WOYWW 320

My desk this week is a little bit neglected as we have been away for 'an overnighter' in Nottingham again and I have removed something I am working on as I don't want anyone to see it until I send it off to a certain young lady.  However, you can see the Black and White Journal I started doing and still am.  Gosh it is taking me ages and I have not yet began putting any words on apart from this first page which still needs finishing.  Anyone know of any good/funny quotes/sayings I can use?  Or a good site for them?

To the left is my book which I took away with me to try some new Tangles - I can only do the easy ones and these are mega easy - following two new books which Chas persuaded me to buy (with my money).  Left of that are some Dylusion Border stamps and there are some at the back too.  My bulging pen case is there along with my perspex border thing and some cut out figures for future use. Then there are some ink pads and still some pieces of card which I coloured weeks ago but have not done anything with.

Here are two more pages - I feel bad when there is very little to show you

I have become rather addicted to these figures and thankfully I was able to stamp some of the larger ones at the workshop to cut out later.  I am so enjoying doing this and think it has kind of taken over my life. (tut tut)

I am still reeling from the sad news we received just over a week ago and must apologise to Bella for not posting the wonderful atc she sent to me and all the lovely goodies that accompanied it which I should have shown last week.

In the top right you can see the gorgeous atc which is full of cogs (the photo does not do it justice) and below it is the little holder it came in, recognise the colours on the ribbon to show where it travelled from?  Then there were all manner of diecuts in with it as you can see and I just love the little note holder which took me back in years to when I operated a typewriter like that, and the ribbon tape measure will be used and loved.

This was the second atc that Bella had sent to me as the mailing people must like to open envelopes and keep things.  She had been advised not to send an ordinary envelope but to send a padded one which would not "be as interesting" - as Bella said, "go figure!"

So thank you Bella, it was a happy mail drop the day my package arrived and everything will get used I can assure you.

What are you all doing?  I hope to join you later today but for the moment I am off to "The Red Hot Buffet" in Manchester with a friend.  We bought tickets and they run out shortly so they need using pronto.  

I was away at weekend and had a fab time watching the Black Pigs (?) want to know more?  See tomorrow's posting.  In the meantime "See you over at Julia's place shortly".

WOYWW 319

Spare Desk with work on it - other desk coming up - full of memorabilia at the moment.

This is my desk in the Utility Room.  I have some canvasses (5 of them) started days ago and at the moment only with crackle medium on, layered through a stencil.  Other things got rather in the way.

To the left is my Dangling Book and further along my small painty Dylusion Journal.  In front, just for you dear Readers, is the last page in my "new" Black and White Journal (which is basically three sheets of A3 card put together)  I say 'last page' rather tongue in cheek as none of the pages are in a state of completion.  I am trying out a couple of Zentangle patterns but the designs are not very evenly done - the rest is free hand or done through a stencil.  This was from a workshop I took on Saturday when I went with my friend Lorraine.  I really like the idea and am afraid my painty journal will be getting neglected whilst this is on, but I have plans for making a smaller one too!

Eliza & Yoda

A favourite card and her wonderful envelopes

Now the reason for my using this other desk is that I have been trying to think of what to say and so I was looking at some of the things Eliza sent me in the past, hoping for inspiration.  I now realise just how staged my normal desk must look but it was just me trying to find some of the things to help me with this post.  It came as a great shock to hear, on Friday, of Eliza's passing two days before (thanks Robyn for letting me know) as I always thought this lovely lady was larger than life and would certainly be around long after me.

I put an excerpt from an email that she once sent to me on the Flat Susan Blog telling me about her Christmases and how she held big parties which always made me think, no, know, she must be a fantastic mum, friend and boss.  I can only begin to imagine what her employees have gone through since her passing because I am sure they loved her as much as everyone else did.  We know that her family and her best friend DeDe are completely bereft and I think there have been quite a few tears shed by bloggers who got to know this incredible lady.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all in Australia, we know how much you must be hurting.

I will miss her, we all will, but I hope that in time Myrene can carry on with part of her inheritance, "the Queenartoypia Blog", but in the meantime we will all have to manage without our friend and her little cat Yoda.

Thoughts and prayers are with her family, with her fur babies and with her Bestie, DeDe.  Eliza, if you are looking down on us your heart must be full with all the love that is being poured out through Blogland today.  RIP my friend, you are so missed.

A Card for Lorraine and a Pregnancy

Now which should I show you first - the card I sent to Lorraine or the new mummy to be?

This was a card I made for Lorraine who had just lost one of her old friends.  I say 'old' in that they had known one another for quite some time when in fact the friend was not old in age at all  Such a shame.  Thought butterflies were appropriate for this card and I know Lorraine likes them so hope she liked the card.

Now, I was working at Newark the other week and was dem'ing Finnabair/Prima products so decided that I would begin the weekend with making a canvas.  I thought I was using a photograph of Brian, the newest addition to the Holt family house but in fact it was Lucy, and I was told a little secret.  She is pregnant.  I was asked to keep this quiet but noticed the other day on Facebook that the information has been released so it is safe to post on here (I hope).

If you pop along to Oyster Stamps you will find that they have a huge range of products for you to make your own canvasses in the style of Finnabair - have fun!

WOYWW 318

Cannot believe I blogged three times last week after my post on WOYWW.  I must have been in a real crafting mood.  Mind you, I love my Dylusions 'Painty' Journal (decided that one little journal is going to be Dylusions paint and nothing else and Dylusion stamps/stencils and nothing else).  My new big journal and another small one will be more experimental and will have paint inks and various other things in it.

Here's another share (page)

Sorry, you really came here to see my desk.  My journal is tucked away to my left along with another craze that I am hoping to get into - Dangling?  Well that is my name for it and it is something my lovely friend Liz got me into along with Zentangling which I must pursue.  I got some new pens for the Dangles when I called in Ikea on Saturday on my way home from the Bargello class (see below).

This is my desk to the left after a Dangling session when I was looking for a brown gel pen - not got one so used a glittery one - well, I am impatient.

My gel pens including my new neon ones and I see Jo's recipe is in the front for a Quinoa salad.  The purple ended pencil case has my black and white journalling pens in and the yellow one at the back has my drawing pencils in.  But where are my felt tips?  

Starting at the back - my box for my Dylusion stamps and images already cut out, my new BIG journal and some pages we took out (from Dyan's class the other week), my baby wipes in the white box.  On top is my Dangle book, small journal and new small journal.  Think that is it.

 Desk I am working on

As soon as I sort out my pens (they go into two pencil cases but I can't remember how I divide them, need to get thinking) I will begin on this canvas.  My bag has lots of Finnabair products in ready to use and is my 'bag to go' when I am dem'ing at the shows.  The yellow thing is a cheap photo frame I got from Ikea (£!) which was white until I got it home and alcohol inked it and to the right of that are some images I stamped which are waiting to go on cards in readiness for birthdays etc.  Can anyone guess what style, or whose style, the canvas will be in?

Monkee and Katie Koala are still watching what I do and I am surprised that bath robe has not got sprayed before now.  Are they watching me or keeping their eyes on the Cola Bottles I wonder.

Had some happy post this week - an atc from Dolores - well worth sharing - and sharing the pretty card that came with it with news of her and Alan inside.

Isn't that pretty!

Rightio, I will leave it there and hop on over to Julia's blog to see what she has to say whilst sunning herself, and who else has linked up this morning.  Hope folks remember to put their number down, it makes it so much easier to comment on their blog when returning a visit.  See you there!

Bargello with Vicky

Victoria Stampers that is ... I, and one or two others, refer to the club as Vicky Stampers, probably an affectionate tone used whilst saying and shortening.

Well, these are some of my samples from Saturday

Two cards

An Asian feel and 3 simple squares

A bit more traditional Bargello

and a pretty present

Simple leftovers

Bargello boxes and a gift card

A kimono and a diamond (lost one piece)

As you can see I had lots of samples to show them, all left over from a workshop I once did before (glad I saved them).  This was my display

Here are some of the ladies in action

and Sheila made these two (amongst others)

Sheila is a fast learner and fast at crafting so she always makes us smile because she is often on number 4 of whatever we are doing whilst the rest of us are still on number one.

If any of you are in the Warrington area we meet first Saturday of each month (unless Bank Holiday) at 10 am at Padgate, we would love to have some of you join us.

Busy Busy Busy

Oh Gosh, hasn't it been hot again - we moan when it is cool, we moan when it is hot, but yesterday I had to get some birthday cards done so I found the heat a bit hampering.

Last weekend Tracey (Oyster Stamps) gave me some Crealies Modern Patchwork Dies to have a play with and Friday was the first time I had chance to give them a go.  Well, nothing on You Tube to show me what to do with them all so cut, cut, cut.  Made a hash of it with the first attempt and then realised I did not have to use all the shapes.

Checked some blogs and found that they did not use all of them. Tracey wanted me to use them differently to how others had used them - so here we are - two birthday cards for friends which will be delivered today in readiness for their birthdays later this month. Neither of them check my blog so I know I am ok to post.  I did do two others but as they had to be mailed out I forgot to take a photograph.

Black circle on white square card with clear stones

sorry it is a bit skewy, it is a white card with black stones

(just photographed on black)

As you can see I went for black and white for my first cards using these shapes.  Not sure what I will be doing next with them - watch this space.

The tutor we had lined up for today has had to cancel and so on Tuesday we found ourselves without anyone to teach the class. Luckily I had a Bargello class ready (ie samples and boards) so I asked if they wanted me to step in, which is a bit why I have been busy. Just hope I can remember how to do it 'cos that is where I am today.  I'll take some photos and post them tomorrow.

What are you doing today?

Addicted to Journalling

Ever since I did that class with Dyan and was introduced to her paints I have become an addict!!!  I am obsessed with doing pages so I can doodle with my white or black pen, and then colouring in those gorgeous images she has.

I just got my stamps back (loaned to a friend) so I have been busy finishing off some pages.  I say "finishing off" but in reality a lot of them will still have more work on them.  Dyan said she often has several pages in differing stages of completion.  I have not quite come to terms with words, either what to put that is witty or how to do really special writing.

Here are a couple, especially for a fellow WOYWW'er - Diane

 Need to add something in that gap but not sure if I want words or something else here.

Dia de Muertos?

Unrelated pages or a duo?

Well, that is it for now as I have to get ready for a workshop at Vicky Stampers.  Bargello anyone?