358 - WOYWW

Here we are again, another week has flown by and my desk is revealing very little.  To be fair I have been away all weekend teaching Distress Techniques to some lovely ladies and now I am putting my stuff away.  Pop along to My Stamping Ground to see what others have been up to - and what the main lady herself has been doing.  In the meantime, as promised over the past couple of weeks, here are my sample cards which I did for the Oyster Stamp Retreat held in Daventry:

This was my first card and I did it with a double mount.  Then realised I would have to cut lots of card for the ladies and also they could be a bit pushed to complete in the time allotted with two backgrounds and cutting more card.  So I went down a simpler route which enabled me to cut all the card for them, ready to Distress.

Now I am hopeless at thinking of cute sayings to put on these cards so this is the only one I came up with - I was quite proud of myself, but I don't think any of the ladies used this saying.

A card for a man!  We all struggle at times so I thought I would throw one in and here it is.  You might wonder about the blank bit at the bottom of my cards - that is for any sentiment you wish to use - Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon, Congratulations or whatever.  I often put cards in a box to be used later but don't put a sentiment on the bottom - that way it has multi uses.

So there are the first three of my six samples, done solely with Distress Inks (my faves remember). Won't carry on with any more as this is supposed to be about my workdesk, which is below, but will try to get the others uploaded at a later date, but not before too long.

Bottom left you can see a tag I made years ago with Leandra at a Stamp Camp.  Well, I used the idea again and we made tags on the Friday evening but unfortunately I was too busy to take any photographs.  Shame as there were some great tags produced.  I bought some more reinkers for my DI's and as I haven't worked out a great way of storing them I am trying to make dividers to fit in my Felix boxes - that is what is on my score board.  There is a piece of cream foam to the left of the board, that is what Liz gave me to finish my edges off when I make a box.  Thanks Liz!

As you can see Monkey and Katie Koala are sitting watching what is going on.  Monkey came via Tea Bags and Katie was a gift from my buddy, Shaz in Oz, when she visited me in Manchester. Looks as if she has lost her bow again!  That girl and her ribbons!!

See you next week ...

WOYWW 357

Another Wednesday already, where does time go.  It is not seven days since I was visiting Julia and her 'gang' to see what was going on - surely!!  Yes, it is ... and I must go there again and see all my internet pals.

Can't show you what I have been doing, but I have been busy.  Last Saturday I went to Lady Lever Art Gallery but it was a terrible day at Port Sunlight, weatherwise, I must say, so there are no photographs for you.  Not sure whether I could take any in the Gallery but would have loved to have taken some outside.  Ah well, excuse for another visit and then I might be able to see the rest of the exhibits - it is such a huge place.

Anyway, went on a workshop on Sunday but haven't finished my piece so no photos - afraid you will have to be content with my desk

Yes, I am playing with my favourite inks - Distress!

At last I am working with the Crazy Birds too.

Because my room is so cluttered I have had to spill over onto the dining room table.  As I already have a table in the Utility Room, and a couple of cupboards in there, and one in the sitting room (cupboard not table), it is not that often I spill over and stop us dining here.  Just gathering one or two distress items together.

Remember last week I showed you my tall cupboard?  Well look at the surrounding area - I titled this photo "chaos".

The amount of stuff hung behind the door is ridiculous.

That is it for this week, I am going hanging my head in shame - or getting on with those Crazy Birds.  See you at Julia's ...

WOYWW 356

Another Wednesday - another "no show day".  Yep I have spent far too much time researching on the internet and getting nowhere so I have no art to show you but here is my desk

I found ten, yes 10, different techniques to do with the Distress Crayons.  Here are some of my results - I am not a happy bunny.  For some reason I have not had great joy with these crayons apart from just using them on a large tag like I did in America.  Anyone had any real success with them they would like to share?  Must say I did not use watercolour paper/card.

Thought I would show you the shelf that never gets photographed because it is high up  This was a floating shelf that the Big Strong Boys put up for me.  It is so high that it just gets used for 'dumping' stuff on - most of this has been on years.

This is one of my tall cupboards

The silver tins (and the red, black and white striped ones etc) all contain unmounted stamps and on top of the cupboard are boxes with instructions for various workshops I have either delivered myself or attended.

Well, going to leave it there as my neck is very painful tonight and I cannot sit here much longer. Wheat bottle, new pillows (please let them be good for me) and my Kindle await - oh and the Co-codamol. See you next week back at Julia's (if you don't know about it follow the link and find out all about the regular meeting place for like minded people).

ps rang the doctors tonight - first appointment I can get with my regular doctor - and at another surgery at that - is 18th April!!! What is the world coming to?

355 - WOYWW That Is

Here we are again, and I am wondering if our glorious founder is going to be up to posting or has passed the mantle to her fab friend, LLJ.  Thinking of you both and praying for a 'soon result' for you, Julia.

Well, I really must keep on showing my desk so here it is, in all its glory full of Distress stuff in preparation for a workshop I am hoping to do at some time.

Why it takes me quite so long to do something I will never know.  The book in the foreground is full of sample tags showing different techniques you can do with Distress Inks.  On the left hand side of the book are some samples of colour mixes and to the right are some samples where I have 'bleached' out with water having used diecut negatives.  Spot the dirty babywipe!  And Margaret's lovely box is still there waiting for 'time' to do her challenge by using some of the things inside to create something.

You can see to the far right of the picture my sets of Mini Distress Inks - I think I have them all now but will need to get the reinkers for the newer colours before they run out with so much use.  I love those tins and it is so convenient to have the sponges tucked underneath the inks themselves and all stored in the mini tins.  So handy for carrying around with you.  Lastly you can see my full sized inks with their new labels - I don't have all colours in this size but no doubt I will acquire them before too long (despite swearing I would not be lured into buying the new colours LOL).  Think my "mucky" heat gun needs a new coat of alcohol inks don't you?

Below I thought I would give you a view of the wall to the right of my workspace (above).  As you can see most of this is taken up with ink storage in the carcasses of those Ikea drawers.  I rarely use any of these inks but am loathe to part with them in case I suddenly need them for a particular technique.  Guess I am too hooked on Distress Inks to use others.  Yet I love doing the Stazon technique and I love the chalks.  

On top are balanced some plastic boxes with some spools of ribbon and there are some on a cane fixed to a block on the right.  Again, ribbon is something I so rarely use yet I have loads of it - I must begin to use ribbon, brads and eyelets (which are over the other side of the room).  Despite this looking a bit of a mess I do know what goes where and it is always to hand when I need it - eg my foam buddies, my ds tapes, my various glues etc.  Maybe one week I will bare my ribbon stash to you - I have drawers full too.

... and finally the cupboard I NEED to sort out that is underneath. This needs sorting out as there is such a lot in here that I never ever use so it is just taking up room that could be utilised for other stuff that has not got a proper home.  Will I get around to it?  I doubt it!  I have tried before and I just put stuff back "in case it is needed". Mind you I got rid of loads of stuff the other week and now I could do with some of it for my workshop!!!  Typical!

Well, that is it for this week.  I did make a card for a friend who had suddenly lost her dear father in law but I was in such a hurry with it I never scanned it.  Have got another one which is a wip but until it is sent and received I won't be showing any of the stages in the making.

Well, here's hoping we get a fair few joining in with WOYWW this week - see you there.

WOYWW 354

Well, I don't know how to begin this post after Julia's revelations last week.  Just hope she gets an appointment sooner than expected so it can all be dealt with.  One thing she can be sure of and that is that there are a lot of hands joining around the world and sending prayers up for her.  Julia, you are loved by so many.

May I take this opportunity of thanking "imgirl", my latest follower for joining in.  I hope to improve the amount of work I do on my blog as soon as this flipping cold of mine disappears.  Come on, three weeks is a bit too long for me.

The desk may look staged but I assure you it is not.  I just propped the journal page from the other weekend (with Marta) up as I had been doing a bit of pencil work on it and was going to work on the LO below it but have not had any inclination with this flu type bug hanging around.  My tiny art is at the side of it - honest it is not staged.  The pile of white card is just from weekend when I dem'd the Distress Inks again.  I think I should have stayed at home.

Here is the tiny art with a mini mister at the side of it so you know the actual size, or at least that it is small.

Now here is a shot that you might think I have taken from another blogger.  No, this is MY box. Kindly given to me by Margaret (Glitter and Glue) who came to see me at the weekend with her lovely husband, John.  Look at all the goodies that were inside this magnificent box.  Now Margaret has challenged me to make something using the contents.  hope she means some of them and not all. Right Margaret - will do my best and thank you - your visit on Friday meant so much and it was lovely to see John looking so well.

As Bugs Bunny would say "That's All For Now Folks" (is that right?) so hop on over to the stamping ground and see what is happening across the globe.

WOYWW 353

My usual weekly visit via Julia's blog - Stamping Ground - join in please, I can assure you you will make some lovely friends.  Much more information when you get there.

Well, this weekend saw me up in Stockton on Tees with the Riverside Warriors enjoying a weekend of fun and frolics with the lovely Marta Lapkowska who is an absolute treasure.  Such a lovely young woman and so talented.  Well we did five projects starting Friday night and ending Sunday afternoon, You can see two of them here on my desk:

The book shows one of the three pages I did using Lindys Stamp Gang Sprays and to the right of it is a book cover which I did using similar products.  You can also see my Distress Inks which were left out from last week.  Still need to play with them for Friday in York.

Here's a closer look at the two

The other side of my desk looks like this and has my stash on which I bought whilst up at Stockton on Tees with Sue Tucker and her A Team.  

As you can see, these are a few of the new Finnabair products and some of the old ones that I managed to get for a reduced price.  Plus my crazy cats waiting to be coloured in with Distress Inks for weekend (York Racecourse, Friday and Saturday - any WOYWW'ers likely to be there - Glitter and Glue is coming up to see me providing John is ok to travel.  Would be lovely to see more of you.)

You will have to wait to see what else we did on the Marta weekend as I need to do one or two bits of tweaking (meaning I did not quite finish - because I had this laryngitis it slowed me down a bit).

Great News - I am now going on the weekend with Andy Skinner and Tracy Weinzapfel - sounds to be a real packed weekend and great fun and I think the cost is very reasonable - but again that is due to Sue who organises great mixed media weekends - but this time it is a Retreat and it is Coventry.  I have wanted to do an Andy Skinner weekend for so long .....  Doing the Happy Dance or what!!  I think there are still some places available if you fancy tripping the DecoArt trail with their Education Coordinator, Tracy Weinzapfel who is over from America.

WOYW 352

Here we are, another Wednesday, time for Julia's gang to show their desks. Click here for more details.

First of all, many thanks for the good wishes for my injured leg - it is doing fine now and will soon be fully back to normal (I hope).  Thanks!

This is what you have come for - my desk

If you are a stamper you will recognise that they are tags - distressed inked tags to be precise.  Week on Friday I will be selling Distress Inks (my favourites) at the craft show in York (Friday and Saturday) along with the other things in the Distress line.  If any of you are going please come over and say 'hello' to me on the Oyster Stamps stand.  It is at the racecourse in York and is open 10 - 4.30 each day.  York is a beautiful place to visit in itself, a walk by the river followed by a lovely meal at one of its many good restaurants is ideal.  Then there is the Outlet Park at MacArthur Glenn which is often a good place to park up and catch the bus into the city centre.

Next week I will probably have lots more tags to show you as I need to do some samples before I go. Remember how I had a wall with my tags on?  Well, it has moved.  In an attempt to make a bit more room for crafting available I moved the tags so that I could move the cupboards down.  If you sent me a tag at some time and it is still on my wall it shows how much I like it.

The bag on the left is one I got from Spellbinders at CHA and the box with the Parisian pictures on is full of my Dylusion stuff.  On top of it you can see a card I made for my dil's birthday - here is a better photograph

It's not crumpled and creased, that is the shadow from my Grand Nestabilities but it does look as if it is creased.  I saw this card done by Kay from Honey Doo Crafts and just had to buy the stamp.  I think I will be doing it again.

Well, I guess I must go now and check on Julia, seeing what others are doing today.  See you around!