What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 799/19

Hello Everyone,

Another Wednesday, another What's On Your Workdesk, and it's so nearly a real big one too. One week to go to No.800! Want to know more about this weekly show and tell for crafters worldwide? Check out this post over on Julia's Stamping Ground for an explanation of what it's all about. Joining in, just pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed where you can now link your desky post. It's all great fun.

Because I've been distracted by the chaos in my craftroom and unable to give myself permission to just sit down and scrapbook, it's clear I had to find some inspiration. 

Here is, I hope, the very project to get me going again. It's a jar of challenges, the idea for which is based on an old class of Shimelle's, The 20 Project.  

So far, so good. This is the result of the first challenge pulled out of the jar which was to complete a page for a gap in a near completed album. This one for my own personal album. The photo was taken at my 50th birthday party in 1997. Alan loved a party so he made all the arrangements. He wanted me to celebrate with all my siblings, my children, their children together with our mum. I'm so glad he did because it was the last time we were all able to get together at the same time. 

Materials are just the usual mix of goodies from my stash, some old, some new. I'm happy to report that some progress has been made in organising the craftroom. It's not perfect yet, but some improvement can be seen.

Yesterday was a beautiful day - one of the very few we've had this year. So when my grandson sent me a text to say it was so nice we could see the Isle of Arran clearly from the shore, I just had to pop down to check it out. Not only could Arran be seen but that wee dot in the far distance is the island of Ailsa Craig. 

And finally, of course, it has to be my wee furry friend:

She's sending her best meows to you all. 

Best wishes from me to you all too. Have a wonderful week.

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 

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - Nos. 5&6

Hello Everyone

I hope this finds you well. The news is still full of the devastating happenings in Ukraine and, sadly, there seems to be no end to the war. I don't profess to know what it's about, but I do know it's inhumane! 

It seems, therefore, frivolous to be sharing more of my scrapbook layouts, but scrapping is what I do to escape, even if it's just for a little while. Here is page 5&6 of 2022.

No.5 2022

This one is the title page for my 2022 album. The photo is of the image I downloaded and used in the first post of the year. I'd been hoarding the stunning  patterned paper for something special (Vicki Boutin's Fernwood Collection, 'Fable'). What could be more special than welcoming a New Year. The metallic flair (Dotty About Flair) are rather special too. 

No.6 January Week 1

This page is put together in the style of project life but there are no pockets. I've tried the real PL pocket pages, persisted with them even, but they're not for me. This method, borrowed from Mind The Scrap's Emma, enables me to record a snapshot of a week on a page. I shall be using it throughout the year. 

That's it for today. I'm still finding the time I have to escape to the craftroom limited. I suspect this will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. However, I've spotted the first signs of Spring - the sparrows are back to nest behind the weatherboards above the craftroom - and we're looking forward to spending time pottering about in the garden. 

Take care and keep safe.

Scrapbook Layout 2022 - No.24

Hello Everyone

I had every intention of joining in with yesterday's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, but it was just one of those days when nothing worked out the way I intended. Which is a shame because i planned to post the partially made page pictured on last week's desk now that it's finished. So, believing it's better late than never, I'm sharing it today instead. 

No.24 This Photo

The photo is of Alan taken the day he was discharged from hospital, 8th April 2020, after he had his hip operation. As you can see, he was doing well, adapting to using the crutches and finding his mouth made a useful third hand! 

Of course, what we didn't know was that he was already infected with Covid and it was only a matter of time before we were both ill and admitted to hospital. 

The layout is based on one of Lisa Sikorski's sketches, one I've used before. This time I flipped it to allow me to fit the cut-file title (from Peartree Cutfiles). Originally white, it was coloured with an Aqua Marker - colour 'Spice'. 

Apart from the flair and flower embellishments, all materials are from older stash. I'm resisting the temptation to break into the new goodies bought recently with my birthday and Christmas money. Their day will come. 

That's it from me today. I can't even begin to guess what tomorrow will bring so no promises that I'll be back with another post. Fingers crossed. 

Stay safe and keep well. 

Elizabeth

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - Nos. 3&4

Hello Everyone,

Well, that's Monday over again. I know it's not everyone's favourite day of the week but it was a particularly frosty start here. Hope today isn't so cold. 

Clearly, I've fallen behind with recording pages completed so far this year so here's numbers 3 & 4, just for the record. 

3/2022 - Breathe

This layout came from my choice of  'one little word'. Not to make too much of it but I've found the last two years stressful, and there's little sign so far this year of things improving.  So I decided I need to do something to combat the stress. Choosing and concentrating on OLW is said to help and telling myself to slow down and just 'breathe' seems to me a start in the right direction. 

The choice of yellow and green - so cheerful and optimistic - seemed right too. Especially in the dark days of winter. The lemons always remind me of a wonderful week spent on the Amalfi coast, Italy, twenty or more years ago now. 

 

4/2022 - Meow You Doin'?

Loved this 'Playful Pets' paper collection but did wonder how best to use the many cut-aparts that came with it. Lisa Sikorski to the rescue with the perfect sketch (Scrap a Sketch on Facebook) and Silver, of course, with the perfect playful snaps! 

Right, that's it for this morning. We have a pink sky outside - a real bonnie dawn - which probably means more frost. I'm off to enjoy it, and do as I ought, just breathe!

Take care everyone.

Elizabeth

December Scrapbook Layout No.27

Hello Everyone,

Following on from yesterday's post I'm sharing the next page for that December album today. It was made out of turn a few weeks ago because I especially wanted to tackle the last Scrap Backwards challenge for December.

As you can see it involved an awful lot of circles, fussy cut baubles and more flair than is good for me! The circles were punched from the many scraps leftover from previous layouts and even now there's still more to use up. I think this room is breeding scraps. Sigh. On the plus side, the huge stash of old patterned paper is going down, quite noticeably. 

The photos are of just a few of my favourite tree decorations. For many years, that was up until the first year of the pandemic, I made a point of buying a new, and special, decoration for our tree. Sadly, that's not been possible these last two Christmasses but I have high hopes that this coming Christmas will see that tradition revived. 

That's me done for now. It's bitterly cold outside here but the sun is streaming through this window beside me and it's hot! I may have to take off the cardigan I'm wearing. Hope you having an equally lovely day. 

Take care and stay safe.

December Scrapbook Layout No.26

Hello Everyone,

I hope you had a lovely weekend and Monday hasn't been such a bad day as it's reputed to be. At Casa Worthington each day is much the same as another - that's the joy of being retired. Happily, I've been able to get to my desk and scrapbook a few more pages. Today, I'm sharing one more made for the December album - another one nearer completion. 

I chose a simple Lisa Sikorski sketch, quick and easy too, for this copy of my profile photo with the Christmassy frame provided on Facebook. The black/white stripe background paper is out of a kit from Ella Bonella - Crate Paper's 'Hey Santa'. I used leftover scraps for the side strip and to mat the photo and journaling card.  Apart from the two flairs from  Dotty About Flair everything else is old stash. I'm pleased to be using up so many leftover scraps and bits of ancient stash. Apart from anything else, it's nice to see the piles getting noticeably smaller. 

That's me done for now. Hope you have a good day tomorrow. 

Take care,

December Scrapbook Layout - No. 25

Hello Everyone,

Happy Sunday to you all. I'm still, when I'm not working on something else, trying to finish up my December album. Yesterday I managed to make this page recording our Christmas lunch 2021.

There was just the three of us for lunch on the day, thanks to the pandemic, and, as you can see, the boys enjoyed the meal. The papers used are from a Crate Paper collection, 'Hey Santa' (purchased from Ella Bonella). The huge 25 Peartree Designs cut-file is backed from scraps leftover from the kit I put together for the Scrap Backwards challenge. I'll continue participating in this challenge throughout this year because it has made using up old stash fun. Once again, the layout is based on one of Lisa Sikorski's sketches (No.8). Needless to say, I have, yet again, tweaked the sketch to suit the photos and the title. I'm just rebel!

Just a few more layouts to make and December's album will be complete. At the same time as working on these, I've been making pages from the kit I put together for January's Scrap Backwards and keeping up with the Monday challenges so, as you can imagine, it will be a relief to say that's December finished! Especially, as we'll be moving on to a new month soon with another homemade kit to work from.

In the meantime, I hope you are well and enjoying plenty of crafting time.

December Scrapbook Layouts - No's. 22, 23 & 24

Hello Everyone

Happy Saturday to you all. 

We're nearing the end of the pages made for my Christmas/Winter Album now and the following three pages take us up to Christmas Eve! 

Ready for the Xmas Ceilidh Show

Christmas 1998 in Fort William where they certainly know how to party. The photos were taken in our hotel room before being transported to the venue where the ceilidh was being held. There were bagpipers, a fiddle group, Highland dancers - the whole tartan experience. It was Alan's first time at a ceilidh and he loved it. For this layout, I printed out the journaling, then cut it into strips before sticking them under the title. I usually just write my journaling in pen but I quite like this method and might do it more often in the future.

Those Eyes

Two of the prompts for this layout, from Adam at Dotty About Flair, was to use both gold and silver together - not easy - and to use one or more rosettes - easier. I had to search for both my Hougie Board and the Hougie Crafts book which contained the vital instructions on how to make rosettes. Silver, as ever, was more than happy to pose for the camera. Initially, I intended using a gold pen to draw the lines around the edge but none worked. I suspect those I have are just too old so I dug out a box of long forgotten peel-offs to use instead. I can't remember when I last decorated as much as a card with peel-offs but they did the job incredibly well.  

A Crafty Xmas Eve

The two children in the photo are Alan's great niece and nephew. They spent Christmas Eve occupied with making the puppets - their mum's clever way of distracting them, and calming them down, before the much anticipated visit from Father Christmas. Weaving the strips on the background could have been tricky had I not stuck the top edges of the vertical strips of paper in place. After that it was a dawdle to weave in the horizontal strips. It was particularly pleasing to get the last of the puffy deer stickers out of stash and onto a page at last ... Alan bought the sticker sheet from a shop in town which has been closed for quite a few years! 

As I mentioned at the top of this post, we're near the end. Just one more week of layouts to make and December's pages will be all done and dusted. I've been working on my kit made for January's Scrap Backwards and keeping up with the Monday challenges so, as you can imagine, it will be a relief to say that's December finished!

In the meantime, I hope you are well and enjoying plenty of crafting time. 

December Scrapbook Layouts No's 19, 20 & 21

"Scrapbooks remind us

 that life has been good."

I came across the above quote when Googling scrapbooking recently and remembered it when thinking about all the scrap pages I made in December. 

Because the photos I've chosen to scrap have been from not just 2021 but from years past, I've been reminded of all the happy December's, not just this last one just gone.

Here's three more of such reminders. 

Santa's In Town

The photo that this page features is quite possibly one of the occasions most photographed of any Christmas period. These are my two youngest grandchildren and I remember that although her brother took it all in his stride, four year old Shari-Anne was just a bit unsure and you can see it in the expression on her face. Happily she relaxed fairly quickly and went on to enjoy the experience. I think the sticker Santa looks the double of the real Santa. Incidentally, he didn't rely on his sleigh and reindeer to get him to our far flung corner of Scotland, he came by helicopter instead?

With Friends In Girvan

Not strictly December photos but these have made it into the album because the challenge was to make a non-Christmas  page with Christmas themed papers. And I didn't need a better excuse to remember this very happy day spent with two dear friends, Annie (A Stitch In Time) and her husband, Dod. Often the 'B' side of themed papers, as on those I used on this page, are fairly neutral and perfect to use in non-Christmassy pages. 

Twinkling Lights

There's nothing neutral about this page and yet the Vicki Boutin stencil used for the background is definitely not a Christmas themed one. Change the colour of ink, papers and embellishments used and the look would be quite different. Sadly, the Bhaille bakery and cafe where the photo was taken has since closed down. 

I've been a bit under the weather these last couple of days. Nothing to be overly concerned about but it does mean I've been lying on the sofa and resting up. Which means this post has been composed from the prone position! 

I hope you are all well and enjoying lots of creatively crafty time.

Bye for now

Elizabeth

December Scrapbook Layouts Nos. 16, 17 & 18

Hello Everyone,

From a wet and windy corner of Scotland today. I trust you are in a place where the weather is better. It's Thursday and that seams as good a day as any to share a few more of the pages I've been making for my Winter Album 2021. 

Joy

This photo of me and my two youngest grandchildren was taken way back in 2007 when they were so little they still believed in Father Christmas. Happy days! The only thing of note on this page is that I managed to extend this 15cm square stencil to look very much longer than it really is. 

Deck the Tree

Another nostalgic look back to a Christmas past with this photo of my granddaughter, Jennifer. The year is 2002, making her about 10 years old, and the occasion was the first Christmas in Scotland for Alan and myself after many years away. I found this dotted acetate, lovely as it is, difficult to incorporate into layouts so was pleased this time to be able to add it to a page. 

Festive Lattes

I don't think it's a secret that I love latte. Anytime, any place, but particularly at Christmas when they are spiced up with festive flavourings. And it's never too hard for me to find photos for a page when called for. I usually forget that I have a beautiful stash of trims but the sketch this layout is based on, which included an item that looked like a circle of ric rac trim, reminded me that I had this sparkly white one. With it's suggestion of snowflakes it was the perfect substitute. 

That's it again for another day. I'm off to the craftroom to tackle yet another December challenge. Still catching up but it doesn't really matter how long it takes as long as my album is complete before it gets filed away on the shelf with the others.

Take care everyone and stay safe. 

December Scrapbook Layouts - Nos 13,14 & 15

Hello Everyone

I trust this finds you well and raring to go now we're well into 2022. For some of you, I suspect the majority of you, it's back to normal today but for us lucky people in Scotland it's another Bank Holiday. Not that a retiree like me will notice much of a difference. One day can be much like another and it would if it wasn't for the weather. I've just spotted a few tiny snowflakes fluttering by and it comes with the promise of more tomorrow. I love snow. It makes the winter garden look so clean and pristine if only for a few days. 

I'm still trying to catch up and record the last of the scrapbook layouts of 2021 so here's three more. Of course, they were all made for the Facebook group challenges already mentioned in previous posts - Scrap Backwards, Dotty About Flair and Scrap A Sketch. 

Feelin' Frosty

The photo scrapped in this layout is from several years ago - it isn't just my stash that's old, my photographs can be too - when something very extraordinary happened to the surface of the River Ayr. It was an unusual phenomenon - isn't the one of the most difficult words in the English language - that happens when the first thaw comes after a big freeze. The ice broke up into shards  upriver and was carried downstream only to freeze again when the temperatures dropped once more. For this layout,I followed sketch, No.13 more or less as was and really the only thing of note is the title die-cut. It's dated 2001 and I remember it was included in the kind of kit, small and themed, we could buy back then. When I first started scrapbooking I relied on these ready-made kits a lot. I'm not sure they are even available nowadays. 

Movie Night

Just kidding. We don't rely on Silver to choose films for us. However, she does love to climb into the shelves and hide behind the DVDs, peeking out occasionally to see if we have noticed. The eagle-eye Mrs Dunnit might recognise the holly berry patterned paper, Anna Griffin no less, in the background as it was included in a pack she donated to the raffle at the WOYWW crop, 2018 if I remember correctly. I've been hoarding it, and periodically stroking it, ever since. 

Star Light, Star Bright

I think this photograph of my grandson holding up his son to put the finishing touch on the tree is quintessentially Christmas. The first time I saw it I couldn't help going all sentimental and remembering my own children doing much the same many hundreds of years ago ... well, it always feels so very long ago now that they are both in their 50s. Two items of note on this page. The first is the background paper - another hoarded and stroked beauty - 'Gold Dots' from the My Bright Life Collection by Jen Hadfield. The camera doesn't do the gold dots justice but in real life they are stunning. The other is the rub-on that's under the title. It's from a sheet, Kaisercraft Basics Rubons 'Jingle Bells' which is more than several years old. Rub-ons are notorious for aging badly so I was delighted when this one still adhered well. Here, just in case it can't be read on screen' are the words. 

Christmas may be MANY

things, Or it may be a few

For you, the JOY is each NEW toy,

But for ME it's watching YOU

Very apt, I think!

That's it from me today.

Keep well and stay safe,

January Scrap Kit

Hello Everyone

I hope you've enjoyed the bank holiday. We've had a quiet day here in Casa Worthington. The 'boys' amused themselves, Silver was in and out like a yo-yo, and as soon as I had some spare time I nipped up to the craftroom. I was a woman on a mission to put together a kit from my stash for the Scrap Backward challenge this month.

The idea behind the Scrap Backwards is to choose an item from old stash, ideally started but not yet finished, and build a kit around it. This month I've chosen this sticker sheet from Echo Park's 'Meow' collection. Sticker sheets are good items to start with because there's usually a few colours to use as a guide when choosing the rest of the kit. 

However, this time I've made it really easy for myself by combining the few papers and scraps that I had left from from the 'Meow' collection with the leftovers in another pet, dog, themed kit, 'Playful Pets' from Ella Bonella. Both kits are several years old. 

There's even a few cut-aparts, an alphabet, ribbon, ephemera and other embellishments which I've sorted into a tray ready for using. 

I've kept this kit deliberately small because I'm still behind with the December challenges and I'm determined to complete all there are for the month. For that reason, I don't see me making many more layouts beyond the ones set by Kathy each Monday throughout the month. 

I should get off to my bed now. I've reached the age where 10pm is the new 12pm and Silver seems to agree. 

Goodnight all.

December Scrapbook Layouts Nos. 10, 11 & 12

Hello Everyone

I hope you had a lovely first day of the year yesterday whatever and however you celebrated. We skipped the Hogmanay celebrations this year - bed and sleep being a much more attractive proposition than partying into the wee small hours these days. But we did enjoy the traditional New Year's Day dinner to welcome in 2022 with a heartfelt wish for a better year than the one just gone. So far, so good. 

And I'm back with three more scrap pages made in December for my Winter Album. 

10. The Christmas Rose

I love my Christmas Roses, hellebores. They are special as they are often in flower when nothing else is in the garden. I usually steer away from black backgrounds - black is scary - but I thought it would show the pristine white of the flower very well. Disappointingly the mixed media looks so much better in real life than it does in this photo.

11. Hustle

This beautiful dog is one of my middle grandson's fiancée's collies. She has several that she trains for shows and they are lovely dogs. Hustle's coat is very different from the more usual black and white. I believe it's known as Lavender but why it's called that I really don't know. Because the photo is so striking I kept to a very limited white/black/silver colour choice and can't deny I'm pleased with the result. Most of the embellishments were made by either punching out circles or die-cutting snowflakes. 

12. Christmas Wedding

Another limited colour palate for this page. The photo is of my younger brother on his wedding day 46 years ago. There's is a marriage that has stood the test of time. The frame is from a pack of special die-cut paper that isn't quite as old but it's been in my stash for a very long time - DCWV's Holiday Specialty Diecut Stack from 2009. 

All layouts inspired by the same three Facebook challenges I've been participating in throughout December. Even though I've fallen behind, I aim to continue until done - it would be quite something to have a completed album for winter 2021. For more information scroll down to the previous December Scrapbook Layout post or click here. 

That's it for today but there's more to follow. 

Take care, stay safe and have a lovely evening.

December Scrapbook Layouts Nos. 8&9

Hello Everyone

I hope you are well and have had a good weekend. Around here it's been really quiet with not much going on now that the rules have been tightened again to cope with the new variant of Covid. It's such a shame for everyone, especially if their festivities have been cancelled as a result.

Happily for me, I was able to take myself to my craftroom whenever I had a bit of free time and work on pages for my winter album. In fact, I did really well on Sunday and completed these two layouts. 

No.8 - Merry Christmas

The photo is an old one, taken in 2007, of my two youngest grandchildren. They were such a cute pair, they adored each other and were inseparable back then. They are still quite close now they're grown up but no longer inseparable. 

I've added red machine stitching to this page and the bells, stars and poinsettias were fussy cut from a pack of papers that were included in an issue of a now defunct scrapbooking magazine. 

No.9 - Holiday Cheer

Another old photo here. This time from Christmas 2002. It's a rare shot of me with a glass in my hand. Not alcohol, but non-alcoholic mulled wine. We'd just left England and moved up to Scotland to live and I was celebrating getting the tree up and decorated. Moving home just days before Christmas is not to be recommended. 

The die-cut hexagons took time to prepare and I think I could have made a better job of keeping them straight. Too late and I won't be changing it now.

Most of the materials are, like the photos, old but still good. The exceptions are the base papers on both layouts. They are:

Merry Christmas

- 'Holly Jolly' from Photoplay's Tulla & Norbert's Christmas Party collection. 

- 'Tis The Season' from the Holiday Magic collection by Pink Fresh. 

Holiday Cheer

- 'Starry' from 49 and Market's Vintage Ancestry Peace & Joy collection. 

All from Mind the Scrap's December kit. The flairs are from a Christmas set from Dotty About Flair. 

I had a day off yesterday so I'm hoping to do a bit of catching up today. After, that is, domestic duties have been attended to. 

Have a lovely day and stay safe and well.