Saved by the (telephone) Bell

I gathered from a few comments yesterday that the state of my desk was rather alarming - causing shortness of breath, palpitations and itchy teeth in some quarters.  And there was a hint of challenge in some of the comments about seeing the 'after' photos....well, brace yourselves!



Y'all have Chrissie to thank for this.  I made a long overdue phone call and whilst we chatted, I sorted.  And then, whilst we chatted a little more I cleaned the stamps.  And put them away.  Chrissie is an interesting person and we had some catching up to do.  And after we said our goodbyes, because I still had time, I started a card.  And that is the story of Wednesday, after the WOYWW event.  Standby for slightly more interesting posts.  If I say so myself.  But at least you won't have to catch your breath when you visit.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 169

Well, I offer two shots of the same shame,it may look better or worse from the other perspective...you decide.  I'm not too busy to care, but I'm too busy to care, know what I mean?  No?  well....I need room but I don't want to stop...you get that, for sure.  I do have to stop later today though, so will promise to stop one hour before I have to and do some tidying.  Good for the soul.  Even better for the mojo!

Oh my life.  ipad is missing, being charged.  If you saw yesterday's post, you'll recognise some of the ingredients.   The A and P are still awaiting attention.  Ridiculous, but will probably now feature as gift tags on her Christmas present....it's certainly too too late to offer them as a belated birthday gift of some sort!  But, AP is my sweet Mama, so I know she won't mind!
Share your shame then...or your pride.  Let's see what you're working on and where you're having to work..desk, floor, tray, office.....reveal, I beg you!
Please put WOYWW in your post title and link here.  Cool.  See you sometime between now and next Tuesday evening!

Back to Basics

Blimey, if you could see my desk.....
Well, you will tomorrow of course, but by then it will be marginally better, because the stuff on top of the stuff that's spread out over the stuff will have been removed.  I hope. See, the weather made me stay in yesterday which was supremely helpful in terms of workshop preparation.  Me and that Shopkeeper Gal decided that in her new location, there might be a few people who'd like to start a paper crafting habit, and so we cooked up a couple of 'Introductory' workshops.  After all, far better to spend on a two hour workshop than buy all the gear, get home, get in a muddle and hate it.  

Resist colouring

Straight forward, heat emboss and 2nd generation stamping

Originally we were going to make cards.  But for newbies, learning the technique and then turning out a card is a pressure, so I thought about maybe trying stuff on tags.  Then I discovered that there are non-newbies booked into the workshop too.  So....I've split the  difference.  
 This large postcard edge die cut means that we are making sort of index cards covering basic stamping techniques using the two most popular inks...pigments and dyes.  It means that they can be used as mats for mounting on card fronts, or punched and stored on a book ring as reference cards.  Each card has the technique instructions on the back, so it will make a handy reference guide.  I think.

 gloss card......use the right ink for crisp DRY images!

See, none of it is rocket science, but thinking back fifteen years, when I came home from the USA with a bag full of stamps and embossing powders and no-one else to ask...it took me a while to work out the different ink properties. The inks range alone has increased exponentially since then, so a gentle, non-overload introduction might be a big help.

And there's the other joy of Workshops...sitting at a table getting to know people.  You can tell a lot from a person about they stamp, respond to sharing supplies, take an instruction...oh yeah, it's a fascinating, good life.







And the good old stamp outline, emboss and colour in...layer up with other images...

That was the week that was...

My word, has it finished?  Can I look back and sigh a bit now?  I've been to three major south coast cities this week, driven the company van down lanes so un-used that the grass grows through the tarmac and started a major domestic clearing out programme.  Crafty, no.  Useful and time consuming.  Yes.  And it's all good; the trips were in the company of one or other of my darlings, I like driving the van and the cupboard under the stairs is starting to resemble a useful storage place again.  So now, NOW, I can blog about my crafty week.  Erm........no really, I've made two cards and this:

Painted with 'Putty' dulux emulsion, Marianne flower dies and assorted  other stuff...

It's instead of a card, for a lovely friend...she's having a big birthday tomorrow.  I bought the Kraft letter on Wednesday when LLJ and I popped into Winchester. Always time for a browse and a coffee in the week, huh!  Of course we went to see Janet and I felt the need to buy stuff.  (The ribbon with crowns on, too).  So, in the best tradition of large padded cards (remember those?), this J, at about 8" tall, is bigger than the present.  Great diversionary tactic, huh! 
Two cards and a bit of sticking isn't a lot, given my facing some scarey workshops and the card marathon that I seem to be involved in, so excuse me do; I'm off to tidy up before spending a wet and dull bank holiday weekend at my desk.  That's the plan.  As the sun is shining out there presently, wish me luck.  And have a great weekend.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 168

Oh my life, the gloom of Tuesday's dusk photo may mean that you can't really see what I've been doing...and that's no bad thing.  Remind yourself, gentle WOYWWer, that however fast the days turn, we are still in August. And if you can, if your brain will let you - sum up the ingredients before me.  Kraft, white, red and gracious Mrs Dunnit, is that a SNOWFLAKE die cut?  Why yes it is, and thanks for not panicking.  I've succumbed...there's too much to do so when the idea hits, you've gotta do it, right?  Empty ipad chair - Miss Dunnit is looking up a recipe for supper time and the rest, I think is repetitive and obvious.  Although if you're a bit squeamish about such things, you won't like the fact that the inked and abandoned stamp will still be like that until I get back to the old desk sometime later today.  I have window shopping to do today, (and so does Lunch Lady Jan!) followed by a delivery in the newly signwritten white van...no, not 'altered', but certainly very public!  See you later!

Please join us - show us what and where you're being creative - you're a great inspiration - ideas, supplies, lifestyle, recipes, photography - this WOYWW has it all!  
Upload a pic to your blog, put WOYWW in the title and link here.  Turning off Word verification is massively helpful if you can bring yourself to.  

Just call me Mrs Flexible...

The border die and butterfly are Marianne and the rose is made by Joy.

Here's one of the cards I made for the Demonstration on Saturday.  It's absolutely, totally not my style.  But I'm a flexible professional demonstrator (really, I slay myself!) and making nice things to show to nice people is pretty much what it's about.  Thing is, I say this isn't my style.  I say this quite a lot.  And actually, I no longer know what my style is.  I fear that my style is just following the ideas.  Never did me any harm, but not overtly original, huh.  Anyway, this revelation - indeed, epiphany, means that I am now going to go about being proud of how flexible and accommodating my style actually is. You want die cut samples?  Lend me your die collection and I'm your gal.  You want mini books?  I can do that.  You want rubber stamping? Oh yeah, I'm your gal.  You wanna trip me up and ask for grunge, altered or steampunk?  Erm....try me.....I might very well turn out to have a style somewhere down that road.  It's my road less travelled, is all.  See my jaunty flexibility?  Please do not confuse this with anything non craft related.  And for your own mental health, do not even think about me being bendy.  There is a difference.  Ah... my life - it starts and ends with rubber....

Exciting times

So the Shopkeepr Gal and Mrs Perfection have laboured long and hard this week.  Closed the store last Friday and will re-open in the new premises on Saturday.  Apart from co-ordinating the installation of new table legs, I've been no help at all.  In fact, whilst I was there being the supervisor, I took this picture...sneakily...

Don't say I shouldn't have been facing the window and door because of the light.  I had my back to a window and door too...it's a push-me-pull-you shop with two entrances which will be especially useful in cases of rain and evening workshops...car park proximity is great, and that's if you can't park in the street outside the shop.  And of course, the light is lovely. I must say it looks fab.  And made me want to shop.  I couldn't.  The girls were busy unpacking and besides, Mr Dunnit was there 'doing' the table legs.
So if you're in Amesbury or fancy a wee trip tomorrow, the Kraft Crazy opens in new premises at 9am and there may very well be someone you know pretending to do a demonstration.  Good luck Tracey, Shopkeeper Gal..may the footfall be heavy and the natives friendly!  

Go to the mini roundabout in Amesbury, take the high street turning (ie put the bus station on your left) and continue to the T junction.  Turn right.  The shop is about 3 doors down from the traffic lights.  There is a public car park staggered opposite the Library...park. Put your back tot he car park entrance and walk through towards the surgery...you'll see Kraft Crazy as you get to the buildings.  The mini roundabout and car park are both singular features on the main road through Amesbury, so not difficult, promise!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 167

Actually, the photo seems to make it look tidier than I feel it is.  How odd, that is not usually the case at all....a photo usually at the very least reveals ONE thing to be ashamed of!

Mostly I'm still fiddling about with the Shopkeeper Gal's die collection, making bits and 'practising' for the demo day on Saturday.  The two Art Blanche gift bags still in packets are there to remind me that they need to see some sort of crafty action too. They are actually probably hiding the really bad untidiness - my sponges and ink pads are strewn about under there.  So to make up for not quite bearing all, here's a card I made yesterday.

  To reassure Shopkeeper Gal, I hope!  

Now, if you aren't planning to come to the WOYWW Crop, please join in today's WOYWW as usual..put WOYWW in your post title, upload a photo to your blog and link it here.  Don't bother linking a non WOYWW post - it'll be removed.  And that's why the link list numbers change now and then people - if I have to remove a blog for whatever reason, it bumps the numbers..clever stuff huh!  

WOYWW CROP 13th October in Ludgershall

Although we appreciate that flexibility is everything to us busy people, this is the point at which we really need to hear from those of you who can commit.  Obviously, plans change and things go wrong at the last minute,  but we need to start to firm up numbers.  It's not about deposits or anything, it's a pay on the day thing...we need to know for catering purposes and and chair numbers!  

What I did at the Crop by Julia Dunnit

My sister, enjoying something at her Wedding to Rob.....

 Mostly, what I did was talk, of course...laughter type talk mostly, and achieve an update of my vocabulary of the vernacular and smutty thanks to Laura and Kelly...my word, they know so much!  Second in the list of what I did - eat.  Pot luck lunches are fab.  And the puddings that people come over with are to be sampled to be believed.  It's wonderful.  So really, in between these 2 major activities, I managed a bit of scrapbook craft.  If you look at these LOs and it occurs to you that my *ahem* 'style' is getting clean and simple, let me assure you - it's isn't.  But it is a speedy way to make it look as though I've actually achieved something during the day!  

Bad light means poor LO photgraphy....a dear friend *thinking* he looks cool....

Morti is indeed her of WOYWW fame, I'm slowly doing a LO of all my cropping friends..and the irony of this picture is that she's holding a LO that she's made featuring me and Lunch Lady Jan...it's a bit like that photograph of me photographing you looking in the mirror thing.  Isn't it?  Oh, just me then. More badly lit, rubbish photography...

Now, does this bode well for the rest of the week......am I finally going to get something done?
For local interested parties, take note that Shopkeepr Gal has closed her Tidworth premises and is, as I type, unloading and setting out in the new Amesbury shop, open day and new workshop schedule on Saturday next, 18th.

It's not that I have nothing to say...

Perish the thought,  As always, I've plenty to say.  But not all of it is vaguely relevant to the the two things that I have as a 'strap line' for this blog. But I do wonder how on earth this week has eased itself into Friday without me so much as adding a word since Wednesday.  My word, (so to speak), I hope you enjoyed the rest - I am gong to be making up for it!

If you have shown one of these sets of inks on your desk in the last 2 months, my acquisition of them is entirely a matter for your conscience.  You made me.

Tomorrow is Crop day. Open to all, pot luck lunch, hall costs split between us.  Democracy has never been so crafty.  Normally, at this point before a crop, I'm whining to you about getting ready and packing and needing daylight for paper and photo matching and blah blah blah.  Well, no new leaves promised, but look, I'm ready.  Apart from the food, which of course is best prepared in the morning. I'm ready because I got in a panic and got out of bed at a ridiculous time this morning to do things that needed doing before I got my own stuff ready.  That is, everyday the priorities are everything else.  I sit at my desk to erm, create, when I've finished chores, proper work and whatevers.  So it's no wonder that I have so little time to get ready for crop.  That and it's such agony that I can easily put it off.  I was explaining this dilemma to Mr Dunnit at lunch time, over business letters and assorted dull agenda items.  His overview was valuable.  His logic was a bit embarrassing, because it was obvious really.  He suggested I get ready for Crop first, and do everything else afterwards.  Well you see, that's alright for him to say.  He doesn't wear guilt like a cloak. Oh and I do, I do I do.  Guilt over not doing enough before I do my own thing. The very phrase 'Me time' is a guilt trigger.  Which considering that I'm going to be out of the house enjoying a Crop all day tomorrow is rather a strange thing.  I feel no guilt over that.  It's sort of because I'm at home and not being a wholesome mother  and housewife.  Remove me from the house to do such lovely things and I'm OK.  Which is why I can shop without toooo much guilt, as you see above.  I must ask Martha Stewart if guilt ever features in her life.  No...no, I mean hormonal, woman guilt, not legal-go-to-jail sort of guilt.  We know about that.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 166

Well, I've made a start! and now I have to stop and tidy up before I can continue because I want to work on a 12 inch page and there just isn't room.  Surprise! You can see that I've got a couple of letters to post, (Paula and Shoshi) and some stamps to clean. No worries, the stamps will wait! I've been making a few samples for Shopkeeper Gal which meant borrowing some of her very extensive die collection. (Sound jealous? Yep!) So..there really is stuff under the stuff.  The iPad deck chair has been re-employed whilst glitter glue is drying. I took the photo with the iPad and now notice the camera - switched on, in what can only be described as a 'discarded' position.  Huh? Don't remember doing that!

Wow, getting this photo to load has been erm, difficult.  Mr Linky wasn't in the wrong....it was there but not showing....how does that happen! Still, all's well that ends well.

Show us your stuff then, be proud if it's tidy and don't apologise if it's not!  We just like to visit and have a rummage. Put WOYWW in your post title, make The post WOYWW relevant....linking here to get visitors for a post about something else doesn't work out.

GoIng Public...shameless self promotion..

Scrap Lady Ally and I have scared ourselves silly, set a date and organised this year's Christmas Card making Marathon day.  You can read about it at the 2Scrap Ladies blog if you are within visiting distance and are so inclined.  It seems early.  My excuse is the Olympics.  I'm using the word Marathon in preference to the word Christmas when I consider what I'm doing. Sounds less like I've fast forwarded the year then.  A bit.

Outdoorsy types

Mr Dunnit and his brother were given Segway Safaris for their birthdays in January. It was scheduled for last weekend, and his brother couldnt make it.  So I went.  See our lovely roundy heads and even stranger shapes?  Body armour, dontcha know. You need this for outdoors fun apparently. 

The sun shone on the righteous.  And the nervous.  While we waited for our safety briefing - something you have to go through before you can have fun in the outdoors, apparently - the thunder roared, the lightning bolted and the rain came down in torrents.  And elsewhere.  In charge chappie said he'd call it off if it didn't 'improve'.  My thoughts at this point were all based on armchairs, cups of tea and the difficulty of having fun outdoors. It's a lot of work.

First you have to get your balance, get over your normal driving and steering skill and work your way around cones and mini obstacles.  You drive with your feet and body, see. The handle is pretty well for holding onto because you need something to do with your hands - although you move it left and right for turning, that's it for the handle. To get it to go forward, you lean forward - sort of put your hips over your toes, and to break, you lean back on your heels.  It's not counter intuitive, but if you drive, it feels very strange.  After you've done the obstacle course a couple of times, you can move onto the 'safari' course...hills and bumpy straights, hills, corners...you  get it.  This is where the slightest incline starts to look horribly like a ridiculously vertical mountain.  Gather your guts, lean forward and don't lose momentum....stopping on the 'up' side isn't wrong, but getting going again takes an alarming amount of leaning and effort.  And besides, if you can get to the top of the hill with a decent amount of speed, the downward journey is an alarming sort of fun.  Feels like maximum velocity, upright, with absolutely no control.  Apparently I made a swear word last from the top to the bottom of the hill.  In a shrieky girly voice.  Sorry about that.  It was my first hill.  Afterwards I was much more contained...if I had to shriek, it was just a WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO.  

Proof that I did it..in less than flattering kit.  In public. 

So these outdoorsy types might be on to something.  I enjoyed it.  Very much.  But if I'm to be turned outdoorsy, I need to have adequate, dry kit, total sunshine and guaranteed fun. So no, you won't be seeing me out for a jog anytime.  But a short Segway roll...now that would be fun!
Have a great weekend.

WOYWW? 165 (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday)

OK, well, before we go too far, let me wish Lunch Lady Jan a really happy Birthday - how good of her to put it on a Wednesday so we can all have a piece of cake with our cups -of-something whilst browsing the desks!  Happy day chum, and see you later!

Now, my desk.  It continues to be a mere work station rather than a crafting paradise.  This time you can blame the Olympics.  You can see wrapping paper...well, there's a clue for Jan!  And my October calendar...I was trying to organise a hall booking and realised that I needed to 'see' what I was doing so as not to double up; I can do that so easily.  Turns out I needn't have bothered, we can't have the hall till November! There's my mended spongeboard square sponge thingy and a box of pink ball headed pins.  Yep.  Pins.  4" (10cm) long and proportionally correct pink pearly head.  I went to a gift shop in Pewsey called China Rose.  Some of their jewellery was displayed on pin boards using these pins.  I HAD to have some.  They are perfect for putting on presents...big bows, big pin..you know. Like big feet, big hands.... And besides....they're lovely.  You may just be able to make out the green photo envelope too.  We had visitors over the weekend, Miss Dunnit's Godparents.  She came bearing pictures of her son's Prom night.  What a handsome devil I said, what lovely pics I said.  Keep them she said....I'd like you to make me a mini album!  Didn't get a chance to play the mug that never says no!!  Funny.  So that's me.  A couple deadlines to meet and I'm all caught up after illnesses, holidays and the like.  It's only taken 10 days.  Lordy, how grown up I've been about it all.  Time to get back to colouring cutting and sticking!
Show us how your work surface looks this week then - post a pic on your blog, include WOYWW in the title of your post and link here. Easy.  If you can bring yourself to, turn off the word verification...you'll get more comments!