WOYWW 420 the hot one

Welcome deskers to a very hot WOYWW .  Julia is away on her holibobs but hopefully leaving a linky to our weekly desk gathering here

England is in the grips of a heatwave (I don't like heat but am determined not to moan too much....!)  but it is as much as I can do to drag myself to work and back (no air conditioning in my office, I am not in the posh new one!) so no crafting has been done again..

I have managed to shop though!

Paperartsy are releasing some new stamps by some of their designers this week and so far I've ordered 3 lots (the two that have arrived here and a third in progress!)

hopefully you can make out the images in the two sets at the top, which are by Sara Naumann and will be great for journalling but all kinds of other things too. The bottom two are by Tracy Scott and are fab!
The big star on the set on the right, made me think of comics and the "wham" "pow" explosion type speech bubbles that they use in comics - although it could be that I saw them at the time that Batman (Adam West) died... or is it just the heat doing weird things to me?!

The cable is from my fan which is attempting to keep me cool (but really is just wafting warm air about)

I went to Kew again last Saturday, and took a gazillion photos of poppies (amongst other things) - I know several of you saw the link on Facebook but if you missed it, they can be seen here 
Neet, in answer to your suggestion, yes I do intend to make them into calendars one year!

Not sure when I'll be able to visit, depends on the heat - Wednesday today  is meant to be unbearable again! (I am writing this in advance on Tuesday night) I may have to wait till later in the week when it cools down.

WOYWW 419

Another week has flown by with nothing done craft-wise in between desk posts. But once again it is time to share my desk today with the lovely Julia

On Saturday I got home from the hairdresser's to find a box on the doorstep.. well tucked by the step and the wheelie bin..

it was a very little box (I know you can't get the sense of scale from the photo) - I was expecting something, but was a bit surprised at the small-ness of the box!

 some Jane Davenport washi tape.. the flat packet is described as "sheets" of tape and although they didn't break the bank, I was kind of expecting them to be bigger...
the rolls of tape, 7 different ones, all with faces, and different widths, had also appealed to me!

This brand is only newly available in the UK and I know that it is quite a pricey one anyway..
Time will tell if I get anything else from the range..

 I really really missed going to Kew last weekend (not that I'd have been able to go anyway had I not had the hair appointment, due to weekend engineering works on the train) ... I think the lack of a long walk in the fresh air contributed to me being bored on Sunday and couldn't settle to anything crafty.

I did get round to putting together the top 2 boxes in this tower of boxes...
they have big poppers (that you can possibly see on the front), so fit together quite easily... They come from The Works... two for £10

These 4 boxes hold my Paperartsy stamps - there were previously in just the bottom 2, but I have spread them out a bit as they were getting a bit crushed and some of the stamps were getting damaged... so now they have room to breathe (and I have ready made space for new ones... which are being released this week.... guess who's already been shopping!)

no progress has been made on the journal page from last time; even though I still don't think it's finished.

I did put some washi tape (no idea where this one came from!) on the last page in the book... and there it has sat, again...

So that's me for this week... will be hopping along to your desks soon.

Happy WOYWW!

I will be going to Kew this weekend (weather permitting) so stand by for more photos!

WOYWW 418

Happy Wednesday deskers - you know the ritual.. Link here click, drool at desks  and comment...

I am going to be really short and sweet today, as I don't have a lot to share.. my WOYWW anniversary atc arrived safely last Thursday from Elizabeth and Bleubeard, in double quick time from the States..  I knew immediately what the envelope was as it was covered in her trademark rocking horse stamp!

 It came wrapped in some gorgeous purple handmade paper








here's a close up

I was going to stop there, but decided to add a couple of journal pages -
I have added a little to the page from last week...  intensified the colours in the circles, added some stamping and some texture paste stencilled splatters.  re-purposed some washi tape that had come wrapped round an order a few weeks ago

It's still not finished!

and finally...  no words needed

I love London and the dreadful attack won't stop me visiting, exploring and photographing.. 

Have a good week.   

Last week's Kew trip here (yes, again!) 

WOYWW 417 - the atcs are landing..

.. which is somewhat embarrassing as I only had two (as you saw) to send out myself.
But first, let me welcome you back to WOYWW as we start the 9th year.. I was able to visit every desk last week but couldn't comment on the google + desks, sorry Sarah!

Despite having a long Bank Holiday weekend, I don't have any finished "stuff" to share as I just lazed about after going to Kew on Saturday morning (pics here if you are interested, some of you have seen already)

But first the atcs - I knew that Jo and Annie had kindly put me on their list of recipients but I was delighted to also receive one from Jan and yesterday from our lovely Julia too...
My swappee was Elizabeth (and Bleubeard) and hers is on it's way so I will share that another time.

top left is a dumfing beauty from Jo, top right is Annie; together with a card and poem inside.

bottom left ( or middle, really) is Julia's and bottom right is Jan's a gorgeous copy of her new blog header.

I think you will agree, that they are all gorgeous.

there is a bit of faffing going on again in the journal though, although it's not done yet and I haven't taken the picture in close up just to tease you a bit!


short and sweet for me today, happy desking.

For Manchester...

The tragic events of Monday night's bomb attack in Manchester have affected everyone. There are no words...

This journal page is to show solidarity.... the background started with loads of leftover paint and Lindy's sprays smooshed about,  and I can't remember what else!  I don't have any pictures of it in progress

the wall is Tim's mini layering stencil, with crackle paste (Deco Art) which makes lovely aged brickwork.

The bees are the symbol of Manchester that were already seen around to represent Manchester's worker history, but are now everywhere apparently (not living anywhere near I cannot say I have seen them, but the radio has been talking of it)....

The bees are by JoFY and stamped on the original (discontinued)  Paperartsy tissue paper (hoarding it!) and coloured with Fresco paints in Yellow Submarine and Brown Shed (over the black stamping)

WOYWW 416 - we've been doing this 8 years!

Eight years of desking (I didn't join in right at the beginning, and back when I started blogging and began joining in, in those days only had a film camera, not digital - so had to rush to get pictures developed to share) - eight years through which we have seen friendships (real and virtual) forged and strengthened - thank you SO much Julia, for starting this, and keeping it going through thick and thin all this time.  To all the deskers who have visited and shared their own desks and stories and lives - it's been great fun!

If you really need more whys and wherefores (how? I just told you, it's been 8 years....!) then the link to the desks and all the info are available at Stamping-Ground

so this week, do I have new stash to share?  is my name Helen?  of course I do...  balls I say!

 polystyrene ones!

and some new stamps

and some paper dolls











I actually bought them a few weeks ago, in a local shop that has a fairly basic craft department upstairs with some art goods too... they're intended for use (the big ones certainly) for some Powertex experiment when I get time...
I was somewhat bemused by the idea of Tim Holtz bringing out paper dolls (memories of childhood with badly fitting paper clothes with little paper tabs that always tore so the clothes fell off...) but when the eventually came back in stock I grabbed a pack.

So once again we are doing an ATC swap/PIF for the anniversary..  I haven't been able to make loads, but have one for my swap partner and one for Julia for her friendship... I probably should keep them secret till they've been delivered, but there isn't anything else to share on here today, so have included them.

coloured with distress oxides and the flowers are coloured with that fateful gold spray

Now, I am off to clean up the backs and get them ready for posting....


Happy happy WOYWW and, once again, thanks to Julia (and Jan who steps in when needed) for sterling work in the desking department!
Here's to the next 8 years!

The world can be a scary place sometimes but remember - there are happy places too, and WOYWW and it's participants is one of them.  I am proud to be a part of it.

WOYWW 415

No sooner have I cleared gold powder off my trousers than we are back again.. no more disasters luckily!

Time for another desk share then... have been shopping again (and only some of the orders have arrived, to tease you all..)

a nice large picture for you to see easily... some fabulous new stencils by Stencil Girl (courtesy of Artist Trading Post) and my replacement Lindy's sprays... not mixed them up yet.
the stamps are a gift from a friend who was having a bit of a de-stash and these were the ones I opted for... and a pack of Yupo paper which (once she found it!) she's been offering to send for me to try for ages.

as you can see I've used one of the stamps already, on a pre-played with journal page...

Oxides again, for colour.
Hiding in the background, some tissue wrap (Tim Holtz) that I had used for a birthday card..

  Some mark making with white and black paint and stencilled flowers (a Donny Downey stencil) with black gesso.


Another one of the stamps from Miriam, always love a dream stamp !

this journal is now nearly full, just a couple of pages left - can't wait to start a new one!

 The gold trees are progressing... lots of texture paste round the edges - there was a layer there last week, but I have added to it, to highlight the white edges where the gold didn't spread.
added some birds flying round the trees

and some tone on tone yellowy-orange stamping in the background. you can't see it very well in this picture



We'll see how this comes on for next time!
Depending on whether the new stash has arrived  that may also make an appearance..



till then, happy desking - see you at Julia's 
sorry to keep you longer than I should... hope I don't get told off!