WOYWW 847

 Oh Gosh, another nice week but oh how we are suffering with the reservoirs running dry and the moorland fires in north Yorkshire.  I think they said on television that the fires had been raging for three days and the people in the neighbouring areas had been warned to stay in because of the smoke.  We moan when we have rainy summers but now we are suffering  for the hot summer we have had this year.

I just thought about the wild life running away, not knowing which way to turn from the wildfires.  The plants which will take a while to grow again and the poor firefighters and others risking their lives to put. these fires out. On a brighter note here is my desk.  Nothing craftwise has been done, sorry, but I did buy a calendar to start doing for next year and three stamps which I hadn't bought when I got some other things.  Oh and Angela, this is my cloud stencil.  You can see it is tiny so you can decide whether you want one or not. And you can see a card which I received last week from a friend who felt I needed a little pick up.  Get it?  A little pick up?  Love it, it's a great idea.

The ankle is much the same and the oedema definitely no better but hey ho, am sure they will get to it shortly. That's the reason there isn't any crafting being done as I have to sit with my feet up most of the time and I do as I want them to go down.  I am having an ultrasound on Friday - a bit muddled in my head with it as it is from Cora Health in Nottingham and one letter offered me a choice of four clinics down there.  Luckily that came after I had chosen my own doctor's surgery here for it to take place.

WOYWW842

 Morning, time to join Sarah and her band of followers at Sarahs Craft Shed once again.  I hope it has been a bit cooler for all of you down south who have been struggling with the heat these past few weeks.  Climate change is certainly affecting the lives of many UK'ers.

Nothing much to report except health issues again.  I knew the wound on my ankle wasn't right, had a real go on the phone at getting a doctor to look at it but he/she refused a couple of weeks ago.  Saw my favourite doctor (who I haven't seen in about six years) last week and she straight away referred me to the District Nurses again.  This time I saw a decent one and she was aghast at the state of it - it is now an ulcer as I thought.  I wonder would it have got to this state had I been diagnosed/treated earlier?  Annie, you were a nurse, what do you think?

Now it's going to be continual visits to the DN's, until it heals.

Nothing else to report so here's my desk

A corner of my craft room, almost half of it to be honest.  Tiny eh? You can see I am working on the grey table but I have hidden my card as it is only going on the mail today. Actually it is one of two identical ones for a swap I am in . 

Ob my table are some stamps, a Twilight and Nocturne ink pad, my baby wipes in the big white tub, and a red and a white pen.  Some stamps down the bottom end.

My counter has all kinds of things on it including my Pan Pastels, stencil brushes, colouring pens and pencils, ink pads, foam blenders, lap top, more ink pads, poly stamps and papers.  Underneath you can see my paper storage rack.  Back up on top there are the usual ink pads etc that never move and in the window you can see on the left my collection of bears from Shaz in Oz along with a flag.

That's about it, I am busy and must get on. See you at Sarah's?

WOYWW 840

 Lovely weather again up north, not the heat of down south but lovely sunshine and a fair bit of breeze.  Monday we went to Morecambe and fancied a ride along the prom to the Lifeboat Station with me on my new scooter and hubby walking alongside.  About half way along he was ready to turn back as the wind was so strong so I did a couple of yards more and tuned back.  It really was a bit on the wufty side.  Then I noticed people walking towards us were quite well wrapped up with jackets buttoned or zipped up to the neck and a cap of some kind on.  Not a day for the sands or for going out onto the stone jetty.

So we made our way inland, did a bit of shopping and went home.

Tuesday saw us meeting up with friends and having a spot of lunch before heading back to ours for tea and cake.  We had made an 8 oz all-in sponge at weekend and I put them into four small cake tins and iced and butter creamed each one differently (well three of them, the fourth went in the freezer).  One was lemon, one coffee and the other just jam and buttercream.  Please do help yourself to a small slice of each.  They went down well with John but Ann is gf and so I had to buy her a small carrot cake.  I only cut small pieces so John and Chas could sample them all.

I always leave the base paper on

This is my desk - Ann and I have a challenge running between the pair of us and here is my desk followed by my two pages in the album started with Jo Rice a while ago.

Now to head over to  Sarah's Craft Shed where you can link in with all the other members  to see what they are doing.  Over we go, quickly come with me.

WOYWW 839

 Gosh it has been terribly hot for all of you down south, not so up north where, I am glad to say, most days the temperature was cooler than what you had.  Usually I feel that we have been dealt with a rough deal weather wise but this time - no.  I was so glad it was cooler here, apart from a few days, but even then it wasn't the same heat.  How people coped at Wimbledon I don't know.

They say we have to get used to these temperatures as it's going to get hotter and hotter as time goes on.  That's good news for hoteliers, guest houses etc as people might choose here rather than abroad of the weather is hot.

I stayed in as much as I could, my legs were swollen with the heat so they stayed as high as possible most of the time.  Did see a nurse at the doctors, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner to be exact, but when she saw the state of the (leaking and really swollen) legs she said it was beyond her to deal with it and so needed to see a doctor.  She didn't want me seeing a junior doctor (they would have to seek advice of a fully qualified doctor just as she would) so she made me an appointment  for the 17th July.  The first time I could see someone.  That was three weeks away, still two now.  We have seven full time doctors. all partners, in the practice.  What is happening to our nhs?

So the old brain has not been working very well either and legs needed to be up as much as possible so my desk is a reflection of it all

I need to do a card for a swap.  Did one but i should have just made it two of the same instead of thinking I'd do a different one for the other person.  Now I am stuck in the thought process with all these stamps out and nowhere to go.  HELP!!!

Oh, in the top right is a gift i wrapped for my friend's grandeee.  She is so adorable and on the way from the surgery the other day I called in Morrisons.  Saw this little sunsuit, fell in love with it, and bought it for her.  Her mummy liked the birthday card I made for her so I made a tag for this parcel.

Hopefully by next week I will have sorted a card out, in the meantime I will just pop over to Sarah's and see what everyone is up to.

WOYWW 838

 Here we are again with another WOYWW - time is on roller skates again for me.  There seems to be a lot of sleeping being done and very little crafting, I really need to pull my finger out and get something done.  This morning I woke to another day of rain, quite heavy which meant it was going to be a craft rather than exploring day for me but I seemed to have lost Mr Mojo again!  

As you can see on my desk there is a bit of work in my Lavinia Journal happening, but a "bit" it is.  I have mushrooms on my mind and fully intended to do some walking and find some real ones, mainly a red capped one with white dots as made in felt the other week.  The walk didn't happen so nothing was found, mainly due to the weather which up north tended to be on the 'wet' side.  In fact Sunday we had a birthday party to go to and driving was a nightmare on the motorway. Driving around Preston was like driving through a car wash and I thought of Helen and the heatwave she had mentioned on her trip to Kew between my prayers for us to get to our destination safely.

Sorry, I digress, here is my desk and as you can see I am making a scene on a piece of card to put in my journal with 'shroom houses.  The stamps on the right hand side show images of some lights which I have had a long time but never used.  I think one will make a nice addition to this page as a light outside the house on the right.  I have a little mouse holding a light bulb which will sit on top of the smaller mushroom and if I colour the background quite dark the light will look quite good with a yellow glow around it.  That's the plan.  But as the weather forecast is better than it has been I might just find myself out scooting about.

Now to visit Sarah in her Craft Shed and see what she and others have been up to.  Hopefully more productive than me.

WOYWW 837

 These numbers are growing steadily and this is week number 837 another 63 and we will be at 900 and before we know it it will be a thousand.

It's been a funny old week but I have actually done some stamping and my desk is witness to it as I was stamping last night and haven't finished yet.  Mr Mojo has been on holiday and needed a quick swift kick up the back end to get me motivated to make a card.  I had two swaps to do, and whereas I usually do them well before the time I was half way through the month and I have only made one.  Not a clue what to do for the second one and don't want to repeat the first one as I made a mess of it three times before it got done.  It would be torture if I had to do another.

Also had to make a birthday card but cannot show it on here as she does come and have a peek now and again.  I have to finish this off in the morning so it can get in the post quickly.

Maybe this mushroom making had something to do with the card making mojo disappearing.  I mean needle-felting although I have not ventured to make another one as yet,  I have made two more Fly Agarics, both smaller ones just for a bit of fun.  Saying that I found the smallest one the most difficult to do despite the fact it was the third.

I did enjoy displaying them after I found some great Pot Pourri in a pot at home.  It is now saved in a box for that purpose.  I used one of my blog pages as a back cloth so here it is;

Guess it is time to get to bed so I can be up early and finish the birthday card off and join in with WOYWW by visiting Sarahs' Craft Shed and whoever else is out and about early'ish.  That's if I wake early.

WOYWW 835

Received two more ATC's this last week - one from Julia and one from my buddy Cindy.  Thank you ladies, they were such a surprise and cheered me up no end.

Been a funny old week and made a complete mess of the picture in Felted Fungi - thank goodness it looks a bit better in the photo than it does in real life.  We all had to put a photo of our work up and I mentioned mine was 'not quite right' but got some lovely compliments (remember they could not see it for real) but it just shows what a lovely group they are.  Anyway I joined the group for a month.  No point in joining for a year when I don't know if I am going to take to it or not so this month I am going to be trying to make some more sculptures or 3D mushroom as I call them, then deciding is this for me and can I get my monies worth from it each month.  Remember papercraft is my first love and always will be.

I was calling them 'shrooms' which is what I always have referred to them in my journal pages but a friend pointed out that that is what they term 'magic mushrooms' - bet I still call them that though and just hope people know I am not on the 'trip taking mood'.  At my age I think people who know me will understand.

So my desk today shows my yukky picture and my sculpture which I do love.  In fact in the box of supplies you might spy two more I started but these are going to be tiny.  They are on top of the white wool.  The book has notes as I watched the video again so I will remember the stages (I had forgotten the initial shape for the cap already) because at the end of June I won't have access to the videos unless I join again.  That's L"Occitane hand cream in the box as I find it easier to roll when I have creamed my fingers and 8" of an Ikea tape measure I helped myself to on Monday.  That was the kit I sent for with all the colours needed for the Fly Agaric, no I have to buy others for whatever I am trying next.  Maybe the one for this week which is 'Old Man of the Woods' and which I noticed Angela was taking part in making.

You needle-felters out there - I have some rovings but she uses battings.  Do you think I can try using my rovings in a piece of sculpture or a picture of a mushroom?  I don't want to have to start carding but it would be a shame not to use it and some are beautiful colours.

Well, Monday saw me in Warrington but I'll leave the main reason for next week.  I told you, last week, that I could not have a new hip as I was "too high risk".  Turns out my heart failure and copd ruled me out and he said even if I came through the operation the risks afterwards were too great with me (heart attack, stroke, blood clots, infection, rejection of the metal in my body and so on). (I also have 'spondy something' in my spine and that bothers me a lot, nothing they can do for that either.  It is so painful too and I fear I will end up stooped.)  The "if" put me off and I took the news rather badly but after a few days I came to terms with things and now I am ok about it.  The Muskoloskeletal (sp?) guy at the doctors was surprised they would not do it as well. So not just me having a flip,

Will leave it there, cheered myself up with a new sunhat (like a bucket) and some big gold ear rings from M&S whilst in Warrington for something I hope to show you next week.  Adore my big ear rings and I love the smell of the hat.  Now It is off to see Sarah's Craft Shed and meet up with the whole gang.  See you later.  PS my ear rings are really golden and shiny (not real gold).

WOYWW 833

What a lovely week it has been with post dropping through the door.  Thank you to Mary Anne first of all who sent me an atc which arrived the day before the anniversary but I didn't want to show it in case I spoiled it for everyone.  Then to Angela who was my Pif for her lovely bookmark - and finally to Jan who sent me one of hers just because ...  Here they are for you all to enjoy and thank you very much ladies.  They brightened my day.

Angela's bookmark, Mary Ann's atc & Jan's lovely card

Some of you know I was hoping to get a new hip soon, well last week I found it won't be happening.  I am too high risk with my heart failure etc.  I've been like a child who has lost her favourite toy since hearing this but please do not feel sorry for me or I'll set off again.  I'll be ok when I get used to it not happening.

Anyway, my lovely friend Ann took me off to a workshop on Saturday, to take my mind off things, with people I don't know and here are a few of the toppers we made.

The green ones are not finished both need words and a butterfly

The blue ones need words on yet

These all fit into a little concertina book and Ann and I are going to continue making two more pages each fortnight until we complete it.  It has 18 pages in all but we could even decorate the back as well - depends on how thick it gets with just one side.  Or if we run out of ideas!  (18 + 16 = 34 pages)

So that's it for this week, hope you all enjoyed the sunny weather again but it's about time we had some rain. The gardens and reservoirs need it and the poor farmers ....

WOYWW 832

 Happy Anniversary to all your WOYWW'ers out there.  Sixteen Years - makes me think what was I doing on that day sixteen years ago?  What was I doing when I was sixteen?  What were you doing?  

Enough with the questions, today we are celebrating sixteen years since Julia started the longest running blog hop that I know of ever, and now Sarah has taken over the reins.  I remember back in the old days the numbers grew and grew and we had people from all corners of the world joining in.  Today we are much smaller in number but still the wowy'ers continue showing their desks, tidy or untidy and even sometimes we join in with nothing to show but the camaraderie that beats at the heart of WOYWW.

Sarah, in her usual caring way, suggeted that with the cost of postage these days we produce an ATC and show it on our desk, that way we can all share in what we have done for our sixteenth anniversary.  So here is mine surrounded by the things I used to produce it.  I decided to use my new Lavinia stamps (well, that is a shock isn't it?) and show what is sometimes on my desk - books!  So here we have two sets of books with an open one balancing on top - opened with stars and woyww 16 jumping out of it.  One of the little mice is lighting the way for all the magic that is woyww coming out of the book.

Happy WOYWW 16 Everyone

Starting top left we have two of my boxes where I keep different categories of my Lavinia stamps (Accessories and Animals/Ocean in this case), polka dot bag holds my gel pens, Posca's and Pastel Pencils.  Baby wipes with Nocturne inkpad on top, blue bag for my Inktense Pencils and just in front a waterpot and brush.  Back to the left are my black markers, Lavinia Index cards that are inside the stamps when you buy them (I have cut some down to ATC size 3.5" x 2.5") which I have used for my ATC's this time, my 'rough' paper that I use as a pad to stamp on, and to the right the various stamps used still on acrylic blocks.  That's my ATC on the 'rough' paper.

Here is my ATC which you can print, if you want to and add to your collection.

Well, that is it for this week, enjoy the day, eat cake and do whatever tickles your fancy.  Hopefully see you all next week.

WOYWW 831

 Still having glorious weather although sometimes out of the sun there is a cool breeze.  I hope this is not the only good weather we get as summer is not with us yet and it would be lovely to have a nice warm few days now and then so that we can get ourselves a dose of vitamin D to help us ward off colds and things in the winter months.

I did not do the online class on Saturday as planned because we had gone away for a few days and I did not take enough materials with me.  Today I have been busy making a birthday card for a friend but I cannot share it as she might just sneak a peek on here.  It's a big one for her so I made a big card.  Here is my desk:

The card is on the left in an envelope so that you cannot see it.  I just hope I remember to scan it before it gets sent off.  The blue case has my Inktense pencils in, the polka dot one contains my Posca's, Pastel pencils and some Gelli pens.  You can just see three Distress Oxides and the pads I use on the applicators in those round storage cases.  The clear boxes at the back had some more ink pads in and my stencil brushes.  At the front you can see some of my acrylic pieces for my stamps. 

If you look closely there's a little bird picture there which I have not used in my journal.  I am guest host this month for Art Journal Journey and I was busy in the weeks throughout March/April making journal pages containing something with wings for my theme.  I couldn't tell you and it must have looked as if I was not doing much crafting when in truth I was stamping my heart out.

If you go to Art Journal Journey you can see my introduction page and if you scroll down my own blog you will see what pages I have been making up to now - but there are lots more to come.

So that is it for today - if you now pop over to Sarah's craft shed you can join in the fun and have a look at several blogs displaying their desks.  Have a lovely week.

WOYWW 830

 That's a nice number.  Just like the weather.  It's been glorious again hasn't it and we have been promised it  continuing to cover Bank Holiday Monday haven't we. That will be nice for those of you who are planning on doing something over the next weekend.  I think it might just be the patio at home for us as neither of us like busy roads and hold ups with traffic.

Well, I've got another online workshop on Saturday so hopefully there will be some cards to show you, or maybe I will just leave them as toppers and mount them up as and when I need them.  That way I can choose the ones best suited to the recipient and just add the greeting later.  Anyway, as I have nothing to show you again I guess my desk will have to suffice for this week.

I took this photo from the other side because it is on the table but when I turned it around it looked sort of squashed and my eyes felt a bit funny so I am sorry, it's upside down.  I was having a bit of a try out with some of the new stamps but I think I am too tired as I ended up with two attempts both going wrong.  And I am blaming the sun!  I don't think I need to explain anything as most things are self explanatory.

Well, will have to leave it there and see what next week brings.  Better pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed and see what everyone has been up to.  Have a lovely BH weekend.

WOYWW 829

Well, there's nothing to show you despite my being been really busy this week.   I've been starting some crafting but not finishing it if you follow.  There's a lot going on but nothing finished at the moment.  A bit like three steps forward and two back this week.  So much so that I have even contemplated getting the knitting needles out.  Did try the crochet hooks Lynn but my right thumb is ready for another injection and it was a bit too much for it.

In fact my desk is a bit of a muddle and I've had enough so I've just left it that way for the night (it's Tuesday night)  and sat in my new chair watching TV and having a natter with my other half.  It's not often I leave my desk in a mess, preferring to tidy up at night so it's nice to go into the next morning but to be honest things went so wrong  with my stamping that I just had to close the door on it today.  So here is what it looks like:

I've been using my Pan Pastels but got myself so covered in them, especially when I used a charcoal grey one that I abandoned all thoughts of them and put them away.  You can see my box of newly washed sponges on my table.  The clear box by the water pot is full of my newest Lavinia stamps as shown to you last week, would you believe it, I have not done anything with them as yet so I think that tomorrow I will do a Journal page using those cute mice with the bulbs.  That might give me the nudge I need to get doing something at last.

Guess that's what you came for, to see my desk, so see you next week hopefully.

WOYWW 823

 Why did I ever start this declutter or cull, call it what you want.  I now have two rooms messed up, a pile of stuff in the kitchen, some in the utility room and I don't see me having any more room in my craft room as I plod on.  The only thing I know for sure is that the dustbin is full of paper as I dumped all my class notes and samples from my teaching days - too old for that malarky now.  Recycle bin that should say.

I didn't even take Monday off when it was my birthday, thank you for all the cards and wishes, it was lovely sitting in bed opening and reading them all.

It's the journal/paint/marker/crayon section that is taking all the time an I am not getting along very fast.  I now realise that the stamp section was quite easy compared with this - and then there is the die collection and all my sets of metal drawers.  Heaven only knows what delights they will disclose.  I sorted my pen drawer out on Sunday and this is what it looks like now.

Each pencil case contains something different- the yellow check one has my graphite pencils in, the one with the blue zip my OHP pens, the eyelash one has black and white pens in and new ones are in a poly bag by the side of it.

This is my cupboard as it stands now.  The blue towel is what I am using to clean the shelves with before I put things back.  If anything needs a good rub to get rid of a mark it's over to the man of the house.  Top shelf far left is a tin with some journals in that have not been used yet or are just a few pages in.  Next is a box full or inks (think Winsor & Newton and some Pergamano I think).  Far right are my Dinkles that have been reconstituted.

Second shelf Kuretake Clean Color (colour wheel behind it), Ranger bags (one for brushes, one for ), pens, Inktense, Caran D'Ache, Promarkers, Prismacolors, Silver tin with all kinds of crayons and pens in.  Behind are some completed journals (someone else can throw them out when I am gone, I can't as yet.)

Third shelf: Two tins full of spray inks (hardly ever used, must dispose of some), black bag with Gesso (clear, black, white), cream tea boxes with card/toppers/backgrounds in, Janet Klein stamps in clear box ready stamped and cut out, Felix boxes on top with Janet Klein stamps in.

That's as far as I have got. The paper cull took some doing and I only kept one or two class notes in case I wanted to make it again.  I did take my 'dumfing' box down from the top of the cupboard and this is what I found in it.  I think someone might have to teach me all over again how to do it.  There's a tool with four needles in it, one with three, three single needles in a pill box and a single one in the wooden holder.  There's a couple of bags of 'stuff' (think one might be a kit) and I have a silver tin lower down on the shelves somewhere with rovings in and one with sari silks in.

That's it folks, online class Saturday so hopefully a card or two next week, so it's off to Sarah's Craft Shed to meet up with the other WOYWW'ers.  See you there.

WOYWW 822

 Well, the cull still continues and as you came here to see my desk this is it - the counter space I sometimes work at (where my inks are).  

and the part where I sit and put my knees underneath

is blocked off with my die cut trolley and a cabinet - so no crafting can be done as there is no space to work.  But I still have my table - or do I?

So on account of my back problem progress is slow but sure and now most of the stamps are sorted.  The only ones not touched as yet are the Aall & Create ones but i can see me keeping most of them.  The original idea of using the tiered boxes did not work out.  Much easier to sort through a tin when they are stood on end than when they are lying on top of one another,

So this is my tidied cupboard with the stamps .

The labels on the tins are just temporary ones until I decide if the mix in them is the right one.  The top row and the next one down contain my 'saved' stamps.  You can see I have saved one  tiered box as some stamps were on A4 sheets so needed a big surface.  Below them in the see through boxes and the one cream tin are my Lavinia stamps.  (These used to be on the other side of the room real handy to reach but I think they will be just as good there.)

The pink book holders contain my scraps in different colour folders and then there is a bag of odd Dylusion stamps and my Parisian chest is next which is the main home for them.  Lastly below that are the various files housing A4 stencils, ATC's, worksheets etc and finally my green tub with all kinds of twine/cotton in it.

I just need to get the top of this cupboard sorted but that is a job for Chas as I cannot possibly reach up there.  This is the mess it is in, thank goodness the dust doesn't show as it is not on the regular cleaning rota.

Years ago I intended decorating those dressmaker dummy type things, I might bin two and do just one.  My Halloween card is still there, next to it is a hair scrunch which I bought to pull apart years ago in America, my binders for the Cinch (which is in front with the pink bits on it), my flower press and in front a yellow tray someone made me - was it Elizabeth?  It has a few little figures in it including my Smurfs from my Girl Guide International Camp trip to Denmark.  There looks to be a bag with Alphabet letters on it - now what is in there?  It might be plates from my metal work days.  Gosh I had forgotten about that and have a wallet with all the tools in that cost me £99.99 years ago from Lin Brown.  I longed for that for such a long time and remember worked a four day show at Birmingham to use my wages for it.  Yes, didn't get paid much in those days working for the guys but so enjoyed myself meeting people.  Will have to see if I am right when Chas gets it down for me.  Don't do metal work now but really loved it - might pick it up again.

Now, it is time to nip over to Sarah's Craft Shed to see what everyone has been doing.  See you over there.

WOYWW 821

 Well, the cull is still on.  A slow process which is making a mess of my craft room and a mess of the spare room - I have to find somewhere to put the stuff I take out of my craft room don't I?  So crafting is on hold again apart from doing my Thursday blog page which can be done anywhere (or will have to be).

Maybe if I show you some photos of the craft room in all its glory mess and the spare room which is now known as the "dumping room" but hopefully only for a short time en route to the garage.

I've decided to put all the rubber stamps (and polymer) in a big box (and others when the big one is full) and store them in the garage for 6 months.  If I don't need them at the end of the 6 months then I will get rid of them.  I am just bothered I have been a bit too hard on some categories and may not have enough of a particular category so in 6 months I have time to put some back.  Ready for the photos?

This photo shows 3 cubby holes that are now empty having had ink pads in them before.  What is going in them next?

The shelves on the left have my paints and journal in plus lots of other things that don't be used much.

This bookcase fits those sets of drawers in so nicely but it is easier to  use the old silver boxes to store stamps in than these.  However the bottom set is being used for some stamps that are on A4 sheets.  The photo below shows the gap where the grey sets of drawers used to be housed.  Guess I will eventually get rid of all those Martha Stewart Punches too.  The white boxes have cut card/toppers I've made in them - they were what my 'surprise cream teas' arrived in that I kept treating my other half to to thank him for helping me when my back was at it's worse.

This last photo is in the spare room where everything has got dumped that has been taken from my craft room - mainly ink pads and stamps,

The table is ideal for crafting on and it goes in the garage, underneath are household boxes leaflets for appliances etc), boxes of fabric, my sewing machine, knitting wools etc.  That big box on top of the table is full to the brim with rubber/polymer stamps as are the silver tins and the black ones - in fact most of it is stamps.  You can just see a Prime box, back right - that has ink pads in as has the chocolate box underneath.

My back has been bad (seeing chiropractor every two weeks) since Christmas so this is a difficult task to do but one only I can do on my own.  Chas comes in handy for lifting now and then but that's the reason it is taking so long to do this.  Once done it will make life so much easier but in the meantime I will do bits of crafting one way or another.

Hope to see some nice things on some desks as I go snooping via Sarah's Craft Shed.  See you there.

WOYWW 819

 I think I need to find a heart shaped card or something- it's almost Valentine Day.  Either that or go to a shop tomorrow on my way to the chiropractor.  I was so bad last week when I got there (my back started in pain as I got in the car and it took us one and a half hours to get there (traffic jam) so I was a bit of a wreck).  She has squeezed me in her lunch hour tomorrow for an extra session.

So there has been little crafting except an online class on Saturday but I haven't finished them off yet so cannot show you.  I have however continued with my clearing out and this time I attacked some of my ink pads.  The ones below I rarely use these days, seem to use Versafine Clair and Oxides most of the time, along with my Elements for backgrounds.  I still have two of those cubby holes full of Adirondack which I haven't used in a long time so I think they will be next but not until the back is a bit more settled.  The annoying thing is that they are all in good working order, not a dried out one in sight MA.

You see the Versafine at the front with with red sticker on, well that and the VersaMagic below are still fully sealed.  I have wasted money in my time.  I just wish I could get some more of the containers like the ones on the right that house my Oxides.  You can access them one by one instead of pulling a column out to get to the one at the base.  Just keep checking for them making some more.  Of course I want the same ones.  So that's my desk for this week.

Not ordered any of the new stamps yet.  Got a list but am debating (with myself) as to whether I need them or not.  Silly, of course I want them, but do I NEED them?  I think Helen might give me some encouragement as she gets hooked on Dina Wakley a bit (which reminds me she is coming to Art from the Heart this May Helen) like me and Lavinia at the moment.

Heading over to Sarah's Craft Shed now so I can do a mooch this afternoon when I get back - might squeeze an odd one in this morning. 

WOYWW 815

 It was good to get up yesterday and see the green grass of our back lawn.  First time in what seems like weeks but in fact was only a week ago.  It's really strange how the weather varies between the front and back lawns. The front cleared fairly quickly but sometimes we have seen it rain at the back of the house and be fine at the front.

Of course the news has been dominated by the fires of LA and last week saw me sending lots of messages out to friends over there.  I managed to track down all those people we know who live in the areas affected and thankfully they were fine, if evacuated to nearby friends and family, although David and his two boys had had to go in a hostel.  

Seeing the photos and watching the short film last night brought back memories of when we went to visit our friend after the last fire that took her home.  It was like walking on a scene from War of the Worlds as we waded through piles of ash and bricks trying to find the weather vane her husband had once had made for her.  We didn't find it.  It was strange to see an area of some 250 homes reduced to twisted metal and rubble yet plant pots remained upright just were they had stood at the entrance to someone's home.

Even more strange was to see her sister's home on the street behind hers standing fully intact.  How had that fire bounced its way along the Park, hitting most houses, missing the odd one.  Both our friend's sisters homes were saved but the families were not allowed back on the Park for a good few months as  facilities were dangerous or polluted.

I've done nothing craft-wise apart from my Thursday blog and one more coaster, a seahorse.  I would have preferred to do a 'land' animal but the seahorse was the only other large figure I had.  I have sent for some varnish from Amazon so by next week they should be ready to use as coasters.

My hip has been playing up, sorry if it appears I am all whinge and whine, and I need to get it seen to and then maybe I can get the craft room sorted and do a bit of decluttering.  Guess I am going to have to learn to come to grips with Ebay and other such means of clearing craft stuff.

Rightio, better get on, this is a scheduled post and it's getting late.  See you at Sarah's Craft Shed later.

WOYWW 814

We have seen on TV how areas have been affected by terrible flooding - some yet again after having suffered not long ago.  My heart goes out to those affected and I cannot help but think of my friend Carol who has been living in accommodation for the past few months from the last time her home was hit.  The photographs I saw of her home were heartbreaking and it brought it home to me just what flood water damage can really do.  I hope our WOYWW family are safe and have not suffered with these terrible floods.

Guess it is back to normal for some of us.  Schools around here went back on Monday and the snow came down thick and fast on Tuesday after a little bit on Sunday.  Just when the kids were no longer at home and not able to build snowmen in the mornings and have snowball fights (safe ones - not in the playground).

For us it was a question of taking the tree down, but that was the day before the snow came down.  I wasn't bothered about one going up this year but Chas did it and when it came time to dismantle it I didn't want it to be taken down.  I had so enjoyed my tree over Christmas.

Poor Father Christmas also had to go back in his box

I haven't done much in the way of crafting over the holiday, made three cards ready for next Christmas so now have a total of 27 cards (I think).  Then I decided to get back to my coasters and so I stuck the pictures you saw on the 18th December on the old two but I found a third one.  So yesterday they were drying and they now want trimming and then glazing.  Diana told me about some varnish but I haven't been able to find any so I am trying a different one on a small picture I have done to do on a button.  I need something good so that they withstand heat.  

Maybe next week I will have them with a nice finish on them.  For now I'll just pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed and see what everyone on WOYWW is up to.

WOYWW 813 - Happy New Year

 Welcome 2025 and A Happy New Year to All My Internet Friends out there.  

I turned to good old Google for a bit of help and here are one or two things it suggested, I am sure you can choose one of them that resonates with you, or at the very least, have a chuckle.

Cheers to another year where we can still make 'adulting' optional and 'fun' compulsory.

Embrace 2025 like we embrace brunch - with bottomless drinks and a complete lack of regrets.

Maybe this is the year we finally ditch the "I'll start on Monday" excuse

Here's to a year of not taking ourselves too seriously, unless we're talking about food.

Let's have the guts to chase our dreams unless they involve an early morning wake up call.

Cheers to a New Year filled with fun, laughter and steering clear of the gym like it's an old flame.

and now it's over to Sarah's Craft Shed

WOYWW 812 Happy Christmas

 Well, the big jolly man dressed in red has been down a chimney or two - hope he managed to go down yours.  Also hope that you are having a lovely time as however you spend it.  

Normally close to Christmas I show you our tree but this year I am showing you lots of trees as we went to Bents Garden Centre to see their display.  I used to love going there to see the trees as each one was themed and there were some spectacular displays.  I always remember the Fred and Ginger tree - decorated with top hats, gloves and canes - doesn't sound exciting but believe me it was.  Anyway nothing like that this year but here is a selection of what they had on offer.

the box underneath the tree had lots of the baubles in that they had used for that particular tree.

With this one above a 6' tall Father Christmas stood guarding the display.  I cannot remember how much he cost to buy.  Below we have the Grinch tree.

As well as decorated Christmas trees they also had table and room settings.  Some had a wooden platform in front of them with footprints so you could stand in the best place to have your photo taken.

Just look at this dress

and I wanted this but decided to keep my money in my purse

Well I might try to make one for next year.

These last two are from our local Garden Centre

I hope you enjoyed seeing all of these Christmas photos.  Now all that remains is for me to Wish You All a Very Happy Christmas.  Take care, eat, drink and be merry (but not too much, remember it's harder to get the weight off than put it on.). Now to hop over to Sarah's to see who else is about.