WOYWW 811

Hello fellow deskers.  Time for WOYWW again, where we meet up to share our crafty spaces. 

I was really sad to see on Facebook this week that our lovely Christine passed away in November.  Sadly I didn't hear about it until after FB told me it was her birthday last week and I wished her a happy birthday... oops.  We will miss her and her pink hair.   

this is from the crop a couple of years ago. 

rest in peace, Christine.  

so.  who's ready for Christmas...?  Not me that's for sure... 

I was watching You Tube on Sunday and saw an idea from Alison Bomber for livening up some cash envelopes for presents for my niece and nephew. 

I also made a card for my brother and his wife.  

my Kew buddy Kim and I were able to meet up at Kew this week with there being no storms and it was good to get out in the fresh air again.

They lost about 8 trees during the previous week's storm, we saw the remnants of one on our walk round.

there was even some sunshine!

the office party was good fun, it was held at Epsom Downs Race Course (same place we went last year) 

sorry, Neet, no photos.  I can't work out how to lift the group photo off our company FB page..

I'm not sure if there'll be a link up next week or if I'll be here to join in (still not sure of my Christmas Day plans)  so I'll wish you all a very Happy Christmas now, in case!

WOYWW 810

 It doesn't seem 5 minutes since we were here last week gathering for WOYWW -   but it  is time again! 

the sofa became the workdesk on Saturday; Christmas card writing....

they're now in the post and will hopefully be arriving at their destinations soon.

as a reward to myself and an anti-dote to Christmas cards, I finished the journal page...

it was good to do something non Christmas related craftwise! 

Kew was cancelled due to the threat of damage from storm Darragh, and it was mighty windy but thankfully where I am escaped heavy rain and the worst of the strong winds.

I took the plunge and went Christmas shopping on Saturday morning instead...

I was partly successful but still need to get some bits for my brother and his wife... 

It's the office Christmas party on Friday (yes, the 13th.... it was the date most people could do... what could possibly go wrong!?)  so I will hope to get a good walk at Kew to recover!  

Happy WOYWW - pop the kettle on, do!  

WOYWW 809

 December!  who stole 2024. .. it's time for WOYWW again with Sarah... head to the CraftShed for the link

I got another pile of Christmas cards made up at the weekend,  I was going to add glitter glue to them but couldn't find any Stickles that would actually come out of the bottle...

there will be some more in a drawer under the table that might work. I'll have to rummage!

however, I think I have enough now apart from a few "special" ones I make (if I don't run out of time)  so they just need writing and posting....  

I also did a bit of faffing with a journal page -  the page already had the stencilled shape on it, I just filled her body with some torn pieces of collage tissue.  I need to play more with this but it was a kind of reward to the Christmas cards!  

after the previous week's storm, 

Kew was able to open last weekend, and although it was a dull day it wasn't cold and it wasn't wet!

these were inside (obviously)  in the Temperate House.

Till next week, Happy WOYWW  see you soon! 

WOYWW 808

 Happy What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday week 808,,,, time to meet up with Sarah and the gang once more... 

I did have a more productive week(end) as I knew I had to get on with the Christmas cards, we're at the end of November for goodness sake!

so Sunday was spent cutting up some of the masterboard and applying them to card blanks...

and stamping some sentiments to go on top...

and bam!  34 cards assembled... just in time to watch the football on Sunday afternoon...   I will need more, and have some more masterboards still to use so watch this space.

I seriously might not do cards next year ... but I say that to myself each year and then always do!

Storm Bert struck at the weekend and I was on the way to Kew for my weekly visit when I got the announcement that they were taking the decision to close due to the weather, so headed into London instead for a short trip.. at least it wasn't as wet as some parts of the country and the wind was worse after I got home... 

I hope no-one has been affected by the damage from the storm, it looked truly awful on the news.  

Happy WOYWW and see you soon. 

WOYWW 807

 Well, hello desky peeps... it's Wednesday and all through the house..... not a thing to share for WOYWW.... 

nada!..  zilch!... nothing! ...  

normally on a Sunday I force something but I spent all day doing nothing - I had a great time at a 70th birthday party on Saturday night (my out-out night I mentioned last week). there was Malaysian food, (some) drink and dancing.... and no, I wasn't hung over 

which also means no more Christmas cards got made up and it's getting late ... as usual it'll be a last minute rush.  

there is however, Kew to share, even with a party to go to there was time for Kew...

Jan this is just for you... 

sadly not lit last weekend (not till the night anyway)  and we couldn't get into the centre for a real sense of scale....

no blue sky but at least it was dry...

the forecast for this coming weekend is anything but dry, but at least it's not snow (here anyway)

it won't stop me going, but it may get me wet!

Happy WOYWW  and I'm off to see some more busy desks!  

WOYWW 806

 Hello again deskers. hope you are well.  It's hurtled round to Wednesday again - see you at Sarah's for WOYWW 

I was watching another video on YouTube from Alison Bomber and allowed her to send me shopping for the paper dolls and phototmatic from Tim Holtz - they're a bit bigger than I thought they'd be 

I also replaced my water spritzer which stopped spritzing, and the tiny attacher which stopped attaching!!  

I also got the scorched timber brown ink pads which I didn't bother with when they first came out....

oh yes, and the moths...  

bit of a closer look. 

towards the end of Sunday lunchtime I decided I ought to be assembling Christmas cards 

so I cut up 2 of the sheets of masterboards and put together some cards.

well the basics, they need to have some sentiments on and the insides stamped. 

dug out some more card blanks for some more cards, but I won't get any done till Sunday,   I'm going out-out on Saturday night but won't miss Kew first!

last week at Kew was interesting to see some more of the Christmas lights trail (which opens today, and runs till early January) 

this was fascinating, loved the colour changes through blues to purples

salvia still going strong

and we had a closer look at the big pots in the gallery exhibition Expression in Blue - although these ones are beautifully colourful!

they are big!  

May be late round today, work is mad busy so there may not be much of a lunch break!  

Happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 805

 Welcome back deskers, another Wednesday has rolled (raced) around.  Sarah would love you to join in with WOYWW  

I have even less to show than last week I think...

I dug out some card blanks (just white so far) ready for when I cut my masterboards into Christmas card toppers...

it looks a very blurry photo - I think it's mostly the cellophane bags the card blanks are in....

underneath is my square journal 

which I did have another play with the Alison Bomber stamps

I painted the page first with the Paperartsy Mattints,

and added lots of layers of the grasses.

then I knocked it back with a thin layer of gesso.

I intend to add more top layers of stamping but haven't got round to it yet

(Tuesday night when I prepare my post is Bake Off night, currently also followed by Masterchef, gotta love cooking on tv!)  

I'll finish with Kew from the weekend and some gorgeous colours.

it was a very grey morning but there were the odd glimpse of brightness.

thanks for looking, put the kettle on I'll be there soon... happy WOYWW 

WOYWW 804

 Welcome to this week's WOYWW - the last one in October... really?!  Head to Sarah's the Craft Shed for the link up.  

Paperartsy had some more new releases last week and I couldn't resist these grasses and umbells from Alison Bomber.. they came within a day of ordering from the Stampers Grove, superb.

I was watching a You Tube video from Alison on Sunday morning and had a play along (vaguely) the lines she went down with the tag on the left... it didn't quite work out how I intended which is why it's not finished.

the other square tag was the previous new toys from Dina a couple of weeks ago, playing with one of the stencils. 

don't look too closely at the state of the silicone craft mat, it's a disgrace!

I managed to stay on my feet at Kew last week (and the bruises are fading)

and both Kim and I really enjoyed the first chance to look at the new gallery exhibition, Expressions in Blue.

the tree near the main entrance is also getting redder by the day.

Thanks for looking, hope you have had a creative week (unlike me)  

WOYWW 803

 Can someone please explain how the weeks go so fast? We find ourselves hurtling into Wednesday again for WOYWW hosted by Sarah.    

I had a bit of panic at the weekend at how little of my Christmas card prep I've done - but then I never usually do them this early... anyhow I decided I'd do batch making big style this year and cracked out some masterboards. 

I used a couple of my favourite stamps that I use loads at Christmas - wooden mounted Magenta stamps from loads of years ago, and I love them.

I filled 2 A4 sheets in shades of blue 3 in shades of purple and then with the other stamp, one in greens/grey (my million year old silver Encore ink pad has gone sticky and odd)  and one in reds. 

the inks are Versafine Clairs.  So when those little lot (with the 3 or 4 sheets I did a few weeks ago) should make quite a few cards.

Kew last week was... interesting.   Forecast was heavy rain, and it did, for a while.  I also managed to trip up a step at the Temperate House (the same step Kim tripped up whilst she was still on crutches)  

There was however, lots of beautiful tree colour.  you can see the photos here 

the bottom step was the one that caused the fall, and the idea was to post at the sign for the new exhibit Rare and Extinct inside....I said we could pretend we were the rare (or maybe extinct) the sign was referring to.

Kim told me to pose.  (this is after I picked myself up again)

I just misjudged where the step was as I turned round and fell back onto the step, on my bum..... big ouch!  

anyway,  I'm fine, the bruises will fade and as I say, the camera wasn't broken 

Hopefully your week was less dramatic and I'll be round to check your desks soon.  Happy WOYWW!

WOYWW 802

 Welcome back deskers, it's time for WOYWW again, now with the lovely Sarah at the helm.  

I carried on with the journal page using the Mattints... Jan wanted to know a bit more about them.   they are not paints, but water based transparent glazes with colour added.  You can use them like paints, you can use them to seal things, you can use them as adhesive. (not tried that bit yet but Paperartsy have) You can blend the colours together (there are 12 so far, and I think one more set of 4 to come) 

so this was the one layer of Mattint on the page that I showed last week 

and with a second (or third) coat 

and some stamping (had to use some of the Seth Apter mini stamps..

and some more stamping!  Sorry about the light on this final picture, it's dark as I took this after I realised I hadn't taken the last stage so far.  

that's where it's got to.  It will at some stage have a focal point on it 

I went shopping again too,  Dina had some more new releases.

I ordered them (from Art From the Heart) and thought - oh that'll go through the letterbox, send them to home not work...

err..  maybe not as it happens

I got home from work on  Monday just as the postman was driving off having not got a reply at the door... drat!

Luckily on Tuesday they tried again and left the box tucked behind one of the wheelie bins by the front door.

this is what was in it... I thought... tags, stencils,  they're flat, they'll put them in a jiffy bag and bingo, through the letterbox!

so I've not had time to play yet...

Kew on Saturday was overcast but not cold,  and Kim and I found some colour still...

gotta love some trees in autumn!

and some mushrooms!

I'd better leave it there,  wishing you all a happy WOYWW see you soon!

WOYWW 801

 What a great reminisce we had last week with WOYWW!  It was such fun to see how long we've all been playing along.  Some of you much longer than I remembered.  Please head over to Sarah's again to join in again today. 

The weekend flew by and there wasn't a lot of crafting time.. 

All I managed was some test stamping of the new stamps that I got last week..!  

I think the overlapping circles are my favourites 

but it could be the lovely blue I chose to play with. 

I had a sort of idea for 

this stamp just to the left here...

but not sure it will come off!  

this is the new Mattints (minus the red) but there's only

2 layers of each colour so they are very pale still.

the one called Ash (right at the top)  is very pale and doesn't show up in the photograph  - it will intensify if you increase the number of times you paint the colour on.

It felt so long to wait to leave for Kew on Saturday - being a morning person that's why I like the 8am starts so much

orchid in the Princess of Wales conservatory

the trees are - slowly- turning colour, they seem late this year (and that's to do with the wet summer apparently)  and the sun was out, so it was a lovely visit!

Till next week, happy WOYWW!