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 871

 Hello deskers.  I will try and link correctly this week -  I am not sure what happened.  Anyhow, welcome to what will undoubtedly be  another wet and windy day on the desks... I don't know about you but I have had just about enough wet now!!   Head to Sarah's for the link up... 

Anyway, let#s get to the floor.

i spent a few hours on Sunday stamping and colouring 

I used my Prismacolour Premier pencils.  I wish I had more colours - when I bought them I got a set of 48 (I think in total there are about 150)  because at the time I couldn't afford the full set but I do regret it now... I can't find anywhere who sells different colours in different sets.  so it's either put up with "just" 48 or bite the bullet and buy the full lot and have duplicates.... 

and then fussy cutting, a load of cosmos from Alison Bomber's set released a few months ago.   

I couldn't believe how long it took to do them all!  

my sister in law and niece have birthdays next week within a day of each other, so I had some cards to make.... 

very simple but they'll do... the bird in it's nest is for my paramedic niece, and the flowers for my sister in law. 

and there are plenty of flowers left for more cards in the future. 

the blue egg shaped thing next to them is my kitchen timer for Sunday's dinner... 

you may have seen from my FB posts on Saturday that the annual Orchid festival started at Kew - its been going 30 years unbelievably!  

they have an incredible team of people who put hours in making the displays 

the pandas (this year's featured nation is China)  were adorable 

and there was lots of colour from the orchids.

I'll be back again this week with another look

Till then, happy WOYWW !  

WOYWW 843

 Hello and happy WOYWW deskers.  Sarah has the link to join in and share your craft spaces.. 

I was in card making mode at the weekend as I have some birthdays and a wedding anniversary to make for.

I am obsessed withe the coneflower stamps by Alison Bomber... I think I even prefer them to her poppies!

despite the fact that I don't like fussy cutting, I made lots of extras to keep me going for a while!  

i had some leftover background that I repurposed from a few weeks ago.

I was about to spoil the surprise with the final birthday card... that'll have to wait!

Kew on Saturday was dry after the previous soaking, luckily! 

Goldie came out to play

a new area - the Carbon Garden - has opened.

we loved this mushroom in the centre. 

Thanks for looking,and  happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 837

 Hello again lovely deskers. Welcome back for another WOYWW . Come join in at   Sarah's  

I hope you all had a great week... 

I made a couple of birthday cards 

the background was made months ago, I have no idea what the sprays are - probably Tim Holtz distress

this was another piece, already had the texture paste stencilled on... just added some of the solid Dina stamps

then I started another journal page...

stencils are all Seth Apter for Stencil Girl... 

Saturday was of course, Kew   the wildflower bed is beautiful 

I think the Saturday coming will be trying to avoid the heat..

Thanks for dropping by, I'll be round to see what you've been up to. 

WOYWW 788

 Hello deskers,  happy WOYWW to you all.  Another week flew by and it is time to meet up at Sarah's for the weekly desk hop. 

I took my birthday cards down at the weekend and thought to photograph the hand-made ones.(not all deskers) 

top left, LLJ, Miriam,

bottom left my cousin Angela (collage of her photographs) Lesley and Cindy. 

in between football, tennis and Formula 1 at the weekend I made a journal page on a linen page in the original Dina Wakley journal.

based on something she did in one of her supporter FB live posts. 

Saturday at Kew was wet - very different to the previous weekend (most of the week has been wet, it's getting boring now)

it was a water drop kind of day! 

though it did stop for about 20 minutes!  

I'll be along to check out your desks soon.  

WOYWW 777

 Happy WOYWW deskers... time to share our crafty creative messes  spaces again . Head to Julia's The Stamping-Ground for all the details.

I didn't get much done this week at all; Sunday started early with the F1 grand prix then the London Marathon, then football, so it was a bit sporty! (best way, all from the sofa!) 

but I used a little of the new Versafine inks (in the background) for a birthday card,

the flowers are die cut from the leftover half of the Distress inked paper from last week!

close up...

i did start another card but only got as far as a background with the inks and painted with the Mattint glazes. 

I forgot to photograph it in daylight and when I used flash it wrecked the colours so this is a very dark non flash-lit version! 

the card blank is cream, not white, in case you wondered.

I tried to make an image for a focal point but didn't like what turned out so that has been put to one side...

Kew at the weekend was colourful, if cold.  when is Spring going to warm (and dry) up....! 

the sun did try and come out for a while, just in time for some tulip shining 

and it was nice to see the laburnum arch coming into flower. 

I may be late getting round to see you this week as it is haircut day (only the cut though) after work,   so I may be a bit late home. 

Till then, happy WOYWW and happy crafting. 

WOYWW 727

 Hello deskers!  time to join Julia at the Stamping-Ground for another WOYWW - just a week to go before the anniversary.  My atcs are ready and I still have some to swap. 

Did you watch the Coronation?  Wasn't it fabulous? We really do know how to put on a good show.  Beautiful music, costumes, bling, and the procession afterwards back to Buckingham Palace - what a sight! How the mounted musicians manage to ride and play whilst steering the horses with their feet, leaves me in awe!

But,  you're here to see a desk... or some crafting....

I made up a couple of birthday cards with the images from last week - this one is in the post -   

had to cut a bit off so it fitted the card blank - I remembered why I rarely use this gorgeous image now -   and added some splatters, because, why not...

the smaller image, was layered up.. and then didn't have a pre-made blank so had to go through the boxes of card to find a piece of blue card...

needless to say I now don't have an envelope to fit....

hey ho!  

 

My Kew day at the weekend, was Sunday - at least I didn't get wet -  

I do love an iris!  

Thanks for looking (hopefully this will save, my internet has been a bit iffy whilst writing this and keeps telling me it is failing to save..) 

I'll be round to see your desks soon.  

Happy WOYWW  

WOYWW 726

Welcome back, one and all.  It's Wednesday again which can mean only one thing... time to share all our creativity in the last week with Julia at the Stamping-Ground...  well that won't take long!

I spent both Saurday and bank holiday Monday mornings at Kew (Monday saw the return of the members 8am early opening, which you probably remember from previous years I love, despite getting up at 5 am for...)  So an extra visit was made! 

I did stamp some images for a possible birthday card - did some heat embossing, for the first time in yonks  - although it turns out my black ink pad needs re-inking (don't have it's re-inker...) so didn't work very well...so I swapped to a juicier deep blue pad... 

just need to turn them into a birthday card now! or 3, maybe 

I did finish the green/blue one I shared last time, but realise I've posted it without taking a picture of the final image .. ah well!

so, to the Kew bit... Saturday - glorious sun and blue sky - on this post  and Monday - grey and cooler - on this one 

several of you probably saw some of the peeks on FB or the posts already - thank you.

from Monday

from sunny Saturday!

Now don't all faint, but I'm not going to Kew this coming Saturday.

I will go on Sunday though, after enjoying the King's Coronation on Saturday (on TV, obviously, not actually there!).  It just isn't the same if you don't watch it live.  

Thanks for dropping by and I'll see you soon.  

WOYWW 724

 The weeks are flying by and it's Wednesday again!  Time for another WOYWW and one closer to the latest anniversary..  Check the info at Julia's  

i made some more atcs for swapping but I should probably keep them a bit secret... 

I abandoned the cards I'd started last time (or possibly the time before)  (one is torn up and in the bin from my attempts to finish it!)

i did get one made from start to.... well nearly finish, it needs a greeting yet)  

it was time to dig out a very old wooden stamp for the focal image.and is by Stampington 

then I took some Paperartsy stamps by Seth Apter that I hadn't used since I bought them a few weeks ago and covered a sheet of paper in a pink Versafine Clair ink... next stage is still in my head!!

Saturday was of course, Kew day.. and as you may have seen the "colour matching Helen's new haircut to blossom" game 

is't this a beautiful colour!!  

we've had a stressful couple of days at work with IT issues following an unknown-to-us move by BT to switch us from one server to another.... cue no phones, internet.... yikes!  

Spent Tuesday hotspotting off my mobile data to get access to the systems.... does nothing for my data allowance

I was late leaving the office on Tuesday as our IT support firm were attempting to log in remotely to do something or other to get my mobile to recognise the work phone system... as the office phones (and internet) burst back into life!

So hopefully I will be able to visit you at lunchtime to check out your desks!

Happy WOYWW  and down with technology problems.  

WOYWW 711 on a roll

Welcome deskers - Wednesday already again.. time for WOYWW  with Julia at the Stamping-Ground. All welcome.

I was on a bit of a roll on Sunday, had some birthday cards to make and decided to play with the new stencils from a couple of weeks ago.

the recipients won't see this post as although they're crafters they don't check my blog,,,

the first is for a friend who is nursing her husband in his final weeks and so "happy" birthday didn't seem appropriate for a sentiment....

the colours are bundled sage and speckled egg distress oxide,  and a small sweep of frayed burlap for shading

this is speckled egg for the stencilling on the background and the stamping is medieval blue  (versafine clair) 

a chance to use the new Paperartsy set I got before Christmas

then I went to the journals...

 one of Dina's supporters that I follow on You Tube (Claire Stead, art_journal love)  shared her love of this colour combination a while ago - peacock, turquoise and orchid paints (Dina's paints) 

the stencil is the new "twisted forest" from Stencil Girl from a couple  of weeks ago.

and I used it randomly over a black background in the journal -  love the colours over black!

Claire also inspired this one, which is a work in progress,  just black and white.. stencils by Dina, over black.  

will add some stamping at some stage... probably!

and again, the first stencil, the poppy seed heads, in a different colourway, on watercolour paper

I think these were uncharted mariner and villainous potion as watercolours 

Not had such a productive time for ages!

Finally Kew on Saturday - a bit of rain, but missed the one torrential downpour by timing a walk through the Temperate House at just the right ten minutes!

love the shapes of the Monkey Puzzle tree branches 

inside the Temperate House during the downpour.

Thanks for looking,  I'll be along shortly....

Happy WOYWW