What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 781

Hello Everyone,

It's all change for WOYWW today. Julia has handed the baton over to Sarah at Sarah's Craft Shed after 15 years of keeping her wonderful blog hop going. I remember being delighted to discover WOYWW almost 14 years ago. It was a joy to 'meet' so many crafters, like myself, who were willing to show the spaces where they craft, be it on desks or floors, and all because Julia had the idea we could all get together virtually through her blog, the Stamping Ground. So it may be the end of an era with Julia retiring, not to mention her able assistant, Lunch Lady Jan, but I'm sure Sarah is a worthy successor. 

And this is what's on my desk today. I wasn't able to travel down this year to the 15th Anniversary Crop but Jo (aka Twiglet) and Annie (aka Wipso) sent me their ATCs so I don't feel completely left out. I've seen some of the photos taken at the crop and I can see it was great fun for everyone there. Maybe next year I'll make it. 

Over recent weeks, if nothing else, I've managed to revive my enthusiasm for scrapbooking. It's good. It's an improvement. Participating in the Scrap-a-Sketch Rainbow Challenge helped enormously. That's seven pages completed for seven colours! With renewed interest, I've not stopped. Here's two more made from the remnants of kits put together from stash before we moved house in 2022.

Crafting Keeps Me Sane

This page is about crafting being therapeutic for me. The crochet blanket is progressing slowly but it helped get me through the worst of winter weather.  I love the quilted knitting bag I made a few years ago at the quilting classes I attended in Prestwick. Sadly, the pandemic led to the closure of the classes. 

I don't often remember to take a photo of leftovers when a kit is done but there was so little left of this one that I just had to take a pic for the record. 

Zillenials Doing It Their Way

Another page that uses up the tail end of another homemade kit. The two photos show my grandchildren, Shari & Josh (hands and phone only) ordering our food online even though we were in the restaurant at the time. It's showing my age I know, but I was gobsmacked! When did that become a thing? Clearly, I need to get out more! Not my usual style of scrapping. It's inspired by one I watched Shimelle create in an old video of hers on YouTube. It was done from memory so probably not anything like the original at all, but the base is much the same and the mixing of many colours and use of many layers reflects Shimelle's very individual style. Much to my surprise, I like it!

Now, the cat bit:

Not Silver, as you might have thought, but her brother, Taz. If it wasn't for the black smudge on his nose, he'd be her double. Love the pose!

And finally, I'm even later than ever today but I have the best of reasons so no apologies. Shari brought my very grown up 12 year old great-granddaughter, Rhian, along to see me and we had a lovely time chatting over lattes and chocolate brownies. 

With that I'll finish here.

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 587

 Hello Everyone,

Late again! No good excuse except that my workload has either increased due to Mr W's Covid induced incapacity, my preferred excuse, or I'm just slowing down - hard to admit, but true nonetheless. Whichever, I'm still late to Julia's weekly WOYWW party over at the Stamping Ground. 

And before I reveal what's on my desk, I need to apologise to everyone I didn't manage to visit and leave a comment with last week. I did try, honestly, but I just ran out of time. I'm trying. When he's being flippant Mr W would say I can be very trying indeed :)  Enough of my grovelling! Here's what's on my desk today. 

Still scrapbooking - it's what's keeping me sane at the moment. (I won't go on, but there's an increased incidence of the dreaded virus in our area which means we could be back in lockdown imminently.) And just for my own entertainment, I'm working my way through a pile of mini kits I put together a while ago - last year, I think. The papers in this one look perfect for the wedding photo of my lovely cousin, Rachel, and her hero, Chris. 

And many thanks to Jan, aka LLJ, who sent the lovely notecard you can see lying on the keyboard. She, like many of you, has been so kind while we've been poorly, regularly getting in touch and asking how we're doing and sending best wishes. Needless to say, it all helped immensely and I am so grateful for all the concern shown. It's the friendships made through this blog, and especially through Julia and her What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, that have meant, and continue to mean, so much to both of us. Our thanks go to you all. 

And now a sort of return to the book bit.

Note: not the usual audiobooks but real, have to pick them up and read, printed on paper books. When I was able to do not much more than just keep breathing these books kept my interest from day to day, and they continue to do so. It all started with the audiobook of 'Wonderland - A year of Britain's Wildlife Day by Day' by Brett Westwood & Stephen Moss. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the authors taking me through the year on audio. But it didn't take long for me to realise that really what I needed was the printed version so that I'd be able to check out each daily entry on the date itself. And the search for the book online led me to 'Every Day Nature' by Andy Beer, which is subtitled 'How noticing nature can quietly change your life'. For me, that has proved to be so true. This book has beautiful illustrations throughout. I now know so much more than I ever thought I would about our native wildlife - from the Emperor Dragonfly to Woody Nightshade, Montagu's Harrier to Wart-Biter Cricket!  And the two bird books? They're old faithfuls that have been around for years!

That's it from me this week. As ever, I'm looking forward to catching up with you all, over at The Stamping Ground, 

Take care and stay safe.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 413

Afternoon Everyone,

Sorry I'm late but the weather has taken a change for the better so we've taken advantage (who knows how long it will last) and been working on the garden all morning - so many weeds!

However, it's now too hot to stay out giving me the perfect excuse to retreat to the craft room and join in with Julia's What's On Your Workdesk over at The Stamping Ground. And, it also gives me the opportunity to show what the craft room looks like at this stage in Operation CRSO (Craft Room Sort Out).

Firstly, I've turned the desk, which was side on and jutting out into the room, round to face the window, making the room seem a lot more spacious. The screen, keyboard & mouse are now in the left hand corner. That's next to the worktop where the computer hard drive, and the two printers are now that the old computer has gone. Of course, I've had to pair down the stuff that I keep on my desk ... there's only what I consider vital left - containers of pens, scissors, a box of notepads & notelets, and the two guillotines and a trimmer at the back. On the right is the notebook in current use, to do list book and my planner. Oh, and if you enlarge the photo you might just make out that the wood pigeon that sits just above the window has left his calling card!

Another view, this time of the left return of the work top. It was, until the weekend, where the computer screen, etc. lived. Now it's my die-cutting station. I know what you're thinking. What does anyone need with so many machines? The answer is, I know nothing! They've just been multiplying when my back was turned.

And this is what I'm planning to work on today. I have several homemade scrap kits piled up on the bookcase you can just about see on the right of the first photo. I've just taken the this one down to work on. It's all part of Operation CRSO - time to get some scrapping done and clear that space on the bookshelf.

So that's what's on my desk today. Looking forward to catching up and seeing what's on your desk too. Apologies to Julia for the lack of brevity but I thought some of you might be interested in all the changes going on in my craft room.

But before I pop over to The Stamping Ground I thought I'd just share this photo of the long view of our garden at the back looking down to the woodland area just out of sight.

The pots in the foreground are full of herbs coming along nicely now that the sun is out.