Left right left right...

I finally gave in to the demands of my car and went to the local pit stop to have a slow puncture mended. And this post is what happens if you sit me down for 40 minutes and let me observe.

Decoy photo of no relevance to the post. Spots and Stripes workshop last month.

The garage is run by a bunch of 16 year olds, I swear. Perhaps the head honcho is in his early twenties; you can single him out easily because he doesn't wear the striking blue filth barrier gloves on both hands. The hand he takes your money and taps the keyboard with is ungloved. And of course, as filthy as the gloved hand. His left ear is filthy too. It's his phone ear. I had time to study these things. I have a phone ear too. I swear that it's the better of my two ears for hearing. If I use my right ear, I feel as though I'm listening to you underwater. I expect it's a condition. As I approach my ringing phone, I have to remind myself to use my left hand to pick it up because I'm left eared. But I'm not left handed, which for phone use is very inconvenient, because I'm not left shouldered either. It makes me clumsy when I try to do other things whilst we're talking. Sometimes see, I unload the dishwasher, sweep the kitchen floor...and once or twice, I've tidied my desk whilst having a chat. I have witnesses.
In a way I wish I was left shouldered too, because then I could use a shoulder bag without resorting to strange arm gymnastics when I want to use my writing hand. The right hand. Sometimes all you want to do is check the time on your phone and it requires massive
amounts of shopping bag and handbag transference. I've started to reconsider my watch collection as positively useful rather than unworn art. Because being right handed, I wear my watch on my left wrist. Of course. 

Decoy again, you deserve it having got this far. Stripes this time.

Then there's the stairs and the legs. I'm definitely right legged and my best foot forward is the right one. I'd like you to have a picture of me springing about, best foot forward. Ahem. If I'm doing something that requires balance, then I start with my left so that I can waggle my right leg around as I trust it it to keep me upright. The 'step' into the joinery workshop is actually a broken in half breeze block (cinder block) and I don't mind saying that every day I approach it with caution....ladies of a certain age, however young in their Apprenticeships, do not want to fall over, across, through or down a threshold. Can you imagine. It's a left foot first, balance and then both feet on the block operation. Then, when equilibrium is guaranteed, best foot forward as usual. At my desk, there's a distinct regime too. My tool caddy is at left. Once selected and used, most often the tools are discarded at right. Scrap papers are at left and the basket for 'to be cleaned' stamps and blocks is at right. Scrap papers are used (oh yes they are) and the now dirty stamps...strewn anywhere. Left until I corral them into the right hand basket. I should rearrange the desk. But I fear further confusion. It's bad enough already, right? And if you're fearing for my sanity, think on. You've read right to the end!

WOYWW 6th Year Anniversary edition

Remember gentle Desker, if you intend to be in the ATC swap, you need to add an asterisk * after your name when you type it into the Linky thingymabob. Then the next person on the list with an * will be the person you need to get in touch with to send your ATC to. I hope that's easy and clear!

Nikki C has again come up with a choice of badges that you may like to choose from to add to your blog. Or collection. As always, huge thanks to Nikki; because I can't do this sort of thing, and whilst there's generosity like Nikki's about, I don't have to learn!

Your desk/space is definitely a reflection of your personality, your art style, your craft passion and your life. No doubt. We've said before that a psychoanalyst would have a field day, and here's proof...

Seriously, letting us see your desk is as good as taking us on a tour of your home and daily life. We see that you've been too busy to tidy, or indeed to create. We see that because you were poorly, you've lost the energy and mojo to do much but browse mags and pinterest. We see that you've been shopping and then need to see what you do with your new toys. We see when your family have birthdays, babies, graduations and sadly, even funerals. You can't consistently let us see your desk without striking chords of empathy and therefore friendship. And dear reader, gentle Desker, what 6 years of revelation has done is granted each of us a  guaranteed cheer squad, shoulder to lean on and defender of your craft.  And so, if we don't make it to your place every week, or there are times when you can't fit in a reciprocal visit...we get it. We understand. Because we're friends, and this is about enjoying that which we can share across the miles of internet.

Thank you, thank YOU for being a part of it. Please enjoy it. 
Don't forget that *!

Partial work

Some days at the workshop, being an apprentice means that I'm a little bit under employed. And to be honest, during those times, shifting planks of wood or 25 litre tins of paint from the workshop to the store shed gets a bit old. Or is it me that's old and the fifty yards between sheds is just exhausting after staggering up and down a few times? Oh, let's not consider that.

So I've started to waste my time by working smart. One or two of the machines are safe enough for me to be allowed to set up on my own, and after some initial consultation and instruction on settings, I rummaged through the bags of offcuts that are destined to be firewood and started drilling!

I made a few of these...two went as WOYWW Crop prizes and others to friends at Kraft Crazy. They are specifically for the glitter glues - too shallow and fat for pens. Am working on one that will take gel pens, lid down....but just as I get the ideas going...I'm summoned back to real life apprentice works! 

Finished with Love

Well, like or loathe the book folding, you're looking at my first attempt, actually finished!
I did the learning and the folding at a workshop at Kraft Crazy and stuck in patterned endpapers and flowers at home.  Also, I added some gilding flakes randomly to the folded letter edges.

I don't know if it helps or hinders to be honest. I can't help but feel that the 'e' is weak, but it may be the quality of my measuring or folding. What I do know is that re-folding the pages isn't an option, it would look incredibly scrappy with more folded lines at the edges. (If you've done one of these, you'll know exactly what I mean!)
The flowers are die cuts and the scrapbook paper is from the Que Sera range by Kay & Co. Not new by any means, but this whole pad has given me so much value, one of my best buys ever!
So there you have it. On Shopkeeper Gal's advice, I've hunted down another pattern that I really like. Yesterday I bought a book (a hardback from a charity shop). I've finished reading it now, so will probably try to start the maths and folding later this evening. Hope that Shopkeeper Gal won't mind being number one on my speed dial!

Can you tell what it is yet?

Last night, Shopkeeper Gal VERY patiently took 7 of us through the steps for making this. It involves some basic mathematical calculations at the beginning to determine where in the book one should start. We might as well have been trying to channel Euclid, bless him!
All's well that ends well though..it took me a few minutes over two hours. And some chatting and laughing, of course. 

Of course it's not finished, there are face papers to add and some flowers to tuck behind the gaps and some ribbon to hold it at the desired angle of open. But so far, so good. AND..it made Mr Dunnit smile when he saw it, and take way more of an interest than when I bring home a bunch of cards! That has to be worth reporting on!
Have a great weekend y'all. To make for some time at home this week, I'm joining Mr Dunnit in the workshop. Guilt, of course!
Linking with Annie's Friday smiles.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 311

OK people, get your Act into gear and line up your Mojo. If you're planning to take part in next week's WOYWW ATC swap to mark the anniversary, you need to be ready to post your ATC on the day! There's all sorts of info to be found on separate pages at the top of this blog. Specifically, HERE.
OK, I can't put it off any longer. My desk is a man woman and child made disaster and smacks of neglect. Couldn't really be worse! Whilst I was at the WOYWW crop, is was a little untidy. I took this photo on Tuesday tea time so that I could brag this morning about how tidy it is. hmm, not so gentle Desker. I did not get back to it.

I unpacked after the WOYWW crop..which explains the upright envelopes at the back. Peeking out under them is an SU! stamp set I bought from Fiona at the Crop. No time yet to play. That was supposed to be last night, but I was too preoccupied with other stuff. The scrapbook papers flat on the desk are covered in printed off bank stuff placed there by Mr Dunnit to aid my book work. Miss Dunnit dumped my box of patterned scraps on top for the want of anywhere else. There's a scrap of left over wrapping paper at the back, the list standing up at right is the first page of Shopkeeper Gal's new workshop schedule. The rest of the stuff is just that. Stuff. Stuff that needs putting away so that I can actually approach my desk without losing the will to live. Ergh.

Enough about me...show and tell your own desk stories please!

Put WOYWW in your post title and link her for some international desk viewing. Thank you!

Choices for T Tuesday.

So how do you choose your hairdresser?
If you use a hairdresser, you will know that they have to become very important to you. You have to form a relationship. This skilled person will really only ever know you back to front and still you expect him/her to interpret your right-way-around cravings for tousled but magnificent, don't -give-a-damn but very coiffed, colour me perfect hair. All that, and you don't really want to pay the cost of such skill, because we're just sitting about, right. And talking of sitting about...when I sit in front of my chosen hairdresser's full length mirror, I'm fairly hopeful that its not the real me, a back to front version at the very least. Indeed, I have accused her of having one of those fairground mirrors. You know the one that makes every mouthful you've ever eaten jiggle about on your face and chin and taunt you to sleep badly.

I don't choose by recommendation (what makes one person happy doesn't necessarily work for another). This particular hairdresser was chosen by my two well hidden and shameful characteristics - idleness and shallowness.
Idle? Yep. This lovely salon is all of four steps away from the Shopkeeper Gal's in Amesbury. So it's not exactly inconvenient to schedule an after workshop 'do'. And even if I do have to put myself out to make the journey specifically - I can always make it more worthwhile by popping into Kraft Crazy as well!

Shallowness? Yep...totally and utterly taken in by the decor and the presentation. The place is called Shampoo. Like its name, it is furnished simply - but beautifully. And just look at the lovely detail involved in the beverage ritual. I tell ya, the  sitting in front of a full length mirror with this sort of ornate frame experience is definitely tempered by the arrival of such pretty coffee. It's a big fat bonus that I find Logan to be a brilliant hairdresser, really!
Joining Elizabeth for T is for Tuesday, at last!