Look here, doubters....

So here's the underside of my desk. It's way tidy. It's how it always looks. Because I am too lazy to get off my big old high up tractor seat stool and retrieve things from the floor.Believe me, if it isn't within arm's reach, I either don't use it, or I walk a couple steps to get it. I rarely bend....even in front of my cupboards I tend to kneel. Even my spray box (on the door mat) is precision placed - I kneel in front of that too...clearly my knees are not one of my weak points! For the record, I am of course, (even in this shape and at this age) remarkably bendy. There were a few questions after WOYWW...I will endeavour to answer them tomorrow. And brace yourselves, you know how I need to whinge the day before a crop!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 95

Ok, so call me slightly better organised, and I reiterate - slightly - I've been making my WOYWW anniversary PiF thingy, so have had to clear up a bit in order to keep the secret, well, at least not divulge my rubbish idea too soon! So you see the desk as uncluttered as it needs to be before I start the next thing. And there's a lot of that.... Ludgershall Crop on Saturday..so that's Friday on my hands and knees in front of the paper shelf again. Workshop on Thursday, so that's some cutting and shaping and preparing to do, the summer Card Marathon which is starting to make me panic, and of course, there's a new Workshop list out for my local shop Kraft Crazy, and my name appears more times than it should which means I have samples to come up with on various themes which means of course that my mojo and my courage have shacked up together and taken flight. The light is enhanced by overhead lighting here, but I cannot account for the shakey shot..maybe I should have coffee first!

So are you up for taking part in our second anniverary WOYWW celebration? It's a PiF and you can find details and how to at this post. I can't stress enough that this is a bit of fun and there is no obligation to join in the PiF, you can still join in the WOYWW madness on that day - and any other Wednesday!

Meanwhile, show us what you're up to this week - photo your desk/lap tray/floor (Helen - you have a buddy!!) and post it to your blog. Link here and we'll pop by. We'd love to. Don't mind if some of us are astonishingly late, though, huh.

More basics..

I have broad anonymous shoulders, so you can blame me, and I won't mind really. Blame me for what, you ask? For mildly suggesting that you might wanna include some old stash and under-used techniques in your weekend crafting. Well, Sandra took me at my word! And it caused her stress - she was playing with a brayer, folks. Brayers are the Marmite or the Opera of inky crafting if you ask me - you either love or loathe, no in-between. Well, Sandra actually did a great job, and just for the record, the Back to Basics workshop that prompted Friday's post will feature a brayer, so that proves I didn't chicken out!

The card shown here features another stamp that I've had for yonks - the Penny Black brush flower called 'Blush'. I really like solid stamps anyway, so this is a great multi purpose one for me. For this card I've used felt tips to ink the flower head - blended on the stamp, and then stamped a head three times in a vague circle to get the rosette flower you see here. It's a classic technique and a classic case of old stash, so I hope the workshopeers like it - you never know, it might be such an old technique that someone will discover it as new for them - which makes the whole thing of going back to basics a really good idea. Now if I could just apply that to most of the rest of my life....

Back to basics..

I'm charged with this as a title for a workshop. That's fine; there's always someone who could refresh their basic techniques (me) or back pedal a bit and appreciate some of the products that we used to use a lot. (me). Here's one: Vellum. I have about a ream of it, in plain and coloured and it's lovely. Using it this week felt like I was tripping back to shoulder pads and big hair. It's been ages, and I cannot imagine why. Could it be that there are soooooooo many other paper products crowding my attention zone? And most of them printed to save me the trouble of big and multiple stamping. Lazy tart.One of my 'collections' is Cuttlebug embossing folders. At the time of the Cuttlebug launch, I was a demonstrator for the wholesaler and the demo team were given a bug and a bunch of folders. I'm pretty sure that they are now my least used folders. You kinda use them to death really, huh! Well, in this workshop sample making mode and revelling in the reminiscing through my stash, I found the folder shown on the card. Seriously, I've had it for at least 4 years and after I stopped being a demonstrator, I didn't need to use it, so I didn't. But isn't it gorgeous! And run it through with a piece of vellum clamped into it's little plastic fold; it's just lovely! Well, I like it.

And don't you wish I could photograph just one card straight for a change!

So this weekend, when the beautiful British weather turns back to being entirely March like and seasonally sensible, how about looking out some of your neglected stuff....after all it's not far away - probably just buried under all the 'new' stuff of the last 3 years!

Have a lovely weekend. And if you're reading this Sissy - happy happy birthday. I did post it, but I'm confident that you won't receive it today - but you already knew that really!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 94

OEMMGEEEEE: I just completely forgot to add Mr Linky - canyou imagine how my life is with such a useless memory?! Sorry all, have rectified....! If you're returning to link - check the list, I've already done some!!

A dramatic and very satisfying return to form....oh yeah baby...my desk is cluttered, filthy and I am loving it! OK, maybe by lunchtime I'll be very fed up with it because I have to move on and kit thursdays workshop, but just now, I'm in my groove. Late into my groove though - I'm working on something for my sweet Sissy; it's her birthday on Friday. Yep, I am late because I have to get it in the post. And first class isn't going to cut it - she's in California. Gulp.

Anyway, enough of my postal timing dilemmas, show us your workdesk will ya? Doesn't have to be paper crafting, put a photo on your blog and link here, we'll pop in to see what you're up to.

Record numbers of desks last week - all of them massively interesting...it is really now impossible to visit and comment on every one. So, please continue to share your desk, revel in the comments and enjoy the hits you do get, but don't be feeling neglected, huh! Over the last week I did visit every desk, but spent no time at all browsing other daily blogs and posts..which I really miss - so I need to strike a balance...and I KNOW I have more time than you do.

And don't forget - week 104 is the second anniversary of WOYWW and we're having a teeny party by exchanging gifts with a linky neighbour - please read THIS post for details. OK then, onwards, and happy Wednesday!

Ribbon envy

Go ahead, be envious, I know I have a large selection of ribbon. This photo is actually over a year old....but things don't change much really - because of course, when one uses a piece of ribbon, it has to be replaced, mais non?! So over a long series of discussions with crafting bloggers, noseying around blogs on WOYWWednesdays and generally putting off making a decision, I've spent some time re-organising. And by 'some time', I mean bloomin' ages! It took at least five nights to separate the ribbons into colour groups, decide on how long a length was a real length and not a scrap and then loop them all. Put me off organising I can tell you. Mind you, that's not exactly news. So now the majority of my collection is on book rings, in colour groups, hanging on the door...it does seem a bit precarious at the mo. I need to get a couple more hooks, and of course, they have to be nice ones, so I can't just rush out and make do - that's what the old Julia used to do...the new, organised Julia *cough* doesn't compromise good looks for practicality - oh no, the two must work together. *Still coughing*. BUT..this is the back of the door to the garage and oooh how it swirls about and looks pretty when the door is in use. It has the potential to drive Mr Dunnit mad as he comes in and goes out. I haven't anywhere else to hang it, so we both stay silent about the not-so-good part of this organisation!! Oh and BUT...I somehow still have a jar full on the worktop - now it's lengths of ribbon that are too short to hang and odd pieces of lace and baker's twine in nice packets and so on. So now I'm organised. Oh yeah..now I have two places for ribbon and an extra place to keep tidy. Help me, anybody.

On being the delivery driver..

A handful of you wanna know why I'm making deliveries to building sites. And to be honest, It's no secret - rather mundane actually, although the site where Diet Coke Man really works may well become a secret, when I find it! Because of an act of fate and a recession, late last year, Mr Dunnit found himself without a business partner and closing down the company that they had built up over 20 years. It was hard, it was horrible. Long dark days for us. Enough said. Newly unemployed and frankly terrified, he decided to work small and work for himself. So we've set to (I say 'we' and for once, I don't mean a royal 'we' - truly I am working with him). Our international headquarters are here at home and his workshop is a large shed on his parents large garden. It's fine, and working. We don't have a van yet, so we use a really nice chap called Steve to make the bigger deliveries - and believe me, there are some...a flight of stairs deconstructed fills a big van! But the odd bits and pieces - one window, one panel or short lengths of skirting, dado, whatever...go in the car with me. I've been to what amounts to a stately home that's being refurbished (with a window for the gardener's building) to a lovely primary school in a rural Wiltshire village with new window boards (cills are on the outside and boards are on the inside...public learning curve!) then to Wilton with a pair of windows for a Sure Start Centre (still looking like an abandoned high street shop) and yesterday I collected the smelliest wood primer coating you ever experienced. Ugh. I have not experienced a single site wolf whistle. I think, when I pull up in my Yaris, they feel sorry for me. At least I haven't had to actually unload anything myself which kinda makes up for it.

The pictures show Mr D working in our conservatory (which he built) a couple of weeks ago. The architect that designed these lovely Oak windows had specified they be treated with an oil based coating that could only be stored and dried above 12 degrees C. Despite the sunshine, it was only 3 degrees in the real shed, so some transportation and fire lighting was needed! He coated, it dried and then he sanded and re-coated. The windows have been delivered and we move on. Except of course I don't. You can, literally, write your name on the windows in the fine wood dust from the sanding down. I know it's nobody's fault and it means eventually that the mortgage payment will be made...but oh the cleaning!! I just hate it...you could slide across the floor on this fine sanding. I've done the surfaces and floor..just have to tackle the windows now. Am a bit scared that I'll finish them and he'll announce the need for a repeat performance. So thanks for asking. It gave me an opportunity to share the housework with you!