Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 7,8,9&10/2021 - Themes from the last four challenges

 Hello Everyone,

It's been a long time since I've been able to join in with the Christmas Card Club Challenge. So long that I've missed several delightful themes which I really liked and wanted to use. So, today - or I should say this week - I decided to backtrack and make at least one card on the three themes I missed and also the current one. And to make life a little easier, I've concentrated on recycling toppers from the lovely cards received over the past few Christmases. 

The first is for today's theme chosen by Kate is: Trees, Christmas Trees or Trees in a scene.

I particularly love this scene because it reminds me of the deer that live in the woods south of where we are here. The topper is matted on to a dark blue card base, has tons of glitter glue and a few diamond style gems for embellishment.

Going back in time, the theme for two weeks ago, 14th March, chosen by Zoe, was Christmas Flowers and/or Foliage.

And how appropriate is this topper. This is the sort of watercolouring I wish I could do. It even has a wee robin perched among the leaves and berries. I matted the topper on to some dark green card and then on to a white card base. The green card candy used for embellishment is years old and there's still tons of it left too. 

Further back in time, to 28th February, was the theme of Christmas Carols chosen by Rita.

This is a beautiful Christmas scene though I'm feeling sorry for the carolers ... they must be freezing and probably wishing they were inside that beautiful, and very welcoming looking, church! The topper has been matted on grey card and then on to a plain white card base. Again the embellishments are from my old, and extensive, card candy stash. The red ribbon was already part of the original topper.

Finally, the last of today's catch up, Lorraine's choice this time, Playing in the Snow.

Who wouldn't love this cute wee puppy having a whale of a time in the snow! He reminds me of several of our family dogs and they make me smile too.The greeting couldn't be more perfect. The topper is matted on to blue card and then on to a white card base and the corners are embellished with blue sparkly gems. 

And that's me all caught up. 

They are part of my plan to clear the box of saved toppers which is also part of my huge effort to sort out, reorganise and clear the clutter accumulated over so many years of crafting. Not an easy task and certainly one that can be accomplished overnight. I wish!!! It doesn't help that I'm hampered by the after effects of the virus - neither of us are doing well from those - so it's a case of whenever and however for the time being. Sigh. It will pass, we just don't know when. 

Enough of my moaning. I hope you are all well and looking forward to the end of the restrictions coming soon. I hope, too, you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for today's theme. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always they are so much more creative than I will ever be.

Take care.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 616

 Hello Everyone,

It's WOYWW time again and, as usual, I'm late. There always seems to be so much in the way of domestic duties keeping me from my workdesk that I have very little to report. Except that is, for the EM's latest escapade - more of that later - and my fall from grace, evidence of which was on my desk this morning - I've cleared it now to make way for the keyboard.

Not a great photo because the sun is streaming through the window but I'm not complaining - we need the sun, even if it does show all the dusty corners. You may recall I stated, more than once recently, that I was on a craft spending freeze. Well ... this week I well and truly fell out of that particular wagon! 

Here's a better shot of this little beauty. I can justify buying this, not because it is pink ... I'm not even a pink kinda girl ... but because it is intended solely for sewing on cardstock and/or paper, thereby saving the life of my super dooper, all-singing-all-dancing, computerised machine which cost a mint and should not, definitely should not, be used to sew on to scrapbook pages. It is also extremely lightweight so perfect for taking on holiday and on crops ... whenever that bright day comes again. 

I've put it through it's paces and it performs very well. For a machine that's at the bottom end of the price range it's not bad at all with 10 stitch settings plus two for buttonhole making. It's set it up on the side counter ready to be used whenever needed - perfect!

These trolley accessories just happened to jump into my basket too! As they say around here, 'it wisnae me' ... I had absolutely nothing to do with how my fingers kept slipping while that basket was open. 

And now, I hinted that I'd expand on what has been going on this week here at Casa Worthington so here's the gossip. The EM took a tumble on Friday morning, wrenched his right shoulder and suffered cuts and abrasions ... get me with the medical terminology! The ambulance took him to A&E where he was x-rayed and had the cut on his right hand stitched up. Needless to say, I wasn't allowed to be with him so he was brought home by the loveliest team of Red Cross ladies you'd ever meet.

Not the best pic ever, it was early evening by the time he got home. He's been the worst patient ever ... very intent on carrying on as if all is normal so, consequently, the wound is still bleeding. It doesn't help that because of his heart condition he is on blood thinning medication, but he does need to take things easy and guard that hand. Happily, he has an appointment with our practice nurse this afternoon and I'm hoping she will read him the riot act. There's never a dull moment with the EM!!!

And finally:

Very apt.

And have a great week too. 

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 615

Hello Everyone

And good morning too. It's WOYWW time and I'm early - that is, early for me - with this pic of what's on my desk this morning. 

Not that much different from last week. There's a selection of papers and embellishments ready to be transformed into yet another scrap page using the sketch you can just see tucked under the pack of photos. That is, once I've chosen a photo from the pack ... I had chosen one, laid it aside for later, and now I can't find it anywhere! 

And there's the labelmaker. 

The organising continues. This week it's my collection of dies. I've been sorting and labeling the smaller ones into plastic CD sleeves, the larger ones onto magnetic sheets in that box. It's been illuminating. I had no idea just how many there were and how many had never been used - ever. So, they now have a new home on the top shelf of the trolley where it is hoped they will nag me into using them more in future. It's a plan. 

Given that I'm still sticking to a spending freeze there's no new crafting goodies to show so I thought I'd show you the EM's new toy instead. 

Yep, it's a mobility scooter. He's looking forward, as restrictions are slowly lifted, to getting out and about again. In the meantime, he'll be able to get around the supermarket so much quicker and easier. As I write this post, he's out on his first practice run - just around the block to start with!

So, and finally:

Whatever you're doing today have a wonderful WOYWW and a fabulously crafty week.

Scrap Pages 06 & 07/2021 - Patched and Mended & Forever Missed

Afternoon Everyone,

Scrapbooking, or I should say posting about it - has taken a back seat recently but I'm still intent on creating at least 200 pages this year. And so far the count is up to 21 - those of you on Instagram may have seen them already but for the record here's Nos. 6 & 7.

Patched and Mended

This layout was prompted by Mind The Scrap's Make Do and Mend January cybercrop, hence the photo of the elbow patch made from recycled denim that I sewed on to a much worn but much loved sweater. The papers are from Photoplay's Heart & Home collection and the embellishment are mostly from the huge stash I've accumulated here in the craftroom. 

Forever Missed

This page is a tribute to my late brother Douglas. I particularly love this photo of him which was taken a year or two before he died, when he was still in relative good health. The papers used to mat the photo are the leftover scraps from a 2020 Mind the Scrap kit. I used a very old black liquid watercolour - Aquatint ink - from Spectrum Noir to paint the stripes. Also for some of the spatters as well as Heidi Swapp's Color Shine Gold. The embellishments are all from stash including the die-cut butterflies and the giant black and gold sequins made with the WRMK sequin punch, a fairly recent acquisition. One of Douglas's interests was beekeeping hence the tiny stamped bees. 

That's it for today. I have a poorly husband that needs TLC and a chicken pot au feu in the slow cooker that needs to be watched. 

Take care and stay safe. 

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 614

Hello Everyone,

Well, it's been a while, has it not? Four weeks since my last WOYWW post - in fact, since any post! These absences are never intended, they just happen. The reason this time, I've been busy sorting out this craftroom. It's been weeks of clearing out and decluttering and sorting through the piles of stash that have been threatening to overwhelm me for months. The job's not completely finished yet but there's boxes filled with donations to go to the local hospice shop and a bin full of all the stuff no longer wanted/needed. It's been cathartic and I'm feeling so much better for it too. And my workdesk is looking so much bigger - look at the space I have to work in now. 

You'll notice that one of the most important changes is the stack of papers on the back right. I figured that as the most important ingredient in scrapbooking is 12x12 paper - it's where every page starts - then it really should be close to hand. In front of the stack are the supplies being used to make the page being worked on today. Same as on the left  - stickers and embellishments. The latte is essential too.

There's been more changes elsewhere in the room. 

The ink pad shelving had to be relocated to make room for the fabric cabinet that has also been relocated.

And I now have the luxury of somewhere to store the collection of die-cutting machines I seemed to have amassed over the years. 

Crafty Bear is needing a new home. Apologies to Annie, maker extraordinary of memory bears, can you believe the EM thought it was okay to hang her on the old clock hook?!?!

That's all I have to reveal today. There's more sorting still to do but I think I am beginning to see the end to this particular crafty tunnel ... it takes real time to sort through the best part of 25 years of hoarding this much stash!!!

And finally, 

Thought this was appropriate today.

And this too.

And isn't this the truth!!!

Whatever you're doing and however you're planning have a wonderful WOYWW and a fabulously crafty week.