Housekeeping..

A handful of questions have been aired over yesterday's WOYWW post.  I shall attempt to answer them here.


1. What's this about a badge? 
A real, pin on the back, wear it on your bag/sleeve/coat/jumper badge is available to regular WOYWWers. You just have to ask: juliadunnit@me.com
2.  Yeah, but posting one abroad is silly.
I am more than happy to post you a badge, local, national or international. Space station would be a erm, blast! The  whole concept of WOYWW and this blog is pretty silly, why should I change it now!
3. What's the badge about?  
 I thought it would be fun to have one to wear when you go craft shopping and to conventions and shows...you might meet someone you've met here already. So it's just an extension of the cyber friendliness really.
4. Why?
Why not? We're nearing the third anniversary and I can't think of anything else that may be useful and fun at the same time.
5. How?
I commissioned the design from Luscious Life Studios. (Doesn't that sound great!).  Then I sent the artwork to a real life badge making factory.  Because buying a badge maker and making that many would have caused me to die tragically early. Of boredom.
6. Why did you change your mind about Word Verification?
I haven't really, I still think it's none of my business if you choose to use it or not.  But over at WOYWW, turns out a lot of bloggers don't know they're using it, and don't like it on other blogs.  So, after many emails asking me too, I've flagged it up as an issue.  
7. How do I know if my blog is using WV?
Log into your blog as if you were a reader, try leaving yourself a comment. Really!
8. OK, so how do I turn it off then, smart-arm?
On Blogger?  Fiona, (Staring at the Sea) found a great site with clear instructions (pictures!) Click on this link : how to turn off word verification
9. Birds Eye View desk photos
take 'em at your own risk gentle WOYWWer.  I have never ever used a stool or soapbox to stand on - to take a photo! My overhead shots are at arms length, on tippy toe, sucking in my stomach with shoulders bent forward to remove my chest from the viewfinder.  With that sort of effort, why would I need a stool.  Honestly, you people worry me.
10. My bag is packed
Yes Princesss Judy, I'm like the BAU team on Criminal Minds...my bag is always ready.  Just  email me the tickets.


So y'all, is that any help?  First wave of badges going to post office today.  Assuming it doesn't rain.  I can't go out in the rain.  Sugar melts in the rain.  Ahem.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 144

The hot news is not about my desk this week.  Although as you can see, it's a bit more orderly. I've taken the shot from the right edge of my desk because the sun was low and bright and a 'full frontal' pic would have been a glare.  I'm making preparations to send out the WOYWW badges, so don' forget to email your post address if you want one.

So this week's burning issue is WORD VERIFICATION.  Oh my.  Since blogger changed to the 'captcha' type of wobbly fonts in bubbles, it's caused no end of difficulties for WOYWWers, several have been moved to email me and ask that if you show your desk, please, turn off the Word Verification.  It is my opinion that Comment Moderation is a more successful way of avoiding unwanted comments/spam, 'specially since Blogger's new Spam filter seems to be a strong one.  But that's my opinion.  It's not a rule of WOYWW, but there's no doubt that the person trying to comment probably won't try more than once.  If you want to turn off WV and can't, please ask for help...loads of us know how.  And there's no such thing as a stupid question is there, it's just something you don't know the answer to.  Here's another opinion - why can't they just spell it 'capture'...now that's the sort of thing that really annoys me.
Come on then, take five and show us your desk..we wanna see what you're working on and what you've got. Link here and leave a comment if you dare. There's a cyber WOYWW button in the top left margin if you'd like to add one to your blog. 

So you like chocolate?

I'm quite well known for using childish phrases that adequately describe certain things.  You may not want to read this over your favourite snack or at lunch time.  You know those lovely thick, dimensional glue dots.  Yeah, Great aren't they.  I call 'em Snots.  'Coz they're so thick and gluey, that if you need to, the only way to get rid of them is to treat them like snot...get it on your finger and roll it around until it's not sticky and then flick it...somewhere.  So what's this to do with chocolate?  Well, Mrs Precision and Shopkeeper Gal were overcome by their curiosity and while I was there last Thursday, they tried the new chocolate flavoured Philadelphia.  Yep.  The famous Philly cream cheese is available in chocolate flavour.  It sparked some discussion, of course.  I think it's going to be another Marmite.  And whilst I love Marmite, I don't like chocolate Philadelphia.  I don't like chocolate cheesecake which is the nearest taste I can attribute to it.  It smells very rich.  It's texture is wonderfully thick..it really is dream-like molten chocolate. And the taste is of erm, chocolate. For a minute.  Then you experience that 'thing' that all the wine connoisseurs talk about. The 'hint of' - the 'after note', a 'top note'.  Of cheese.  It's not right for me.  Puts me very much in mind of another brand of chocolate that's famous in the USA - Hershey. You know that teeny moment when you burp silently in your mouth and you get a taste of well, sick?  That's what it was for me.  Sweet and cheese.  Not for me apparently.  Or Hershey...it reminds me of unsweetened chocolate sprinkled with dried Parmesan cheese.
Why on earth have I written this post? Because if we ever meet, I'll need you to know what I do and don't eat.  Seems entirely reasonable to me.  And I promise not to be too childish about chocolate, cheese or cake.  No guarantees about snot though.

Dredging up the past..... Versamark

Add caption

Shopkeeper Gal said that a handful of people wanted some technique based workshops showing how to use some basic commodities.  Turned out to be not many people, but hey, I have cards to show, so that's a bonus!  These cards were all about proving the Versatility of the Versamark. (Geddit?)  So the first card shows the famous watermark impression that the pad was developed for. You'll have to take my word for it that the text was stamped in Versamark and embossed with the purple powder..!

The Versamark ink pad is a gift for trouble.  It's easy to use a dirty stamp on it...that's it contaminated.  It's easy to forget that you need a permanent and dry ink surface on which to swipe the ink pad if you're going to emboss a big area...and that's it contaminated.  It's very, very easy to use what you think is a clean stamp on it..I swear, it's a disguised stamp cleaner....but these are worth the worry, it's a wonderful, controllable stamping tool.  

I don't have any, but this card is crying out for some of those metal bits that are all over the TH style cards...i will remedy my lacking stash.  One day!  This image is stamped on a distress stain blended background and then embossed all over using the Versamark as the embossing ink.  Simple.  Again, you can't tell....and let me tell you...you need clean clear embossing powder.

Clear embossing powder - well, you dip wet inked card into it...and tap off the excess...that drops micro granules of coloured powder back into it.  You're all about making the most of your stuff, so spillages get swept back into the pot wherever possible...enter loads of spots of paper dust, chads, etc. So you weren't expecting to emboss, so the excess powder has gone all over the scrap you're protecting the desk with..enter more dust and dirty bits.  Before you know it...your clear powder is speckled with dirty bits.  I have two pots in operation.  One is utterly pristine, for all over embossing and for use with pale inks where the specks and so forth would really show up. If I use this, I am disciplined enough to capture excess properly and return only clean powder.  I know, you don't expect this of me.  I have my moments! The other pot full is used for embossing dark colours and black in particular and is just fine for that..and is most regularly used.  

But, if you've got a filthied up but still useable Versamark ink pad, don't discard it... get your chalks out! Because it's a pigment ink, the glycerine makes it slow drying which means it's not just a glue for embossing powder.  I stamped the smaller houses in Versamark and lightly sponged red chalk over them.  The bigger house was embossed with pearly black powder, and the Versamark swiped over it, then chalk sponged heavily onto it....same with the stencilled bit at the left top.  


Was that an ode to the Versamark?  I think it was.  And do you know, I feel like I've been talking about something from the 70's!  Still, it all goes around and comes around in this world doesn't it...I mean, look at the re-discovery of honeycomb paper!


Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 143

Oh la ladder has claimed a victim!

 That's probably the last view of the ladder folks.  It was waiting for the van to be purchased and empty, and it was removed this weekend.  I know, a lot of you will be really relieved by that bit of tidying...me..not bothered either way!  Meanwhile...

Oh la la!  Mess mess and more mess!  Over lit and then over exposed by flash, so all you can see really is that I am actually working.  And achieving too; if you're going to Japonica's Craft day Extravaganza in Exmouth next month, you will find yourself getting quite familiar with one or another of these cards. I've enjoyed them too, just a few notes to type up and it's a ready workshop.  Then I need to tidy up and quickly.  A workshop on Thursday morning needs preparation (like unpacking from the last one - it will help), and there's the crop on saturday.  And you know what sort of prep that takes.  I don't know whether to shout 'clear the decks' or just move to the floor...ask me again on Friday!

Oh and to get a WOYWW badge - all you have to do is be a regular WOYWWer and ask me for one - as in, email me your address.  And then be a bit patient please!  

See, here there's no shame, share your desk..no doubt the fascination for me is seeing what everyone's making, and where you do the making. Join us do - photo your desk, upload to your blog and link here. We'll visit. Slowly probably, but hey, it's what the days between Wednesdays are for!

Told you, I'm a follower...

I mentioned the Make It! Show last week.  I mentioned that I was going with Laura and Kelly and that we'd probably not be shopping together. Just so. Just as well.  When we met for lunch, they'd already bought more than I could take in.  Made me feel a bit obliged to buy something.   You know, in case I went home empty handed.  

So I found five sheets of scrummy 12 x 12, a couple of  6 x 6 pads of paper, that stamp (as close to a wood mount as I could find, sob) and a cute die.  I had already told myself I wouldn't be needing any more paper for oh, the next millenium. But I am weak and easily led and they made me.  Kelly was pleased with me - she wants to borrow the new die at the Crop on Saturday, which makes it all worth while, huh! I was pleased with me too, actually..I feel that I bought enough to be very satisfied and little enough to get anxious and worry about how long it'll be before I can use it.  Except possibly the Mr & Mrs thingy...it's just the sort of thing that I never get around to.  Perhaps someone else who brought one could show me theirs, once done.  Then I can live up to my reputation, and follow your example.

Meet me by the wood mounted stamps...

OK, I know this is a bit geographist of me, but anyone going to the MAKE IT show in Farnborough tomorrow?  It's on all weekend, but I'm going tomorrow with Laura and Kelly and my sainted Mama.  We will probably split up.  Because as you know, I am a very considered and careful stash purchaser.  It's Laura and Kelly that inhale it.  Really. 

Anyway, if you are going tomorrow, and you see me, please say hello.  I know, you don't know what I look like, but you'll be able to tell it's me.  I'll be wearing one of these:

and you could be too.  It's only a badge, but it makes me smile.  It'll be like a real 'thing' by the time all the WOYWWers get one!  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 142

What ho, fellow WOYWWers.  How goes it - any less messily than this:

Taken on Tuesday afternoon.  About half an hour after I'd cleared the desk to work on something.  Really.  I know it looks really flash to have the iPad in full frontal, but I've made some notes on it for a workshop and was making another master board, following my own notes..to see if they make any sense at all.  But as anything I write makes sense to me, I probably should try a real guinea pig!  You can see my delicious collection of brown and neutral ribbons.  Well...the lengths that aren't stored elsewhere.  I may have a whinge about this in another post....might as well carry on talking about ribbons...they never sort themselves out!  The yellow basket at left holds inks and stamps and blahdy blah pertinent to the workshop I ma working on.  The basket at right has acrylic blocks and other stuff that should be properly put away buy now.  But in the basket = out of my way, so, well, there they stay for now.
The ladder and the fork continue to make their presence felt for those of you who like a routine...I think Mr D has realised that not putting them away keeps him front and centre of my mind when I'm at my desk.......For once, I've only got one pair of scissors to hand too.  I think I stopped to take the photo at just the right time! So, share your space..desk, floor, tray, arm of chair, kitchen worktop..wherever and whatever you are creating, we like to see.  Use WOYWW in your post title so we can find it easily, and link your post here....we'll visit if we can. 
I doubt many if any can get around all the desks, every week.. I can't.  Don't beat yourself up about it....but visit some...this community is about reciprocity...sharing, blah. And talking of that..there's another anniversary coming up...I have an idea.  Will hone and refine and report back. (!)

Statistically speaking...a photo less post.

I'm not hugely into numbers. I think numbers are too logical for me.  They always have an answer that is either right, or wrong.  And let's face it, if it's wrong, you have to do it all again and I hate that! See, too emotional...not using the correct side of my brain...I can't even remember which side is the emotional and which the logical!  However, the people at Blogger are all about statistics aren't they? You can just tell how much they love it...you can almost imagine the glee on their lovely nerdy faces when they decided to include a stats page on each blog (yeah, I'm down with the short speak..). A stats page that shows the numbers in numerical and graph form...oh my.  I bet it's like new stash for them.   So, while Mr D crunches some numbers involving our domestic bliss, I  thought to browse this rarely visited page. It's full of surprises actually. Not least that this will be the 661st post. Gracious, I knew I had a lot to say, but that was a surprise...because I've stuck with my original promise which was not to blog if I couldn't think of anything to say.  You may have noticed that the 660 previous posts weren't regularly placed...apart of course from Wednesdays. So I thought, to celebrate the first post here on January 6th 2009, I'd offer some blog candy. But of course, it's unqualified, there are no photos of it and no particular following criteria or such. And you have to work for it. Please answer the following question in the comments:  Which part of my domestic bliss will be restored if Mr D makes the numbers work?  Here's a weak clue...I have whined about it previously! And....this offer has two conditions: you must leave your answer as a comment in this post and, you've only got till Wednesday 22nd. That's something to do with the side of my brain that doesn't like waiting.

Just doing' some 'boarding, dude

So remember as you read this, that I'm a follower when it comes to crafts... I like the techniques to have been invented by someone else so that I can just make stuff.  I'm all about the result, that's why it's stamping for me..instant gratification.  So when several people commented on the papers on my WOYWW desk this week, I though I could elaborate..I actually made them!..they're 'masterboards'.  Take a bunch of inks, cut n dry foam, 3 or 4 stamps and one colour of embossing powder, and a scary blank sheet of smooth card.   Emboss one stamp image randomly and repeatedly all over, then add light or dark swirls of ink, other images, stamped in the same ink family.  Obviously the embossing acts as resist, so you need to choose the image carefully because it will be dominant! Then you have a fab sheet of paper to use for backgrounds and the like for your cards etc.  

These photos are hideous - I took them whilst

making the sheets up and was actually just going to take photos of the finished cards, but haven't quite got there yet...wanna do a couple more sheets with different stamp emphasis before I stop/get bored!  All the stamps are by Magenta, all the inks are Versafine, (the same four colours of ink, unbelievably, just applied in different weight/mix - clearer photos will show that better!)  and you may just be able to see blobs of splattered Pearl-Ex paint across the top sheet..I can, but I know what I'm looking for!

I sincerely hope to carve out some time at the weekend to finish this project, my boredom threshold might let me down if I don't!  

Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 141

WOYWW Housekeeping: If you read nothing else, please read the first paragraph!

Really, now the numbers are as fabulously high as they are, I have to insist that your blog post includes WOYWW in the title and is in some way relevant to your working area; this is particularly important if you link late...paging through loads of posts without knowing where to stop is enough to cause the reader to click away.

Likewise, when I get to links that are totally irrelevant (such as another Wednesday Meme courting for exposure), I'll remove it.  I don't want to do too much policing and have stacks of rules, but its not unfair to expect a workdesk related post if it's linked here is it!

Mary Anne has found this:

http://xxxtglxxx.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogger-issues-white-screen-no- comments.html

This will take you to a blog called The Great Leveller and talks about how to make a fix that allows people that currently can't, to comment on your blog.  A lot of us find if the comment box is at the foot of your post, that 'embed' prevents commenting...but where the blog provides a new page with comments and comment box, all is possible!  So if you wanna get a few more comments, this may well be worth the two minutes and two tabs it takes.  It is a temporary fix....Blogger itself has to come up with a permanent one...so no growling at The Great Leveller, huh!! 

And here's one I've resisted, because I don't think it's actually any of my business: 

I've had several requests to ask for word verification to be turned off.  Its a personal thing; in 4 years I think I've had two spam comments and never an 'attack', but you must be the judge. It's not difficult to turn off...if you want to do it but need help, please ask..there are a lot of closet geeks on WOYWW!

Oh my desk is a mess. In fact from this, it doesn't look too bad, but the left side is piled and 'push back' is in serious overtime.  But it has to be, I'm working on something that I'm finding a bit taxing.  See the old Pearl-Ex palette?  Had it about 8 years...still love it.  See the rainbow of a mug? Of course, a present from LLJ who knew I can't be uncheered in the presence of such things.  See the master board I made that's in the process of being cut up and turned into cards? Sheez...anyone would think I was busy!
Show us yours then, we wanna see what you're making this week.  And we're not scared by mess.  OK, I'M NOT.  Read the 'rules', abide by 'em, and we'll see you at your place for a jolly good look around.  Abyssinia, as my dear Papa shouted at me as I left his house this morning! Oh and PS..I've scheduled this...had a long day and can't stay up till the small hours....no really.  I have.  It may have involved that white van again!

Busy? Moi?

There is  a price to pay for being able to stay at home and craft all day.  I'm officially a partner in the business.  I know, grown up, right?  Well, I do ordering, and all the book-keeping and VAT and stuff, and I try to control the production schedule so that I see something of Mr Dunnit, and very frequently, I do the deliveries.  Until recently, that has been the deliveries that will fit in the tiny green rocket. I drive a Toyota Yaris...it's bigger than it looks, but be serious, I can't get a staircase in it!

So the solution...a white van.  Here he is, collecting it.  The photo was taken through the window of my car. I'm no fool, it was very cold.  The grin on his sweet face is about how excited we were to be in a position to buy a van, and the hand in his pocket is holding tight to his wallet...the next move was to pay for it!
So since Wednesday, I've had a couple of lessons for driving in bad weather.  Scarey.  But the guys on site think its very funny to see a middle aged fat woman jump awkwardly from the driver's seat, so they feel compelled to help with unloading.  Thank goodness.   I've also had a lesson in how to 'diesel up'.  This, gentle reader, is 'whitevanman' speak.  I suspect rather deeply that at some stage it was meant to impress us non-hunter gatherer types. It means putting fuel in.  It's strangely the same as putting fuel in your car, they just dont want you to know that.  Although you may need physical help to get across the forecourt to pay for the fuel...my goodness, these vans have HUGE tanks. Ow.  FYI our American friends...we buy fuel in litres.  It's £1.44  ($2.28) per litre for diesel(locally) and there are 4.54 litres to a gallon.  I know the cost of fuel is an election issue in some States, but not here! 
So I've been out and about. I've learned a lot about driving a bigger vehicle too, and I erm, forgive some of the white van men I've cursed in the past...now I know why you pull into the wrong lane when turning left..and why you get angry if people cross the road behind you while you're trying to reverse...oh em gee, the all round vision isn't good!  The best part, and remember, I'm a WOYWWer, so this is in character: You can see so much more from the elevated position.  I'm loving that! 

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 140

Another grainy shot from my phone.  Because it's rather too early to fiddle about with the card reader section of the PC which for some reason won't work right now.  OH well, you're used to rubbish pictures.  Now, the section of my desk that you can see shows that I have actually been making some cards.  Oh yeah.  Can't say 'I'm back' particularly, but at least I'm doing something!  Loads of rolls of glue dots at back...funny how favourites come around and go around. The button jar is being used illegaly to store a glue pen...or more correctly, a tube of PVA glue that is impossible to squeeze glue out of unless it's right in the tip.  And for a change, I can honestly say that the presence of the stapler has nothing to do with me.  When I left the house for a fun night with The Coven, it wasn't there.  So I can safely surmise that Mr D or Miss D has done something paper related this evening.  I'm posting at a ridiculous time today, to see if it helps or hinders you..please let me know!  
So, share your space..desk, floor, tray, arm of chair, kitchen worktop..wherever and whatever you are creating, we like to see.  Use WOYWW in your post title so we can find it easily, and link your post here....we'll visit if we can.  But you have to visit too...reciprocal nosiness is very much a part of this thing! 

The free lunch...

I'm not in the habit of highlighting give-aways and blog candy and the like because, well, to be honest, I don't always feel that a give-away that comes with conditions about linking and widgets and stuff is really up to me to promote.  This isn't a personal rule though...I think it's probably more about being bone idle.  But there are always things that motivate me more than others.  And I want to tell you about two give-aways that are really just gifts.  Of course, because I found them and am telling you, I'm going to claim a whole lot of credit.  'Specially if you enjoy them!  
First, Stephanie and Dori over at Luscious Life Studios have, for the second month, produced free wallpaper to download..as you can see. There's 3 colours to choose from and even instructions!!  (Which is why I'm using them on my itoys!) 


And then, Elizabeth, WOYWW friend and Altered Book Lover is offering a completely free Altered Book course.  Using a real stitched book, altering it properly.  It's going to appear as a lesson on her blog, so there's no extra linking or finding.  You won't have to join a group. You aren't asked to put a badge in your sidebar. You don't have to commit.  Hell, you don't even have to admit that you're taking part.  And already, following that link, you'll learn something about books and about the quality of the course that Elizabeth is offering.  For free.  It's free.  And now you're going to learn something about the commitment phobic keeper of this blog. The one that pays for a class, downloads it over the weeks, files it and never looks at it again.  I'm doing this Altered Book course.  Elizabeth makes me feel like I can, and has promised not to laugh.  See, there are so few conditions attached to taking part in her course, that I imposed my own condition..no laughing at my attempts.  And so, and so, in the broad daylight, I'm choosing my book.  It was going to be a Delia Smith recipe book (really, that woman, that sainted woman gets right on my nerves!)..but there are too many pictures.  So now I'm going to look upstairs in my vast boxed collection. Don't come and get me..I'm going to enjoy this! 

This Valentine thing

http://www.imagehousing.com/image/370217

So they say, this Roman priest defied the Emperor and continued to conduct marriages for couples in love.  The Emperor, see, felt that the best soldiers were unmarried men.  A lot of the new grooms and Valentine himself were martyred for their defiance.  And so the world turns, Valentine is beatified and we attach great importance to his work of putting love first. The romantic heart shape gets involved and somehow we end up with a day celebrating this saint.  Don't misunderstand me, I'm perfectly happy about it.  
I've visited about half of the WOYWW desks so far.  What struck me is the number of our American friends who are making gifts for friends and family, kids are making cards for classmates, wreaths and decorations are being hung and there is an air of preparation and 'holiday' about it all.
How does it go here?  Well,  really only restaurants and card shops do all the decorating...I've never seen a Valentine's wreath on a domestic front door for example. Sometime in the next week I will make one card.  For Mr D.  If he remembers to swing by the nearest card selling shop en route to work, I will get a card from him.  I realise that other couples will make more of an effort.  But I'm not aware that normally these plans extend to giving others gifts or baking a cake or having a party.  Generally, it's a bouquet and or a nice meal.....or am I so totally embedded in the safety of my old and lovely marriage that I've missed something?!  I don't know.  Is it that famous British reserve?  Is it too soon after Christmas - the weather can be foul and the bank account may be a bit wobbly.  Or are we just lazy and can't face another 'holiday'?  Have we just got to let it evolve like Hallowe'en has?  Is it because it's one 'holiday' that we British girls would really like the boys to step up and take charge of, so we do nothing, and are eternally disappointed?  I don't know.  But tell me:    Have you made loads of Valentine cards? Are they to sell or to give to friends and family?  Have you decorated?  Have you got plans?  
Are you horrified by my 'one card' effort!
Won't it be amazing when the world turns again and we have a day of giving and helping to celebrate the life and saint hood of Mother Theresa.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 139 the edit!!

Oh, and just to catch y'all out, I'm posting this early Tuesday evening...need to be on the road early tomorrow and..hey, well, why not! Well, starring on mine, nothing particular, but a spectacular mess.  How unusual!  I took this photo yesterday afternoon before the light started to fail (I thought), and it has changed slightly.  Because of course, even though I've had 31 days to do it, my February calendar page isn't ready...and actually still isn't, but it's nearly there.  There's an acrylic box at left which houses my stick on and other gems...open, with a badly drawn sketch thrown on top of it.  Under that are the scraps that I used to make cards that you've seen on this blog recently.  The Elusive Images stamp set and the few clear stamps underneath that are waiting to have their fate decided - put away (again) or give up and sell on. Dunno yet, probably will wait until they really are in my way!  Inevitably there's heaps of glue dots and rubbish that could so quickly and easily be put in the bin.  That would make the place look better.  But hey, the ladder's still out in the garden, why should I have guilt about tidying?! For those of you that drew in your breath when you saw the photo, let me assure you that I did NOT clear up before I started on the calendar.  No siree, didn't occur to me.  Desperate, slutty measures. 

So, share your space..desk, floor, tray, arm of chair, kitchen worktop..wherever and whatever you are creating, we like to see.  Use WOYWW in your post title so we can find it easily, and link your post here....we'll visit if we can.  But you have to visit too...reciprocal nosiness is very much a part of this thing! 

**Ahem...step onto soap box**

Because of our expanding numbers, adverts and posts dated prior to Wednesday or un-related to WOYWW will for the most part be ignored...it's much easier to click away than to really 'police' this.  There aren't many rules, but for the sake of your hit rate/comments/reputation, you should reconsider doing  WOYWW if your intention is to gain from it in any other way than by becoming a part of this very friendly, silly, artistic, inspiring and sometimes tidy community.  Thank You.  Please scroll right down for the edit!!

Janet accuses me of 'do what I say, not what I do' and it's taken me a while to work out why...and I realise it's because I say in the soap box section that posts dated prior to Wednesday will be ignored....of course it's not at all what I mean....I mean that if you link any post other than a WOYWW one (for example, your regular Tuesday post that is unrelated to WOYWW) then it will for the most part, be ignored.  Too many real WOYWW posts to visit.  The time you load your post for WOYWW is of no consequence, and if it suits y'all better for me to post for about 1am (GMT) on Wednesdays, then I will..but I won't be doing it live!!

Ouf!

Next weekend is Ludgershall crop.  Ouf!  That's come around quickly.  If you're a long time visitor to this blog (thanks) you may remember this LO, from the January 2010 crop.  Yeah well, the 'Intention' to do this annually may seems to have escaped me.  Surprise!  But no sweat, I can do one this year.  But can I? The January crop this year was too early, too soon, too sudden for me to get my head around anything like looking toward the rest of the year, so my 'intentions' LO will be revisited this weekend.  Probably. I have every intention of doing a 2012 page based on this idea, because I think I've got some.  Intentions that is.  Some of them are even good.  Mr Dunnit managed to contribute to my conversation about this yesterday by making a couple of suggestions that will not be put into print.  Although I do acknowledge that number eight - 'spend less' was meant to mean spend less on craft stuff, rather than honing the grocery bills!  Wish me luck...this year I fell I'll have to hone the list of intentions just to get them all on one LO!

I have some housekeeping to do.....if you're a WOYWWer, this may be of significant interest to you.  Mary Anne has found this:

http://xxxtglxxx.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogger-issues-white-screen-no- comments.html

This will take you to a blog called The Great Leveller and talks about how to make a fix that allows people that currently can't, to comment on your blog.  A lot of us find if the comment box is at the foot of your post, that 'embed' prevents commenting...but where the blog provides a new page with comments and comment box, all is possible!  So if you wanna get a few more comments, this may well be worth the two minutes and two tabs it takes.  It is a temporary fix....Blogger itself has to come up with a permanent one...so no growling at The Great Leveller, huh!! 

And not only but also...this blog, thanks to Janet at fairythoughts, is featured as Craft Stamper's March blog of the month.  Janet nominated, the magazine contacted me, I wrote a few words and promptly forgot all about it;  March seemed a long way off.  But of course, the world of magazines runs strangely and the March edition is out now.  Shopkeeper Gal saves me a copy, so I will see it at some stage, but meanwhile...thanks.  There's been a really warm and positive reaction and I can't tell you how big headed smug and self satisfied I am about it.  This edition will not be used for chip wrappers any time soon!

Really, that was a week?

 Oh I know we say it a lot on Wednesdays, but only because it's true..the last week has just disappeared.  And what have I to show for it? Ah well, in craft terms, not a lot.  Although the two very similar cards you see here are the result of a very long time spent at my desk, mostly fiddling about.  The stamp is from a set (of course) by Stampin'Up!. There are three outline sketch florals and three semi solid 'fillers' for adding colour to the blooms.  I say semi-solid because they aren't solid, slightly grained to give a watercolour effect. As always with SU! stamps, for the price, I get cross that I have to mount and index them myself.  And then for this set...I had to dig out  my stamp positioning tool.  It was a dig too, and that's why I've had the set for nearly a month without producing anything worth showing.  Still, now I've been through the last box in the room of shame (in your house it's called the spare room), I've cleared some more junk, found my two re-positioners, put one up for sale and made these cards.  Feels like a result huh!  It most certainly does, although if you could see my desk, you'd think I'd made enough cards to re-stock a shop! 
Turns out the little deckchair (Bookchair, Trademark) that I've taken unused from Miss Dunnit's room to use for my ipad stand is doing a good job too - whenever you see jaunty canvas striping, you'll know I wasn't even energetic enough to get off my butt and take a photo away from my desk.  
You will probably notice too that I've re-decorated the blog again.  Had to.  The 'Queen of Trends' and the zebra stripe edges was doing my head in, please don't ask why I liked it only a month ago and now I don't -  I'm a very complicated person you know.  
Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 138

Actually, nothing.  Well, loads of stuff of course, but nothing that shows I've moved on from last week..I've just covered it all up with office work, which does not merit a photo on the blog!  So instead, I've been planning and plotting, and here is my lap as at about 9pm last evening.  I did have my feet up on the wooden chest you can just see, but for reasons of anonymity, I put my feet on the floor and sat in the chair as I was taught by my mother. Grainy photo aside, I'm a bit jubilant that you don't get a down shot of my ample bosom and tummy too! This notebook shows stamp codes and ink colour choices - I've been asked to do a workshop for my friend Janet who has a shop in Exmouth and so I'm in planning stages...which is hard.  It involves looking at stamp catalogues.  I know.  
Meanwhile, back in the real world...how goes it with you?  Show us do, how your mojo is allowing your work surface to evolve. Put a pic on your blog, put WOYWW in the post title and link it here.  I have to say that there were so many desks last week that I didn't make it...and blogger was a bit unco-operative too; it was heart-warming to read comments on my way around and discover it wasn't just my computer!  The thing is, I now have to decide - spend the week visiting WOYWW posts, or catchup with your blogs on other days as well...I'm a bit torn!  

I wanna talk Pub Grub....

....since there's been absolutely no crafting at my desk, let me tell you a story. 

My girlfriends and I - you have seen them referred to as 'The Coven'  - a name inferred by the Enthusiastic Educator's husband (a very brave man indeed)-  have for a few years, celebrated our birthdays, by getting together once a month, for a nice pub meal and gifts. It's lovely.  At Christmas, we do the same and for as many years it's been a table booked at the same place. 

Free photo courtesy of Winnond.

 Because the food is great, the menu vast and the service friendly and timely.  This Christmas, not for the first time, we were forced to comment on the general lack of lighting, acknowledged that the masses of Christmas lights strung about the place were indeed atmospheric, if a little lacking in erm, light. (And actually on that particular night, a lot of lights going off unexpectedly type action..we suspected fairy light overload.)  In fact, we had pre-ordered from the Christmas menu, so we kinda put up with it and a jolly evening was had.  Now, fast forward to last weekend.  Mr Dunnit, my one true love and all round best ever person, had a birthday.  When I asked if he'd like to feast on some home cooked delicacy involving hours of preparation and toil and therefore the necessity to enjoy and be grateful, he suggested that we went to this same pub, so that he could taste for himself why we 'The Coven' liked it.  And so I must admit to some reservation when I made the reservation.  I was right.  We had to use our phones to light the Menus.  Of course, I took this up with our waitress. I of course alluded to our 'old eyes', but really, this was a bit much. She expressed surprise at our discomfort...and gave us more time to wrestle with the choices that we could actually read.  Rather unsurprisingly then, our enthusiasm for our meal was a little coloured - indeed, Miss Dunnit couldn't actually see well enough to distinguish the colour of the leaves in her mixed salad..red lettuce leaves or green....and oh no - is that beetroot or not? It sort of ends up making you cross.  So, when came bill paying, I mentioned it again, adding that we were skipping dessert because we couldn't be bothered to battle in the dark with menus or not being able to see the food properly,  and I said, sadly it would put us off returning. The young woman said that she would tell management. She came back with the credit card machine and then had to step away from our table to gain enough light to see the screen on the machine .  And without a hint of irony, she said "I've spoken to the Manager.  He says the lights are deliberately low to create atmosphere and if you want them, they have torches behind the reception counter'.Well now, colour me dim....but rather than buying torches and expecting us to swallow the dark-equals-good-atmosphere idea, wouldn't it be a better thing to complement the fab food with decent lighting and surroundings to match...that's atmosphere, isn't it?

A sort of half day...

Strange colour.....it's navy red and white really!

 Here's a couple of cards from the first workshop that I half conducted this year.  Lemme explain:  on a Thursday there's a workshop in the morning that repeats in the evening. In between, I generally have a late lunch with Mr Dunnit and faff around the house getting not much done. I know, that's a shocker.  Often I come home and because I've spent the morning watching other people make cards,I feel quite inspired to get stuck in.  But that wears off really quickly when I realise that my guillotine is in my tote, at the shop, waiting for the evening re-run.  Oh well, I'll manage.  Just die cut some...oh, can't..the die I want to use is also in my tote...you get the picture.  So I've learned to sort laundry or do a bit of baking after the morning workshop..not such a mojo killer as not having your stuff to hand.  Yesterday I discovered why it's such a good idea to leave the stuff at the shop.  I squeezed in ANOTHER dental appointment in the afternoon.  He really hurt me...took the offending (and expensive!) problem out. So I wasnt able to go back to conduct the workshop...I was still shaking at tea time.  And I'm not even scared of dentistry....just my age showing I guess!  Shopkeeper Gal stepped up and did it instead of letting the gals down, how nice of her.  So, I just need a couple of days to get over the feeling that someone smashed my jaw with a brick, the feeling that I now have a 6 foot deep hole in my jaw, the feeling that the three lots of treatment that I paid for prior to yesterday were a complete waste of money and that the dentist knew that, and then of course, the galling feeling of shelling out £47 to be so bruised.  And then I'll be back at the front of the line, supporting and believing in the NHS as I thoroughly do.  Miss Dunnit and I worked out that this treatment may well have cost over 900 dollars in the US.  Well, I would have had to suffer, no doubt.  And you would have been hearing about it. No doubt!

Have a lovely weekend.  Off to create delightful supper involving mashed potato!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 137

Gracious me Julia Dunnit, is that actually something crafty going on at your table?  
Yes indeed it is.
And why is it daylight?  
Because I took the picture on Tuesday lunchtime, just as Mr Dunnit came home to ask me to go out to make some deliveries.  And I was afraid that I wouldn't get back to it. And I was right.
And why is there a large ladder and a fork in the garden, interrupting your erm, view?
Because Mr Dunnit had to repair a wind tortured fence.  (The ladder is stored on the ground in a small gap between our shed and said fence panel).  What I should have answered is the bleedin' obvious: Mr Dunnit doesn't excel at putting stuff away.  Unless it's in his workshop of course! 
So what's on your desk?
A pad of fresh, cheerful  Tilda papers - the nearest I've come to liking anything Tilda-ish enough to buy it.  My jar of buttons...with a few pink ones sprinkled about the desk (sounds artistic that way).  Lots of rolls of different size and dimension glue dots.  A small deckchair.  Yep.  Bought for Miss Dunnit as a book holder some years ago, and relatively unused.  Now employed for my ipad.  A wire bound notebook, standing on its side.  I'm using the pages of this book as the 'scrap' surface to swipe, splosh and 'clean' stamps and sponge inks and blah...Elizabeth did something similar last year and ended up with a bunch of wonderful journal pages.  We'll see! 
So now I've seen yours, shall I show you mine?
Yes, please!  Upload a pic of your work station/surface/floor/worktop/armchair/lap tray to your blog, title your blog post with WOYWW and link here.  (The title is important, finding the right post can be time consuming enough to make a visitor click away...) Not everyone will visit, but a few will, and believe me, the inspiration is: well, inspirational.  
Can I promote my etsy/shop/tv programme/latest product?
No.  We love a recommendation based on good service, and no-one minds you mentioning your sources, but really, this is not an advertising platform. It's a bit of fun.  If you want to advertise...write a really good blog that people wanna visit.  Take my advice, I ain't using it. And if I'm exercising a double standard, it's OK see, because this is my blog.  


Thank you a kerjillion times if you got involved yesterday.  Huge fun, a great buzz for Stephanie and, as Di almost suggested, we're currently considering our own range of knickers *grin*!

Heart on sleeve moment

Well, the title suggests that this post will make a change, but I'm a 'heart on my sleeve' type of gal and I'm too old to change now.  
I had this idea to freshen theWOYWW logo in preparation for the new year, because it's a ridiculous acronym and deserves a spring clean, and because it looks as though it's going to make a third anniversary for goodness sake.  Honestly, you'd think none of us had anything else to do! 

So when you need a nice design and you don't have a single atom of clue about such things, to whom do you turn? Yep, I commissioned a design studio!  I know, how self important is that!  And the Design Studio took the brief and frankly ran away with it and gave me choices and asked me questions that I didn't understand.  So I made up the answers, and now have three styles to choose from.  Of course, it happens that my sissy Stephanie is a partner over at the Design Studio, but y'all knew that from previous bragging posts.  

Steph has posted these on her blog too....wanna visit her and tell her which you prefer?  I have already chosen, and will not be influenced.  Well I might.  But likely not.   
See you tomorrow for WOYWW, old style or new!  The badge might change but believe me...oh lord, nothing else does!

Is it just me?

I did this LO at the Crop, the weekend before last.  (Originally, I typed that sentence as 'I CREATED this LO'.... and when I read it, couldn't believe how pompous it sounded dahling..) 

over exposed...only good light in the conservatory this morning and it's absolutely freezing in there.  I actually moved fast!

Anyway, until this morning, I hadn't done any more than unpack and set it onto the work surface behind my desk.  My 'pending' pile, I think we could politely call it.  The other LOs I did at that same crop were immediately put into the album.  Note to self: you need more page protectors.  Now here's the question:  Is this LO (of me and that Lunch Lady Jan) in the pending pile because I've run out page protectors, or is it, as I rather worryingly suspect, waiting to be finished?  Damned if I can remember, but feel rather sure that I'd have doubled up in the album for now rather than have it hanging about....so what had I intended to do?   If you don't know and I can't remember, how am I going to get on with the rest of the day? Argh, makes me so cross with myself!  But the biggest question remains - is it just me? 

Who doesn't like a show?

badly copied advert..please follow the link for good pictures and proper links!

Of course, I mean a craft show.  The nearest to me geographically is the Make It! Show at Farnborough's FIVE exhibition centre.  (If you're anywhere near as old as me and know the area, you'll remember it as Farnborough Airport - it still is, of course, but there's more to it these days!)
This year the show opens on February 24th at 10am each day, (half an hour earlier for disabled visitors) and continues till close of play on Sunday 26th February.  It's a good show; plenty of catering or space to eat your picnic, free parking (unusual) and aisles that are wide enough to mean there's room to walk around the crowd clamouring over one thing or another.  All these things are important to a woman of a certain age who has a bit of cash to spend, huh!  
The list of exhibitors includes card making, stamping, scrapbooking, beads, finished crafts from foreign shores, wools, fabrics, a few clothes, storage, honey and books, the introduction of stitching and knitty type crafts certainly reflects current trend, another good reason to visit...it's so important to be trendy.*cough* . So there'll be a lot to look at and even more to buy I suspect!   There's also a selection of workshops that you can book yourself into; a good reason to purchase advance tickets for sure. A full list of exhibitors, and other important details can be found at the web site. There's a Facebook page too.
 If you're a demonstrator or exhibitor and read this old blog, or join in with WOYWW, do let us know in the comments, am sure a number of us will be visiting and would be nice to be able to say hi!
Make It's website, further details, booking forms for workshops and advance tickets can all be found here.
Please note that this post is brought to you by me, Julia Dunnit,  at the request of the Make It organisers.  No money changed hands. Although I now have a free ticket.  But I'd have been going anyway (on the Friday) - don't tell them!  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 136

Well, mine feels relatively unchanged to be honest.  And acts as proof that if you pile enough stuff on it, you can use the stuff as a work surface without any problem!  So I've wrapped up a couple of bits for posting and used the marker and ruler to draw some charts for Mr Dunnit...and spent a few quiet minutes cleaning off a stamp or two - Stazon cleaner at right.  And cleaned off my scissors...at left.  And made no decisions about the apparent 'pile' at the back..yet.  All this on top of the Really Useful Box I collected yesterday.  This is the clear stamp storage.  It's deep enough to hold loads...it's shallow enough to fit where it's going and it's the best I can do...laminated sleeves neatly loaded with stamps and stored in file sleeves just doesn't work for me.  Renders them inaccessible and renders me absolutely pathetic when it comes to putting them away.  I'd rather rummage through a box!  So I'm going to deliberately STAIN each image with black Stazon (so I can see what it is!!) and then chuck 'em in the box...you can't say the style doesn't suit me.  We all know that would just be kind words..really, and I know 96% of you are horrified by this as an solution.  It's OK though, cos I'm in the 4%!


Go on then, spill. What's going on at your workspace this week.  Put WOYWW in the title and link your Wednesday desk photo here.  The visiting will be slow, but visits you will get...it doesn't matter if you link at No1 or No 150, promise!  No blatant advertising please!  

Points of Inspiration: 5: My Sister

You know that Sissy Dunnit is Stephanie over at Luscious Life Studios right?  And she's a designer and a clever clogs and all round good egg, right?  Well, she had some some of her designs committed to fabric just before Christmas.  And then, after a holiday in Australia, Hawaii and England, just to prove she's no slouch, she made these cushions up from her designs.  You'll recognise Lily (at the front) because the original design was bragged about on this blog.  See, Steph took my advice and made a brightly coloured version of it.  It's a beauty aint it, all bright colours and polka dots and you know, it speaks vividly of the fun in my sissy's character. Actually, so did the original, paler, more grown up colour way. You couldn't help but be cheered by these two patterns, huh. 
You know how it is, my advice amounted to a kerjillion emails worth of going on and on and on about loving turquoise and lime, so she changed it to shut me up.  Works for me.  And now it's a fabric...wow, works for her too.  And won't it be amazing when it's a paper or a digi?  Makes me giddy thinking about it.  When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like my big Sister.

Note to self

Stop moaning about the lack of space in your work area.  Or, stop buying stuff.  Today I've tidied up sufficiently to discover that I need a shoe horn to get anything new into the correct places. 

So a shoe horn I have fashioned!  Yeah, I finally made it over to Shopkeeper Gal's to have a rummage in the sale.  The beeyoooooootiful wood mounted stamps with little orange stickers were £1 each.  £1.  And the boxed Hero Arts sets were £5 each.  I mean, it would have been rude not to, huh.  I shall choose a quieter day to go back again - so I can fully concentrate; it was busy, and I was chatting of course, and that doesn't help my focus!  Also pictured is the new Portobello Road stuff from DO Crafts.  The first I think, of many vintage and new style scrapbook collections featuring all things Great Britain and Union flags.  It's a big year here, in dear old blighty, and this particular Brit intends to make the most of it.  Meanwhile, back in the bulging cupboards...I think I've resigned myself to a storage 'solution' for the clear stamps, and will show and tell next week. I've also had a good clear out of the 12" paper section.  I haven't tackled the felt pens or embellishments yet.  There's a limit to my strength of purpose.  Well, unless it's about taking note of my own notes.  Then I'm hopeless, obviously. 

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 135

Well. Loads of shhhtuff.  Waiting to be organised.  After my mugs made me want to do something, I made a calendar page for January.  And got it into my head that the clear stamps and Christmas stamps should be put away properly to make some room.  Which involved emptying the shelf that they were on.  Which involved cluttering up the desk with stuff that I've been shoving onto the shelf for the want of somewhere to put it.  My bad.  So today you can see detritus.  Some very large Heidi Swapp playing cards (boxed, under the CD), a blank canvas (there's a joke there somewhere) a bag of souvenir postcards and tickets from Tenerife. (A year ago this month, that holiday!) and then the usual suspects too.  Even Jan's desk bin has been unceremoniously shoved aside to let me at the clear stamps.  Man if I didn't love the images, truly, I would dump the lot.  Instead, they are on the floor in the lounge.  

I thought that perhaps if I watched some catch-up tv it would make organising them a bit easier.  Not so.  Uh uh.  Gave me pins and needles. Couldn't see the small images properly to sort them.  Couldn't get some clean enough to make 'em clingy.  Lost the will to live.  Time to compromise! Sorted the Christmas from the others, filed those with the Christmas wood mounts and have squashed the others back onto their original shelf.  There has to be a better way.  Part of my day was spent modelling today.  Man, I have such a varied life.  This is a scheduled post...am off to the Dentist again; 3rd time this holiday. I may be some time!


So, post and brag, do.  Please show us your work surface and what you're up to; upload a pic to your blog, put WOYWW in the title and link it here.  People will visit - reciprocal visits are plenty, and please: no blatant advertising, this is about sharing what you're doing, what you've got and where you do it.  Don't be the spoiler.  

Points of Inspiration: 4 More colour!

 I was chuntering a little about the loss of the dishwasher this morning.  I know it's hard to imagine me in a whiney, less than good tempered mood, but stretch yourself if you can. The dishwasher situation is serious.  I noticed on Christmas Eve eve that it was taking rather longer to run the cycle than it should.  So there followed a test run after we'd provided supper for 7 that evening.  Suspicion confirmed, the programmer is shot - it won't stop working!  Next day, Christmas Eve, after supper for 9, I decide it's safer to wash up..because I don't know how long  a cycle is meant to be, I don't want to forget and leave it running pointlessly and I'm scared that if I do leave it, it'll blow up and spoil my kitchen. And therefore, Christmas.  So I've been a slave to the sink and the drying up.  I know, how tough; but do note the use of the singular person in that sentence.  I.  Turns out everyone else is really busy at washing up time.  Ha! My childhood excuses coming back to bite me on the bum!  

why are iphone photos always so bad?!!

Anyhooo....for once when putting stuff away, all the other, non matching mugs were still waiting to go into the cupboard, so I piled up these, my favourites and took a photo.  I don't know why it pleases me to have them, but it does...shape, colour outside, white insides, practical handle I can actually hold properly and of course, the colours.  Made me, for the first time in ages, want to get to my desk and make something.  So I'm going to.  Even if it's just a mess, at least it will be colourful.  And probably not red and gold.


Oh also, you can see, I've been housekeeping.  Honestly, I don't believe myself to be trendy at all, how funny a delusion that would be!!  But, I  love the blog template, so I have to use it!!