What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 237

There are 'how to' and 'why you should' WOYWW links at the top of the page.  It's all much easier than it reads...have a go!

Now gentle reader, I don't think that I've hesitated to post a desk shot.  Not in 236 weeks. Rather, I revel in being the one that makes your teeth and fngers itch to come over here and tidy up.  It makes me laugh ah ha ha ha to think of all the intakes of breath that my 236 photographs may have caused.  This week then, is no different.  Except, even I'm not laughing.  I too, need - and badly - to establish some order so that I can get on.  I won't whine about the five minutes here and there between everything else - we're all busy.  I won't put the argument about creative genius.  I don't have that burden.  I'm thinking of asking Mr Dunnit to stop asking me to help in the Joinery and let me make a door.  To hang in the doorway between this room and our lounge room.  To replace the one that I made him take off after we put my desk in here, so that I could sort of be in the lounge with him, but at my desk too. I need to hide this from myself, let alone my holiday guests.  If ever there was a time for me to be visited by a Christmas miracle......

It's safe to show - these slightly decorated Cosmos are for my girlfriends.  They will have received them at our Christmas supper on Tuesday evening.  For that is when this photo was taken.  I haven't made them cards. * Insert whiney voice*:  I can't do anymore.  I just can't.
So now sweet friends, show and tell your own desk...horror stories will make me feel very comfortable.  Also, if you comment - please tell me...should we risk #238 next week or postpone?  Madness, I tell ya....

Season's End

Aha..we're all getting ready, and full of anticipation and looking forward to a couple days off (well, that part I truly am).  But Thursday was the real Season end for me.  The Season of Workshops for this year.  Shopkeeper Gal and I have breathed a sigh of relief..we don't recommence Workshops in the shop until the end of January and frankly, the break is important.  Once in a while you need to turn your back on something and not do it to appreciate it.  I don't know if the customers feel that, but I know that the January recess helps me to sort out, figure out and come up with some ideas for new workshops.  See, we alternate fortnightly workshops and so coming up with stuff that doesn't feel stale or 'same old' becomes difficult without a break.  

I see the bells are upside down.: the card is lying flat....but I did catch the glitter effect. Perfection is not an option here! 

There's that age old problem too - if you have the samples in store, to encourage booking and hint at techniques to be used, it can spoil the surprise.  It can even put people off - after all, not everyone can like every card.  It might cause a rush on the stock that you've used and then there's no time left to get more for the workshop. 
I try to put together cards that feature one or two techniques, and also that are able to be simultaneously worked on by two people.  That way sharing, and therefore waiting time, is kept to a minimum; for example, whilst one stamps the other can be die cutting or colouring or whatever.  But this is a real 'try' situation.  Sometimes, the United Nations of Crafting occurs - one will do each persons stamping whilst the other does all the die cutting and then they collate together...it's not wrong, it's certainly not upsetting, but sometimes I think that someone might miss out on the opportunity to try a technique that is as yet unmastered.  Not that there's many of those out there these days.  

So gentle reader...here's where you come in.  if you were coming to one of my Workshops,  what would you like to see on the schedule?  Loosely themed cards, technique rich, technique exploration...name it. Please - chip in. You are an invaluable source of inspiration, and at this end of Season, I'm needing your boost! 
Shopkeeper Gal is listing Anniversary and Men's Cards....I will attempt a Men's cards workshop, somewhere next year, and probably something grunge based....what do you like about and loathe about the card making workshop experience.  I'm very interested.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 236

Because I am lithe and nimble and have an excellent memory for days and dates, I hopped off my stool and photographed my desk late on Tuesday night.  You can tell..it's very dark outside (although that doesn't change after about 4.30pm!) and it's a long shot because there's so little craft work going on.  I'm doing bookwork as you can see - trying to do it as it arrives and needs doing rather than spending the holiday catching up.  We'll see! Doesn't it look horribly untidy.  Oh well.

So as not to disappoint - several of you commented last week at the glimpse of my corner shelves.....here then, in their glory:

My wood mounts.  I love 'em and even in this untidy and pared down state, I will never get rid of any more, not stop opting for them whenever I can!  My clear stamps are in the blue drawer unit that shows just under my desk in the first photo. I don't hate them, but I certainly don't love them.  
So come on then, share your workspaces, share your Christmas craft works and all their glory.  I know you're busy, bit there's time for this.  Really.  Ho Ho Ho.

Getting prickly..

Yesterday, in the true spirit of the Season, I hauled my not inconsiderable butt out of bed at the weekday time. Not the Sunday lie-in time of anywhere between 7.30 and 10am.  I grumbled a bit as I dressed for public consumption. (I can easily spend a Sunday in a dressing gown).  I grumbled less as the coffee started to filter through and work its magic, and by the time my chums arrived to whisk me away, I was able to speak and be pleasant.

My two amigas.  Yes we needed the aprons.

Amy, helpfully giving the greenery a perspective!

 

We were off to The Petal Boutique at Weyhill to make ourselves a Christmas wreath.  I have never done anything involving floristry, apart from pretending to arrange the odd bouquet in a vase.  And I mean odd.  In nearly 29 years, I've had more bouquets from family and friends for birthdays than as reminders of unbounded love from my life partner.  He knows who he is.
 

Helen, showing us floristry tricks for wiring

Helen's shop is lovely, filled with the scents and colours of floristry and hanging with gorgeous decorations for sale, and some really fab re-purposed and painted furniture.  She's a very stylish gal.  And very patient. She showed, helped and encouraged five of us to make the wreath from the wire frame up..to make sausages of moss, to bind with wire, to feed in the greenery and bind with wire.  To add decorations that are - surprisingly - wired..and finally to add a beautiful bow.  Well, everyone else had a beautiful bow.  I couldn't see why it was so hard to do, so tried myself and hmmm....should have asked for help. What I did do however, is become more relaxed over the course of the morning and therefore more able to be vocal and whiney when the holly stabbed me.  And it did. A lot.  It was really sharp.  But it didn't stop me using it, of course. I had a really lovely morning, and will be signing up for more as next year unfolds.  I'm never going to be a florist, but I like what Helen managed to make me do.  Clever. And I now have a really nice fresh wreath hanging at my door. I even went to the trouble of making sure it wasn't too close to the doorbell so that others don't have to suffer the holly prickles. Really, I'm like that. 

Dunnit does December.

Some musings on the whole gift thing...

This is not our current tree..I fear this photo may be several years old....please, I'm not at all tree ready!

I have reached an age. An age at which I need nothing. Mr Dunnit doesn't have to prove his love with grand gestures, I don't have to have masses of presents to reassure myself that I'm loved.  I don't need any more 'stuff' that's for sure. But that doesn't stop me wanting or enjoying gifts, there's still loads of stuff out there that I like!  I am part of an income bracket, or is it a generation, that within reason, operates on the 'see it, want it, buy it' theory.  It wasn't always thus, and I'm not talking about massive acts of wanton extravagance here.  I'm thinking of the odd piece of clothing or the necessary five or six sheets of 12 x 12 or a new set of stamps.  The odd workshop or weekend away with chums..things I want rather than need...costs that many years ago at the beginning of our married life, we wouldn't have considered let alone been able to bear.  I remember getting new underwear or a nightdress for Christmas because I needed them.  This is not a sob story, more an indication of how things have changed.  And how I've changed too. Now, if I find something that I really do want, can justify and actually feel a need for...I get very impatient to have it.  I don't go to ridiculous lengths, just the ends of the earth and back by tea time if I have to.  I ordered some China for Christmas, stuff I've been saving and working for.  The order acknowledgement said it was out of stock and wouldn't be here until December 21st.  Well that's no good is it.  I want to enjoy it all month, starting NOW.  So I told them that I'd have to cancel the order, the delivery time wasn't acceptable and most importantly, if it had shown on the website as out of stock, I wouldn't have ordered it.  I couldn't put it out of my mind, I was disappointed, and wasted another two nights of valuable free time searching the internet for a supplier with stock. Tried really hard to be grown up and forget it.  Then the original company emailed me to say it had arrived in stock...so I bought it and it came. I'm happy now.  Isn't that ridiculous!  Now that I have a complicated work life balance, and now that I have to really make time to create/shop/cook, I fully appreciate every minute put into making, purchasing or even considering gift giving.  On that basis alone, I love every gift.  

I guess I'm not alone.  Share your thoughts why don't ya?

edited to add: Oh and hey..Art Diva needs help and this is fully in the spirit of this particular post,  which is why I offered to add it to the blog...

She's looking for two Stamps by Suzi Blu, second hand is fine, because she fears they are discontinued....'You are Loved' and 'Love is the Whole Point'

Anyone able to help..please comment here or let Sherie know directly!  See - she's emailing the ends of the earth for them, so I know EXACTLY how frustrated she is!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 235

Whoa!  The first Wednesday of December already!  Well, in true form, I'm not ready in the workdesk section of my life.  Indeed, I have a double offering today.  Mr Dunnit snapped me at work..

 Not a desk per se...a door, on a couple trestles.  This is number three of 4.  Priming with a brush.  Because there simply wasnt enough dust free room in the workshop to use the air/spray gun thingy.  Which I'm quite dangerous with.  You know how if a kid has a hose and you call his name, he'll turn the hose on you as he turns around.....yep, that sort of dangerous. 
Meanwhile, late on Wednesday night, my lovely home desk looked like this.
 

Vaguely tidy. but interestingly..productive.  Yes folks, I've started writing the Christmas cards.  The ones that are done are waiting patiently in the basket at the end of the shot..where the dirty stamps usually live.  You can just see the glittery gel pen that I'd been using and of course, my trusty glasses.  

Not the most fascinating of desks.  But there's normal service on the horizon...after these cards are done, I get to play with some designer papers as part of my unofficial, self indicated place on the Luscious Life Designs DT!

Share your desk, brag about your Christmas preparedness a little, show and tell, please.

Put WOYWW in your post title and link your blog here.  It's fun.  Jingle Bells.

If T is for Tuesday then C is for Cupboard

I know, my powers of language and spelling..awesome!  

A shelf in my least used Cupboard....the china cabinet...something else I love to collect..these are Wedgewood, to celebrate the Millenium. 

I've been trapped at home by a very gammy knee.  Collateral Laterals damaged doncha know.  I have no idea.  'It doesn't work so well' is the best I can say without boring you to death.  And I got to thinking...instead of staring at my lovely cupboards, I might go through them and be a bit ruthless in the clearing out and a bit precise about some cleaning.  I once had ambition to keep my house like the celebrity crafters do...all white and shiny and beautiful.  But I can't.  It's just not in me. 

The most used cupboard... Not fantastically tidy, but I could locate any of the contents in the dark...which is such a useful skill for crafting!

So Mr Dunnit indulged this fantasy by pretending I was serious and suggested I start with the least used and work my way forward..good idea. He was completely unsurprised by my making of a list...starting with my beautiful china cabinet what he made for me .I do use most of my collected china, for it is of the practical variety - I love the eating and drinking stuff.  Naturally.  So when I get to doing it, that will be a pleasure.  A brief stop in the kitchen where the cupboards are actually pretty good because the stuff turns over well enough.  She thinks.  And then I have wardrobes.  Hmm.  Mr D was surprised that I don't think that my wardrobe is my most used.  It really isn't.  If useage is based on the number of times a day a door is opened and the inside is viewed, it's definitely any one of the cupboards housing my craft stash.  You aren't surprised.  Nor was I.  Won't be doing a lot of clearing out, it wouldn't hurt to tidy.   It's funny isn't it, how these things pop into your head right at the time of year when frankly, you have so much else to do.  It's another procrastination method I think.  Don't worry though, as soon as I can stand without falling over, I'll have forgotten all about it and be off doing real life stuff. 

I think this barely qualifies, but I'm going to link at Elizabeth's for T for Tuesday.