WOYWW 888

 Happy Wednesday all.  Hope you are keeping well, and Jan that your cataract op went well. It's time for WOYWW again, head to Sarah's for the link up.   Week 888.  what a lovely number. 

I've not got anything to show this week,  because Saturday was spent 

at Lords. in the rain... with not much cricket.... I did manage a blog about it though!

behind the programme is, (somewhat staged)  a flower I've coloured with my new pencils!

the hospitality was good though!  a couple of work colleagues and friends of Monica's as her guests

I'd never been to Lords before, it was 

so,Kew had to wait till Sunday 

the weather was much kinder on Sunday! 

there was even sunshine!  

I had intended to have had some more crafting to show today, as my boiler should have been being installed on Tuesday, but - yet again - they couldn't do it.  The scaffolding didn't arrive and so it has been rescheduled again for next week.

I had thought I could spend the day crafting while the work was done.  Instead I went to work after the fitter left, unable to do the work.   Third time lucky next Thursday. 

So I hope you have all had a much more successful week than I did...

WOYWW 887

 Welcome back lovely deskers,  to another week's WOYWW - now in the hands of Sarah.  

I had to go to the shops on Sunday to take some trousers back toM&S  and on the way back up the high street I called into the Works, i was looking for a big white Posca paint pen but they don't sell them....

however I spotted some bargains....

a black art pad, the paper feels quite thick.  I thought it might work well with neon colours. 

a large box of coloured pencils.. 120 ... half price £20... I couldn't resist

when I got to the till, the assistant had a stack of 12 x 12 paper pads on the counter that were about to go on the shelves... I couldn't resist the dusky pink flowery one!  

as you  know I regretted not buying the full set of Prismacolours some time ago, and in fact was going to source out a bigger tin online.

but I saw these and thought, well the quality won't be as good but we'll give them a go.

I have tested a few and they do seem to lay down colour nicely, so hopefully will be a bargain and not a waste of money.

Saturday at Kew was lovely, fortunately not quite as hot, but still pretty warm

the roses were simply stunning 

since then the weather has changed a bit and Tuesday just before hometime a huge thunderstorm hit with torrential rain.  (the start of meteorological summer, of course it is going to rain)

Looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to this week, happy WOYWW .  

WOYWW 886

 Welcome to another Wednesday - WOYWW  with Sarah and the gang. I hope you all survived the heat at the weekend and beyond.  It has been unbearable here!  I am not made to cope in 34 degrees!  

I added some more layers to a journal page I started a few weeks ago

pieces of tissue layered over a painty layer and a stamped background. 

then I ran out of inspiration 

Kew on Saturday before the worst of the heat, was lovely

 

I did also go on BH Monday, but only lasted a couple of hours before bailing 

and I concentrated mostly on the sculptures.  

Kew has seen record temperatures for the last 2 days running. I really hope the weekend is cooler! 

thanks for dropping by, and thanks to Kyla for the anniversary atc which I just remembered to photograph along with Jan's !

WOYWW 885

 welcome back lovely deskers, it's time again for WOYWW . Hope you're all well. 

Thanks to LLJ for the card and atc for the anniversary - which I have forgotten to photograph!!  

I made a journal page in the Dina ledger last weekend,  I started by splodging red (Tomato) and green (Forest) Paperartsy Fresco paints somewhat randomly They're both translucent paints

added stripes of Frosty Fresco which is an opaque one. 

added a touch of slightly watered down gesso to tone down the green and red,  stamped some Dina men in  the "boxes" created by the Frosty paint 

stamped some more images from the same stamp set as the men (it's a set called You Are the Universe - the stones and the sentiment. 

Saturday of course, was Kew  

you know I love alliums!

the Canada goslings were huddling together 

and here's another Henry!  

I'll leave it there, blogger is being .... awkward  

happy WOYWW all 

WOYWW 884 17 and counting

Happy WOYWW week 884 - 17 years old ... I am quite sure Julia never thought when she created this group that it would last so long,but thanks to her for starting it  and thanks to Sarah for taking it on .  We have seen each other through good times and bad over the years.  

Sarah thought that it would be an idea to create an ATC to share on the desks this week without necessarily having a swap as we have in the past. 

This is the ATC I created for our 17th anniversary.  -  we have made good friends indeed. 

Sarah also suggested we try and find some atcs that we've received from Neet over the years, in her memory.  I did find one, from 2024 - she called it "What's on your Wash-line Wednesday"  

I do have more, but didn't have time to look them out -there is no organisation to the way I store things like this, they are just kept in envelopes all over the place,  and I was supposed to be having my new boiler installed this week and didn't have time to hunt through places they may have been put... 

The boiler hasn't actually BEEN installed this week as when the guy turned up Monday morning he took one look at the old boiler and said - "that's a 2-man job to get that off the wall, it's way too heavy for one"  and then looked outside at the wall where the flue exits (one storey up obviously as I live in a first floor maisonette) and said "you'll need scaffolding for that; you  need a health and safety assessment".    

you  may ask why this wasn't thought of at the time the first engineer took the photos to send to BGas before they rang the quote through with me.....  yes indeed.   me too.  

So, I did get a bit of journalling done last week 

it needs some kind of quote top right,  or something, to finish it off..  

Kew on Saturday saw the official opening of the Henry Moore: Monumental Art exhibition ....  they are fantastic..  the blog shows lots of them and they have removed the barriers, although some still have ropes so you can't get right up to them (to discourage climbing I think )

these are some of my favourites.. 

and yes, I did lie right down to take the middle one

sending you all love and good wishes for another year of WOYWW fun and friendship.   

WOYWW 883

 Hello, lovely deskers.  Time once again to gather for WOYWW - but today is a very sad day as we meet to remember our lovely Neet who we found out last week had passed away.  We all knew she had been very poorly and in and out of hospital since autumn, and whilst maybe not a surprise to hear the news, it was still a shock when we heard from Chas, her beloved husband.

Neet was such a vital part of our WOYWW group, taking part for many many years and attending crops, sharing her amazing cards,  and we will all miss her hugely.  

I have gone back through my photos of crops - but only seem to have a couple saved on my computer from the 2022 crop - I haven't got any more saved on the computer, but have trawled back through many years of WOYWW posts and can't find any others with Neet in 

this was Neet and Cindy crafting away

and Neet doing what we all do so well at crops - chatting, here to Annie and Jo.

Whilst going through files on my computer, I found one of the also much missed Shaz with Neet at the Happy Stampers show in Port Sunlight 2016

I look forward to seeing other memories of a wonderful WOYWWer .

I haven't done any crafting really, a part done journal page but it's un-photographed.  Two trips to Kew if you're interested - Friday, for the 1st of May and early openings   and Saturday also at 8 am 

take care all.  

WOYWW 882

 Welcome again for another Wednesday desk share - with Sarah for WOYWW 

I treated myself to some new Paperartsy stamps last week 

I got them from Stampers Grove as usual, superb service - more so because I managed to add 2 of one of them to my basket, but rather than just sending them, James messaged me to check and then offered to refund the payment.

All that and sent within a day, and when he was about to come down to London to run in the Marathon on Sunday. 

I carried on with the previous journal pages I'd been working on 

the face is another piece cut out of the Paperartsy tissue

I did however forget that the background was Distress Oxides, so of course when I added matte medium to the reverse to clue it down, the face turned yellow...and that was after I'd gesso'd it. 

still, it looks a bit funky (if jaundiced!)

I stamped and laboriously fussy cut two of the berry branches from the background - not something I'll be doing often, I can assure you... I did cut off some of the branches as they were too fiddly.

Saturday was gorgeous at Kew 

the swans were in attendance again 

the tulips under the (now finished blossoming) cherry trees were looking good, the earlier white variety have finished so it looks bit empty. 

Friday is 1st May (how!)  but which  delightfully sees the start of Kew's member early entry at 8am -   I have booked a long weekend round the Bank Holiday to get in an extra visit to enjoy the early light - hoping the showers now forecast, wil wait till I leave... 

I hope you are all keeping well or at least recovering!  Happy WOYWW.  

WOYWW 881

 Happy Wednesday, deskers.  Hope you are all well, and those that are not, are recovering.  Tis time to join with the WOYWW crowd again   

I have some upcoming birthdays in May, and used the theme I liked so much when i got these stamps,  deciding to repeat them (with new words though) 

I added some more stencilled layers to this page from last week, but still no main focal point has struck me yet. 

I seem to be in a very yellow/orange phase at present, it must be the spring bulbs popping up everywhere 

and yes, that stamp again!  I do love that grid stencil (it's the Paperartsy one I got a couple of weeks ago)  

you do need a light touch not to get splodges - this is ink so easier to manage, not tried it with paint yet

again, not added words, or a focal point

and the link for Kew,  which was colourful and bright last Saturday. 

the camassia are in full flower they are beautiful 

Kim got me in full "trying to get up again" mode on this one!

I did think about lying down for the shot but the ground was quite damp 

see you soon.  

WOYWW 880

 Happy Wednesday, deskers. It really doesn't feel five minutes since I was writing last week's post.. Head to Sarah's to find the linky tool and share your crafty doings!  

I didn't do much crafting  at the weekend - I was glued to the golf from early afternoon to midnight... 

I did start a double page in the Dina ledger journal, with my current favourite stencil in a couple of colours and then used some Paperartsy tissue carefully torn as a background layer.  This is the original tissue they produced as wrapping orders before launching sold versions! 

I was on my own at Kew last weekend as Kim was under the weather, and spent my morning seeking out Henry Moore sculptures that are popping up in time for the big exhibition that runs from 9 May to next year some time.  

this one was actually at Kew last time they featured Henry Moore - back in 2008 I found when I checked - then it was in front of the Palm House

it was damp to start with but did stop, though it wasn't very warm

I think this weekend is due to be drizzly again! 

and then after that it is back to the members 8am early entrance from 1 May - hurrah!!  

thanks for looking, I will come round soon; hope the kettle is on!  

WOYWW 879

 Happy WOYWW fellow deskers, I hope you all had a happy Easter and enjoyed some good weather. Head to Sarah's for the link and share what you've been up to.  

I used some of the new stamps in a journal page - filling the background with various of the text stamps and then stamping some of the other images separately and adding them.

I wanted to have a play with part of the map tissue, it proved a bit tricky to glue down (because I won't use a paintbrush with glue but a silicone brush which was a bit brutal for some of the tissue so i got a few holes.

I painted it with a mixture of watered down translucent paint (Paperartsy) and Mattints (glazes from Paperartsy)  which once dry looked better than wet..

I had 2 trips to Kew, the normal Saturday one when it was grey and cool, and Monday when it was beautifully sunny!  what a difference!  Enjoy the pics if you have time. 

Back to work now, so I'll catch you when I can 

WOYWW 878

 Welcome to another WOYWW and happy April fool's day. I hope you don't get tricked into anything nasty today!    As ever Sarah will have the link for you. 

I have new goodies today  Paperartsy release time last week! 

stamps, a stencil and some tissue












I opened the tissue so you could see the whole thing - it's a map of Paris from 1615 and is gorgeous. You should have seen the way Leandra used it in a journal page - when you add colour the features really pop. 

I did get as far as stamping out the images too 

but no time to play 

I've got the new Versafine Clair inks on order now - I only say they were being launched at the end of the week and had to have them... hoping they come before Easter. 

Kew was of course lovely on Saturday although cold. 

so much blossom 

and wonderful blue skies.

thanks for looking,  I will be round soon to check your crafty goings on. 

Sending love to Neet for continued recovery.