I made a huge mess over the weekend making up some mini scrapbook pages for adding to the album I made for my Aunt last year; we'll be going up to Yorkshire again at the end of next week and I suddenly realised I could deliver in person if I got my act together! The greater shock for you though, gentle Desker, is that I tidied up. Properly.
And yesterday I got back at about 330 and went straight to my desk. Started stamping and embossing and putting parts together to make a few more cards, so the pic shows the colour ways and I fully intend to finish these and get my long distance greetings in the post this week. Because to be honest, next week is so busy that I won't be able to, and then it's pretty much too late isn't it.
It doesn't take much to make a mess, but it's a vaguely ordered mess. I'm using buttons! Surprising myself, but trying hard to use stuff I've got and like, and buttons are certainly in that category. The gems are exploding from their box so they're getting some use too, gotta keep them properly corralled or they end up stuck to very random things. Like sleeves, soles, the floor....you know. So, if you're of a mind, please join us do, the show and tell moments are cathartic. And...you can have a cuppa to help you round. I'll let you have the favourite mug too, if you like.
I'm not sure why the mouse looks drunk.. he looks more upright than that to me...wonky eyesight! He might have to be a manipulated mouse! 
Before I garnered the strength to cut out more houses, I made a batch of other cards - the stack with green envelopes you can see...very simple, but I hope, effective. If I remember, I'll show a proper view of one at some point. The paper piecing was a bit tedious, but the cutting was done whilst on the phone to the many people I've been in touch with in the last ten days or so, so that part was more productive than just sitting about cutting! I shan't repeat this idea though, incredibly time consuming and as I've mentioned before, really rather heavy on the embossing powder. A lovely image though, happy to have it in my collection. Not to be doom and gloom about it all, because I love making cards, but I also realised that if I post them, they will qualify as 'large letter' which is another consideration these days, huh.
Those two little packets at the top left of the glass mat are tags, kraft and white. I ordered them in a hurry and inevitably, they are smaller than I thought they'd be, but nonetheless, are going to be used! Behind them at left are two card bookmarks from English Heritage, the text says 'step into England's story' and I snaffled them from my lovely Aunt for scrapbooking purposes - when the Kathys were here we went to a few 'old' places, so I can make them work! Also while they were here, we went to the Crafters Companion shop in Evesham. They had a bargain area where returned goods are sold cheaply. I bought two stamps from that section, the first of which is at the left of my desk...some smart text about coffee. I was going to make a bunch of cards with it but I think given my tortoise like pace, I need to stay with Christmas for a while! There's a folder and a plastic box of photos next to my cutter. Freshly unpacked from my crop bag, to remind me that I need to keep up the momentum! Blimey, making myself laugh now!
Now, here's another version of that picture, with some notation....it's important that you see that when I'm away, I don't take up all the space!
Hope the mojo hangs around to help during the upcoming silly season! Show and tell yourselves please, it may be a great help to me if you want to write some motivational words about getting on with the upcoming seasonal stuff. Elizabeth, hope you're benefitting from some down time. 
I used up nearly a whole pot of silver embossing powder in the preparation, so I really have to make these cards up now! I will show you, but not for a while because I'm away this weekend with the Coven for some scrapbooking and staying up late kinda fun. My desk is safe, I'll tidy a little but still leave the card fixings out. And that lovely bottle. It was Courvoisier and it came from my Papa's drinks cabinet after he died, seven years ago. It wasn't full then, and it's taken 7 years of making two or three Christmas cakes every year since to use up the brandy! Then, when the Kathys were here, we had a sandwich and a cuppa in our local tea room and admired a selection of bottles that were decorated with decoupage and had little fairy lights inside. Good idea we thought. So I didn't throw the bottle out, but knew very well that if I decorate it, it won't involve decoupage. I've actually had an idea (!), so now I just need to get around to it! I can see you rolling your 👀. That particular phrase and I are closely acquainted and so my eyes tend to auto-roll when I say it!
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