WOYWW #491

WOYWW - All the deets on how to link up etc. and, more importantly, why you should, can be found at the top to the page.  Thank you Julia for hosting another week of fun and mayhem.

What a week just flew by!!!
We had a Mini WOYWW Meet up, trip out with GSNo1, lots of ATCs made and received, 'Doctor's Outfit' cut out ready to stitch......

First off .... here's my desk....

The start of a new swap and the Theme is ...... easy to guess this week!

PJ and I went to Sarah's for a Mini WOYWW last Sunday and had a blast (report is here).  The drive up (across? geography is not me) was beautiful, this country of England is gorgeous in Autumn with so many shades on the trees to look at.  Sarah's Shed was warm and welcoming, especially when she brought out the gateau!!

We had a cup of coffee to go with it and a quick chat and emptying of bags and we were away ..... the time just flew past and soon we were on our way home, cheered on by the beauty of a rainbow.

I was so busy admiring it, I nearly forgot to take a photo!!

Last week's Theme was What's On Your Bucket List - I entered this without thinking it through ...... I knew one item and then realised I don't have a Bucket List!!
After much thinking about what and where I would do and go if I had the chance (remembering I have to illustrate the idea) I settled for the following......

I want to watch England play at Edgbaston..... I know that I live down the road but ......

I want to go to the Edinburgh Tattoo .... well done if you worked this out, lots guessed for Scotland.

I want to go to Disneyland Paris.... I go to Paris frequently but to Disneyland and Cinderella - not yet!

I really want to go on a cruise to the Norwegian Fjord to see the Northern Lights .... we are saving our pennies ....

Mini WOYWW - except it's Sunday

What a super time we had with Sarah, thank you so much Sarah for hosting the mini.  
We drove up through the English Countryside and it was beautiful, I just looked and looked.  Poor PJ missed it all as he was driving (and a good job he did of it).


Sarah was waiting in the Shed for us and she had it all warm and cosy.  She was there with the coffee and cake (!) so after a quick catch up we were away.



PJ had brought his train to add a bit more work......

.... he hasn't found time to do anything on it since the LA Crop so he was pleased to be able to come......


I brought some colouring .....

..... images I have had for some time so they really needed to be coloured up ready to use.......

Sarah had her paper and paints to hand and is posting about it all on her Blog.

So we continued for the next couple of hours, working away and chatting ..... and eating gateau!!



PJ was cutting and waxing and fixing.......

Sarah was tapping and splashing and 'touching' (frightened the life out of me when she put on the gloves - she was already wearing a plastic apron!!).

I was painting and no!....
..... that is not an egg in the middle of my paintbox!!

The gateau slowly disappeared and the time flew by as only time does....

All too soon it was time to pack away and travel back home.

We had a wonderful time, managed to complete so much crafting and to see Sarah at work .... an absolute bonus, I'd say Icing on the cake but .....
Once more we ventured out into the cold sunny day and returned home.  The rain held off until we arrived back but someone out there certainly had a fair bit - we had the sunshine and the rainbow....... 

Thank you Sarah and Paul (forgive me if I have this wrong, I am notorious for forgetting names) for a gorgeously, gateauey creative afternoon.  If you want to do it again some time ...... count us in!

WOYWW #490

This is What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - checkout the tab at the top of the page for further info - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting again.

OK!  A guessing game for you today.
I am in the middle of making some ATCs for a swap, I wont say what the theme is but can you guess?

All will be revealed in the fullness of time!

It's quite cold today and we are waiting on a couple of deliveries, then we will go for a wander round CostCo.  I think that this is a very pleasant way to get my exercise in, although there will be no Little Soldier with us today, it will be a pleasant leisurely stroll!
I hope to catch up with you all later.

WOYWW #489

WOYWW - All the deets on how to link up etc. and, more importantly, why you should, can be found at the top to the page.  Thank you Julia for hosting another week of fun and mayhem.

This is quite a shocker......

yep!  
That's my desk!   
It is cleared ready for me to do a load of diecutting.....
It wasn't like that yesterday, it was covered in loose stamps, papers etc.  Then I decided to sort all the loose stamps and put them in their boxes - the beautiful pink lidded ones (only a few can be seen here!) - then I wiped it all down and ........ lots of space there ...... room for my Calibur and diecutting ......

Tomorrow it will all be different!!
A few weeks back GSNo1 helped me make some backgrounds and I have been playing around with them, adding paints etc.  I now want to diecut some cogs and gears ready for some more ATCs and Coins.  This tidy desk will be the perfect place to do that!

Hope you have as much fun as I will, take care......

WOYWW #488

This is What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - checkout the tab at the top of the page for further info - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting again.


A full on desk today!!  I am sorting out all my October swaps, you can probably tell the main subject or theme........

There are lots of designs from GeckoGalz which I have been cutting and sticking with!  One of my boxes of ribbons has been on use.  The list of swaps I have entered this month and one card from last month's swap which was received yesterday.  The sender has yet to be thanked .....
Just peeping out from under the lists are some of my GSNo1's paintings (see previous post).  They make me smile just looking at them!
We have had a bit of a worrying week with both girls being poorly.  DDN has had a touch of the flu and DDC has gone through an horrendous time which has ended up with her having a tentative diagnosis of Gallstones.  Lots of hospital tests and visits ahead for her but, now she has had some sleep, she is strong again.
Thank you for your visits and comments last week, sorry I didn't make everyone's desks, I will try to do better this week!  lol

How to spend Saturday when it's raining.

It's raining and we have to go out to buy cat litter...... looks like an exciting Saturday in Retirement lies ahead .....

Then comes the request to look after GSNo1 (Little Soldier in disguise!) while DDC has a rest - she has been ill for some days, the hospital has said that rest is best - so off we go to collect him.
We travel over to Pets at Home on one of our local retail parks, lots to see there.  While Grandad sorts out the litter, we go off to look at the animals and the fish...... fish are a favourite thing to look at.  Then we sort out the Bird Food, up to the paydesk and out into the rain to the car.  The traffic has built up now so it seems to take an age to come home but the entertainment team is there ...... just how many Rain connected songs can we sing?!!  Grandad is in his element and makes them up as we go along which brings forth much laughter and giggling.

After the Pizza lunch, it is decided that GSNo1 and I will paint backgrounds for my artworks.  We left Grandad watching a film (it stars Rowan Atkinson and is about a spy!) and went into Grandma's Craft Room.... wowee!

Some paper had been prepped with some coarse gesso as texture was needed in the background.
Lots of Grandma's special paints were lined up ready to use.

Tools of the trade were also there, don't ask where they come from as they have been around for what seems ages. 

The paint was applied with much gusto and the page covered, "Enough!"  cried the artist, "more paper".

So more was supplied .....

Then Grandma joined in a bit, well, as much as she was allowed to......

This one, I agree, looked like Thomas the Engine once the paint had been spread so the Artist decided that he would paint Thomas.
This is difficult to explain but  - the engine was there in shape, it looked like the Engineer had given it a new coat of paint - GSNo1 decided to paint it as well so 'Thomas' disappeared under the new paint!!
.......and so it went on and on ..... sponges were washed and dried ...... more colours chosen and painted ....... super time had by all ......

....lots of backgrounds created, just what Grandma wanted for her new month's swaps.  A great way to spend a rainy afternoon..... and a new artist has been found!!

June Swap - Red, White and Blue

Every time I hear those colours said in that order it reminds me of ....

Red, White and Blue
The dirty Kangaroo
Hid behind a dustbin
and did a number2!

More of a chant than a song and we sang it a lot as children .... I suppose we were sick of seeing the flags flying everywhere .... Queen's Coronation and all that!!!
So a kangaroo it has to be!!
I used the kangaroo from Band Camp along with a few musical notes.  I wanted to stamp onto paper and managed to find some perfect paper (another freebie) as the backgrounds.  I stamped and embossed all the elements then pc printed out the sentiment.
I matted this to a background paper mounted onto fancy cut matts.  I am very happy with the result although PJ says he hasn't heard of the song ..... several others also say this so it must have been a local 'thing'. 

I have received the following cards:


Beautiful resist embossed flowers
Thank you Crane Colk.

Superb stamping and a lovely design.

Thank you Jorde Wright.

More beautiful resist embossing.

Thank you Marion Rutherford.

Thank you Sid for organising another smashing swap.

WOYWW #487

WOYWW - All the deets on how to link up etc. and, more importantly, why you should, can be found at the top to the page.  Thank you Julia for hosting another week of fun and mayhem.

Chaos reigns round here!  We had a lovely weekend at Tyseley Trains (more to follow later) but recovery has been slow!!
My desk sortof proves it.......

Above EVERYTHING ELSE is my to do list book - she who must be obeyed today book.
I am sooooo behind with everything, thank you messages, photo write ups, Blog, you name it and I must be behind in it!!  lol
On my desk, the selection of stamps is being sorted for the half made coins at the top of the photo - by the paints, under the printed images ....... I hope you get the picture!

Open Days were the best ever!!!  We celebrated in style - here's just a few ideas ......


the Carousel (shown in action on the opening credits to TV programmed Vanity Fair).

Classic Cars

Miniature Railway (it is there!)

Traction Engines and Steam Organ

Children's rides, Candyfloss etc.



and of course .......

Steam Locomotive Engines........

For the engine buffs - there were four Castles and 2 Panniers along with various vintage equipment.

It was a superb weekend and, hopefully, a sign of things to come ......

Have a good week and I hope to visit later ........