What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 504

Hello and Happy WOYWW,

Another Wednesday and another opportunity to join in with our Head Desker Julia's great weekly desk hop over at the Stamping Ground. And here's what's on my desk today.

Total chaos!

I should confess I almost didn't join in today. It's such a mess. I was participating in a cyber crop this weekend and I haven't cleared away all the scrappy stuff that got pulled out yet - it's shameful. And the mess doesn't stop there.

Sigh. As if there isn't enough space on my, more than generously proportioned, workdesk, I've spread out on to the other chair in the room - this one is normally in front of the sewing machine table.

On the plus side, I did manage to complete a few layouts though nothing like as many as many of the other participants. I'm a slow scrapper but I thoroughly enjoy the process - choosing photos, papers and embellishments are so much part of the fun so I don't think speeding up would add to the pleasure. The next job will be to file them away in the appropriate albums.

And now to the book bit. Just one book today - I didn't seem to have as much time to listen this week.

I have always enjoyed Ian Rankin's Rebus books and I expected Bleeding Hearts to be similar. Not so. Originally published under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, it's totally different. The main protagonist, Michael Weston, is a contract killer who ends up being chased by his nemesis, a private detective called Hoffer, around the UK and across the Atlantic to America. Despite myself, I felt sorry for Weston and Hoffer was a great character but the ending disappointed. Not Rankin's best but different and it did keep me hooked to the end.


Take care everyone, thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.

Friday Smiles

Afternoon Everyone,

Once again I'm joining in with Annie's Friday Smiles but, and this is, yet again, we've been, due to the chilly temperatures, very much home buddies this week so I had to look hard for smiley photos. Happily, life always gives us something to smile about so here goes. 

We had our first, and possibly last, snowfall on Tuesday and this was the windscreen before we set out for our foot care appointment. We're both of an age when we find it so much easier to have someone lavish care in that part of our anatomy! Our travelling companions don't look too upset and I'm sure they always enjoy a trip out.

Afterwards we had tea in Tescos. That sounds like a good title for a book! When we don't feel like cooking the restaurant at our nearest supermarket does the job for us. The EM obviously was in good humour anticipating his sausage and mash. Macaroni cheese for me.

Not only is it Burn's birthday but it's also my auntie Jean's and her son Rick's, making it a very special day indeed. They both live very far away in Australia as you can probably tell from this photo of my auntie.

At 82 Jean is my youngest auntie, just 11 years old when I was born, and together with her older sister, Betty, it was like having two older sisters around.

Rick, at 55, is Jean's youngest son and he's just become a grandfather. He's absolutely delighted, as you can see and I'm so happy to have yet another little cousin to coo over.

Little Grace Lily Ann is simply gorgeous.

Finally, I finished this cowl that I've been crocheting from a kit brought back from Wales last year.

I don't do selfies but had to try for one modeling the cowl.

The EM had me in stitches!!!

So that's another week when I found more to smile about than I expected. Hope you have had as much to smile about too.

Have a wonderful weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 503

Afternoon Everyone,

Almost evening, actually. I'm here to check into the Stamping Ground to see what's on Julia, our noble leader's and your desks today. Of course, it's only fair I show you mine first before I go desk-hopping.

Looking very familiar I'm sure. The pile at the back is maybe a bit bigger - I've sorted out the pile of patterned paper into full size sheets, stickers and cut-outs and scraps. It's easier to riffle through, well, in theory it is! There's dish of cut-outs beside the guillotine and a just-started-and-nowhere-near-completion layout to the front, next to the sticker sheets. There's some seriously old stash there which I'm determined to use up this month while I'm still concentrating on scrapping our December photos.

There's not much else to report this week. I haven't been particularly busy - it's been too cold, -3 degrees today, making us both sluggish and not at all keen to leave the warmth of the sitting room. In fact, you could say we've been 'coorieing doon' - the Scottish equivalent of hibernating! Given that the weather is set to get even colder it could be we'll be keeping cosy for some time yet.

And finally, the book bit. The good news is that I'm able to put my ear buds in again but I've listened to just the one book so far but it's a start.

Jane Fallon's 'My Sweet Revenge' is an every day story of a marriage going wrong. Paula and Robert have been together 20 years and married for 18 of them. She gave up her dreams of a career in acting to bring up their daughter whilst he climbed the dizzy heights to become a stalwart in a popular soap opera.  He's also cheating on Paula with his screen 'wife'. Discovering this Paula decides to get her 'sweet revenge'. It's a a cracking read - I thoroughly enjoyed it especially as there was more than one surprising twist in the tale.


Take care everyone, thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.

Christmas Card Club - Card 2/2019 - Cute

Hello Everyone

I hope you are all well and enjoying a happy Sunday.

It is time for another new card for the Christmas Card Club. This time Sylvie has chosen the theme 'Cute' which I've gone for rather than the fallback of  'anything goes'.

Cute gave me the opportunity to use some a of the goodies purchased at The Range recently.

Supplies used:

- white A6 card base from Papermania

- an A6 sheet of white card from Craft Sensations Mixed Paper Block

- the embossing folder /stamp set #5 from Craft Sensations. 

- brown ink pad - Memento Rich Cocoa

- ProMarkers in shades of brown, yellow, green and red

- patterned paper for layering and the greeting - from Die Cuts With a View Holiday Speciality Stack - from an almost unbelievable 2009

- die - Tonic Studios' Modern Merry Christmas

The embossing folder has a very pretty leaf/berry pattern which looks very like mistletoe. There's a square area in the design that remains 'unembossed' - the perfect space on which to stamp the image of one of the little birds from the set.

The greeting was cut twice, one from the red patterned paper and the other from a scrap of white cardstock which I then layered together to create the greeting.

I'm submitting this card to CHNC challenge 421 - optional theme 'add a sentiment'. 

The ladies in our Christmas Card Club will be publishing their cards too. To save the stress of the last minute dash in December we make a Christmas card every two weeks and posting it on our own blogs - see the list of links on the sidebar to the right. 

Thanks for visiting - I really appreciate it.

Friday Smiles

Hello Everyone,

I'm joining in with Annie's Friday Smiles at A Stitch In Time. Though, in truth, there's not much to show this week. I've not been out and about much and because the winter colds/flu season is in full swing I haven't seen much of the family ... they make a point of avoiding us oldies for fear of passing their germs on. However, a quick trot round the garden ... had to be quick because it's freezing here ... and found a lot that promises spring isn't so far away.

Winter Jasmine

Snowdrops

Cyclamen coming into flower

New growth on the Douglas rose

Daffodils just about to bloom

I also checked out the bug hotel and hedgehog mansion for signs of activity but not a sign of life - much too cold, I expect.

And that leads to a couple of funnies I liked.

Because it's been a warmer than normal winter up until now I have visions of the neighbourhood hedgehog out and about like this. Hopefully, now the temperatures have dropped to near freezing it has found our little shelter and curled up to sleep through the rest of the winter.

Have a wonderful smiley weekend. 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 502

Hello Everyone,

I'm so happy to be here after last week's health scare. I thought I'd somehow dislocated my jaw. Lockjaw was mentioned in A&E at one point. Scary!!! I couldn't even talk, it was so sore. Think how awful that would have been for the EM - nobody to chat too him!!! Happily, after a few days I regained movement in my jaw and with that I was able to talk again ... happily for us both. So on to the shot of What's On My Desk today.

It's dull and rainy here so the photo isn't the brightest. A bit messy this morning too. There's the usual pile of scrappy papers and card at the back and to the right the box containing card blanks - all pretty normal for me. Messy yes, but normal. It's the stuff at the front that's not normally there. That pile is the result of a shopping spree at The Range - with a gift card from Christmas still burning a hole in my pocket it had to be done as soon as I was well enough.

Apart from stocking up on the basics - adhesives, card blanks, etc., not shown - there's a wee selection of embossing folders, stamps, washi tape, twine, a couple of paper pads and two greeting dies. And now I'm itching to play with it all.

While I wasn't up to much else, I spent a lot of hours watching YouTube demos and even managed to finally finish off a scrap layout begun before Christmas. Watching a video from the very inspiring scrapper, Kathy Sonnier McElfresh - ScrappyKathy - I noticed that she kept tabs on her layouts with labels containing important information and adhered to the back. As I sometimes struggle to remember vital stuff - e.g. supplies used - when writing about a layout, especially if it is some time since it was made, I thought Kathy's labels were a great idea. So I designed my very own.

The finished label is a bigger than Kathy's because I've included quite a few blank lines onto which I can record all the supplies used in the making of
the layout.

Trimmed down they could also be used to record information about any cards I make too. For an oldie like me, whose memory isn't what it used to be, these labels are going to be a boon.








I'm including the JPEG version of the labels here so please feel free to use them too.

No final book bit this week. Until a couple of days ago the pain in my jaw radiated out and into my ear making it very uncomfortable to wear my buds so I'm just catching up now. Normal service to be resumed next week - hopefully!

Take care everyone and have a wonderful crafty week.

Scrapbook 1/2019 - December 4 2018

Hi Everyone,

I trust you are all well and getting back into the swing of things now that January is well under way. Welcome to my new followers - Gee Dazee and Tracey from Hotpotch Creations!

I'm slowly getting over my aching jaw and feeling a bit more up to crafting, so much so I've been able to complete this UFO - begun last year!

This is a shameless lift from a layout of Mind the Scrap's Emma using stash from her December kit. I particularly liked how she used the printed vellum over a subtly patterned paper - disguising the adhesive needed to fix it in place under the photograph. Also the gorgeous red and white felt garland looked perfect strung along under the photo panel in the layout.

Supplies used:

• Cardstocks: white for base, black for photo mat
• Papers: Carta Bella Christmas 'Merry Snowflakes'; Crate Paper 'Mistletoe' patterned paper; Pebbles Cozy & Bright 'Home for Christmas'; Shimelle's Head in the Clouds 'Counting Wishes' for the number 4; Making Memories 'Mistletoe' (that last paper from my stash)
• Special papers: Crate Paper's printed vellum 'Merry Days'; We R Memory Keepers Shape 'N Tape adhesive sheets in red; red tissue paper (for matting photo)
• Ink pads: Memories black dye pad and Whispers Cherry Red pad
• Stamps: Dovecraft tiny alphabet for letters and numbers from a set that no longer has a name; American Crafts Christmas date stamp
• Embellishments: Echo Park's Merry and Bright sticker sheet and Pebbles felt garland from the kit; red and white twine; green enamel dots from my stash

The photo was taken just to celebrate the cute coasters I spotted in our local supermarket - I couldn't resist the cute image. It was a lucky coincidence that there was a sticker on the Merry and Bright sticker sheet that fitted perfectly with the photo.

The adhesive sheet from We R Memory Keepers can be used in a variety of ways - here I've just cut two strips and used them in the same way we would Washi tape but it is also possible to die-cut various shapes to make custom stickers. There's a cutting die kit sold separately which includes 18 dies designed specifically for use with the adhesive sheets but I think I will try some of my own dies instead. I think the more basic shapes, e.g. circles, hearts, stars, etc., would cut perfectly.

Take care all and have a great day.

Catch-up Post

Hello All

I'm sure some of you may have noticed that I've been missing of late and here's why.

Suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, not long after I posted on What's On Your Desk Wednesday, I developed excruciating pain in my right jaw.

The EM took me to the Emergency Department at our local hospital where I was examined and given a cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics. Still not sure exactly what caused it but the doctor thought it was either an infection of the parotid gland or an abscess caused by my wisdom tooth. Fortunately, whatever the cause it's responding well to the meds - still sore but nothing like as bad as it was.

I've still to see my dentist. Hopefully he will be able to tell me for sure what caused the problem. Whatever, I may be about to lose that much treasured wisdom tooth!

Hoping to be back, firing on all cylinders, soon.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 501

Hello Everyone,

And happy WOYWW to you - I hope you are enjoying your day.

I have to admit that I've staged my desk this week - well, it was boringly empty and tidy and you don't really come here to see that, now do you? There's the usual box and pile of scrapbook papers at the back and a there's a glimpse of the trolley of goodness - the reason the desk's so tidy. And, of course, there's a guillotine - one of two and the one most often used. The added items - a scrap layout, a crochet project and a wee collection of recently acquired stash from the pound shop - the mini wheelie bin and the paperclips should be useful. The crochet is a cowl made from a kit brought back from Wales last year - almost done.

The extra long photo was awkward to scrap. I used a couple of stamps from a newish set of stamps called, I think, De Viaje by Anita y su mundo - stamped in black and cut out - added to the embellishment clusters. The papers are ancient - almost as ancient as me!

And because it's fresh in my mind here's a shot of the spectacular dawn we experienced this morning.

Some of you might have seen it already on Facebook but for those that haven't here it is - amazing!

Finally, the book bit. Only one book this week.

The Throwaway Children by Diney Costeloe. It's about children who were put into a children's home and then sent to Australia. I chose this book because it's a subject close to my heart. My father, together with his five siblings, was put into a children's home in Edinburgh when his mother left them and their father couldn't cope alone. Although he wasn't sent to Australia, he was sent to be fostered on a farm far away in the north of Scotland which, for city children, was just as traumatic. I'm only part way through but so far it's been a box of tissues job! It's devastating how children were treated in the early part of the 20th century. I can only hope things are better today.

Must rush - I have a date with the EM - but I'll be back later.

Take care and have a happy crafty week.

Christmas Card Club - Card 1/2019 - Snowflakes

Hello Everyone,

This post should have gone up yesterday but I came down with the dreaded lurgy in the wee small hours of Saturday and was in no fit state to do anything all weekend. Happily, today is better and I'm feeling up to posting again. So, to celebrate I'm here with the first CCC card of 2019 with the theme of snowflakes set by Christine.

Nothing makes me happier than to use up stash that seems to have been around for years. Like this card which is made up entirely from old stash.

Supplies used:

• a 5" square card base made from smooth white card trimmed to measure 10" x 5" and folded in half
• snowflake patterned paper from the Kate Knight Christmas collection paper stack cut to leave an edge margin of an eighth of an inch. The paper pack was a freebie from Quick Cards Made Easy in 2010 - 8 years and there's still a few sheets left! 
• two white die cut snowflakes, bought ready-cut in the years before I acquired my first die-cutting machine ... now that is a long time ago!
• distress ink, Peacock Feathers, used to edge paper and greeting
• VersaMark Watermark Pen, Stampendous Crystal Transparent embossing powder and teal coloured glitter - all used to add the glitter finish to the snowflakes. This was a messy business but well worth it as the effect is a glittery loveliness that unfortunately doesn't show up well in the photograph. 
• one brad with aqua gem used to clip the two snowflakes together before adhering to the card front.
• the greeting made from a snippet of smooth white card, the greeting stamp from Penny Black's Wonder Collection set, the distress ink and an oval punch from Stampin' Up 

I would like to submit this card to the following challenges too:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #343

CHNC challenge 419 - optional theme upcycle or use something old

The ladies in our Christmas Card Club will have published their first card of the year yesterday. We make a Christmas card every two weeks and post it on our own blogs - see the list of links on the sidebar to the right.

Thanks for looking in.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 500

Happy New Year, WOYWWers everywhere!

It's WOYWW #500 - amazing! Five hundred weeks of revealing all on a weekly basis. We're a tenacious lot, us Deskers, though clearly none more tenacious than Julia, our indefatigable Head Desker. Congratulations Julia, and long may What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday continue. 

There's not a lot on my desk today. There's the pile of Christmas cards - many beautifully handcrafted by my lovely blogging friends. There's also a numbers die set I'm planning to use for a thirtieth birthday card. My oldest grandchild is turning 30 this week and it seems like only yesterday he was born!!! The pile of card/paper at the back is the result of sorting through stuff for that layout I'm working on - after an entire month of not making one December layout! No December Daily for me - our Decembers are really not that exciting. But I'm now ready to make a few 12x12 layouts to record some of the highlights of the month.

Hope you've enjoyed the festive season. And that you've returned to your desks just raring to go. No! Well, ditto! I've spent the morning helping the EM to take down and pack away Christmas for yet another year. Gone are the days we would have waited just a little bit longer, hanging on to the last of the festive cheer ... we can be cheery without. However, I am suffering from a little too much of that cheer - the scales made that only too clear this morning - so it's back to bringing a bit of exercise into my daily routine. Nothing too strenuous to start with - just a few step exercises and a short walk around the block got me started today. And I'm so glad I did - otherwise I would have missed this fun sight.

I might just pop round when it's darker in the hope of seeing it all lit up.

No book bit this week. I'm listening to the last of my Christmas reading - listed here - and as hoped it's proving to be a memorable read.

Wishing you health, wealth and happiness in 2019.