What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 826

Hello Everyone,

Happy Wednesday. Happy WOYWW too.

This is not really what's on my desk this morning but it's a photo taken back in February, the last time I did make a page.  Since then there's been a lot of dreaming and scheming but no actual scrapbooking done. 

This then is only the second page completed so far this year. It's an old photo taken from last year's  Three Towns Explored calendar. The term 'three towns' is used in reference to the towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston in North Ayrshire which together form a contiguous settlement along the shore of the Clyde Estuary. Since moving here to Ardrossan I have become fascinated with the history of the towns and surrounding area. 

The materials used to make the page are from the Scrappyroo Scrapbook Supplies October kit, purchased while I was doing all that dreaming and scheming mentioned earlier. This is not a paid promotion, but it is a lovely kit and I could be tempted to buy more in future. Just as soon as I get busy scrapping again.

Talking of dreaming and scheming as I am today, and as I hinted in last week's post, I've been longing to make a garden. It's been on my mind since we moved in just over two years ago but, of course, other more pressing needs prevented me actually doing anything about it. For the record here's a photo of just how neglected the garden was.

Shameful! Hardly a redeeming feature to be seen. Even the shed is on it's last legs and there is no boundary between the strip that is my backyard and that of my neighbour in the flat (apartment) above mine. 

At the end of last year, I finally decided to do something about it and drew up a plan of sorts. 

This plan. It's basic and will probably change in time but it gave me a starting point. 

The first thing I did was order the summerhouse.

It's arrival was delayed by winter and a certain, now notorious, Storm Eowyn! One thing that has become very apparent is that Ardrossan could be a contender for the stormiest town on the west coast of Scotland so there will be no greenhouse. The summerhouse will have to do double duty as a potting shed, somewhere to grow seeds and a retreat in which to sit and idle the hours away.

Next came a fence to create a boundary.

This area of the garden is now enclosed. The area to the front is where the washing lines are and wher the two poles on the boundary are shared. I'm not sure why this is so. Perhaps it was intended to encourage neighbourliness, or more likely to save money. The apartment blocks were built by the council in the post-war period in answer to the increased need for affordable housing. Today apartment blocks like mine are a mix of privately owned flats like mine and council owned like my neighbour above, 

Since these photos were taken a gate has been fitted and trellising added to the picket fencing ready for the planting of the climbing plants I visualise scrambling up and over and around all that brown wood.  

Digging and clearing, not by me I hasten to add but by a neighbour's son, has unearthed paving hidden by the overgrown grass and evidence we believe that the land was once used as allotments. Possibly as part of the war effort to dig for victory. It's a nice thought. 

Needless to say, I'm now busy acquiring plants - quite a few. The plan is to keep it mainly grassed but to introduce wild flowers where possible like those in this photo - snowdrops, bluebells, wild daffodils, and wood anemone. There's also wild garlic which, as it spreads too readily, will be planted up in a pot.  There's more. The climbers - clematis, honeysuckle, wild sweet pea, and my favourite rambling rose, Albertine is on order.  As are a couple of small trees,  rowan and an amelanchier (also known as serviceberry or juneberry) to encourage birds to visit. Which brings me to my last photo for today.

Silver has found herself the perfect lookout post. She's clearly intent on monitoring the local cat and bird population.  Seriously, she loves being out in the garden with me. My own little gardening companion. 

And finally, the funny is back.

So that it from me this week. Thanks to everyone who read last week's post and also for the lovely comments left. Sorry if I didn't leave you a comment. Must try harder. I'm just out of practice as could be seen from the mess I made of leaving a link on Sarah's blog - Sarah's Craft Shed - where you can find even more clever crafters revealing what's on their desks this week. 

Goodbye for now and thanks for reading this far. I wish you all a very good week.

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 825

Hello Everyone

It's been quite a while since my last post. Too long really. I don't want to bore you for too long with the explanation but I think one is due. It's that I've been chronically unwell from fighting a recurring infection, since the end of 2024, that just wouldn't respond to the various antibiotics prescribed. It didn't help that I'm allergic to penicillin and react badly to most other antibiotics. Finally, just after Christmas, when I was beginning to think I was going to have to go into hospital, an alternative medication was suggested. Since then my health has been slowly improving. In fact, I was planning to start posting again when, just three weeks ago, I had a fall and am now nursing a couple of cracked ribs. Crossing a road would you believe! My first time out in weeks too. Anyway, I'm on the mend again and ready to get going once more. 

Needless to say, I've not been scrapping much at all recently. I think I've only finished two pages in all the time I've been "off". This one is entitled 'Life in Pictures', one photo being of an organising job I was in the process of doing way back last August and the other of a mood board of my ideal home I'd optimistically put together. It's a dream but a very nice one. 

Here's a few shots taken on that fateful walk. Before the fall, of course.

The first three shots were taken of the South Shore in Ardrossan. It was a cold, grey day, but the view out over the Clyde Estuary and over to Arran was as beautiful as ever. The last shot is of the daffodils blooming in The Plantation, a one time wooded area just down the road from my home. The way they have been planted in great swathes always makes me think of Wordsworth's "host of golden daffodils". I like to think that's what the gardeners were trying to achieve. 

Of course, I just have to add this shot of Silver.

She's always determined to provide quality control on whatever job I'm working on. In the photo it's a plan for the garden. More of that in a future post. 

And finally, do pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed to visit the many other WOYWWer's desks. You could even join in and show us yours. 

In the meantime, thanks for reading this far and I wish you all a very good week. 

Take care everyone

Elizabeth

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 800/20

Happy Week 800 to you all! What a number! Who would have thought that, when Julia posted her first shot of her workdesk on The Stamping Ground way back on 3rd June 2009, desk sharing would become such an enduring pleasure for deskhoppers everywhere. Not Julia, I'm thinking. But endured it has and today, now that Julia has retired, it's ably hosted by Sarah, from her Craft Shed.

I started my blog in September 2010 and it was only a few weeks later I discovered WOYWW. I don't know where I got the temerity to join in the fun, but join in I did on Week 71, 12th October 2010. Of course it was Julia's warm and no frills approach to blogging, and crafting, that drew me in. Since then I've shared my desk 454 times, 455 when this one is counted in. 

One of the inevitable outcomes of the weekly deskhops were the WOYWW crops. I missed the first few, but when I eventually mentioned it to my husband, Alan, he was all for it. So off we went. From Scotland to Llandudno, Wales, in 2017 and Shrewsbury, England, in 2018. Here's a couple of pics from 2017.

Llandudno, hosted by Margaret, Glitter and Glue.

Annie, LLJ and Julia

Julia and myself.

The group photo 2017.

Shrewsbury, hosted by the two sisters, Annie, Wipso-A Stitch In Time, and Jo, Twiglet .

The birthday presentation to Julia.

The group photograph 2019.

Lovely times, lovely people, lovely memories.

Whether met virtually or in person, it's been a privilege to get to know so many fabulous and talented WOYWWers. 

Of course, it wouldn't be WOYWW if I didn't show a pic of my desk today. It's a different desk in a very different place in totally different circumstances but my intention is to continue deskhopping as often as possible. And hopefully WOYWW will continue under Sarah's watch for many more years to come.

And finally, it wouldn't be my WOYWW post without a photo of Silver.

Not so much a crafty cat, more a very naughty one. She did her best all morning to distract me from putting this post together. And now she's curled up on the sofa beside me, out for the count. Typical!

Best wishes to all my lovely WOYWW friends, old and new. Have a wonderful week. 

Take care everyone

Elizabeth