What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 291

Well, for heaven's sake, here we are at New Year's Eve.  I know time isn't really going any faster; it's very likely to be me moving more slowly.  I know that the days aren't actually any shorter by any number of minutes or hours, but man, it feels like it.
I had, in the back of my mind, a semi-plan to have a really good clear out in my work room and streamline my operation; hit the ground running and be altogether way ahead of my game. Hasn't happened yet. But it's OK, I've done other things instead. I don't know why the Christmas holiday stifles my creativity, but I think it does. I think it's the lure of food. So, my desk is cleared of the company book-keeping stuff, and waiting for something.  It may well just be the turn of a page, entry into a New Year. Or it may be that overdue clear out. I don't know, but I'm looking forward. I won't be making any retrospective posts. I'm not good at looking back, it makes me too sentimental - and also, proves that my memory is questionable!  So, given my 'It is what it is' sort of attitude, the big pink eraser leaning on my iPad is very suitable.  Part of a Christmas gift from Miss Dunnit's current Squeeze. He's got to know me quite well!  
 
Lunch Lady Jan on the other hand, has me all wrong. I can tell you already that she'll be laughing her head off as she reads this...Seriously, all wrong.

Join in then, this New Year's Eve...show us how your holiday work surface is looking in the face of a New Year. Put WOYWW in your post title and link here. We'll do the rest.

This message comes to you without fuss or drama to wish you and yours a Happy and successful New Year; may 2015 be everything you intend it to be. 

Aspirational and Inspirational

At home with the Dunnits at Christmas. Nothing un-traditional or unusual to report, I'm glad to say. 
The tree was surrounded by presents to and from friends and family.  If it's from us, then it was wrapped by me.  And it will have been fairly hastily wrapped because I'm still reeling from how long it takes and how little time I set aside to actually do it all.  I know, you'd think by now that I'd manage to remember...but somehow, Christmas memories are not really made of all the work that goes into it are they?!  
So you get the general picture...everything is done, albeit a little hastily.  From where you stand, you can't see the loose ends. Imagine then gentle reader, the squirming embarrassment I feel at receiving gifts from friends that are wrapped so as to really reflect the treasures within...just look at these.

This was from Mrs Precision, of course. It contained a 'Merry Berry' scented candle in a jar and really...isn't it amazing!  Now bear in mind that Mrs Precision works full time and has a family and a grandchild to run around after.  I know.  I shall so enjoy pulling this out of storage next year.  And no, I won't be using it to 'wrap' something special; I'm not that giving.  Mrs Precision,  Ladies and Gentlemen...giving workshops in beautiful card making at a craft shop I can recommend.  

Now see what arrived from Debbie....posted, swathed in a tissue filled box . 

Gah, I've just noticed that I haven't re-tied the Deer's bow tie....sorry Debbie, I know it'll be the first thing you notice...but believe me, no-one else will until they read this bit! And the box is a joy, hand made and professional.

Turning wrapping into something more than that which I manage.  Taking the thought of the gift right to the outside and displaying the care.  I love it.  Just as ideas for gift giving they really are inspirational aren't they. And to the likes of me, totally aspirational.  

Season's Greetings

I had nothing profound to say yesterday, so for once, I said nothing.
This morning is a different matter, as we set sail to celebrate another day with family.

Eat your greens, people.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 290

..............................................the Christmas Eve edition!..............................

It is rare gentle Desker, for me to be to feel shame at the state of my desk.  I mean, in 290 weeks I can't honestly say I've ever thought twice about posting a picture of the mess that it habitually houses. 

And today is no different.  Here it is, taken in daylight on Tuesday, and unchanged because I couldn't face it after work...it's book keeping and erm, boring. 

And here is the key...I probably mean excuse.  Fab stamps huh..great reasoning there.   These two beauties were a gift from our Kay and really, couldn't be more appropriate huh. And if Kay calls mine a creative mess, that's good enough for me!
Now I know how busy you'll be, putting fantastic finishing touches to your Christmas preparations.  But really, if you have a few moments to show us how you leave your desk over the holiday, it would be great if you can join in.  I'm looking forward to actually having visiting time!  As always, put WOYWW in your post title, link here and remember....it's not our visit that counts...I hope you've been good!

T is for Tuesday. And Tree. And Tidy.

I got up later this morning. I feel a bit guilty about this as I'm working with Mr D today. So while he donned his safety boots and high vis jacket, I made myself a cup of coffee.  He knows that it's ridiculous to think that I could leave the house without it.  I started to pour it into my 'to Go' cup and he suggested that I just join him later when I'm ready.  So I put my coffee in one of my lovely Christmas mugs and plonked it on the coffee table whilst I said goodbye.

And yep, it was a hug and a kiss goodbye - guilt and love made me do it. I mean...which 'ready' was he referring to? Kitchen tidied and wiped and ready for next time?  House tidied and ready for the holiday? Presents finished and wrapped and ready?  I'm close with all of these things..but not close enough to be ready.  But I rather suspect that applies to an awful lot of us now. And then there's the other guilt - the one that has me relieved to be doing a quick tidy and wipe in the kitchen and going off to work so that I don't have to think about anything else just yet!  So this Christmas week link up with Elizabeth and Bleubeard's T stands for... comes to you courtesy of Mr Dunnit who unwittingly gave me time to realise I had a perfect 'shot' of my coffee, and time to join in! 

TBA.

When Shopkeeper Gal and I were planning my part of this winter's workshop schedule, we just utterly ran out of ideas for the workshop that would be my last of the year.  At the time we weren't sure about the Christmas trends or releases and the thought of doing a card workshop as late as the 11th December seemed ludicrous, I mean, everyone would be finished with cards by then, right?. Ha! So the schedule said 'TBA' in place of a workshop theme/name.  You understand..

Well, the workshop started to loom large and I really didn't want to make any more cards; I didn't want the workshopeers to experience card fatigue!  I decided it would be fun to have some little stocking filler type makes.  And I have to admit that I geared the makes to things I could use myself.

Here is a 6" card, treated like a card and decorated like a card.  And then glued shut. So now it's a gift card holder....with room for  the other gubbins it comes with  - you know, the card bit that holds it and tells you where you can spend it, and the receipt part - you aren't really sure whether you're meant to give it to the recipient or not...all that.  And it has a large die cut bracket as an easel so that it can be treated like a card if desired.  And the best bit (for forgetful women of a certain age - ME) - it's big enough to fit in my handbag , but big enough that I couldn't forget to use it on the shopping trip.  

Of course there's nothing that can't be helped, eased or corrected by the use of chocolate, and so it may very well be against the law not to put some in everyone's stocking.  Marks and Spencer very helpfully have their Hot Chocolate powder drink in sensible sachet shapes - making a quick wrapper couldnt have been easier.

 Mary Anne gave me a calendar last year that I have had next to the PC.  it's probably the most used and oft appreciated gift of the year, so we made a small easel card featuring a tear off calendar. It's only a 4" square card, so net enough to sit without clogging up mouse movement and equally good for pining onto a board without too much effort.  

 And then an idea for gift box.  Found on Pinterest by Shopkeeper Gal and challenged to it on Facebook by a couple of Workshopeers.  You've seen it before - it was on my WOYWW post.  It's out of a sheet of 11 x 81/2 so it's not huge, but will wrap a small gift really nicely.  And if you have a HUGE tree, it would hang nicely with a couple of chocolates in...

So that was the workshop that was To Be Arranged.  Next year, when we get that far into the schedule, I'm going to have it listed as The Christmas Miracle Workshop: she's still able to come up with SOMETHING.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 289

Well gentle Deskers, I'm going to show you. I have to show you because the WOYWW thing starts here.  Judge as you will, but read the excuses first.

8 o'clock Monday morning.  I have a new pair of jeans which are inevitably too long.  And I had NOTHING else to wear. Of course.  

Don't be alarmed, it's all back on form...some bits and pieces waiting to be unpacked after a workshop, some bits and pieces that I play with as I pass - I figure I can get stuff done that way without having to carve out more time...we'll see.  Also Tuesday's post...a beautiful card and also a gift from afar, both awaiting that few moments of inspection and gloating and..well, you know. I know it costs a lot to send these days but believe me, the receiving is such a joy!
Share your calm and controlled work spaces will ya - and then allow time please for visitors!  Put WOYWW in your post title and link here. Easy.

T for Tuesday, Thanks and Thleeplessness

As the date makes makes a less than stately (more a hurtle) progression towards Christmas day, I like to make seasonal adjustments to our really every day stuff. Thanks to a single shopping experience, this year's festive loo roll, handwash, tea and coffee was sorted in one go.  Since the summer, I have acquired a caffeine free lifestyle and got very used to it.  You know - to the point that you wonder if it really was actually so bad.  Well, in my ignorance and rush to be festive, I picked up regular Christmas coffee. And as I was photographing my stock for this post, I realised.....it's probably responsible for the afternoon headaches, the apparent decades it takes me to get to sleep and the incredible not-quite-nightmares I've been having.  Which is probably having an effect on my blood pressure.  And there I was thinking it's because I'm a busy-multi-tasking-getting-it-all-done-type of woman!

Would you like a (teeny) piece of Christmas cake with your coffee this morning?  You can. At my place, thanks to Barbara Cake. Yep, at the shop, if you and another share a name, we identify you with a nickname that speaks of your personality.  Barbara makes cakes and brings them to us.....you totally get it. You know that I conduct these workshops at Kraft Crazy on a regular basis and that because of other commitments, I have pared down the regularity.  At one point, I was going to stop all together.  At that point, Barbara decided to make me a leaving cake.  And even though I've since decided not to 'completely' leave, I am still in receipt of this handsome Christmas cake.  And I know how fab it tastes because Barbara has been supplying Christmas cake to us throughout our season of Christmas workshops.  You may recognise the decoration as a Woodware image.  How clever.  How thoughtful.  Of course 'thankful' doesn't really cover this sort of generosity, and I'm rubbish at being gracious.  So I cried a bit. Wouldn't you! 

Joining Elizabeth and Bleubeard today, as it's Tuesday.  

Cards..got time for more?

Lawks, it's the end of the year's workshops.  I have actually tidied up and used the workshop samples this year - usually I'm so sick of the sight of them that I make more. This year, I've left it too late, I'm bang out of ideas and erm, I'm too idle.  

Woodware: bird and greeting, Hero Arts: stitching

I spent a second evening sitting up straight in my armchair and fighting piles of unwritten and written cards.  It takes ages doesn't it! Specially if you're me - I'm rubbish at keeping in touch and so cards tend to have news written in to them.  I can see where the 'do it as you go through the year' type of time management skills would pay off, honestly.  I just can't practice it.

Woodware and Kaiser craft stamps, DOCrafts Poinsettia dieM

Now I only need to make another three or four and I'm out of the woods.  I make it sound like a chore don't I?  I don't mean to - I love that my rellies and etceteras like to receive a card - handmade or not, and of course, I do take pleasure in the pile once it's waiting to be posted or delivered. I like a finished anything!  

Woodware.  Again.  

I have to say that this year's cards are brought to you by me via Woodware, their stamps seem to crop up every time I make something!  Hats off to Francoise who designs for Woodware...because most of the designs I'm drawn to are hers.  

Woodware stamp. Docrafts & Provo emboss folder. Fab printed felt!

Somewhere in the back of my head an idea is forming about the ludicrous time situation I end up placing myself in each December.  It is not an idea worthy of any award, for it's what hundreds of you more organised types do anyway.  It's about making cards in advance of course.  And this year, I'm thinking - hey, make everyone do the odd card in advance...include one Christmas card in each workshop.  They'll thank me.  Won't they?  I can take the groaning - I'm used to that....can I take the year round need for glitter?  And the fact that the basket of Christmas stamps will have to remain in sight for the year? And the Christmas dies and embossing folders will have to remain in use?  And my cardstock and DP collections won't truly be seasonally adjusted? Ya see, there's so much to think about and that's without actually taking on a challenge or committing to the idea.  

Watch this space.  If you can bear to!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 288

Well, I read on someone's desk post once that it has to get worse before it gets better...and never was that more true than here in my workroom.  There are signs of disorganisation coupled with panic over Christmas. And work. And birthdays.  It's not a great look....

There's the stylised reindeer on a gift box which is a project for a workshop on Thursday.  It is sitting on a sheet of paper bearing score and measure instructions which I will photocopy for workshopeers.  This should make it a very easy gift box to repeat....thanks to Sylvie on Pinterest. (search gift boxes....).  There's so much stuff that I can't see most of it...but isn't it reassuring to see the face of the WOYWW Alien patiently watching over it all!  But wait, there's worse to come...turn left..

Would you just look at that box of scraps.  Really, someone needs to get a grip.  That is supposed to be my die cutting station.  If I took the Big Shot out of the picture, you would be forgiven for thinking that I was just dumping stuff randomly....
But fret not gentle Desker...it will all be in hand, I am monumentally sick of it and actually relish the idea of sorting through it - I think it will go a long way to calming my panic if my working area is calm too! And although I haven't decorated or put up a tree, I have at least got something festive in my room - get a load of my bin bag!

Well now, no doubt you can do way better than this in terms of tidy, calm, organised, and we'd very much like to see what's going on at your work space. Put WOYWW in your post title and link here so that we can come and admire, please!

The whole tree thing...

I know that  a lot of our American friends have their Christmas trees up and 'trimmed'.  I think it's largely a tradition to do it straight after Thanksgiving....I'm expecting to be corrected over this, I could just have created a century old tradition for you, America! 

Here in dear old Blighty, there is much evidence of trees having been put up and 'decorated'.  I have no idea why we don't all use the same word for putting baubles on branches.  There are outdoor lights and wreaths on doors and it all looks very cheerful and as if everyone is contributing to an overall sense of celebration. Except here at chez Dunnit! Now that my child is an adult and apparently has her own busy life, I am not pestered for tree, lights, decorations. I am not having to hide bags and bought-in-advance food treats. No, and I miss it.  It was all a grand part of the anticipation! I was expecting some sort of questioning this weekend about getting a tree. Or perhaps producing the odd mince pie, or requiring her to add her name to our Christmas cards.  

And I had a really good answer ready.  You know the one, about being too busy and it wouldn't hurt if you want to fetch a tree and make the effort....but I haven't even had a chance to say it!  It turns out that she and The Squeeze also think they're too busy and indeed, their sensible heads feel that it's a bit too soon really.  It's not too soon for me, it's just that in years gone by, I've had to tell her it's too soon - because I've been too busy. It's not just about a ten minute journey to a market to buy a tree, I can tell you. Here in the very average 3 bed semi that is Chez Dunnit, the introduction of a Christmas tree requires furniture shifting, floor clearing, frantic cleaning and vacuuming and general upheaval. And then about 3 hours of decorating.  It's exhausting!  So now it's come back to bite me.  And despite being too busy, I really feel as though I'm missing out.  Time to pull on my big girl panties and my multi-tasking genius gloves.  Things must change for the sparklier!

..this was meant to be a serious review...

 The other day, whilst visiting my beloved parents, I roped my sister in to help me decorate some ceramic tiles for coasters.  Baker Ross had sent me some fab glittery pens for porcelain (and the tiles) and it was time to test them.  We had a tile each and a bunch of sparkly coloured pens to play with. Well, talk about blank page syndrome. A plain white 4" tile and you'd think we'd been asked to churn out an essay in quantum physics! 

So of course it got very silly and giggly and after a sensible start (with some nicely drawn Holly), Mama was recalling some childhood Christmas triumphs....when you could draw an Angel without taking your pen off the paper, when you spelt it Angle by mistake, and the Lord would have a host of heavenly Angles.  We even got to giggling about angles in funny hats.  Well, mitres to be more specific. (Angles, mitres..geddit.......) And the Pope's hat, to be truly specific.  So then Sissy set about recreating our angles, with hair and hats and to be honest, we couldn't see for laughing....

And instead of scrubbing the tile clean and starting something sensible, I brought it home with me and cooked it (that sets the ink) and I have permanent evidence of my sister's silliness.  I love it. 
At some point I did get sensible and reverted to type - literally.  I am unable to draw.  I stamp.  But I can always write, and the pens had a nib that was just about fine enough to write legibly in my most contrived and wonky handwriting.  

I have cooked these too, but am going to use the pens to colour the edges, they look a bit stark and unfinished.  They can be re-cooked - it's a cool oven for not very long, see. The hardest part of making these was coming up with that many drinks and trying hard to remember to graduate the size of the text. Hmmmm.  Still, Miss Dunnit and her Squeeze will like them, on the basis that they don't have any coasters!
The coasters come in a pack of six, and because I wanted to keep Sissy's work of art, I had one to play with.  This is proof of several things.  The colours are really nice and glittery. 
The cooking process sets the ink and makes it permanent.  It does not melt the ink and flood over flaws.  What you create is what you get, unless you have the good sense to wipe clean and rectify mistakes.  

Now all I have to do is find the little stick on pads that came with them and hey, they'll look like real coasters!  

Have a lovely weekend y'all.

WOYWW 287

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday.  You can find out how effective this question is by joining in really, and to do that, you can easily work it out or read the notes in the WOYWW pages to be found a click away at the top of the page.  
Well, as you're here, you might as well look mine over....

It's a layered hell hole!  Even the embossing powder is taking refuge on the iPad stand.  Luckily, I managed to put the lid on it!  What you see is the layers of papers and cuttings and colour ways involved in making something nice for a workshop. In this case, it WILL be a gift card holder.  It will be. Even if I have to spend another 3 days messing about with it. The paper engineering is sound, it's the images and colours that have me behaving badly. Weird. Wired. Both. The light is terrible - that's what you get for making me get up early to do this before work..Mr Dunnit has let me have two days off this week and I just knew it wasn't going to last!  The gift stamp is by Stampendous and I was trying to make it look pieced with silver glitter paper. Not for much longer.  There at the back against my ATG gun is the tea bag dispenser..I'll get to that.  The stars on the door handle are reminding me of a deadline, and I intend to use them...I'll get to that too. I need to see what you're doing and erm, why.  Although I may be able to guess the why on the first Wednesday of December! Put WOYWW in your post title and link here.  It may take days, but we'll visit each other.  I'm now offering Christmas blends of tea and coffee, in seasonally appropriate china.  Really, stop awhile.

A December Day

Well I think as it's the first of December, we should have some glitter. As one who doesn't use it for about 10 months of the year, I'm happy to acknowledge the twinkle for December.  It's not a rule, this not using glitter; it's not that I disapprove of glitter, I just completely forget to use it for about 10 months of the year; I relate it utterly to Christmas.  I could blame my upbringing.....but I'd have to leave it at that general and sweeping statement of blame, for I do not remember any person of influence ever actually telling me that glitter was for Christmas, not for life.

So the good people at Baker Ross sent me some rather yummy hanging stars in papier mache and some decopatch papers to play with.  It took me about half an hour and only one and a half sheets of the three sheet paper pack to cover the stars.  Then I hung em up for a thorough drying. I don't know if you believe in Christmas miracles, but here's a tiny one: I had to take a gamble on the glue I used...I don't have much wet glue and the bottle I settled has shed it's label - long ago.  I gambled on it being a decopage glue that I'd had in my shop kit in another lifetime.  And it appears that it was, the papers held and the glue dried without leaving a trace.  The real miracle is that I've since marked the bottle to avoid future gambling!

 So then I felt the need for a bit of twinkle.  And you saw on WOYWW 286 that I was waiting for the glitter to dry.  I did blobs of Glossy Accents around the edge of each star and poured gold Glamour Dust over them.  I could have used Stickles but I wanted the blobs to dry in dimension.  

And they did!  Hurrah!  The stars are now ready and twinkly.  They have 'built in' hangers so will make perfect tree decorations or hanging adornments.  If they weren't destined for another job, these could very well have ended up dotted around the house on door handles.  

For now, they hang in a twinkly mass on a door handle that gets a lot of sunshine. When it shines. If all goes to plan, they will be fully employed by the end of the week.  And you know me well enough to know that if it doesn't go to plan, you may never see them on this blog again!  And just to reassure you - that particular cobweb is on the outside.