WOYWW 505 - enabler alert (again)

Er... sorry!  been spending pennies again.  But before I share, let me welcome you back for another Wednesday desk hop... time to share all with Julia here 

So....

  this time I bought the new thinlet wildflower dies, 5 to a set this time, and a friend wanted to know the difference in size to the others - the ones on the right are the original smaller ones (7 to  a set) and the ones on the left are the Bigz dies.

 then I thought you'd need to see them all in their packaging for a bit more of an idea.

sorry about the glare on the pic.  and the smaller pack has some spares inside kept safe for use on a project!

Seems the best place to store die cuts...

 I had a couple of friends who had birthdays recently, so I used the original smallest thinlets (as the others hadn't come and the bigz didn't fit the card blank I was using!)


both ended up being very similar






I have more goodies on pre-order but it'll be a while till they come (the Distress Oxide sprays, I couldn't resist in the end, even though I swore I didn't need more sprays... but having seen them in demos I caved.....
I am also very tempted (to the extend that they are sat in a virtual shopping basket) with the new Seth Apter Baked Velvet  embossing powders.. also a pre-order... by the time you read this they may have been purchased too!    Till next week,  happy desking! 

In case you missed it, last Saturday was SUNNY and Kew was beautiful... lots of pics on the other blog (here)  but here's my favourite to tempt you over...

I love the duck that sped through my shot!  

Journal play time

So I had to use my new Wildflower die by Tim Holtz - the Bigz one...  the individual flowers measure about 6 inches so quite a bit bigger than the regular images.

I cut a few from different papers from my rather large stash (still taking care not to use favourite stroking only pages...)

 I started by sponging lightly some brown shades of distress oxide to get a bit of rough colour on the page, I didn't want total coverage.

I then added some Dreamweaver crackle paste through the Crafters Workshop brick wall stencil and let it dry.  I didn't think it's crackled much, it's a very subtle crackle but it is there

 I added some distress oxides to some of the die cuts (I had done one on plain card stock but added some extra colour to some of the patterned paper too)


 once happy with the layout I glued them down (at least with the Bigz dies they are a whole heap less fiddly to glue than the thinlet wildflowers






Added some stamping (Kaisercraft script) in Peat Moss archival ink and some rings using ground espresso on a bottle top

 Used the smaller of the tattered butterfly die, this was on a different sheet of paper to the flowers that had some mauvey script in the print, so I smooshed the butterfly in some purple distress oxide

edged the border with ground espresso DO and added chitchat stickers for the sentiment

WOYWW 441

Hi, fellow deskers.  Welcome to another What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday... I am still having to force myself to keep at the Christmas cards..

 A little pile of cards I've made  this week, (well at the weekend really) although I have made the fatal mistake of not getting out my wordy Christmas stamps to stamp inside as I go (I never use inserts, just can't be faffed!) 


some colouring being done too on the sheet on the left. and at top just under the teetering box of "stuff" are some of the trees I was using last time
On the craft mat you can see some dies...

so here is the pic I took of them (ready for today) when they arrived..

3 new Seth Apter dies for his Spellbinders range, and a stamp - it is called French Script ... it's quite a Gothic style so you can't (well, I can't) make out any of the words... but will make a good background. 


So, I should be eating dinner and getting some more colouring done (writing this before Tuesday dinner!)  - we'll see if that happens! 

Had a slightly damp trip to Kew on Saturday (couldn't miss two in a row) and snapped some great raindrop shots (they are all here if you have time)  but I'll leave you with my favourite to whet your appetite...

Happy desk day!! 

WOYWW 440 - Christmas has started!

wow, Wednesday again!!  Time to hit some desks - Julia's waiting!
I didn't go to Kew last Saturday (it was forecast heavy rain - although in the end it was nowhere near as heavy as that...could have gone after all)  but instead pottered around.. went shopping

called into the Works.. as you do.  been keeping an eye out for those wooden tulips for months, some Works version of Enamel Accents - 3d pearl paint, and some Christmas curling ribbons which will either make it to embellish some gift wrapping or may go on some cards or even a mixed media project or other!

Sunday I finally started some Christmas cards...

 using some Paperartsy stamps by Jo Firth Young and Elena's Zinski ranges






I also started a couple of sheets of tissue with some brayered Pebeo iridescent paints...

 on the way home from work tonight I had an idea to use a Memory Box die of some fir trees...










so I have a sheet full of trees die cut... my first idea to add snow (in the form of a slightly glittery texture paste) is drying on the card base top right...




My next idea was to spray some of the trees with a white Lindy's Stampgang spray to add the snow...

we'll see how that turns out!

Thanks for the comments about stamping the skulls - I have and indeed had thought of using, the long cutting platform as the mount.  will give it a go

Watch this space!   Till then, happy desk hopping - see you at the Stamping-Ground

WOYWW 436 - more shoppng

Hi, deskers.  It's time for another desk fest.  Link as always at Julia's gaff. ..

Thanks for all your visits last week..
I haven't put ink to the new stamps yet... but as the title suggests, have done more shopping!  I did say last week I was in a 'shopping' phase... I can go ages and then - bam! 
I bought 2 pairs of new boots the other Sunday (see, it's not only crafty shopping I'm in the mood for!) one for walking at Kew as my previous pair were leaking, and one in the most lush burgundy suede (totally impractical but had to have them)
but you don't want to see them, you want to see my desk!

 3 lots of shopping to be precise!

a Tim stencil and die,  (Country View Crafts) some Stampotique wooden stamps (love that they still do wooden mounts)

and a couple of Carabelle studio stamps.  the one on the right, a French text plate, is totally unmounted and designed for printing on the gelli plate with.   (That's Crafty)

Not that I've opened the gelli plate yet!

the Stampotiques came beautifully wrapped - and yes, I saved the tape - well from one parcel, the other one it was stuck fast
(Artist Trading Post, Sue Tucker took over the store after Jamie and Kasia gave it up to concentrate on the Wanderlust online classes. Great service from Sue as always)

I like to do by enabling bit for you all! 




Saturday last week saw me once again visit Kew... taking another 400 plus photos and walking 10k... Julia, you'd be very welcome to join me there one weekend, we don't have to walk that far!