WOYWW #456

What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

So the snow snows!  And the sun shines!  And so it is!  Shame about the bitter easterly wind, but then again it looks ok from inside the house!
I am not venturing out, I have managed to get myself almost better, still coughing but not with such fierceness ..... all's good.

I finished all my card/ATC swaps while I have been ill using the five minutes here and five minutes there method.  They all went into the post yesterday (27th)..... just about made the deadline end of the month.

Sometime ago before I was sick, I was entered, mistakenly, into a swap which meant nothing to me ...... Tissue.   Not a card.  My partner had the same problem - ??????? 
She sent me some beautiful stamped sheets of tissue paper but what I could do, I had no idea.
Suffice to say I came up with an idea - brain storming with PJ actually!!

The desk:

I am making a box in which to place my stamped tissue papers.  Full details will follow at some point on this Blog.  I need to paint it up a bit more, varnish the lid, line the inside and then I can parcel it up.  Amazing what happens to Amazon envelopes!!!

That's it from me as I am linking late today and want to go visit as many as possible.
Have fun, be productive and crafty, stay warm..........

WOYWW #455

I bin sick!

I bin ever so sick!

I took to my bed last Monday and have only managed to get up twice - once on Friday which triggered another Asthma attack - and then Monday just gone, for a couple of hours.

Told you I'd bin sick!!

I can assure you that I am on the mend now, feeling stronger and just the remnants of a cough to cope with ...... and a mountain of mail and work to catch up ......

At least I have an empty desk to do all this work!

I moved the canvas sheet, cleared the desk ready to do some work after I had scheduled all my posts (last Monday 12th) and then ....... so it has remained.

This is the first time my PC has been switched on, I have managed to keep up to date with social media a bit via my phone but even that was very tiring .....

Poor PJ was taken ill on the Saturday, but had to get up to feed himself on the Tuesday as I I was well and truly out of it!!  lol  

Bet there's been some concoctions going down his throat!!!

I hope to get up and get myself downstairs at some point today and from then on ...... the only way is up ........ if you follow me!

You have a good week, take care of yourselves, make sure you've plenty of soup in the pantry!

Thank you to my visitors last week - feels very remote now - and hope to see you all at your desks .........

BTW

All the deets on how to link up etc. and, more importantly, why you should can be found at the top to the page.

Checking out the Cyclamens

Some time ago, whilst I was at Castle Garden Centre waiting in line to pay for my veg and fruit, I noticed a trolley full of half dead Cyclamen Plants.  Not your ordinary small ones but proper large pink and red indoor ones.  What actually caught my eye was the large sign - FREE TO GOOD HOME.
Now it's not every day you see a sign like that is it?
I checked with the staff and .... yes!  they were all free, have as many as I liked.  Not wanting to be greedy, I had half a dozen and took them home.
They looked really poorly but my guess was that they had been over-watered and left in the cold.... really needed some TLC.
I placed them in our back room, warm enough to let them dry out without any rush.
Needless to say they were forgotten!

I had reason to go into the room last week and there they were ... very dried out!
I took the box into the kitchen and proceeded to clean them up a bit and then placed them into the sink to have a good drink...... not a long one ..... just enough to perk them up and let them know someone cares.....
Today they look a lot better, still flowering, still needing some TLC, but decidedly better.

While I was there, I noticed the Hyacinths are coming into bloom ...

... Spring is on its way ...

... maybe only in the house but ...

.. it's coming!!

WOYWW #454

Happy St Valentine's Day!

We don't celebrate it round here, one thing I learnt early on .... I am not married to a romantic!!!  lol

I am trying out some canvas paper at the moment.  
Waiting for my first layer of paint to dry. 

Then I hope to paint up some stencilling, stamp some images and then cut down to ATCs. 

Well, that's the plan.

In case you missed it, the big reveal is here.  It went down a treat.  So pleased I managed to complete it .... next project is a big scrapbook for Little Soldier.


I completed some ATCs and have visited a Papercraft Show since our last get together.  Had a great time but only found out later that two girls from Craft & Chatter were there .... DDN may not need to be the chauffeur next time!!!  In actual fact I am looking at the July show as I think my bank account needs a rest for a couple of months!

Take care of yourselves during this bad weather and if it's hot where you are .... then suck it up!
Thank you to all my visitors last week, will try to visit a few more desks this week.

BTW - what's this all about? did I hear you cry?  Click on the page at the top and you will be promptly escorted to our fair Hostess, Julia's Stamping Ground with all the details.

Birthday celebration

The Family gathered to celebrate DDC's birthday but without PJ, he is resting in bed with a bad chest infection.

We had an evening meal in a pub not far away from us all but a new venue so it was very interesting.
Once we had settled into our seats, we had then to sort out what everyone was eating. 

Some little folks couldn't decide what to have to eat ....... seems the Menu is much better when worn as a hat!

I pulled out another present for DDC.....

There was much excitement from everyone, especially Little Soldier who joined in all the  OOOOOH!s

Another gnome present well received!

Excalibur Papercraft Show at Motorcycle Museum

I usually only get to go to this show a couple of times a year and this time I managed to coerce DDN into to taking me.  Luckily for me she was free and so I arrived in the pouring

rain to a packed show room.

Although this is near the NEC it is a much smaller venue and therefore I have time to really look at products without the big crush and prices of the NEC - parking is free and entrance is £4 with lots of seats both outside and inside.

As we arrived there were no queues outside so that was good, but it was rammed inside, I thought we had left it late enough to avoid the crowds but not so.

We managed to push our way in until we found less of a crush and could view the stands.  

Let me say here and now .... I went mainly for the demos and to buy 3, that's three, stamp sets.

Then we walked in ......

Final stash bag

... I think the photos show my finishing!

First purchase

My first purchase was a set of stamps, useful for male cards as well as ordinary greeting cards .....

.... maybe an ATC or two!

Little Clare Designs

During the course of the walk round I managed to pick up a few different make and prices stamps..... 

two of the three stamps I came for

... a collection of silhouette stamps......

......Visible Image stamps ...

Dies spotted on web day before!

Last purchase of the day.

...... some dies....

     ...... speaking of which .....

.... lovely DDN saw this decoration and came up with some brill ideas so .....

... this die went into my bag!!!  

It's all her fault!

I can blame her with a clear conscience....because..... as we all know 

...... a child left to its own devices gets up to mischief!!

The following photo and video were emailed to me ...... much later ......

January Swap

Theme for this first swap of 2018 is .... Elements.
Sid has asked us to think outside the box ..... this calls for my Stamp File I think!

I drew up a list of the Elements and then looked through my pages to find stamps that inspired me ......
.... quite a list and then I went through it again, narrowing down the list of stamps.




I decided on a Crafter's Companion stamp to depict the Element Air.  I cheerfully stamped him out and then found he was too big for my ATC!
I could've cried but then the old grey matter kicked into action ....
.... I photocopied the stamped image on my printer!! 

yeah!  

now it fits!

I spent a lovely day painting all these images .....


Once attached to the base card they look like this ....

Air

I painted the background with blue watercolour and mica paints and put to dry after adding mica powder to the yellow paint to add sparkle to his brace and goggles.  Once fussy cut and attached to the card, it only needed a touch of clear acrylic paint on his eyes and goggles.  

Earth

Another TH sentiment added to finish.

I used a SU stamp to imply the Element Earth.  This could be anywhere but it makes me think of Italy.  I have walked many a street like this whilst travelling with PJ, we are very blessed.  

Water

I am using this Sheena Douglass Peaceful Lakeside stamp to convey the Element Water.
I just coloured this au naturel as it were.

Fire

This stamp image I found in my stash, I thought that as I had used red ink it could be good to symbolise the Element Fire.  

I added a green and brown background to suggest the speed of this engine.  I washed over the engine itself with red wash adding a bit of black at the front.

A few swirls of light grey to indicate steam coming from that mighty fire that roars deep within ........

The cards I received back:

Air

Fire

Super blue Butterfly on a darling shaped card!
Thank you Jennie D.

Logs glistening in the flames ....

Thank you Michelle M.

I love the way Tim's stamps has been used here......

Thank you Teresa M.

Water

Thank you Sid for hosting and sorting and swapping and posting another great swap.

Alphabet Swap - P, Q & R

P is for Peel Offs and Piglet
I decided to use some Peel Offs for this swap and colour them up with Sharpie Pens.
I detached the houses from the background and 'let them breathe' and then placed them on the base card.  Talk about the wibbly, wobbly way!  
Couldn't get them off the card so started again.  


This time I coloured them first and then let them 'breathe' a little longer!!!
Once I had attached them to my satisfaction, I then added little Piglet - isn't he cute?!

P is for Pets

A super shiney P with some tiny pussy cats inside.

Thank you Barbara.






Q is for Quilling


Not very good quilling I'm afraid.  The dress is my first real attempt, created at Craft & Chatter, and I added the bodice and 'pocket' to complete the card.  I am using tiny peg stamps from various alphabet sets to stamp the wording. 
My stamping has not improved either but I did see a TV programme tip to wrap an elastic band round the stamps so they stay in line.... too late for this card!!




Q is for Queen




Beautifully framed and decorated - see the silver!.
Thank you Kate.






R is for Rain and Rainbows.


Still practising my stamping - or is it multi stamping?

I have used several stamps taken from Creative Stamping Magazine sets.
I used three small stamps for the raindrops, using the technique of 'secondary' stamping I think it is called. 

Once all the ink had dried, I used Neo Colours and then gave the whole card a wash with blue.


R is for Retail therapy

Just love that sentiment!  
......and those tiny die cuts - look at the detail and glimmer.....
Thank you Beth.



Thanks to Mel for organising the swap, reminding me to post and then, waiting to receive my cards before swapping them out.

The Big Reveal.....

... not really!

I have never made anything like this before but when I saw this Blog post I knew that I wanted to make it for DDC.  I will adapt it, like dropping the Fairies but I so wanted to make it.
It would be a Christmas present...... due to me being not very well, Christmas came and went and all the pieces remained in the parcel.
It could be a Birthday present ..... enough time?  Of course!!
I finished it on Wednesday and the birthday was Thursday!!!  Close .... I should say so!

I sent off for all the pieces I needed to complete my project, so excited when it arrived but I controlled myself and carried on making Christmas cards (with difficulty!).

Eventually the time came to start the work of art ........
I emptied out the pieces, gathered my paints and read and reread the instructions........    I played around with the pieces of chipboard to ensure that I had the right pieces and they would fit together how I envisaged.
Then I painted ........
.......added a bit more paint .......
 Starting to guess now are you?  Ha!

Oh! No! 

Look at that smudge!  

How on earth has that happened?  

I am not a very clever person, one of those people that no matter how I try to get it right ........

I shall just have to paint over it when all the paint has dried!!

I have started to put it all together now....

..here is the first glueing ......

Now complete ish.

I have painted all round the little grotto but you will have to take my word for it as I don't have any photos of the back ....in case you're one of those people who check to see if the dolly is wearing underwear ..... I painted the underside as well!  lol

Can you see the back?

It's a small door in the toadstool stalk ..... 
.......where the gnomes live of course!!!

........ and all we need now is the Birthday Girl herself ........

...... and here she is!

Think she likes it ........he! he!

Oh! the card ....

 I think that's what you call a  'gnomey' birthday!