WOYWW 528

(I am sticking with my count of the desk weeks..)  Hello deskers,  it's time again for another WOYWW 
I am on holiday from work this week and so far had a day in London (here)  and Kew with my cousin (here) so far I haven't had any time to do any crafting - although we are forecast a wet day on either Thursday or Friday, so it may happen then.

Last week I said I'd ordered Seth's new "minis" for Paperartsy and they duly arrived...

and I have had a little play with them on the journal page we last saw on the desk last week under my birthday balloon stars.

 I started playing with the stamps, using inks in the same colours as I had been using with the stencils -  picked raspberry and mermaid lagoon distress oxides


then I added some more stamping in hickory smoke

then using watering can and vibrant fuschia

I have added a stencilled layer of modellng paste (little squares) to complement some of the stamping - but it is very hard to photograph as it's picked up some of the ink colour


and that, deskers, is as far as it has got.

no idea what stage will come next...
I might try and enhance the stencilling so it shows up more, or I might just add a focal point


Whilst I have been waking (no alarm) early during my week off, it would be typical (when I want to),  if I sleep in tomorrow (writing this Tuesday night)  but will link when I do, and visit when I can - am intending another day out but it was SO hot today and forecast to be again on Wednesday, might not be very sensible to have another day out in full sun!  Happy desk day!

WOYWW 527

It's time to share desks again, with the gang over at the Stamping-Ground.  
My desk is somewhat bare this week, nothing much happening - was out the whole weekend,

Kew on Saturday     
           












          and

Hampton Court Garden Festival on Sunday.


this one's just for Jan! 












I have dismantled my birthday cards and thrown out the flowers, thrown out the deflated helium balloons...
but couldn't throw away the stars that were acting as anchors.

they go quite well with the next journal page wip, but are much too chunky to use in a journal, so I will have to think of something else for them...






the leaflet at the back is a promotional thing that came from Kew and has several great pics and bits of articles inside that I want to use in the journal, collage fodder don't you know.

I have got next week off work,not got anything particularly planned, will have a day out here and there;  just a break from work will be good! 

I am sure you all have much more interestng things on show - and hopefully I will next week as I've just ordered some Paperartsy "mini" stamps designed by Seth Apter that were released today. (Tuesday night) and all being well they will be here by next week's desk day! 

Till then, happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 526

Hello again and happy desk sharing day - thank you all so much for the warm birthday love you shared last week!   Let me give you the link to where you need to join in - here, with Julia
There are quite a few photos this week (not as many as when I go to Kew though,don't worry!) - hope I'll be forgiven!

I opened my gifts before I went to work (although the red envelope propped up is my gift from work)

some of the latest release distress oxide inks, some new versafine Clair inks and a Paperartsy stamp set

The work gift - 
it's a voucher for a VIP day out at Anfield (home of Liverpool fc for the non-football fans amongst you)   this can be taken anytime in the next 12 months, I just need to log online  and book it up.

 lots of you saw these pics on Facebook - at around 3.30 I was taken to our new (no longer new, we've had it 2 years)  office where I was greeted with this

afternoon tea party time!

pink champagne and dainty sandwiches and cakes, and of course scones and jam and cream (or cream and jam as you choose)

and a birthday cake too!

As you can see in the photo above this, I "saved" one of the napkins to do some mixed media art with!

there's the gift bag on the desk with my prezzie!


it was a very lovely way to finish off the afternoon!

I brought home some of the balloons and also had some flowers to get home too - luckily I didn't have to manage all this on the bus, I got a lift from Monica (my boss) !
a beautiful pot of lilies - which I stood on the window cill in the photo where every time I came out of any room or inside the front door, was hit by the scent (I know not everyone likes the smell of lilies, but I do)


a really pretty bouquet of flowers and a pot gerbera

they are now in the living room, getting wafted about by the breeze coming through the window!

(although the purple ones are starting to deflate now)

the flowers were a gift from the hairdressers downstairs from work where I have my hair done; which was really lovely of them.  I only have this photo I took on my phone and unfortunately given the extremely hot weather we had a the weekend they are starting to fade already.

and I had to take the cards down to photograph - I have only included the hand made ones

only one is from a desker though - the middle bottom row, made by Shaz but sent by Jan - two for the price of one!!

in the interests of keeping a bit shorter (oops)  I won't include the close ups of the cards, hope you can see them well enough  I am sure you'll recognise some of my favourite companies designs amongst them!

And finally (to coin a phrase) is the finished journal page that was on the "desk" last week,

I used some of the birthday gifts to finish it off with!

Right, I had better stop here, or I'll be excluded
Happy WOYWW everyone and see you soon!

and finally, finally, the link to Saturday's Kew (yes in 30 plus degree heat!)

WOYWW 525 - 60??????

Hello fellow deskers and welcome to another Wednesday.  This one is kind of special (even more special than most WOYWWs though as it's my birthday... somewhat hard to believe I find I reach 60 today... I swear it was only yesterday I was 40, never mind 50!   Anyway, time for desk sharing day with Julia.

It's staged, I am afraid and I am writing this on Tuesday night -  a little pile of cards and gifts to open before work. (I have never been one for taking the day off on my birthday)

I've been doing a bit of journalling again too, although it's stalled since the weekend!

 Although I haven't been following the challenges along for many months, I am still in the FB group for France Papillon's ALAD (a layer a day) journal challenge.

Last week the prompt was "flip it" - every day you flip your journal - either 90 or 180 degrees - and add your next layer.

so this is the first 2 days, two layers of stencilling

and this the next 2.  I did the crackle paste upside down (although you can't tell) and the washi tape was back to the way the photo is oriented  - next layer will be back to the right way up.

except I am stumped for what to add next.














Sadly I can only offer you a slice of virtual cake (and I haven't made it myself either) but hopefully you'll join me in cake for breakfast (elevenses/lunch/tea/supper)

and I'll drop by your desk when I can!   ooh, nearly forgot - last weekend's visit to Kew!

WOYWW 524

Happy Whizzday Wednesday (again) - time for WOYWW hosted by Julia. 

this page started off quite bright, with torn book and music score pages.  (the latter a gift from LLJ at a crop several years ago)


the colours are Neocolour IIs then blended with a damp brush,

 before adding more paper, and gesso (it was just too bright)


I took a stencil (had it ages, not used it) and some blue paint

added some solidifying crackle paste (Deco Art) through a stencil, was pleasantly surprised to find it still crackled


added a sentiment (Paperartsy stamp set)which I cut up










and scribbled round the edges.



am really impressed that the paste crackled in such small spaces in the stencil.  They are really tiny squares.


That's it for me today (apart from the obligatory Kew link!) 

WOYWW 523

Welcome, to another WOYWW  - that week really did whizz by!   No sooner one Wednesday than another.. heading back to Julia's again
Today I am sharing some journal pages I started at crop and had time to add to at the weekend.

First up,

 I added some more die cut wildflowers and then die cut some words (testing out the die I got a few weeks ago)
took a few goes to get right as the card I was using is very thick

 next up, I gesso'd the background to knock it back and used some texture paste through a dotty stencil.


added the die cut butterflies that I'd made from scraps of masterboard

stamped out the words (I have a stamp that says this but wanted a bigger font)

 close up of the texture

 and finally (to borrow an enabler phrase)

Paperartsy launched a few new sets of stamps last week and you know how much I love JoFY flowers and stencils..

they came in super-quick time from Country View Crafts though I have yet to ink them up!

if the angle of the photo looks odd, that's because I've rotated it to see the images properly, for some reason I took it on the horizonatal! 

oh no, there is another "and finally"


a completely staged shot (given that the mug is empty)  of my raffle prize mega-mug (it holds a lot of tea and weighs quite a bit when full too!) and another journal page (using the Inkylicious planets stamps I got in the raffle)
I would never normally rest a mug on my journal!!
That's your lot, apart of course from the Kew link - despite the forecast I did stay largely dry!

WOYWW 522 - after the crop was over!

Well, didn't we all have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor   Radbrook.. (showing my age there). As I said in the previous post with the write up thanks to Jo and Annie, Julia and Jan for everything... and all you lovely deskers who came along.  Link your desk here with Julia.... it's time for WOYWW again, already!!

I thought I'd better do the review post when i got home so that this one, with the atcs and swaps, isn't any longer than it will be already!  Else I'll be expelled by Head Girl, Queen of Snoops, Julia. 

 there are so many gorgeous atcs and book marks etc but I thought I'd better get as many in each picture as possible.

the two on the left of both rows are from Wipso,then across the top, Anne, Camilla, Jan,
Julia,
bottom row, Chris (pearshaped); Christine, Heather (2) and Maggie

 However, Debbie's gorgeous powertex'd atc has to have a close up!

 Jo, Julia (booklet and chocs)  Margaret (more chocolate and atc) Shaz, Caro (atc, badge and bookmark) Elizabeth (paper and fabric) Neet

bottom row, Mrs D (Chris) Debbie, Sarah and Catriona (Scottish oatcake)

 really hope I haven't forgotten anyone (Annie, group photo has been edited, so sorry!!)

 one of my raffle prize pics is this fabulous huge mug just perfect for my tea... Given the wrapping it came in I am guessing it was donated by Julia...
another lady who loves her tea!.

 just before I left for crop, this atc and these pretty extras arrived from Kyla


thank you so much for all the lovely swaps, you talented lot

I really MUST find a good way to display them all... I know Shaz recommends a binder from Amazon.  will give it a think..
got a fair few years' worth to store!

some crafting did get done at crop (I forgot to include them in the write up!)
 this page is part done (needs a title of some kind)

and so is this one - this is just the background (will need knocking back with some gesso so I can add a focal point of some kind)

this was the page I made for everyone to sign - carefully checking with Jo on her list so I didn't miss anyone!  If anyone wants a copy of it for a memento, feel free to copy it off the blog.  Just realised I haven't added the date, will do that right now!

couple of close ups (as this post is now very long indeed!)

oh, and if you were wondering... yes I did go to Kew on Monday!  got to get my weekly fix in somehow!  Pics here...https://photosbyh.blogspot.com/2019/06/when-you-miss-saturday-at-kew.html
although I know several of you have been to have a look.