No such thing as normal service, is there?

At some stage last week, I did something that caused a trapped nerve under my shoulder blade.  If anybody has any tips or suggestions as to  how to live with it,  (without cutting my arm off) I would be pleased to hear them!  As a consequence, everything is being carried out ridiculously slowly and with much drama, of course. Certain actions, like unloading the dishwasher and sitting in a chair with about 4 cushions are very easy, and of course I can still eat and drink.  Phew!  Other things that you think would use the same actions are really hard - hanging the washing out, writing, lying down.. and getting a bra on has been a trial, really.  It turns out that however well evolved, Mr D hasn't mastered the treble hook and eye system.  For which I think I am profoundly grateful!

Normal Service? Not today folks

Indulge me do...my greatest creation is eighteen today.  

My heart is full, my hands are fuller - there's quite a lot of cooking to be done.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 112

Well well and my my, here's a return to form. No evidence of the crop stash, but plenty else of abandoned and part used.  Also a nice, arty expanse of genuine white space!  I took this photo on Tuesday afternoon - a strange, warm but very dull day.  It started with heavy rain.  I should know.  I walked home through it at 9 o,clock after a very early appointment!  The button jar lid is open - for no reason.  The cutting mat is covered in white paper - to protect the erm, cutting mat.  I've been doing some fairly heavy duty inking.  Trying to get a grip of grunge paper.  Hmmm.  Interesting.  
Meanwhile, because I can and I'm all generosity in my shocking untidiness, here's an aerial view.  It looks a deal worse, huh!  Rather inevitably, you can see a dictionary page.  I'm fiddling about with an idea.  So, no plans to tidy up just yet!


Join me do - upload a photo of your work space to your blog and link here so that we can all trip round and have a look.  That's all there is to it.  It's fun.  

What I done at the Crop by Julia Dunnit

Who was it that said I'd manage, despite just flinging everything in a bag because I was on a mission at the crop?  Well, you were right.  Although please bear in mind that these few pics show 8" pages which aren't exactly hard to come up with. It's an album for Miss Dunnit's best friend see, and her birthday is this Wednesday. So the deadline was stupid enough, and now you understand the whingeing on Friday!   Nevertheless, I've done enough pages to make it a worthwhile gift, and because I'm convinced that she wants to have go for herself, I'm going to include a couple of page 'kits' too.

These few pages are from the 10 that I finished at the crop.  I know!  Ten!  I felt like Laura, who always arrives ready, kitted and overflowing with ideas - I was just turning them out - and enjoying it too.  Which made me smug and I felt compelled to keep telling everyone every time I finished another page.  I know how to keep my friends. A huge thank you again to Annette the Voodoo Vixen, she shared the wonderful 7Gypsies paper that you see (the collage-y ones) and was keen to see what I did with them.  I feel they are well used on the gals.  So that's what I did at the crop.  And I've unpacked.  And put away.  And after tea today, I'm going to make difficult cards.  Pray that I'm on a roll!

It's the day before a crop

..and all in the house is peaceful.  Of course it is - himself is at work, keeping me comfortable in my middle age, and herself is still in bed. I'm sitting quietly at the keyboard, the morning chores are actually still waiting for me.  

That sound - can you hear it?

There..the sound of wheels,cogs, movement, fixings.....
There.....
Well I can hear it.
Oh I know why - it's my overloaded brain.  
It's trying to work out WHY I've left it till the day before the crop to start considering the crop.  Or WHY I may have left it too late to order the photos - Snapfish are not to blame if they don't arrive today, by some miracle.  Or WHY I haven't decided on and bought what ever I need for my contribution to the Pot Luck lunch.  Or WHY what I have set myself the task of starting and completing at the Crop is suddenly about the last project I want to do. That part I can't get over - it's the way the brain goes - Jody was saying on WOYWW that she's lacking mojo now she's not under pressure; I guess this is very similar.  And I guess too that Jody will find the cure without whingeing about it all over her blog and to anyone else who will listen.  Ah well, I never pretended to be quiet, huh! I wonder if any of my Crop friends read this....I may be alone tomorrow!  
So, you just know that this afternoon will be spent in fury, sitting on the floor in front of my stash cupboards.  Once again.  So forgive me, for this post is so much a repetition of other, monthly pre-crop posts.  Maybe, maybe, one day, I'll write a post about a leopard that changed its spots.  Place your bets.


Have a nice weekend - oh and if you're local or in the area to Tidworth, it's Community Day on Sunday.  Shopkeeper Gal will be opening Kraft Crazy from 10 till 2 - I know she's planning to have the kid's craft ranges on Sale in front of the holidays.  For any other details or info - give her a ring - 01980 844010.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 111

My work desk is looking a bit grown up.  But it's OK, because the file and work books are naturally, on top of the craft stuff I was using to make a card and so order will be restored presently!  This could be the worst photo of the day - the light is horrible.  You can just see my next intention though - some (in real life) very bright and cheerful 12 x12 papers.  I'm on a mission to complete an album, as a gift.  More later.  I promised myself that I wouldn't specifically buy stuff for it.  FAIL.  These three sheets of paper and the album itself....and counting, probably!  Never mind....as it's the Crop on Saturday, I'm hoping it will be worth the new stuff to motivate me with the older stuff.  Good plan.

So come on then, join the WOYWWERs who are WORLDWIDE. No that second big word is not a pointless acronym.  A fun fact!  Upload a photo onto your blog of your workspace...desk, floor, tray, worktop, counter, blah, surprise us.  Come back and link it here and join us on a vist-a-thon.  You may need to put the kettle on.  That's all there is to it.  Only rule is not to tear the backside out of our goodwill by blatantly advertising....we wanna see what you're doing, with what you've got.  Great.  Thanks.  

Ah, Tuesday, better all around!

So,if you ever plan a day out shopping in Portsmouth with your chum, I hope it turns out to be as nice as the long morning that Jan and I had today.  We didn't get to Portsmouth...something made us turn right too soon and we went to Winchester.  Oh yeah - it was a fabric shop...you know what she's like.  We mooched and browsed and came upon a lovely shop called Forme.  It's a gift shop.  It's beautifully arranged and the stock is carefully chosen.  The prices, given the quality, were really reasonable.  For 
example, we'd been fainting at the cost of the oil cloth bags and holdalls in Cath Kidston. Up to a hundred pounds - ouch.  And here in Forme, we found really really nice weekend bags for a third of the price.  No quality compromise, in fact, made by a luggage company and perfectly affordable.  So we mooched a bit and both found treasure to buy.  And the young man asked if I'd like my purchase to be gift wrapped.  I would, please - it's a present for another dear friend, so it's by no means a waste of time.  I came home with this wonderful looking gift.   I told the chap that did this lovely wrapping that I would be blogging about it...he was sweet enough to suggest I take the credit for it..and I was tempted for a micro second! Which is why I'm sort of advertising the shop and his wrapping...which cost not one penny extra to the price of the gift.  Jan and I watched intently, so I'm expecting to be able to repeat this beauty at a stroke, with the same flair.  But just, just, just in case, I'm not going to unwrap this to show you what I bought!