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 - The 13th Anniversary Week 676

 

On a never-to-be-forgotten Wednesday, 13 October 2010, I plucked up my courage and decided to join in with WOYWW for the first time. I'd been lurking for a few weeks, as you do, and thought it would be fun to 'meet' the many crafters already contributing to this weekly reveal of crafty desks. From that first week I was warmly welcomed by Julia on The Stamping Ground and many other Deskers too. It was such a vicarious treat. Over the years I really have made some wonderful friends through WOYWW, and it's been my pleasure to meet many for real too, for that I am eternally grateful for Julia's continuing to host WOYWW . Happy 13th Anniversary, Julia! 

Having said all that, there's not much going on my desk today. Just these albums. One of the scrappers on a Facebook group I'm involved with has asked us to show some of our earliest layouts, hence the albums. It's quite an eye-opener looking back at pages made 25+ years ago. So much has changed in that time. I will share a few photos in a post once I've got some photos to share. 

I can't not show Jan's fabulous ATC received yesterday morning. She sent it even though I doubted I'd be able to join in with the exchange. I was wise to doubt it too. I'm just beginning to feel almost human again after a week or so in bed, poorly with a bad chest and throat infection. 

And now, here's Silver. Of course. It wouldn't be a WOYWW post without her making an appearance and she's not one to miss a celebration!

Thank you for your support each week, your visits to this blog and for all the lovely comments you leave. They are very much appreciated, especially through the difficult times Alan and I have been experiencing since April 2020. Your kind thoughts have helped enormously, Long may WOYWW continue and many thanks again to our lovely host, Julia. 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 523

Hello Everyone

Happy Wednesday, Whizzday and WOYWW to you all. It's show and tell time again though, as Julia, our Queen of Snoops, will be pleased to learn this is going to be fairly brief - there's not a lot going on today.

Apologies, the lighting isn't too good this morning. All that sunshine I've been boasting about recently - it's gone! So what's on my desk? Well, there's the permanent residents - the usual box of all sorts of bits and bobs at the back and the album I should be working on - it's there to nag but I'm quite effectively ignoring it for now. Centre front is a pile of scraps and dies just waiting for me to be inspired. The dies are all of various reindeer, pulled out for Sunday's Christmas Card Club theme. They will be put away for now - I'm so over Christmas in June already! To the side is the pack of holiday photos. It's not like me to be so quick of the mark but I couldn't wait to see the photos from the crop - and they are absolutely brilliant! Happy day. Hardly visible at the back by the keyboard is a new ink spray - this one is a gorgeous coral shade. Looking forward to trying it out - maybe on something in that pile of scraps. Oh, and through the square window, into the garden, there's just a glimpse of our fabulous black elder tree in full bloom - appropriately named 'Black Beauty' it's doing us proud.

I received this happy mail this morning.

From Marit, Marit's Paper World. Marit was my PIF for the tenth anniversary ATC swap and she's very kindly sent me in return one of her fabulous ATCs, a very informative leaflet illustrated with examples of her mixed media work and a fab postcard too. Even the envelope is amazing - handmade from what I'd guess is a magazine page - recycling at it's best!

Before I go, here's a photo of my cart.

Now home to the crop bear who has now become my constant crafting companion. Still not named her yet. I did think of Tenna, for the 10th anniversary, but on reflection I don't think it's appropriate for one so young :). So then I thought of Cropper but, again, I'm not sure. Cupcake has been suggested - she has cupcakes on her back - but I don't know. Decisions, decisions!

No book today. It's not that I haven't been reading/listening - a lot in fact - but I think this post is long enough today.

Thanks for dropping in, take care and have a wonderful WOYWW day.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 521

Hello Everyone

Looks like I'm in the competition to be the last Desker to make an appearance today - reason being that I have been so busy with my preparations for the 10th Anniversary Crop for What's On Your Workdesk on Saturday. I think I've thought of everything. I hope there's nothing I've forgotten. Too late if I have - I'm heading south to England tomorrow morning!

Of course, that means that my desk is as I want you to see it and not how it looked like half an hour ago. You can see I've received my PIF ATC already - thank you Kyla, it perfectly marks the event. You might spot three brand spanking new distress oxide ink pads - the temptation got too much for me. Not had time to play with them yet - it's a treat to look forward to. Also on my desk is a few of the ATCs I've made to celebrate WOYWW 10th Anniversary. There's half a dozen going spare so if anyone would like one let me know, email me with contact details, and I'll be happy to send one out to you.

Of necessity I'm keeping this brief but before I go I want to apologise to everyone who commented last week. Not only did I go MIA on Wednesday but for much of the rest of the week. Life got in the way - a catalogue of stuff that had to be attended to and so many claims on my time, etc., etc., etc. I had the best of intentions but I somehow never caught up. What am I saying? I'm still chasing my tail even now.

That said, I better go finish packing. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the crop on Saturday.

Take care everyone,

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 450

Evening Everyone,

Another Wednesday, another late WOYWW - I did start writing this early morning but several interruptions later and it's almost bedtime. Sigh! So I'll make this as quick as possible but it will be a fairly photo heavy post.

As you can see, the craftroom isn't such a shocker this week. The sorting out is not entirely finished yet but several black bags have made their way to the bin and it's looking much more manageable than it did. 

Even the desk is looking a tad more organised. A desk bathed in sunlight too. We've had the most amazing weather this last 24 hours - snow, hail, thunder, rain, wind, overcast then sunshine. That's Scottish weather for you!  I've been cleaning the stamp blocks, hence the varnish remover and the baby oil ... to help remove the sticky stuff used to aid grey rubber stamps stay put. The box you can just about see on the right is full of scraps, leftovers and snippets all destined to be changed, somehow, into cards. Like the ones already done in the box on the left. Under the stamp set is a pile of dies that were used in the making of a couple of those very cards. On top of the guillotine at the front is this beautiful Swap ATC made by a fellow WOYWWer, BJ.

Lovely, isn't it.

Seems I set our revered Head Desker, Julia, on a bit of a train of thought when I mentioned that whilst cleaning out stuff I'd come to the conclusion that what is a crafter's 'must have' one year eventually becomes a forgotten 'has been' tucked away on a shelf where it takes up valuable space. For Julia her Scor Pal was an example of a 'must have' but now a 'has been'. I have to admit that my Hougie Board would be a 'has been' if it wasn't for the fact that I dug it out to use again this week. 

No, I reserve that title for the above, my Grand Calibur. I bought this to use with over-sized embossing folders and large dies but I rarely find a use for either so this machine lies on the cutting station taking up valuable space. Should have listened to Julia ... she did warn me!!!

Two audio books listened to this week (this seems to be taking a regular weekly spot).

From the pen of Canadian blogger Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee offers 'observations, meditations, reflections and rants to soothe and delight the knitter's unraveled soul.' I first discovered the Yarn Harlot on a trip up the coast a couple of years when we stopped in a cafe/craft shop in a tiny village almost in the middle of nowhere. And glad I am too. I find her an entertaining writer.

This was supposed to be a bit of light listening during the festivities but it got sidelined by several other books. And it would have been the perfect seasonal tale with the theme being 'can knitwear mend a broken heart'. It's a bit of fun and I'm enjoying it - there's some very nice characters, Sybil, Hettie, Cher, Ruby, Marigold and Dr Darcy. And, of course, there's a dastardly nephew, a traitorous ex-boyfriend and a deceitful twin sister. All that with knitting too!

Well, that's me for the week. I hope you have a wonderful WOYWW and a happy crafty week ahead.

WOYWW ATCs Received

Hi Everyone,

I did say I wasn't joining in with What's On Your Desk Wednesday this week because I'm going off on holiday and just know I won't be able to visit you all, or be able to leave many comments but ...

... I just had to share these lovely W8OYWW ATCs, and the pretty notecards that came with them. They are from Robyn (left) and Darlene (right). As I live very near the sea the theme of Darlene's will take pride of place among our seaside related bits and bobs. And Robyn couldn't have known how appropriate the sentiment on her ATC ... we are planning to adopt a puppy later on in the year.

That's all from me today. I'm in the throes of pre-holiday prep and there still seems to be a lot to do. I'll need a holiday to get over it all. 

Have a lovely WOYWW and a great week ahead.

WOYWW - Week 418

Hello Everyone,


Where has the week gone??? ... I swear I missed several days this week. Wednesday has come round sooner than expected, again! Many thanks to everyone who wished me well after my falling out of bed injury. Happily, I'm a whole lot better this week but it does feel as though I've lost a few days somewhere. In fact, I've only just remembered that it's Wednesday and, furthermore, it's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.  So, here I am, late again, and here's my desk.

Not particularly exciting. Although there has been much progress in the craft room sort out there's still a way to go before I'll be able to call it done. So this is a pile of stickers that I found mixed in with alphabet sets, and therefore forgotten. They await my attention.

On the other desk there's some fabric. I'm planning to make a couple of dust covers for some kitchen equipment. All part of the war of attrition waged against dust on a daily basis. So far, I'm the loser!

Some happy mail that arrived yesterday. I spotted the Altenew stamp set on a YouTube video and just had to have it. Sorry, I can't remember whose video - painkillers numbed the senses, though not enough to prevent me searching for a supplier and ordering ... proving there's no keeping a dedicated crafter down.  All the sentiments are craft related so I think this may prove to be one of my most useful sets ever.

Here's a quick pic of the ATCs I made for the recent swap. Only eight - but that's eight more than I made last year so I'm happy and who knows how many I'll manage for W9OYWW.

And finally, a shot of the view from my window today. Love it!

That's it for me this week. Not a lot to show really but that's down to the ongoing craft room sort out. It will end soon. It has too. We are off on holiday soon and I do not want to return to any more sorting.  And because of the holiday, I won't be participating over the next couple of weeks - we're off to the Highlands. It's our first long holiday for more than three years and I'm really looking forward to it.

Have a lovely WOYWW, what's left of it, and a great week ahead.

WOYWW - Week 417

Afternoon Everyone,

It's the Wednesday after the big 8th anniversary of Julia's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday and I'm here with a HUGE apology to just about everyone! To those deskers I didn't manage to visit and to those still waiting for promised ATCs. There's a good reason for my tardiness - this might even top last week's bird episode. I fell out of bed! And somehow pulled a muscle in my groin. Getting out of bed should be easy but not when you have excruciating cramp in your leg it isn't. I tried to jump out of bed, got caught up in the duvet and ended up on the floor all caught up, and not able to get up again. I did eventually manage to stand up but not before I did myself damage. Happily, it's not so painful today but I'm still shuffling about like an old woman!

And that explains why there isn't a lot on my desk today. Just my planner. When I was in paid employment I ordered a planner each year from a source over the pond but since I retired (7 years ago!) I've found most planners aren't really suitable for someone with my lifestyle. They are usually geared to students, work or busy mothers, or even working mothers, but not for someone whose lifestyle doesn't include business meetings, conference calls, etc., any longer. Happily, this year I discovered this Busy Days planner. The page layout is just about perfect. I can even be creative, in a scrapbook sort of way, with it. For example, adding photos, stickers, enamel dots, etc. Hence the colourful pens. I found these at my local Tesco supermarket. Perfect for the job and at £3 for 10 they're dirt cheap too.

I was immensely cheered this week when I received these celebratory ATCs.

This one is from Shaz, Silverwolf Cards. There's lots of lovely detail in the stamping and I love the background.

Annie, aka Wipso, at a Stitch In Time made this one. The background is a lighter shade of brown in real life - my camera had problems picking the colour up. It's beautifully sewn with the teensiest-weensiest patchwork ever.

And this last one is from Annie's sister, Jo, aka Twiglet. A perfect little seashore themed dumfling with sea pinks. Reminds me of holidays in Cornwall.

The ATCs from Annie and Jo were accompanied by one of Annie's delightful poems. She's so talented!

Thank you to you all - they are wonderful little works of art.







It's a short-ish post this week. Not a lot to report at all. I'm hoping to do rather better on the visiting front this week and, just as soon as I'm walking again, I'll get the promised ATCs in the post. Right now though I think I'll shuffle off to make a recuperative cuppa.

Have a great WOYWW and a wonderful week.

WOYWW 416 - Celebrating 8 Marvelous Years!

Yes, we're celebrating! It's the 416th week of Julia's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. That's 8 years she's been turning up every Wednesday (with the exception a few when LLJ magnificently stood in for her) on the Stamping Ground to reveal her desk and encourage us to show ours too. It's an wonderful achievement and one I appreciate so very much. Where else could we crafters 'meet'up on a regular basis and share what's on, or not on, our desks and chat about crafting. It's a date I, personally, don't like to miss - I get withdrawal symptoms if I do.

There's plenty of stuff on my desk today but not much actual crafting going on. I'm still in the throes of the clean up operation. How can one person collect so much stash??? So today sees me sorting out embellishments (in the wee black basket) into colour-coded boxes. The boxes were originally intended to hold photographs but now that the photos are in albums - up to the year 2000 so far, still a way to go yet! - the boxes could have been surplus to requirements had I not thought to re-purpose them. As well as the usual bits and bobs that have a permanent place on my desk there is, for one week only, a pile of ink pads, a jar of black embossing powder and a pile of stamps waiting to be pressed into service. They're mostly scrapbook themed sets,

This set includes a stamp for the year 2014 - that will come in handy if I every get around to scrapping photos taken in that year!

You can just about see the lovely view from the window. It's looking particularly nice with the lilac tree (in a neighbouring garden) in bloom. Purple lilacs. However, I thought you might like to see what I can see if I look up.

A trio of tiny glass panels that were a gift from a friend a few years ago when she returned from a city break in Prague. The colours have faded over time but I rather like them like that.

I was going to tell you how lovely it was to sit here and listen to a bird chirping, quite loudly, just outside the window but it was much more exciting than that. It was a baby sparrow and it was chirping away on the hall landing windowsill behind me! I've no idea how it got in - there's a window open a crack in the bathroom so that hardly seems likely. Maybe it flew in when himself left the back door wide open earlier - it's a habit he has. Whatever, it had moved in and we had a job trying to encourage this tiny little fledgling to leave through the hall window ... it was having none of it. It flew into the craftroom and I hastily went around closing room doors - I'm sure it didn't need a guided tour. Eventually, himself managed to capture and release the wee thing back into the garden and it didn't seem any the worse for the experience. We, on the other hand, were quite shaken and in need of a recuperating cuppa. And as excuses for being late to the party go, I think this one is my best so far. :)

All I have to do now is link up at Julia's to join in with the ATC swap. I've made quite a few already, and I'm quite happy to make a few more so if you would like to swap me let me know, and email your postal address too.

Before I go though, I just want to say my thoughts are with the people who have suffered in any way from the dreadful terrorist attack in Manchester. The city means so much to us, it's my second home, I lived there for years and, indeed, my dear husband is a Mancunian. My heart goes out to Manchester.

 

WOYWW 266

Afternoon WOYWWers, Followers, Friends ...

... and well, everyone who drops in to see what's on my desk today.

It's tidy! That's because there's not been a lot of crafting activity going on. I have good intentions ... just not getting around to them yet. For example, I plan to create a scrap page with that black and white photo. It's the next one from the pile of over-sized photos I'm working my way through. And I plan to use patterned paper from the box under the photo. It's full of A4 size (approx 8"x11.5") papers, all magazine freebies. Then there's the MDF letters - I have plans to paint and decorate them. The polystyrene ball - I have plans to use it to stuff a crocheted Amigurumi penguin ... that's when my hands are less of a pain and I can get the crochet hooks out again. The little blue pot contains masking fluid ... acquired for the watercolouring class. Never used this stuff before so this could be an interesting technique to try out.

From L-R: Shaz (Silverwolf); Julia (WOYWW Head Desker); Debbie (tatteredrocks)
MaggieC (Silvercrafter); Kyla (Lilpidge); Jan (Lunch Lady Jan)

And last, but definitely not least, six fabulous ATCs received only recently ... the postie took the scenic route :) Anyway, thank you ladies - I'm delighted to receive them and, here I go planning again, just as soon as things get back to normal at Casa Worthington I'll be looking for the best way to display them here ... they are far to decorative to leave tucked away.

Okay, that's my desk for this week. If you want to see many more, much more interesting, desks than mine do pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground - join in too, everyone's invited.

Take care everyone and have a happy WOYWW,

Painting of a different kind ...

... and even more WOYWW5 ATCs!

Yes, we are painting the hall, stairs and landing this week so the desk has been swapped for the EM's WorkMate. And on it is a paint kettle containing a tin of undercoat at the moment and a couple of paint rags, and a screwdriver - for prising the lid off the tin. There's a paintbrush too - just out of shot.

All this means I won't be joining in the desk hopping over at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW) this week. This fun hop is normally in full swing over at the Stamping Ground by now but there seems to be a bit of a glitch cos there's no linky there yet!

Edited Note: It's Wednesday evening and I've just discovered the reason for no WOYWW post ... Julia has been taken ill whilst on holiday and is in hospital. Both the EM and I wish her a rapid recovery and hope she is up and about again soon. For further information, please pop over to Lunch Lady Jan's who will be keeping us posted. 

 Despite my non-attendance, I just had to show you the lovely ATCs received this week.

Are they gorgeous or what??? From the Sewing Sisters, Twiglet and Wipso (aka Jo and Annie), I just love all the stitchwork  - beautiful :)

Hopefully all the ATCs I sent out have reached their destination by now so here, for the record, is a pic of the digital card I made to accompany them.

Using Serif Craft Artist 2 and two digikits - Pebbles Floral Lane for papers, ribbons and flowers and Playground, a free kit from Daisytrail for the birds. To create the 'topper' I had a go at digital punching the papers and adding shadows to each item creates the illusion of dimension.

After printing out I added orange and blue gems from Anita's gem wheels to give a little bit of real dimension. 

Even the insert and the back were created digitally... 

... as was the ATC.


Well better get back to the painting.

Have a great day and a wonderful week.

Happy Crafting,