What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday

Sorry everyone, a very slow start to the day for me, regretfully nothing to brag about!

Well apparently I can afford the very best baby wipes for my stamps! They were a special offer and oh boy, this 'second pack free' will be donated to someone who has a baby. I don't know why but I assumed that 'perfume free' would mean that they were completely unscented - but they aren't; they have the familiar Johnson brand smell to them and I find it a bit, hmm, cloying. Back to soap and a scrubber pad then.

Then you can see that I've been playing with the new floral stamps from Papermania. They are as so often, lifted (and not very well tidied up) clip art images, but no less gorgeous. Although as you can clearly see, they gave me some trouble. I ended up stamping the tulip image using marker pens and then a damp paintbrush to move the ink around a bit to 'fill' the tulip a bit. So now I've determined the technique I like to reproduce the image, I've simply got to find a card the other elements to make a card up - the idea in the photo isn't working for me just now!
Oh what mojo strain!

There's a sheet of foam pads on the left; I'm anal about the strangest things - I like to use them incredibly neatly, usually with a new sheet I start on a corner and work all the way around the edge, reducing equally. Weird huh!
Finally, and to answer Kathy from last week, you can just see a brown envelope with the small bulldog clip on it. It's an old wages envelope (remember them, anyone?!). I have 27 of them, each holding letters from the alphabet - printed pieces from a box full that I picked up at a sale n my local shop, Kraft Crazy. I don't use them on cards, but quite a lot on scrapbook pages - even this month's calendar page.

So there we are - if you have time now, show us your desk too; link and leave a comment here and we'll all visit. Please forgive me for being slow to visit; I will do it, but at snail's pace!!

Ah, choices

So here, in all of its modesty, is the invitation that I made to invite people tour 25th wedding anniversary bash. It's Basic Grey (Origins) and a text stamp - Dawn Houser at Inkadikado. Honestly, I've never met one of her images or calligraphy stamps that I didn't like. Or have to own. I've had this stamp for ages and as you know I've been stressing for ages over these silly invitations as well; so I shouldn't be surprised that a stamp that I almost consider an old friend is the one that does the trick for me huh? Mr Dunnit liked it too. And then I ran out of paper (four A6 cards from a 12" sheet is the best I can do, madam). So Mr Dunnit suggests I stop worrying and use something else. Well he would, wouldn't he? He has absolutely no idea how long it took me to choose these three tiny pieces and how much I worried about them being cheerful and representative and maybe possibly even vaguely tasteful. So then I did choose again, I forced myself to stay at my desk until I'd done the number that I needed.

And this one emerged. Same sketch (I couldn't possibly have changed the sketch as well, I mean, it's getting on to be a 26th anniversary party as it is!) This one is made using new My Minds Eye papers - Oh La La to be precise. As on the other, the only touch of silver is the embossed text. So have I created a choice monster? Is it either/or? It is not. I stacked them alternately and forced myself to write and address them in the order they came off the pile. After all, our friends and family won't know that some of them were different, and of course, just like Mr Dunnit, they won't begin to understand the agonies I went through, just to choose. For goodness sake, it was harder than choosing my Mr Right!

You know it's Spring..

...because it's your sweet Sissy's birthday and she's a natural born woman of Spring. No doubt.

...because your beautiful craft space looks a bit gloomy and in need of an overhaul. And you're in the mood to do it.

...because you've started promising yourself that you'll lose the 'winter weight'; salad season is just around the corner.

...because you've noticed that you can colour in or cut out without having to find your glasses a little later each day.

...because your fingers seem automatically to be selecting cheerful ink colours.

...because the paper manufacturers are definitely working on your personal seasonal tastes - Basic Grey Kioshi. I rest my case.

...because you surprise yourself by promising a workshop or two on themes that do not suit you. Cute. Animals. Huh?

...because you have that 'fresh start' feel; the urge to finish some cast aside projects and tidy up a couple of albums seems to be upon you. Even the EHAS album. Blimey.

...because your intentions to learn a bit more about your camera are suddenly an imperative in view of changing light and potential holidays.

...because you hope that at the next gathering, the family is thoughtful enough to coincidentally co-ordinate their wardrobe colours so that an idea for a new album can be made with a fluid and certain continuity. You predict some bossing about.

...because it's absolutely pouring with rain, the light is on in the work room and you're wearing three layers.

Housekeeping: I'm not deliberately monitoring comments, it's just a glitch I guess. And I haven't been able to access them at all today and I know there are a couple of questions I want to answer! Also folks - congratulations - there are 60 desks to look at - if you missed the last handful cos it was getting late - do back track a bit, it'll be worth it! And a final PS: it's actually never too late or too early, just post it!

GGIIWA? What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday

Well, here's a staggering return to form - Brenda, you may wanna look away and wonder how long it really will take to rub off on me!!
I haven't actually managed much since I got home from Belfast - except to dump new stuff on top of the work in progress stuff and move some things around. In the quest for space of course.

The red clock house (unfinished) is still there - at least I have an idea now. And since Scrap Lady Ally blogged about how to alter photos to fit the window sizes, I may actually be able to move on with this one! The yummy Basic Grey is for round two of some invitations - I intend to use the other side of the sheet, so that's unintentionally mysterious! You can see the new stamps I talked about yesterday; other stamps are awaiting attention for a frightening number of workshops that I've committed to. Actually most of the stuff you can see there is for workshop purposes. The silver ink pad is a breath of fresh air - I've been using and re-inking the same one for years, so I think this will be a great treat! Inside the horribly reflected plastic bag is the makings of a mini book that I started around the table at Ffroggie's place over the weekend. Started. Unfinished because it was late and there was chatter and another person's stash to look at; much too distracting!
It doesn't look any more inspiring from this end either. I'm up for a jolly good tidy up and am feeling very much in the 'getting on' mode. That is because for the last two days and most of this morning, I am committed elsewhere; frustrating but to be expected!
Today's edition of WOYWW is for our mutual friend Paula, by now hopefully post-surgery; feel better soon gal, we need you back, pronto!
So come on then, leave a comment, make use of the Mr Linky thingy and show us your workdesk - surface - whatever it is, we wanna see it. And what you're doing of course!

So, how do you?

Yeah. How do you? Choose the rubber stamps you buy, that is. Do you have an occasion in mind? Do you choose a suitable stamp for a personality? Do you see it, like it and buy it? I do. All three. But there is fall-out from methods one and two, and I end up kicking myself for not following my own advice. For a handful of years, I stood the other side of the rubbery line and operated the till. I watched customers choose stamps. There's a lot to it for some people. Some will pick up a stamp, examine and ask for ideas. Easy. Then they would suggest other ways - mask this bit off, stamp this and cut off that - you know, maximum potential use would be discussed prior to purchase. Others would come in and search the shelves for a specific stamp - for the 14th anniversary or the 'you learned to knit' celebration. Unsurprisingly, this is the least satisfactory way to yield a good result on either side of the rubbery line....compromise for the customer and not many sales! And there are the people that for the price, want the Universal Rubber: one stamp with which to make every card ever needed. I rarely had those in stock! So, I soon realised that the best advice I could offer was this: buy an image that you really like. That way, you will use it a kerjillion times and it will fit a kerjillion occasions and sentiments. Buy a stamp to do a specific job and it will forever be just for that one thing - you might use it on other stuff, but not nearly as much as an image that you were drawn to because it was so nice. The last stamp I brought that didn't follow my own advice languishes at the back of the basket waiting to be cleaned. I thought it would look great on our Anniversary invites. I've stamped it 3 times and there's no escaping the conclusion that I don't much like it, however appropriate it is to the theme, party, blah. So at the weekend when the County Antrim coast and our thoughtful hostesses led us to a craft shop (Crafters & Co, in Coleraine) I didn't hesitate when I saw the two Stampers Anonymous stamps pictured. I have no idea what I'm going to use them for, I just instinctively know that I will use them, a lot. And they were a bargain too, which helps. See, if I stick to my own theories, it works - for me at least! So that's how I choose 'em - you?

Retreat!

Well, I'm in Northern Ireland, so I am. A long weekend with friends found, made and kept through UK Scrappers; we have a lot to be thankful for. Crafting was the point of our pursuits, so it was. And of course, you'll note from the distinct and unusual lack of photographs for today's post that well, so far we've done some chatting, and very little craft work. Of course, Northern Ireland has for years been synonymous with 'the Troubles' (capital T) and lots of you would avoid it. Really, don't. Since the outbreak of 'Peace' (capital P) this fabulous country has opened, formed a bud and started to bloom. Everywhere is not very very from somewhere, the coast is truly a sight for sore eyes, the fresh air and space is, well, therapy, so it is. The hospitality is legendary, for a reason. Do you know, last night we went to Lisburn for Thai food. (OK, but the National dish will feature later..) There were other people in the restaurant of course, and it was Danny's birthday. And do you know what, his family shared his birthday cake with everyone, strangers to the last. I was incredibly touched by that inclusiveness. And when owner, Robert, brought us our bill and sweeties, he uttered the immortal words: 'don't hurry away, we're here for you' - even though we were the last people there and clearly the staff would cheerfully have cleared up and gone home. I was staggered, so I was.

You may like to know that this morning, we're over the path to the apple store to explain to each other the basics of the projects we planned to do. The sun is shining, splitting the pavement, so it is. There's the promise of an Ulster Fry for brunch. And I have to do the Bristol Fly today. I will miss this, so I will.

Normal service, terrible photography and all, will resume. So it will.

Keeping a sense of proportion

Here's a page from the '12 of 16' album I'm making for miss Dunnit. It's teeny at 6 x 6, but more than often, that kinda suits me - some of my card maker ideas don't always translate well to a 12 x12 LO which leaves me frustrated. I think my sense of proportion has been developed for cards and so I often find it difficult to use a 12" page effectively. That is not to say that I don't like scrapping in the 'full size' - I love it, but I don't think I'm as good at it. I have developed a card sized sense of proportion! Unless it involves me, food, chocolate, or my life, of course. Then it's about the size of a house. It's interesting to me actually, that proportion has become of such importance in my crafting. I occasionally see others LOs and find myself searching for the photo. This can indicate embellishment (product) overload or the wrong size photo for the page. Utterly subjective I know. And there's more than one proportion to consider too - dominance of title, intrusiveness (or not) of journalling for example. I know I would have the Slipper Lady on my side when I tell you that despite everything, for me, the biggest consideration is the picture. Everything else on the page, for me, needs to be in proportion to that - either literally, size shape, perspective - or metaphorically; importance, emotion, tone. I have a lot of pages that aren't quite right to me, and in each case, the thing that makes me realise I'll have to re-do them, the thing that makes my teeth itch is that there is no focus on the proportions inside the page. Gah. And why do my teeth itch over this? Because I am the least likely to get it right without help. GAAAAH. This is meant to be a fun hobby!
The paper is from the Citronella pad by K & Co, so bright and cheerful, it really helps when the yearning for summer is so high!


And lucky me, the lovely Wipso gave me sunshine - such a generous gesture. Isn't a gorgeous picture too - sure these gerbera, daisy type flowers are high, high up my favourites list. It's a constant wonder to me that Wipso has time to blog at all, check her blog and her shop to see why - she and Twiglet have just about cornered the market in handmade gifts for this year! It seems incredibly un-gracious of me to brag about this award and do nothing with it, that isn't I know, in the spirit of the thing at all. So I will. But not right now. At least you're spared another list of apparently interesting things about me!