What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 250

Click HERE for WOYWW -what???
Click HERE for WOYWW - how to
And click HERE for info about WOYWW5. The anniversary ATC swap.....
And now..eyes down, look in....argh.....

Took the photo Tuesday afternoon, still quite light at nearly five - lovely.  And although I say argh.....looking at the portion that's been captured by the lens...it's not so bad!  I'm making cards still, some samples to show off a set of stamps I'm going to be using at Japonica for workshops next Monday.  No pressure.  All the usual culprits are there, you can just see the handle of the paintbrush that I've been using.  You know the story - the brush is for applying the Mica sprays to the paper because none of the sprays actually work. See that little tin of paint at the back there? The colour is called 'Putty'.  It's a vaguely sort-of-not-quite-clean cream.  I use it to base coat ATCs and such, nothing special.  But..it makes me feel like a real artist because Peggy and Patsy use (real) wall putty to add texture to their (real) art.  And hey, never  mind the difference in medium, it's the same WORD! Good enough for the likes of me!

Show and tell will ya - put WOYWW in your post title, keep it relevant and if you link here, by the power of the 25 year old internet, we'll be round for a good rummage and a virtual cuppa.  

Using the stash. And too many words...

I haven't so much as contemplated a scrapbook layout since the beginning of February.   I tend to only scrapbook at the Crop at the beginning of each month.  This month we didn't hold a Crop and I'm missing it.  Weird huh, considering I've only just put the February LOs in an album.  Really.  I was looking for a photo that I could take to my new hairdresser to show her how stunning I really can look when the cut, colour and style come together - a bit like the transition of Halley's Comet - once every then and not often.  So ya see, I remembered that one of those moments was on our Silver Wedding Anniversary, and that I definitely featured in one or two of the party photos I've since used on a couple of Layouts.  Long story longer...I found it, and then felt obliged to sleeve up and file the pile of LOs just gathering dust and getting in the way on top of the albums.  Funny how you can lose interest once the page is made, huh.  Oh. Just me then?
I learned something else on this last minute flinging about of albums and pages too.  I don't feature in many photos at all!  I don't particularly intend to rectify that, but just in case I die tragically prematurely, I shall make an effort to put some of the finer photos in my albums so that future generations can admire my choice of hairdresser. Just a handful, so that my overwhelming modesty remains apparent.

Of course, I also want those future generations to know that I tried hard to earn my keep and erm, suffered in steel toe capped boots for some of my work.  Just so you know, I don't wear these when I'm crafting - I'm definitely safer with scissors and scalpels than you think. Actually, this was going to be a post about how I've been using up odds and ends of stash, but its OK, I know I'm on the moral high ground over that.  I can brag about it some other day.  If I ever learn to stop digressing.

Loved and Used...at last, and therefore, a smile!

Like an awful lot of paper crafters, my problems began as a child. Remember the pocket money burning in your hot palm while you chose another notepad from the racks and racks of stationery in WH Smith? (Archivers, I guess, dear cousins...) Bliss.  My obsession has never faltered, if I can use office-y supplies in my crafting, I will. When I use them in my work, I love it! Receipt Books with the irritating and flimsy bit of carbon, date stamps, treasury tags, manilla files.. you name it, they give me pleasure.  So it was inevitable then, that the Cuttlebug folder that came straight from the school book was going to be mine.  Indeed, even way back when it was released, Shopkeeper Gal set one aside for me without even bothering to ask!  I'm so transparent.
Well, despite my love for it, it doesn't get a lot of use.  It is really not a good size for a UK card dimension, and anyway, I'm very aware that a handmade card probably doesn't need to look as though it's covered in office supplies!  So I use it occasionally and relish it.  Hence the pleasure in next week's workshop preparations.  It's a birthday book, ostensibly to use the Mother Goose range from G45.  But really it's to give my embossing folder an outing!

It makes me smile.  And so did this, found at the bottom of a coffee cup the other (early) morning whilst marking time before the bank opened!   How nice.
Linking up with my smiley face to Annie's Friday Smiles.
Have a nice weekend y'all.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 249

Here's a twofer for you, gentle deskers.  I offer it to prove that at least from one angle, there's still some free surface on which to work.

What you can't see are the cards I've made for the Card Marathon.  Teeny bits of them are shown in the last post because I couldn't contain my excitement about the beautiful Quietfire stamps.  But please be reassured that this jumble sale of a desk really does mean that I've been productive.  Am liking it too.  Playing with some old friends is good for the mojo.  Stamps are my friends see. They talk to me about things I can make.  Yes they do. 

You can't see a pair of abandoned readers this week - I'm having to use them for computer work now, so they are perched on the end of my nose as I type.  The slightly stronger ones that I was using to help me do some fussy cutting are also on my head, as a hairband. Is it any wonder that Miss Dunnit has just declined the chance to invite a friend over for supper? 

Share with us will you? How is your desk looking? What are you doing at it? ...it helps to know what we're missing.  Put WOYWW in your post title and link here.  There's an info and 'how to' page at the top of this blog.  See you over the next handful of days then!

This turned into a review...

Deskers will have met Robyn.  

A couple of Wednesdays ago, she had a pop up card on her desk that she'd cut on her Cameo or some such.  It was lettered...and I was at a loss for words at the skill of the calligraphy.

Well, long story short, Robyn works a lot with Suzanne of Quietfire Design.  Suzanne is a letter artist.  As you know, I'm not a computer crafter, I don't wanna sit at the screen to make stuff, so I don't own a Cameo. But I needed to own this text, or some like it....

I did a teeny investigation (clicked on a link) and discovered that here in the UK, Oyster Stamps carry the Quietfire brand in unmounted stamps.  Well, be still my heart. I had to invest.

Is there anything better than a beautifully handwritten text turned into a rubber stamp?  Yes, actually, there is.  A beautifully handwritten text on rubber that stamps so perfectly it takes your breath away.  

I can't show you more than this because these are now cards to be made at the Card Marathon next month. But I will show you any other fabulous stuff that I buy that makes my stamping look so good!

I know this turned into a bit of a review rather than a brag, but none of the parties involved knows about it, so it doesn't count really, huh.  And don't stress, I'll find something to brag about later in the week!

The morning after...

Yesterday was my fortnightly turn at conducting a Workshop at Kraft Crazy.  Home of Shopkeeper Gal and sanctuary for quite a few of the characters that you read of herein.  

Yesterday we used water and inks in various ways to create Batik and other effect backgrounds.  My workshops are fairly structured, in that there's a finished card for each technique so that you have a short play and then actually make something.  It's all done to reflect what I want from a workshop see.  That way it stays within my control and remains all about me and what I like.  They are also I hope, relatively relaxed.  Last night was.  I had eaten some diet marshmallows and the sugar really gave me a buzz! Really enjoyed myself.

Ignoring the terrible 'stitching', this is thin 'handmade' paper, stamped, embossed and sprayed with water until quite damp and laid on top of Distress stain refill and alcohol ink dripped onto a mat.  

This  panel was stamped and embossed with clear ink, clear powder.  Over heat the embossing, and apply a couple of colours of alcohol ink, using the applicator tool method and a bit of blending solution.  Simple.












This one was even more straight forward. Clear ink, clear embosing powder, slightly overheat to remove shine and then sponge on Distress Inks.  Cheerful, innit.

And this was the fourth, which you've already met.  Squash a Brilliance ink pad onto a non pourous surface, spritz with water and splodge the previuosly embossed paper across it.  If nothing else, it has helped me to rediscover my lovely Brilliance inks!

Now please bear in mind that I was the 'conductor' of these workshops.  I like them to be relaxed and so, unless necessary for the proceedings, I don't clean stamps or fuss about much - it makes people nervous.  So how come, this morning - even after last night's clean up, bed time ablutions and this morning's shower - I'm the filthy one?  AND...I haven't unpacked and cleaned up the kit yet!  I was absolutely blue...Salty Ocean Blue to be precise.

 I don't know.  Not going to change at this age though, huh!  Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 248

Here's some real news.  Stuff I never imagined I'd be writing about.  It's WOYWW's fifth anniversary at the end of May.  28th May to be precise.  Easier, it's week 260. I can hardly believe it.  Suffice to say, if you need notice...here it is. We're going to mark the anniversary. With a list chain ATC swap, just as we did last year.  It will sound familiar to many of you, and I hope not boring. I will, as time trots towards week 260, set up a page with how and how and how and how.  You get to send an ATC to one person, or make a bunch of them to send to erm, a bunch of people.  So yesterday's post suddenly seems really apposite, huh.  See, this blog isn't just thrown together you know.  *cough*

Meanwhile, and without further ado..here's my desk, that's what you're here for.

It's displaying my best skill...the push back technique.  My ipad is hiding behind the 'Old Chap' and other cards.  I'm listening to Pride and Prejudice whilst I play with my new stamps. I have a handful of new stamps and will be boring you with them very shortly. For a long time.  
Join me do - show me and inspire me - you know you can.