WOYWW - Week No.788/8

Hello Everyone,

It's been a while since I've been able to join in with What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - hosted by Sarah on her blog, Sarah's Craft Shed. I won't go into the gory details, and risk boring you all. I'll just say I've been too ill to do much at all. Not least, scrapbooking. I think I've made about three pages since my last post, which was way back in May! 

That's why all that you see on my desk is the album I'm keeping for this year, with guidance from Shimelle's class, This Year's Story. Needless to say, I'm way behind! Not to worry. I'll catch up eventually. Anyone who follows me on Instagram or Facebook will have seen my recent progress but for those of you who haven't here's the latest pages made for the album.

This last page was made with really old stash and I even managed to add some inky stencilling to the background.

The stencil is from Scrap-A-Sketch's collection. I've been a bit naughty recently, spending more than I should on new stash. My way of trying to cheer myself up when I've not been up to anything more than wishing, dreaming and mentally planning future scrap projects. And when I've not been doing that, I've been doing this:

This book, The Consolation of Nature: Spring in the Time of Coronavirus written by three noted nature writers, has indeed been a consolation. And with a nice cuppa in this cute cup, a gift from my daughter, what could be better. Not much, that's for sure!

Before I go, I just want to thank everyone who has left me their kind comments and emails. They have been much appreciated even if I haven't been able to say so at the time. Indeed, one of the reasons I haven't shown up on WOYWW for the last goodness knows how many weeks is because it wasn't possible for me to visit you all and admire all the crafty stuff you've been up to. I changed supplier recently and found I was without broadband, WIFI and TV for longer than expected. Never again!

To end, late as I am to the party, I still intend to visit everyone who is participating in WOYWW today and leave a comment where possible. Experience has shown that's not always possible for reasons beyond my ken. Suffice to say, I plan to do my best. 

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth

The Rainbow Challenge - For The Record

Hello Everyone,

After a very lengthy time of being unable to carry on with scrapbooking I decided this year that it would do me good to get back into it. First, I decided to record my story of this current year because it was clear it was going to be like no other in my life. To help me with this project I enrolled in Shimelle's excellent class, This Year's Story.  Since then I've been happily trying to catch up with recording 2024 month-by-month. I'm only up to February so far but the problem is that I'd taken very few photos in the first weeks and months of the year. So to fill the gaps I've found myself harking back to happier times. No bad thing. I'm enjoying it. 

This renewed enthusiasm pushed me on to do more so earlier in May, I decided that another challenge was just what I needed. Lisa Sikorski's Scrap-a-Sketch Rainbow Challenge, on Facebook, with it's seven colours and seven sketches was just the thing. A great way, incidentally, to use up leftover stash! For the record I'm listing all seven pages here though the first two have already been in two earlier posts. 

1) At The Family Send Off - the red and pink colour challenge.

2) Visiting Alfie - the blue challenge.

3) A Rare Treat - the purple challenge,

4) Wildflower Study - the green challenge.

5) Driftwood - the yellow and orange challenge.

6) Quality Time With Silver - the black and grey challenge.

7) Florence In Tuscany - the challenge to use all the colours of the rainbow.

I actually managed to complete the challenge successfully! I thoroughly enjoyed sharpening up my scrapbooking skills thanks to Shimelle's class and Lisa's challenge.

Now to catch up with my story album before the year gets much older.

Take care, everyone,

Elizabeth 

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