What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 242

Do join us if you're of a mind - the 'what' and 'how' are explained in separate pages just a click away above this post.

Now then, Deskers.  Ask me how much I've done at my desk this week.  Nothing.  Except pile it with non-craft related stuff and shuffle it around.  Argh.  Frustrating.  So, I got home from work for lunch on Tuesday and whilst there was light, took photos of (possibly) more interest than my dull desk.  

 The ink cupboard. Featuring a shelf for embossing powders.

 The scrapbooking embellishments, and paper cupboards. Co-starring a few punches.

The C6 card and envelopes cupboard.

It sort of proves a back-to-front point.  I may be very messy on the surface, but underneath, all is organised serenity!  Well, close.  So now, gentle Deskers, whilst Mr D and I spend his birthday installing a Reception desk somewhere in Winchester (my life is a crazy pattern of desks), please join in and show us yours - just put WOYWW in your post title to make it easy to find.  Don't link if you're just publicising your business, next TV appearance or another MEME with no connection to WOYWW...save those for other blog posts huh?

Oh and one last note - the WOYWW Crop on May 24th...I'll put a page up top with more detail and room for comments and blahdy blah. I'll do this soon.  Before May.  Don't worry! 

Sensory Overload

Because of the statistics associated with you reading my blog, my 'Contact Me' email address is on the lists of several Media companies.  They issue press releases and hope that I will blog about this gallery, that exhibition, this show...the whatever.  Some of them are bizarre.  Many of them are in far away places. Not all of them offer 'un-subscribe' either, which is very naughty, because they are uninvited mail after all.  Funny thing though..I haven't un-subscribed from many - where I had the choice.  Partly that's because these Media companies handle advertising and advertorial (yuk, what a terrible word) for an astounding range of arts and cultural stuff and I find it fascinating. And of course the other reason is much more basic and shallow...what if I miss something really good?

And it's been a right old marathon with CHA.  Not many of us crafters can be unaware that the bi-annual industry convention has just taken place in California.  Enough people go to it from here to make it sound like a really good and glamorous jolly.  And it probably is. But the press releases..oh my.  Turgid. Too long and too many. And they mostly were only applicable to people attending.  I haven't been anywhere near any attending company blogs, looked for new releases or checked out Ranger and Tim Holtz' publicity machines.  I don't feel the need to know what's coming, oddly.  I am more than secure in the knowledge that people like Jenny, The Artistic Stamper and Marion of Sugar and Spice will work out what we'll want and ship it over when they can, and force a trend that makes me need it soon enough.  I want to use the stuff, not look at it longingly on a computer.  I know I'm relatively unusual in this regard, and I know that the people writing the press releases etc don't know that, much less care.  

 Roman Spanish column top.... Sculpture. Relevant to the last paragraph.  Man I'm so cultured.

But (and there's a point to this..and it's coming soon..). How often do you have to receive marketing emails from the same company/person before you stop bothering to look at them?   For me..it's every day. Seriously, I take more notice of the 'once in a while' marketing than I do of the everyday stuff.  Some of the companies that I buy stuff from send emails on a daily basis  - I'm probably missing some sensational offers because I don't read them.  Deramores, Pinterest, The National Lottery, Craftsy, Wowcher.....all have been unsubscribed because they just dilute their interest and impact by mailing too often.

When businesses ask for your email address,do you think twice about disclosing it? Even when they say you can 'unsubscribe at any time'.  Do you consider that they may bore you on a daily basis or just take it calmly in the inbox?  Do you manage your email accounts? Filing, deleting and sorting?  I'm fascinated by the impact of email marketing.  Not that I'm about to start doing it you understand.  It's just the thing that tipped me over into having an opinion today was a press release. That being said, I hope very much for the success of the exhibition of large-scale sculptures by young British artist Neil Ayling. It opens tonight at the Berloni Gallery in Fitzrovia (Margaret Street, London W1, doncha know). Although he'll never understand the impact of his PR firm now, will he?!
Have a lovely weekend.
Have a nice, opinionated weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 241

You can work out how to join in with this weekly jaunt by clicking on the links above 'What is WOYWW' and 'How to...WOYWW'.  Thank you.

So gentle Deskers...how's it looking from your angle?

I must admit to a certain teeny smugness.  From where I'm standing, I appear to be getting on without a fuss.  This photo, taken in daylight on Tuesday early afternoon, shows the work in progress for a Birthday Book...a proposed workshop project..and the best excuse I ever had for playing with the new papers I bought at the Shopkeeper Gal's.  It's a collection called Mother Goose by Graphic 45.  Redolent of Mary Englebreit in many ways, which is probably why I was suckered into buying it.  I love it.   On the deckchair is a group of bagged cards - for my first workshop of 2014...the ones inspired by the handmade cards I was given at Christmas.  I'l share them soon.  I'm a bit shy about them for now.  I don't want to insult the original cards!

So please join in.  We'd like to see what you're doing and where you're doing it.  Don't overly advertise your business, or join just to promote your own Meme...it's not conducive to the spirit of the thing.  Keep it relatively short if you can..there's a lot to visit! Put WOYWW in your post title, link the post here and make at least some reciprocal visits...it makes the Wednesday world go around.  It really does. Oh and if you visit, please leave your link number with your comment...it helps to find you on the list.  Thankoo.

The Thing is..

To me, being poorly means I can lie on the sofa and browse blogs, leave witty comments, crochet some, maybe do some scrapbooking.  In reality of course, being poorly means I haven't done anything...even reading seemed like hard work.  So I've emerged from two wasted days and feel the need to do some catching up.  Cor, what a a waste of time! Nevertheless, I'm reporting on the week's crafting.  Such as it was.
I was at Crop last weekend and managed to make 5 layouts.  I can hear you saying that if they were all as simple as this one, no wonder I made five.  Yep.  But you forget, the focus of Crop is social and food; so any number of completions is a triumph!  

See, if taking a photo of just yourself is a 'selfie', surely this is a twoie?

This one is Coredinations paper, a scrap of Basic Grey and some bits and pieces that came from rummaging.  
Turns out that I made four of five Layouts about me and Mr Dunnit too, so I won't be boring you to death with loads of pics of us.  Yet.  But, I thought you may like to see this lovely photo of Jan.  I used a Pagemaps sketch for the LO and am really pleased with it.  And her for letting me have the photo.

It's 7 Gypsies 'Provance' paper (still fairly convinced that they spelt it wrong by mistake) and loads of scraps.  The fabric frame is by SEI or KI, I can't remember.  There is a combining theme here - the star sticky tape.  I've had it since 2006 and I fear it will turn up on almost anything I make until it's gone now.  Funny how stuff becomes so useful after a good rummage!  I'm pleased to be using stuff up. But I'm not making any rash promises about not buying new stuff.  I can't do that.  And that's the thing.  This year will be much the same as the last.  Me talking about my considered purchases..and then probably not using them for a while.   

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 240

Oh do join in.  If you're new to it, there are instructions on separate pages accessible by clicking along the tabs up top.  ^^^^^

Meanwhile, sing and hang out the bunting...I've actually made time at my desk for a bit of crafting.  Well...if you count stickers and thickers being employed on a canvas that I bought last month.  It's destined to go to my beautiful Niece for her birthday.  Better than a card, prolly not as good as a present, but eminently post-able!  So my desk looks very 'right now', to me.  I bought the alphas at the Shopkeeper Gal's on Tuesday morning (there is a sale), and not with this canvas in mind at all..I just can't resist a bargain.  I bought three sets of the black. Piggy. So the rest is easily explained..empty mug of diet hot chocolate and a pack of tissues.  I have a cold and wanted comfort.  Double Piggy.

So 2014 arrives with a WEATHER attitude.  Please y'all - stay safe, warm and dry.  Pictures from both sides of the mighty Atlantic are really a test of belief right now.  Hold fast and be sensible. Ask for help if you need to...from whatever source...if you need help, you need help.  
Meanwhile, because there's so much to think about in terms of empty diary spaces, Jan has booked the hall for this year's WOYWW Crop.  Or, last year, as it nearly became -  the longest ever meet and greet!  Join us do, if you can, on Saturday, May 24th.  Same location and of course, loads more info and blahdy blah to follow.  You don't need to commit right now, pencil it in and I'll ask you again nearer the time.  Jan will be catering and others will bring cake.  If that's not a good enough reason......
OK, get joining in people. If you can...despite the HTML code being there, the Linky thing isn't showing on preview, so I don't know if it will appear.  If it doesn't, be patient, I'll load it manually as SOON as I can.  
Turns out the whole thing is troublesome today...I was right to think that Blogger was having a laugh...

Twelfth Night lovelies

Gosh it really is all over, and so I offer you the last of the lovely handmades I received this Christmas.  ANd listen y'all, Princess Judy has applied pressure by publicly looking forward to seeing the CASEs I come up with.  Well, just so you know - despite not having a competitive fibre or bone in my body...I'm on it.  Nearly.   Am just procrastinating a bit with a birthday book and some new papers.

Mrs Precision.  Of course.

Barbara

Janet 

Craftygashead - Zoe

Each one is a gift, I tell ya.  Brace yourselves, and hope I can do four of them some sort of flattery!

S'More....

See what I did there? Man, I'm a word genius.
Anyway, I wanna show you more of the inspirational and beautiful Christmas cards I've had....

 
Carol, Mary and Margaret

 

Darnell, New Baby Mummy, Scrap Lady Ally

 
Twiglet, Di, Brenda

Julie

  Vonny

 Don't you love 'em?  Time, effort and mojo...s'all it takes!