What's On Your Workdesk - Week 518

Morning Everyone,

WOYWW Whizzday again and I'm not really ready for it. It's been a busy week so far and we are only half way through. And it's only a few more weeks, 21 days in fact, until we leave here on our way to WOYWW's tenth anniversary crop. I'm so looking forward to it but I'm also aware that I have a lot to do before then too - none of which is evident on my desk today!!!

Sorry, the light is poor - the weather is dismal and it's too cold to do anything other than take refuge in the craft room. I admit that I have had a bit of a tidy up - I can't work in a muddle and it was an awful muddle after Sunday's crop. So not much to show really - the usual box of scrappy delights in the background, a couple of albums and a layout from the top one in need of some repair to the front. I decided to put file away the layouts that had piled up in here and whilst moving pages about - I try to keep them in chronological order, more or less - I discovered that the bunting on this one was coming adrift. I'd used what was supposed to be a permanent glue tape but clearly it isn't - lesson learned!

The pile - not as man, I believe, as some folk have waiting to be filed away but more than I like. The black and white album on my desk is one I'm putting together for my son's birthday later this year. He'll be fifty - hard to believe. There's no chance that he will read this so I'm safe mentioning it. Of course that's another project sitting on my desk, remember the garden album, to nag me. I'm surrounding myself with nagging WIPs!

To the WOYWWer, I think it was Stacy, who expressed concern for my keyboard being out on my craft desk. Fear not. I always put the keyboard well out of the way when I'm messing with anything wet, inky or painty!

And now the book bit, and I have a great read for you this week.

'State of Wonder' by Ann Patchett is engrossing and hard to put down. Marina Singh, employee of a large pharmaceutical company, is sent into the isolated regions of the Amazon rain forest to investigate the death, and to hopefully bring back the body, of one colleague and meet up with her former professor and team leader Dr Annick Swenson. Dr Swenson has been developing a drug which could make it possible for women to remain fertile way past the menopause. I must admit I did find the idea of women still fertile and continuing to give birth well into their seventies somewhat alarming, and maybe just a bit far-fetched. But then I'm in my seventies! That aside, the descriptions of the humidity of the insect infested jungle, the hidden tribes, some still cannibalistic, with their own rituals and cultures, I found fascinating. I'd say this is a good summer read.

That's it for this week and, besides, it's time for lunch so I better go but I'll be back to check out your desks and leave a comment where I can ... sadly, that's not always possible for some reason, especially if I'm using my mobile phone. 

Take care everyone. Have a great WOYWW and a fabulous week ahead.

International Scrapbooking Day - Three Scrapbook Layouts

Evening All,

I was at a crop hosted by the Scrap Dollies, a group of Ayrshire crafters, yesterday and managed to make these three layouts - a good number for me.- from page kits I put together using stash with leftovers from Mind the Scrap kits. 

(All Good Things Are) Wild and Free

The photos are of the squirrel that is a frequent visitor to our garden. He is very difficult to photograph at close quarters - one sight of me and he's off. (We assume it's only the one, and that it's a he, but really there is no way of telling just how many there are and whether it's male or female.)

 Always

This is about as romantic I will get in a layout but I thought it appropriate for my lovely man. He's had a bad year or so healthwise and come through it still smiling. I'm not too sure what he'll think of this predominantly pink layout but I like it, especially the peony patterned paper - 'Ta-Dah', from Dear Lizzy It's All Good collection.

Lovely Llamas

I have a real soft spot for the llamas that live in the Deer Park in Culzean Castle Estate and visit them every time we go down. They always come rushing up to the fence when we draw up - I think they mistake us for the rangers who feed them. The llama patterned paper was just perfect - 'Llama Drama' from Heidi Swapp Color Fresh collection - not to mention that die cut llama with glasses - from Dear Lizzy - pink llamas, whatever next!

I rather optimistically took five of my homemade page kits with me but I ran out of time - too much chatting, not enough scrapping!!

It's been a chilly weekend here so I hope you've enjoyed warmer weather wherever you spent this May Bank Holiday weekend.

Have a great week ahead.

Friday Smiles

Hello Everyone

It's been a few Fridays since I joined in with Annie's Friday Smiles posts. That's not because there's not been much to smile about here, of course there has, but there's not been a lot of photos to share with you - I so often forget to get my camera out.  However, today I have a few lovely family shots and some from the spring garden which always makes me smile.

Love this shot of my great-grandson, Callum, laughing with his other great-grandmother on her birthday. They look so happy together.

Here he is again. These three photos show him at the same tree taken over the last three years.

2017

2018

2019

They show just how much he has grown and changed - and he obviously loves tree-climbing too.

The next photo is of little Lacie, my youngest great-granddaughter.

She's very proudly showing us the secret stone she found in one of the big parks in Kilmarnock. After the photo was taken she hid it again for some other lucky little one to find.

And here's my youngest granddaughter, Shari-Ann - take one (nervously giggling) and take two (more composed) - she's such a lovely girl.

And she looks so grown up too. I can't believe she will soon be leaving school to begin studying art at college in the autumn. Her childhood years seem to have just flown by.

Finally, some shots taken in the garden this morning.

English Bluebells

Clematis montana rubra

Clematis 'Broughton Bride'

Allium 'Purple Sensation'

That last is a shot taken looking down the garden to the massive old cotoneaster and the rose trellis that marks the entrance to what we refer to as 'the woodland' where the bluebells grow.

Well, that's a lot to smile about and I've really enjoyed joining in with Annie again. Hopefully I'll remember to take photos and be back next week.

In the meantime I wish you all a very happy week ahead and a wonderful bank holiday too.