogging is very much a part of the time I ring fence, you can 'look forward' to more posts here, after all if I advocate being relaxed and allocating yourself time to do stuff you like, I have to set the example, huh! So far, the only thing that's ragged is the ribbon on this little card!

Check back....I haven't prepared for Sunday's crop yet.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 130

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000Z

Ah, mine is a double work in progress today. See the bright red letter and number? (Really, if you can't, you may wanna get an eye test, seriously.) They are for a Christmas present. They are freshly painted and dry, but sitting on scraps of paper that I've used to cover another project I'm working on...that's not a huge secret, more that I needed to discuss the G3 with Miss Dunnit, so that went on top. That's how it is in Julia world. No need to tidy until the thing on top falls off. And that's why there appears to be nothing on the table that actually could 'go' with the G3...mostly it's stuff I was using for the scrapbook LO underneath. See the ATG gun - reloaded and in constant re-use....I may accuse it of being fiddly (and it is), but that won't change my love for it. You can see at right my tidy basket of stamps waiting to be put away...it is starting to behave badly - that is, driving me mad. I wish I could manage without acrylic stamps I really do.
Share with us your workdesk won't you? Paper crafts, any crafts, work, home, floor, desk, dedicated space or not...we'd like to see what you're up to. Upload to your blog and link it here. Please don't link if you aren't showing a workspace or work in progress, and put WOYWW in the title. Please don't link if all you have for us to read is an advertisement for another site or a litany of product links. No fair. It's the Season of Goodwill - something that we WOYWWers have shared for 130 weeks non-stop - please don't make it need rules, it's meant to be fun!

Dithering nicely, thanks

2011-11-29T11:28:00.001Z

Made mostly with DO's new Urban stamps..a Paper Artsy and a Magenta image too

I had a brainwave on Sunday afternoon, that I would switch around the way I do stuff at home during the day. Make the most of the daylight so that I can fulfill my manifesto pledges and get my Christmas crafting done...and even save my poor declining eyesight! No biggie huh. I like a routine, and although I don't do the same jobs on the same day of week or anything quite so well organised, I do always do household stuff and work stuff before I set foot in front of my crafty desk, or before I park my bottom in front of this 'ere computer. Which means that on an average day, I get to play at my craft desk by about 2.30, 3 o,clock-ish. I know this represents a lot of time and I know how lucky I am...let's not dwell there. Mostly because my output doesn't reflect these hours! But in the Northern Hemisphere, it means the light's getting bad and by about 4pm there's no natural light at all. The brainwave seems long overdue then, huh? Hold on though. Yesterday was day one and it wasn't as easy as it sounds. As every day, my family had left the house by 8am, and as everyday, they had left the kitchen in the standard whirlwind someone-else-will-clear-this-up state, and as usual, it was combined with the evening's detritus. I'm a bit of a slut about cleaning up after an evening meal if I'm going to be at home the next day...see how bad habits form if you don't go out to work! Now I don't know about you, but I can't turn my back on the kitchen...it has to be clean and tidy before I can do anything else. And yesterday turned into recycling, empty the bin and therefore clean the floor day. Not because it was Monday, but because every job you do knocks onto another, doesn't it.... the washing machine had finished so then upstairs to sort out laundry and while I was there, emptied bins and straightened up the beds...you know. So it was after eleven before I got to my desk, but the daylight was great and I must say, it does make a difference. Mr Dunnit came home for lunch about an hour later which involves lunch, tidying and business talk...maybe even some business work...that's OK. It's what I'm here for really. But it uses up daylight! It was about 3pm before I got back to my work desk..and nearly dark. And because I had been at my desk during the morning, when it did get dark, I sort of felt obliged to leave it in favour of the ironing - after all I did say I'd do the chores when the daylight faded. So I sat at my desk all evening instead, making up for not managing to do very much at it yesterday. And here I am, blogging in daylight...any minute now I'm going to turn my chair to face the desk and get on. I hope. Gosh, isn't it complicated, this hobby!

Living a life worth scrapbooking....

2011-11-25T16:50:00.001Z

foam bananas and technology..a great afternoon!

I'm a bit fickle about scrapbooking; I recognise it's to capture for all time the memories of our lives and to create some sort of sentimental legacy for my only child and blahdy blahdy blah. But I don't like using the photos that pre-date my arriving at the scrapbook hobby. I'm a bit of a here and now scrapper and particularly like to record everyday stuff that might otherwise be forgotten. I use the 'old' photos when I'm completely out of mojo or new stuff. I know, it doesn't make me a 'different' scrapbooker, or earn me a title as some sort of renegade, but as I don't have my own style (I faithfully reproduce every lovely idea I ever see), it's a sort of comfort to me to know that I fit into some category or genre. I like to conform. So here's this week's scrapbooking moment. Be patient, I need to set the scene.

Miss Dunnit, our only child, our beloved daughter, is 18 and a half. We live in fear that her ambition is to be a perpetual student. 'We' being her parents. Anyway. She's currently enjoying a third year at sixth form College. She didn't want a year out, but didn't want to go to Uni. We're OK with that. We love having her at home, when she's here. You know. And...I'm digressing again. So, yesterday. She volunteered to help with the Tesco Grand Prix. She's a lovely gal. She helped and I rewarded her with some hooch for a party. It may have been her motive, but I don't suspect that and actually I don't care...she was a help and great company. Once home and sorted, I started on a laundry related chore upstairs. She joined me; throwing herself on my freshly changed, newly made bed. Argh.....after years of not being allowed to sit on our made beds at boarding school, it makes me freak out a little bit...so to get my own back, I did a running jump type of move to throw myself on HER. Lots of screaming and groaning, huge dramatics and possibly some tickling. Then some chatting and begging, and even a little threatening. The I gave in. As I 'climbed' off her, I noticed that she still had her teeny earphones around her neck and was a bit concerned that they may have been tugged and broken. But for the life of me, I couldn't could not remember what they were called. And I ended up asking if her 'micro ear defenders for music thingies' were OK. She looked me in the eye and said : 'Yes mama, they're fine. And it's OK, I understood, because I can speak old.'

And that's what will make it onto a scrapbook page in her album. See, my memory may be troubling me, but I never forget an insult, however loving! Just off to fashion another blue tack effigy...

Have a great weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 129

2011-11-23T05:30:00.000Z

Oh look - a real return to form! I'm ploughing my way through the second calendar and although it's the same, it's different. Of course - doing the same thing twice is tedious. Housework. I rest my case. You can see the ATG gun awaiting refill - I was mid-flow so didn't want to bother fiddling with it (and IT IS a fiddle), so I've resorted to the pink Herma. Not my fave, but needs must when you're looking for loaded adhesive dispensers! You can just see my collection of printed sellotapes too - they are not Washi tapes or anything so sophisticated, just cheapos from Tiger, or wherever else I happen to see them!
So I'm gently moving forward with the Christmas plans..there was a lot of evidence of it on WOYWW last week. Have y'all finished and moved on now?
( LLJan has decided to force me into Salisbury EARLY today, so have photographed Tuesday's mess. It remains just the same now. Of course, it's enough to stagger round with coffee in hand at this time of day, huh!!)
Show us what your work surface is minding for you won't you? Put a pic on your blog and link up here. Lovely.

I couldn't be a politician....

2011-11-21T15:58:00.001Z

See that text ? Miss Dunnit's age 7 best handwriting.....committed forever to rubber for her mama

Actually, I typed the title and between there and here I realise that a politician is EXACTLY what I could be. Wanna know why? Because my Manifesto is not being fulfilled. You may remember from a post in October, when the going looked pretty good:
1. Make, whilst in the mood, whilst the going is good.
2. Make and finish one thing at a time..midnight on the 24th December is not a time reserved for frantic finishing and crappy wrapping. No, it ISN'T.
3. Set a reasonable, seasonal deadline to finish the makes. Mine is December 15. Then, I shall gracefully (!) accept if I've failed to finish and trot out to buy gifts where needed, and still have time to wrap them.
4. Do not get silly about this. Do not make loads of stuff and then lose your nerve and decide against giving any of it away. To this end, I recommend wrapping as soon as possible after finishing!

It's looking a bit wobbly at the moment; my inability to multi task is causing a bit of a problem. So is my need to spend evenings on my butt in a big comfy chair with Mr Dunnit and the TV for company. Ah winter, I blame you. I have preparations underway, I have unfinisheds on 'set aside' and unstarteds on 'don't panic' piles, so I am still full of good intention. Which makes me horribly like a politician! Except, and I say this in my best, professional defence barrister type voice (imagine the wig, will ya) - I've been honest about it, my lord, and not all politicians can boast that.

Still how goes it for you? Better, I'm sure.

That Maze book....

2011-11-18T09:02:00.001Z

I love making them because they come together fairly quickly, and I love that it can be made pretty much up out of 1 sheet of 12 x 12 and leftovers from other projects. But I cannot and do not claim any credit for it...it's a well known pattern! It's made from one sheet of 12x 12" paper, folded and cut cleverly, the finished book is just under 10cm (4") square - the covers; the pages are smaller. There are a couple of really good, easy to see and follow tutorials on You Tube - search for Maze Book. On that basis I won't make you suffer a step by step here, my photography's not up to it!!
And to prove that point - here's another card from our Card Marathon day - photographed at an extraordinary angle, it looks very odd in the dimension department! Stamps by Hero Arts and Inkadinkado. Simple but fun. I wonder if my teeny obsession with Kraft material will change any time soon!

WOYWW note: I know a lot of people scan the texts of WOYWW posts because there's so much to get through...but the numbers thing has kicked up a lot of comments. As I said, the numbers on Mr Linky automatically change if I have to or am asked to remove a link for reasons of correction or corruption...so you may find your number changes by one or two, but it won't be so drastic a change as to make you difficult to find on the list! The suggestion of signing your name and turning that into an html link in the comment box has been made. You could, of course...depends on your time and patience ratios!
I'm still working through the list, started at the bottom of column 3 on Weds, so I may be some time yet and I can't explain this in every comment. My patience and time ratios would be seriously at risk!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 128

2011-11-16T05:49:00.000Z

A two-fer from me this week! I took these at about 4.30pm yesterday; I was just about to finish two sets of calendar pages by adding tweaks and extras to the second set. You can see that I'm incapable of doing even two pages the same, but that's OK. Turns out though, I hadn't quite got as far as I thought when I set these aside to concentrate on other stuff, so these may well end up in 'set aside' again! They are for presents, but as you well know, I'm not allowing myself to panic. So my desk looks pretty tidy but for the pages, huh! Usual suspects, including on the right, my Wipso and Twiglet tidy basket which is full of stamps. All clean, just waiting to be filed away. But they're clear stamps and I hate putting them away. Ugh, what a slacker!

Before I make way for Mr Linky, I need to do a bit of housekeeping. Angela pointed out that using your link list number where you leave a comment is unreliable because they change. They don't always. If I'm asked to remove a link (and very very occasionally if I remove a link because it's a bit over the top in terms of non-compliance!) then the numbers do automatically re-jig. But if you comment and add your original list number, you won't be too hard to find, within one or two numbers at most....so keep doing it please!
So be compliant and please show us your busy (or chilled) workspace this week...no blatant advertising and please make sure your post title includes the WOYWW acronym....for the ease of those of us that visit way after Wednesday! I thank you.

Wrap Up!

2011-11-14T17:20:00.001Z

This is the one labelled 'Wild & Sweet'....now you can see why!

Well the Card Marathon is over and I thank you for your putting up with all my preparations if you have. Here are a couple of cards from the event. The rest will appear when I have no more interesting photos to use. You know how I avoid a photo-less post. It helps keep my focus on being sharp and pithy in the text department. (really? Even I'm laughing now!). Scrap Lady Ally also had to succumb to the 'make 12 cards for the Marathon' pain, so if you wanna see others,do swing by her blog at some stage.

And this is the one that has the Mary Anne digi design tree on - love it!!

I thank Mary Anne from the bottom of my crafty heart for her real genuine patient help and generosity over the reproduction of this wonderful digi image. I think I need say no more - except if you want some of it, check out her pdf printables..available FREE and all she asks is that you show her what you make now and then. How hard is that!

So that's it. And I have Christmas presents to wrap too, so in all, this weekend has been a wrap up success. Man, I love that!

It's behind you...and creeping up fast!!

2011-11-11T18:43:00.001Z

I sort of bragged on WOYWW about being nearly organised for the Card Marathon tomorrow and I am. I think. You know how at the back of your mind you're aware that there are other commitments to be kept up with...but for as long as you don't double check and actually name the 'thing', it sort of just lingers behind you while you're busy. Do you get that? Are you vaguely familiar with that or have I described it so badly that you now feel that I should be seeking treatment?
Well...I was forced to turn around and face the creeping commitment on Thursday morning. And do you know, I had the WRONG commitment in my head. In Juliaworld, I had in mind that the Maze Book workshop was scheduled for the beginning of December. So imagine my badly concealed surprise when I find myself discussing with Shopkeeper Gal the number of people that are coming to do the workshop. Next week.

So in the grand tradition of 'push back' techniques, (which also involved a bin bag, such was the enormity of the situation), I cleared my desk and made a Maze Book. I did enjoy it I must say. I fell foul: 'familiarity breeds contempt' - oh yeah. Ruined the piece of 12 x 12 I was going to use because I cut it wrongly. How many of these have I made?!! Ah well, it's not the vintage Christmas ensemble I'd planned, but at least the Workshopeers will be able to see what they're making! And don't tell Shopkeeper Gal, I'm pretty sure I fooled her, so she doesn't need to know. Note to self: just check the diary before it sneaks up and bites you on the butt. Seriously good advice. Take, it. I'm clearly not using it.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 127

2011-11-09T05:30:00.000Z

I've moved to the floor. As I get things ready for Saturday, I need to lay them out in a place where I can see what's been done and am not falling over them. So a corner of the lounge floor is doing the job. Because I'm too lazy to light the fire and warm the conservatory up....or it would of course, be a table - less bending!

You can see, each basket contains the supplies (ink,stamps, die cuts) needed to make each card. The large envelopes contain the pre-scored cards, envelopes and bigger pieces of paper or card needed as mounts. Everything is cut to size and any die cutting is done. This cuts down on queueing at the tool table and means that the makers can just sit down and make their cards...there's some embossing to be done here and there, but nothing overly taxing - this is about getting as many Christmas cards made as possible! So there you have it, my workroom is a hive of organisation and the lounge floor is the proof. Feels kinda good to be productive to be honest. This is a scheduled post. I'm scared that Mr D will let me lie in, and more scared that the chores I have to do before going out for the day won't get done if I'm as big a behind as I was last week. It was yesterday before I finished desk visiting!
Show us your work area, show us what you're working on; it's very easy - upload to your blog and then come back and link here...please include WOYWW in your title - those of us that visit late often have to page through and can't find the relevant post....especially if the pic is buried at the end of a long post about other stuff. Thanks, it helps. Also, Neet reminded us that once you've linked, it's really helpful to include your number on the list when you leave a comment....makes a reciprocal visit much easier!

One I made earlier

2011-11-08T09:04:00.001Z

Here's the march part of the 2012 Calendar; I used big fat snotty glue dots to embed the flowers...but still have visions of them falling off in someone else's house next year. If it happens, I shall play the 'home-made' card!
Mary Anne has got so sick of me whingeing about how hard it is to make a card at the moment that she turned up at the crop on Saturday armed with an idea, and knowing my complete inability to understand the computer part of crafting, she even stood ready and offered to email pdf images for me. Ya see, it pays to have a whinge. Thanks MA. I'll show it here, of course, but not till after the Card Marathon. Which is erm, this weekend. So this week my focus is on counting and cutting. There are a couple of advantages to this. The first and most obvious is that I had to tidy up thoroughly - when you're pulling supplies to make a dozen or so cards, you need everything where it should be; saves time and panic! The second is that I'm not sitting at my desk spending four hours on a single card idea. I just know that as soon as Christmas is over, I'll be buzzing with ideas for Christmas cards. It goes that way, huh.

2011-11-04T14:13:00.002Z

There's a large wall that holds back a few gardens and houses on Kennet Road in Tidworth.
It's plain and relatively uninteresting...until some very naughty person with a can of spray paint did this. It really makes me smile, and I've found myself taking this route on purpose (which is currently an A338 diversion - the worst signposted diversion IN THE WORLD). I could so easily go another, less round-the-houses way.
I realise that it's naughty because it's defacing the wall, but it could so easily have been a rude word or a rude picture, so it's not entirely mindless! Is it there because the erm, 'artist' wants a short-cut around that wall - it's a good 500 metres from the bus stop to the first house...and uphill. Or is it a sprayed by an idealist who thinks that the slightly smiley door can be a helpful reminder to those stepping off the bus that there's always another door to open? I can't accept that it's just mindless grafitti - after all, why a door?! I want to think it's Narnia-esque - a nice reminder that even a brick wall has something worth investigating behind it. It's telling us to take the time.
No wonder it makes me smile, I'm so busy looking for inspiration that I'm trying to read brick walls!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 126

2011-11-02T08:09:00.000Z

Thanks for all your concerns...nothing wrong with me at all (!!), just running a big behind...So this is what it looks like when I get a block on. My friends (you lot) have told me, indeed, reassured me that it will pass. I'm not fretting or stressing about it, although I admit to a bit of deadline panic. But I'm not tidying up much either! After today, I might well need to sort it out, but meanwhile, I'm busy doing other things, so it has to wait. Tough attitude, huh! So anything new in that lot? Not especially, but isn't it uncanny how much that EK Success punch lying on its side looks like a stapler? The square of pink and the square of orange are little plastic boxes that I decant embossing powders into. The Distress Inks are out after an attempt at sponging some colour onto an embossed image. It worked out just fine, I just didn't like the idea in the end. I rarely stamp with the DInks, they have other, better skills! I can see matte accents, foam pads, a glue pen, glue dots and sellotape, so the usual choices for sticking and of course there's evidence of two pairs of scissors...a bit of a rummage at left will reveal two more!

So - are you working in calm or in chaos? Show us what you're up to and what your surface looks like won't you? Upload a pic to your blog, link it here and join us. Not judgemental, but very nosey is an accurate summation!

Now THIS is scary....

2011-10-31T09:42:00.002Z

I think I'm experiencing card-maker's block. For some time now, I've felt as though every card I make has required terrific effort for not much result, and that the time each card takes is well, ridiculous. Yesterday, I had announced a set-aside. As near a whole day at my desk as possible - to finish a handful of cards for the Card Marathon event, to make a fourth card sample for this week's workshop and to get back to my Christmas present crafting. Miss Dunnit was away at the nerdy Anime convention and Mr Dunnit had a new toy to install at his workshop. Fait accompli, mes amis, non? Big fat NON.

It took me all morning to wrench out one finished, half decent card; the waste in cut up paper and discarded everything was frightening. So, learning from my own experience, I changed tack and did something else. Stayed creative - made up a loaf of bread to prove and asked Mr Dunnit to come home and distract me. OOOH! We watched some of the Grand Prix. I know distraction when I need it. Poor Mark...if it was up to me, you'd be first. Always. I got the germ of an idea, so went back to my desk. Cranked out one more card all afternoon. I love rubber stamps and I love playing with the papers. There's no part of any of it that I don't like. Perhaps I need to stop doing all of this 'for' something - a workshop, an event, a challenge...and just do it to please myself now and then. I thought it was the same thing, but perhaps it isn't. That's a scary revelation, believe me.

So into distraction mode I get as the evening darkens and Strictly Come Dancing shows up on the TV again. Then I hit on an idea and have to do it. I can't decide between Gold or Diamond Glamour dust, so I do one card with each product. Relatively satisfied, I leave the cards strewn with glitter whilst the glue dries. And later, after Miss Dunnit has returned and my nest is full and the clock tells me to go to bed...I knock the excess glitter off the first card and into the tidy try for funnelling back into the appropriate jar. It's a thing I've done a million times. Which probably explains why I then did exactly the same with the second card. And now I have diamond Glamour Dust and gold Glamour dust in a mixed heap. Not whole bottles of it, which I guess is some consolation. I think it's time for a rest. Familiarity breeds contempt, blah blah blah; and I'm scared that if it goes on like this, I won't want to make cards any more. And then what? I'd probably have to tidy up in here and get a real job.
Told you it was a scary story.

How do YOU do it

2011-10-29T09:46:00.000+01:00

Another of my calendar pages....2012 is going to be colourful!

Maggie asked only this week, how I do it. Keep up with the blog, internet browsing, the bl***y sewing and all the normal stuff of life. Well, the answer is truly - I don't. My home is by no means a stinking steaming pit of unwashed and neglected anything, but since the internet arrived Chez Dunnit, it's fair to say that my housework is superficial and the deep cleaning like windows and the back of cupboards....well, happens a lot less than it ever did when I did normal work in a real office and didn't blog!

Most of you do more than me. And those of you that work as well as do all this - you definitely do more than me! I'm definitely a one-job-at-a-time-gal in terms of coping and also in terms of satisfaction on the finished job. If I have sewing or a book to read - I tend to do that. To the exception of doing anything else. Certainly this means that I don't read a lot until we're on holiday, and I tend to not so any sewing unless it's costumes these days - because not being a natural multi tasker is frustrating! I still cook and hoover and shop and blah, but those are a given aren't they. So much so that despite doing these things, we don't 'count' them towards our daily achievements. I'm a fan of routine - it helps me to achieve more than the daily chores...for example, I chore and do Pennant Joinery work every day, and I would like to spend a couple of hours crafting in one way or another every day. Luxury. Doesn't work like that but it sounds a good routine to be in. It doesn't work like that because we're all struck by moods. And usually, the mood to do something is compelling. I mean, here I am this morning because I'm just not in the mood for my normal Saturday chores. (Ironing and baking, if you want to know, I like to be Suzie Homemaker at the weekends.) I'm no celebrity crafter - I don't have house or child help (I'm the first to say have help if you can and want it) and I don't have deadlines that involve publishing or pay days, so my motivation is different. My motivation for housework begins and ends with guilt. Poor Mr Dunnit slaves away and the least I can do is have a decent home and meal at the ready to encourage him back after a day at the grindstone. My motivation for crafting - pleasure. Of course. And it would seem that my motivation for blogging is to mislead people about my apparently busy life!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 125

2011-10-26T05:49:00.000+01:00

Not what, but who. Well, not actually on my desk either - she was unimpressed enough at being photographed, but got less co-operative when I suggested she hopped onto the desk so I could remain faithful to the title of my post. So here is Miss Dunnit in bad light (taken last night...she won't get up early for you, but you know that!). Bad light - unavoidable, but hmmmm...a very untidy craft space. Considering I've been busy making a mess with threads and fabrics elsewhere.

So there's another costume nearly done. Now I need to get on with paper stuff. Need and want. The ideas aren't fast flowing but my goodness, dates are approaching!
Show us all what you're up to on your surface of choice then - upload a pic to your blog, and link your blog post here. Easy and free - would be better all round if your post actually was a WOYWW and not too obviously a mahoosive advertising campaign. Ta.

Thank you! I think.

2011-10-24T16:46:00.001+01:00

So this is from my good friend- y'all know her as Lunch Lady Jan.

I unwrapped it and laughed. And then read it again. And frowned. Which of course made LLJ laugh more. Then Mr D laughed at it, nodding, as if there was something appropriate therein. And I totally see it now, it's such a sweet compliment. Really, interrupt me anytime. I'm totally OK about it.
You will not hear me chuntering, nor, I hope, would I make you feel unwelcome.
But you might find a blue tack version of LLJ. And it might have pins stuck in the butt.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm really doing it!

2011-10-20T16:52:00.000+01:00

You know how I often talk about pushing a deadline? I admit it, I do. But I don't do it to the point of absurdity; I can't live on the edge of my seat, it's too much for me! Here's a peek at one of the cards I've made for the Card Marathon next month. It makes me feel important, posting a peek. All DT-ish and secretive! I wouldn't usually - I just wait till after the event..after all, there's not a lot of point in a portion. Well there is, in loads of other parts of our lives, I realise. Like food. A portion of food indicates that you have a control over yourself and that you recognise your needs and are a grown up about certain foods. Note the use of the subject there: you. Not I. Digression, sorry.

Anyway, in my case, a sneak peek/portion of a card serves only to remind me that I still have erm, a few cards to come up with - and also may reassure Scrap Lady ally that my half of the job is more a work in progress than just being talked about. Sure it is. I'm typing, not talking.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 124

2011-10-19T05:56:00.000+01:00

So yesterday morning, I was putting off getting back to the sewing. It's a right old conundrum - I want to get it done and out of the way, I can't face the difficult bits, I need to wait till the sun has moved around the house a bit to warm the conservatory enough for me to actually consider sitting in there and oh yeah, I have to do it in daylight, my eyesight just won't take the small daylight lamp's heroic efforts at spotlighting the dining table. SO what to do instead? Tidy up a bit. I was going to sort through the scrap boxes and then hit on an idea to clear the corner of the worktop and put the boxes there. This will buy loads of room for the desk. And some more stash for sale too. (There's a link, top right).

It took a ridiculous amount of time and I didn't get to the sewing until after lunch. But this morning, look - even though the scrap boxes are still hideous, they are off the desk and it looks slightly less cluttered and for once, you get a pic of the whole desk! The cocktail sticks at front are waiting to go back in the cake decorating tin - I needed three for next year's calendars. Everything else sort of belongs there. What's missing is something currently being worked on. I plan to correct that this morning...I have some pressing Card Marathon creations to get on with, so that's my plan before the sewing needs to be attacked! My word, I'm in danger of multi tasking!

So what are you up to on your work surface of choice then? Upload a pic to your blog and link it here, we'd love to swing by for a looksee. That will include me this week, promise!

Wobbly Crash

2011-10-17T17:22:00.002+01:00

It didn't start well. Monday, that is. As you can see, my favourite mug crashed out of my life and forced me to clean the kitchen floor. In my nightie. It was chilly this morning . And then I had to face another challenge-with-a-deadline. I say it like that because apart from the work on my Christmas preparation manifesto, everything appears to have an earlier deadline. Who knew so much was going on between now and Christmas! Miss Dunnit is off to another Manga Cosplay convention at Docklands in a couple of weeks. And finally we've found fabric for the outfit. It's hard to find bright yellow cotton in the autumn...we went to three shops in two cities. As it needs over 5 metres, I'm delighted to say it was on sale. Here are the adapted sleeves.

No, not a jester - its the sleeves of a kimono. See, Manga is all about Japanese animation and characters from loads of stories. Miss Dunnit and her group of five have settled on original Pokemon for this year's theme. Yep. And to 'humanise' the Pokemon and come up with costumes they can actually make (and wear), we've messed about with a kimono pattern. Help me please...I can sew most things, but I need a pattern - these adaptations are a killer for my very little brain - I get stuck in and then my confidence wobbles and I think I'm doing it wrong and - oh, you get the picture! Tomorrow- the actual kimono - it looks much more straightforward than adapting the sleeves. I had the idea of doing the hem in this pointy fashion as well. But since I started on this at eleven this morning, and I've only managed to complete the sleeves, I'm keeping quiet about that idea. You'd probably want to know why I'm sewing the pointy bits and thinking about a pointy hem, in terms of a 'humanised Pokemon' character. Well, I would tell you. But I can't remember the name of the character. I can't even remember if these pointy bits are actually part of the character's look, or representative. Aren't I an interested Mummy?!

Ah well, in keeping with the way I choose papers, at least I'm attracted to the colour - acres of this yellow spread all over the table is a very cheerful sight. Makes up for the wobbly crash type start to my day.

So how do you...?

2011-10-14T11:05:00.000+01:00

Some of you may know that my extremely clever sister Stephanie did an extremely clever thing when she teamed up with Dori to form a design studio which they call Luscious Life Studios. Of course, I try to visit their blog whenever they post - it keeps me in the front and centre of their minds for when they start releasing designs for DT work!! This week they've posted the picture above. From a range of papers previously shown, called Lily , but the colours have been changed. Same pattern, different palette. Now these girls design with all sorts of applications in mind - phone covers, fabrics, wallpaper, craft papers. I get excited about the possibilities for scrapbook papers. And 'Lily' really did it for me. I commented that I thought we (scrapbookers) probably went for colour on the page first when choosing papers. But I've thought about it quite a lot and I'm not sure I do. Although I think for me, it is finally all about colour....I think I buy my papers because I like the pattern/design/styles first. There was once a time when I would approach a rack of papers with photos in hand and try to match something in the photo to something about the paper...and I ended up with papers I didn't particularly like, but that seemed to 'work'. Well I grew out of that. Quite quickly. These days, I buy papers because I like them and if I like them enough, I MAKE them work for my photos!
Yesterday, I tested myself. It's hard to tell...I approach the racks of paper and no doubt, am drawn in by the colours first....then I pull out the sheet of attractive colour and decide immediately that the pattern is or isn't for me. And colour of course, is influenced by mood, so it could be a changeable thing on a different day....I no longer consider whether the pattern is or isn't suitable for a particular photo. Although this is a slight generalisation - if I'm planning a single theme mini album or something, then I do...but sometimes the theme becomes a single thread of colour or a design element that I use throughout.
Do you buy it because you like it and put it into 'stock' or do you buy it and use it because it's perfect for what you're planning to do? I can say yes to almost immediate use for about 10% of my paper purchases. Not a good figure when you consider the amount of paper I have in 'stock'! Tricky this huh. I should tell Dori that it's all entirely personal actually, and if they thought I might make a good test model for market research purposes, they were wrong. But I'd rather not admit it, they'll work it out eventually!

So, how do you choose? Fabric, papers, whatever it is....what is it that pulls you in?

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 123

2011-10-12T05:30:00.000+01:00

It's dark. The state of my desk has nothing to do with the colour of the light, but goes some way to explaining why I'm crafting in the dark. The last two days have been devoted to real work and real family matters and so this has just been a 'make-it' zone. That is to say, I know I don't often tidy as I go, but this is very definitely a 'do a bit, leave it, do a bit more in ten minutes' scene. There's evidence of Christmas cards, a CJ for which I'm honoured to have been asked to make an entry - it's Morti's. There's a lot of gold embossing powder on the loose - the sign of defiance I think, for any family member who thinks it will be OK to open the window over my desk! Three rolls of glue dots, teeny flat, large flat and large blob...very useful for the creation of the flowers - you can just see some of them in red, awaiting the moment of curl. This shot also gives you a small taste of my still to be tamed plain scraps box. It's not a losing battle particularly, but my mojo type priorities are definitely elsewhere!

Join the fun then, expose your desk to scrutiny....or your work area. Show us what you're doing and what you're doing it on. Keep your advertising to the less blatant please; if you link here, perhaps consider putting your desk shot as the first part of your article. You'll get more visitors!

What is it - eighty something days..?

2011-10-10T21:30:00.001+01:00

This is a 'page' from an album of my niece's life: I give her Mum a handful of 'pages' each Christmas

The thing about deciding to do something hand made for a Christmas present is that every time I set foot into anything vaguely resembling a shop, I get a hundred ideas for things that I could buy my intended recipient. And that's very frustrating.
Add to that: a handful of these persons have birthdays between now and Christmas too - it would be really easy to cave in and just buy something.
Add to that: the inescapable feeling that giving a handmade gift is probably only fully appreciated by people who hand make themselves. It might feel a bit 'cheap', although I know it's not.
Add to that: have you seen the list of people I've decided to erm, 'bless' with a home made gift this Christmas? It's, well, ambitious.
Add to that: I've seen several tickers on other blogs that count down the days. I could so easily wind myself up into a hysterical fat blob.
Instead, I thought I'd share my coping mechanism:
1. Make, whilst in the mood, whilst the going is good.
2. Make and finish one thing at a time..midnight on the 24th December is not a time reserved for frantic finishing and crappy wrapping. No, it ISN'T.
3. Set a reasonable, seasonal deadline to finish the makes. Mine is December 15. Then, I shall gracefully (!) accept if I've failed to finish and trot out to buy gifts where needed, and still have time to wrap them.
4. Do not get silly about this. Do not make loads of stuff and then lose your nerve and decide against giving any of it away. To this end, I recommend wrapping as soon as possible after finishing!

So how does that sound - my manifesto? Simple and workable. I hope. I intend. It's safe to share here because most intended recipients aren't blog readers. Don't actually hold your breath, but you know - watch this space. I'll not be able to resist showing off if the going remains good!

Self publicity or an FYI? You decide!

2011-10-09T11:34:00.000+01:00

If you find yourself interested and want to book, or a booking form, or more info, email me through the link on the right bar. Easy. Thank you!

ChristmasCard Marathon

Saturday 12^thNovember 2011

Tidworth, Hants

10am to 4pm

£40 per person

We’re happy to announceanother Marathon card making session in our usual format: we’ll supplyeverything you need - sample to copy, instructions, papers, glitters, stamps,blah - to make a bunch of Christmas cards (one of each – about 25 if you dothem all!). We’ll give you writteninstructions and be lurking to provide commentary and beverages, and there’llbe a lovely home-made lunch too, courtesy of Lunch Lady Jan, of course!

Booking is essential. There is an upper limit too, so don’tdelay if you want to come with a bunch of friends. We'd like a £10 deposit per person with yourbooking; if you want to, you can make an interim payment. Either way, anybalance will be payable on the day, at the door. Payments can be made via Paypal or by chequeor cash of course. Once you've booked your spot, we'll confirm, and by emailprovide you with further details - route directions, what to bring.

Pleaseread the small print:

- yourdeposit is not automatically refundable. If we know in advance that you can'tcome, we will do our best to fill your space and therefore return your deposit.(7 days in advance, minimum)

- Yourdeposit can be transferred to benefit another attendee if you give us noticethat you aren't coming. (7 days notice, minimum)

- Your deposit is entirely safeand 'ring-fenced'. We will not be using it to buy resources or pay costs inadvance. In the unlikely event that we have to cancel the day, your depositwill be refunded within 48 hours of our cancellation announcement.

Keep an eye on the website: www.2scrapladies.blogspot.com

Well, I'm ready.

2011-10-07T21:18:00.000+01:00

And you don't hear me say that too often. Well, if you do, usually I'm telling a fib. I may not be ready for Christmas - indeed, I'm not even ready for supper this evening, but I'm ready for 2012. I've finished my calendar, and no doubt will bore you witless with pictures of it as we progress to and through 2012.

As you can see, some of the pages are remarkably simple. Do you like the way I tease the OCD amongst us by hanging the calendar at a very jaunty angle AND off the edge of the page...and worse, the stencilly thing doesn't line up properly. Oh my. Are your teeth itching yet? I like the calendar at an angle. See, I attach it with magnets inside a frame with a steel back that Mr D made. And the frame hangs on the wall in the hall. And it's a very convenient angle at which to write when you're leaning on the wall. With a phone in the crook of your neck.
Annnnnd of course there's a reason for it being finished before any other thing that needs to be done before the end of the year - this is the first of a few that will be presents, and there's the small matter of Jan bringing her friend Sue over tomorrow for a play date that kinda includes making a calendar! Ah I hear you cheering, a REAL reason...nothing to do with being uber organised at all. No. Of course not!

Have a marvellous weekend y'all.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 122

2011-10-05T05:48:00.000+01:00

What ho WOYWWers; this is my desk after my day off..I haven't been near it at all for a day, in an attempt to restore mojo. Had a nice morning in Winchester, and had coffee and lunch at the Cathedral Refectory with Jan and Chrissie (you know her - half of the Less is More Challenge blog). Yeah? Told you.

Horrible light, but hey, it's that time of year. You can see abandoned glasses, tray of little pots of glitter and half hearted attempt at a 'contemporary' Christmas card. Unusually for me, you can see only 2 pairs of scissors (just) and the new acrylic drawers perched right there in front of me. Jan asked me if I'd like them or could I re-home them. I decided to stick them on my desk for a while, see if I had a use.....that's them absorbed then, thank you LLJ!

Maggie (Silvercrafter) won the draw for the book following the post: A review, entirely Solicited. It wasn't a technical or scientific draw, and there's not even a bunch of strips of paper in a bowl to photo and show you. Here's the scoop: I numbered the list of names. Then I shouted to Mr Dunnit 'Pick a number between 1 and 23'. He gave me the look. You know the one that says 'you're a nutter, so I'm not even going to bother to ask'. And then he said 'Fourteen'. And Maggie 's name was in space number 14. That's how it happened.

Edit: OMGee, had to come back and tell you - the counter says this is the 600th post..! My word, I've had a lot to say!

Show us what you're doing this cool autumnal day then. Photo your desk, upload it to your blog and link it here. Lots of us will visit. This week, for a change, I'm going to start in the higher numbers....it seems fair to me.

Essential Days Out

2011-10-04T08:53:00.003+01:00

Thank you, Enthusiastic Educator.

The weather has been glorious. If you live where it has been glorious, already you're sick of hearing it. If you live in the Isles or Highlands, it has been slightly less glorious, indeed, liquid. And I'm sorry about that. Of course if I had control, things would be fair and equal. So I'm guessing that the Mojo going away on holiday is probably good weather related. Greater crafters than myself (Hels Sheridan, no less) are Mojo-less (well, she claims to be...you be the judge!). I know I am. I've stalked a the blogs of some who live in Scotland and discover friends practically churning out projects and cards. I have deadlines that are making me feel a bit icky in my tummy, and still yesterday, only managed one and a half cards. You have to concur - in the open window whilst gently erm, glowing in the sunshine, making a Christmas Card is quite tough. No, really tough. So maybe there is a slightly skewed equality to this weather after all. Today I'm going to do what I should have done yesterday - jack it in - leave the desk and go do something else. It might even work.

Points of Inpsiration 3.

2011-10-01T09:31:00.003+01:00

Colour!

These are fat quarters; photos by the Important G, who is Jan's husband. Aren't they lovely? You may have seen them before on Jan's blog; we were in the same shop, on the same holiday together, see. Each time I page through that file of photos (which is relatively regularly, it was a fun weekend) I stop at these two pictures. No doubt, as much as I'm beginning to understand and like the seven shades of wee wee style of the Holtzians, and as pretty as I find the white bases and pastel colours that the cutie school prefer, my heart lies with big colour. And so these pictures make me happy. And that is enough to make me want to pick up a piece of paper and do something creative.

Have a lovely, sun filled, colourful weekend.

A review. Entirely solicited.

2011-09-29T21:45:00.000+01:00

As if to exaggerate my sense of importance in the interweb craft cosmos, a chap from Quirk Books (the quirky division of Random House publishers) asked me to review a book that's out tomorrow. The reason for the invitation and the bribe of a free hardback book, is of course, the statistics that this blog generates on any given Wednesday. So, thanks for that, it's why I make you read this stuff.

Microcrafts (one word....)

Tiny Treasures to Make and Share

It's a nice book - not huge, probably 11 x 8, something close..very handle-able. Beautifully photographed, and the intro includes a nice big up to the photographer who worked hard to bring a sense of scale to the projects. Very helpful to the reader, I must say. Generally the book presents a single project across a double page, classic editing with the full page photo at left. Nice touches include tips in separate boxes, and a tag detailing finished size and designer. And nice clear but small font - all to remind you that you're working in Micro. Neatly.

It's a collaborative project overall and includes a nice section at the back where the designers have some words about themselves, in the third person, and it includes their shops or online presence which is nice. Seeing other things that they do is interesting..mostly they all continue to work in Micro!

There are some fairly standard projects - but nicely adapted to be tiny - I particularly liked the bunting - simple enough I know, but stitched together paper triangles strung between two skewers over a lovely cake is just enchanting..and certainly the tiny effort involved shouldn't be saved for children's cakes. Fimo charms aren't new, but these are pretty and made easy - again, don't leave these on the children's menu...there is some really fun jewellery to be had here. But if you want new - there's plenty....bird feeders from drinking straws, micro macrame, micro owls and my word, wool felting on a planetary scale!

I liked the friendly and patient instructions. Indeed, this must be the case - that teeny little book standing up on the front cover in the picture above is my first attempt. I made signatures, followed instructions and HAND STITCHED the binding...and I'm going to do more..they are so sweet. This is a breakthrough for me. ( Fat fingers and no patience.)

The book is bang on trend really; delivering projects that are hand made, and largely from scraps of course - two things that are currently attracting a lot people to crafting. And why not. Nice graphics like the 'stitched' page headings and some graph paper behind the supplies lists for each project do reflect current scrapbook and craft trends, non?

So do I have any dislikes? One mild one - I'm a metric gal, largely because it's easier (!) and this book is clearly pointed at an American market that still uses Imperial. So in measuring, I did actually use a calculator (Mr Dunnit) to make conversions.

But really that's it. If you know anyone who works in tiny and really is in their comfort zone in the Micro format; this will make a great gift. At £11.99 it's a lovely one too. From your favourite book retailer of course. And who knows, maybe one day, we can have an English collaborative, metric version too!

And as a final hurrah to the blog stats that got me this gig - if you're a WOYWWer and would like to have this copy of the book as a gift from me and Quirk, leave a comment. Masses of comments of course, will require a draw. I'll report back.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 121

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

Hmmm. I'll try to be brief. The better question should be 'what isn't on your work desk'

As you can see, I've got Christmas going on, and a 2012 calendar page and 2 notebooks. That's not a good sign. It's like having two diaries - means you 're constantly feeling like you should be somewhere but you don't know why. Two notebooks will eventually make me panic because I've missed some major project off some list. Note to self: fix that! You can only see one pair of scissors and the basket for dirty stamps is filled with glitters, an ATG gun and a get-gunk-off-anything type cleaning pad - only three stamps; and they need to be put away, for they are as clean as they're ever going to be. See, occasionally I do use a baby wipe and clean-as-I-use. It's a mood thing.

Now get in the mood to show us your desk huh....nice big picture, quick explanation - then we've got time to visit loads...ta. Upload a pic to your blog and link here. Easy. See you at your place. Get the kettle on. Mind, if it's after 6pm, mines a G&T.

Flogging a good idea...

2011-09-26T20:43:00.003+01:00

Yeah - as I said, take a good idea and use it till every one is screaming at you to move on. And then resist because you always look pretty good in shadow!
I was in Hobbycraft about 10 days ago - because Miss Dunnit needed to go to Staples and that is over the road, see - innocent of the charge of manipulating the location, Your Honour. And there was this piece of paper. It's one of two pieces that I took home with me from that trip. I had picked up one of their 'how to' leaflets which described a lovely advent calendar made from little tins with clear lids. I was very charmed by the idea and walked around looking for the tins. I couldn't find them. Eventually, when Miss Dunnit started with the 'can we go now' and getting silly with her chum (OK, she didn't 'can we go now', but they were getting silly and making me feel that I should hurry....and I hate that!), I sent them to look for the tins. Kept 'em quiet for a while. Although I could actually hear them shouting to each other from opposite ends of the same aisle. Cringe. Try to remember that she's 18. Eighteen!! They couldn't find them either. And then I looked properly at the idea sheet and it referred to the tins as 'wedding favours'. So I beetled to the wedding section and blow me - the tins are there, not loose for the help yourself-ness type shopping, no. In a pack of 25. Handy. Sling it in basket, nonchalantly approach till with 2 pieces of paper and pack of tins. Oh boy, I'm SO getting ready for the season, I'm SO going to be prepared and knock down organised. Well, knock down is the appropriate choice of phrase. The tins did not come home with me on account of the £26.95 price tag. ($41 bucks, give or take) Yikes. I don't need another advent calendar that badly, and at that price, no-one I give it to will appreciate the enormity of the gift! So, I came home and made a nice LO of me and him again with a £1 piece of paper. This time under Spanish sun. It's appropriate really, to feature Mr Dunnit with this story. I think the moral compass that prevents me spending that sort of money on a bunch of empty tins might very well be the glue that keeps us together!

A review. Unsolicited.

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

A while ago, Shopkeeper Gal chucked a couple of ink pads at me and asked me to use them in workshops. She said they were pretty good. At the time, I genuinely thought 'gah, not another ink pad - what's this one meant to be good for..?'. As I'm a good girl, I have been using them, as prescribed by Shopkeeper Gal and the text on the label. They are intended for use with clear stamps and are partially pigment inks. So, for the non-scientific purpose of a review, I thought you'd like to see it in action. I know. It means basically that I remembered to take photographs. I can't help myself, efficiency is my erm, middle name.

So: take a brand new stamp (Basic Grey, straight from the packet...unopened but brought about six months ago. Ahem.) Routinely I would use sellotape or a plastic eraser across the surface of a new clear stamp to attempt to remove the 'coating' that moulding/manufacturing often leaves. It ruins your inking attempt see. But this time, I didn't, just to give the new ink pads and run for their dosh. So, control first - here's the stamp and resulting image from using a Memories ink pad on the stamp.

You can see the inevitable 'beading' of the ink on the surface of the stamp - silicone really seems a bit ink resistant. And you can see that on the resulting image - not a bad one at all, but not entirely black or as solid as you would expect from a solid image stamp, huh.

So enter the Clearly Better ink pad:

I didn't clean the stamp after the initial inking with the other pad. I probably could have been bothered, but didn't want to give the new ink pad an advantage by changing the surface! No really, remember, I'm doing science here.

You can tell immediately that you have an ink pad with glycerin in it, just from the purchase that the ink gets on the stamp. Lovely coverage - some beading but not as notable as with the true die ink. And then you have the stamped image. Lovely, opaque solid image, and...nice and black. And....showing up the paler areas of the image well - no 'filling in' that sometimes a Brilliance ink pad or a full on Pigment might deliver. Nice.

So - you can tell already - I like it. I like it most because the element of glycerin involved means that there are gold and silver in the range and they are truly gold and silver metallic, and there's a season coming up that needs such things! These inks need a slightly longer drying time than average dye based inks - inevitably because they are partially pigments, but they dry quickly enough for impatient crafters like me - and you can always heat set them if you're in a hurry. The ink pad labelling is not great - all the cases are white; the lid labels are all printed to look alike and in the main, printed in black - the label border and the Fleur De Lis logo is printed in the colour of the ink pad within. A tad confusing unless you know what you're looking for in terms of speed recognition. I've also noticed in workshops that there's a hesitation before examining the ink pad - the word 'Clearly' leads some to think that they're looking at a clear ink pad. Small gripes which I'm sure, will be overcome - either by tweaking of the design or perhaps a retailer/user awareness campaign - I can't say I've seen much bragging going on about these ink pads and their superior inking quality for clear stamps.

I've got more ink pads than I need, but am very happy to say that these Clearly Better pads are definitely going to find space in my cupboard - just what clear stamps have been waiting for if you ask me. I know you didn't, but if you're still reading this, you must have been waiting to ask, huh!

EDITED Friday afternoon: These ink pads are from The Paper Company 'TPC' in the US, and I guess most stores will know of them - they are a wholesale source, so you will have to ask your local shopkeeper. Over here in dear old Blighty, Bramwell Crafts are the UK distributor, again, a wholesale supplier that your local store will probably have contact with. Meantime, as this is entirely an unsolicited review, I guess I can add a plug - if you're in a real hurry for one - how about asking Shopkeeper Gal to supply them by mail order? Kraft Crazy 01980 844010.

Thank you Annette..

2011-09-22T16:05:00.003+01:00

..absolutely ages ago, I commented on some papers that Annette had on her WOYWW. She was, inevitably, doing stuff to be admired, and I got frightfully excited about the papers and probably went on too much about them. Especially as I couldn't find them. Turns out I was looking for the wrong make. Anyhoo, Annette sent me some of the papers to shut me up, which was too kind. They are 8" pieces, and the one you see here, with 'Life is Good' printed on it was too much for me...I had to save it and save it and not use it, it was too erm, good. And now I'm over it. You may notice by now that I use shadow photos of me and Mr D a lot; I take one of us together wherever we go if it's meteorologically possible. This isn't a great version - Mr D seems to have a very teeny head, and I am well, more mis-shapen than usual. Anyway, I matted it on red something or other, mounted it onto the lovely 8" paper and then chucked it on some other red 12". The rest is tape and stickers. The journalling, falling onto one (Basic Grey) sticker after another is one of my favourite ways of avoiding a big box of writing. I learned it from Shimelle - she says it's alright to run out of room and carry on writing on some other piece of something. And she's a true celebrity scrapbooker, so it must be OK. And I like it. And it stuck in my head, which means it must work! So Annette, here's what I did with one of the pieces you sent me. Again, I thank you.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 120

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

My desk is a lesson in getting on with it and looking very tranquil Oh yes it is. You can see clearly, there are no obvious piles of stash on stash and even the working area is relatively uncluttered. Helps, I must say. Now just to be a bit defensive - the two pills are paracetamol, to be quaffed with the coffee in the spotty mug. The syringe is filled with silicone glue. For sticking stuff in dimension. No other reason, your honour.

Again, though, I confess this is a tightly cropped photo. My scraps boxes live at left, actually on my desk. There's two of them, one for plain, one for patterned. But you can't really tell. Anne was joking when she suggested I might have to cut some of my scraps down to fit....but really, horrifyingly, she's right!

See. It needs sorting, but I'm busy presently. Ask me again next week - I might have bothered by then. Or I might be engulfed by scrap stock, who knows!
So show us your smug or your shame, either way, it's of huge interest to us all. Post a pic of your work surface and whatever you're working on to your blog. Link here and we'll slowly but surely pay you a visit. Easy.
Oh and someone asked about the time I post this - it's usually about 6am. Today it's 6am but it's scheduled. Mr D is not having to rise so early this Wednesday, so I'm going to attempt a lie in. See you at a decent hour!

One or possibly two uses......

2011-09-19T16:12:00.000+01:00

Mine's a single malt, please.

No no, I haven't the skills to go all cookery on you. The lack of photographic skill alone means that there is no chance of me writing a blog about cookery - you'd be put off before the end of the first sentence. It's weird isn't it - how on some cookery blogs, a stew or casserole can look so inviting and worth trying and on another, it can look as though it might have already been eaten. Oh sorry, not spoiling your tea, am I?

Well, now you're off food for a minute, here's the scoop on the artfully photographed bottle of vinegar. We needed some, and when I saw this had a spray top, I had to buy it...it's been a teeny joke in this house that Mr Dunnit needs an industrial amount of vinegar on chips and fish fingers; and I thought that this would facilitate the delivery. And save Miss Dunnit and I having to wait five minutes with our chips going cold just so his food was adequately drenched.
Well crafters, get thee a bottle of this! It's the best ever spray top I've come across. Really. No idea why, but it is. It sprays a perfect blast of a fine vinegar mist about 10 inches I'd say, in a really good triangle from the squirt nozzle thing. Mr Dunnit says it doesn't enhance the vinegar delivery particularly, so it will be decanted, he can go back to drops... I shall probably only use it for ink spraying - am thinking that the fine nozzle might be easily bocked by mica etc...so am going to rummage out my DI refill. (Note, I only have one!). I will report further. Just as soon as the smell of vinegar can be removed from the bottle - and therefore any card I spray! I guess there's a really good domestic solution of baking powder or such that does that. But I'm not Martha Stewart - just an over excitable woman who now has to have chips for tea every night for a bottles' worth of time. Talk about suffering for your art!

Action!

2011-09-17T08:50:00.001+01:00

This is for you - anyone who reads here regularly deserves a medal.
(Sketch 'cased' from Lousette in Craft Stamper)

Although actually it's not that early (8.30), I feel as though it is. We're early risers generally, but Saturdays for me are a luxury lie in day - I wouldn't generally be up before now. But of course, it's a crop day and for some reason that meant that yesterday I didn't get ready. How does that happen? At lunch time, I joked to Jan that I'd blame her. But I don't and can't because she wasn't here. I spent the afternoon on the floor in front of my cupboards, putting photos to paper try to achieve the semblance of page kits. And then I woke up at ridiculous o,clock thinking about all the things I hadn't got ready, wanted to take but hadn't packed, or just hadn't thought of yesterday. Ah well; Mr D is coming home to transport me to the hall, so I'll just cave in and take everything, Obviously, if I was packing and driving myself, this would not happen, but when you've got help - well you would wouldn't you?

Flea Market day at the shop. (Station Road Tidowrth, Hants SP9 7NN) I can't miss the chance to check out the number of wood mounted stamps that will be entered. I'm beginning to think I'm the only person in the world who still wants them. My workshop friend Mrs Willpower has unmounted all of hers. Others are doing that. I want to wood mount all my clear stamps, perversely! It's not about room. I'm just inflexible, change resistant and old fashioned. Yeah. DD, fresh from her first week of studying Communications, would call that Self Awareness. I say it's my age.

Have a lovely weekend.

So Julia, what else do you do?

2011-09-15T16:18:00.000+01:00

Well, how kind of you to ask. Wait, no, I asked. And that's because I want you to know. We're all rushing around running homes and doing domestics chores continually, some of us do the cooking as well. I maintain the 'office' side of Mr Dunnit's Joinery business from home. Mostly, that involves, book-keeping, sundry paperwork, phone calls and deliveries. I like doing the deliveries. For some reason it makes me feel I'm doing a 'real' job- and I really like turning up at a building site in my little green Yaris. There'a always surprise about how much 'stuff' I can get in it. Mostly they think it very amusing that the van is in use so I've used the car. I'm not sure why. But it's fun. Yesterday, I did a job that was not so much fun.
To spare a long detailed blah: there's a new greenhouse, victorian style. Mr D manufactured it and part of the deal was to re-use the existing glass. Ok. So as they dismantle the old one, it becomes apparent that they'll need to clean off the glass. Scrape off the old putty from both sides, scrape off any residual paint from both sides and clean both sides with a proprietary brand glass cleaner. Well, here at Pennant Joinery we don't have youth opportunity type people, apprentices, indeed, anyone except him and me. And he's busy. And Miss D is back at College. And the installers are waiting.

It got so boring and mind numbing that I did them in batches of twenty pieces. After about 9 kerjillion pieces I moved inside and actually spread a tarp on the floor in the lounge room so I could watch TV whilst working. I NEVER watch daytime TV...it just doesn't occur to me to switch it on when there's radio in every room of the house. So I did 5 hours of scrape, squirt polish, scrape squirt polish. And my mind wandered. I didn't do much watching, but I listened to some amazing TV. Who knew...Maury?! America's Next Top Model (why do they scream)? Wow. Of course, I did it all, there's a deadline for installation and I wasn't about to be the one to let the installers down. But I want everyone to know - my arm, neck and shoulder are sore from scrape squirt polish...I'm such a baby that I had to take a paracetamol just so I could get to sleep last night! As day jobs go, you can keep this. I may have guilt over making time each day to do some crafting, but not enough to make me wanna help out like this all the time!

Here's summat you may want to know about.......

Kraft Crazy is at Station Road, Tidworth, Hants SP9 7NN. Shopkeeper Gal does not pay or bribe me to expose her in this way. But we're friends, and why shouldn't I expose her, huh!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 119

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000+01:00

Oh it's been a hideous mess for the last couple of days. But it's OK, I got so sick of it that I took time to tidy the working part of it. And while I was doing that, I realised I must sort out the scraps box...that's dominating and taking up room and making the desk feel small. It's back to discipline - don't just shove it in the appropriate colour section - make sure it fits!! So I haven't shown that today, it's too much. Yes it is. Instead, just a shot of the immediate work area, dappled with the sunshine of early autumn. Oh yeah. Poetry. Because five minutes from now it'll be throwing sheets of rain down again. Strange, tail-end-of-a-hurricane-weather this is.
There's no good angle this week! Behind the tape dispenser is an envelope from Snapfish. To remind me to prepare for this weekend's Ludgershall Crop. Yeah, like I'm doing that already! Under that is a plastic box filled with little pots of glitter in different shapes and colours. To remind me to use it now and then. Yep, I haven't done that wither. I see 2 pairs of scissors and two pairs of tweezers...this is quite good for me. But I've finished the card I was working on, and decided I had to tidy up a bit...it's not inspiring, a desk that looks like a rubbish tip. So......I did. No polish or cleaning, just tidying. Baby steps!
(Photos are from Tues afternoon...there is no sunlight at this time...if Mr D wasn't getting up and going to work at this ridiculous hour, there would be no WOYWW either!!)

So I've enlarged photos and told my Wednesday story....tell us yours now please, and highlight with wonderful pictures. Post to your blog and link here. Job's a good 'un.

Points of Inspiration. 2.

2011-09-12T15:30:00.001+01:00

This is the bag that Jan made for me. Note the sewn outside seams and top corners - adds rigidity you see, because I chose a very soft oilcloth. And although I wasn't expecting it - it's lined, with gingham, after I was given a choice. I love it. I'm sure if you ask her nicely, Jan would make you one too. I love the strong solid pattern, have always been attracted to this sort of pattern. I have no idea why. Too shallow to examine that. But each time I look at this or variants of it, I'm reminded that a single colour is all it takes to have an impact on anything, and that the solid design adds to the impact overall. Which basically means that you can do so much with very little. Much like Jan herself really. I see a fabric I like. She makes it into a bag I like. What's not inspiring about that?

Points of Inspiration. 1.

2011-09-10T10:43:00.001+01:00

Finally I cleared my desk. I've spent some time sorting, tidying putting away. You can't tell, but I can. By turning my back on domestic issues for the whole day, I also made time to work on samples for next week's workshop. Better late than never, huh! This card is one of them. And during last night's browsing through various blogs that I try desperately to keep up with, I noticed that this sort of works for Daring Cardmakers new challenge. It's got a butterfly; the colours are probably at the extreme edge of the lovely soft green and pink of the inspiration photo, but hey..this is possibly as soft and pale as I get really. Daring Cardmakers are waaay up there for me in terms of inspiration. I haven't and don't intend to get into Pinterest...I know, some of you may recoil in horror, but I spend too much time browsing blogs and finding inspiration to locate another place that will eat up hours. There's more hours to be eaten up today - Mr D is threatening to have the first afternoon off in 36 days. It may only be for a haircut and a quick cuppa somewhere in town, but I'm mildly excited. It's like a date!
Have a lovely weekend ya'll.

The clear stamp thing...

2011-09-08T17:09:00.002+01:00

So this is how the clear stamps look now. I was out with Jan and we bought oilcloth to make me a handbag. Actually, she bought the oilcloth and made the bag. I will show you soon. I bought a metre of clear PVC. Thinking I could sew pockets onto pages and do clever stuff with it. And after it had been sitting around a while, I realised that it would solve my clear stamp storage crisis. See, my metal dies are on magnetic strips stuck to A4 sheets of mount board, and assembled in a file holder, so I can flip through them. And now, thanks to some patient wrapping of A4 mount board with PVC, I can do the same with my clear stamps. A lot of people will be all, argh....how can you tell what they are without their index sheets? Well, I'll ink them all eventually and then they'll be stained and it will be easy. And no I'm not, under any circumstances, going to stamp the images on the mount board prior to wrapping it in PVC. All this causes is stress if a stamp is put back in the 'wrong' place. They are loosely themed...whole sets have stayed together and for example, the alphas are all on one sheet. Both sides. And, Slipper Lady, they may not all be in alphabetical order. But it's OK, because I can see them very clearly. The EZ mounted stamps particularly like the PVC, some of the most used clear ones had to be 'encouraged' to cling...by actually washing them in hot soapy water. I know it's what they tell you to do, but well, you know, if they stay clingy.....
So all's well that ends well. I have stamp storage that I can access easily and will probably now use the clears and UMs much more. I have sorted a collection that was out of control and now have at least a dozen sets to enter into the Flea Market at Kraft Crazy in a couple of weeks. Which means I may have some cash to buy more stamps. Win win. Again! My word, it's been a week. Although my desk is still horrendous. I think that it will have to be faced tomorrow as a job, rather than a quick tidy round before I sit down to work!! Still, creative genius has a price, n'est pas?

What's On Your Work Desk? Wednesday 118

2011-09-07T05:55:00.001+01:00

No really,this is week 118, I just got it wrong last week. Surprise! Actually the real surprise is that I'm no further forward with creating a calm or inviting space to work on and have spent all of five minutes in my workroom in the last 24 hours, which does me no good at all. Including my sense of panic. I might be missing the best idea I've ever had! (Naturally, I'm expecting that idea to come upon me whilst I'm engrossed in some other worthy piece of crafting!

So there you are, full on mess. The plastic stuff on the right is to become my clear stamp storage; more on that some other time then, and I have bothered to put my glasses at an angle that sort of shows the colour this time, after last week had a lot of you hunting for them. Apart from such artful placement, the desk is untouched after Monday night. How sad.
So if this hasn't scared you off, you 're all right to show us your desk. Or whatever you work at and whatever you're working on. Please. We like a look. Upload a pic to your blog, link back here and slowly slowly, others will call to admire your working method. And stash. Join us - why not. Harmless, and free. Compelling reasons, I'd say!

No really, looking forward. Some more.

2011-09-05T20:56:00.000+01:00

Well, at the risk of being smug, here's a couple of parts from 2 Scrap Ladies Magnetic Year in a Day preparations. There's an Oak frame with the magnetic back board, and a small section of one of the months that I'm *cough* designing. I don't know if she'll read this, but the Happy Summer stamp always reminds me of the Enthusiastic Educator; she always notices when I use it. And that's a lot. Now of course, I should be making other cards and bits and pieces that are workshop commitments, but when you've got an idea in your head, you've gotta go with your flow, huh. Lucky it's not Wednesday, the result of tweaking this LO and finishing my birdcage swap and sorting out some storage issues for my clear stamps is a particularly shocking mess. And I'm coming to it all in a five minutes here-and-there method too - which actually drives me nuts, but real life keeps getting the edge here in Julia world! But the good news is that I think I've sussed my clear stamp, u/m stamp storage. If It works, I'll show you. If it doesn't, I'll whinge and show you. Win win for somebody, huh!

Forward thinking....

2011-09-02T08:40:00.001+01:00

Do not ask me why it didn't rotate.......

Here's one of the samples you saw on my desk at WOYWW. It was for yesterday's Paper Engineering workshop, which is basically about bringing interesting folds to the table.

I can fairly safely say that I shall use this style quite a lot for the coming Season. Safely, because generally, my family don't read my blog so they will still be surprised on Christmas Morning when they think they're just getting some more home made tat,

and safely because I am not going to get in a stitch about trying to find the best and most innovative gifts this year. Those that 'don't know' or are really hard to please, will be getting a gift card. So far, so strong willed. I've seen this 'fold' out there on the web a few times and I think the best examples are to be found at disneysuitsme.blogspot.com, the home of an SU demonstrator in the States. So to her, a big ol' thank you because it was her basic idea that I used. Now this day holds for me, a two fold pleasure...Miss Dunnit and a chum want to visit Staples. And it's just across the road from Hobbycraft. Ah me, I volunteered my taxi service...well, you would, wouldn't you?....I must check and see if there's any stationery items we actually, legitimately need. Ha.

Have a lovely weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 116

2011-08-31T06:00:00.001+01:00

OK, the work desk looks pretty calm, I think. The ever present and now it's on the narrow tape - totally indispensible- ATG tape gun, a couple of samples for the Paper Engineering workshop on Thursday, new glasses - I'm loving their colour, and a couple of ink pads I've been trying out. I'm going to review them, actually. Don't hold your breath though, you know what I'm like. Well, I guess calm is probably not what you'd describe it as, I suppose it is a bit of a mess. Ah well, you never expected different, huh?

Can I say to the many of you who were sweet and fretful about the mass of computer wires in the photo a couple of posts ago - I found the pic on one of those copyright free photo websites. My cable area doesn't look like that. My cables are all different colours.

I also want to use my own blog to publicise and promote without shame. I know this is contrary to the rule of WOYWW, but well.....you know....if I didn't exercise a double standard now and then, you'd think it was someone else writing these posts.
Over at 2 Scrap Ladies, we've announced another Magnetic Year in a Day event. That's it, plug over!

So now. Please share your work desk/surface/lap tray/ironing board/piano lid with us. Whatever you're doing, upload a photo to your blog, link here and let us enjoy it too. And expect us to be looking to see what you've got...we do, so hide it if it's a secret!!

Yeah, but how long is TOO long?

2011-08-30T09:00:00.000+01:00

See this lovely card what was made by Shopkeeper Gal? I was there when it was started, fiddled about with and finally finished. See, The Gal takes a lot of commissions, especially from the other business people up and down the strip. (OK, that was a novelist type way of describing Station Road, Tidworth.) And why wouldn't you commission a card, Shopkeeper Gal makes gorgeous stuff I can tell you. Anyway, she was delivered a rather difficult brief for this card and after we'd all laughed and come up with some incredibly stupid ideas, she set about this colour combo, based on some quick Google type research. She picked the background paper first. For the record, I got to the shop, to conduct a workshop, at ten. At about second coffee time, say 11.30, the Gal had got as far as deciding that she would go with a 'clump' of elements - which is something I do a lot on scrapbook pages and vintage style stuff because it often works. She did actually say it was in my style, and for about half an hour, I was quite flattered! The cluster was hearts, paper flowers, the little card of text, the ribbon, and the die cut trail of brown frond at the top, behind the other elements. It looked lovely we thought. I did suggest edging the hearts with some brown ink just to pull 'em off the background a bit more...and voila. It was gorgeous, dimensional and very chic on the 'less Is more' scale. And Shopkeeper Gal didn't like it. No - too much white space, and for her, an unusual mild panic about lack of words. Ah. Well. I suggested another die cut frond. And by half past twelve it had the frond, the skeleton leaves, the die cut labels and the text. So there we are. It's still lovely, although not my design (!), and I don't doubt for a minute that the person who commissioned it will be really pleased. But really. Two and a half hours. Now when I'm fiddling about at home, even in 'play' mode, I want more to show for my time than one card - however lovely. But I don't often achieve that. It doesn't make me angry, it's just a bit bewildering. Admittedly, if I can't get it from idea-in-head to card easily, I tend to re-do and re-do which is time wasting/consuming. I should learn to step away. But I enjoy the time I spend at my work desk, so I guess it doesn't matter. Shopkeeper Gal on the other hand, probably only charged about £3 for that lovely card. Now we all know that isn't enough, so sweep that aside and tell me - how long is long enough for a card or a layout? Is there such a measure? Do you have to leave your desk with at least something finished to show for your time..or is that me and a deeply embedded need to kinda justify the time spent? And while you're at it - when did one of your friends last describe your attempt at even having a style as a 'clump'?

What I did to the Geek.....

2011-08-27T21:20:00.002+01:00

Y'all know I've been offline for a handful of days because I was experiencing computer problems that required proper repair. Lots of you know too that I've had/got shingles, and it puts you out, I can tell you. And for me, it makes a lot of everyday things an effort, which has made me a bit short tempered. I know it's hard to get your head around that failing in me, but I admit it, I'm sure eventually, I'll grow out of it. Now you may also know that I dread a computer failure because as good as he is, the Geek is not user friendly. I took the PC tower in, he unscrewed the large panel and suggested that the fan was probably clogged with dust because I don't have the tower somewhere well ventilated and dust free. He's right. It's on a tower stand in my house. Not a nuclear laboratory. I don't empty the hoover bag into it every week, mostly because it would mean visiting him more often. He noted too that one of the USB ports is mangled..and said he recognised a common accident - a memory stick was in the port and I must have hoovered up to it at an oblique angle and broken it off, goodbye memory stick, hello mangled port. It didn't happen that way...mostly on account of the fact that the USB port is about 2 feet off the floor, but hey, he didn't hear me the first time after all - too busy talking over me.
I left the PC with him for diagnosis, mending and a RAM upgrade. It's ready and perfect when I collect and I'm a happy bunny. Until he starts about the grime that he cleaned out and the implication that I don't keep house in the computer department too well. I was obliged to point out that a lot of his customers would be very upset about his inference and may not come back - and added, for the sake of friendly banter that luckily, I was less sensitive than that. Ha Ha. He was offended, actually, which I do give him credit for! And then he lifted the keyboard from under the counter to tap in some details for an invoice. And I damn nearly fainted. It was so, so filthy that I couldn't keep quiet. Some of the keys - the shift in particular, had a ridge - A RIDGE of gunk around the swiped area that the thumb continually hits. It may be that I went over the top when I said I dread to think what their staff loo was like. But I was in mild shock. Honest, I ain't house proud, but I know clean from dirty! So he gets the hump and says if he spent all his time cleaning up, he wouldn't be able to mend computers so quickly. I pointed out that if he cleaned once, it would take all of 10 minutes a day to keep his shabby premises clean. It was all banter, but we both meant it. I paid, remarked that he'd probably put a curse on me now, and left.
This is getting rather long..but I need you to have a feel for it. Really I do.
At home, Mr D sets it all back up because I'm off for a nap and he has an urgent need to access dome business stuff. When I surface and try to use it, the keyboard won't work. And nor does the sound. Argh. Pull tower out, get glasses, get phone, sit on floor and stare hard at the back of the tower. It's all colour coded these days - did you know? The purple end of the keyboard wire plugs into the purple port, the blue end of the mouse into the blue port -----and so on. So I'm completely baffled because it's all plugged and ported correctly. I note that the purple (keyboard) plug isn't as far in as it should be. Ease it out, compare pins in plug to holes in port. (OK, I had to use my glasses and a magnifying glass). Ring the Geek - to ask about the sound problem and check it's ok to erm..'ease' a couple of pins apart - they've been pushed together and don't now match the socket.
Naturally, I get a lecture about closing everything down first..fine. He gets really cross when I accidentally out of habit close down but allow it to install updates. He was incredulous; you know - when someone's being really stupid and you say something like 'you mean to tell me...' , so I talked him around - while we're waiting for that, talk to me about the lack of sound. He explained at great l e n g t h and in words of simple syllable construction about the 3 pastel coloured plugs...mauve light blue and pink. And that to achieve sound, the speaker wire needs to be plugged into its corresponding colour. OK light blue to light blue. Re-start computer. Still not working. Close down again. I did the same thing again with the update button -just to annoy him. Use lovely fine perfect craft tweezers to ease the pins apart so that the keyboard plug re-fits perfectly. Score, Julia. Start computer...keyboard works fine. Spend half an hour going through instructions - click this, click that..blah blah..to discover sound isn't that easy to achieve. He suggests with a sigh, bring the tower back tomorrow, I really can't do any more by phone because you don't know enough to follow my further instructions properly. Oh really. Well, I'll have to see. I'm busy. Being cross.
Anyway....long story huh. Want a punchline? I was so utterly peeved this morning that I can't catch up with iPlayer that I decided to just try another colour of plug for my light blue speaker cable. So then I had to ring again. He answered 'Hello Julia, love' and explained we were on speaker phone because he and a couple of customers were 'busy' - with their hands, presumably. So I told them and him that I'd sussed the sound problem out on my own. I'd plugged the light blue cable into the pink port and it works a treat. Thanks for all your help. Perhaps it's better not to call me 'love' when we've been arguing!

Tap tap tapping on your screen...hello..?

2011-08-27T12:18:00.000+01:00

Ah there you are. It's only me. The geek has fixed my PC and I only had to take the blame for about half an hour when I collected it. And I got my own back. But let me not be petty, it's not in my nature. *cough*. Fact is, it's an all whirring all working PC again.

Enjoy these pics will ya, if they load properly, you will be seeing the lovely PiF from Susan and the bags that Sarah sent me. This is a bit of a test post in terms of the photos, and I must say, in terms of what Blogger will allow...it's really jiggering me about a bit this morning. Bearing in mind I started this at 10.45 and it's now 12.17!
So if it's all worked, do tap the screen to let me know. Meanwhile, I think I'll go and do the composition part of the next post on paper. It's got to be easier. And the paper never ever blames the user. Have a nice weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 116

2011-08-24T06:00:00.001+01:00

Well, there's nothing to brag about, and no picture to show. Depsite having 2 laptops and a PC, I can't find a way to upload from my camera card and email from my phone...none of us are configured properly...dysfunctional or what!
I am in the middle of folding and creasing various cards and papers as preparation for a Paper Engineering workshop, so far, so many folds, not so many finished samples! Ah, but when the PC is fixed I will show and tell of my creaseless pain.

So go on, even from a room that you can't see,imagine my mess and put me to shame - show your desk by uploading a pic to your blog and link here - it's fun, free and surprisingly interesting. Now you can't say that about eveything you have to do on a Wednesday, huh!

Maybe a cupcake will help?

2011-08-22T09:02:00.000+01:00

This beauty donated to me by Jan. Because she saw it and thought of me. I'm saying nothing .

I am struggling this morning, with a computer that won't let me do much...it's very scarey and extremely,incredibly frustrating. Scarey because I'm clearly going to be without it for a handful of days. Frustrating because I'm clearly going to be without it for a handful of days. And because as respectful as I am of the geek to whom I shall turn for repair, I'm frustrated by him to the point of stamping my feet . He runs a perfectly good, reliable PC supply and fixing business. But he has to spend at least 30 minutes gently berating you for daring to buy a product that he doesn't like (a laptop for example - any make.. and he makes a point of gently correcting you EVERY TIME you say it - 'it's a notebook',) and worse, for actually using it. If ever a chap unknowingly puts off his customers...argh. Well, today I have the upper hand. Because he built and supplied this PC. So I'm hoping for a quicker exit than usual, and the chance to leave without grinding my teeth. Mr Dunnit supports me by suggesting that the best thing I can do is to go in there unarmed. He may have a point!
Anyway, I have received gifts and cannot show you the photos just now because uploading them makes the PC crash. But I wanted to acknowledge the unnecessary generosity of Susan and Sarah. Susan sent me a bookmark from waaay down under, a PiF gift. I didn't realise she'd take the trouble to make it from scratch so as to add my name to it. Thanks gal, it's already in use..marking the page in the diary. So much more successful than that bit of ribbony stuff they bind into the spine....that was unravelled and grim by March! The second of this weekend's surprise postal receipts were fab holdall type bags from Sarah. Woven Polypropylene (I know more about this material than you think...another weird fact about me) - when you see the pics, you'll know instantly what it is. Bright bold colours and so useful Sarah, as you said. One has already been pressed into service for the drinks and bottles and blah that need to go to Crop every month..perfect. Thanks to both of you, a slightly more organised woman is leaving the house to face the PC foe today. I may be some time.

Re-acquainting myself

2011-08-19T22:32:00.000+01:00

Ages ago, before I made space in this lovely little room of mine for business files etc, my Cricut sat on the worktop behind me, thus:

You can just see it. Buried under stuff - this photo is from the June 2010 file, so I've no memory as to the excuse for the clutter, but you can see, it's pretty well buried and ignored. And so it has been; until today. I wanted bunting for a LO and oh boy if you think you're bad at cutting straight lined squares - try a decent triangle...eventually you'll swear, throw your scissors on the table, and decide on a proper course of action. The space above is now given over to business stuff, so the un-used Cricut went onto a bottom shelf, behind cartridges and other less used stuff. This of course, has rendered it unattractive in ease of use terms. Ah well. It's now set up and running like a dream, on the dining table. I'd forgotten what a good tool it is. How useful it is. How easy it is to use. So why did I fall out of love with it? Wellllllllll, it's a bit of a story I think, but ultimately has to do with keeping up with the latest trends again. I got bogged down in the array of cartridges that were being released...several were exclusive to new model machines only and that really bothered me. Still does. As in all product lines, cartridges started to hold less images and indeed, 'spread' the better images across more than one...which made the cost of them an even bigger issue. I was a bit tired of the few cartridges I'd got too. And then there was the whole get-of-your-butt-plug-it-in-and-make-magic-with-it thing. I got lazy I guess. So, me and the machine have had an 18 month hiatus. And today I cut a whole Alpha, some numbers, some triangles and some sign posts. Nothing major. But very useful, which is all a good tool should be, huh. Techniques I've discovered in the last 18 months mean that the stock I used to cut the shapes has since been embossed, inked and added to in other ways, so now truly the Cricut is a good foundation tool. Rather than say 2 years ago when the cut out images would have been the first thing you'd have noticed on my LO. So the moral of this story - if you're tired with it..put it away a while, just like Dr Spock recommends about children's toys. Re-acquaint yourself after a decent period of time and re-assess. It might be worthwhile. I wonder if this theory can be applied to housework?
Can't show you a pic of the LO...computer has crashed every time I tried to introduce new files...guess where it's going on Monday!
Meanwhile, have a great weekend. If you're looking for a crop - we're meeting at Ludgershall tomorrow.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 115

2011-08-17T06:00:00.001+01:00

As usual I have plans, and that is why seeing the card samples from this year's workshops to date strewn across the desk is a bit of a surprise. Remember that trapped nerve in my shoulder? Turned out to be Shingles. (So much for self diagnosis - put up with it for way longer than I needed to!) Am pumped full of something or other that look like horse pills and I must confess that they leave me listless. As I was a bit 'off' anyway, this isn't good! So instead of sitting for ages on what is for now, the most uncomfortable of stools, I'm standing in intervals and doing some sorting. (How does the most comfortable stool in the world make your shoulder blade hurt? No I don't know either!) These cards are destined for the Hospice to sell - if anyone has a charity to which they give cards, let me know, will happily post you/them a bunch. Good view of the overgrowing garden this week!
Join us for this week's WOYWW - show us what is on your Workdesk this Wednesday - upload a pic to your blog and link it here. We'll visit eventually!

Many a true word..

2011-08-16T09:53:00.000+01:00

This card came from Jan......of course.....

Last Saturday evening, me, Mr Dunnit and LLJan, her gorgeous Mr and a Master went to a field in the Pewsey Vale. Like you do. And there, alongside the fast flowing stream that is the Avon, we spotted Morti, Mr B and L'il Miss B. They were not difficult to spot you understand. Their tent is a mini marquee in the style of a big top. It was stripey and wonderful. We gals had met, but the boys hadn't really, and so they had to take it on trust that with the crafty/blogging thing between us women, there would be enough in common for a nice evening. As nobody got roaring drunk and misbehaved to the point of not being allowed back, I think it fair to say that we had enough in common. Well, we laughed - a lot and talked until it was so dark even the bats wouldn't come out to play, so presumably that qualifies as a successful get together! I think (crass generalisation coming up...) women can most often find something that can create a conversation even if it's only out of good manners, but men are less good at that, they don't have the old 'noblesse oblige' gene - and then there are awkward silences. Well, there were none on Saturday, glad to say. I learned loads about Morti and Mr B (nothing, so far, that could be used against them) - really on paper we do have little in common, but it's also the paper that brought us to meeting - scrapbook paper of course. Which means we have everything in common, huh. Oh and I've just remembered there was one brief moment when I was silent...watching Mr B prepare to juggle with glow sticks...honestly the anticipation was quite marvellous. As indeed, was the sight of three glow sticks travelling through the dark to land with accomplished grace at his feet, on the table and even on top of a dog! Delighted to report that Mr B was laughing as hard as we were. Friends. How cool.

The Christmas thing...

2011-08-12T08:22:00.000+01:00

Text: Hero Arts, Background: Stampers Anonymous and Spellbinder dies. I think that's all...see, I'm trying to remember to give credits....so you don't think I can draw and write eight million different fonts by hand - well you might have!

I'm still visiting WOYWW desks, but as you know this isn't unusual. There's no science to any of this of course, but I gather from WOYWW comments and posts that it seems we roughly fall into four categories. Those of us who cannot or will not face Christmas until the seasons change and the time is right. I must say that this group of people includes Jo of Jozarty. And it's easy to tell why. They are prolific non-procrastinating crafters. They do, and talk about it afterwards - no prior blog whingeing about how much has to be done, or how difficult it is to make time or how un-christmassy the mojo feels. So when Autumn turns its face toward Christmas, such crafters will allocate some time and create their cards.

Then there are the crafters who are organised through fear. They love Christmas and all that it means and brings to their doorsteps, but are afraid of being bogged down by all the work that it inevitably involves. And let's face it, you can't enjoy anything if you're constantly under pressure about it. And so, for fear of not having time and ruining their own holidays by being behind, these crafters make a few Christmas cards here and there throughout the year. Or to a set pattern of monthly/weekly. The trick with this plan is not to beat yourself up if you can't do this week/month's allocation for some reason, and catch up if possible. Although I think in the case of such organised beings, it may well take a broken hand to prevent the card box being topped up!

And there's the majority, who move with the Seasons and can tell that Christmas Day is the same date every year and know how long they need to make their cards. And enjoy doing them within the context of the approaching season. Probably by the end of November they'll be considering their stock and making a few, calmly accepting that not all things are possible so handmade cards go to the appropriate people.

I can't tell you how much I dislike the part that I play in making Christmas last 4 months by producing card workshops in August. But these are not 'thank you cards' to be sent after an event. And so people want ideas and er, inspiration 'up front'. And if you send the cards you make at a workshop then you probably need to come to a handful of workshops to make enough, huh! The Christmas cards I make now will be recognisably different from any cards I make in December...after all, the 'spirit of the Season' is far easier to lock into when you're actually in the Season!

And then of course, comes the panic driven crafter. Amongst my favourites, they are frantically crafting till the small hours, often in bad light, to meet a last posting date or create something particular the night before the get-together or the big day itself. I have learned that panic is not a good thing for me..it blocks me instantly and causes me to make 15 rubbish cards in an attempt to get one simple idea from brain to card stock. I like a deadline sure, indeed a deadline is motivating.

Just not motivating enough for me if it's more than about 3 weeks away! Then it becomes a procrastinator's dream and the whole cycle is fulfilled. Again!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 114

2011-08-10T06:00:00.001+01:00

Well, a twofor from me today: Monday's desk..after quite a lot of tidying and removing of stuff that had been dumped over the weekend, and after workshop preparations and even some birthday wrapping which took place on top of all the stuff for the want of any other surface to move anything to. Yep, I was at the stage of needing a clean plate.

And here is Tuesday afternoon's desk, which will be this morning's too - I just prefer the afternoon light. I've finished some (only 4) Christmas cards for a workshop on Thursday. Honestly, it was like pulling teeth. I'm definitely not good out of season!

You can see, I worked in a smallish space having pulled my basket and bag of Christmas stamps onto the desk to inspire me. Hmm. Best thing is those small tubs of glitter in assorted shapes and colours - chunky, its called. Fun. And frankly, to get glitter on a card from me in August isn't just fun. It's a total miracle.

So show us what you're up to, we'd like to see. Gardening, crafting indoors, whatever the summer causes you to do..unless you're chasing children around the house with malicious intent - that's probably not one to photograph! Upload a pic to your blog, link it here and we'll trot round for a visit.

Getting my Grunge On

2011-08-08T09:44:00.000+01:00

I'm not fiercely good at this whole untidy, inky, grungy thing. I think that's why I resist...it sort of spells loads of time inking and blah, and not a lot of productive time. But like most things I start out resisting, I'm a weak willed woman and I've slowly slowly started trying various techniques and products. Now mostly, these products have been of Holtz extraction. My initial resistance was, as many will already know, the seven shades of wee wee that the grungy look required. So of course then all the Distress Inks in real colours arrived and since then I've been a dabblin'. However, until recently, I haven't bought or played with grunge paper. I know. Loads of you use it so effectively and wax lyrical about it. Well, so far, I'm surprised to say that I like it. I haven't made and monumental discoveries of course - that's your job - I'm the follower here. I haven't made any flowers or exercised it's 3d properties yet. But I have inked a couple of pieces to death, stamped on it, embossed it and die cut it...my word it stands a beating. Jennie said in passing how well it responds to the Distress Stains - she's never wrong of course, what she doesn't know about this stuff isn't worth knowing. But she's right! It works gorgeously. Is that a word? I cynically expected it to mop up and use more ink than I wanted it to, just so I had to rush out to buy more. But it didn't. Or doesn't seem too. So, instead, I need to buy every bright colour of Distress Stain to fully explore my grunge-ability. Here's a call to the producers... lots and lots more grunge paper pre-die cut in nice shapes please. Then I don't have to buy 5 intimidating large plain grey sheets. That's a bit of a beef for me - large amount..because at the price, I'm being a bit mean with it. No doubt I'll get over it. Meanwhile...I have fingernails that will not do for hand modelling work. Oh and why haven't I shown you all my grungey but bright works? Posted 'em without thinking of the photo requirement. Don't worry, there'll be plenty more to bore you with.

2011-08-05T21:09:00.000+01:00

So I've been doing some more of that sponging, inking , messy stuff.....it's still not entirely a natural thing...and I offer you this card from a workshop a week or so ago as an antidote to Christmas Trees recently seen sprouting on my desk!

I thought that the beginnings of a Christmas card on my WOYWW post would result in my needing to be a little flame resistant, so thank you for not shooting the messenger. Honestly, (and I'm saying nothing that I haven't threatened to say) - Shopkeeper Gal made me do it. I am - and I think you can tell from my desk - not an organised and planned crafter. The Christmas cards are for a workshop next week. I will probably not actually use them to send. It happens. Last year (I think; maybe the year before..) I saved all the Christmas cards I'd made for workshops etc and gave them away. And then made some fresh ones for giving. Or didn't bother, I can't remember! That's the thing see, I like to think I'm perfectly normal and don't usually start real Christmas preparations of any sort until it's way too late to be organised and effective. If that's not perfectly normal, please do not tell me. Life here in Julia World is ticking along well enough without home truths. I thank you.
Have a lovely weekend. And thanks for asking about the shoulder. I have shouldered on (did you see what I did there?!) with the help of my friend the Pharmacist and a short stay in Herefordshire to trample all over Jan's birthday week. I think it's on the wane. Ask me again when I've had to go one night without a view of a sunset and a large glass of something.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 113

2011-08-03T06:00:00.003+01:00

Bad light for this one, but taken at the hour it was, no surprise really! There is actually evidence that between blog posts, I sometimes do what I say I'm going to! Signs of a Christmas card on my desk. It's hard..by mid afternoon my desk will be covered in gorgeous sunshine, so I'm going to try to work hard and fast in the shade of the morning. Ha!

Surrounded as usual by detritus of other stuff, finished or in consideration...you can't tell and I can't remember!

Do share then - upload a pic onto your blog of whatever you're working on, wherever you're working ; we want to see what you've got and what you're doing - altogether to interesting to deny us! Link your blog here with Mr Linky and we'll trot round and have a looksee. Forgive my absence last week, I have a shoulder thing and was unable to wield so much as a mouse for while there.

On birthdays and calendars...

2011-08-01T10:55:00.000+01:00

Crikey - that's large! It sure shows up the imperfections!
It's a sign...to wish my friend what you all know as Lunch Lady Jan, a really tremendously Happy Birthday. She's achieving the big Hawaii today. Five Oh. Wow, and still she's a bad influence. Do you know that only a week ago she was in my back garden holding a cherry stone spitting competition. Man, she can spit. Although I think I won. Nice cherries Missus!
I was in the habit of posting a picture of my calendar layout on the first of each month, but I've lost momentum and haven't done one for August. Yet. Indeed, July actually replaced the March page on my wall this year. Shocking, huh! It's weird. Since I've been in charge of the business diary, I haven't referred to the wall calendar. I need to correct that - it's usefulness encouraged others to write on it and enabled me to keep track (sometimes) of where I and my little car was expected to be on any given day. And there's a rumour going around that me and ScrapLady Ally are doing another Year In A Day Calendar event..so I should jolly well get some practice in. Meanwhile, another example of quite how all over the place this year is...yep - I'm basking in sunshine and digging out Christmas stamps for a workshop a week on Thursday. I've been whingeing all over WOYWWers desks about starting too early, and now I find myself hoist by my own petard! My word, if only that were unusual!

A quick word : huge thanks for all your advice about my shoulder....am taking most of it, so will not bang on...it'll pass.

No such thing as normal service, is there?

2011-07-31T10:35:00.000+01:00

At some stage last week, I did something that caused a trapped nerve under my shoulder blade. If anybody has any tips or suggestions as to how to live with it, (without cutting my arm off) I would be pleased to hear them! As a consequence, everything is being carried out ridiculously slowly and with much drama, of course. Certain actions, like unloading the dishwasher and sitting in a chair with about 4 cushions are very easy, and of course I can still eat and drink. Phew! Other things that you think would use the same actions are really hard - hanging the washing out, writing, lying down.. and getting a bra on has been a trial, really. It turns out that however well evolved, Mr D hasn't mastered the treble hook and eye system. For which I think I am profoundly grateful!

Normal Service? Not today folks

2011-07-28T09:18:00.000+01:00

Indulge me do...my greatest creation is eighteen today.

My heart is full, my hands are fuller - there's quite a lot of cooking to be done.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 112

2011-07-27T06:00:00.001+01:00

Well well and my my, here's a return to form. No evidence of the crop stash, but plenty else of abandoned and part used. Also a nice, arty expanse of genuine white space! I took this photo on Tuesday afternoon - a strange, warm but very dull day. It started with heavy rain. I should know. I walked home through it at 9 o,clock after a very early appointment! The button jar lid is open - for no reason. The cutting mat is covered in white paper - to protect the erm, cutting mat. I've been doing some fairly heavy duty inking. Trying to get a grip of grunge paper. Hmmm. Interesting.
Meanwhile, because I can and I'm all generosity in my shocking untidiness, here's an aerial view. It looks a deal worse, huh! Rather inevitably, you can see a dictionary page. I'm fiddling about with an idea. So, no plans to tidy up just yet!

Join me do - upload a photo of your work space to your blog and link here so that we can all trip round and have a look. That's all there is to it. It's fun.

What I done at the Crop by Julia Dunnit

2011-07-25T17:43:00.000+01:00

Who was it that said I'd manage, despite just flinging everything in a bag because I was on a mission at the crop? Well, you were right. Although please bear in mind that these few pics show 8" pages which aren't exactly hard to come up with. It's an album for Miss Dunnit's best friend see, and her birthday is this Wednesday. So the deadline was stupid enough, and now you understand the whingeing on Friday! Nevertheless, I've done enough pages to make it a worthwhile gift, and because I'm convinced that she wants to have go for herself, I'm going to include a couple of page 'kits' too.

These few pages are from the 10 that I finished at the crop. I know! Ten! I felt like Laura, who always arrives ready, kitted and overflowing with ideas - I was just turning them out - and enjoying it too. Which made me smug and I felt compelled to keep telling everyone every time I finished another page. I know how to keep my friends. A huge thank you again to Annette the Voodoo Vixen, she shared the wonderful 7Gypsies paper that you see (the collage-y ones) and was keen to see what I did with them. I feel they are well used on the gals. So that's what I did at the crop. And I've unpacked. And put away. And after tea today, I'm going to make difficult cards. Pray that I'm on a roll!

It's the day before a crop

2011-07-22T11:16:00.000+01:00

..and all in the house is peaceful. Of course it is - himself is at work, keeping me comfortable in my middle age, and herself is still in bed. I'm sitting quietly at the keyboard, the morning chores are actually still waiting for me.

That sound - can you hear it?

There..the sound of wheels,cogs, movement, fixings.....
There.....
Well I can hear it.
Oh I know why - it's my overloaded brain.
It's trying to work out WHY I've left it till the day before the crop to start considering the crop. Or WHY I may have left it too late to order the photos - Snapfish are not to blame if they don't arrive today, by some miracle. Or WHY I haven't decided on and bought what ever I need for my contribution to the Pot Luck lunch. Or WHY what I have set myself the task of starting and completing at the Crop is suddenly about the last project I want to do. That part I can't get over - it's the way the brain goes - Jody was saying on WOYWW that she's lacking mojo now she's not under pressure; I guess this is very similar. And I guess too that Jody will find the cure without whingeing about it all over her blog and to anyone else who will listen. Ah well, I never pretended to be quiet, huh! I wonder if any of my Crop friends read this....I may be alone tomorrow!
So, you just know that this afternoon will be spent in fury, sitting on the floor in front of my stash cupboards. Once again. So forgive me, for this post is so much a repetition of other, monthly pre-crop posts. Maybe, maybe, one day, I'll write a post about a leopard that changed its spots. Place your bets.

Have a nice weekend - oh and if you're local or in the area to Tidworth, it's Community Day on Sunday. Shopkeeper Gal will be opening Kraft Crazy from 10 till 2 - I know she's planning to have the kid's craft ranges on Sale in front of the holidays. For any other details or info - give her a ring - 01980 844010.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 111

2011-07-20T06:00:00.003+01:00

My work desk is looking a bit grown up. But it's OK, because the file and work books are naturally, on top of the craft stuff I was using to make a card and so order will be restored presently! This could be the worst photo of the day - the light is horrible. You can just see my next intention though - some (in real life) very bright and cheerful 12 x12 papers. I'm on a mission to complete an album, as a gift. More later. I promised myself that I wouldn't specifically buy stuff for it. FAIL. These three sheets of paper and the album itself....and counting, probably! Never mind....as it's the Crop on Saturday, I'm hoping it will be worth the new stuff to motivate me with the older stuff. Good plan.

So come on then, join the WOYWWERs who are WORLDWIDE. No that second big word is not a pointless acronym. A fun fact! Upload a photo onto your blog of your workspace...desk, floor, tray, worktop, counter, blah, surprise us. Come back and link it here and join us on a vist-a-thon. You may need to put the kettle on. That's all there is to it. Only rule is not to tear the backside out of our goodwill by blatantly advertising....we wanna see what you're doing, with what you've got. Great. Thanks.

Ah, Tuesday, better all around!

2011-07-19T17:41:00.000+01:00

So,if you ever plan a day out shopping in Portsmouth with your chum, I hope it turns out to be as nice as the long morning that Jan and I had today. We didn't get to Portsmouth...something made us turn right too soon and we went to Winchester. Oh yeah - it was a fabric shop...you know what she's like. We mooched and browsed and came upon a lovely shop called Forme. It's a gift shop. It's beautifully arranged and the stock is carefully chosen. The prices, given the quality, were really reasonable. For
example, we'd been fainting at the cost of the oil cloth bags and holdalls in Cath Kidston. Up to a hundred pounds - ouch. And here in Forme, we found really really nice weekend bags for a third of the price. No quality compromise, in fact, made by a luggage company and perfectly affordable. So we mooched a bit and both found treasure to buy. And the young man asked if I'd like my purchase to be gift wrapped. I would, please - it's a present for another dear friend, so it's by no means a waste of time. I came home with this wonderful looking gift. I told the chap that did this lovely wrapping that I would be blogging about it...he was sweet enough to suggest I take the credit for it..and I was tempted for a micro second! Which is why I'm sort of advertising the shop and his wrapping...which cost not one penny extra to the price of the gift. Jan and I watched intently, so I'm expecting to be able to repeat this beauty at a stroke, with the same flair. But just, just, just in case, I'm not going to unwrap this to show you what I bought!

How is Monday for you then?

2011-07-18T14:33:00.003+01:00

Yeah - thought so - so I put up some flowers for you. Painted with H20s which have to be amongst the prettiest and easiest to slosh about paints, donchafink?

Monday will improve considerably for me when it gives way to Tuesday. I don't know why, but today I did not wake up with that sense of renewal, fresh week, clean slate that Mondays apparently prompt in the great and the good. (Yep, I've been torturing myself again - browsing celebrity blogs). I don't have any particular routines for any given day really (although Monday does require some tidying after a weekend at home...and some laundry..oh and some shopping...), and I most certainly don't make a fresh to do list on a Monday...lordy, it would drain any pleasure of anticipating my week. I'm not without routine though - in fact I often wonder how the flexible and spontaneous amongst us actually get anything done - I do like to achieve something tangible by the day's end. Not least because then I can reward myself with time at my crafty desk or a morning out with Jan...you know what I mean, the trade off that the protestant work ethic requires to assuage the old guilt. But even that's in the eye of the beholder isn't it. Take yesterday - I watched golf with Mr Dunnit, and apart from basic housework and cookery, did very little. But my daughter was delighted with my achievement - by bedtime I had actually read the first three chapters of a book that she recommended to me. She's sweet. She wants me to read it because she thinks it's one of the best things she's ever read. She wants to be able to chat about it and be a bit book clubby about its meaning and potential. And I, 30 years her senior, am already fed up with the main character, he's too damn young - and for a prodigy, being really stoopid. I haven't told her. I don't want my small Sunday achievement to end up a disappointment! Monday's achievement will be altogether better - self driven if entirely full of motivation, I seem to have done quite a lot. I'm sure if the rain rain (would) go away, I could be springy and enthusiastic about the office backlog I've been tackling and changing the sheets. Hmmm. Ah well. Today's achievement will be a roast for supper. How can that not feel like a reward for a day of work. Factor in a G&T. Go ahead, have the flowers, I know what I want now.

Try this..

2011-07-15T10:28:00.006+01:00

I didn't invent this - I can't have done, because I don't do inventing...but it's so easy and I think it's frightfully effective dahlink.

Make a nice card and dry emboss an image onto it. (Use the cuttlebug/Sizzix/Big Shot - that type of embossing). Use a glue pen to 'colour' the embossed image - just the raised bits, I mean. Let the glue dry to transparent. Be patient. Now lay some gold leaf over the glue and burnish. Or some regular foil, pick a colour, fill your boots. I think it looks great on the Kraft material..kinda chics up the shabby.

You may not like it. That's OK. Do you like the Hello Kitty notebook I failed to crop off the photo? Yeah? Oh well then, that's both of us happy!

Have a nice weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 110

2011-07-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

Weeeeeeeellllllllllll see, it's like this.

After yesterday's post, I should really have more to show huh? But, I've left my desk clear - this clear out and re-model of my space is going to take longer than I thought, and involve, as Morti said, maybe at least a shelf. Which involves Mr Dunnit and he's pretty busy. I know I'm going to need my desk if only for workshop kittting later this week, so am trying madly to avoid using it to the point of stacking stuff all over it. So it looks OK! Exactly as I left it on Saturday actually. You can't see my super large tote bag on the floor - filled with workshop baskets and equipment. Not unpacked from Saturday. So if stories of unclean stamps make your teeth itch, you should disregard the last couple sentences!

Looks like I've got blank page syndrome, but I haven't. Yet. Meanwhile, show us your desk and what you're doing, it's a matter of great fascination to us. And besides, it's been a week since we were at your place. Load up to your blog, link here and please put the kettle on. In view of the incredible work I am going to be doing today, perhaps I deserve a G&T? Please?!

Strange

2011-07-12T10:33:00.002+01:00

Since we came back from our holiday, I really feel like a holiday. Not because I'm exhausted or because it's been a long year or because the holiday we've had was awful or anything like that. I think, I think it's because it was early. June isn't traditionally a holiday month for anyone with school age kids, lets face it. So I'm facing July and August with a longing, which is frankly ridiculous. And I've determined that the longing will translate itself into something useful. And two days after I determined this, I've decided that a major overhaul of the work room is part of the 'useful'. I know, scarey. That's why it's taken two days! Since January Mr Dunnit has been self employed and the international headquarters and offices are here, at home. So that means I use the dining table to do the book-keeping, the dining room floor for the boxes of literature and assorted lever arch files and this workroom for computer stuff and it's beginning to drive me mad. I've lost the urge to keep it tidy because it's spread everywhere, so now is the time to consolidate. I'm pretty sure that with some real tidying, rearranging and casting of a non-sentimental eye over all of my stuff, this workroom can accomodate a small business too. After all, other people manage with a great deal less. As far as I can tell, it's just about being tidy. *huge hoots of laughter* . I'm going in. Wish me luck.

It's been a week...

2011-07-08T10:19:00.003+01:00

Did I tell you about our hol? Not like me to miss a chance to brag huh? Some background required....it's very nearly Miss Dunnit's 18th birthday, and so to celebrate exam end, uni start, birthdays..three of her chums came with us to Spain. Remember, we only have one child, so it was a new experience for us ....... La Marina, taken from over my coffee cup of course, 10am last Friday

I'm already willing myself to remember what it was like;

The loveliness of waking up and knowing that you don't need to look outside to check the weather. Or waking up to discover a fresh crop of mahoooosive mosquito bites because you have an allergy to the repellants...

The fun of a day on the beach with adequate shade and drink and food just a short stagger away. Or the reticence of four 18 year old gals who collectively don't like sand or swimming in the sea because there might be erm, fishes. And can't go to the cafe hut because the sand's too hot and they're too shy to speak any Spanish....argh!

The ease of preparing for the beach - sun cream, towel, book, shade, money for drinks - my needs are simple.

Finding 'lost' swimsuits (rinsed and hanging on a line, actually), collecting books, eight factors of sun cream, glasses, changes of towels, change of costumes, debating who's ipod, which games, how much shade, how much money, the need to re-do nail varnish and schlepping the whole lot across the sand.

The fun of driving a people carrier to accomodate the girls and all their chatter.

The freaking out at sand in the car, the aircon not being up to it, the radio needs turning up to 8 kerjillion watts and oh gawd, the music!

The pleasure of a leisurely meal out, most evenings.

The confusion of polite 'I don't mind' when faced with choices, the difficulty of strange eating habits - difficult not to eat foreign food abroad!

The pleasure in seeing the girls turn from pale to tan, enjoying the sun and fresh air.

Realising that your advice about care in the sun was going to be ignored in favour of the tan. Shovelling Sudocrem onto burnt shoulders, suggesting loose t shirts instead of cami tops...ignored ..I did not get involved for the burnt bum...that was self medicated!

The pleasure of seeing the girls enjoying their exclusive time together.

Watching as they used every cup, plate, knife and spoon

in the house....and left them wherever they finished with them; realising that they weren't going to hang a towel out to dry or tidy anything....and having to wade in and teach life skills in preference to being the slave....!

Enjoying conversation about life, their universe and their plans

Actually, mostly in a group they speak too fast to be understood, they use phone text shorthand as real words and the chunks of conversation that we were privvy to were about music, men and shopping...themselves, of course!

Watching as they wandered off, oblivious to us....

This was great, Mr D and I had real lovely quality time together, no-one can ignore you like four teenaged girls!

Watching them at the fair - eighteen going on eight, excited and giggly

No pleasure like it - everyone around enjoyed their shrieking excitement..at hoop-la winning 3 bottles of cheap plonk. I haven't/daren't asked how much they spent!

Seeing the pleasure on their beautiful faces when huge ice creams were delivered to the table

Oh yeah, you can't be a sophisticated eighteen year old with a Copa, complete with paper umbrellas and sparkly things! I think the waiters enjoyed it too!

Herding them...acting in loco parentis can be a bit stressful

They can do it, of course, but they don't pay a lot of attention, so we ended up just meeting

them somewhere and guiding them back to the car

....we did that front and rear type herding: Mr D at the front looking as English as possible, me bringing up the rear....of course!

It was great. I would do it again actually; I wonder if that chance will arise? They have to be 25 to hire a car, so maybe it will make us useful for at least one more holiday?!!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 109

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the splendiferoulsy bonza friend who is Lunch Lady Jan, we didn't miss a week just because I was on me hols, and indeed, wasn't last week interesting? Her stuff is fab, as I hope I keep telling her. And yes folks, that is a link; you did what I couldn't do alone and convinced her to start blogging. Hurrah! Another desk to pick over. *grin*

My desk is a study in erm, getting stuff done. At this point I'm on go number 3 of a card that should feature bright flowers and awesome colouring. Can't choose the right flower. Come back some time and see what it ended up as - I don't know at this stage if it will even stay on a red and black mount. That will depend on the flower...

You can see my Copics - about to go back to their home, no good for what I was trying... and bottom right you can just see a portion of new wood mounted stamps. Shopkeeper Gal had a sale of ex TV stuff....the wood mounts were begging to come home with me. And so they did. You could never accuse me of cruelty to a wood mounted stamp!

So - upload a pic of your desk to your blog, link here by way of inviting us all around to see what you're doing - paper, work, fabric, wool, writing...whatever, show us! We'll visit, slowly and surely. Put the kettle on. I thank you. That's it, no other membership rules, no commitments to weekly showings, just join us as and when you can. We like flexibility. Well, I do. And at my age, that can only be a good thing.