What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 123

It's dark.  The state of my desk has nothing to do with the colour of the light, but goes some way to explaining why I'm crafting in the dark.  The last two days have been devoted to real work and real family matters and so this has just been a 'make-it' zone.  That is to say, I know I don't often tidy as I go, but this is very definitely a 'do a bit, leave it, do a bit more in ten minutes' scene.  There's evidence of Christmas cards, a CJ for which I'm honoured to have been asked to make an entry - it's Morti's.  There's a lot of gold embossing powder on the loose - the sign of defiance I think, for any family member who thinks it will be OK to open the window over my desk!  Three rolls of glue dots, teeny flat, large flat and large blob...very useful for the creation of the flowers - you can just see some of them in red, awaiting the moment of curl.  This shot also gives you a small taste of my still to be tamed plain scraps box.  It's not a losing battle particularly, but my mojo type priorities are definitely elsewhere!


Join the fun then, expose your desk to scrutiny....or your work area.  Show us what you're doing and what you're doing it on.  Keep your advertising to the less blatant please; if you link here, perhaps consider putting your desk shot as the first part of your article.  You'll get more visitors!  

What is it - eighty something days..?

This is a 'page' from an album of my niece's life: I give her Mum a handful of 'pages' each Christmas

The thing about deciding to do something hand made for a Christmas present is that every time I set foot into anything vaguely resembling a shop, I get a hundred ideas for things that I could buy my intended recipient.  And that's very frustrating.  
Add to that:  a handful of these persons have birthdays between now and Christmas too - it would be really easy to cave in and just buy something.  
Add to that:  the inescapable feeling that giving a handmade gift is probably only fully appreciated by people who hand make themselves.  It might feel a bit 'cheap', although I know it's not. 
Add to that:   have you seen the list of people I've decided to erm, 'bless' with  a home made gift this Christmas?  It's, well, ambitious.  
Add to that:  I've seen several tickers on other blogs that count down the days.  I could so easily wind myself up into a hysterical fat blob. 
Instead, I thought I'd share my coping mechanism: 
1. Make, whilst in the mood, whilst the going is good.  
2. Make and finish one thing at a time..midnight on the 24th December is not a time reserved for frantic finishing and crappy wrapping.  No, it ISN'T.
3.  Set a reasonable, seasonal deadline to finish the makes.  Mine is December 15. Then, I shall gracefully (!) accept if I've failed to finish and trot out to buy gifts where needed, and still have time to wrap them.  
4.  Do not get silly about this.  Do not make loads of stuff and then lose your nerve and decide against giving any of it away.  To this end, I recommend wrapping as soon as possible after finishing!


So how does that sound - my manifesto?  Simple and workable.  I hope.  I intend.  It's safe to share here because most intended recipients aren't blog readers.  Don't actually hold your breath,  but you know - watch this space.  I'll not be able to resist showing off if the going remains good!

Self publicity or an FYI? You decide!

If you find yourself interested and want to book, or a booking form, or more info, email me through the link on the right bar.  Easy. Thank you!

Christmas Card Marathon

Saturday 12^th November 2011

Tidworth, Hants

10am to 4pm

£40 per person

We’re happy to announce another Marathon card making session in our usual format: we’ll supply everything you need - sample to copy, instructions, papers, glitters, stamps, blah - to make a bunch of Christmas cards (one of each – about 25 if you do them all!).   We’ll give you written instructions and be lurking to provide commentary and beverages, and there’ll be a lovely home-made lunch too, courtesy of Lunch Lady Jan, of course!

Booking is essential. There is an upper limit too, so don’t delay if you want to come with a bunch of friends.  We'd like a £10 deposit per person with your booking; if you want to, you can make an interim payment. Either way, any balance will be payable on the day, at the door.  Payments can be made via Paypal or by cheque or cash of course. Once you've booked your spot, we'll confirm, and by email provide you with further details - route directions, what to bring.

Please read the small print:

- your deposit is not automatically refundable. If we know in advance that you can't come, we will do our best to fill your space and therefore return your deposit. (7 days in advance, minimum)

- Your deposit can be transferred to benefit another attendee if you give us notice that you aren't coming. (7 days notice, minimum)

- Your deposit is entirely safe and 'ring-fenced'. We will not be using it to buy resources or pay costs in advance. In the unlikely event that we have to cancel the day, your deposit will be refunded within 48 hours of our cancellation announcement.

Keep an eye on the website:   www.2scrapladies.blogspot.com

Well, I'm ready.

And you don't hear me say that too often.  Well, if you do, usually I'm telling a fib.  I may not be ready for Christmas - indeed, I'm not even ready for supper this evening, but I'm ready for 2012. I've finished my calendar, and no doubt will bore you witless with pictures of it as we progress to and through 2012.

As you can see, some of the pages are remarkably simple.  Do you like the way I tease the OCD amongst us by hanging the calendar at a very jaunty angle AND off the edge of the page...and worse, the stencilly thing doesn't line up properly.  Oh my.  Are your teeth itching yet?  I like the calendar at an angle.  See, I attach it with magnets inside a frame  with a steel back that Mr D made.  And the frame hangs on the wall in the hall.  And it's a very convenient angle at which to write when you're leaning on the wall.  With a phone in the crook of your neck. 
Annnnnd of course there's a reason for it being finished before any other thing that needs to be done before the end of the year - this is the first of a few that will be presents, and there's the small matter of Jan bringing her friend Sue over tomorrow for a play date that kinda includes making a calendar!  Ah I hear you cheering, a REAL reason...nothing to do with being uber organised at all.  No.  Of course not!


Have a marvellous weekend y'all.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 122

What ho WOYWWers; this is my desk after my day off..I haven't been near it at all for a day, in an attempt to restore mojo. Had a nice morning in Winchester, and had coffee and lunch at the Cathedral Refectory with Jan and Chrissie (you  know her - half of the Less is More Challenge blog).  Yeah?  Told you. 

Horrible light,  but hey, it's that time of year. You can see abandoned glasses, tray of little pots of glitter and half hearted attempt at a 'contemporary' Christmas card.  Unusually for me, you can see only 2 pairs of scissors (just) and the new acrylic drawers perched right there in front of me.  Jan asked me if I'd like them or could I re-home them.  I decided to stick them on my desk for a while, see if I had a use.....that's them absorbed then, thank you LLJ!  

Maggie (Silvercrafter) won the draw for the book following the post: A review, entirely Solicited. It wasn't a technical or scientific draw, and there's not even a bunch of strips of paper in a bowl to photo and show you.  Here's the scoop:  I numbered the list of names.  Then I shouted to Mr Dunnit 'Pick a number between 1 and 23'.  He gave me the look.  You know the one that says 'you're a nutter, so I'm not even going to bother to ask'.  And then he said 'Fourteen'.  And Maggie 's name was in space number 14.  That's how it happened.  

Edit: OMGee, had to come back and tell you - the counter says this is the 600th post..! My word, I've had a lot to say!


Show us what you're doing this cool autumnal day then.  Photo your desk, upload it to your blog and link it here.  Lots of us will visit.  This week, for a change, I'm going to start in the higher numbers....it seems fair to me.

Essential Days Out

Thank you, Enthusiastic Educator.

The weather has been glorious.  If you live where it has been glorious, already you're sick of hearing it.  If you live in the Isles or Highlands, it has been slightly less glorious, indeed, liquid.  And I'm sorry about that. Of course if I had control, things would be fair and equal.  So I'm guessing that the Mojo going away on holiday is probably good weather related.  Greater crafters than myself (Hels Sheridan, no less) are Mojo-less (well, she claims to be...you be the judge!).  I know I am.  I've stalked a the blogs of some who live in Scotland and discover friends practically churning out projects and cards.  I have deadlines that are making me feel a bit icky in my tummy, and still yesterday, only managed one and a half cards.  You have to concur -  in the open window whilst gently erm, glowing in the sunshine, making a Christmas Card is quite tough.  No, really tough. So maybe there is a slightly skewed equality to this weather after all.     Today I'm going to do what I should have done yesterday - jack it in - leave the desk and go do something else.  It might even work.  

Points of Inpsiration 3.

Colour!

These are fat quarters; photos by the Important G, who is Jan's husband. Aren't they lovely?  You may have seen them before on Jan's blog; we were in the same shop, on the same holiday together, see.  Each time I page through that file of photos (which is relatively regularly, it was a fun weekend) I stop at these two pictures.  No doubt, as much as I'm beginning to understand and like the seven shades of wee wee style of the Holtzians, and as pretty as I find the white bases and pastel colours that the cutie school prefer, my heart lies with big colour.   And so these pictures make me happy.  And that is enough to make me want to pick up a piece of paper and do something creative. 

Have a lovely, sun filled, colourful weekend.