What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 99

Well folks, as this is the last one in April (already), it means that that 104, the second anniversary week isn't too far way now. So if you plan to join us for the PiF (detailed here), you need to get your thinking cap on now.

And here's my desk...replete with box of chipboard under a tidy tray, balanced on a notebook.
A basket of dragons that DD hasn't got around to putting on ebay yet, so I've done it, a card in the making, my glasses of course...a couple of them sexy new lie flat EK punches....a new BIGGER button jar. Nothing of any great interest. Unless you want me to riddle up an excuse for having boxes balanced on notebooks etc....then I'll need some time!

Show us your desk and work in progress then, we're wanna see what you're working on and what you've got that we haven't! Try to keep your words short, then we can visit lots of desks. Put a photo on your blog, link it here and visit to your art's content. I thank you. We all thank you.

Tool talk

No really, it's about a tool...no smuttiness. A lot of us English roses are surprised that our American cousins use 'tool' as a derogatory nick name for a fool. We do have them you understand, and I know all of them...(for I am a driver...) but 'tool' over this side of the pond, is just that. A tool. A useful item to help ya get something done. Which is possibly why we don't use it as slang for stupid(blokes in particular). Lordy, a digression in the first sentence. Gotta be a record. Anyway. I wanted to follow on from the domestic trivia of Easter Sunday's post by telling you that after I had gathered in the load of washing and walked around it for most of yesterday, I was forced to pull it out of the basket and iron necessary pieces this morning. And then I realised that one of my most useful craft tools ever is the pair of jeans that I sort of reserve for days at home when I know I'm going to be crafting. I wipe just cleaned stamps, my dirty fingers and paintbrushes on them. I de-static paper and clean fingerprints of most things on them, I test dryness by dabbing painted or inked items onto them, they are useful! They are marked and very very faded, but clearly are the most comfortable to sit in. I've even torn the hem off one leg because I 'needed' a piece of denim for something important (at the time - I can't even remember where it appears now). There is a bigger give away as to their usefulness as a crafty tool though. The crispy line of glue along the top of the thigh, just under the (still pert) buttock on either side (or more basically - at my arm's length) - where I constantly wipe my hands clean - particularly and especially of glue and sticky stuff. Ick. It's not as if it's a build up - these jeans are washed pretty regularly. It's possible that washing isn't the correct sort of maintenance for such an important tool. They probably deserve an occasional hot cycle and a proper pressing and even time in a cupboard. Ain't happening though - the best tool is one you use all the time right - and I can't use an apron. My height and roundiness is accentuated in an apron - makes me look like a right erm, tool.

Easter Domestics...

I've just hung a load of washing out and was disappointed that it's a bit dull and hmm, possibly chilly. How quickly we adapt - the last week has been so utterly beautiful, so reflecting a climate that I'd like to have been born into, that I'd forgotten that even a late Easter can be beastly cold; I'm sure this one will warm up, after all, it's relatively early. OK, early if you're under twenty! Mr Dunnit is having today off - I think that the new business feeling is starting to wear off a bit and he's learning not to take every job no matter what the delivery pressure....so next time there's a 4 day holiday, he can have at least 3 days off. Shhh, I haven't told him it's next weekend...in case he starts back tracking rather quickly! After I've finished daily chores, we'll wake the teenager, leave instructions and then we're going out together. I know. Miracle. To his sister's - she needs a new window board for her kitchen and it needs to be measured today, before they go out.......I recognise this 'want it now' desperation, but really, if you've been without a window board for 6 months, wouldn't your brother's one day off over the weekend make you hesitate to ask? Nah - after all, they're siblings and this is how it works. Then we're off to my parents to be spoiled with a traditional Easter meal and the languishing that follows. How lovely. And then when we get home, I promise I honestly am going to set to the boring part of preparation for our summer Card Marathon - photos and instructions need writing. Am starting to actually feel guilt over not being up to date...indeed, have actively avoided talking to Scrap Lady Ally about it, so I really have to. Honestly, avoiding a friend. Shameful. So here's my first card - well a good portion of it anyway. At least it's proof I've actually made something! Card Marathon details can be found HERE if you fancy it.

Now, aren't you glad you know all about my Easter Day domestic issues? If I was a better woman, I'd have a decorated house and be doing the entertaining and this would be the sort of blog where you visit and ask 'how does she do it?'....and instead you can ask yourself - 'why doesn't she just do it?' - but you know the answer to that already. Wishing you a happy day.

Happy Returns, Elizabeth!

If you haven't met Elizabeth yet, then I suggest you do. here she is: alteredbooklover.blogspot.com

Today, Earth Day, is also her birthday and I hope that this sort of e-card is a happy greeting.

I know - look at the card - slightly distressed, signs of alcohol and distress inks, layering of ink AND paint. Paint for goodness sake. 'Twould seem that whenever I pick up an artsy stamp like any of these, I get Jennie and Hels sitting on mah shoulders encouraging me to get my hands inky painty and distressed. It's really quite strange, because before I tuned into the old WOYWW blog hop, I was trundling along quite nicely with 'my' style...and then I find how much more is out there; so now and then I have to try something else. You can see that I still end up exercising some control though..had to use a tag and confine the perimeters of 'just go for it' a bit. Also I had to be able to vaguely remember what I was doing so that I could encourage others to have a go at the workshop last week.

I still think the base card is a bit weedy and pale..to the point where for the first time, I may have to pull this card apart and play some more. I blame all you alterers...it would seem you have instilled in me a slight teeny tiny bit of that 'enjoy the creating as much as the created' thing in me. And Elizabeth is one of those types. So in that whole Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & The City style I conclude with a question: good grief...am I an evolving crafter?

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 98

Well, here we are again..week 98 and still you aren't bored? Well, if you are, could you kindly hang on until after week 104, please? After all, quite a few of us have come up with great ideas for the anniversary PiF (explained HERE)...it would be a shame to miss that week!! As you know, generally, there are few rules for WOYWW, but in considering the PiF, it seems fair to ask you to have it ready to send on the anniversary, rather than delaying the gratification and fun by making the gift after the event. Make sense? Hope so!

So this week's desk.....almost untouched by human hand. These baskets of stuff are the ingredients per card from last Thursday's workshop. Proof indeed that real life and holidays have taken me away from my desk and my computer too often this week. The yellow Monster is back in its upright position (better than a holder to take up yet more space, honestly, Annette!) and the desk tidy is empty because I cleaned and put away the stamps. I know, of all the things to have found time to do! You can see the Artistic Stamper logo too - I lucked out and won a new stamp in Jennie's blog launches and felt the best way to give her my address was to treat myself to a small order....so I did....now I have 2 Distress Stains to try and two gorgeous new stamps - I'll show you soon. Photo taken in full sun....about 6.45 on Tuesday evening - this is another scheduled post, very grown up things to be done on Wednesday morning.

Oh and PS - loved the number of you that left ironic notes about my comment last week about a well written and spell checked post!!

So there we are then - easy as that. Upload a pic onto your blog of your current work desk - crafty or otherwise, we like to see what you've got going on, and then link it here. Eventually, we'll visit. Be patient and don't fret about numbers....we won't need food!

Can't see the wood for the trees..

One of the bigger jobs I've promised to tackle this holiday is the 'room of shame'. Despite my lack of pride when it comes to my desk for WOYWW, I'm, not sharing' before' pictures of this spare room. Suffice to say, when we 're-modeled' Miss Dunnit's bedroom into something suitable for a grown up , all the girly, kid stuff was consigned to boxes and slung in the room of shame. And I mean all. Everything - toys, teddies, books, junk...all of it. So today, armed with 4 boxes - keep, bin, ebay, charity - I set the timer and we made a start. The timer was set because it is misery - getting her to part with anything is hard, and sorting out a load of junk that's been sitting quietly and without blame for too long is horrible. We tackled one large box. We ahhed and oohed over the plastic jewellery and the collection of Horrible History books and we laughed at the number of little handbags she was given as birthday presents from the age of about 4. Yep - 2 months in front of her 18th birthday and we still have 'em. We fished out about 30 sheets of stickers which she's going to hand over to the neices and some really fab neice appropriate beady jewellery. The rest was broken down into the four boxes......and for once, without tears or argument. She seems to have turned the corner of sentiment and for one box full at least, is OK to part with stuff that really, she'll never look at again even if we do stuff it into yet more boxes in the attic. So...what do you reckon my chances are for tomorrow's twenty minutes? And the day after - when she realises that two of the bigger boxes are full of stuff that I should have gone through when that little room was my craft room - before I moved into this purpose built, downstairs room? Save me...the double standard is weighing me down already!

Themes and schemes

A couple of people commented on this from Wednesday's workdesk photo - it's a card (!) for next week's workshop. See, me and Shopkeeper Gal had this great plan: following a fab idea from Daring Cardmakers last year I think, why not have one workshop each month based on the birthstone for that month. Sounded like a great idea and so we committed. Now when I say we, I mean I. How hard can it be? Consult Google (of course!) for a list of the birthstones and make some stone appropriate cards, 4 per workshop to be exact. Well, I can see why Shopkeeper Gal let me get all carried away with the possibilities - turned out to be really difficult! I found myself being overwhelmed by the colour of each stone so far...here we are in April and I've only just got

my head around the possibility of suggestion, or nodding toward the stone and its colour. See this all aquamarine card..oh boy. Bit in your face, huh!

So the April stone is diamond which gave me all sorts of colour problems...except of course it didn't really, after all, when I stopped hyper-ventilating like an attention starved diva and started to actually think about it properly, it's a great shape; I stumbled upon a couple of ideas whilst panic planning, so it looks as if the next birthstone workshop might at last see me get a grip of the idea..it's only taken 4 months. Dunno how the DT at Daring Cardmakers do it so consistently...my hat is raised!