WOYWW 760 -Christmas

 Happy WOYWW fellow deskers, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas celebrations and if they are continuing, I hope they are remaining so.  

I went to my brother's for the day and we had lots of food and drink, none of which I had to prepare (even better!)   Since I came home on Boxing Day I have cooked my own roast dinner and am looking forward to leftovers! .  

there was a pretty tree

gift opening 

Richard got a good flame going on the pudding 

he used quite a lot of brandy!

I had some nice presents,  chocolates, a book I'd seen that I thought would be interesting and a gift voucher and the calendar from my  boss.

Needless to say no crafting has been done since last week!

I am hoping if the weather remains decent, to visit the Tower in London and check out their Christmas celebrations. 

In the meantime, Happy WOYWW and wishing you all the best for the New Year.  

WOYWW 759

It's time for WOYWW  - It's beginning to look a lot like...... 

well I suppose Christmas... cards are posted (meant to photograph the pile waiting to take to the post box.. forgot)

haven't wrapped the presents, so can't share them.... 

Went to the office Christmas party... Neet wanted party pics... I can't copy the group photo of us that was shared on FB and the photos I took didn't come out very well...  so here's the link to the FB post I shared on my page.. hopefully (it worked on my Kew post so hopefully it will again here but if not the link to the Kew post is below) it was a James Bond themed evening at Epsom Downs racecourse  so nice and local,  and great fun. 

before we left the office we had a quiz and exchanged our Secret Santa gifts - this was mine. 

having finished with Christmas cards there was a bit of time to play in a journal again without feeling guilty!  

first layer, some of Dina's collage tissue,

some red paint (Paperartsy, translucent so the tissue peaks through)

smudged some whiteish paint (also Paperartsy )

and then I ran out of time/inspiration....

Kew on Saturday after the party was a good dose of fresh air... not that I was hung over, i don't drink a lot...

good to see some early snowdrops - always new growth in evidence!  

Whatever you do at Christmas I hope you spend it with people you love (or if it's family, people you tolerate... joke!) and eat, drink and be merry!   I am going to my brother's and it's always lovely for someone else to cook!  

Happy WOYWW,  Happy Christmas and see you next week!

WOYWW 758

 Hello again fellow deskers.  Wednesday dawns again.  time for WOYWW .   It's quite scary how fast the weeks are going..

so I did succumb to some new Paperartsy mini stamps (designed by Alison Bomber) and whilst I was buying them, well, oops, the reindeer so loved by Angela fell into the basket too.

They arrived on Thursday last week.  

I made a card for my brother and sister in law.

I tried to crackle the background but the crackle paste didn't  -  er  -  crackle. It's been a while since I used it so forgot if I needed to put a layer of something underneath it, rather than straight on the card.

still, the fussy cut reindeer are nice! 

as for my other cards, they are written and in the post.  I have a few to finish off for hand delivering, to neighbours and some friends at work.   that's this weekend's job.

Saturday was a very wet start to Kew, but the rain very kindly (and unexpectedly) stopped at 10 at opening time... it was forecast to last until mid-day so I was grateful.  A puddly blog post here  

but I did find some colour even if the sun didn't appear until I was on the way home...

I may be a bit later than usual to visit today as I am off work for the day, thought it about time I did some Christmas shopping....  

wish me luck, I don't have many to get but no idea what for those I need...   said brother, sister in law....  

I did think about going to London (and seeing the lights at the same time) but decided against it, Kingston will do fine, I am sure....   this coming Friday is the office party, and then it's Kew on Saturday; hopefully I will wake up in time..  (I know I will, I never sleep after a night out!0  

WOYWW 757

 Welcome again deskers. Another week has flown by and it's WOYWW time again.  

There's been very little happening here, I didn't finish or write my Christmas cards although I have bought stamps ready for posting!   It is my intention to get that done at the weekend.  

I caved in and ordered a couple of new Paperartsy stamps (minis) at the weekend end (and the reindeer, Angela!)  but they are in transit so not able to make an appearance today...

I fussy cut out some leaves from the images I stamped a few weeks ago and added them to a journal page - having splodged a bit of paint around on it first!  

close up 

of course it's not finished,  when are they ever!

Saturday was another cold visit to Kew but at least it was dry (if not sunny)   I think the weekend coming will be back to wet

almost fluffy seed heads

mahonia for some winter colour.  

That's me for this week, happy WOYWW and hope you're more ahead of the game with Christmas than I am!  

WOYWW 756

 Welcome deskers.  time once more for WOYWW  and to share some crafty spaces.  Week 756 sees us rounding out November, heck!  

I received my first Christmas card in the post (thanks LLJ, efficient as ever!) and I've not finished mine let alone written them or bought the stamps to post them... maybe this weekend....

I was thrown off kilter on Sunday by my heating breaking down - on the coldest day of the year, obviously.

Luckily my service contract with British Gas came through and by Monday lunchtime it was fixed 

but I did get some more cards made up...

I had to force myself because otherwise this would have been a very short post...

Saturday at Kew was really cold, but beautifully sunny 

and the light made for some stunning photos

what a difference a week makes!

My Kew buddy Kim has finally had the cast off her ankle, but is now in an air boot for another 6 weeks so still  not mobile enough for Kew... she's gutted at having missed such a colourful autumn.

Well, that's me, thanks for visiting and I hope to catch your desks soon.  Happy WOYWW 

WOYWW 755

 Hello, deskers,  here we are again, meeting for WOYWW 

It's still Christmas card factory here, but batch making does mean they add up quickly...

I was up early on Sunday to watch the F1 which started at the crazy time of 6am  so once it had finished I could get back to Christmas cards...

I had a count up and I've probably only got another 12 or so needed, but some of those will be slightly more special ones so will take a bit of planning.

I wasn't happy with the colouring (never really like doing that)  so probably won't do any more of those designs, although I quite like the neon "trees" 

however I've stamped out some more masterboards 

I used blues and green, as I really liked that combination on some of the earlier ones,  and pink/purple.

I had a good trip to Kew on Saturday, the weather was much better than forecast and the rain stopped after a while.  it was good to see some more of the Christmas lights trail, which has now opened (booking essential)  

Snapper was my favourite...

he's the star of this year's John Lewis Christmas ad.

and I had fun with the bauble selfies, although it was hard to see some of them for raindrops 

thanks for looking, I'll be round soon.   

WOYWW 754

 Wednesday again.  so it's WOYWW time  Check the details with Julia at the Stamping Ground. 

I did a bit more stamping for some more Christmas cards 

got some colouring in to do now!  

and made up some more cards (bottom left)  

Saturday of course was Kew day,  and it was glorious!  full of colour

what can you say - wow!  

this tree was so red, so beautiful 

Thanks for dropping by,  I'll be round to yours soon.

WOYWW 753

 Welcome back deskers, it's Wednesday again, can only mean it's WOYWW 

I set to with the masterboards at the weekend and cut some of them up ready for Christmas cards,...

had a good old rummage through the boxes of card blanks, for the right shades for the masterboards..

cut out the matching coloured greetings...

and then thought, no, mount them up and get some finished!

still got quite a few masterboards to cut for the next series...

Kew on Saturday was wet to start with but not for as long as the forecast said, and actually turned out to be lovely!

it was still raining whilst I was taking this

but an hour or so later, just look at the blue sky!

(this is the alpine house)

the only trouble with the big Kew umbrella is it is so cumbersome!  Does make a handy walking stick though! 

Thanks for visiting, I'll catch your desks soon.

Happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 752

 Hello deskers welcome to another week's WOYWW.  I have new goodies to share today as promised last week.     New stamps from Dina Wakley. 

the only "crafting" i've done is to stamp out some of the images mostly in black but some in the medieval blue verasfine clair ink (I adore this colour) 

I meant to use some of the images on last week's journal pages, but haven't got there yet!  

Last Saturday at Kew was gorgeous - mostly avoiding rain, one brief shower.

one of my favourite views of the pond by the Palm House, with fabulous reflections

and in the sunshine the autumn leaves were stunning.

Happy November -  how on earth! (I should be making Christmas cards!!)

see you soon, happy WOYWW 

WOYWW 751

 Welcome deskers. Wednesday again, time for WOYWW   

I did some more layers to last week's journal pages.  (not finished, needs a title or a quote.

Around the neon circles I'd done last week I added some stencilling  - paints this time, Sky and Heather.  and stamped some little dots in black and white (which is gesso)  I found one of Dina's stamps that was slightly curved so it would fit round the circles.  Shame I didn't have one that curled the other way round for the top layer of circles! 

The journal is Dina's small square kraft journal, BJ; I've never handmade a journal ! 

I've ordered the 4 sets of new stamps that Dina launched on Monday.... so they should be here for next week's desk!

Kew on Saturday was.... wet.  Not, luckily as wet as Scotland or most of the rest of the country... I feel so sorry for all those people who've been flooded out.  

water literally dripping of the berries

I love this path when it's been raining hard, the puddles show such gorgeous reflections of the Temperate House

I don't think this coming Saturday will be quite as wet... but it's still forecast to be  wet 

Jan, I think 3 years till I get my state pension.  Am hoping I might be able to stop working before then though!  

Thanks for looking, and I'll catch up with you soon.  Happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 750

 Another week has gone in a flash and it's time again for WOYWW.  

 

I did stamp out some Christmas sentiments for trimming and adding to the images from last week - once I cut them down!

I decided to do some in coloured ink to tone with the colours in the masterboards that I'll be cutting up, although mostly I stamped in black. 

I also started playing in the small kraft journal 

I cut some circles from a sheet of collage tissue (Dina Wakley)

and added some neon to them - the orange and pink are the paints and the yellow is the gloss, because I couldn't get the yellow paint out of the bottle and couldn't be bothered to go and find a pin to clear the nozzle.

I've been too tired after work since to add to the page. 

Saturday's trip to Kew was chilly - it's definitely autumn now, but at least it was sunny (this weekend will be chilly and wet and no hint of sun at all!)

the colours are really developing in the trees. 

the lake was especially beautiful  

Hope you are all well, I will be round to catch up with your crafty spaces soon. 

WOYWW 749

 Time again for WOYWW - desk sharing day with Julia at The Stamping-Ground.  

I bet you're expecting me to say I've done nothing (again) but you'd be wrong..

I spent a little while on Sunday - and it didn't take long at all -  making some backgrounds   (A4 sheets of card)

using my go-to Magenta (wood mounted of course) stamps

for Christmas backgrounds.

I don't think they were intended as Christmas designs, but they always give me that impression and I use them year after year for this purpose

Mainly because it's quick, and you can vary the colours you use so much

and can cut them up to get LOADS of bits to mount onto card blanks. 

a few quick seasonal sentiments and Bob's your uncle...or he will be!  

Next it's Kew... Saturday (down here in the South at least ) was beautiful, I know Scotland had lots and lots of rain.

this was taken through the gate waiting to be let in.

stunning colours. 

low down shooting again.

Thanks for looking, ad happy WOYWW