WOYWW 338

This is going to be short and sweet - well short anyway - too busy to do anything other than.  Photo one is staged as I put the lights out and used those battery operated candles in the churches - sorry did not have enough - now got to go and get some more.

The real desk shows a bird's eye view of my little village of churches.  Other bits and bobs on the desk as I am turning them into cards (hopefully).  That's a birthday card at the back - love that die and made a card for a friend's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday Jeannie, somebody tell her, she doesn't go on my blog) in a similar vein but forgot to take a photograph.

So it's die-cutting all the way at the moment and then I might get down to some more cards later but tomorrow I am off for a super duper night out (hopefully) - VIP Invite no less.  Will blog it later but got a mad busy week ahead so will have to see.

In the meantime ho on over to see what Julia is up to and join in the great blog hop that takes place every Wednesday - you are sure to make friends.

WOYWW 337

What a terrible evening Friday the 13th turned out to be!  I have found myself in tears each time I watch the news of the terrible atrocities in Paris and although I want to watch I have to leave the room blubbering most of the time.  So much so that I wanted to make a ribbon to wear and I was sure I had some suitable ribbon from a Parisian workshop at CHA a few years ago - but can I find it, NO!

My heart goes out to the French Nation and so I made this little card as a tribute to them all.

Well, you came here to see my desk and last week some of you asked to see one of the churches assembled.  I have only done the two, remember Jo 'bagsied' one, up to now but have the whole lot cut and ready to assemble for my workshop as mentioned last week.  These seven are for me.

I will upload one lit up some time later but in the meantime you can see the two, one with a front view and one with a side view.  The spire on top of them has changed position (I prefer it just off centre) so that my class can make their own minds up where to put theres.  

Here is my desk today

The main part of the churches were cut out using my E-Bosser but now I have to cut loads of little windows and so I don't want a long/big mat.  I am using my lovely little Artisan (love this machine) and I only need to do 12 turns back and forth twice for each window. They are so fickle to cut out it is much easier to do them a couple of times.  You work it out ... six windows for each church ... I am making seven churches for my family.  

Rightio - time to go and see what Julia has to offer us this week, what others will have done when they link up.  Join me, bring your cuppa and let's investigate.

Week 145 Joining in with This Weeks Smiles

I think I have only ever joined in Annie's blog post hop once before but this morning as I was getting ready to go shopping I thought I would show you my bag.  I did feature it a few weeks ago but here I am modelling it - made by my friend Jo.  I love it!  It is not a "go anywhere" bag (sorry Jo) because it is rather special and only for use on some occasions when I want to look a bit smarter than usual.

Off doing some shopping and thought I would give the town a bit of a treat in allowing my bag to be seen by many.  Apologies for my hair being scraped back - it is blustery and wet so no point in messing about with it (and I am busy looking up at a neighbour across the road hence the gormless look).

Thanks Jo for making me smile each time I look at my bag.  Now to link up to Annie and read her post.

WOYWW 336

Nope, I did not find my witch hat and nope I did not do any painting or even any drawing.  Went to the craft club on Saturday to do an owl picture in a similar style to Finnabair and said I would take some of my old ones to help Lorraine (who was tutoring) out with some ideas.  On checking through my blog I found that I never shown you this one which I did for Chas for his birthday.  Why a horse? Not a clue except it was the closest thing to a rocking horse which was the workshop Lorraine and I had missed out on and really wanted to do. (Incidentally the horse is brushed with silver, not gold as it shows up in the picture - tried to keep to 'cold' colours)

Did try to get another one finished which I was doing as a gift for someone but I can't show it to you until I give it to her.  Forgot all about nylon net melting with heat and wondered where it had gone when I had tried to speed up the drying process - DOH!  However here is my owl one done on Saturday.  I didn't want to do it the same as all my others, with cogs and wheels etc, so I raided the pot pourri for the elements and added bits to the leaves I had die cut and coloured with Distress Inks. I think I got my inspiration for this from Angela who had made a super picture for Halloween and used leaves which has stayed in my mind ever since seeing it.

Love this stencil I used of the window

Well, this is my desk this week.  Full of churches I have been busily cutting out for days.  This is a Spellbinders die and you can get it from Oyster Stamps but be warned there is only one die in of the window frames and you need six of them.  That's six passes through your machine - took me ages to get the packs ready for everyone but I guess not everyone cuts them out for a class of 20 (20 x 6 = 120 passes but it worked our more as I could not always get all the dies on the one sheet without wasting card for so many - fine if you are just doing a few for yourself).  Excuse me from advertising but they have an offer on of 4 Spellbinders dies for £40 at the moment. That's £10 a pop!

Jo 'begged' my sample church when she was here last week (but she said she really loves it when I spoke to her a couple of days ago so I didn't mind doing another sample yesterday) but now I have cut enough out.  Hope nobody else wants one as I think I would have to say "no" as I am all "die cut out" after all that cutting and I still have some window frames to do so I guess I had better get on with it.

In the meantime pop along to see the lovely Julia and visit some more desks - you never know you might just find inspiration for that special "C"Card you have been looking for on someone's desk.

Will be bringing my ceramic poppy (one of the Tower of London ones) in tonight as I don't want the frost to get it over winter and I might forget it if I leave it until later. Tonight seems an appropriate time to me.  Thankfully it has a lovely box to rest in until the frost has all gone.  Are you bringing yours in?

Thank You

Thanks to those of you who offered to do some crafting on my corset.  I will be in touch and look forward to having you add your own interpretation to it.  I am excited all over again now.
Thank you.

WOYWW 335 and Yes, it is a Corset

My desk has work in progress on it and I don't feel ready to show you quite yet, maybe another week when I have done some more work on it.  A workshop with the fab Tracy Scott on Sunday saw me attempting to draw and paint a whimsical face.  Perhaps next week folks ... but in the meantime my other desk reveals ... a corset!!!

In 2008 when I was doing workshops for Paddy she gathered a few of her tutors together and with her niece's friends down south we were given a corset each.  (Paddy's mother used to work for Spirella so this was to be a project dear to her heart).  We each had to choose a theme so I remember having "Deconstructed', "Christmas", "Peacock Lady", sorry cannot remember the others - but mine was "Viva La Diva" based on Las Vegas showgirls.

Penny's Playing cards (painted on canvas)

and Sarah's collage work

I have no idea what happened but despite me working on every single corset mine was worked on by only a few.  I was gutted when it was finally returned.  I am not sure what everyone did as they did not write in the book I made to accompany the corset - apart from Penny and Sarah.  Penny (down south) did the playing cards which are fab, I think Gloria added the swirly sparkly fabric and some sequins, again I think Sylvia did the red bottom flounces but I know Sarah did all the beautiful sequin collage work that you can see as she wrote in the book too.  

I dyed the corset to begin with, sewed dice on the suspenders and across the top of the whole thing, made the clay heads and put the feathers behind (Sarah added the turquoise ones as someone else was supposed to add large feathers later) and turned some poker chips into buttons before it set off.  It has been with Jo for quite a while (we both forgot about it) but I am not sure if she added anything and as she is away I cannot ask her.  I so wish everyone had worked on mine or even if just the northern girls had it would have been so much better.

Guess I had better do some work on it myself.  That is unless I can get a couple of friends to add something.  I does have some bare patches and was supposed to have huge feathers at the top but the person never came up with the goods despite having the corset for a long time.

Well, it will have to go on hold for a short while as I will be busy in the coming weeks and I do want to finish my painting so I can show it to you all.  In the meantime here are a couple of whimsical faces I did draw (quickly I might add) to check I had proportions right - maybe I will get around to painting them another week.  Be honest as to what you think of them.

Have to be at the Docs for 7.50 this morning (she does work hard bless her, best doctor in the world) so must dash out now and then come back to see what Julia has to say and who else has joined in the Great International Blog Off.  Click here to get there quick or for a peek at what I am on about if you are new to this.

ps I lost my witch hat - if I find it by next week will wear it for a photo with the wig.