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.

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.