What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 656

And *pouf*, we’re in the middle of Christmas week, the day of the five gooooolllld rings. Yep, it’s already the fifth day of Christmas and I am genuinely not keeping up. During this year you, like me have put up with quite a lot of disruption because of moving walls and doorways. Well, part of the project involved hanging new doors in all the appropriate holes. When the adjacent room was the lounge, I insisted on not having a door because I wanted to be within earshot of Miss and Mr Dunnit whilst they watched TV and relaxed their way, whilst I crafted and relaxed my way. Now it has a door on it, at Christmas time, it means that the workroom becomes a depository: for the spare dining chairs, the spare lounge chair, bin bags filled with non recyclables and never mind the last minute wrapping station and frantic scrabble for a Christmas birthday card! 

So I’m not showing you that. I thought you might instead like a decent shot of what has caused all the upheaval. It looks very lived in and disorganised, but that seems to be how we live; you won’t be surprised, you’ve seen my desk once a week for twelve and a half years!

So the square archway, (currently looking untidy with the unlit lights strewn about)used to be the back wall of the house and had a double door into what was a conservatory that we weren’t really using much. That structure was about the same width as this opening, so this new(ish) one story structure is much bigger! It was always goIng to be a kitchen diner, but it soon became evident that we couldn’t resist the amount of daylight it offered, so now it’s our kitchen lounge! The space I stood in to take the photo is the dining room, so the kitchen is still open to the dining room, so it still makes geographic sense. To us, at least!

And there’s a full on kitchen shot. The colour is not what I had in my head when we chose the floor, but Mr Dunnit practically ran to the red samples when we went to the paint shop, and if it makes him happy, I don’t care about the floor appearing blue! There’s still stuff to do, but I promise this will no longer be an excuse under the labels ‘building’, ‘dust’ and ‘what’s the point when everywhere is a shambles’. The next phase, gentle desker, doesn’t really involve the ground floor much. Let’s hope the workroom doesn’t have to become a bedroom. What a thought!

So for the last time this year, please show and tell if you’ve got time, and if you want to be excused showing a craft work area, it will not be a problem! 

And here’s wishing you a very happy, safe and healthy New Year. There’s absolutely masses I could say about lots of subjects, not least the Pandemic. But I’m not going to, it’s enough to know that you’re in touch with each other and that we’re all keeping on. Keep on, with love. 

Waaa waaaa waaa washi!

What is it about Washi Tape?  Or is it actually me? I fell into the trap when it first came out. I can’t remember when that was, obviously. I acquired several rolls before I realised that I didn’t have the faintest idea what I could use it for, and applied it in a vague sort of way to a few scrapbook pages. But this slightly non-commital method uses about a foot in total from about a dozen rolls of probably 20 feet, so I’m not getting through it.

It’s not a massive collection compared to some, or other products that I have multiples of,is it. But it is a massive collection if you don’t use it. I’ve started to employ it in other parts of my life. There’s a roll in the cupboard where I keep spare batteries. I use it to tape the various sizes together, upright. Before they were just in a jumbled pot, but that is a fire hazard apparently. Never gave it any thought till he said so, but sort of makes sense!

There’s also a roll in the ‘office’ drawer of the sideboard. It’s where I keep the hole punch, the tippex, the calculator etc. It is very handy

actually, lets me stick random bits of paper and till receipt type stuff into the diary or onto an invoice to remind me that I’ve paid it or that there’s a guarantee involved in the purchase, you know the sort of thing.

So all is not wasted but at this rate, it is totally fair to say that I’ve got enough Washi to last me till I die. And I’m not convinced that it’ll appear on new scrapbook pages made between now and that tragic day. 

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 655

655 is kind of a nice almost round number for Christmas Week isn’t it. Well done everyone, we’ve arrived. Almost at the point of looking around you and thinking, ‘oh well, if it’s not done now, it’s no longer part of my plan’. Seriously, try it tomorrow afternoon; it may well lift a serious amount of unnecessary and frankly, work that no-one will notice from your shoulders. 

The only paper play I’ve had in the last week was a marathon wrapping fest, can’t show you that. Jan and I had a long overdue, long chat on FaceTime on Monday. It was good to see her. If you’d like to do the same, holler, it’s so easy to set up. As is her industry, when we FaceTime, Jan usually knits or crochets and I felt a bit silly with nothing on the go. I grabbed an old, once damp box that has been in Mr Dunnit’s workshop for a long long time and started work.

This is his collection of football cards that came from boxes of tea. Or teabags, he can’t quite remember. No surprise there, given the age of the cards. I’ve experienced some snot laughing at hairstyles and erm, the length of the shorts in some of the pictures! Here’s a bit of a close up….

Ignore the roll of wrapping paper. Sellotape has been returned to this room from its short stay on the dining table, so any last minute wrapping is to be done in here now. Actually the football cards and the wrapping paper sum it up really…a bit of a jumble, but very nearly there chez Dunnit. I hope you are too. Today will be bit of a run around, our baby gal and current squeeze are coming home this evening. (I call him that to keep him on his toes, but it’s been six years so it’s probably a bit old now) I had worked out a sort of menu for all the comings and goings and I’m a bit behind on preparations for that, and I’m booked in to visit Mama this morning. I feel for the care home staff, protocols for visiting are quite complicated and we’re back to full PPE again which is an additional pull on their time, getting kitted up in reception and hearing all of us who visit say the same things again and again is probably not so much fun for the second year!  I haven’t made a single mince pie yet, and that recently referred to ‘current squeeze’ is very partial, so would like to welcome them both home with at least the appearance of near readiness! And I know loads of you don’t, but I do, so there’s a pile of ironing waiting too. I save it to do when I’m cold, saves putting the heating on! 

Now please share your state of readiness and what you’re working on, it will be marvellous to see you. 

If you're unlikely to have time to check in again, please may I wish you a warm and happy Christmas, and remind you that someone from this marvellous community will be thinking about you at some point over the next few days. I know this because I think of you and your different settings more than ever at this time of year, and I’m an average representative, so I know that others do too!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 654

Well Deskers, if there are words to describe the hurtling feeling, I’d like to know them. It’s been a lovely week, but oh boy, don’t we all have to fit in a lot! I have discovered that putting up Christmas trees and decorating my house makes a mess. Moving bits of furniture, putting stuff away to make temporary homes for seasonal stuff. So today and tomorrow, the big clean up starts. It’s all about the floors! Surfaces don’t need attention because…..ta na….

Stamps and supplies cleared cleaned and put away, desk top cleaned. Still a pile of cards waiting to be written, but I’m still in time, I’ve done them in tranches. This angle shows the need for a redecoration in here, but also shows you a small glimpse of my lovely cheery coloured lights. A gift from my sis some years ago that I’m really happy to have warming and colouring my workroom. So how goes it for you on these inky black Christmas days? I hope you’re all fairing well and ticking things off. I am beyond impressed by those of you that have a desk covered in arty crafty stuff that you’re doing for the fun of it, I’m not there yet, but I intend to be, but that’s not a promise for this week!

Share and show please, all as per usual, it all seems to have added sparkle now!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 653

Well gentle desker, here’s a view you don’t often see. I’m writing Christmas cards and I’ve carted them into the lounge because the heater in my workroom has stopped heating. As it is, I feel behind with the cards, so in front of the tv it is!

Ages ago Mr Dunnit rigged up a piece of MDF with some Lino glued to it so that I had a ‘table’ that sits on the arms of my armchair. Brilliant, and used every single day. So that’s my desk. There’s a large glass of lime squash - no ice, no lemon, so definitely not a gin! The scissors on the table indicate that the night before last I was doing armchair working again….weaving in ends and finishing something that will soon be wrapped and off my list, thank goodness. The cards are strewn across the tray thing because of course, I dropped them just as I got to the chair and tried to do too many things with full arms.  You can see the wooden stand that I use for my iPad, and next to that, a tube of gunk that I have to put in my wonky eye every few hours. It replaces the natural gel that prevents horrible painful dryness…it’s a bit like soft Vaseline in consistency and doesn’t make for crystal clear vision I can tell you! This is a scheduled post today, written last night. I’m going to brave the weather, visit my Mama and try to do some focussed shopping. We’ll see! Join me do, show and tell about your workspaces please…as usual! Some sort of routine is very necessary at this time of year!

What’s on your Workdesk? Wednesday 652

Well gentle desker, here is a true return to form!

The plastic bag of sharpies is there because I rummaged through them to find a suitable colour to write on something or other; apparently sticking them back on the shelf that I had to walk past to leave the room was too much! The Tri-colour pens actually in my working space are there because I’ve got about four more cards left to colour before I call my Christmas cards finished. The rubber stamps and ink pads are self explanatory - just not tidied and cleaned yet. I’ll get to it, once the cards are finished. Not least because I need to put the wood mounted ones back in their box and file them in the attic room to get them out of my way! 
Right in the middle of my work space is an ATC with perfect pearls on it, so drying. Hopefully dry and ready to send to my tradee today. But I feel as though I’m getting on, in this room at least! So, happy December to you, hasn’t it come around fantastically quickly!

Show us your work surfaces then, let us not judge but be in awe……

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 651

A touch late this morning, please don’t be fretful, just mis-timing! Sorry if it throws you out! 

Well, it all looks a bit bland with bad lighting and dark windows, but I can assure you that it felt a lot cosier and even…a bit productive! I’ve got a few new Christmas stamps, some from last year, and I’m trying to use them, even in smallish numbers, I feel they deserve to at least be inked before being stashed and stored! I’m making a selection of styles and sizes, primarily because I committed to making up a few packs of cards to sell in an online craft shop for BANA members. (BANA is the charity that supports people with Acoustic Neuroma - the type of brain tumour that I had removed SIX years ago.) so I’m not quite in a panic but don’t really know about numbers, so am going to offer a pack of five assorted. So there’s more:

I used up the spare images that were on my desk last week, and that got me in the mood. The bubble Christmas trees were more of a slow therapy, I was sensible and bought a die that cuts multiple bubbles at once, but not all sizes. So there’s a lot of glitter glue bubbles drying  there!  I’ll do close ups before I pack them up to send. If anyone actually buys them! I’ve been sensible and done the insides as I went along…otherwise they end up being a great big chore for me. Strange innit, the parts of making that you like and don’t like. Anyway, that’s me today, please show and tell, your desks are getting more and more interesting as we rush towards December!

Whatks On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 650. 650!!

Good grief. 650 weeks. Thanks for sticking with me. Especially over the last couple of weeks whilst my desk and I have been through a lacklustre hiatus. I’ve taken it back; despite the DIY of my favourite person, and despite that it’s all to be for my benefit, I really need to be driving that desk, time is running out!

I’ve been poorly for the last couple of weeks, I’ve had some surgery and really surprised myself by not bouncing back and getting on with stuff. Having said that, not one person alluded to the fact that a couple of spoons full of painkiller and a few good sleeps would do the trick, I just assumed. We’re always 18 in our heads, huh. Anyway, I’ve turned the corner, Mr Dunnit is happy to go back to work without starting hours late and coming home hours early, so I’ve headed into the workroom. Todays session will finish yesterday’s…some multiple gernomies were stamped and embossed in a very sparkly gold, then I spent a happy half hour painting them with a radiant pearls. Now they all need to be cut out before I decide where exactly I’m going with them! There’s a small pile of teal stamped greetings, originally part of a design for the card marathon. They are Hero Arts solid stamps. The pile is my cast offs, not perfect stamping….but I decided I’d use them somehow, so that’s another few cards to think on. So, I feel as if I’ve gone and got it underway, join me do in the slightly smug tone as you show and tell of your week. OK, thanks.

Third person singular.

A few weekends ago, we were lucky to provide a pit stop for Donna and her man as they did that thing that living abroad requires from them. Visit and spend time with every living relative and friend in 72 hours flat, and do a couple of things that are the reason you had to come back in the first place. Thats an exaggeration of course, but sums up the visit. 

So here’s a brief sketch of a story…..Donna and I were part of Morti’s hen party some 12 years ago (?, I can’t keep track of the length of my own marriage, so have to rely on Morti if this is wrong), and Donna was a bit handy with her camera. I remember that quite clearly. Race forward about ten years and Donna asks if she can use a photo of me to paint my portrait. well, of course I said yes….because vanity and interest, right?

Here is the photo…a wistful and frankly much younger looking me. I can’t remember what my focus was, or why my makeup was smudged…..

Loving the 90s eyebrows!!. Anyway, Donna set to work and sent me a rapid succession of update pictures. I know she is an abstract artist and I knew that I should not be unsurprised at each turn, but I was. Good lord, it really is something to see your own fizzog as a subject and being enlivened by someone who knows what to do with some acrylic paint. 

I couldn’t see what else there was to do at this point! Donna said she would walk past it for a couple of days and see what happened….and it involved green! Well colour me surprised, and not a little nervous! It was a question of hold on tight, follow her brush! Look at those lips though…talk about highlight!

So at this stage, I place my face in Donna’s hands entirely….not that I’ve had any input -  on the grounds of ignorance and art fear. My most heartfelt and helpful comments have been ‘oh, she looks like Miss Dunnit’ and how fab it’s becoming and how attached to her I’m becoming. I can’t honestly say that I think of her as me. Here is the finished piece

We love it. Interestingly, neither Miss Dunnit nor I feel that she’s particularly either of us, more perhaps, a third person…and that makes it very alright to own a portrait of oneself. Which is great, because I do…and she’s hung in full view of every visitor that will ever use our dining room. It’s a process I recommend, entirely painless and very interesting with a real, big and lovely result. Donna takes commissions and offers some ridiculous guarantees. I would really like to have one of Mr Dunnit too…we are after all, a pair! He’s not keen, but as all it takes is a photograph, he need not know. I just have to find a good ‘full frontal’ of the man. Cough. 

Find Donna on Instagram - donnalouisegarner or at her website, donnagarnerart.com. At any point, start a convo with this fascinating woman, you can enquire, ask, shoot the breeze, just don’t expect to be be obliged. She doesn’t do that. 

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 649

Well, gentle Desker, for a host of reasons, my desk is unchanged this week. Mr Dunnit has taken advantage of what turned into ‘my absence’ and has left a few clues as to his presence.

Little clues as to who’s been playing in my room!

The door fitting has finished…foam and adjustments to the oak beam and stuff, some plasterboard down the sides. Then the edge of the worktop had to be trimmed to actually let me get the desk pushed up against the door. Hence the saw. Once I’ve pushed the drawer unit back fully under the desk, I wonder if he’ll remember where it is. Call this day one…..! 

This bunch of tools herald the installation of a couple more sockets which will prevent the annoying, untidy and frustrating trailing of cables over worktops. Always planned, and am happy to have them. So at some point today, there will be cleaning. Inevitably, there’s a lot of dust and just walking across the floor yesterday made my teeth itch a bit. Not as much as they do when I consider how many cards and things I suddenly want to make and send by the end of this month. I can’t explain how the feeling creeps up on me, but it’s arrived and rather inevitably, being a one job at a time gal, I want to get them underway with some urgency, the days are slipping away aren’t they! 

Please share your spaces, tell us how you’re doing and if you can, show us what you’re doing. And maybe talk about your plans for the Christmas makings, just so that we can all calm each other?!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 648

Well it’s been a blink week. Good grief, these days are absolutely running away! 

I offer you late afternoon yesterday, lights on, colour a bit weird!  Actually on my not too untidy desk are the baskets that contain the stamps inks and blahdy-blah for each of the six cards that were my share of the day long card marathon. It’s actually over, took place on Monday! a so  Delighted that it was well received and Shopkeeper Gal is responding to demand by offering a Saturday version (limited numbers and lateral flow tests) and we’re also kitting each card for people to buy individually as a response to demand. Amazing, huh. So….the baskets need refreshing and the kits need making up. There’s evidence of my inability to sit near a pen and paper without doodling when I’m on the phone. And evidence at left of not knowing what I’m doing. I coloured a bunch of those figures in rather randomly because I thought I’d just run through my scraps and match them up, but I actually need to select the scraps first, the colours I’ve used are just too random; they look ridiculous close up. So to sum all that up…I’m waiting for the strength to throw those away! Now I’m not sure if I’ve talked about that drawer unit before. It came from RUBox company’s website. On castors, it rolls under my desk with room to spare and houses all my clear stamps,(3 drawers) all my made-and-waiting-to-be-used cards (1 drawer) and drawers to spare! Lordy. That’s a nice brag isn’t it. To make you feel better, I am NOT going to show you the stamps in situ. It works for me but will cause a collective shriek, I fear!

Come on then, if you think you’re hard enough…let’s see the work, the surface and the explanations!

Whats On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 647

I’ve had a long weekend away with the Coven which has been marvellous. We rented a barn conversion on a farm near Devizes, a lovely market town in Wiltshire. I made a good start on an album for my great neice, and did a handful of LOs for my own albums. I talked a lot, and stayed up ridiculously late. All this is a totally understandable reason, don’t you think, for this:

I haven’t quite unpacked. Well, actually, I unloaded the car and shut the door on the workroom, haven’t been back in at all since…even the photo was taken from the threshold! It’ll come good, and then you’ll have to put up with looking at pictures of what I did. Still, it’s been so long since I made any scrapbook LOs that I’m not sure they’re fit for showing! So while I unpack and put away and feel a it smug about the new arrangement in this room, please show and tell. As we approach full on autumn, it’s important that you all keep me going, please!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 646

Well now, gentle desker. You join me in a week of doing. Oh my word, you do. For a start, look at my desk….

Horrible afternoon light yesterday. I was in my workroom looking at stuff. Stuff I need to pack. Hang out the trumpets, ring out the flags…I am going away with The Coven for a weekend of scrapbooking. Any pages that I make this weekend will be the first pages of the year, I think. So anywayyyyy…I’m meant to be using free time to pack stuff and try to pack economically by really thinking it through. Yeah well, that doesn’t seem to be as much fun as stamping and colouring in! Back to Janet Klein images. I got a new border stamp set and I felt the need to use it, and one thing always leads to another, doesn’t it. I may not have done any sorting or packing for the weekend, but I had a nice half hour! 

Thank you Helen…liquid appliqué is absolutely what I was trying to remember for the previous post…it just wouldn’t squeeze out of my memory! Brilliant you. Have a great day full of lovely half hours won’t you; start by blogging and showing us what you’re currently creating..it will be a marvellous interlude.

How to give a gnome a puffy beard….

Last WOYWW I caused some questions by posting a picture of a gnome that had a dimensional white beard.  I used Fluffy Stuff, a product from those Cosmic Shimmer people. The ‘stuff’ isn’t new, but the availability is. It behaves just like the stuff I used to use way back in the mists of time. It’s been so long that I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was called. No doubt I will, at an inappropriate time and place where no-one will be even vaguely interested in my sudden knowledge!

It has the consistency of thick glue and needs to be applied in a whole thin layer rather than blobs. Like glitter glue, it’s better applied straight from the bottle, using the spout to distribute. Then, heat it up. Takes a bit of heating, but keep the heat gun moving…that lovely white soon turns charred brown if you don’t! The product dries out and puffs up…

Fun. Putting it inside a key line (like a stamped beard) makes a thrilling adventure of the hit and miss variety because you can’t control the finished ‘mass’ of the er, puffiness. Well, you can, a bit. Heating it straight after application is satisfactory and puffy. But if you can apply it and then leave it overnight, the results are twice as good.

It takes a little longer with the heat gun but it puffs up much more and is very satisfying indeed! Now, the trick is to wait until it’s completely cold before leaning on it. I know that sounds bizarre. But, when you’ve done something like this, you may want to stick it onto a card, and putting it face down and using your tape runner on it may well squash it and it won’t bounce back if it’s still warm. It might be one of those things though, that you have to do before you really get. Once it’s good and cold, it’ll bounce back pretty well. 

There is also the possibility of colouring it. Scribble your felt tip onto a non porous surface (my glass mat or a handy bit of waste plastic usually works on this desk) and then squeeze an amount of the Fluffy Stuff onto the colour. Mix well. I use my pointy tool. Saves me getting up. It takes work and patience to get a deep colour but worth it if you absolutely need it. 

That’s it. The depth of my Fluffy Stuff knowledge. And how I made my gnome a puffy beard. You’re welcome.

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 645

This is the connected edition. I’m typing this post in a sunny kitchen at Jan’s house. I can hear her tapping away at a keyboard in their study. We had to separate to get the posts done - or we’d just have kept talking, see. No companionable silences here I can tell you! Happy to report that Wales is looking good in the autumnal sunshine. The sea was flat calm this morning, as you can see.

And that’s as much work as I’ve done…a walk around the harbour and a stop for coffee and a little more chat. Home tomorrow, jiggerty jig - time to square up to the week and get my domestic on! I’ve been a good cardmaker and finally forced five of the six required marathon cards out of my head. Here’s a badly taken sneak peek of the one featuring a gnome….or two….

Ha. Remember the fluffy white stuff…! Retro gnomes! Anyway, whilst I drive home, please reveal your workspace and the reasons for it, no judgement over degrees of tidiness..we just want to see what you’re doing with what. Thanks, as always!

Surprise colour.

On Wednesday’s post I was talking about helping in Mr Dunnit’s workshop and having a gentle pop about the amount of extra work that is created when a client (or an architect or designer) specify the supply of timber windows painted in two colours. They need a lot of careful masking, which is tedious. Largely, the inside of the windows are white, it’s a good neutral really isn’t it. Occasionally they are something from the off white palette. Indeed, these are actually ‘slaked grey’ although you can’t really tell because the light is a bit iffy.

Now, when the order was received, the colours were shown as RAL numbers (which is like a universal reference for paint colours, like we use Pantone numbers for ink, amongst other systems). Next to the RAL number it said ‘ Grey’ and ‘Green’. Most of the greens that we use to paint windows these days are ‘heritage’ type colours, sage, moss and the like. So this was a real surprise. Indeed, is it really even green? He double checked, such was our surprise at the point of lifting the paint tin lid. It’s a nice colour, but I have to reserve full judgement because I need to see the windows in situ. And I won’t, because they are for a builder who has ordered them for a client so we have no idea where they will be going. Keep a look out will ya? 

I know that if you rent or live within the boundaries of an Estate, sometimes you have to use the Estate’s colours on your buildings, Beaulieu village in Hampshire for example, is clearly dotted about with the estate colours, and there’s a village called Cocking in Surrey that has a lot of houses with yellow painted external woodwork. I understand the history and ‘marking’ and indeed just the aesthetic cohesion of that. 

I’m interested now to know if you have coloured external timber, and if so, what colour? I’m even more interested in how, out of all the colours available, you chose the one you’ve got. And if you could explain the same for this particular set of windows that are more blue green than green that would be great. You may even recognise it as an Estate colour?  Also, explain why the French doors are not painted, just stained and lacquered hardwood that will sit between these sets of windows. It’s all very subjective, colour use, isn’t it. I’m a bit glad that my choices appear on paper and card and can be changed, hidden or even recycled without major trauma. Because I have to admit, change would be in the offing if these windows were being delivered to me! 

What’s on your Workdesk? Wednesday 644

Well look at me, going straight in with the picture! That’s because I’m smug! I’ve made two cards for the marathon day. And I’ve kitted them. And I’ve tidied my desk in anticipation of the next make. And I spent some time on Tuesday afternoon in the workshop. I’m scheduling this because I need to spend another hour or so in the workshop tomorrow before I go and visit my Mama. I don’t do a lot of hands on helping at work now, too wonky; the job I’m helping with is time consuming but easy, and because we’re doing it together, there’s no dust being created. And that’s a biggie for me, I have to use a gel in my wonky eye and it attracts dust like a magnet, a joinery workshop in full production is not a good place for dust avoidance! Anyway, we’re masking windows. Some apparently clever designer or architect has specified windows in two colours..white on the inside and a very light grey for the outside. Which means literally hours (3 pairs of windows and frames, 2 doors and frames) of taping and masking and checking for straight lines of tape so they don’t look ridiculous on the edges when they’re opened. So I’m feeling quite accomplished this week already. You can’t see it from the picture, but the numbered list for the card countdown has numbers six and five crossed through with a big black self congratulatory slash of pen. Four to go, and with some priority I must say. So, gentle desker, that’s my week so far, domestic and crafty. Would be great to hear about yours too, and of course, have a sight of what you’re currently doing as a distraction from real life!

Satisfying the interest….

Regular readers will know about wednesdays and how I’m nothing if not nosey about other people’s stash. Well this week, my desk shot didn't show but I talked about a pad of Christmas scrapbook papers that I bought for no particular reason. Well, I loved it, thats the reason. Several commenters wanted to know more, and it is always my pleasure to chat…

There it is. I could have, should have edited the photo to remove kitchen worktop and floor, sorry to distract! It’s a lovely set of papers, at 180gsm it’s nearly card and certainly has withstood the glue on the teeny Robin parts that one sheet has so far been cut into for. I know, it’s going to take years to use.

Oh look, bonus inclusion of my trivet in this picture!

Nice aren’t they. Probably not so overtly Christmas that in five years time when I haven’t used them for Christmas pages I can turn them to some other use. Time will tell. I took these pics in the kitchen because of the roof light, makes the light in my workroom seem a bit paltry on a dull day. Talking of dull….I got caught in one of those extremely sudden, extremely heavy downpours yesterday. I had to RUN. I’m still smarting.

What’s on your Workdesk? Wednesday 643

The weather is broken. Lots of you will simply say it’s autumnal, but despite a good amount of sunny September, I’m still not ready. Got a bit of a cob on about it and guess what…sulked at my desk for an hour or so! Gracious. Not totally a waste of time either. Obviously, I started by picking up bits and pieces and re-homing the pieces and considering the bits, but I actually did stop procrastinating and started on a penguin Christmas card.

I couldn’t make the Penguin co-operate, so moved on to a Robin. Here he is being paper pieced. For no good reason, I picked up a whole pad of 12” Christmas papers. I haven’t, to date, made more than two scrapbook pages about, referring to or vaguely related to Christmas, so am still wondering why I bought it. But look, aren’t they lovely pages. And piecing the Robin at least means that two pages will be slightly used this year. Win *cough* win. You see the pen suitcase is open. I’m not using them for the Robin, they were for the Penguin. But of course, putting them away would have taken valuable time from trying out my idea for the Robin. Are you keeping up?
I don’t know if you can see it, but there’s a list on the A4 sheet hanging off the memo board. It says, from the top, six, five, four and so on down to ‘hurrah’. It’s to count and encourage me to make my samples for the day workshop I’m contributing to. It’s on the first November. No, don’t you panic, it’s all about me! So whilst I soldier on and make my mojo come out to play when I’m bad tempered, you can cheer me by sharing your spaces, inspiring pieces, jolly stories. Especially as your contribution will help me to put off cutting out body parts for Robins!

Ask me anything…within reason..

I don’t know if y’all know this, but Miss Dunnit is a partner in a company called The Shrieking Wizard Co, they are a bunch of graphic geniuses and you can see their beautiful work, High Hopes Low Rolls on You Tube under that name. They also do a bunch of other stuff, and one of the things was all about me! Well, it wasn’t, but so that The Shrieking Wizards fans could get to know more about the actual er, Wizards, they are interviewing for their Podcast. And I was interviewed:

Of course, for Miss Dunnit and I it was really just a semi formal chat, but some of their fans tweeted specific questions. I didn’t let myself down - I don’t think-  but I think I did give away a couple of things….if you’d like to have a listen, it’s here. It’s quite long but it’s fun. I never thought I sounded like I do, that was a revelation! 

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 642

My desk is untouched. Honestly. I haven’t looked at it since last Wednesday. Really.  See, I went to meet my sister on Wednesday and as usual, we visited Mama in her care home. We sat rather longer than usual, or intended, over coffee and lunch because it was warm and sunny and that sort of weather in September is not to be missed. My house was internet deprived until early evening and I was rushing about a bit doing the things that I should have done in the afternoon! Can’t remember why, but I didn’t get to the desk or the computer at all on Thursday either, and on Friday, we left home for a weekend in other parts. 

Strange, sunny, relaxing parts. So that’s today’s picture……I hope it inspires.

It does me. After visiting my sweet Mama again this morning, I’ll be a week closer to the card workshop and no further forward! I’d forgotten how inspirational a deadline can be!

Please join in with the show and tell; I’m about the only one that makes the terrible excuses, so it won’t be hard work to visit some of the other links and when you do….you won’t be disappointed!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 641

I know. Just like the week before last when I was really late, now, I’m really early. I’m sorry if it makes you question the order of the days! I’m posting on Tuesday night because we’ve been notified that our internet will be off from 6am on Wednesday. Bad timing, huh. 

I had a slight rearrange this afternoon, figure we won’t need the door for access to the garden for a few days minimum, so have put my desk where it’s intended to go. The light is great. 

None of the wires have been sorted, but it’s OK, he’s worked without time off for the last two weeks so things that I can’t do myself are just waiting. And I’ve arranged it so that I can’t see it all when I’m sitting at the desk! My desk surface is tidy at this point. When I’d finished mucking about and pretending I was doing things, I actually got a bit stuck in and stamped some penguins. And a Robin. It’s a sign, gentle reader. A sign of preparing for a day long workshop…not actually a sign of me preparing for Christmas! Ha! Show and tell what you’re up to please, either on this chilly night or tomorrow in the really rather autumnal feeling morning! See you as soon as the magic web waves are fixed.

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 640

I think this will work on time this week, gentle Desker. If you were held up or put out by my bad scheduling last week, sorry. In such a situation, I must encourage you to always assume it’s a mistake that I’ve made or a technical problem before you start to worry that I’m poorly or have a real life problem. I will share all of those sort of events, you know how much I like things to be all about me.

No further ado then, have a sunlight full on pic of the workspace taken yesterday after lunch, from the door. This isn’t a huge room. 

We changed our Internet provider. The box in the foreground contained the necessary black box and wires. It was a self fit job and involved a lot of b*@&#y effort if you ask me.’They’ recommend that your landline phone and the black box should not be parked near one another. Look at all the wires gracing the ‘behind me’ worktop and the floor by the door! All destined to be clipped, shortened, disappeared and oh boy, I’m looking forward to that! The desk itself is unused this week, a combination of brilliant weather and visiting chums. Not a bad reason for sure, but I really must improve my at home time management! 

Share and tell then, please. Gimme a chance to visit my Mama and then I’ll visit you. Thank you!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 639

This is scheduled gentle reader, we think I need to be out and about early on Wednesday, chasing down much needed stuff. This has happened before and with any luck, the text message that could prevent me having to leave home at commute o,clock as if I work, may arrive really early. It has done before. It’s all about a client and his requirements and our source and their delivery. And then….

I did something incorrectly and it didn’t publish at all! Sorry, very late posting this morning! Enough. Look….

There’s a piece of old scrapbook paper acting as an ink catcher. This means that I’ve made something! I am truly grateful to my friend Karen, Queen Bee. She and I are doing a monthly ATC swap. You can see the small pile of ATCs that are the ones she’s sent me (excluding this month’s because it’s on the edge of the shelf behind me with a big wodge of blue tack holding it in my line of vision. Serves two purposes: admire the artwork and remember to make one for her. Works well. You can see the basket containing distress inks which gives away what I’ve been using, and there’s a pile of some newer stuff. Looks bigger than it is and sort of includes the card workshop that I still haven’t done. I know. Just do it. But there’s some nice stuff in it. 

And will you look at that, it’s not all Christmas! Thank goodness. Show and tell please, it’s time you did. Soon as I get back, I’ll be feet up, kettle on…indulge me, do.,

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 638

638. It struck me as I was typing the title, 638 is a lot isn’t it! How many times since you started with WOYWW have you had a conversation with real life friends that has involved you saying something about an online friend who does that/lives there/makes those/has a pet that does that/eats those/uses that….I think I refer to one or other of you in almost every conversation I have these days! Round of applause for yourselves, you’re all so interesting.

So, to the bit that binds….my desk, early Tuesday evening:

I had come home from being out and had half an hour before himself was due home. I did think I was going to put some washing on and get some stuff ready for this morning. In readying mode, I came to my desk and sat down to write an address on an envelope. Then I noticed two bits of patterned paper that had flowers stamped on them. I can’t remember what for, and they’ve been shifted from place to place… suddenly, no time like the present! A quiet twenty minutes of cutting was very nice. And for my next trick…that small pile of stuff with my name written on it is a workshop waiting for me to do. Christmas cards no less. I know.  Now this may not be inspiring or arty, but for the first time in a long time, hey, it’s showing stuff I’ve done and intend to do. Let me work up to arty, creative and erm, inspiring. Yeah, right.

Share then do, good sights bad sights, good news, and if you need help, bad news too, turns out that we’ve been here for each other for 638 weeks, can’t see that changing!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 637

Well now, I’m at end game. So this section of the workspace is not my desk, but is incredibly useful isn’t it! I’ve emptied the cupboard that contains cards and envelopes and am corralling and arranging and pairing. Again, I’ve got loads and many sizes do not speak to me. DL for example, and A5s and 8x8 squares. Time to admit it it, cull them, move on.

Roughly speaking, the pile at very far left is pre-scored cards and envelopes in packs. So they’re already paired which helps. The pile in the middle of the shot is pre-scored blanks that so far I haven’t found envelopes for. But as you can see, there are plenty of envelopes about, so I’m confident that another afternoon will have them sorted. Spares, sizes I no longer want are, happily, already spoken for, so am not wasting a drop. 

Now I can slide a basket from the cupboard shelf and see what size and shape I’ve got. Don’t faint at all the quantities you see, remember, I conduct workshops (in normal times) and when the samples are popular, I can need 16 of each card at kitting stage. Pleased so far. Relieved too, starting to think I may get an afternoon of cutting and sticking soon!

Join me do, tell the tale of your desk, work surface, creative space, what you’re doing. Puhleeeeese.

What’s On Your a Workdesk? Wednesday 636

Thanks very much for asking. Actually, there’s not a huge amount on my desk. Sorry, did you faint? 

I KNOW! There’s so little there and no dust! You’d expect this to be a really short post then wouldn’t you..but it won’t be. It rarely is, let’s face it. Wanna know something really stupid? The desk isn’t positioned correctly yet, it’s not against the window/door on account of architraves and linings. Yawn. That’s not the stupid bit. The stupid bit is that I allowed myself to get so excited about having a desk I could sit and work at that I forgot the location thing. And have hung stuff on the wall according to the height of the desk and my eye level.  The notice board has always been there, but the text picture at right is newly hung. And in totally the wrong place…once my desk faces the door, it will be right in the way or totally obscured by the scissor holder or something like it. Stupid. Argh. The plastic box has picture hanging bits in it, the hammer then becomes self explanatory. The little pile in the middle is the really interesting thing. New stuff! I must be coming round a bit!

Talking of coming around….how do you like the look of things behind me, soon to be at my right…

Am a little bit smug, but don’t worry, it won’t last. I’ve got to do some test run work in this new arrangement before I can be full on big headed. Don’t hold your breath. Am still a bit busy in real life which is by turn lovely and well, work! 

Meanwhile though, share your lovely spaces please, tell of your triumphs and share your disasters. Because they aren’t really disasters, just pretty loops in a long length of ribbon! 

I’m just tidying..

I’m moving back into my workroom. I will do a sort of ‘tour’ when it’s done and before I make a hideous mess of it all. Meanwhile though, I want to reassure you that I’m not doing a massive purge. Yes, a few things have gone….ink refills for example.  The refills were taking up a whole basket and didn’t match my ink pads, seriously. Anything that didn’t sell in the shop closure came home with me and I just put them away thinking I’d deal with them at a later point. Well, *cough* 18 years..but that’s still ‘later’ isn’t it? 

Ribbons have been rolled, clipped and given away too. 

I had a 12 x 12 Art Bin filled with them that I don’t think I’ve opened since Christmas, so I’m obviously not using much ribbon. I’ve kept a smaller box full, and I’ve written the date on the lid. It will be fascinating to see how long it is untiI I next open it.

Here is another activity (actually more time consuming than I thought it would be).

I decanted a load of inherited cards and envelopes into an under bed type plastic storage box. Long and low. It worked at the time, but I’ve managed to use quite a lot and this storage is a bit big now. So I decided to match every card to an envelope and put them in the storage drawers that will go under my desk. Nice and accessible.

It’s not the time it’s taking me that’s the problem, I have the luxury of leaving and re-visiting when I like. It’s not the quantity even, although there are still a lot. It’s getting over the fact that I’m folding every card. I’m a HUGE and mildly bossy proponent of working on the card flat. I have always stored them unfolded. When you’ve made the crease, they tend to need holding shut whilst you work on the card face and it leads to misplacing, cards pinging open just when you don’t need them to and well, you know, less control. Shiver. But it’s a necessary evil now. If you ever get a card from me, know that my dear father’s paperweight was involved in the making too. I can see it will have stopped being an heirloom ornament and actually gone back to being a useful lump of glass! 

I’ve set myself quite a task involving my clear stamps too, I’ve worked on and tried several ways of storing them over the years and none have really suited me. So the aforementioned drawers under the desk situation will come into play. This will be quite a long game though, there’s a lot to do…I have some in their original packets. Some mounted on their acrylic cover sheets and some others just loose and wild. They all need to be washed to regain sticky, they need at least to have acrylic sheet mounts and then we’ll see. Watch this space. I guarantee photos that will make you shudder.

Now I need to get back to it, or I’m going to run out of whatever it is that makes me want to get on with it. 

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 635

Ta Na! Shelves! I practically had to sleep with the joiner, but they are in, and all mine to arrange as I like. Considering they’ve been like this for five days, it’s me that’s slacking, not him! 

Note the bottom left shelf;  it’s a start and I’m super pleased with my new storage for embossing folders and big dies. The rest of the dies are under the shelf thing in folders, so it looks pretty neat at the mo!

I totally accept that one shelf does not free up my dining table or finish my craft room, but I am doing other things. And now and then I try to decide what needs to be on the next shelf - criteria include frequency of use, ease of reach and tidiness to the eye. Stunning that I should consider that it needs to look tidy on the shelf, but I can’t help it. The frequency of use thing is a double edged sword….if I use it a lot, it deserves an easy reach space. But if it isn’t at least in my line of vision, I probably won’t use it! Argh. So - now you’re lulled into a great sense of reasonable tidy well being…..

Here’s a shot of part of my desk! Argh! It makes me smile a bit actually, because so often I read that one or other desker has zoomed in or cropped a shot so it doesn’t look too untidy, and here am I just showing a portion because it’s no better or worse in full size glory! There’s a good selection of stuff on there too, some die cut snowflakes, some sticker tabs (probably my most used punch/sticker/embellishment in scrapbooking particularly). There’s a water brush a pencil and a glue pen. The glue pen is great, really good sticky, controllable glue (zig, I think), but oh boy, it smells awful. I think it used to be called rubber cement. Stinky when wet. The ATC is on the theme of City, and is far more sophisticated than the one I sent as the swap. Under that is a 6x6 pad of very male suitable papers, sent by a friend as a gift. Nice huh. Not that I’ve come up with any ideas yet, I sure hope that her plan wasn’t to wait for me to come up with ideas in an instant!

Talking of instants…snap a pic of your space, show us your stuff, please. You are so much more interesting than the mess to be found here.