Still working through the WOYWW list...and something that Dee showed on her desk set me to thinking about some comments that were made to a friend earlier in the week. Me and that Scrap Lady Ally took met other chums for supper, and showed them our cards what we made for the Mid Summer Madness Card Marathon. Yep, we have to have some sort of overview, it's helpful to know if they're too simple, too complicated, too lacking in technique, blah blah. I have a couple changes to make that came to light when I saw my 'share' of them lined up. The Enthusiastic Educator was as always, enthusiastic and supportive. She said to Scrap Lady Ally that she felt that her style of card making had really moved on over the last year or so. Which we all took to be a great compliment. I know it was meant that way, the Educator is that sorta gal. And then Dee shows us an album on her desk that she started about 2 years ago and wants to settle in and finish. My immediate response was - will her style still be the same..will you be able to look through the album and TELL the newly completed pages from the originals?

So what I'm asking is this (I think!). Are we evolving as crafters or....are we simply making use of an evolving product market? Are we using glass slides and beaded pins and vintage buttons and old cinema tickets (for example) because now they are in fashion we have them to hand, or because individually, we're working through product overload and finding things, techniques and 'findings' that naturally fit into our own style. My scrapbook style has certainly evolved...in fact, it's in danger of become formulaic. But my card making style, hmm, not so much I don't think...I think I'm really just making the most of all the products out there. For example, I rarely stamp a background pattern - just reach for a nice paper these days. Is that my style changing or product availability dictating my style. (Set aside the lazy issue!) . I cannot decide. I rather suspect that as I'm as shallow as a puddle, my style and my current like sin colour are entirely dictated by fashion. We'll see - one thing for sure is that time will tell! And hopefully, Dee will finish the album and no one will be any the wiser about the pause in completion. Not that it matters. But is interesting. Huh?

If you're at a loose end this Weekend, and can, try Kraft Crazy at Station Road, Tidworth - just had an email to tell me that Shopkeeper Gal is having a SALE starting tomorrow and open on Monday as a bonus! Details from her on 01980 844010.

Have a lovely weekend!

At my command...

A few days ago over at Stephanie's website, Luscious Life Studios, there was a blog post introducing Lily. A lovely vivacious little girl who was the inspiration for the Lily Bug collection. Stephanie had drawn a new paper, large outline flowers, and put it on a luscious pink background - Pantone's colour of the year, called Honeysuckle.

I commented - because it's polite to comment when you like something, because it's my sister's blog and I'm relatively safe there, and because well, I had something to say. All I said was how fab a big floral outline design was, and how much I'd like to see it in other colours as well, currently I'm into lime and turquoise. Well, I didn't mean 'go away and design a whole new page JUST FOR ME', (for once!) but that's exactly what popped up on the blog earlier this week. Just look at this beauty.
Just goes to show that even with a genetic predisposition to understanding me, all the spoken words, a designer hears you in a different language when you talk about what you like. First of all, there's the obvious one - it never occurred to me to put the two colours I'm currently in love with (over using) on the same page...they look fab together don't they..especially with added dots. Makes my heart beat faster. And then there's the clever us of the black...helps define the floral images but doesn't tread all over them (another discussion we had on the Luscious blog, recently). It's marvellous and bright and cheerful and I really like it. I'm going to be the first person to buy this when they become downloads. And then of course, I'll be scared to death of it, just like the other brand I buy most of...it has to be said....Basic Grey - step back, Luscious Life Studios is moving into my paper appreciation zone! After all, BG never redesigned a paper to take my colour choices into account...and that never stopped me buying every darn sheet of their releases! Thank you Luscious Life - way to make me feel incredibly important, even if we are related. See, told you - I can make ANYTHING all about me.

So has Blogger stopped asking you to sign in to your erm, sign in, now? Touch wood and wind in the right direction, it seems sorted for me. Again, have to hand it to their technerds, it must be very intense - especially when we get all this for nothing and still moan!! They've made us dependant!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 103

Well interweb, I know you won't have noticed, but this is my first post of the week and its success is entirely in the hands of Blogger's technerds...I haven't been able to get into the Dashboard to write anything since Sunday, weird, huh!

It is Tuesday as I write - I'm scared that if I leave this till tomorrow morning, it won't work and then my day will be a little spoiled!

gad, my desk is a sigh - I've taken the photo leaning against the die cutting surface looking right, so you can just see my stamp shelves...if you aren't blinded by the amount of tidying to be done! Lots of admin for the card Marathon and other such nonsense crowding the space. A really beautiful kit that was part of a Birthday Bunny present last night thanks to the New Baby Mummy.

And the traditional aerial shot shows some answers to questions actually. See the two bits of timber across the back of the photo? Farthest one is the ledge of the open stable door. Near one is the 2" deep 'wall' that surrounds my desk on 3 sides...so I can employ the use of the wheels to move it out of the doorway without everything going wobbly and falling off. Man, that man of mine just about thought of everything! Also note please - the Yellow ATG monster in its customary 'ready' position. It has slimmed down! I finally worked out the adaptor for the 6mm narrow tape. Without anyone's help. Until Mr Dunnit came home at lunchtime and he had to do a tricky bit that I thought might break it - of course I can't do that bit, because then there's no-one to blame when I have to get a new one! But naturally, he didn't break it and I managed to put it all back together and it works. Bloomin' go me!! You can also see one of my FAVOURITE most cherished stamps - a scrawly text from A Stamp In the Hand. Every time I use it, it makes me happy. I've had it for about 10 years. Worth the 10 bucks that nearly made me faint at the time!

Read this if you're a PiFing WOYWWer:

So next week is the second anniversary of WOYWW. I can barely believe it. If you asked me, I'd say more than a year, simply because I was there on the first anniversary! Anyway, point is, we're going to attempt the friendly PiF. Make, or get ready, the gift you've made. When you link to WOYWW, if you're taking part in the PiF, add an asterisk * to your name. The next person on the list with an asterisk next to their name will be your recipient. Email or Comment so you can get the address, and post your PiF as soon as you can. Remember - your pressie should be ready - the idea is not to make anyone wait too long and spoil the fun of the anniversary. Remember too, this is about a small gift that you've made to post to a friend you probably haven't met. Your skill, your time and your effort....hugely appreciated. There's no such thing as not good enough - hand made with the intention of pleasing a friend is ALWAYS good enough. So no fretting.

Meanwhile, join us do 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!

Ah but a new day arrives...

And therefore yesterday is forgotten - forge on and be creative JuliaDunnit, it's about less whingeing and more doing!

I've got a bit of a micro obsession going at the moment..one which I cannot understand - you've seen the cards I put on this 'ere blog - they aren't exactly laden with flowers - I don't use them. I have a jar of Prima flowers from about 5 years ago that is mostly unused still....I like stamping

flowers, but I don't add them as embellishments. Well since Shopkeeper Gal showed me a cute homemadesy flower die, (and forced me to buy this set and the one with the straight edge - man she's so persuasive) I've been trying to work them into things. I think I haven't used them because I like the details and embellishments on a card to be relevant, and I often look at a card with, say, a chandelier stamped onto it and wonder why it has a flower stuck on the corner. The answer of course is because it can have whatever the maker jolly well wants on it, and if flowers are the thang, then that's the thang, y'all. I know, it's never any of my business, but I can have an opinion if I'm tactful, right? Turns out that I'm clearly hugely influenced by trend...(I knew that really, I just rail against my own lack of imagination) and I'm off on a floral thing myself. This is actually a card destined for the Midsummer Madness Card Marathon, so don't tell..just understand about the flower thing, right.

And I'm going to do something else today. Stretch the limbs, look at other people's imagination in play. Already dropped Mr D at work and possession of the car calls for a bit of out and about. Miss Dunnit doesn't know it, but she's coming with me - so I need to go and awaken her. She'll be charm and love personified, don't worry. A morning at a craft fair with her Mummy - what could be better. Lunch Lady Jan starts her craft fair season today, so I think it only reasonable that I go and snaffle stuff before anyone else! It's in Pewsey until 1.30 at the Bouverie Hall, by the way, just in case you're at a loose end for mileage!

Oh and - if you're in the mileage mode, drop in at Tidworth too - Shopkeeper Gal is at Kraft Crazy, Station Road all day. At your service of course, see if you can resist her charm.

Now, buckle down and concentrate..

Here is Miss Dunnit, very very carefully snip snip snipping at the fringe of the red wig she intends to wear to an anime convention at the end of the month. She did a great job, and despite the odd shape of the finished fringe, it is exactly as the character wears it.

I'm working mojo free at the moment. Carrying on anyway because I have to and need to get these particular things done - doesn't it drive you mad when you have so many other things you'd rather be doing! But, I've taken Miss D's example and am trying to snip snip snip away at my list. It is diminishing, but good grief, it's a slow process. Is it because I've got time that I find myself working so slowly, or is it really my mojo-less-ness that's causing it? I dunno, but you'd think in the best part of a whole day I could manage more than 2 cards. Admittedly, I have to make sure they include some decent content and technique, and I've re-done both in square and other formats to see which I prefer, and I've taken into account the time they'll take for others to make and changed bits here and there, but ow....2 cards? And one of them is still undergoing 'drying time' because I used wet glue. Blah.

Here's a paper pieced bowl of fruit that is on a card for next week's workshop...not great snip snip snipping, but at least this is ready on time! Don't you just love the sketchy impressions from Artemio? Shopkeeper gal will hate this. She doesn't like non realistic being made out of realistic. I love it! So. I'm off to rummage through some magazines, always the best way to perk up my mojo....well, second only to a major clear up. But that is so not going to happen...it could be construed as the most massive feat of procrastination and I cannot possibly be accused of that. Today, anyway.

Have a lovely weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 102

Only 2 weeks to go now, WOYWWers...anyone need a cold compress and some help with the PiF thing? Explanation of how it's going to happen HERE. If you wanna take part and can't because you're going to be away - send me your PiF gift and I'll swap it with another on the day..no problem! You can email me from a link in the margin.

So the desk...oh good lord..a tidy basket with clean stuff in and a desk strewn with stuff...two DI shades and the inevitable dotty stems stamp - it must be time for a card making Marathon! I try hard to include this stamp at each one see. I don't expect anyone notices, but it pleases me! A large receipt from Dreams, a bed store. STILL trying to get through to someone to ask for a couple of missing wheels for Miss Dunnit's new bed. Irritatingly, I have to join a call queue and you've guessed it, after each 25 minutes on hold, I have to hang up to get something else done...still trying... The clear bag with a fish and chip shop menu in it and the little notebook comprise my Crop administration - I've been checking dates. So not a hugely inspiring desk today, but I guess as the day progresses it will change. Well, at least I hope it does - and some nice light would be good too!

I forgot to say yesterday - the ABC list of questions - please do copy and answer - it's an intentional round robin.

Meantime, show us what you're up to on your workdesk, whatever your poison - book keeping, crafting, novel writing....no blatant advertising please; the work on your desk does that for you really! Put a photo on your blog, link it here and we'll visit. Easy.

Less than vital statistics

That Deanne at Quirky Boots has this list on her blog today, and in the interests of fun and constantly making everything all about me, I thought I'd take part. Please note though, that some of these answers are real genuine disclosures and require you to be tactful. Others may not be. You decide, I'm busy procrastinating today, so cannot help you further.

Age: 47
B. Bed size: King
C. Chore that you hate: Apart from all of them? Cooker and toilet cleaning, specifically. Gardening.
D. Dogs: None. (yet)
E. Essential start to your day: Kind words and coffee, lots of both, please
F. Favorite color: Yellow
G. Gold or Silver: Diamonds
H. Height: 5'3"
I. Instruments you play: Mr Dunnit's heartstrings
J. Job title: The Help
K. Kids: Miss Dunnit
L. Live: Wiltshire, UK
M. Mother's name: Penny
N. Nicknames: Loads. Unmentionable. Mr Dunnit calls me Darling. I'm OK with that one!

O. Overnight hospital stays: a handful

P. Pet peeve: Don't start me off

Q. Quote from a movie: Dunno

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: Three sisters

T. Time you wake up: averages about 6am.

U. Underwear: I have some

V. Vegetable you hate: Ocra

W. What makes you run late: Other people!

X. X-Rays you've had: right ankle, left collarbone, left forearm, right hip - good grief!

Y. Yummy food that you make: other people's recipes

Z. Zoo Animal: penguins

The new look blog is going to take me some time to get used to - back to 2 columns...an attempt to make the posts look shorter. Fail!

Start the week..

It did start well. Because I'm a woman of no substance at all, I haven't yet quite got around to getting a new take-me-out-of-the-house-and-earn-money-from-another-source type job. Instead probably 3 days a week I dedicate to admin and book-keeping for by beloved Mr D. In a real work environment it would probably take about one morning, but I'm nothing if not thorough! *cough*. Anyway, this current situation (notice how I use a tense to suggest that this is a situation I intend to change.....this sort of delusion is good)....this current situation means that I'm flexible. I know, it's a life skill for sure, but really I'm only talking about being able to choose my hours. So the hoover was looking distinctly unattractive this morning, as was the huge pile of laundry waiting to be ironed. So I made the bed, hustled a load into the washing machine, swept the hard floors (all of about 6 foot square!) and put the dishwasher on. Then I legged it. Went to Salisbury with Lunch Lady Jan for much needed erm, chatting and shopping. Well, actually, score one - I did chat, but I didn't shop. Well I did, but not in the same proportion as LLJ. Well, not all in the same place anyway. We even managed coffee and were still home by lunchtime. And no doubt we've both been uber productive for the rest of the day. It's the second time we've done such a thing. The first time was last Monday morning. Can you sense a pattern emerging? Maybe so - but surely, if it helps to kick start the week and makes me uber productive - it's a good thing. My life is as you know, full of good things and good people. You can think of me as the erm...Monday Fairy. *coughing again* However yours started, I hope it started right!

Ah, there you are....

Lawks, aren't you glad that you aren't a Blogger technician? I know I am - the pressure must have been appalling! Not being able to blog or comment left me with some time to kill. I was so productive. I watched new episodes of Hawaii Five-O (for the scenery, you understand) and I helped Miss Dunnit start to make a hat.

Yeah, you read that right. The Last-minute Queen bought this buckram and stuff and it's been sitting around for oh, six weeks? And she needs the hat for a convention at the month end. So I get involved or it's not going to happen or worse, I'll have to drop everything to help when it's not convenient. Which is nearly always for these hare-brained schemes. Ah well. Long way to go though as you can see!

So what did you do whilst the Blogger world held its collective breath? Something wholesome and fulfilling no doubt.

Have a lovely weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 101

Actually, not my desk, so much as a fraction of worktop and desk.... it's the corner that shows my die cutting area and how the desk joins the worktop. Desk is on big old wheels for ease of access to the stable door, if we need it. That's why my desk looked tidier last week. It was the worktop to the left. With careful scrutiny, you can see my whole system is untidy. But when I'm working, it works for me. And the reason I can't show you my desk is that I have managed to roll out a couple cards for the Midsummer Madness Card Marathon and they need to be secret. Oooooeeeer that makes me feel so important! This is afternooon sun...photo taken on Tuesday...the back of the house is in its own shadow until after lunch. But believe me, working at my desk with the top half of the door open doubles as sunbathing. Glorious spot. How lucky am I.

We're only (insert panic stricken voice) 3 weeks from week 104 and that's our second anniversary! (OK, I've stopped screeching). I must remind you please that the idea for the celebratory PiF (detailed HERE) is to have your gift ready to post...so that momentum is not lost and disappointment is not at home. I thank you.

Come on then, take five and show us your desk..we wanna see what you're working on and what you've got. Load a photo onto your blog, link and comment here. We'll visit. At some stage. There's a WOYWW button in the margin if you'd like to add one to your blog, just copy and paste the html code as a widget. Annie LaLa made thebutton for us, yonks ago. Ain't she great.

What I did at the Crop by Julia Dunnit

Well actually.....after bagging me spot and making coffee for the first few, it's fair to say that I didn't do a lot! Although I remember always having something in front of me to do...I must have been horribly distracted. I was. I remember. Firstly by what everyone else was doing, then by what everyone else had brought to do and then by lunch. Then by a really nice class that Laura taught us, followed by cheesecake for tea, made by Mary Anne. Her frustrated culinary sciences were worth it, honestly. Yum.

After that, I decided to make a quick LO.And then it was time to go home. A productive day? Not really, but still one of the best. Especially the group discussions about the idea for a Crop recipe book. I'm going to save you the detail, the noise and all the opinions until I can compose something readable. It was intense. And if I wasn't so keen to get recipes for some of the pot luck dishes that we've enjoyed at the crop, I would drop the idea. But this time, me and that old dog tenacity are on side. For a while.

Here's a post PS: Mr Dunnit has just been in - I've been doing Invoices see, and I like him to check my sums. I warned him that I'm showing this LO - he already knows that I've previously blogged the whole sordid story. His comment, dry as ever:

'oh I see, you want the WORLD to hear about this before you can put it behind you where it belongs'

I simply state again, that if I die prematurely and therefore tragically, my scrap book efforts will record my life, thus giving my daughter a valuable insight into how to correctly achieve diamonds and romance. Because she will have a LO showing every how-not-to. He's still laughing. I assume that's because he thinks he's a romantic. Hmm, may have to make a romantic-O-meter at the next crop.

Repentance and Remedies

Blind 'em with a pretty card and they won't notice you having to grovel. That's a plan!

Now look every WOYWWer, I made a mistake with the date of week 104, the second anniversary. For some of us, this has made things better, for others, as it's always been week 104, the date was never important.

BUT

picture this: you've made a lovely gift to PiF to mark your amazing contribution to WOYWW over the last two years. Then the brainless host announces that the day of the PiF is during the week that you're away..on business, on holiday, on retreat, at Her Majesty's pleasure, who knows. The point is, she's messed it up and you've made a lovely 'thing' for nothing.

BUT

Not so, mes amis. If you wanna do the PiF but can't be around to post your link and join in on the day - consider sending your PiF to me to pass on to another absentee WOYWWer. I already have a couple...I will be able to put them in the post on the day...I'm not going away for ages yet.

BUT

actually, there is no other 'but -' I just like continuity.

You can email me from a link in the left side bar of this very blog if this sounds like a solution. You know I'm all about keeping it uncomplicated, but really, you can leave it to me to make it so. Please let me know if this solves a dilemma. Or not!!

Thanks again to Shaz in Oz and lately to Wipso for effectively policing my diary skills. I really do need to get out to work so the days don't blend so seamlessly!

Ludgershall Crop tomorrow, so must now dash to do superficial housework before more grovelling, this time on the floor in front of my paper shelves!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 100 !!

Well, I'm pretty blown away by your staying power, frankly. 100 weeks of this! I hope that by the second anniversary on Week 104 that you'll have made your mind up about whether it's a keeper! There's a celebration sort of round robin PiF going on for week 104, please read about it here.

In the broad daylight of Tuesday afternoon, I took a photo of my die cutting area (the one I use, not where my Cricut lies in state). It's at the left of my desk..you can just see the elbow of my lamp which is actually poised to light my desk on demand. I do actually get off my chair to use this little area, and unless I'm very intensely involved, I keep it relatively clear. I know, you're in shock. The tins at back hold the embossing folders and my collection of nesties and other flat dies are on magnetic sheets stuck to A4 chipboard and 'filed' in the magazine holder file thingy. It's a bit Heath_Robinson, but it works well for me.

So when I took this picture, it was because my desk is covered in the PiF that I'm making for week 104. And I assumed that it would still be covered this morning. But it's not. I had to pack it up and put it out of sight. Angst, see. Mojo desertion. Fear. Terror, actually....what was I thinking, suggesting making something to send to someone. Aaagh. Share your angst do, it really is time I heard that I'm not alone, please.

And of course, share your work space with us - upload a pic of your desk so that we can see what you've got, what you're doing....it's a huge inspiration, believe me. And you may well make a friend or two. Not everyone can visit everyone...we're realistic. Rejoice in your visitors, be they one or one hundred..this is all about the shared experience after all. Oh yeah, and May the 4th be with you.

Long live the feeling....

That wedding was just wonderful; we had a celebratory supper with friends that evening (and watched it all again!) and drank a toast or two. Not least to being British..my word, there are moments in your life when you wish you didn't have to be huh - usually prompted by some media frenzy or another.....and then - enter the Royal Family, who have the sense to surround themselves with people who know how to organise a show. Good Lord, it was perfect. You cannot help but be left with a feeling of goodwill.I don't want to take the tiny amount of bunting down just now; it means the weekend is over and I don't want it to be...so despite Mr Dunnit having gone to work and Miss Dunnit hinting at getting up in time to actually do some revision...I'm still tootling about in holiday mode. Ignoring washing, ironing and shopping lists. It works, try it!