WOYWW Week 901/121 - After the Week 900

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well and having a good day. After the fun of last week, I must thank all who left their very welcome comments to last week's post celebrating WOYWW 900! It was a pleasure to catch up with so many deskers we haven't seen in a while. 

That's not a mess on my desk today. I've been preparing for a class that had me putting together a few autumn themed kits ready for the off today. The class is Shimelle's Clear the Desk Autumn 26 - an extension of her earlier Clear the Desk Live. 

Most of you will have seen me banging on about the kits I put together before moving house in 2022 but I don't think I've ever mentioned where I got the idea from to make them. It's all down to several clever scrappers who make videos for YouTube and/or run classes on how to put kits together. My first introduction was from Nicole Jones (nicolejones911). Then I discovered the many videos from RTS Scrapbooking - Record the Story And, of course, Shimelle who puts together monthly kits and then creates live videos throughout each month using the contents of those kits. It's thanks to these talented ladies that I am now having great fun working my way through my own kits, discovering supplies I'd completely forgotten.  Beautiful papers and fabulous embellishments all making it easier and quicker to put together a layout, and as I am the slowest scrapper in the world this is a bonus! 

This layout was made using one such kit. 

I had fun using up the sticker borders - something I continually forget to use - on this layout inspired by a sketch from Scrap-a-Sketch. The photo, dated 2019, is off three of my great-grandchildren getting excited on the car trip to Motherwell Country Park with their grandparents. One of the patterned papers used is 16 years old, and others have no date on them at all!

Last week, I wanted to include a photo of this layout but didn't locate it until too late so here it is now.

It's of Shaz in Oz who travelled all the way from Australia to be with us at the WOYWW crop in LLandudno. I thought traveling down to Wales from faraway Scotland was quite a long trip, but Shaz's journey beat me hands down. That smile says it was worth the journey. 

It's been more than a wee while since I posted what's in my vase today. That's because my garden here isn't as floriferous as my previous one.

This very dry summer has been particularly hard on the garden but early in spring I tossed a mixture of annuals on the top of the pots of clematis more in hope than certainty that they would grow and flower. But, the Welsh poppies, marigolds and clarkia, together with a few cuttings of ivy, have struggled through.  

Finally, it's Silver time.

Here she is supervising what I'm up to on my desk - one of her many duties! 

It's a long post today so if you have got this far give yourself a pat on the back. However that's me for this week. As usual, if you don't already do so, I urge you to join in with WOYWW. You can do this by clicking on this link, Sarah's Craft Shed, where you will be made most welcome.

Take care and have a fabulous week.

Elizabeth

WOYWW Week 900/120 - Celebration Time!

Hello Everyone,

Happy 900th edition of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. What an amazing number to reach and all down to the three wonderful ladies. First and foremost Julia, Stamping Ground, who dreamed up the idea some 17 years ago! Then there's Jan, Lunch Lady Jan's Fabric Frenzy, who stood in temporarily while Julia had a much needed break. Finally, we have Sarah, Sarah's Craft Shed, who has now been hosting WOYWW for 120 weeks! What they have created is a wonderful community of crafters that just keeps going - it may well be the longest, most enduring, weekly get-together in blogland.

I don't remember when I first became aware of Julia's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, but it was on Week 71 I plucked up the courage to join in. I have been ever grateful that I did. The welcome I received gave me the confidence to become a regular desker. 

Sarah suggested that we share our first 00 post to celebrate this wonderful occasion. For me that was this one here, Week 100. It's not particularly exciting though it did follow the Easter weekend, a Royal Wedding - Prince William & Kate - celebrated with an extra bank holiday. 

I believe it was Jan who originally suggested the WOYWW crops that became an annual event for a few years - until 2020 stopped the fun. I can't remember the years I was able, with the help of my dear enabler, Alan, to attend the crops but what I do remember is how wonderful it was to meet up with so many lovely crafters, many of whom have become firm friends, and sadly a few who have since passed away. I've spent way too much time today looking through posts trying to find some of the many photos taken at the crops, but with very little luck. I think they may be on my old computer and not this newer laptop. Here's the few I have tracked down.

These two photos are from 20017 & 2018

Annie, Wipso, Jan and Julia.

Jan & Julia.

Julia & Me.

This is a scrap page made with photos from crops and it seems I have a year missing - I'm just not sure which one. 

Happy days. 

There's not much on my desk today but this was how it was last night. 

I'd had to shoo Silver off to work on a page. My trusty guillotine, an adhesive tape runner, paper scraps and a reel of pink & white cord are, unusually, all that was lying about. On the far top left is an alphabet stamp set waiting to be used one day. 

The photo on this page is of me, my two brothers and my middle sister - the youngest had not arrived by the year this was taken, around 1955/56. It's a photo that always makes me smile because the wee story attached to it. My mother's youngest sister, Jean, still a teenager was babysitting that day when a travelling photographer knocked on our door - they did that back then. Jean happily agreed to have him take this photo of us. She got us together, sat us on the top of the sideboard for the shot. It wasn't until the photo was delivered some time later that mum spotted something Jean had missed completely. The sweater my little brother, Colin, was wearing was not clean - he'd spilt half his dinner down it! Mum was so embarrassed. The photo was hidden away then and it was many years before it saw the light of day again! 

This week's pic of Silver enjoying the afternoon sunlight. 

Instead of how I usually sign off it's seems fitting that I repeat how I signed off, updated, for WOYWW Week 100. 

For anyone who has just stumbled over this blog post and has no earthly idea what I'm prattling on about, what WOYWW is about, then please, with no further ado, hop over to the lovely Sarah's's blog, Sarah's Craft Shed, where you will find a plethora of links to a lot more crafty desks - go on, treat yourself - it's the best snoopathon ever!

Take care and happy crafting to you all.

Elizabeth Worthington

WOYWW Week 899/119 - Scrapbooking Supplies

Hello Everyone

Happy What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. I hope you've had a lovely week whatever you've been doing, and whatever the weather you've been enduring. Up here in my corner of Scotland it's been cooler but dry forcing me to get the watering can out again. It could be worse. Heavens, it has been worse, so I'm not complaining!

On my desk today a pile of photos. Just a fraction of my entire collection. It's only too evident that I am never going to scrap them all. But, I will do my best. For me it's the photos that come first when it comes to what I need for scrapbooking. That being said, the supplies used in making pages are many and varied. I know I go on about being on a spending freeze because of how much stash I have already but the requirements for scrapbooking are many and varied. For those who are not scrappers, but who might want to give it a go one day, here is a glimpse of just some of what I use in the making of pages.

Cardstock in various colours. Great for backing photos and layouts. Not absolutely essential as a starter, many of the plainer patterned papers make good starting points too.   

Patterned paper. I'd say this is absolutely essential. It can be bought loose or in themed packs. Often the packs contain other supplies, e.g. sheets of stickers, journaling elements, labels, etc.  The sheets can be single or double-sided. I prefer double-sided as it gives more choice. 

Letters, often referred to as 'alphas', and word stickers for creating titles. There are other supplies not shown in this photo - die-cut sets, stamp sets and even ready-made acrylic words to name a few.  

Sticker sheets and books used to create embellishment clusters. Oh, there are so many available to the avid scrapper like me. I'd say they are the sweeties of the scrapping world and just as hard to resist!!!

Die-cuts. Almost as hard to resist as stickers. These can be purchased ready-made in packs or they may be cut out using dies with a die-cutting machine. Alternatively, they can be fussy-cut from pretty patterned papers or downloaded printables that are specifically designed for cutting out. 

And last, but not least, the finishing touches. What some scrapbookers refer to as 'confetti'. For example: enamel dots, rhinestones, pearls, stencils, inks, washi tapes, punches, dies, stamps, Nuvo drops, wooden embellishments. Pens! I've almost forgotten the pens that are essential for journaling.

It's a lot for anyone contemplating becoming a scrapbooker. Be warned! As I know only too well, supplies have a way of multiplying! 

However, it's worth it to be able to create layouts like this one. Another first of the monthly pages for my 2023 album. This time for the month of March. The photos are a wee selection of those taken on walks and a trip to Glasgow during the month. Of course Silver had a starring role. 

She's been busy distracting me from finishing this post this morning. She wants to play.

How can I resist!

And finally a few funnies that I think are appropriate for today.

It's another long post today so if you have got this far this week give yourself another pat on the back. Next week is the big 900 and I'm so looking forward to seeing all your 00 memories. Such fun!  As usual, if you don't already do so, I urge you to join in with WOYWW. You can do this by clicking on this link, Sarah's Craft Shed, where you will be made most welcome.

Take care and have a fabulous week.

Elizabeth