WOYWW 242 Nope, I did not it is 243

I hope I got the number right.  Pop on over to the Stamping Ground to find out.

We had a stamping party at Mary's last Saturday and people played around with the Julie Nutting dolls, made a quick Christmas card (really!), experimented with the WeRMemory Keepers box boards and were asked to zentangle or decorate on a mug.

This is what Rachel produced on her mug - rather superb I think:

and here is a picture of one of the dolls made by Cindee who is brilliant with watercolours and showed us all how she builds a shadow around her image

I had a visit from two of my favourite little girls but unfortunately one would not stay still long enough for me to get a photograph so here is Shellbee who loves to lick your feet

Right, I will leave it there for today, relatively short for Julia, but here is the obligatory desk picture

This just shows that as how huge your desk is you always end up with a small space to work in.  This is my space on a table that has eight chairs down either side.  Get the picture?

Now going out so I guess I will post and hope someone will link me as it will be early morning in England when I get back.  Oh heck!  Here goes - posting on a Tuesday afternoon from California.

Nearly missed 242 of WOYWW

Gosh, I am confused and cannot seem to remember that I should post on a Tuesday evening whilst over here.  Did not have a good day yesterday but will skip that as this morning I seem much better.

Consequently not done much, I must be the houseguest from hell with all this not being up and running the whole time.  However I did get some bits and pieces done for Mary.  I did a Prima/Julie Nutting doll on a tag and drew some without clothes, both little jobs for my hostess.  Then I zentangled (or whatever we are allowed to call it) on a mug.  This was something they had been doing at CHA and Mary loved it so thought it would be good to do in a class.  I am no zenner but I managed to do something which impressed Mary.  We now have one sample.  I am going to sit with my feet elevated and do another this morning.

In the meantime here are a couple of shots from CHA (sorry you have to click on the photos to get a proper view, not sure what I am doing on this iPad)

Not sure about the first picture but the last two were from DCWV.  Do any of you remember the ones they did a couple of years ago?  The beautiful peacock and the trees with all the paper birds and things inside glass balls?  Some of you may even remember the dresses they had the time before.  Those were mind blowing.  Sadly the displays throughout were not as spectacular as they have been - a sign of the times I guess.

I didn't get to see my favourite artist who gave me that beautiful fan last year as Viva did not have a stand, well, I didn't see one.  Again a sign of the times.

Well, guess you want to see what is on my desk. That is what this is all about after all.  I re painted the front cover of my album as it was not black enough in my opinion.  Made a start on the inside bit nothing great to show you.  Here it is

Now pop along to see what everyone else has posted on WOYWW.

The Year of the Horse - An Artful Times Challenge

This January the Chinese Communities will be celebrating the Year of the Horse.  Because I love anything and everything to do with China I just had to have something on Artful Times at a time to coincide with the Chinese new Year.

Chrissie and Von have both included Horses on their Design Pieces but I don't think it really matters as long as we make it Asian, or preferably something to do with China.  Why not pop along to Artful Times and see what has been said, visit the other blogs and join in.  We would love to see your entries.

Will you be going along to some of the celebrations in a town/city near you?  The official weekend is the 31st January so you have lots of time to make your card in readiness.  I love the firecrackers and the dragon dance, the food they sell on the street corners and just the splendour of the costumes that some of the children wear.  Fingers crossed I get to go to Chinatown in LA this year as it is much larger than Manchester where I normally go.

A View of Ranger and Graphic 45 Stands

It's way past my bedtime so I thought the simplest post would be to just upload Ranger and Graphic 45 stands?  Both contained beautiful work which is more or less self explanatory so no effort required from me but lots of eye candy for you.  Click to see full picture.

Kicking off with the man himself who needs no introduction.  You will not believe me when I say I took this photo to show you his desk lamp.  It can be controlled remotely, think he said it has two settings as well as "off".  Not cheap and I missed who makes it but he likes it so no doubt you will see it on his blog soon.

Now to the Designers Showcase - caught some of the names but apologies for the ones I missed.

Finnabair

Dyan Reavley

Guess who?

.

Rochelle Christensen

Now to some display boards

And now to Graphic 45

Isn't that porcelain face amazing?

I'll leave it there for now.  Time I got some sleep.  Hope you enjoy the photos!

WOYWW 241 and update on CHA

Well, it is over with for another year for me.  Safe back at my friend, Mary's, and so glad of it.  The hotel was fine but they had those lilies in the foyer, you know with the powerful scent?  Well I have problems with them - and the smell made my breathing even worse.  Had to have the air con dismantled in my room as I woke up the first morning unable to breathe - it was panic stations I can tell you.

Anyway, to the show.  Those of you who read my blog the other day will know I went to the new exhibitors first of all and raved about one or two of the products.  Here is a photo of the booth with the Unless Bottles - and I now have one to take home with me so no doubt I will be showing you all what I have done with it when I am back in Blighty.

I took Chas to look at the bottles on Monday and we entered into the draw for a Kindle.  We didn't win, but at least I got a terrific sample of the bottles.  The guy and this lovely young lady were really chuffed I had blogged them - I hope they look again today now that a photo is up.

And here is the cute guy with the pens.  The guy on the right is fantastic working with these pens and his drawings are fabulous.  Guess he is shy as he looked away.

Today (for those in UK) my desk is totally empty as I just rested all day and I still am not doing anything but watching Netflix as I want to get my swollen legs back to normal.  So hoping Julia does not mind I will show you a sample of what I made with Candy - this is hers and mine will be worked on later today.

Now I will leave you with some Ninja Crystal stuff that was exhibited here and there around the front edge of the show

all encrusted with crystal!!

Tomorrow, when I get up I hope to blog some more - including Ranger stuff (don't fret) - but I will leave you with the new Spellbinders tool - a brush to get those bits out of the dies, a paddle to help loosen the die and a pointy tool for the hard to get bits.  Want one - just hope Tracey saves me one.

Hi from CHA - New Exhibitors

Second time of composing this as I hadn't realised and it sent my post to another blog.  Drat!

Spent all Saturday looking at the new exhibitors and found quite a few products that interested me.  I think my favourite has to be the pens.  

With just one pen "create tones from just a hint of tint to pastels and mid tones to rich tones". These pens are double ended, each pen has a mixing chamber, are refillable, have replaceable nibs, are quick drying, have a low odour and are alcohol based.  Did I say, they come in twenty vibrant colours so no need to collect and store loads of pens.  Want to know more?  Then visit www.chameleonap.com.  Plus the guy from the UK is so cute - oh forgot to tell you, they come from the UK.

Paper Nest Dolls are real cute stamps.  Now you know I don't do cute but I thought they might appeal to some of you and they have just branched out into dies as accessories.  The embossing on these dies has to be seen, it is really good and I don't think will show on a picture.  Owen and Ellie are two of the characters which you can see on www.the-paper nest.com.

When we travelled over, the handle broke on our small cabin bag (new but cheap from Argos) and I forgot to ask Mary for some parcel tape.  Glad I didn't as I now have some "Amazing Tape" which they describe as "It's tape, but it's not".  There is no sticky adhesive, it wraps around and adheres to itself, is clear and reusable.  One repaired suitcase handle.  Contact www.amazingtape.com.

Nine Lives Products make glue.  Now I have two of their products to test when I get home.  These glues are made from recycled materials and they take styrofoam that has held white goods and turn it into their glues.  Less landfill.  Pop over to www.ninelivesproducts.com for more info and you might see two blocks of concrete stuck together - I could not part them!

Having problems getting bracelets fastened on your wrist?  You need the Bracelet Valet designed by Reenie alongside her "easy knotter" which allows you to make even spaced knots on your jewellery in minutes.  Try www.designsbyreenie.com for brief tutorials and more info.

Do you buy water in plastic bottles?  Does it bother you that plastic bottle pollution gets worse by each day.  Then try "Unless" water.    These bottles serve multiple purposes.  After you have drunk the water you can cut the bottle and screw it to another empty Unless bottle and go on and on, if you want, until you can store your gift wrap rolls/mulberry paper inside.  Or have a small one to hold a ball of your favourite fibre - www.unlesswater.com shows you how it is done.

Composi-mold is a heat and pour mold making material.  Melt in the microwave and pour over and around the object you wish to have a mold of.  Made in three different products

Original flexible which can be reused up to 35 times,

food contact for chocolate and fondant

Power mold with a shore hardness of approx 25 at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  Ideal for polymer clay.

Want to know more the visit www.composimold.com

Now for another set of cute stamps that come in both clear and red rubber.

 The delightful big-eyed girls come from designer Sherri who began creating by dressing dolls.  Now she has this wonderful line of stamps ... And more.  Meet the artist:

Sherri has also begun to branch out into dies and it was good to see how the cutting edge was right up to the edge of the die for perfect alignment.

Not only does she have the stamps but she also has fabric blocks and I fell in love with this apron in my last picture.  The tee shirts she had printed with her designs were exquisite and I can just imagine every little girl wanting someone to print them one.

WOYWW 240 Eight Hours Behind

Here I am, in sunny California and it is the early hours of Wednesday here but I realise it will be 1 pm where I normally am.

Some of you may remember my showing you the various desks of my friend when I have been over in the past years, well here is a little shot of what we have been doing this trip - part of a large desk.

Mary has all the new Punch Boards for making boxes so we sat the other day and made samples of each one of them.  My favourite was the Gift Box in the foreground but Mary liked the gift bag (on the right) best of all.  We had a laugh trying out the various instructions, in fact we got quite silly.  Think we need to work a bit more on the Pillow Box as the ones we did ended up with "ears" on.

On Friday we leave for CHA.  Not sure how much I will manage as my breathing is not good at all.  I only have three classes this year so am going to make a list of which stands I want to go to and visit them rather than trying to do the whole floor.  No worries though, I do hope to get around to the ones that usually have fabulous displays so there will be some eye candy for you next week.

Hope those of you back home are safe with all this terrible weather you are, and have been, having.  Makes me feel a bit guilty that I am here in the sunshine but Monday it was very windy when we went to Joanne's in search of the elusive Graphic 45 fabric.  Yesterday was calmer but cooler so who knows what today will bring.

Right, it is almost 5 am so will leave it there.  Take care all of you as where you are and what weather you are having.  Hugs to Julia and all you WOYWW'ers out there from a bog-eyed Neet.

Artful Times - Goes for Shades of Blue

Back to a full complement with Von rejoining after her break and with a warm welcome to Chrissie who has joined us on the DT. 

Well our neighbour called two nights ago, quite upset as she had had to have her little cat put to sleep that very day.  Sadly Pepsi had a tumour on her lower jaw and it was beginning to look quite a mess and must have been painful so Carol did the kindest thing and had her put to sleep.  It is not long ago that Pepsi's brother Max had to be put to sleep because he was deteriorating badly with CRF.  So sad - we will miss them too.

Anyway I made her this BLUE card to say I was sorry and was thinking of her:

I used Pan Pastels for the background with a piece of torn paper so that I got gradations in the colour and then I used Denim Adirondack for the stamping.  Simple, but I always think effective, for a card of this nature.

I also had a Stitched Star Book ready for this challenge and so here it is - not easy to photograph but you might get the general picture.

View from above to show the star shape

then the pages

all in shades of blue
using various ink pads along the way

Now what will you make for our blue challenge - pop over to Artful Times and see what the other two have made (then visit their blogs to see how they did them) and please read our Rules and Guidelines so that we can comment on your blog.  Remember there is a prize each month from Oyster Stamps.

Happy New Year WOYWW'ers (239) - and Everyone Else

Happy New Year! 

from a fairly clean desk for a change.  I am all packed up and ready to go.  Have been sewing these patches of TH material on the front of my bag.  I have loads (read loads and loads) of handbags - a bit of a handbag fanatic really - but I always use my little canvas one.  Wanted to use one to hold my iPad but didn't want the heaviness of leather so I bought this canvas one in Germany.  It had a bulldog on the front with sparkly sunglasses and as I am not a sparkly person I removed it.  To find a drawing underneath of an incomplete bulldog!!!  A bit sticky too!

Then I remembered these little squares I had bought and so I set to and covered the front.  There's lots I would have done differently had I had the time (and inclination - full of a cold) with the fabric but who knows, I may still do it at a later date (I bet!!).  Had to show you something so here is the bag but what is that lurking at the side?

My lovely friend Jo came to see me before Christmas and she brought me this twizzy bin.  It folds completely flat.  It got used for all my bits of cotton when I was sewing and no waits to be twizzed down and put away.  Isn't it super!

Well, must get on, had four Pernod and Cokes last night and cannot believe they did not affect me - and I am a non-drinker.  It tasted like fizzy pop which is why I had so much - nearly all Coke though.  So that made for a good night's sleep, hope I get some tonight ready for my early morning ride.

Done a house swap for a few weeks so I will be writing to you next week from a  different location.  In the meantime you all take care and my very Best Wishes for a Happy, Peaceful and Healthy 2014.  (Am sure if all the Countries' Leaders and Presidents/PM's took up crafting we would be living in a much happier world)