WOYWW 504

Can't believe it's time to get together at Julia'as again for WOYWW  or indeed that it is the end of January...

I had another lovely morning at Kew on Saturday (pics here)  despite it being quite cold but luckily not wet.  They are talking about light snow on Saturday coming which will make it look even more magical... I almost hope it does!  

I had a play with some of the new stamps at the weekend - in my square journal

mix of distress oxides and archival inks 











I was hoping there would be new goodies to share today but they are still on the way
I went for the large flower die from Tim Holtz and once again from CraftStash who do very good prices.   Sadly the other dies I wanted are currently out of stock..

I will be a bit late home from work tonight (even if it doesn't snow) as I have a haircut after work so I'll catch up with your desks when I can.
short and sweet from me today! 

WOYWW 503

So.. Wednesday ... again... time to hook up at Julia's The Stamping-Ground for WOYWW week 503
so I finished (apart from a title) the journal page from last week  - blog post with a few extra details here  

Paperartsy have been at Creativation in the US but some of their new stamps have already landed! 

thanks to some speedy service by Sue at Country View Crafts these stamps ordered on Sunday arrived on Tuesday!

More goodies to play with...

I needed a birthday card too, for one of my good crafting buddies.

I had felt too full of cold last week to devote the time and energy to it I would normally have done, so this ended being a very basic affair.

She should have received it in time for her birthday today (and doesn't read my WOYWW posts anyway) so am including it here!

Looking forward to catching up with your desks soon. 

Don't all faint... I've crafted.

I felt well enough this morning to carry on with the part-played with journal page that was on my WOYWW post on Wednesday (it's really only the annoying cough that is left) 

and the sun shone, so much that I had trouble photographing the pages for the blog!

 the background was inspired by Seth Apter I love his layers of background paints and stamping  - just keep going he says.


the page needs some words for a title... not sure yet what, so leaving it here for now.

 I hadn't been going to use the butterflies I'd die cut on this page until one comment said how good they'd look over the blue..

which got me thinking.

and then I was watching a video from Creativation of Seth's new release embossing powders, and I decided to use some of his existing Baked Texture release... oh yum I'd forgotten how I loved them!

 some close ups

 supplies -  paints by Paperartsy, stamps by Paperartsy and Seth for Impression Obsession;
embossing powders - Baked Texture by Seth for Emerald Creek;  die by Sizzix ; archival inks by Ranger

just look at the sun!  I am not complaining, obviously

 (wish it had been sunny yesterday at Kew, but they did say today would be the better day of the weekend here)

WOYWW 502

Time for another Wednesday desk hop - WOYWW 502 with Julia  - share your space, why don't you?

It is the time of new product launches with the trade shows and people are enabling me (so it is only fair to pass it on to you lot!)

 I only had a quick look at the new Sizzix range from Tim Holtz but some of the dies were available to order and despatched on 7th


butterflies... who can resist

I got a good deal on this one but my mate who alerted me to where i got them missed out and they're out of stock now

I started the weekend with good intentions of crafting... but then came down with a heavy cold and have a sore throat... have spent the last couple of nights waking regularly coughing which is a right pain!

off my food, can't taste a thing,  haven't eaten much for a couple of days (I know they said feed a cold, starve a fever, but I can't force myself!)

so the journal page I was playing with hasn't got far...

but I did test out the butterflies!

I have inked up the hearts from last week too but they are on the previous page and I forgot to take a photo!
So far I have managed to keep working (sharing the germs around, I'm nice like that!)  so will check out your desks later on - don't worry, i won't breathe all over you lot!

WOYWW 501

After last week's great get together for the big 5-0-0 it's back to normal....

no a lot to show... That non-resolution to try and do more crafting didn't even get off the ground... (good job it wasn't a proper resolution!)

But, it's Wednesday so it's time for the next WOYWW  with Julia  although I believe she is having a well-deserved holiday.

I did have a tiny splurge for the new year, Artist Trading Post had a new year sale and it would have been rude not to have checked it out...

a stencil (well obviously!) and some Stampotique hearts.  They have yet to see ink.  Natch.  You buy stuff... you store stuff... eventually you may use it...

I'll let you know! 

till then, happy desk day and see you soon! 

WOYWW 500 - quite a milestone

So here we are, the first Wednesday of the New Year, 2019.... The first WOYWW of the year.  and what a WOYWW  week 500..  all those desks we've shared with Julia over the years...  and it's time to go back to work after the Christmas and New Year break.

Let's start with a desk.  (if only!)

 the break from work passed in a flash, and I didn't spend more than about ten minutes doing anything remotely crafty...

the page on the left was mostly done already, I just added some offcuts of masterboards I'd left over from Christmas cards and the right is a mishmash of layers covering a failed go at the string pulled through ink thing (been there for months, decided it was time to cover it up.
No before or during pics...

Santa brought some nice goodies, some socks (secret santa from work) a book from a series I'm reading and distress oxides (another secret santa I organised between my small group of crafting buddies)

a bottle of Kew gin from my boss - and the watch, which I bought with some of the money (present come bonus) she gave me;  a tin of G&T cookies from my cousin,

and the rest is from my brother and sister-in-law.

everything else I couldn't get out of the picture is the normal "stuff" that lives around me and which didn't get tidied away...(it was a very vague thought....)

had a very lazy time of it, one trip to Kew (click for the pics) after I had Christmas Day  (click for the pics) with my brother, coming home earlier on Boxing Day than perhaps I'd thought - their heating packed up so it was cold!   I toyed with the idea of going to Kew yesterday (new year's day) but there weren't many trains running and I woke with a headache so have yet to get my first trip of the year in - that will be Saturday!

it will be a shock to the system waking up at work time today (well tomorrow; as usual I am getting this ready the night before) - or at least, having to get up when I wake up at work time! 
I hope you have all had a fabulous Christmas and New Year if you celebrate either or both,  and I am sure we raise a toast to Julia for keeping this fabulous desk hop going week in week out for so long.

It's been part of my life for so long now and I count myself lucky to have met and befriended many of you for real, and virtually for the rest of you!   I'll find your desk as soon as I can!