Me and the BG

I have been commiserating with like minded Facebook friends over Basic Grey's decision to pull put of the scrapbook supplies market. I did and do agree that they have a school of designers who'll be a great loss to paper designs. I even posted that BG Junkies like me would be saddened by their news.

I've continued to think about their decision ever since. And based only on my own experience with Basic Grey, I think they are doing the right thing. I probably have 100s of pages in my scrapbook collection that are based on, or feature, Basic Grey papers. I used to buy the collections almost unseen. I was definitely on that Merry-Go-Round of new product grabbing. But I grew out of it at some point, and am much more the sophisticated consumer these days. And when I looked through albums to find a few BG pages, the timeline says it all. My albums are overfilled. Basic Grey doesn't appear as anything more than offcuts and borders until I get to three behind the one I'm currently filling. 2012 was the last time I bought a Collection. Since then, I've probably bought less than a dozen pieces of BG 12 x 12. I have one  Basic Grey 6x6 book of papers, I couldn't resist. I have very little use for it!

By the time they reach the shelves here in the UK, these wonderful quality printed sheets are over £1 each. (As are many others, don't misunderstand this as a complaint against Basic Grey). They have remained single side prints, and the quality has been marvellously consistent. But if you extrapolate my purchasing into worldwide sales, hmm. It's probably not worth paying the designer, the printer, the shipping. And then there's all the other stuff that you're sort of expected to produce, stamps, stencils, dies. New releases (note the plural) at least twice a year, and a market which has reportedly levelled out. Certainly the consumer has had to be more prudent in the last few years.

It must be exhausting, keeping up, trying to predict the market in terms of style, design, colour, then being creative but to appeal to the purchaser. I cant cope with the sensory overload that comes out of CHA, so I don't try. I figure that it'll reach my attention soon enough. And I'm no longer ambitious about knowing the who and the what about every company. My interest in scrapbooking remains strong. But individual companies no longer have my loyalty....I buy paper on a whim, when I see something that pleases me. Across many marques. By the sheet.

Whatever the reason, I want to thank Basic Grey for what they taught me: not to be afraid of highly patterned papers! They were really good at those!  And also to applaud their clean and graceful market exit. One announcement, a cut off date and a thank you. Thank You, Basic Grey. I think you're quitting while you have control, and I admire anyone that sees that in their lives.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 347

I should draw your attention to the how and the why pages at the top of the blog in case you stumble upon this and wonder what's going on. I speak for everyone when I say that we'd love you to join in!
My desk, as I left it last night. I was about to start on some 'painting' with my H20s, but got distracted by a phone call and then I was distracted by crochet, an armchair and TV. It happens far more often than it should.

Desker Helen stamped the crazy birds for me, at a WOYWW crop which was probably much longer ago than I think. I'm just coming round to thinking that I'd quite like this set, now that I've actually used one of the images! You can see the tin is full of H20s, perfect storage for the non anal like me, but I'm sure it would drive a lot of you to distraction to have all the colours mixed up and not even listed! Can't remember why the glitter glue overspill holder is down from its shelf, in fact, until I looked at the photo, I'm not sure I even noticed it. It is sitting atop the new Spring collection catalogue from Gudrun Sjoden a swedish clothing designer. Inspiring designs at prices I can't afford, but the catalogues are marvellous! My trusty and favourite glasses feature too - they are the last-prescription-but-one and are perfect for screen use. They are not however, up to helping me craft any more. I am considering just getting new lenses for them. Now, if I promise to manage my time better and actually visit, will you join me? Photo your desk or work area, show us what you've got going on. Put WOYWW in your post title and link it here. Lovely.

Oh, and....I'm miffed about Blogger telling me that if you don't have a Google account they will prevent you from adding a comment soon. My response will help, promise.

Get me...

I don't do scrapbooking at home. I think the pain of preparation has put me off somewhat; after all that page to photo matching and practically kitting each page, I jolly well want to go somewhere and show people that I can be organised! I've started to attend two crops a month. I know, and yes, thank you, it is lovely to be able to find the time. Mr Dunnit has always worked on Saturdays and I have always considered it a day off. So I do my own thing. 

Friends, at my 50th birthday party. 

Now, this means that I'm making up 9 or 10 Layouts a month. Prolific right? I love it! But as you can see from last weekends effort, it doesn't mean I'm up to date. At all. I never will be, because I don't scrap chronologically. And I often don't scrap events, rather just random pictures that speak to me whilst I'm choosing.

Laura and I copied a sketch. This is how mine turned out. Hers was TOTALLY different.

This isn't a great photo, and I think Mr D took it of me primarily, but it features more great friends and deserved to go in the album. I don't seem to have many LOs that include friends so i mean to rectify that this year. But they prolly won't be posed pictures. I like candid. If I'm not in them.

Miss Dunnit and The Musician at the beach. Where they live. I'm a bit jealous!

Of course, scrapping the same photo adds to one's prolificness. Prolifcity. What? This photo is already on a LO in my scrapbook. I found it when filing. It must be because I love the picture. Nothing to do with a bad memory that made me order the print a second time. I do love the picture though, so it's OK. And phew, the LOs are reasonably different! I have to prepare some more pages now...I can hardly keep up with myself. Smug aren't I! Have a lovely weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 346

Grr. My desk smacks of the wrong sort of work! I've been turning 2015 into archive files for work, yawn. And because I'm so clumsy, there's a really cute dish to be mended. I bought it in Phoenix and use it to hold tomatoes. I dropped it whilst cleaning it, and I'm not ready to call it a gonner yet, so superglue will be wielded. Despite chinks and cracks, the pepper dish will have to go on a while!

See my Memorydex there under the door lock? Have finally worked out how I'm going to use it. (As a  memory store...I know how to use it, silly. You can also see my glasses case pinned to the cork board at left. Its really useful to have it there, it means I know where my desk glasses are at a glance. Cuts out all the hassle of finding them, and then when I pack for crop, they're ready and I don't have to use one of the pairs I keep in every other room in the house. It throws out my system if I do. Just me?!
Come and join the fun then, put WOYWW in your post title, make the post about your work surface and share it with us. Mine will be back to abnormality very soon!

Lingering Delights

Here's the last of the handmade cards we received over Christmas. These are from crafters whom I have the pleasure to know. We've met. We've crafted or workshopped together and some of them I socialise with in real life. Although we end up talking about paper. Like the others I've shown you, each is a masterpiece.

Susanne - with sweeties!

Lady Mary

Barbara

Angie

Willowy Blonde

(Not so) baby Mumma (he must be about 8 now!)

Miss Florida

Fifitrixibelle LaBeau

Claire

Shopkeeper Gal

The enthusiastic Educator

Every minute spent making a card is worth it, honest! Thank you gals.

Workshops are scandalous

Indigo Blu stamp. 

Last night was the first of this year's workshops at Kraft Crazy. It was an earlier date than previous years, but its fair to say that we were ready to get together. There is a core of regulars, and last night's attendees featured just those of that 'core'. And so of course, it was a workshop for friends. 

The inside is the same stamp, I have cunningly separated it.
What? I don't own shed loads of scissors for nothing!

The trouble with conducting a wodrkshop for friends is that none of them really need any guidance at all (except when they change my designs for the better - then I'm FULL of guidance) and this leads to the sort of relaxed atmosphere that makes me loose in the gob. Yes, I chat. I'm very professional. I sort of assume that everyone is the same age as me and we all have similar life experiences. But I may be wrong about that. 

Woodware stamps, I'm sorry I can't identify the die. Its small. I'm sure that helps!

At some stage last night, we were talking about the 'Mile High Club' - as you do. Well to be honest, we were talking about lots of erm, locations. Take heart dear reader of my age, it was the younger amongst us who was so shocked that she uttered the word 'scandalous'. Love that! 

The outline text stamp by Woodware, the typewriter font
 infill is a stamp by  Crafters Companion. I think.

The most scandalous thing about last night really? Shopkeeper Gal and I have been doing workshops and angsting over schedules and stamp availabilities and ideas and new products and making samples for 10 years. I can barely believe it. Congratulations to you Shopkeeper Gal; in age of on-line supremacy, this is good news for those of us that love to boss your customers around! Keep up the good work!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 345

Hello Deskers. It's dark here. And, at last almost seasonally cold. It feels much colder, because we've had such a mild winter thus far. I'm truly grateful that Mr Dunnit goes to work at least an hour and a half before me; it means the workshop is warm when I get there! So at my desk today - a true return to normality - you catch me preparing the kits and supplies for my first workshop of the year. Looking forward to it!

You can see my Copics (under used) and to the left, my box of baby wipes. That's actually my 'mobile' box for some reason. Twiglet and Wipso made me a fantastic WOYWW holder for my baby wipes and I use that at home all the time I thought. Must investigate....! My desk tidy shows a clutter of scissors (maybe the collective noun is actually a 'clutter', you never know). Next to the Copics is a pile of cards and envelopes for workshopeers. You can also see three rolls of Washi tape that were a gift from Laura. I have no idea why they are still there. Well, I do, but I can't keep admitting to laziness! I bought some new biros - 5 different colours in a pack, so I'm enjoying writing my notes even more now, a different colour for each card - its almost disappointing when the regular Blue pen tips up in the order! You can see from my tablet that I'm listening to 'Shantaram' - it's an incredible story. I recommend it. So that's it then. Show us something interesting on your desk will you, please? You must put WOYWW in your post title, then link here. Lovely.