What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 829

Hello Everyone

I hope this finds you all well and recovering from eating too many chocolate eggs! Unfortunately, due to a problem with technology I had to miss last week. It's all fixed now so this week normal service is resumed. 

That's not to say, I haven't been busy. The weather has been dire giving me the perfect excuse to stay cosy and dry indoors in the craft room. I've made a couple of layouts and there's a work in progress currently on the desk. The basket to the left is filled with small metal dies, The plan is to use some leftover card to make an embellishment or two for that layout. Just in front of the desk is a very old sketch - saved from the Scrap 365 magazine from Aug/Sep 2013. Sadly, in July 2014, the magazine ceased publication. 

Here's a layout I made earlier.

05/2025 - Out to Sea

The fabulous shots were taken by my Grandson's Mother-in-Law, Kathy. We are very lucky to have quite a lot of swans living in various locations along the estuary coast. Happily ignoring the danger warnings too! 

The materials used are the leftovers from the Ella Bonella kit mentioned in my WOYWW Week 827 post together with embellishments from the Set Sail collection from Heidi Swapp and stickers from Simple Stories Vintage Seas sticker sheet. 

This mixing of kits and collections is great fun. Because I've not been scrapping regularly for such a long time I have a lot of quite old stash. So to make it a more interesting I'm concentrating on using it all up. It's a challenge but I'm determined to make a really big dent in it all.

As mentioned above, the weather has been appalling here and there's not been a lot of gardening done. So nothing to show there this week. Instead, I thought I'd post this aerial view, found on the Saltcoats Photohub on Facebook, showing the area where I live in Ardrossan. 

(c) Graeme Smets

I think you can see from this shot why I love living in Ardrossan. If I turn one way when I go for a walk, there's a nature reserve - bottom left of photo - and turn the other way and I can visit either of two parks or carry on down to that beautiful sandy beach - a quick ten-minute walk away. 

On a very short walk today I spotted several of these beautiful butterflies. 

The Orange-tip butterfly. According to the Scottish Wildlife Trust it is more common in southern and central Scotland, particularly in areas like Dumfries & Galloway, Lanarkshire and the county I live in,  Ayrshire.

And finally, it wouldn't be a post from me without a photo of my furry friend.

Silver wishing the rain would stop!

That's me for this week. To see more creative workdesks pop over to Sarah's blog, Sarah's Craft Shed. If you don't already do so, feel free to join in the fun and show us what's on your workdesk this Wednesday.  You'll be made most welcome.

Take care everyone,

Elizabeth

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

Catching Up & What's On My Workdesk this Wednesday - Week 791/11

Hello Everyone, 

I've been missing in action again. Life, once more, has thrown me a few curveballs to deal with. I won't bore you with the details. Suffice to say, I'm back and raring to go again. 

When I've been able I've been going out for a short walk around my neighbourhood. 

And, as always, taking photos.

It's really difficult to know where the boundary between Ardrossan, where I live, and the neighbouring town of Saltcoats. The two merge into each other, making this road sign very useful for a newcomer like myself. 

Graveyards can often be great places to see birds and wildflowers so when I discovered there was one in Ardrossan, I just had to take a look. 

Bird's Foot Trefoil

Turns out this one is too well maintained for there to be too many wildflowers growing but it's still very pleasant to walk around.

The row of gravestones are in memory of some of the men who lost their lives in the wartime sinking  of the aircraft carrier HMS Dasher just of the town's coast. 

So that's it from me today. Just a wee catch up. There's been no scrapbooking going on. I did try but a certain furry friend of mine had other ideas. 

See what I mean! 

Pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed where you will find links to a bunch of WOYWWers who really have been busy crafting. And do join in if you want. We're a friendly crowd. 

Take care, Everyone

Elizabeth

Periwinkle Growing Wild

Hello Everyone

Its me again with another brief post. 

I just wanted to show you this bank of periwinkles spotted yesterday just by the bridge I have to cross on my way to the nearest corner shop.

It's growing wild on an embankment on what is our local community nature reserve. I suspect that we have to thank local gardeners for tipping their garden waste for this pretty sight. 

Yes, I live just a few yards from a nature reserve! How lucky is that? 

It was established some years ago by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) in the old Caledonian Railway cutting at Ardrossan. No longer run by SWT it has become quite neglected and the old line is too overgrown to be accessible to walkers. Fortunately, that doesn't stop me enjoying the view from the bridge. 

Elizabeth

What's (Not) On My Desk Wednesday - Week 725

Hello Everyone,

I've as good as missed Julia's WOYWW this week, just as I have for the last goodness knows how many weeks. Truth is I've hit a crafting low and I'd say there's no hope of it improving any time soon. After almost three years of caring for my disabled hubby things haven't improved for him, in fact, if anything, they've got worse, and I'm just about coping with all the demands of the job. A job that I was clearly unprepared, and sadly unqualified, for, that is as a full-time carer.

So for the foreseeable future I've decided that rather than leave this blog empty and unloved I'd use it to record life as it is for me now with all it's ups and maybe a few of the downs. That being the case I'd completely understand if you skipped reading further and ignored my blog until I get back to crafting again.

Now the challenges and issues we face daily are such a contrast from the seemingly charmed life Alan and I had for 26 years. For those years I'm so grateful - the memories keep me/us going through the tough times. 

One thing I've been encouraged to do recently is to walk. Ideally a daily walk but I've yet to manage that. Happily there's lots to see in and around the town I now live in. Like the Marina pictured above.

There's the North Beach and ,,,

the South Beach.

A recent happy discovery is this Italian cafe close to home which we can both visit on days when Alan feels up to trips out on his trusty mobility scooter.

And from his point of view the real bonus is there's an old-fashioned sweet shop inside the cafe. He will never have to go short of the lemon sherbet sweets he loves so much. 

As for the downs, Alan has more bad days than good. I've had to call out an ambulance, during the night, twice in the last few weeks. I can't thank our local ambulance service enough. They are amazing.

It is what it is.

I'll leave you with this shot of Silver. She really knows how to relax. 

Bye for now

Elizabeth

 

WOYWW - WEEK 718

Hello Everyone,

Happy International Women's Day to you all. Thanks for visiting and I hope this finds you well and enjoying lots of crafting time. 

So another three weeks has sped by and I've been missing in action again! Still trying to get my new craftroom sorted but I'm getting there, slowly but surely. A new desk and shelving has been added. 

With thanks to my daughter and her hubby for assembling it all for me. Silver approves too. 

I'm still unpacking but taking my time to finding a home for everything. The labeling of the boxes is essential or I won't be able to find a thing. 

There's someone coming tomorrow to mount the TV up out of the way on the wall above the desk. Then the next big job I have lined up is to set up my PC and all its attachments on my desk in such a way it's taking up the least possible space. Such fun!

I've had very little time, or inclination if I'm honest, to scrap for several weeks but I did join in with the Mind The Scrap Cyber Crop recently and manage to create these four layouts. 

Not great but every little helps. 

It's still cold up here though we've not seen so much as a flake of the promised snow. Not that I'm complaining as it would put a stop to my occasional walkabouts. Here's a couple of pics from a recent walk to the beach. 

In a garden a few doors down. 

And this is a rare site - a post box! This one was tucked inside a privet hedge, almost in hiding. 

And, of course, the beach. 

The vessel that can be seen in the distance is the ferry to the Isle of Arran. 

That's it from me today. I'm late again but, as it's still Wednesday, I hope I'll be forgiven by not only our Head Desker, Julia, over on the Stamping Ground but by all you lovely WOYWWers! 

Before I go here's a wonderful photo taken of the Aurora borealis (also known as the Northern Lights) seen here in Ardrossan one night last week. 

Bye for now,

Elizabeth 

Saturday Chat - September's Highlight

Afternoon Everyone,

In all the excitement anxiety of the house move I failed to record the most exciting event of the year. 

Our long anticipated great-grandson, Freddie, was born. As you can see, his parents, William & Heather were almost as delighted as his big brother Callum.

And the same can be said for his three cousins, Rhian, Brodie & Lacie. They were round just as soon as they could to meet him. Luckily, they live not too fat away so I'm sure he'll be seeing much more of them in future. 

And this was Freddie at just one week. Such a sweetheart and a much loved addition to the family. 

We're in November now so September seems so far away, and much warmer too. 

We have a weather warning for high winds today so my plan to walk down to the promenade (photos taken a few days ago) has been cancelled. I hope it's better wherever you are and that you are having a lovely weekend. 

Take care.

Elizabeth

WOYWW 700

Wow! 700! What can I say that's not been said before about our Head Desker's brilliant brainchild, What's On Your Worked Wednesday! Congratulations to you Julia! It was a brilliant idea to bring so many dedicated Desker's together on Wednesdays to show our desks (or kitchen worktops, camping tables, floors, whatever!) and chat about what we're up to, be it craft related or not. 

As can be seen in my pic, I've dug out my teensy weensy die cutting machine from my craft tote. I had the good sense to pack it, along with other vital crafty necessities, before moving house. Scrapping is my relaxation so let's not think about the mountain of boxes still waiting to be unpacked ... I'm working my way through them very slowly. 

And this is the page that necessitated the die cutting of squares (The Works M&C stitched square) and the cute little mermaid (Cut & Make Mini die). Not that I've ever spotted a mermaid at Portpatrick but it's by the sea so it's just possible ... yes, no? 

Thought I'd leave you all with another photo of my new hometown, Ardrossan. It really is quite pretty on a good day but not today ... it's been blowing a gale and raining enough to warrant the building of a second ark.  

We're still not set up with the internet though Openreach was supposed to be on our case on Monday ... they weren't, of course. So it's still a struggle with all things blogging but I just keep pulling on my big girls' knickers and muddle along as best I can. 

Take care and have a wonderful week. 

Elizabeth