Wednesday, 20 September 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 746

Well gentle desker, I thought things were getting back to normal. And then I laughed and laughed because there is no normal is there; and for that I'm actually very grateful. This is almost a throwback post because it involves a quick story about Miss Dunnit. I couldn't convince, cajole, bribe or force her to take part in my hobbies at any point. She used to dump stuff that needed my attention on my desk, and at most, sit at my desk to wrap the odd gift. With a LOT of tape. Dear me, she was a tapester. 
Anyway, she decided she wanted to make an outfit for an upcoming wedding, and found a pattern online. As she was at home, made sense to get on with it. Good grief, downloading and printing a PDF pattern for a jacket and a pair of trousers takes time, patience, a lot of cutting and a ridiculous amount of tape! There was a magical irony about seeing her at my desk (for many hours, I might add), cutting and erm, sticking! 

I don't know how much tape she used. But it took the better part of two days to put the patterns together. I'm definitely put off the PDF method for acquiring a pattern. Mind you, how often do I make any clothes nowadays! The real bonus of her work has been that she had to tidy my desk before use..and now it's empty tidy and waiting for me to make a mess! Please share and tell..this week I'm at home and have real internet. And it's raining, so actually, some things are normal! 


Tuesday, 12 September 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday

 OK gentle deskers, here’s another post created on my phone. We’re on our way home from the airport and because it’s nighttime there are so many road closures that it could actually take us longer from plane to house than it did to get from hotel in Mallorca to car park at Gatport Airwick. Argh.

Oh well. For the first time in seven years. I didn’t add a single stitch to my travel embroidery. You know, the one I always show you. In my slightly improved, fitter shape, we are doing much less sitting about than I remember on previous holidays. Consequently he’s less bored and on the evenings I’m too tired to do much but erm, sit about and watch the world go by. Which is a legitimate hobby, by the way!

We’ve dived and snorkelled the crystal clear waters and eaten simple food that tasted like every happy memory you’ve ever had. 

We walked ancient city walls and visited bustling markets where we wanted to buy all the oddly shaped peppers and huge tomatoes to bring home and live on. It’s been great, with a healthy dose of bad photos, mosquito bites and rough Sangria to keep it all real!
As you’ve been holding the fort and showing the things I could have been making, please keep going. Non phone blogging will resume! 



Tuesday, 5 September 2023

What’s on your Workdesk? Wednesday

 Not only scheduled, but put together on my phone, so please forgive if there are more than normal amounts of typos and nonsense that you can’t make sense of no matter how many times you read it! Anyway, to business…

I went to the Craft for Crafters fair at Farnborough last weekend. With the majority of The Coven. It’s about an hour away and we set off to get there not long after opening. It had a decent parking arrangement and unlike in previous years, was held in a dedicated exhibition space rather than a semi permanent tent with shuttering and metal flooring. Makes a difference in weather that can’t be guaranteed! Anyway’ it’s no longer a paper craft only show, there was plenty of all sorts to look at. As you can see, I’m trying new things. I bought a box of ribbons and stuff to make a wreath. The stand holder said if I could handle a glue gun, I could do the wreath no problem.you will of course hear about it! I bought a couple of heading kits to make a bracelet and necklace….intended to be a gift at the end of November. We’ll see. This purchase is ‘hot’ off the success I had last Christmas when I made each of The Coven a beaded star to hang on their trees. And swore that I would never do beading again!  It I have a magnifying lamp now, and hope springs eternal! Lastly, I did but some stamps; used from a Stampin Up! lady and a couple of new ones from Francoise Reade for Woodware. Well, new to me. Almost every paper craft stand was loaded with stencils and mediums and tools for stencilling. Some fab samples, and an amazing example of what goes around comes around if you ask me. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve been paper crafting for more than ten or fifteen years! Brother and Cricut had huge stands, as did Janome, which had me lusting after a new sewing machine that would take me the rest of my life to learn how to use, and to pay for….!

So with an eye on all things waiting to be put away, please show and tell as normal. I’m in foreign parts with very sketchy internet at the mo, so please bear with!


Wednesday, 30 August 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 743

Credit for this scenario goes to my lovely Sissy, who drove from her seaside home (call it my beach house, if you will) to show off her fresh and rather beautiful tan after a lovely holiday. I sat her just slightly out of the way with a coffee and tidied while she told me all about it. It was marvellous. The holiday, that is. The tidying, well, much less tedious.
 The basket is full of cards to be delivered to my friend's new shop. It's been fifteen years at least since I made cards to sell and I have no idea if they even will sell. There's a mix of styles and occasions. I'm more than happy to have them back if they don't sell, I figure that I'll know within a couple of weeks. I plan to change them quite frequently. There's four of each style, in two colours, so if any do sell, then I might be able to get a feel for popular styles. Who knows. Next to my glasses are two of the small brushes from an invaluable set that Kathy gave me -  they were in the kitchen after a hair wash, now drying nicely. Honestly, if you use ink in a direct to paper way, I can't recommend this type of brush enough, and as Kathy knows, you need at least one set. Not one brush. One set.
Here's a drawback folks...bank holiday gardening, some decorating, month end and a trip coming up mean that the desk will probably stay tidy! Ridiculous! Show and tell please, all absolutely as usual!

Tuesday, 22 August 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 742

Well, this will set you up for the day. It'll make you glad it's not yours. It'll help you to appreciate your attitude to clearing up in between things. It'll relax you when you approach your stash, knowing you can actually find something. I've just realised, I'm doing a public service! You're welcome.
This taken at about six yesterday, isn't the sunshine lovely. I had decided to start tidying up but got totally distracted. Made an ATC that I've been mulling over for a long time. Frankenstein theme. In the end, I just sat down and did it, but it's amazing how many times I thought about how hard it would be! And...I didn't think to photograph it before I put it in the envelope and trotted it to the postbox. Doh! Ah well. Then, instead of tidying up, I got stamping again...and now it's all waiting for my return for a lot of fussy cutting! The only thing that isn't in the photo that was on the desk is the empty glass that I used to hold the brushes I was using to apply Distress Oxides to the ATC. I have actually taken them to the kitchen and washed them properly already. I know, I'm untidy but not neglectful. Here's a close up of my I inability to be tidy..
Don't fret, the brush you can see was unused. Good shot of the layers though, huh. So now gentle desker, it's up to you. I will take on board your tidy and organised spaces, but I cannot make any promises...

Tuesday, 15 August 2023

What's on your Workdesk? Wednesday 741

The work that caused a scheduled post last week has come to fruition and is causing a second scheduled post. I'm doing a lot of helping aren't I? We're off in the van to do the fitting of the windows that were In manufacturing progress last week. The lack of stew on a caused by not working very much over the last two years totally caught me out and my desk visiting did not happen. Epic fail, for which I'm sorry, because that may well be the case this week too, real work and possibly sketchy internet because of the location. Time will tell. 
Anyway, to make y'all grateful that you don't have to visit in person, I thought I'd show you the non-panoramic, panoramic view of the way I left my little workroom..
This is the 'centre' shot, the actual desk, although it's getting hard to tell apart from any other piled up space. There's a few cards waiting to go into cellophane bags and the mustaches and glasses are a NBUS set that I fancied trying whilst putting off something or other. Oh I remember, I was having a face-time with my Sissy because she felt the need to show off her high temperature, blue sky, swimming pool type holiday location, so I felt the need to treat myself to doing something for fun. Ha. Joke's on her, don't you agree?!
So, swing left..literally . My swively tractor seat means that this is at my immediate left, don't need to leave my seat...
A basket of card blanks in various sizes and a new scrapbook album, some empty 12x12 acrylic boxes and GKW else sit on top of a RUB set of drawers. The drawers hold all my clear and unmounted stamps with the exception of the top right one which is where I keep cards that I've made. Stock. Not for selling, for me to use or give away. I used to think that I could whip up a card that was personal to a recipient the day before their birthday/anniversary/cheer up need, but that was just naive. If I don't have a stock I can't cope. Actually, I can't cope anyway, but the chances are much improved by having a stash of made cards!
So, swing right. This is far enough away to require me to stand up and take a step to this worktop. But you can see, I just dump stuff on it until I can't use the die cutter anymore and it makes me want to yell at myself.
Apart from being the owner of all this lovely, gloriously disorganised stash, the really best thing about this little room is tan at one of its 3 doors leas into the rest of the house, so I can close it and no one can see what lies beyond. And out of sight means I don't have to tidy up if I don't want to! And I never do want to. Even when I tidy up.
Hope you've had a good week, please join in and link as usual. See you at yours!



Wednesday, 9 August 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 740

I'm on a roll. Well, a stuttering one. Well, a week of doing a couple of hours at my desk nearly every day. Is that a roll? I think it qualifies.
The Versafine Clair ink pad is positively perfect for the sketchy detailed Art Impressions stamp of the teapot, they cards are spread out because it's a pigment ink and so, however fast, it needs drying time. The pink of the background stamping is a Distress Oxide called Spun Sugar which is very pale and I really wondered how anyone would use it. That is until Sally Patterson did something gorgeous and then I had to rush out and buy it! Still don't use it a lot, but love it against the white with the blue. I finished these cards after I'd taken the photo yesterday...they are not as I planned. But things morph and change when you don't actually take size and shape into account. a bit gung-ho, but it was ever thus! There's no sign of it today, but lots of you asked what the egg cup was for....well, I water colour using a water brush and a distress inks or felt tips scribbled on glass as the paint. The egg cup holds the water in which I wash the brush, so as not to run out of water in the barrel. Bit crackers, but works for me. Also scattered on the working part of the desk is a new black pigment ink pad and four new stamps, freshly tipped from their envelope. Including the Kate Crane balloon dog. It's really quite small, but will appear relatively soon, I hope! Brilliant service from Stampers Grove, a company I would not know about if it weren't for several of you WOYWW enablers!
This is a scheduled post, I may be slow to get to you (and the kettle) today, am actually working for a living today! Please link as usual for a bit of show and tell; see you later!





Wednesday, 2 August 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 739

In order to avoid talking about a portion of photo that you can't actually see, I've focussed the camera over the *cough* most interesting section of my desk.
At left, where it looks as if it could be tidy, there's a basket of pens, so not so much of a miss if you don't see them. Of course, balanced on the basket is a bunch of cards made and finished yesterday. I used a Brayer to make a casual inky background. I almost couldn't believe it myself, even as I was actually doing it! You can just see the edges of the inking on my scrap paper, under the crabs. The crabs are waiting to be finished...slightly boy/male variety birthday cards I hope! Some of the stamps I've used in the last couple of days qualify as NBUS; I do hope Darlene will be proud! No doubt that I'm incapable of working in any way other than a mess,  but I am actually clearing up between card sets. Yesterday I had the french doors open and a gust of wind just as I was shaking embossing powder onto an image caused me to have to clear up and actually sweep the desk off with a dustpan and brush - working on a gritty surface would make my teeth itch! Made me a bit sweary for a minute too, lost quite a lot of embossing power! Please show and tell then, weather 💨 stories and all! 


Wednesday, 26 July 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 738

Whoa, I'm obviously out of practice. 
This much mess and I've only made five cards! I did stick to the rule of scrap which is something. But I need to be more productive, this sort of mess should really not happen for a measly five cards! I shall tidy up a bit and start again later, I want to make a selection pack of maybe three each of five designs, so need to exert some discipline! On the far right you can see my medium guillotine. Seriously, medium. It's smaller than the 12" one that I use for scrapbooking, and bigger than the A5 one that I use for little cutting. I know, I can't explain it, but little cutting is a thing. When it's a scrap but use-able enough not to be thrown out, or a mount that just needs trimming. Little cutting. You can't see it, but little cutter is on the desk, under the medium cutter. Both of which are balanced badly on top the the erm, big cutter. Bet you're admiring my imagination for naming equipment, huh! There's a new pair of glasses too, readers in a stronger number. Lordy. I bought them thinking that they would just send me a random colour choice. Turned out that I didn't have to choose, the price was for five pairs in five colours. I didn't see that in the description, so clearly needed the new strength! 
Give me real strength please, show me your works and work desks, always good to see what I'm not doing! Put WOYWW in your post title and link here. Everything, including the untidiness, is normal!

Wednesday, 19 July 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 737

The Jumbo jet version, eh? (737). I know, but someone was going to say it! 
Lookie lookie right here
Rather a mess, but that's not news is it; I've actually made three cards (on the right near the pink tray) and spent a happy hour yesterday doing some classic stamping and colouring in. I'm trying to always work in multiples, and also to only use scraps. It isn't laborious, but sometimes challenging to make patterns and colours work. But when I can make it work, I'm disproportionately delighted. That is entirely because if I stopped producing scraps today, I reckon I could could continue to make cards from them for at least another year. It's not a challenge I'm about to take on to be honest...every time I make a scrapbook page it produces some amount of scrap, so it's a bit of a cyclical problem. As I'm typing, I wonder if I ought to make a LLJ strip quilt style mega masterboard.  I may actually have to walk around that idea, it's not a bad one for a change! The lovely African gal and her pots are waiting to be cut out and stuck onto as yet undetermined backgrounds. I love her and her colourfulness, she cheers me.  You can't quite see my felt tips in two baskets balanced on top of one another at left, but you can I think quite clearly see the layers at right, the cards and powder tray are on top of the stamps I used, and so it goes. Probably by the time I get to the desk this afternoon, I'll be fed up and horrified by the mess and will be forced to tidy. Another cycle. Ah well, it's not hurting anyone. Although that now very flat coke might cause you to grimace. Sorry!
Share and tell then, it's high time!


Wednesday, 12 July 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 736

Good golly Miss Desker, there's been some genuine action!
Admittedly, this scene is a few days old, but the photo is fresh! I haven't got back to my desk since making a start on a couple of ATCS to swap. (And one to replace- Helen, I've assembled the parts...) I was having a chat with LLJ which is a great way to force me to sit still and do a bit of multi tasking. Obviously Jan was doing something with yarn, she never misses an opportunity to have busy hands. We touched briefly on the fact that I have cut up a Union Jack postcard to make the ATC background for my British bulldog. Is it treason? I hope not. I shall claim it's all in the name of art. And hope theres WiFi in the Tower! I'm not being a craft slacker, I'm working away from my desk, largely in the evenings, doing the thread journal and another time waster - the NYTimes mini and full size daily crosswords. My sister and her husband do the mini everyday and we now compete over the time it takes. On days where none of the answers rely on real American knowledge, I'm pretty reasonable, but where brands, politicians and different spellings are needed...epic fails! Nice bit of brain training though. To be honest, if you wanted to help me get back to my desk, you could consider a face time conversation!
All that aside though, really enjoying your summer desks, carry on with the showing and the telling please!

Wednesday, 5 July 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 735

Well, it's not looking overly productive because I've staged it a bit...but it has at least been prepped for use....

I cleared it of rubbish and GKW whilst cooking some supper yesterday, which revealed theses anniversary ATCs that arrived from all corners, Kelly, Neet, Susan and Elizabeth. Despite my tardiness at acknowledging, I am truly grateful that you took the time and effort...honestly June has just been such a flurry of a month that I'm still revelling in it rather than catching up. I still blame my Sissy; coming over here and requiring a stringent re-Anglicising - it was a punishing schedule! Very far left is the Order of Service from the family wedding which was one of the reasons my sister was here. Of course it's on the desk now waiting to be cut up to accompany the bazillion photos that we have amassed. So now there's cards and lovely current up-to-date scrapbooking to do....all I need is time! 
Please share and tell, help me ground myself in good crafty stuff that I can relax and enjoy!

Wednesday, 28 June 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 734

In the blink of an eye my American sister is on her way home and some administrative work is suddenly in order. Thing is, I can't bring myself to do it at the desk..I was outside, trying to make the most of the weather which is clearly starting to break. It got too windy, I couldn't deal with the floating and flying paperwork, so moved to a spot in the lounge where I could keep the garden doors open. 
So, you can see the sofa and the 'fire proof' file that we keep the important stuff in, the wrinkled up tablecloth where I dropped it in a heap last night, (it's a lot of material to scrunch up) and at left you can see the basket that houses my rather neglected thread journal. We've done so much and been to so many places this month that I just haven't been able to keep up! What a great reason, huh! Then there's the box of embroidery threads, a small collection of colours by any account, I think it speaks volumes about my luke warm commitment to this particular expression of creativity! My footstool is piled up with the immediate 'to do' and a notebook for the inevitable lists, and there on the sofa is my Ma In Law's Kindle waiting for me to refill with library books. She didn't read for pleasure before we gave her a kindle and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear her talking about this change in her life, and how she sometimes can't put the book down to do chores! Wonderful things, words,  when put in a good order! 
So, now that you've seen the splendour in which I wallow for rush admin work, show me what you're working on will you please...it may point me back to the relative sanity of my desk. Also, my Sis cleaned me out of cards that were left blank, so I have some re-stocking to do and you can be the inspiration driver!

Wednesday, 21 June 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 733

Well, the lack of actual sit-at-the-desk type crafting continues here, but I am slightly, on and off-ly, employed in a crafty vein. 
In January when I was flushed with the idea of new beginnings and the thread journal and how amazing it will be to maximise my leisure time to craft in ways other than cutting and sticking, I got carried away. Surprise! I bought a big red cotton (prolly) tablecloth in the January sale at IKEA and declared that every time a guest ate at our table, they should sign the cloth with a sharpie and I would embroider over it for the posterity of 2023. 
Well, I'm delighted to tell you that after completely forgetting from January to mid May, it's now in use and operation! There will have to be some retrospective signing, but hey, nobody's perfect. I've made a wobbly start as you can see. It's a big tablecloth and boy, it's warm to sit under, so I might actually consign it to the 'winter projects' basket. *cough* (There is no basket, and if there was it would be the  'basket of procrastination' and I can't consign it to anywhere because it needs to be on the dining table for people to sign...talk about about a millstone badly conceived plan!
So there we are gentle Deskers, that's me again. Still enjoying the company of my American Sissy and therefore enhanced visits to and from other fam; it's been fab and so far it's only rained at night....her re-anglicising continues apace and at this rate she'll go home with the idea that English summers are warm, bright and long! On that basis please forgive my sporadic attendance last week. I know a few of you are on holiday, hope you're having the best time! Join in if you can, show us where or what, that will be lovely.

Wednesday, 14 June 2023

What's on your Workdesk? Wednesday 732

This week has been taken up with glorious weather and visits to family with family; my big sister and her husband are here from Idaho and we have done a lot of visiting!
The desk isn't quite as same old as I thought actually...look at these

Some' old' looking ephemera (freshly printed, for sure,) and facsimiles of account books printed on A5, I have no idea where they fit within my craft needs or style, but I had to have them because they were extraordinarily cheap. Likewise the roll of handmade stickers; the other roll is Washi tape postage stamps. Really nice. I got them with a very slow delivery off a website called Temu that kept bugging me on Facebook! One of those where they offer you stuff for a penny for your first purchase. It seems to sell everything, put me in mind of a dollar store or something like it. Happy with these bits and pieces....and at least while I'm too busy to be at the desk, I can be thinking about what on earth I can use them for! If you can force yourself into the house to blog, we'd love to see what you're doing and what shape your Workdesk takes in theses summer months!
Put WOYWW in your title please, makes finding the right post easier if someone's running behind (cough) and link here. Sending you ice cream and flip flop vibes...

Tuesday, 6 June 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 731

Gentle desker, it’s not that my desk is empty; that won’t happen unless we move. It’s just that it is completely unchanged, I haven’t so much as moved stuff a single centimetre until now. So I’m not showing you the work desk per se. Some of you will have seen on Facebook that I spent a couple of hours on Sunday sitting in the sun, catching up with my thread journal. As it’s now June and we’re half way through the year, I’m thinking this size of hoop will accommodate two yeqrs if not a third!
My not-much-younger sister is my judge on this one…every now and then she goes through it and if she can ‘see’ what the icon is meant to be, I tell her the story attached to it (by looking in the little diary I keep for this purpose.) At the beginning, I was putting the little pictures very close together for fear of not having enough room, but now they are reasonably spaced. Perspective is a huge issue, but I’m not going to consider it. My attempt at Salisbury Cathedral is almost the same size as the pair of little chicks above it. Thirty years ago when I had 20-20 vision this might have vexed me. Now, not at all!
Also this week, the happy Mail keeps me smiling, big thanks; these are from Susan and Neet, my word the ideas are just amazing. Truly, it’s not just on a Wednesday when thoughts of this community make me happy.
Now don’t faint, but this is a three-fer! I actually remembered, so am quickly going to tell you about the acrylic words that I had on my desk last week. Still there, but I have a pic of some of them by way of explanation. They’re about 4mm thick and laser cut. I buy them principally from two sources, Bramble Fox and Peartree Cutfiles. I use them for titles or additions to my scrapbook pages. Largely because I can’t bring myself to give them away on a card, but also because they aren’t always the right size for my kind of card making. In the picture, the ‘30’ set are actually mirror silver but have a protective film over them. They need a wet glue or silicone to attach, I find the silicone is better because it grabs the smooth backs better. The complicated cuts or thin, serif fonts are quite snappy, so they need reasonable storage if you end up hoarding them. Ask me how I know. I am however, over the innovation, and can use them with ease now, so you will see them on pages that I post here if you haven’t already. 
I could prolly ramble on some more, but I believe it was actually me that asked for a modicum of brevity for WOYWW posts, so that’ll be it for now. This is scheduled for reasons of ridiculously early appointments again, but it’s OK, I’m just the driver for this one, so I’ll try to log on whilst I’m waiting. Meanwhile, post and inspire please!


Wednesday, 31 May 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 730

And still I’m showing off goodies, it’s just lovely. I’ve managed to post these pics completely out of order, these lovely ATCs arrived on and before the actual anniversary. I’m still looking at them all with glee and pleasure, and some pride - it’s so lovely knowing you and owning some of your art. This week has been a mixed bag for me..I haven’t been well, and it’s taking ages to shake off, this is the third week and I’m very bored and not a little behind with my grand plans. Grand plans! They’re always plans until you do ‘em aren’t they, even normal daily jobs! The ‘grand plan’ hasn’t come to my desk yet…
Blue light because of cruddy photographing, sorry. There’s a little splurge on laser cut acrylic words and a crown stencil quietly awaiting some action. There’s quite a few coronation related bits and pieces for the scrapbook pages that will eventually be made up. There’s a sheet of the new logo that was a trial run for cutting positions to make the badges. It’s the layout that worked, so I shall make some more badges when I need some mindless activity. Any time soon, to be honest! And the plate has reappeared. I really want this off my desk and in the kiln, so have promised myself that I’ll start the tracing of the pattern onto it before the week is out. Again, not to complain too loudly for fear of being treasonous, but it’s a mighty complicated design if you’re not using a computer programme! 
You can see my ATC collection stacked up against my under utilised bin…if you’re easily bored, learn to ignore them, because I doubt if they’ll be moved from the desk space for some time yet! How’s your desk then, full of interest and creativity? Overflowing with beautiful stuff and causing you to smile? Or is it the burgeoning and bursting garden that’s giving you pleasure this week? I sure hope something is!  Share and tell please, it makes my world go around and my desk feel at home!





Wednesday, 24 May 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 729

The brilliance of our 14th anniversary goes on gentle desker, it was a lovely occasion and I thank you wholeheartedly for joining in, linking up, being around, making an ATC or two and commenting. Any, one or all of those things, it was lovely. 
And oh my, your ATC art is so clever!
I didn’t notice the glare on Lyn’s when I took this, sorry. I cleared and tidied so that I could lay them out and wallow in them, as you can see, there’s a lot to examine and in the case of Mary Anne’s, to work out! You are all so clever, and I see joy in our differences as much as in our likenesses. Thank you. I say that a lot on this blog, but I do always mean it!
I’ve had absolutely zero time at my desk to do anything other than gloat over ATCs this week; and to be honest, if the sun continues to shine I will be spending more time in the garden. Not working on the garden necessarily… we now have a fully oiled and lacquered garden table to sit at…yep, I’ve been productive if not creative! Anyway….here we go into another year of WOYWW, at your place by way of a link, please!

Wednesday, 17 May 2023

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 728- the 14th Anniversary

 

ooh look,  a new but old fashioned logo thingy!

Blogs seem to be becoming the old fashioned part of social media . Soundbites, pithily worded tweets, or Insta moments are much more popular now. Its all a bit fast moving and momentary really. So, with a fourteenth anniversary for this particular blog activity, I think we are allowed to feel like stalwarts of the old guard! 

Of course, WOYWW has become far more than just showing us your work desk, it's a link to our like minds, a short route to the sharing of individual creativity. It's become a porous community; you don't have to turn up weekly - life isn't straightforward enough for that -  but you can be assured that it will be here if you want to join in. It's a bit of background creativity in busy weeks, it is so nice to look on other inky, stitchy, painty desks if yours isn't!  And it's unwavering support in busy, noisy, quiet, lonely and sometimes difficult lives. Please never under-estimate the power of a few words left as a comment. We blog to reach out, so knowing that others are there is a bit priceless. Finding out what you're doing on your craft desk, away from your domestic normal is the cherry on the cake!


If you're joining in with the ATC swap to mark this anniversary, please put an asterisk* on your name as you link. Your ATC recipient will be the nearest person underneath you on the list to have an asterisk* against their name. If you need to, message your recipient for an address and post the ATC. That's it, in essence. The last *name on the list will send to the first *name on the list. I believe this is a friendship circle by name...or it was when I was in the Brownies!




Wednesday, 10 May 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 727

Last week I had an explanation by way of an excuse for it. This week, not so much, it’s just a bit of a pushed back dumping ground and I can’t go on with it like this, it is seriously getting on my nerves!
The china plate is still waiting to be traced onto. At least I move it to the top of each pile for fear of breakage. I’m actually at the point of doing it; honestly, I need to get it out of the way! There’s a bunch of coronation memorabilia and GB/Union Jack stuff for scrapbooking purposes. Our little town had a great street party and I collected some fab bits to help tell the story in my scrapbook.
**time to wallow…the Coronation was the greatest pageant I’ve ever seen…the little moments, the crowds, the inclusiveness, the palpable national pride. Loved every minute of it.**
I doctored this picture slightly…see the new stamp in its packet at left? It’s actually three packets of stamps and I have laid them artfully over the ATCs I’ve made for next week. Good grief gentle desker, next week is a WOYWW anniversary and we’re doing an ATC swap. I’m jolly nearly ready! Please contact me if you want to join in but don’t know how, and remember, if you haven’t got time, are too shy, hate the idea…then don’t join in, it’s absolutely NOT obligatory! Meanwhile, let’s get this weeks desks into the open. I’ll be late again…early start to get the car to Salisbury for a ‘sit and wait’ service. Glamorous, huh.

Friday, 5 May 2023

When it isn’t a workshop…

Despite the closure of her bricks and mortar shop, Shopkeeper Gal is able to drip feed the obsessive amongst us with workshop kits and access to some new stamps. It’s delicious, but….when I buy a kit, it often sits on my desk for ages. I’ve resolved to not let that happen again, because I really do enjoy making up cards as you probably know by now! So, when the latest kit was announced (with samples so you know whether you’d like it or not!) I offered my dining table as a venue for an afternoon of kit making up. 
It was an entirely selfish gesture, an afternoon off to do some crafting, with lovely company and a lovely kit. It worked too. We ate biscuits, drank coffee and coloured in, cut out, made cards and chatted. Perfect. I have no idea why, but I am a sucker for bird images, so this was the obvious and perfect workshop for me, and I’m also now the proud owner of three new stamps sets. Oh, somebody stop me! No, really, don’t.
Seems this year that I’m all about birds and teacups. It’ll wear off in a couple of millennia, I’m sure.
I’ve missed it. I crop with my Coven and so the recesses of my mind equate scrapbooking with company; but largely, card making I’ve been doing on my own. I don’t need the company, I’m perfectly happy at my desk, listening to an audiobook or birdsong or heaven help me, the voices in my head. But I had forgotten how nice is to work on something together, and the Shopkeeper Gal went to the trouble of bringing supplies so that we could copy her samples faithfully. Which I did. Except for the fourth card which I didn’t get round to, and when I did, I went off track with the colouring and totally ruined it! 
So when is a workshop not a workshop? Oh I don’t know, but I’m delighted tone involved in dining table creating!



Wednesday, 3 May 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 726


Let me explain. The ATC backs and scissor sharpener have migrated to lie on top of the plastic wet wipe container so that I could stand the little Cricut on top of the 12” cutter that always sits at right edge of my desk. The little a Cricut only needs the iPad to make it work, so there you see the gap on the glass mat where it was sitting before I picked it up and moved it onto my lap in the lounge to write this.  Another view of the the AT  blanks storage box that Debbie made for me. And another view of the file and carbon paper etc for the painting of a plate to commemorate the Coronation. There’s a plate in the file, just s there was a couple of weeks ago. It’s a second one; I actually managed to get the first done in one sitting last week. Lucky I don’t want to serve food on them this weekend, huh! What you can’t actually see or feel, (although I wish you could) is my shredded patience and quiet fury. because the little Cricut has a lot to do this week, and every time I use it, the App freezes on my iPad and I have to delete it, download it again and start again. There’s a lot to be said for this little machine, but at the moment, because of the software experience, I’m not calling it by it’s proper name. JOY. It is not. Me, the iPad and the app will work it out, I’m sure, but meantime….argh.
Distract me do, show and tell of your desks and even your ATC intentions for the anniversary on week 728. Coming up!
This is a scheduled start today, I’ve got an appointment at 9am which is a bit rude!

Friday, 28 April 2023

Plunking the steam

Or steaming the punk. I don’t know. It’s another craft style or genre that I look at with admiration. I love the ‘insides on the outsides’ look of the style, and the mixture of dark and light, fabric and metal, it’s a lovely eclecticism. 
Cue my monthly ATC swap partner choosing Steampunk as the theme for April. Made me gulp a bit, but not panic. As you know, I’ve got plenty of stash, so I gently started going through it and pulling out anything that I might be able to use. It wasn’t much, to be honest. A couple of dies, an embossing folder with cogs and clocks on it and a handful of metal embellishments. It didn’t add up to much, I can tell you! But it was a positive too, it meant it wouldn’t take long to try combinations of what I’ve got until I hit on something that fit the bill. 
Took blooming ages! I looked at Pinterest. Changed my mind a lot. Then remembered that the best I can do is the best I can do. I used all I’ve got. I could have gone digital I know, but I’ve got all this stuff, it deserves to be used. Especially the alcohol inks that I don’t think have seen the light of day for over four years!
Gosh, I spend a lot of words explaining things that aren’t my style, and this another! I need to take a couple of workshops I think, although to be completely honest, I’m not sure I want to get into this style - I’d have to acquire quite a lot of new stuff to be able to pull it off, and I’m not up for that anymore, good grief, where would it go?! The stockists may be unimpressed by this decision, but I reckon if he knew, Mr Dunnit would be hanging out the flags! 

Wednesday, 26 April 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 725

OK, lovely Desker, three weeks to go until we hit the 14th anniversary of this ‘ere WOYWW, on week 728. I’ve had a few questions, so here are a few answers….we’re going to do the roundy ATC swap that we’ve always done. Make one to swap with your swap partner on the day, or make more and swap with others too. There isn’t a specific theme this year. I thought it would make it easier if I simply suggested that your ATC(s) somehow reflect what being a desker means to you. Sorry; now I’ve started working on my ATCs, I’ve realised that it’s so much easier to have a specific theme. And colour. And words. And image. I hope that answers the questions that have been asked thus far. Any others…? Ask in the comments or email me, find me on Facebook and message me…however it suits you.
Meanwhile, I’ve been at my desk for several sessions this week already. A lovely long screen chat with LLJ on Monday gave me time for cutting out, and in between things yesterday I managed some sticking, trimming and inking. So far so good!
All of this activity is secret though. Last Wednesday you lot set of the panic train in my brain, so I just had to start on my ATCs, especially as I had a vague idea!  What you can see on my desk is the arc of pushback, it’s amazing how I can make it look tidy but the back and edges are a bit precarious! Great ATC backs made by Mary Anne are printed and ready to be cut up. My lovely blank ATC storage box back on centre stage - made for me by the beautiful and missed Debbie Rock, such a pleasure to own. You can just see two rulers in the foreground - funny, I used one, pushed it to the side, and then when I needed to use it again, I reached up to where I should have put it back, and used the spare. And then pushed that to the side as well. And that black and grey thing right in the front of the pic is a Fiskars scissor sharpener. Useful bit of plastic and metal, actually. 
That’s me then, now you please! Put WOYWW in your post title please, then link here as usual! See you later!






Friday, 21 April 2023

Taking liberties for my art…

I painted two plates as souvenirs of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. (Using the formal because I want it to sound grand. It may lessen the rather pedestrian nature of the souvenirs I produced!) one plate went to Miss Dunnit and the other is in regular use in my daily crockery stack. The design was my own in as much as I took a liberty by cutting the crown in half. I had downloaded the image from the official website and traced it, then scribbled all over the back of the tracing with a soft pencil and then traced it again onto the naked plates. Remember that technique from childhood? Still works but my word, it’s very laborious. Very. Anyway, I Dunnit.
The lettering was stamped just as a size gauge, so when it came to painting, I kept it simple and used it as a guide for spacing etc. thank goodness, the stamped ink burned off in the kiln! I was left with a gap at the foot of the plate which I really didn’t like, so asked for a delay in glazing to gimme a chance to think of something to add. Naturally, I was about a mile from the studio when it occurred to me that EIIR would be the most appropriate addition. I didn’t quite do a handbrake turn and go back to save the day. Instead I did the grown up thing and waited till I next had some time booked. I know, surprised me too.

So, the world turns and momentous events mean that we are now facing the coronation of King Charles III. Today I’m going to start on my souvenir plates. Start by downloading the official image. Did that about 6 weeks ago and am still in shock….
The detail! I’m a heavy handed painter as ably illustrated on the Jubilee plates. And, I don’t think I have the patience to trace, let alone paint this image, twice. Because Miss Dunnit must have her souvenir too, whether she wants it or not. I may have been whining to the ceramic studio lady about the labour involved. I was whining, you have no trouble believing that. Ceramic Gal clapped her hands, rushed into her office and came back with a sheet of special carbon paper for using on unglazed bisque. I had to hug her. So, because today is the deadline, yesterday, I traced onto the first plate. Now, this is where I have to be very humble. I mean, you never know who’s reading, huh.  I’ve erm, adapted the pattern slightly your Majesty. I’m using the Crown centre piece and will attempt the font for my lettering…but forgive me sir, the symbols in red that repeat the representations of England Scotland Ireland and Wales are beyond my finesse in painting on a side plate. 
If I’m not carted off to the tower for taking liberties, I’ll show you how it goes.


Wednesday, 19 April 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 724

The trying to stay tidy thing is a bit of a slippery slope!
I haven’t spent more than about an hour at my desk since last Wednesday and I don’t like it. But, yesterday I did something to quell my rising panic about a couple of deadlines that are approaching. I finished a very tricky theme of an ATC for a swap. It’s a steampunk theme. I had to literally rake through all of my stash. I‘ll try to remember to photograph it once it’s dry…I had to use silicone and real old fashioned wet glue to stick some bits of metal on it. That’s why there’s a small herd of alcohol inks on the desk. My word, they haven’t been used for years. They coloured the bits of metal a bit though, so they still do their job which is impressive.  Also, of course, and slightly unmissable is the lumpy badge maker. I had a couple of cards that needed rude badges, and of course, I haven’t put it away yet…I will later today though, I will be needing the space. I’ve actually had an idea for my anniversary ATCs which I think may work! 
So what are you doing with the crafty part of your brain this week?  Tell and show, please!

Friday, 14 April 2023

Oh. O.

Well I’m on a roll. Making and now, spotting mistakes all over the crafty place! Whilst the ‘children’ were home for Easter, I employed them on various tasks involving computers. Fair exchange to be honest, they did things in minutes whilst I slaved over Easter food in the kitchen and gave them chocolate. One of the things I wanted to do was reduce my iCloud storage because I’m not about to start paying for it, I’m too mean AND it’s all part of the control that tech has over my life and I want to stick it to the man. Listen to me, what a load of rubbish. Anyway, once on a page in my scrapbook, I consign the photos to the 21st century shoe box that is a massive file on my PC. That is now organised. And better yet, it’s empty; instead of a £3 Easter egg, I bought myself an external hard drive for photos only. Yep. Sticking it to the man by giving someone nearly £50. Anywayyyyyy….
In organising the photos, there were a lot to be deleted. I use the camera on my phone and iPad as an aide memoire, take lots of screen shots and pics of menu boards in pubs so I can share with others at the table, lovely stuff I want people to see..you know. So, I deleted a chunk which meant having a quick gander at each picture. Honestly, it was a game of spot the mistake.
made this LO in February, photographed it to use on the blog as a decoy for some rambling probably ranting post and put it in the scrapbook. Have looked at the original a few times since, and the photo on my iPad as many times as I’ve had to scroll through ‘em. And until it was time to delete it yesterday, I didn’t notice the mistake in the title. No O in front of clock. OOOOOO Oh for heavens sake! Talk about read what you think it should say not what it actually says. I’ve tried to lift the stuck on letters so that I could correct it…not happening without massive tearing and tears. So this is another perfectly imperfect. I thought that about this LO anyway because my pen ran out as I was doing the tiny bit of journaling at the bottom; until yesterday, I was happily and totally oblivious to the real BIG mistake!  Follow me for more, I can guarantee there will be!

Wednesday, 12 April 2023

What’s on Your Workdesk? Wednesday 723

Still trying to be tidy!
I finished the LOs that were erm, laying about last week. Filed ‘em. There’s a story to it, I’ll tell you about it at some point…flicking through my current album to file newly completed LOs isn’t always a joy of memories preserved! Anyway, I’ve moved on to starting an ATC challenge with a theme that frankly, scares me. Which is why you can see my ephemera boxes making an appearance, namely the ‘metals’ and ‘wooden’s’ at this point. There’s an air pump mica spray at right (above the pink highlighter). The Ida is that it doesn’t block up with mica and sprays a fine mist to the last drop. It does, but not until it’s dribbled and squirted all over everything to start with. Sheesh, I need to remember that - and to remember that the trajectory of the ‘mist’ is really unfathomably, disproportionately enormous. Also at last, I’ve found a pot to put the cut up foam tape in. It has a lid, a wide base and is heavier than the paper cup; it’s centre of gravity significantly reduces the chances of having to pick up a kerjillion foam pads. Result! 
We’re five woywws away from the anniversary, this is just a heads-up if you need planning time to make an ATC for the swap. Meanwhile, please keep showing and telling! Kettle is officially on!


Friday, 7 April 2023

Egging fail

If you read the post ‘She’s Getting Eggy , now is the moment to hold your breath and await the beauty of my Easter branch, decorated with eggs in rather lovely Easter, spring like colours. Now is the moment, after all, not a moment too soon as it’s Good Friday today. 
Not happening, gentle reader. Unsurprised reader, no doubt! 
I totally lost my patience with the thin and mean acrylic paints but couldn’t find my others. (See this week’s  WOYWW post, a bit of tidying and hey, I’ve found them. Too late, obvs.)
I totally lost my patience with decorating them as planned because it wasn’t as easy as I thought and the silver leaf was just messy.
I totally lost my patience because even before I started decorating them, they were too big and not what I wanted. 
So what to do? I scoured a different website and found some smaller ones for a really good price. Ordered them to come by post in two days.
Meanwhile, finished the big ovals that aren’t eggs. Unscrewed the little hooks and yep, chucked them in a bowl.
They are a mess and I don’t like them. They are slightly saved by the beautiful crystal bowl which is on a semi-permanent loan from my Lunch Lady Jan. I would show you how the sun bounces off the faceted sides and makes the ‘eggs’ look much better. But I can’t because the sun just won’t shine, and it’s all made me petulant and childish. You could hold a party on my bottom lip it sticks out so far when I look at these eggs.

Still, never mind gentle reader. It’s been month-end and tax return information gathering week, so I’ve been distracted from looking at the bad oval eggs. So distracted in fact, that I’d forgotten that the other, smaller eggs were late to arrive. They came today. And they really are smaller. Talk about sublime to ridiculous. And too late. I’ve lost the will to have an eggy branch. I’m also a bit scared that if I don’t paint them and put them away somewhere appropriate, I’ll never find them again. Why? the size….
Ah well, I’ll be ahead of the curve for next year, and using decent acrylics, and repainting the big ‘uns and doing a proper job, I might actually have learned from my comeuppance. Hmm, do ya think?
Happy Easter!


Wednesday, 5 April 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk ? Wednesday 722

This photo brought to you in excitement. Tidy! I was at the Coven Crop on Saturday and when I got home, I not only tidied the desk, I did some re-organising as well; the shelf space and worktop at desk right sort of makes a bit more sense now. Sorry that you can’t see it, I didn’t think about it when I was photographing!
There’s a couple of LOs on the desk waiting for me to add titles to. See, I’m grown up now and can make a whole LO without a title instead of rushing to finish it and mucking it up. That is not to say that I apply these titles with any more care and finesse *cough* when I’m at home, just that I can actually cope with the delayed satisfaction of completion, which means I don’t have to cart my infuriating collection of mainly consonant stickers to the Crop! See the die on the cutter there at the right? It was lost and now is found. Weeks ago I made some cards with cups on it with die cut flowers in them. This is one of those dies and I went through the bin under my desk and the proper waste recycling ‘big bin’ trying to find it. I had really written it off, so this was a big moment of serendipity!It was stuck to the back of an alphabet sheet, so obviously happened when I was making the alpha backgrounds. Serves me right for push back and untidiness doesn’t it. Lesson learned? Hmmm.
There has been sunshine forecast for a second day in a row, I am delighted to say. It’s lovely and warm under glass or out of the rather nippy wind, and I hope that wherever you are, you are experiencing a little wink of spring! Have a warm and peaceful Easter.Join in with the old desk sharing please, better for you than any amount of chocolate. Or better yet, visit whilst eating chocolate!

Friday, 31 March 2023

Predictably rash…

Months ago when Shopkeeper Gal announced that she was having to close my nearest bricks and mortar craft shop, I sort of went into stocking up mode. It wasn’t a panic per se, but I do like to see and touch before I buy, so I was buying small wedges of 12x12 papers, especially the plain colours, at every visit. I also bought some quite grungy paper designs too. A whole pad of brick backgrounds, 2 each of 12 designs..who know there were so many brick types/colours! And a whole pad of weathered wooden board backgrounds.  These pads were probably a rash purchase. OK, they were a rash purchase. I have pulled both out to hold a photo against one or other design about a kerjillion times whilst prepping for crops, and each time have frightened myself with its -  well, ‘there-ness’. It’s very in your face isn’t it, a brick wall or a sanded floor!
I really had to force myself to start using them, after all, I’ve got enough paper to last until my untimely death at about 110 years old, and despite the fear of them, I must have brought them with the intention of using them, huh! So I started easy, with these chibi pictures rather than real life. Helped a bit, I must say. I grunged them a little bit with black ink and stamps and put scruffy embellishments on. One page down. And so, now to the floors…
Scary again if you ask me. Thank goodness for that part of my brain that, as I’ve mounted the photo and rearranged it a thousand times makes me get sick of myself and the dithering, so then I can reach for a few scraps and make it happen. I can’t say make it work, because many will think it doesn’t, but it’s all a bit subjective isn’t it, this cutting and sticking game.
So now each pad only has 23 sheets in, and I’ve broken the spell of being scared. Except that I made these layouts last October and if they didn’t have a lid on the box, the pads would be dusty……I may resort to taking photos of strange things that might deliberately go on such backgrounds. Yeah right, just as I managed to get Mr Dunnit and Miss Dunnit to co-ordinate their clothes colours when we were on holidays and looking particularly photogenic! 




Wednesday, 29 March 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 721

The clocks went forward, we’re into what our cousins call daylight saving. So it’s Spring. Won’t it be fantastic when the weather gets the memo too! The rest of the week went by in such a blur, and chez Dunnit, there was pushback rather than clear up. This is Tuesday evening.
There’s pushed back stamps and ink pads from last weeks floral card making, and as you can see, some paint applied to wooden eggs. See the post before this if you want to read of my painting experience. All of this pushed back into ignore mode because my photos have turned up. I ordered 101 of them 2 weeks ago, one arrived, all on its own in a big old envelope. Customer services were marvellous and here are the other 100. Now all I need to do is scrapbook them! Won’t it be marvellous when I stop talking and start doing. The plastic file sleeve under the lid for the paints is another project to be done…we have a Coronation coming up and I have a need to paint some more plates!  
Talking of things coming up….the anniversary of WOYWW is approaching, Week 728. The ATC swap is a goer, make one or a few, up to you. There’s no specific challenge, I don’t want to make it harder than it is to come up with an idea. Last year we celebrated connection, so this year…go for what this whole blog link up thing means to you. But have fun!
Meanwhile though, and more pressing than any ATC…show us your working space please!

Saturday, 25 March 2023

She’s getting eggy….

I made a special trip to town to find the tiny hook things so that I could screw them into the wooden eggs. They would be easier to paint with a little something to hold, and of course, they are destined to hang on a lovely twiggy cutting or, more likely after this week’s weather, a windfall branch! So then I was ready and had no reason not to set to and paint the eggs. Ten eggs, two shades of five colours. Add contrasting detail in the form of dots and stripes and what-not. 

It quickly became obvious that this was going to be a more than one coat job, I don’t know if the acrylic paints (which are new) are just lacking opacity or if they were too cheap to be any good. I thought they were reasonably priced rather than cheap, but neither are they Windsor & Newton! While I was coming to terms with the need to sand and re-coat, I pressed on, and by the eighth egg, had decided that these damn things aren’t actually egg shaped. They’re just ovals. And they’re much bigger than I thought, too. 

See what I mean? I wasn’t quite sure quite how big they are in terms of display and well, taste. I know, that sounds daft, but who wants to have to use an actual bough to give a handful of wooden eggs the right perspective for an Easter table display? Yeah, now you get it. I did some very technical research. A real egg for control and a creme egg for back-up:
I was right. The wooden eggs are just ovals. And they’ll be definitively too big for a sweet twig of catkins in a jar that was to form part of my *cough* Easter display. The real egg is a large, free range, so there’s a little more perspective on the size of the wooden ovaloid. Both make the creme egg look positively sad though don’t they? Creme eggs are, I have discovered, a bit like marmite. You love ‘em, or hate ‘em. Don’t worry, there are takers for both types of egg in this house, this technical comparison was created from erm, goods in stock. 

Now, to finish the painting. Unscrew the hangy bits and just toss the lot into a glass bowl, that’ll do till I can find some daintier, less clumpy actual egg shaped eggs to decorate! Easter 2024 at this rate.

Wednesday, 22 March 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 720

Whatever else I may or may not be good at, I am still exceptional at making a mess.
See the Hero Arts floral stamp set at left?  I inherited it from Mary. It was unused, and by my estimation, it’s probably 18 years old. Those wood mounts and real rubber, ah…they stamp crisply and they don’t squash if you press too hard and I just love them. Digression, sorry. I used them to make a Mothers Day card and then went off on a stamping frenzy and coloured a bunch of them and used that age old ‘technique’ of stamping the background with the same stamp as the main image. I mean, very simple, relatively quick and I really enjoyed. 
The slightly cleared working pad (waste copier paper - purchase ledger print outs from 2012!)  is because I had a lot of phone calls yesterday and had pushed back a bit to do cutting out whilst I talked. Cutting out more body parts, although I’m not sure you can tell, the plastic tray is just above the heat gun. 
A grand clear up is yet again scheduled for today, I’ve got eggs to paint and time is starting to press a little isn’t it! 
Please show and tell; your desk, your project, your space, your day….it’s important! Put WOYWW in your post title and link away! Thanks in advance, I already know I’m going to enjoy my visit.





Wednesday, 15 March 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 719

Thank goodness that the week has gone so fast. I’ve been feeling sorry for myself, miserable with cold and full of snot. I spent two whole days doing nothing but lie around shivering and believe me, that’s not only a waste of time, it makes me cross because despite being a lazy type, I don’t like to be forced into it! Argh. So anyway, the desk has seen some action, and probably more impressively, sunshine!!
This was Tuesday afternoon, and it has changed since, but it involves a Mother’s Day thing, so I can’t show you. My sweet Ma-in-Law doesn’t read my blog, but it doesn’t seem like a surprise if she’s not the first to see it, huh. Technically she’ll be the third though, because after I’ve made it, Mr Dunnit has to at least write his name in it…! So you can see paper piecing going on…the plastic tray is holding some body parts stamped and cut out of the clothing brochure which I’m now cutting up and sticking onto the original image. Very fiddly, but a nice effect, and a good way to soak up some sunshine! I made a card with it too, very basic after the scissoring exertion, can’t show you that yet either! 

So please, do what I’m not really, and show and tell! Put WOYWW in your post title and link here as always, thank you good Deskers!

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 718

Daylight means you get a great view of the water butt from this angle! But please, be distracted by a nearly tidy desk, it’s been a long time! In fact, it’s only this tidy because I took the alphabet file to Crop and have very wisely left it in the bag…I can’t face it for now! The paper cup is still filled with sticky foam pieces cut from the huge reel. I vaguely remember saying they need a better container, but as usual, I haven’t addressed it because it hasn’t yet become a matter of peril. Apparently I want to play ‘million foam piece pick up’ before I heed my own advice! The patterned magazine at the end is a clothing brochure with beautiful colours and patterned clothing. I shall be cutting it up for piecing my Janet Klein images, I think they’re a perfect match! Don’t hold your breath though, I’ve got a bajillion other things to do. Well, three birthday cards…and some Easter eggs to paint. It’s rolling around really fast!
Join in will you, make me want to get to my desk with all your inspiration! 

Wednesday, 1 March 2023

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 717

My desk looks unchanged, I swear it’s not the same photo!
I spent Saturday afternoon at my desk. Not because I was feeling the need to, or because Mr Dunnit was watching the Rugby, or because I had a head full of ideas after being deprived of access to it whilst we were away. No. In honesty, I was driven to it by the presence of the electric heater. No better excuse; we were freezing all weekend. Serves us right for having a week in warm sunny Tenerife, huh! I didn’t sit and do nothing though, I started on the alphabet thing. My word, it’s going to take a lot longer than I anticipated, and I’m definitely going to have to come up with a few proper ideas!
I’ve done a few random sheets as you can see, and this is just from the black alphabet file! I’m surprised frankly, by the amount of letters that become unusable and will definitely be going back to dies and smart cutting. I’m going to a crop with The Coven this weekend, so it will be a good test of whether I can make up a LO and leave the title until I get home rather than have the shot of satisfaction from finishing it there and then! So, that’s me. What about you? Please show and tell, as usual. I’ll be late to visit because of another early start that involves logistical tactics with one vehicle where two would be the ideal! See you later!