WOYWW 343

For the better or worse?  That is the question.  See my post below (copied from our dear Shaz in Oz's blog) - I can only see it being of any use to them and not to us.  I have taken a photo of my friends as it stands on my page at present and I will be adding it to my side bar or something so that it is a reminder of what used to be.  Not sure if any have disappeared prior to this warning but will try to take photos of all the followers.

Still, there are worse things at sea as they say.  My heart goes out to all those people affected by the floods and I wish there was something I could do.  Just read that some of the homes in York have been looted whilst the folks were away.  What scum we have in society!

Nothing to show on my desk - it is exactly the same as last week so, as I did not show you the tree (read on someone's blog Julia wanted us to) am rectifying that today:

As I was so busy in the lead up (never again - churches) Chas decorated the tree so I suggested he only put the baubles and lights on - makes it easier to pull down as we are taking it down early this year.  

btw Jan/Annie/Jo I made those curtains when we first moved into this house.  The fabric is the same as the settee was made of and it took a lot of courage to cut up and match up - but I did it (after unrolling it and rolling it up again for about 6 months!)

This was the table just the four of us - we had crackers, fabric or knitted hats (the men had knitted ones because we ladies had ear rings in our bags) and gift bags which went down a storm with Andy's partner Sam.  Wish I had photographed the turkey, it looked really good, just a perfect colour (but I am sick of eating turkey now).

A nest of tables with nibbles on

and a trolley with sweeties. nuts etc

chocolates and biscuits underneath

In the goody bag there were moustaches amongst all the other things and so here we are all sporting them

Starting top left - Picasso, Chaplin, Hogan, Einstein.

Happy New Year to you all and may it be a good one for Julia and all WOYWW members past and present.

Thoughts and Prayers are with those who are suffering with the floods and those who are ill or nursing someone who is.

Losing Some Friends on Blogger

Copied this from my friend Shaz's blog - why can they not leave us alone?  Streamline Phooey!!! An update on Google Friend Connect Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:02 AM PST In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs. As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count. We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow. We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers. Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer

WOYWW 342 Merry Christmas

Well, this has come around much quicker than I would have liked. Am I referring to WOYWW or Christmas?  Both really.  I think the latter is a surprise because of the mild weather we are experiencing.

Anyway, a quick blog today as I have a card to make and lots of jobs to do so here is my desk

A packet of biscuits and an elf's leg on the left.  Something we made with Lynne at Vicky Stampers last month (well everyone except those teaching did, so Lynne kindly gave me a completed one and a kit to do the other).  Next to the leg are some milk cartons as made by others with Karen (still to do mine) and in front is a pink parcel for my friend Mo who has a birthday coming up at the beginning of January.  Need a card for her yet!

Further right is the tag I made last week - an angel at a window.  I like to think there is an angel looking in on me, especially this Christmas.

Well, off you go, go and see what Julia has to show you.  Bet there is a lot of Christmas Cheer going on here and there.  Wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas and a Wonderful Year ahead.  My prayer is for Peace as always ... one day maybe there will be.

Take care all of you!

Had to do you a quick card so here is my card to you all (am sure you won't mind sharing) - Merry Christmas (again...)

WOYWW 341

Here I am again and if you look to the left on my desk you will see I am still making churches.  Will I ever finish?  Certainly had my money's worth out of this die.

Here are some last minute cards I have just made (yesterday) and one I made with Karen Haseldene at Art from the Heart plus a tag on the deck that I made at the same Make & Take workshops but this was with Tracy Scott.

In fact I bought the stencil of Tim Holtz' from AftH on Saturday so thought I would give it a whirl - boy am I glad I did. I did not know which colour of stencil paste to use, fancied the black but then saw the sparkly stuff.  Now those who know me will know I do not do 'glitter' but I really liked the gold and then I used the red - wow - love them both.  Now I cannot decide which I like the best. Have I been converted to a Martine?

This is my desk as it stood before I put the cards together.  Sorry about this but no time as I am busy making churches ... still!

Want a trip around blogland?  Visit Ms Julia and then go to the links - and whilst there why not join in!

If you are a regular on WOYWW you may remember our dear Eliza in Oz who so sadly and suddenly left us - well, tomorrow would have been her birthday.  It leaves me feeling sad that we no longer enjoy her artwork and her cheerful blog so later today I will be making something using a Dylusion figure in her memory.  I do miss you Eliza.

WOYWW 340

Sorry if I did not return a comment last week, I will make up for it this week and visit you all as soon as I get back from my shopping trip (only local town).  Thanks to the lovely lady who linked me. You are a gem!  Don't want to name her or you might all start asking her but her name was very close to mine.

Well, you will not believe it but once again I have been making churches.  You would think I had had enough of them but I have enjoyed them so much I cut some more and am busy sticking at the moment, well not right now as I am shopping, but will be later. Here's my desk

On the wall you will see there are some of my punches and some fabric postcards in between.  The invitation (cream) at the end is the first wedding invite I ever did - and she wanted peel offs rather than stamping (shock horror).  You can see Monkey and Katie Koala still sitting there with my empty Cola Bottle jar.  That's a boo hoo as I cannot find any in the shops!

Well last week I was in Dusseldorf visiting the Christmas Markets. Love the atmosphere over there in Germany.  We went on the Ice Train (fast and luxurious) to Cologne and saw four of their markets on Tuesday - and Wednesday saw us in Dortmund.  The markets there have grown as there was only the one when we last went.

Came back and straight away went in to cake making mode.  Had my eye on making this special cake for my son who was celebrating a special birthday.  His partner had taken him away for an overnight stay so that gave me the chance to get it down to their house without him knowing about it.  She was to text me when they were leaving Alderley Edge (stayed in the Wizard House).

Had to make the cake all over again as it was not deep enough (almost a pound of butter and 500 mls cream in total) when I got back from teaching at our Club.  Did a bit of the construction, realised I had not enough finger biscuits so abandoned it until Sunday morning.  Up really early to make fresh cream truffles, Chas down to the shops for more biscuits, me in a panic making a box for the top, truffles out of the fridge - still soft - oh well, they have to go on. Chocolate all over me and the kitchen work top.

Got a phone call later that afternoon with a "Wow" from my son. Then he said the house "stank of nothing but chocolate" and that they had " started to demolish the cake".

I hope he saves me some!

If you have any cake, or a biscuit why not pull up a chair and indulge whilst looking at what Ms Julia has to say and then visiting some of the blogs linking to her massive hop.  See you over there!

PS will blog about the Party at Viva Brazil and Dusseldorf another day.  Shattered now.

WOYWW 339

Last week I was showing you the little churches I was making and said I was going to turn them into cards like the one Janet did for the Oyster Stamps Blog Hop.  Well here is what I have made.  The desk may seem staged but honestly it isn't as I was working all day Sunday trying to get some card boxes made and did a total of six - still some to do later.

They sit on a bed of Polyfilla with Glamor Dust sprinkled on and there is a candle in the church which looks cute when the lights are out.  OK so this is staged for you - here is the desk with the others waiting to be finished.

This shows the boxes at the back waiting to be decorated and the one in front is finished.  Pieces of paper ready for more to be done, my Artisan waiting for the die-cutting session that is inevitable.

Now I will leave you as I am not at home - have gone off to Germany to see the Christmas Markets - taken my friend Mags with me.  See you next week but in the meantime pop along to Julia's Open Blog, have a brew and a biccie and enjoy.