What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - The 70th Birthday One

Evening Everyone,

This has got to be the fastest post ever because I have only a few minutes to spare. It's been a bit of a whirlwind day because, as many of you will know, it's my birthday, and there's been a lot of celebrating going on. But I just had to participate, however late, with Julia's WOYWW, over at The Stamping Ground, so that I could thank everyone who has sent birthday wishes. They've turned what could have been the most depressing day - 70 seems so ancient - into a not so bad after all.

So it won't take too much guessing to work out what was on my desk today.

These are the beautiful handmade cards I've received from some very talented crafters - many of whose desks frequently appear on WOYWW.

Not from a crafter but stunning nonetheless so I thought I'd share them with everyone.

Aren't they gorgeous? They're from my son, his wife and daughter. They know me so well because down the side of the box they arrived in was a little surprise.

Belgian chocs. A lovely treat for someone who really shouldn't!

That's me for today. I said it would be quick. The day is running out fast so I'll be along tomorrow to check your desks and leave as many comments as I can.

In the meantime, hope you've had a very happy WOYWW and I wish you all a very good week ahead.

In A Vase On Monday - Winter Jasmine

One of the gateways to the path that goes along the riverside in town is edged on one side with a very old winter jasmine, jasminum nudiflorum. Passing yesterday I spotted it was in full flower so, just as soon as we returned home, I rushed down to the bottom of the long border to see how our own, much younger, jasmine was doing. 

It wasn't exactly covered in flowers, only the one fully opened, but there along the stems was tiny yellow tipped buds ... the promise of more to come. Maybe I should have waited a bit longer but I always look forward to bringing this bit of winter cheer indoors so I clipped just a few snippets and, because they were short, the only 'vase' suitable was this tiny green snail jug.

To encourage the stems to stay upright, I had to put some glass pebbles in the base of the jug - that did the trick. I have great hopes that these stems will last until the end of the week - possibly longer.

I did intend joining in with Cathy's In a Vase on Monday last week but a family crisis prevented it so here's a few photos of the vase that didn't make it.

It's a tied posy made up of a mix of the expected and the unexpected for this time of the year. The unexpected - red 'Faithful', peach 'Simply the Best' and lilac 'Violet Cloud' rosebuds, white self-seeded miniature antirrhinums, deep pink escallonia rubra blossoms and even one last white sweet pea still in flower in November. The expected - rose hips, berries of skimmia, sprigs of viburnum 'Eve Price' and a few bits of osmanthus x burkwoodii for foliage. 

The little posy has lasted very well and this despite the very necessary central heating. The temperature plummeted to zero degrees during last week and we've had our first snowfall of the year already. This bad weather means that I haven't been spending much time in the garden - it's time to concentrate on indoor gardening up here in Ayrshire. 

To see many more delightful vases do pop over to Rambling in the Garden.

Friday Smiles

Hello Smilers

I hope you have all had a wonderful week full of reasons to join in with Annie's Friday Smiles. Mine has been a busy week with plenty to smile about and I have a few photos to share.

First up is this one of me modelling a scarf I've just finished knitting.

Not the most flattering of photos - I don't make a great model - but you can see the scarf which I'm really proud off. I used to be a prolific knitter but after developing very painful arthritis in my early thirties I was advised to stop. And I did stop - for 38 years! However, about a year ago I noticed that my arthritis was far less painful and discovered that it had either burned itself out or it was in remission. Whichever it is, I'm happy because I have been able to take up knitting again. It's a bit like learning to swim, I haven't forgotten how to do it but I do need a bit of practice. So I started with a simple garter stitch scarf - as can be seen in my last post - and moved on up to this asymmetrical scarf that involves a lot of increasing and decreasing. Another little success which makes me smile. Incidentally, I look so much like my mother this could be a photo of her and not me.

Next up, some photos from the garden, taken early this morning. Our first snow.

The last was taken looking down into what we call the woodland area. Front left is the bug hotel - hopefully it will keep lots of creepy crawlies cosy through the winter. Not that the snow will last long. It's already being washed away by rain but what little there was this morning was enough to get me excited!

Finally from the garden.

Simply beautiful and guaranteed to make me smile.

And finally, finally, the funnies.

That's my smiles this week. I'm off out to have lunch with my grandson now so I wont be able to visit your smiley posts until later but thanks for dropping in. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a very happy week ahead. 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 442

Good Morning Everyone,

Wednesday again and I couldn't have picked a better day to snoop around other folk's desks, courtesy of Head Desker, Julia, and WOYWW. Why? That is, apart from the vicarious pleasure of seeing what other deskers are up to today. Well, it's a dreich day here in my little patch of Paradise. The hills are only just discernible through the mist and even the little birds have tucked themselves away somewhere out of the rain. So here's what's on my desk this morning.

Fabric. A couple of packs of fat quarters and a Christmas themed panel. All the cut pieces are for a project I'm trying out for the first time. If it is a successful make I plan to do a few more to gift to the ladies who attend the Cake and Craft club with me - we'll see. As it only takes scraps to make I didn't really need the fat quarters but they're just too pretty to put away just yet. I've not yet decided what I'll do with the Christmas panel but inspiration might come while I'm busy doing something else - while I'm snooping around your desk perhaps. As you can see I'm in full on Christmas preparation mode, just as Julia suggested in her post today.

Here's a card, the beginnings of which could be seen on a previous WOYWW post, finished at last.

This is such a simple and easy design. Ideal for making multiples of so I may make a few more. The stamp used is from the Winter Wonderland set mentioned in last week's post and the square dies, which have a very nice 'stitched' detail around the edge, are from a set from The Works.

And finally for this week ...

... the scarf is fringed and finished. Still haven't decided who is going to be the recipient but I'll surely make up my mind before the big day! I bought the yarn, Woolcraft Gateau, at the hobby craft show in Glasgow last month but I see that it can be purchased, in a variety of colour mixes, online at The Little Wool Shop - and for less than I paid too. The scarf took only one cake.

Ah, the sparrows and starlings have decided, despite the unremitting drizzle, to come out and sit on the telephone wire that stretches in front of my window. And there's a couple of seagulls perched on a neighbour's chimney pot. It must be feeding time again. There's rarely a dull moment here at Casa Worthington. :)


Happy WOYWW and here's wishing you a great week ahead.

Friday Smiles

Happy Friday Everyone,


Not such a good day weather wise today - the sky is too cloudy, it's more than a little breezy and it's cold but I can still see the hills from my perch and the birds are still busy doing flitting from tree to tree and roof to roof. All-in-all, a good day to join in with Annie's Friday Smiles.

So here's what's been cheering me this week.

My great-niece Arihanna's school photo. The quality isn't good because it's a copy of the original but it still shows what a pretty girl she is and I just love her gappy grin.

A work in progress for the EM. He's very thoughtfully creating an additional dry graveled path for the lady of the house, that'll be me, to step on to from the passenger side of the car. No more muddy feet!

Also a very thoughtful gift from one of the members of UKPC, Sue. The challenge for this month was the number three. This could be interpreted any way you like. Sue's interpretation was to send three sets of three ready-made festive card toppers together with her card. All I need to do now is pop them onto card bases. Brilliant!


And finally ...

... despite the temperature outside getting increasingly colder this pot of cyclamen keeps on blooming and makes a very cheery greeting on the front doorstep.

That's my smiles this week. Hope you've had a week full of smiles too.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 441

Hello Everyone,

It's a lovely day here. The weather isn't terrible for November, the birds are happily flitting around the garden, sometimes landing on the rowan tree that is in my direct line of vision. Right now there's a coal tit tucking into a peanut pinched from the squirrel feeder. The sky is clear enough too that I can see over the rooftops to the Carrick hills in the distance. Added to all that it's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Perfection!

And for a change there's lots of stuff on my desk too. I've made a card ... though I can't share it with you just yet ... and I've made a start on another. So there's a pile of dies and leftover scraps to the left and a stamped image from the Winter Woodland set of stamps that is visible on the right. It came free with a new magazine but I'm blessed if I can tell you the title as I can't lay my hands on it at the moment - it's possibly Crafts Beautiful. I don't buy papercrafting magazines all that often now as, frankly, I have enough piled up to last me a lifetime but this one caught my eye for the little creatures in the stamp set. There's a deer, rabbit, squirrel, hedgehog, a pair of owls and several little birds - all the kind of stamps I'll use many times.

Elsewhere in Casa Worthington:

Not a desk, but the coffee table ... in front of the sofa where I relax with a bit of needlework of some sort most evenings. This a pretty simple garter stitch pattern knitted from a yarn cake brought back from the SECC Glasgow hobby craft show a couple of weeks back. Just a few more inches to go and it will be done.

I've always got more than one project on the go. No surprise there - I think most of us do the same. This hexagon throw has taken me the better part of the year to get to this point ... just the border to complete now. I crochet until my thumb aches, rest for a while, then pick up the knitting which, if I'm honest, is a bit of a breeze compared with the crochet - requiring, as it does, very little concentration.

Well, I hope our Head Desker, Julia, doesn't despair too much at the length of my post today. I've wittered on a bit but I seem to be back in crafting mode so there's a lot to share.

Have a great WOYWW and a wonderful week ahead.

In A Vase On Monday - The Last of the Roses

I wasn't going to join in with In A Vase On Monday today, at just 2 degrees above freezing it was too cold to venture out into the garden, that was until I read it was the 4th Anniversary of Cathy's meme - I couldn't let that pass without celebrating. Like so many, I have to admit that this weekly display of vases has made a difference to the way in which I view the plants and flowers I grow in my garden. Not that I've been participating these last few weeks ... not only is it too cold, and dark for most of the day, but after taking a tumble recently I've not been able to potter about as much as I would normally. And that means I've not been out to pick anything today so I thought I'd post this arrangement from a couple of weeks ago.

It's not a particularly wonderful arrangement but it includes the last of the cream 'Patricia Kent' roses. Our roses have gone on blooming long after what is normal this year. Here we are in the middle of November and Pride of England is still flowering with no hint of giving up yet. Perhaps the the drop in temperature last night - zero degrees - might put a stop to them.

There's a single white dahlia - 'Moulin Rouge' without the rouge. A bit of a mystery that. Neither of the two blooms we got from that tuber were true to the description given or the illustration on the pack. However, as I'm such a failure at dahlia growing any bloom was at bonus. The last of geum 'Mrs Bradsaw 'and crocosmia 'Okavango', though very badly arranged, added a bright autumnal touch to the cream blooms.

The Denby pottery vase the flowers are in is another of my many charity shop finds. I liked the subtle shades of green, the leaf pattern, and the unusual shape. I also like that it came from a Derbyshire pottery - we lived in the High Peak area of Derbyshire for a time so it's nice to have a vase to remind me of the lovely times we had there.

Hopefully, I will be able to join in again next week. Unless, that is, everything is frozen solid by then and the way the temperatures are dropping that would be no surprise at all.

Have a wonderful week whatever the temperature is wherever you are.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - WOYWW Week 440

It's another Wednesday and another opportunity to reveal all for Julia's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. However dull and disappointing here's what's on my desk today.

I'm working on this quilting project at the classes I attend but, because I've had to miss a couple of sessions, I'm waaaaaay behind. Next class tomorrow morning so I really do need to get a wriggle on. I did pop the pattern illustration on top of the materials so that you can see what I'm aiming for. It's a 'catch-all caddy' which will be very useful should I ever get it finished. I've chosen strawberries and polka dots - reminding me of the fabulous fifties. And, yes, I can still remember the fifties despite my advancing years!

I'm still recovering from a very nasty fall - I did what my mother would have described as 'going all your length' - injuring my legs, right knee and both shoulders - so not much of anything being done at all. However, I was up to be taken out to The Cocoabean Company, the chocolate factory, in Twynholm on Sunday. Some of you may have already seen my photos on Facebook but here's a few of my favourites for the chocoholics among you.

Handmade choccies - so bad for you but sooooo delicious.

The trip was also intended to cheer me up because, sadly, we no longer have the puppy, Molly. Due to the EM's current ill health and my untimely fall we decided that we were not up to giving a very lively and playful puppy the care and attention she needed, and deserved. It's not all bad though, she is now staying with my daughter and her family and having a wonderful time playing with her brother Pepsi.

Here's the two wee terrors, Molly on the left and Pepsi on the right. They make a lovely handful. I miss her dreadfully but I do realise that it's all for the best.

That's it for me this week. I'm off now to brew a cuppa and sit down to read as many WOYWW posts as I can before lunch.

Take care everyone and have a wonderful WOYWW.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 439

November already. Where has the year, never mind the last two weeks, gone? It's been quite a while since I posted and I feel guilty. It's not as if I didn't have anything to report - it's been a busy old time - but there's been no crafting to show and an empty desk week after week can be pretty boring to look at. Anyway, I've found some time this evening to join in with Julia's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday and reveal what's on mine today.

A patchwork block in progress. Hopefully it will be included in the quilt that we are making at the craft group I go to on Thursday afternoons. It will be our entry for a competition at the March Hobby Craft Exhibition at the SECC Glasgow.

And talking of the SECC here's a few photos taken when my daughter and I had a day out together at the October Hobby Craft Exhibition last Thursday.

Every year there's a winter tableau at the entrance to the show. This is the one for this year.

There was no large quilt exhibition to speak of this time - it's the Spring show that usually has one - but I did find these two hanging up at a stall.

There was a wonderful steampunk display. The tartan wedding dress and hat were simply stunning.

Sorry about the quality of the photo. I'm still learning how to use the camera on my new phone.

The Haywood Girls entertained us in the dining area with swing numbers from the 1940s. Lovely ladies they are too.

Of course, I couldn't go to a Hobby Craft show and not come home with a bit of a haul.

There was a lot of yarn stalls and I was tempted. Plenty there to keep me busy during the upcoming winter months.

I picked up this inexpensive bag of tweed scraps thinking I could, at last, maybe get around to trying some of the applique projects on a ebook/video 'Harris Tweed, Applique for Beginners' by Chris Hammacott, that's been on my shelf for a couple of years now.

Not so interesting perhaps but necessary, new bits and bobs - blades for the rotary cutter, Wonderweb for applique and magnetic fasteners for bag-making.

That's my winter taken care off.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos of our Molly. She's quite a handful, full of life, intelligent and needing to be endlessly entertained - one of the main reasons why I've not been able to write up posts for this blog recently.. At our age, the EM is almost 80 and I'll be 70 in a few weeks time, it's clear we're not as fit as you need to be to handle such a lively puppy. Anyway, here she is.

Here I am with her on a walk in Culzean Country Estate. As you can see she likes nothing better than to go rooting around in the undergrowth.

Take care everyone and have a very good week.