.Keeping calm...

It 's a gift; thanks so much Luckett....all I know is it that it came from the internet!

Whatever you do this weekend, please keep your head.  If you live in the UK, you'll know what I mean.  Petrol.  Ouch.  Well, I need some but am lucky enough to not be so reliant that I'm prepared to queue. What with that and the threat of Spring turning back to something resembling a white Easter week, I'm going to hunker down and do stuff.  Yea verily, it will include crafting.  It will certainly include preparations for Ludgershall Crop next weekend - y'all just know how hateful that is if I leave it till the last minute! You'll ending up clocking in to read another whiney post about how unlucky I am to have to sit on the floor and sort through an accumulation of ten years worth of stash.  This potential enforced 'at home' time will  include reluctant window cleaning.  Oh my, this beautiful spring herald of a low sun really shows up your winter sluttiness.  OK, MY winter sluttiness.  And there's a freezer to defrost too.  I think it's probably time to discard the winter's escaped peas and consider all the fresh bounty that I hope we'll be the beneficiaries of when Grandpa's garden starts to fruit.  (And veg, so to speak).  I've got things to do at my desk, and....and...I'm in the mood to tidy it. Standby. Be prepared.  Keep calm.
Have a great weekend.

Whats On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 147

See, you turn your back for a teeny tiny week; I get the old act together a bit and this happens to my desk.  This photo taken Tuesday morning.  And apart form completion of the card, it's utterly the same. Shameful? Probably.  Interesting? Possibly.  I know a lot of you will be tempted to explain the puddle of buttons can be avoided if I would just colour seperate them into little jars. But I can't.  Can you see the P?  It's gessoed.  And dry.  In the tray of little glitters upon which it reclines, there's an A, too.  They are my sweet mother's initials and the nick-name that I use to address her.  They are a late birthday gift.  I know they are going to be late because her birthday was yesterday.  But other, more reliable gifts were involved, honest!

Show us your desk then - upload to your blog, keep your post brief if you possibly can, put WOYWW in the title and link here. We'll visit.  The term 'desk' is used in the loosest of meanings..you'll see as you meander through the list.  If you're wondering about the availability of the WOYWW badge, just email me your address - juliadunnit@me.com, and after I've applied some stringent criteria to your application, I'll post one to you. One other thing....I'm not going to make it around every desk this week,  already now this because I'm not here. I'm elsewhere!

Gettin' on...

I thought I had all day to finish stuff, get some Tuesday chores done and generally be sorted.  Turns out Mr D wants help this afternoon in his workshop.  And as you can imagine, this has caused some dashing about and real 'doing' to be done then.  Yep.  On top of which, I have to make time to 'get ready' to go out this evening...it doesn't just happen by magic at my age you know!  ESPECIALLY if he's going to give me dusty packing and protecting for transport type work to do! 


A couple of people asked about this card -stamps are from a set by Stampin' Up! and I stamped it onto good gloss card stock, using second generation of the purple ink to get the offset image....and used a stamp positioning tool to do that, and get the word in the right place.  Occasionally, I think these things through! 




I don't think there's much mystery about the bulldog card..except that fab tag is actually by a clothing company called Mantaray. I wonder how many of their workers see the potential in their product tags!  I must stress that I didn't buy the item of clothing because of the tag.  But it helped. 
I'm off then.  Wonder if there's any chance of working outside lying on the grass under this amazing sunshine?

Coming live...

So I'm in the Apple store in Basingstoke...live as it were. And wearing a WOYWW badge! But the point is I'm here because I've had a whine about not being able to use the keyboard on the iPad when commenting, and about Blogpress saying it won't publish my photos from the 'Media Library'. So the young (and I mean young) man has suggested I take a seat int he personal set up area and try posting from here. So for the next hour or so, if you see a defeated looking fat woman walking around Basingstoke with her gorgeous looking, newly coiffed red headed Daughter, you'll know the geeks have got the better of me.  I already think all the problems I've had an embarrassed but gentle whine about are created by a weaker wi-fi signal at home than there must be in the shop. The signal is almost palpable.  Oh wait, that might be the heady mix of blue t shirted youngsters and technology I don't understand.  What's palpable? My fear. 

Call it a 'Doing Day'

When I woke up yesterday, my mind was full of Friday and what I wanted to do.  It's definitely something to do with the lighter mornings, getting up isn't such a chore in the light, and in yesterday's sunlight it was really quite lovely.  I noticed that even the spray of water from the shower that soaked the bathroom floor by mistake was all sparkly and lovely.  Poetic, non? So before I even got as far as fully dressed and breakfasting, I had coloured my hair (if you think I leave my desk for too long before dealing with it...), unintentionally washed the floor in the bathroom and sorted out another load of laundry. After I cleaned up in the kitchen (can't do anything else till that's done...a teeny OCD that could do with a bit of growth), I resolved to catch up at my desk.  Which meant ignoring anything else.  I think when you get to the stage of just needing to do it, it's easier to get tunnel vision, and get on I did.  Another batch of badges ready to go, overdue and upcoming cards made - a lovely chance to play with some new stuff, so well worth it.  Lunch with my man, in the sun on deckchairs under my workroom window.  Dangerous to go any fruther onto the garden.  The sunshine was making the need to cut the grass and tidy up a bit more than a post-winter requirement. So when Mr D went back to work, Miss D came home from college.  I gave her enough time to eat and then bribed her into the garden to help.  It was lovely. I broke 2 panes of glass getting the lawnmower out of the shed.  Fortunately unwanted, previously used....another of Mr D's 'I'll put that away sometime' things.  Well, they're away now.  In a box.  Luckily it was toughened glass so it broke like a windscreen.  Scared the beegees out of us though!  We gave up when it got chilly.  Brought in the washing and Mr D rang to say he'd be late.  I slammed a chicken in to roast.  And she and I stayed in each others company - I at my desk and she at this very computer, listening to comedy on iplayer and looking forward to supper.  It was almost a perfect day.  I say almost because of course, now there's a huge pile of ironing to do, and my desk looks as if I used every ink pad stamp and piece of paper in my collection.  But I don't mind.  Totally worth it.  And now, please excuse me, I'm so exhausted that I have to go and lie in a darkened room and contemplate the things I didn't get around to.  And there were a few....million.

what's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 146

Well it's relatively tidy, it shows some new goodies that just arrived from Jennie at The Artistic Stamper (24 hours after I ordered 'em, how cool is that!).  The bubble wrap at left is becasue I just finished a small session of packing up some more badges to send. 
 (If you want a WOYWW pin/badge, please ask me. Email at left.) 
The clear drawers Kezzy, do indeed contain a few leftover die cut flower curls, but mostly foam pads and a handful of large buttons that I'm apparently never going to use.  I should have been finishing samples to take over to Shopkeeper Gal..but catching up seemed more important...genuinely 'clearing the desk'.  And now, a couple of hours later, it looks like a desk with some creativity going on, because I'm in a panic over not finishing the samples!
We'd love to see what's on your workdesk today.  Upload a pic to your blog....please keep your post relatively brief and then come back here and link - we can visit more desks that way, believe me, not everyone reads your post...gawping at the picture is too irresistible!  Oh,  and please put WOYWW in your post title.  
If you visit a desk, leave a comment and you'll get a reciprocal visit.  With the list standing at nearly 200 desks, not everyone can visit everyone.  I did last week - took me till yesterday;  I can't do it each week but I do try! 
Last thing - as you comment, leave your Link list number, it helps hugely.  AND...yes, your number may change, but only by a couple digits at most, at least finding your link is easier if there's a head start on where to look!


I know I've asked you to keep it brief and I'm doing the opposite, but you may also want to know that I'm the only one that can remove or alter links, so if you encounter a problem, email me and I'll try to sort it...be patient though, I'm not home all day on Wednesdays!  

Warning - Grumpy!

Completely unrelated...but better than a picture-less post!

So I take a phone call from a Company who claim to have helped us arrange our mortgage with Santander. If they did, I say, it was a while ago, because we've since changed our lender, oooh, say 4 years ago.  Well, she got a bit stroppy about my vague disbelief. See, I can't imagine that we'd have used a broker once when every other time we've managed it on our own.  Being as we're both big ugly grown ups and all.  But hey, I don't want her to be stroppy, it's no biggie. So I move it on a bit and ask why she's calling.  And she launches into an attack on how we haven't used their services since and on that basis she's ringing to give me the chance to either stay on their customer list or be removed.  Well, not a little taken aback by the erm, haranguing, I express more disbelief.  You are, I say (to be clear) asking me if I want you to contact me anymore.  Yes.  (She said, and not a word more!) So I said that having been given the choice, my answer is no, thank you. She explained of course, that it would be my loss; they have pensions and mortgages and loans and advice for everyone.  I explained that she had empowered me and that I'd made my decision.  (Honestly, it was all frightfully serious). That was about a week ago.  In today's post is a letter from them.  It says that they understand that I've chosen not to be contacted by them and they respect my decision, but would I please just telephone to confirm....and oh boy, they give me a dedicated phone number.  Premium rate of course. So I did what any self respecting grumpy would do.  I wrote across it in red felt tip (Copic, actually). Letters about 1" high.  I wrote of my incredulity at the way they've alienated me by wasting my time, their resources and my resources.  And I don't mind the second class stamp it will cost. And so fired up was I, that I also wrote an overdue note to the Secretary at Exmouth Rugby Club about his rude note threatening to clamp my car because I'd parked there.  When I was a guest of someone who had hired the place for the day.  My letter gives the benefit of my advice regarding veiled threats.  It's only fair. We'd had a good day at that Club, and I suspect that some customers would have been a bit rattled by finding such a note on their cars.  Harumph!!!
Now, given that LLJ and I were discussing advancing years and grumpiness only this morning, does this qualify?  On the bright side - it's the first time I've dragged out my set of Copics for ages!

Oh look, formulaic scrapbooking ... again'

I did these LOs at the crop at the beginning of the month....I did 5 altogether.  I know.  And I wasn't Billy No Mates, I still managed a lot of chat and the laughing that makes you have to blow your nose in polite company! 
So there you have Miss D and her chums making the most of having the pool to themselves. And not a lot else of course, because two weeks after I asked, she hasn't journalled on the page yet.  So not going to happen, don't know why I kid myself!

And here's another it was a story that unfolded in front of me and Mr Dunnit for similar reasons, I journalled; I just know he's not going to get involved!  What strikes you most about this post and its pictures then?  Yep, I WAS on a roll, five layouts in one session is quite remarkable for me.  But look... and then, if you can be bothered, scroll back to the post called 'Spot The New Toy' and look at the pictures.  it's no wonder I can churn out five Layouts, they are in essence, all the same!  Oh Em Gee, I've gone all formulaic.  It's like you don't see the cobweb above our favourite chair till the guests arrive.  Same thing.  Put your LOs out there in a public forum and THEN you notice.  Strange huh.  Oh well.  Could be worse.  I could have done one LO a week for 5 weeks and still have the same formula going.  And I don't blame myself, of course.  It's the influence of you lot out there on the interweb.  Specifically the PageMaps team.  For sure.  It couldn't possibly be my design skills because I don't have any and it's not a lack of stash!  So there.  Tune in after the next crop to see if I've found a cure and actually managed to render something original.  But don't hold your breath!
Have a marvellous weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 145

Sorry about the early lack of Mr Linky....I do not know enough to explain it...nor do I know why Blogger is causing me stress with 'editing' this post....no doubt, this too shall pass!

Well now, since last Wednesday there hasn't been a huge amount going on at my desk.  It's fair to say that I've used it - to write envelopes to send badges in, and to get ready for various things..but no real crafting.  Hmm, this needs to be rectified.  Particularly as it's Mother's Day (OK, Mothering Sunday) this weekend here in dear old Blighty. Luckily, I need to make two cards.
You can see the Union Jack hanging at back - it reads 'Happy, Happy Days' and is just lovely, huh.  The ream of printer paper is just that and NOT where I asked it to be put.  The clear box and side stacked lid is the detritus of a workshop - stuff waiting to be decanted back into drawers and to be cleaned.  Yawn.  There's a roll of sticky labels which I've been writing addresses on.  If you're a WOYWWer and want a badge, email me:
juliadunnit@me.com   There's no charge, but I need your address!  And patience!


A ray of hope and interest lies on my desk.  The green book is what I'm working on in the Altered Book online class that Elizabeth is teaching.  I've actually done the reinforcement and end pages.  I know - I'm almost up to date.  Sadly, with that only.  I feel horridly behind with everything this week. So,  I'm having a 'meet a stranger off the internet' day out today. Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb, huh!

Come on then, join us if you dare.  And frankly, if you've seen mine, why wouldn't you?  Upload a pic of your desk at your blog and then come back here and link us to it.  We'll visit, slowly and not in huge numbers, but between us, we've become all-seeing! Please put WOYWW in your blog post title and try to link to the specific post.  Ta.8no bar handles ref 106.43.601

So where were you?

I was at the seaside!  I went to Exmouth to take part in Japonica Janet's extravaganza day of crafting.  Everything in Exmouth was just fine thanks for asking, and thanks to the gulf stream and it's southerliness (may not be a word), the daffodils are fully out and dancing and the magnolia trees are going to burst open any time..real, good for the soul, great for the winter tired eyes, fabulous for the soul stuff.  It was so warm that we ate lunch outside.  Bliss.  

I promised I'd post pictures of the finished cards made from the finished masterboards - because that's what I was 'helping' everyone to do.  So if you're feeling a little light headed because you thought you've seen something like this before, you have.  But it's my blog, see, so I can keep posting the same stuff if I like.  And if it's generally liked, I should wring  out every last drop of praise huh?  At least I don't bombard you with pictures of me every time I post.  That would become tedious very, very quickly.

The masterboard, cut up and ready for action

The card we made with masterboard as DP.  

Same thing, same stamps, different colour group

Er, card made from same thing, same stamps.....blah blah

A direct message to anyone who asked me to email the directions to them...will be doing so this very day.  If anyone wants to look at Japonica Jan's stuff, then her blog is at 

www.JaponicaJan.blogspot.com , and her Woodware Design Team appointed (no less) friend and colleague is Debbie at www.debfs.blogspot.com.  

It was a fun day.  Where were you then?

Spot the new toy...

 I mentioned that I bought a new die at the craft show in Farnborough a couple of weeks ago, and at last weekend's crop, I decided to give it a trial.
As you can just about see, I love it.  It's the border of skirted figures..very clear on this green LO and very unclear on the beach picture below.  They are in pink, over a border of ice creams, but even I have to squint and I've got the original, so I'm OK with it if you have some doubt!




This is probably the start of a whole new love affair for me.  As my LOs are now feeling formulaic and lookey likey,                                        

and apparently, not straight), I figure it won't hurt to have an oft repeating emblem too.  A couple of snips and these skirted figures can be un-skirted (de-frocked, if you like) and so I feel that I will be using this die quite a lot.  And oh, that leaves me with a sweet taste of righteous justification -  I just knew that if I didn't buy it I'd kick myself.  But I had no idea why.  Ha! Seems I know myself better than I think I do.  


Have a lovely weekend!

Housekeeping..

A handful of questions have been aired over yesterday's WOYWW post.  I shall attempt to answer them here.


1. What's this about a badge? 
A real, pin on the back, wear it on your bag/sleeve/coat/jumper badge is available to regular WOYWWers. You just have to ask: juliadunnit@me.com
2.  Yeah, but posting one abroad is silly.
I am more than happy to post you a badge, local, national or international. Space station would be a erm, blast! The  whole concept of WOYWW and this blog is pretty silly, why should I change it now!
3. What's the badge about?  
 I thought it would be fun to have one to wear when you go craft shopping and to conventions and shows...you might meet someone you've met here already. So it's just an extension of the cyber friendliness really.
4. Why?
Why not? We're nearing the third anniversary and I can't think of anything else that may be useful and fun at the same time.
5. How?
I commissioned the design from Luscious Life Studios. (Doesn't that sound great!).  Then I sent the artwork to a real life badge making factory.  Because buying a badge maker and making that many would have caused me to die tragically early. Of boredom.
6. Why did you change your mind about Word Verification?
I haven't really, I still think it's none of my business if you choose to use it or not.  But over at WOYWW, turns out a lot of bloggers don't know they're using it, and don't like it on other blogs.  So, after many emails asking me too, I've flagged it up as an issue.  
7. How do I know if my blog is using WV?
Log into your blog as if you were a reader, try leaving yourself a comment. Really!
8. OK, so how do I turn it off then, smart-arm?
On Blogger?  Fiona, (Staring at the Sea) found a great site with clear instructions (pictures!) Click on this link : how to turn off word verification
9. Birds Eye View desk photos
take 'em at your own risk gentle WOYWWer.  I have never ever used a stool or soapbox to stand on - to take a photo! My overhead shots are at arms length, on tippy toe, sucking in my stomach with shoulders bent forward to remove my chest from the viewfinder.  With that sort of effort, why would I need a stool.  Honestly, you people worry me.
10. My bag is packed
Yes Princesss Judy, I'm like the BAU team on Criminal Minds...my bag is always ready.  Just  email me the tickets.


So y'all, is that any help?  First wave of badges going to post office today.  Assuming it doesn't rain.  I can't go out in the rain.  Sugar melts in the rain.  Ahem.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 144

The hot news is not about my desk this week.  Although as you can see, it's a bit more orderly. I've taken the shot from the right edge of my desk because the sun was low and bright and a 'full frontal' pic would have been a glare.  I'm making preparations to send out the WOYWW badges, so don' forget to email your post address if you want one.

So this week's burning issue is WORD VERIFICATION.  Oh my.  Since blogger changed to the 'captcha' type of wobbly fonts in bubbles, it's caused no end of difficulties for WOYWWers, several have been moved to email me and ask that if you show your desk, please, turn off the Word Verification.  It is my opinion that Comment Moderation is a more successful way of avoiding unwanted comments/spam, 'specially since Blogger's new Spam filter seems to be a strong one.  But that's my opinion.  It's not a rule of WOYWW, but there's no doubt that the person trying to comment probably won't try more than once.  If you want to turn off WV and can't, please ask for help...loads of us know how.  And there's no such thing as a stupid question is there, it's just something you don't know the answer to.  Here's another opinion - why can't they just spell it 'capture'...now that's the sort of thing that really annoys me.
Come on then, take five and show us your desk..we wanna see what you're working on and what you've got. Link here and leave a comment if you dare. There's a cyber WOYWW button in the top left margin if you'd like to add one to your blog. 

So you like chocolate?

I'm quite well known for using childish phrases that adequately describe certain things.  You may not want to read this over your favourite snack or at lunch time.  You know those lovely thick, dimensional glue dots.  Yeah, Great aren't they.  I call 'em Snots.  'Coz they're so thick and gluey, that if you need to, the only way to get rid of them is to treat them like snot...get it on your finger and roll it around until it's not sticky and then flick it...somewhere.  So what's this to do with chocolate?  Well, Mrs Precision and Shopkeeper Gal were overcome by their curiosity and while I was there last Thursday, they tried the new chocolate flavoured Philadelphia.  Yep.  The famous Philly cream cheese is available in chocolate flavour.  It sparked some discussion, of course.  I think it's going to be another Marmite.  And whilst I love Marmite, I don't like chocolate Philadelphia.  I don't like chocolate cheesecake which is the nearest taste I can attribute to it.  It smells very rich.  It's texture is wonderfully thick..it really is dream-like molten chocolate. And the taste is of erm, chocolate. For a minute.  Then you experience that 'thing' that all the wine connoisseurs talk about. The 'hint of' - the 'after note', a 'top note'.  Of cheese.  It's not right for me.  Puts me very much in mind of another brand of chocolate that's famous in the USA - Hershey. You know that teeny moment when you burp silently in your mouth and you get a taste of well, sick?  That's what it was for me.  Sweet and cheese.  Not for me apparently.  Or Hershey...it reminds me of unsweetened chocolate sprinkled with dried Parmesan cheese.
Why on earth have I written this post? Because if we ever meet, I'll need you to know what I do and don't eat.  Seems entirely reasonable to me.  And I promise not to be too childish about chocolate, cheese or cake.  No guarantees about snot though.

Dredging up the past..... Versamark

Add caption

Shopkeeper Gal said that a handful of people wanted some technique based workshops showing how to use some basic commodities.  Turned out to be not many people, but hey, I have cards to show, so that's a bonus!  These cards were all about proving the Versatility of the Versamark. (Geddit?)  So the first card shows the famous watermark impression that the pad was developed for. You'll have to take my word for it that the text was stamped in Versamark and embossed with the purple powder..!

The Versamark ink pad is a gift for trouble.  It's easy to use a dirty stamp on it...that's it contaminated.  It's easy to forget that you need a permanent and dry ink surface on which to swipe the ink pad if you're going to emboss a big area...and that's it contaminated.  It's very, very easy to use what you think is a clean stamp on it..I swear, it's a disguised stamp cleaner....but these are worth the worry, it's a wonderful, controllable stamping tool.  

I don't have any, but this card is crying out for some of those metal bits that are all over the TH style cards...i will remedy my lacking stash.  One day!  This image is stamped on a distress stain blended background and then embossed all over using the Versamark as the embossing ink.  Simple.  Again, you can't tell....and let me tell you...you need clean clear embossing powder.

Clear embossing powder - well, you dip wet inked card into it...and tap off the excess...that drops micro granules of coloured powder back into it.  You're all about making the most of your stuff, so spillages get swept back into the pot wherever possible...enter loads of spots of paper dust, chads, etc. So you weren't expecting to emboss, so the excess powder has gone all over the scrap you're protecting the desk with..enter more dust and dirty bits.  Before you know it...your clear powder is speckled with dirty bits.  I have two pots in operation.  One is utterly pristine, for all over embossing and for use with pale inks where the specks and so forth would really show up. If I use this, I am disciplined enough to capture excess properly and return only clean powder.  I know, you don't expect this of me.  I have my moments! The other pot full is used for embossing dark colours and black in particular and is just fine for that..and is most regularly used.  

But, if you've got a filthied up but still useable Versamark ink pad, don't discard it... get your chalks out! Because it's a pigment ink, the glycerine makes it slow drying which means it's not just a glue for embossing powder.  I stamped the smaller houses in Versamark and lightly sponged red chalk over them.  The bigger house was embossed with pearly black powder, and the Versamark swiped over it, then chalk sponged heavily onto it....same with the stencilled bit at the left top.  


Was that an ode to the Versamark?  I think it was.  And do you know, I feel like I've been talking about something from the 70's!  Still, it all goes around and comes around in this world doesn't it...I mean, look at the re-discovery of honeycomb paper!


Have a lovely weekend.