WOYWW 859

 Here we are again, Wednesday and time for WOYWW... 

Sarah has the link at Sarah's Craftshed  

I put a few more Christmas cards together,  not had another count up but think there may be just about enough now.

when we were at Kew on Saturday we took advantage of a members 20% discount week (double the normal 10%)  and did a (very little) Christmas shopping. .   but I also treated myself to a Christmas tree...

it's made of fabric scraps and I'd seen it a few weeks ago 

as you know, i don't have space for a proper sized tree and this will do nicely  on a window sill.  

I also bought myself a gorgeous Amaryllis bulb which I must plant up!  

we also discovered that you can walk across the bridge that's been built across the Palm House pond (it was even open to do so during the day)  and you get a great view of the lights on it close up 

we saw our colourful friend Goldie the Golden pheasant in the woodland too. 

it brightened up a very dull (but luckily dry) day.

That's  it for me this week, Happy WOYWW  and sending continued good recovery wishes to Neet. 

 

WOYWW 858

 Welcome back, it's Wednesday again - so time for WOYWW - head to Sarah's for the link. 

Thanks all for your wishes for my eye - the stye cleared up and all is fine now.

I can't quite remember why I did nothing much at the weekend for the Christmas card production - just 2 and some fussy cutting 

and some colouring of the JoFY monster... I have an idea how I am going to a couple of them on a card

I did remember to get a glue stick during the week, too.  

Today (well Tuesday) at work we were delighted to receive a thank you from a happy client whose mortgage we sorted - they sent 4, one of them for me

and yes, the empty hamper will be very useful too!

it's so  nice to be appreciated. 

Kew on Saturday was fabulous as ever, getting ready for this year's Christmas at Kew light trail so we got some sneak peaks - the pond at the Palm House was gorgeous bathed in sun (when it eventually arrived) 

the surface is covered in these lights - we think they're meant to look like waterlilies and in the sun who needs the dark and being lit up!  

it opens this Friday so no doubt on Saturday there will be more sneak peaks, even in daylight.

Thanks for looking, and see you at a desk near you soon .  I do hope Neet is recovering and there is news of her this week. 

WOYWW 857

 Happy November..(who stole the year?)  another week flew by and it's time for WOYWW again.  Anyone can join in - head to Sarah's for the link

I didn't get so many cards put together last weekend, I had to go speak to the pharmacist in Boots on Sunday as I had a sore eye - it's just a stye and is getting better now 

then whilst I was out I forgot to get a new Pritt Stick glue that had run out - the real reason not many card got put together.

I did these with wet glue just to get some more finished.

the weather at Kew on Saturday was fabulous, mild and sunny and just perfect. It made the colours pop!

we finally found some Fly Agaric mushrooms in amongst the grass near Queen Charlotte's Cottage - bucket list ticked

there were 3 or 4 altogether 

but the sun through the leaves was just magical.

Happy WOYWW to you all, and hoping Neet is doing better.  

WOYWW 856

I can't believe it is Wednesday again and time for WOYWW ... as always Sarah has the link to join in 

I bought more goodies... Alison Bomber had some new stamps and stencils out with Paperartsy.. I only got one of the stencils (such restraint!!!) 

I've not had a chance to play with the stamps yet 

although  I did stamp each set out 

Straight from the laminated sheet they come on - something Alison said in her FB launch that she does just to get an idea..

but then it was back to Christmas cards...

I got 2 paper cuts in making these from attempting to remove tightly packed card from storage boxes... blood was shed on one of the card blanks before I realised but luckily some judicious stencilling hid the damage!  

so there are another 13 made, and I found some small square envelopes to use for 3 others... I need about another 14 or 15 so well on the way. 

Kew on Saturday started chilly, but was sunny.. for a while

Loved the shadows of the vines 

sadly the blue sky didn't last all morning, but long enough for some great Yoshino Cherry backdrop

the heron has such a funny face!

thanks for looking, happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 855

 Hello again deskers,  time for another WOYWW with Sarah and the gang.. 

first off the new goodies... the new Dina journal - smaller size; (about 6 x 9 inch) with watercolour paper.  Not had time to play yet  some more collage tisssue - photographed the back of the pack this time so you might (if you enlarge it) be able to see all the designs!  

I spent a fair part of Sunday cutting down images and assembling Christmas  cards

22 in total!

it took almost as long to find the right colour card blanks for the images I'd prepped!  

before that of course, it was Kew on Saturday

there was no blue in the sky, but the trees were gorgeous..

and a gull kept a close eye on me on the bench by the lake!  

and we sat under red leaves for our refreshments!

I'll be round soon to see what you've been up to

Happy WOYWW 

WOYWW 854

 Happy Wednesday, lovely peeps.  Time already for another WOYWW with Sarah 

I had hoped to have new goodies today but they are still in transit from Harrogate.. yes, that means Art From the Heart which means Dina!!  ah well, something to look forward to for next week's desk (email says due to arrive Weds pm...) 

I did stamp out the new JoFY minis at the weekend  

and I even put together a single Christmas card...

one down,  many more to go! 

and cut up some card to serve as backing for some of the previously stamped images.

didn't get too far with that, and not sure I'll do more this way - will try and find some suitably sized card blanks (I don't have many white small cards left amazingly)  and my pre-scored coloured cards are not the right colours for what i stamped out (typically!)  

Was back to Kew on a regular Saturday last week, although engineering works meant I had to go by bus there and back, which is a pain (I use the bus in the summer as they get me there for 8 and the trains don't run early enough for the first part of my journey at that time of day and then get the train home)  Still there are trains this week and next, I've already checked! 

lots of gorgeous leaf colour again 

and a new exhibition in the gallery, featuring Indian twins the Singh Twins.  For some reason, both Kim and I had assumed they'd be brothers but no, twin sisters!   Can't explain why, and very presumptuous of us  

the post on "photosbyh" has a link to the Kew website feature about them.  

the artwork was stunning, and brightly coloured.  

It's on for several months so I will have time to have a good look at it. 

Thanks for dropping by, enjoy your week, and happy WOYWW 

WOYWW 853 OMG she's started C..mas

Welcome to another WOYWW - hope you're all well.  Head to Sarah's for the link... 

 I was at a loose end on Saturday because my Kew buddy Kim and I (wrongly as it turned out) assumed Storm Amy would force Kew to stay closed...  so once it sunk in properly that it was October I decided I'd better start getting some Christmas cards sorted... well, started, anyway

I got stuck into some masterboards - the big (A3) sheets are quite thin sheets from a cheap paper pad I bought from The Works lots of years ago, the A4 sheet is much thicker weight card.

I used my favourite Magenta wooden stamps I tend to go to for Christmas  

and I stamped out 9 A4 sheets of designs (mostly Paperartsy JoFY mini stamps 

I tried to get them all in one photo... but you can't really see them 

I have plans for the grid squares and the little hearts and stars..

so here's a couple closer

these are actually designs by Sara Naumann, for Paperartsy from several years ago, I've used these lots 

lots of different colour ways 

must have photographed them in bad light on Saturday!

Now all I have to do is cut them down to individual images and find enough matching or contrasting card blanks to mount them on. 

Just before I stamped that lot out, I also gave in and ordered 

some of the new JoFY minis launched a couple of weeks ago (I was SO not going to buy any more Christmas stamps, but I happened to see a blog post from a Paperartsy contributor that gave me so many ideas..

they arrived whilst I was writing this post during Bake Off, (just as I was checking my emails and thinking, oh they haven't been delivered... postman was late today obviously; unless they went through the wrong door... )

whilst I was giving in to temptation I added the leafy stencil (one of Alison Bomber's that was out of stock when i wanted it before) just because it was there!

we did go to Kew on Sunday - you didn't think I'd miss a weekend completely, did you?!  the weather was stunning  but I really don't like to go on Sundays because I feel I don't have a weekend; Sunday is my chill day.  

The colours were glorious, rich reds and oranges in the trees

taken through the gate whilst waiting for opening 

love the colour of these 

my favourite autumn spot 

Thanks for looking, happy WOYWW; 

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 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