WOYWW 447 - and it was over!

Happy two days after Christmas deskers!  Blink and you missed it - Christmas, that is...
time to re-group for WOYWW with Julia and the gang - link and info (should you need it) is here

So I hope you all had a very Happy Christmas- that your day was filled with fun, family and food... not necessarily in that order! 

It was quiet here, but I had a good time, in sole control of the remote and plenty of Christmas dinner!  (I cooked my favourite, roast beef, of course and there is plenty left for the rest of the week.

 I cleared a (small) space on my craft space (i.e. I picked up the craft mat - hoovered up all the dust and fluff) and created a little bit more leg room....

 I had stocked up in Waitrose (UK supermarket for non UK readers) on half price boxed chocolates a few weeks before Christmas... I think I have enough to survive a seige....

 I had a small bundle of gifts to open on Christmas Day...

a Gardens calendar, Jamie Oliver cook book, M&S gift voucher (all from my boss) a canvas design to colour, a lino cutting knife and some lino blocks (the round red thing is a finger guard)  and chocolates from my brother and SIL; some bath goodies and a new purse from two of the girls at work, and some licquer chocolates and a pretty tea light from my cousin; and some really pretty Nottingham lace and a little lace scented sachet from my friend Lesley who had a day at the Chatsworth Christmas fayre. 



I am hoping to get some crafting in this week before I go back to work, so the space on the floor may be back to normal very soon! 
In the meantime I wish you a very happy Rest of Christmas and New Year... hoping that 2018 is happy and healthy and creative for us all!

WOYWW 446 - the one before Christmas...

Welcome back - ready or not, it's nearly Christmas!     Time for another WOYWW where we share our crafty spaces at the Stamping-Ground
My "desk" this week is an early one, as Tuesday evening sees the annual office Christmas party (dinner at the Trafalgar Hotel this year) and I am not sure what time I will wake up on Wednesday morning... (early, probably, I always do; but you never know) - so I couldn't leave it to chance that I'd have time to write up a post when I got home from London!!

anyway, my "desk"  -  not crafting as such, although there was a bit...
Christmas present wrapping... Secret Santa gift had to be ready to take in for Tuesday, so I decided I may as well do the rest as well, seeing as how I finished buying them on Sunday!

 a pile of prettily wrapped gifts ready for delivering...

the crafting included finishing my brother and sister-in-law's card ( and I am really really hoping she won't have time to see this before Christmas!!)

I put into action the new Timmy dies I bought last week along with the Timmy Tree Line stamp set (bought specifically with this in mind)

The other crafting was for some gift envelopes for my niece and nephew only I haven't photographed them on my camera - only on my repaired phone!!

but I have managed to download it!
Used a different Timmy die for them (I was a bit bored of wrapping by then so rushed them a bit!)






Ah yes, the phone... got a message to say it was ready, went to pick it up first thing Saturday morning.  Finished my Christmas shopping, came home, set up the phone.... phone told me it had detected a new sd card.... didn't really think anything of it... happened to see I had some photos on the phone..... but they told me I'd have lost them, and I knew they hadn't backed themselves up... Looked a bit closer.... Don't know who these people are I thought..... obviously somebody else's SD card got put in my phone at the repair place.... unless of course, it's not my phone (it is) so had to trek back down to the Carphone Warehouse to moan, and get them to take the sd card out..... good job it's only a 15 minute walk to the high street!

but at least I have a working phone!!

Let me finish by wishing you a very Happy Christmas and healthy and happy New Year - see you at a desk near here very soon!    Before then, there will be photos in a separate post from the office night out!!

edit.  I wrote the party post when I got home so it's here if you're interested/nosy

WOYWW 445 - it's the chilly one!

Wednesday again!  Time for WOYWW again!    it's been so cold here (though at least the brief snow we had on Sunday didn't last, unlike some parts of the country) 

The cards are written - the cards are posted- yay me!   Don't ask about the presents shopping though...
Here was the pile of cards awaiting stamps earlier this week

 obviously I've turned the top ones over to hide addresses.. the pile on the right is the one for posting.   They should hopefully be arriving at their destinations any time soon. 

 As usual Susan who owns Country View Crafts is doing her Advent special offers... different one every day..  I've shopped a couple of times (though the reindeer die I got before the offer came up sadly!)


Am hoping now my cards are sorted I can have some me-playtime!

 Regulars know just how crowded my rooms are with all my craft stash here there and everywhere. so there isn't much space for Christmas - no tree - but I do clear the window cills and display some bits and pieces.

Living room...






hall at the top of the stairs..

and as my cards arrive they are pinned up - the hearts are tree decorations for my non tree and show scenes of London, plus there is one from Kew too.  I will try and remember to take some closeups of them as they are fab!


sorry about all the photos - taken on the camera obviously - thanks to those of you who responded on FB or my Kew post from Saturday about my bad luck Saturday - have replaced the watch and sent the phone for repair - just hope it's back for Christmas, I can't stand not being able to sit on the sofa and message or tweet in comfort!

WOYWW 444 - a finished task (sort of)

I can't remember the last time I wrote a post apart from on a Wednesday...hopefully soon!  However, Wednesday it is (or will be soon) and WOYWW again  - time to share workspaces... As ever, our lovely Julia (who has been off drinking gin in Wales if pictures on FB are to be believed!) has the link here at the Stamping-Ground

But I have had some time off work this week to get my Christmas cards finished (tick, if you don't count the writing and addressing!!)  and my Christmas present shopping started (today hopefully, just hope inspiration strikes overnight or it'll be another aimless wander round the shops...)

But, floor time...

 the stencil duly arrived last week (still too big for what I had intended, but did get used)

 Sunday I made 11 and Monday/Tuesday another 13....
have laid them out a bit so sneak some designs for you...

but this was Tuesday night's task... stamping the middles because as I said last week, like a twerp I didn't do them as I was going along... only one or two smudges or touch ups required with a pen! 


so now the writing... probably leave that for another night, but soon so they can be posted nice and early.

I really do think next year I'll give them a miss and either send bought ones or do what lots of people do and make a charity donation instead!

Wish me luck with the presents!  I'll catch your desks as soon as I can (or when I give up in despair and come home!)

WOYWW 443 - more Christmas cards..

Welcome back for another Wednesday round up at WOYWW - who stole November?  Cannot quite believe that it's December on Friday!! 

I am still slowly slowly making Christmas cards... so many still to do. 
I took them down to count them up this morning and check the list... I've booked a few days off work at the start of next week to try and get them finished!! 

the pile may look large but there are only about 32 there...   and I have half a tissue masterboard I've been using for some backgrounds

I was looking for a snowflake stencil to add another layer to the masterboard.. but the one I have (the original Dylusions snowflake stencil) has all different sizes and they're all too big... I have like a gazillion stencils and you never have the one you want!!  (I have ordered another one now!)

I've done a mixture of designs - I get bored doing the same ones over and over - but I am still loving the grumpy penguins I got last year so have been doing quite a few with them.

Hopefully by next week they'll all be done... then comes the "fun" bit of writing them!!  Have to admit that is not my favourite bit...
Till then, happy desk hopping. 

WOYWW 442

slowly slowly....

unlike the weeks which are rocketing by, it's time for another WOYWW already!  Not sure who's stealing time but can I have some back please... Head to Julia's for the link and the whys and wherefores

anyhow, as I was saying, slowly slowly, the pile of cards is growing..

 but I am still not really in the mindset so where my evenings should be hard at them, instead they are .... not.



on some of the cards I've used some die cut words (a Tim Holtz die)

 so on Sunday I spent a while forcing the dies through the Big Shot - forcing because I was trying to do lots of them at a time, filling cut cutting platform, but that was a false economy because they wouldn't all cut fully.

eventually I got a few each of the words I'll use more of, and one of the others just so I have them...

I found a little box to store them in


But, as it is "desk" sharing day, I'd better share today's view... well, obviously it's Tuesday night's view..

took a 'vertical' view ... last year's favourite Grumpy Penguins are making a re-appearance as I love them.
balanced on the pile of texture paste pots is a card tht was left to dry (it's well dry now!)

to the left of the tv (Strictly, It Takes Two)  is the pile of cards


to the left of the craft mat and the penguins, are the boxes of everyday supplies that have now got rather over full and cause a tumbling mess when I look for anything (foam pads, glue, being the main culprits)


Thanks for stopping by and I'll be round soon! 

WOYWW 441

Hi, fellow deskers.  Welcome to another What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday... I am still having to force myself to keep at the Christmas cards..

 A little pile of cards I've made  this week, (well at the weekend really) although I have made the fatal mistake of not getting out my wordy Christmas stamps to stamp inside as I go (I never use inserts, just can't be faffed!) 


some colouring being done too on the sheet on the left. and at top just under the teetering box of "stuff" are some of the trees I was using last time
On the craft mat you can see some dies...

so here is the pic I took of them (ready for today) when they arrived..

3 new Seth Apter dies for his Spellbinders range, and a stamp - it is called French Script ... it's quite a Gothic style so you can't (well, I can't) make out any of the words... but will make a good background. 


So, I should be eating dinner and getting some more colouring done (writing this before Tuesday dinner!)  - we'll see if that happens! 

Had a slightly damp trip to Kew on Saturday (couldn't miss two in a row) and snapped some great raindrop shots (they are all here if you have time)  but I'll leave you with my favourite to whet your appetite...

Happy desk day!! 

WOYWW 440 - Christmas has started!

wow, Wednesday again!!  Time to hit some desks - Julia's waiting!
I didn't go to Kew last Saturday (it was forecast heavy rain - although in the end it was nowhere near as heavy as that...could have gone after all)  but instead pottered around.. went shopping

called into the Works.. as you do.  been keeping an eye out for those wooden tulips for months, some Works version of Enamel Accents - 3d pearl paint, and some Christmas curling ribbons which will either make it to embellish some gift wrapping or may go on some cards or even a mixed media project or other!

Sunday I finally started some Christmas cards...

 using some Paperartsy stamps by Jo Firth Young and Elena's Zinski ranges






I also started a couple of sheets of tissue with some brayered Pebeo iridescent paints...

 on the way home from work tonight I had an idea to use a Memory Box die of some fir trees...










so I have a sheet full of trees die cut... my first idea to add snow (in the form of a slightly glittery texture paste) is drying on the card base top right...




My next idea was to spray some of the trees with a white Lindy's Stampgang spray to add the snow...

we'll see how that turns out!

Thanks for the comments about stamping the skulls - I have and indeed had thought of using, the long cutting platform as the mount.  will give it a go

Watch this space!   Till then, happy desk hopping - see you at the Stamping-Ground

WOYWW 439

That was a quicker week than ever!  Here we are reporting for desk duty with Julia - and it's November!
I'm really starting to sound like my Mum - or my Grandmother!

I don' t have much to share today, my floor space has gone untouched ..

although I did manage to stamp out the skulls ... after spending some time looking for a long acrylic block I was convinced I had that would fit the stamp (it's nearly 12 inches long) - I'm still not 100% sure I don't have one... I tried it without a block (not bad but not perfect) and with two smaller ones - that worked ok, by inking the stamp and putting it onto the card, then laying the first block on top of the stamp and lining up a second one next to it, and pressing down.... the hardest bit was removing the block without wobbling the stamp (till I realised all I needed to do was lift the blocks together and the stamp would come with them - doh!!)

I had planned to use them in a journal page but so far haven't got any further...
Something tells me instead I really ought to be starting my Christmas cards very very soon!!

I'll leave you with a picture from Kew last Saturday in the sunshine - more here

I loved these little guys - part of a special Artful Autumn event (finished now, sadly) - tai chi practicing willow men - called the Treelings

Have a great week!

Cheam Scream 2017

Today saw the second Cheam Scream Hallowe'en event in Cheam where I work, organised by Cheam Life, a local social media network that encourages community spirit in the local area.

My office at Monica Bradley Associates joined in again....

We decorated the office this morning in readiness for 3pm and the anticipated 1000 ish kids who'd bought wristbands to take part...

the sun was shining brightly, very un-hallow'en like!









Dressing up time!

 Josh cutting a dashing Dracula

 Josh and Leslie, looking the part

Leslie supplied the wall hangings,


Josh and Leslie  and the other Lesley.,  told you it was sunny!
Ready for 3pm and the start ....

 we were soon surrounded by witches and skeletons and all sorts..  there were some fabulous costumes!

 although we were in the quieter road, it was still busy!

It got a bit crowded outside...tried to have an in one door out the other... not very successfully!

 Monica and the daughter of one of her friends

 some scary final visitors...

 time for a welcome drink!

and a gorgeous sky as I got home!









I meant to write this on my photos blog, but can't change it now!