WOYWW 156 - Happy anniversary

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JULIA AND ALL YOU FELLOW WOYWWers!*!*!*!

What's on your workspace?  Easy to answer this week - ATCs of course in celebration of the 3rd anniversary of What's On Your Workspace Wednesday, the weekly global blog hop that, just like Topsy, grew and grew.

So, a pile of ATCs, of course, stamps and envelopes.  I made quite a few so am hoping I can get a few people to swap with me as well as doing the 'next on the list' swap.  I already have three people who have said they will swap but I have lots ready to go to good homes - or even wickedly naughty homes.

If you want to swap then you can email via my Profile page and I will get back to you with my address.

Also on the desk, new Pan Pastels, yes, I gave in and bought a few - as if I needed any more colouring mediums, but then what's money for if not for spending, and Neet put me on to a very good deal.  Only three showing there, the rest are hidden behind all the Distress Inks.  Not had time to have a proper play but I did make a couple of backgrounds for ATCs and then had a play yesterday with the three colours you see and an eraser - to make the lines on the cards bottom left.  They blend beautifully and are super-rich colours so I'm pleased with the results.

Short(ish) post this week in the true spirit of WOYWW so a big thanks to Julia for hosting this great blog hop and I raise my glass to say 'here's to many more years' (well I would raise a glass if the sun was over the yardarm - whatever that means - so I'll just raise my porridge bowl instead.)

Fairies and faeries.

Another sunny hot day yesterday so was able to enjoy a bit of sunshine then take myself of to do a bit more crafting.  Two deco book pages needed completing if I wanted to meet the May deadline - I hate being late for anything, and I have been missing a bit of inspiration for the recipient's theme which is fairies.

Don't have many fairy stamps at all so I tend to use the same ones and hope I'm sending them to a different person than last time.

Here's the first page.

A Crafty Individuals stamp and a few flowers on a sprayed and splodged background.  I love the calligraphy on the word stamp which is from Quietfire Designs.

The second is a different style and not quiet finished yet - I need your help.

Background is sprayed watercolour paper and the fairy and toadstool stamps are from Lavinia Stamps.  I cut off the fairy's wings and added some German scrap wings.

Question is do I leave it like this or add a little 'button?

What do you think?

Anyone too hot?

Not too hot for me, I took Sorrel for an early walk and we have been sitting in the conservatory with the fan on and have now moved to the living room which is lovely and cool.  We shouldn't moan as we have waited so long for a bit of sun and I like to sit outside - but in the shade.

Still at least having a long run of sunny weather takes away the guilt at being inside crafting and the early walk gives me a lot more time in the morning so I have been indulging my addiction and made a couple more journal pages for our monthly swap.  This month I have chosen my garden birds and autumn leaves as 'things you like' - our theme.

Got out my box of spray inks, a mixture of Memories, Sticky Fingers and Dylusions and set too.  Still don't like my handwriting.  I know its part of who I am but the 'who I am' I think I am (still with me on this?) is a different person - one with a graceful copperplate hand.  Tried to pretty it up with some loops but it's not the best - still I like the page.

Like this one better, same inks and some favourite leaf stamps - I have a shed-full of them and a tree stamp by Lavinia that didn't stamp well.  Probably because I tried to stamp Versafine over the top of pigment inks and that doesn't work.  Saved the day by inking over with a Pilot pen.

Made a batch of ATCs yesterday ready for next Wednesday's WOYWW anniversary swap.  Used to make a lot of ATCs but rarely make more than one a month now so it has been a refreshing change.  I have loads of ideas for more and may try some fabric ones - if I can lift my sewing machine of the floor, it weighs a ton.

In true Blue Peter tradition - here's a few I made earlier.  If anyone wants to do a one-to-one swap please email me - via my profile page and I will get back to you.

Enjoy the sun - it may be snowing next week.

WOYWW 155

Didn't think I would be able to join in this week with Julia's massive blog hop - see Stamping Ground if you're new to this global phenomenon - as it has been a busy week for me.  Not only that but a strange glowing thing has been in the sky the past few days, someone said it is our annual week of summer so I have been making the most of it, and doing a bit of gardening.

I managed to squash in a bit of playing getting ready for the ATC swap but only early stages - making backgrounds.

So many of you shared neat and tidy desks last week you inspired me to turn over a new leaf, well for this week at least, so I tidied all the stamps and papers away, dug out my Ecoline inks and some coated card stock and got messy.  Then as a complete contrast I practised some tiny roses from rolled book pages.  I have done these with ribbon before this was a first attempt with paper.

Here's a closer look at the roses and a few of the layered backgrounds,

and this is a nice, surprise by-product from the session, some colourful paper towels ready to dry out and add to my collection of backgrounds.

Another reason I thought I wouldn't be able to join in was my little dog Sorrel wasn't 100% yesterday.  Fine first thing on her walk but when we got back home she was obviously in pain, reluctant to move and licking her foot.  Couldn't see anything, no foreign bodies or cuts so I thought it was a pulled muscle and left her to rest but it lingered and she looked so sad I rang the vets. Half and hour later she was running around as normal and made a miraculous recovery.  So pleased she is OK - no-one told me having a dog would cause me so much worry - but also so much sheer joy.

Happy WOYWW everyone, lets hope the sun continues to shine for the next few weeks as I'm off to watch the Olympic torch relay next Thursday and I have a feeling we may be waiting a while if the crowds in the early stages are anything to go by.

WOYWW 154

I'm a bit slow getting back into crafting after a week's holiday so only works in progress to show this week via Julia's fantastic weekly global blog-hop over at The Stamping-Ground.

I have been spending, again, as on the way back from North Wales on Saturday I managed to squash in an hour at the Happy Stampers Festival at Port Sunlight and made good use of every minute. I managed to get a couple of IndigoBlu plates, some Chapel Road stamps and some of the recent releases from Crafty Individuals, plus a free stamp for being a follower of their blog.  The Distress re-inkers just happened to fall into my bag - I have the inkpads and I really NEED the re-inkers as well.

Also on my desk - a couple of background papers I made, some peeping out from under the inks and the other on the left has feathers stamped over in Versamark and then chalks added.  The shrine in the middle was supposed to be crackled but I made a complete mess so had to be removed - have just swiped over a bit of white acrylic to soften the blue paint underneath.

The knitting at the top is my finished fish and chips babies jumpers ready to go off - need to find out where to send them now.

Last on my desk is a pile of envelopes containing birthday cards from crafting friends as it's my birthday Thursday - can't wait to open them as I know so many talented people and love to get handmade cards.

Sorry for the lonf post but I wanted to show you this photo of a beautiful bluebell wood near our holiday cottage. I love the colour, smell and visual impact of a field full of bluebells so was thrilled to find this one, and although it was hard to miss WOYWW for the first time since I joined in this sight made up for it.

Dog tired

Back from a week's relaxation in North Wales yesterday and I thinkSorrel was absolutely tired out with all that running on the beach, playing with new friends, chasing rabbits and eating ice-cream as this was her when we got home yesterday.

Completely flaked out.

Mind you we weren't much different after driving home via Port Sunlight and a trip to the Happy Stampers stamp show.  Do I need to tell you I spent a little money there?  No, thought not.

Didn't spend as much as I could have as we were only there just over an hour but I did manage to get a bit of rubber.

A quick visit to the IindigoBlu stall to buy two plates on my list, a few Crafty Individuals stamps, plus a generous freebee for being a follower, and a couple of  Chapel Road background stamps - quite restrained for me.  Oh, and a pack of ribbon, fibre and painted buttons also from Indigo plus a Tim Holtz paper pad.

As for the holiday, great to get away for a week and the weather was OK, bar a few showers and strong wind.  We were snug as bugs in our cottage as the walls were thick enough to repel even the strongest foes and we got very expert in lighting the open fire with lots of logs and coal to burn - carbon footprint? what carbon footprint?

So to finish here are a few photos of sunny N. Wales: -

Looking over the river Conwy estuary to Llandudno,

An ideal spot for contemplating your navel.

Penryhn Castle.

Walled garden in the castle.  The gardener who placed this shrub through the doorway had a great eye for composition and colour.

Sunny N Wales

Well, a bit optimistic about the sunny bit but the rest of the post title is OK as we are all packed up ready to get off tomorrow for a week's break.  Think I have covered every eventuality in the weather - sun (???), rain (much more likely) and cold (same) and looking forward to an open fire so we need to stock up on firelighters and buy a bag of coal on the way.

Have packed a few (?) craft items so will have a bit of a knitting and sewing week.  I plan to make another  jumper and hat for the fish and chips babies this week here is the one I finished sewing up today.

I also finished the little ribbon storage book I showed on last week's WOYWW following Jenniebellie's YouTube video.  Not quite finished as I have to come up with a better closure but I'm please with the result.

Outside, covered with strokeable washi paper...

... and a top view of the inside full of ribbons.

Whatever the weather I hope you all have a great Bank Holiday weekend - I know I will.

WOYWW 152

Happy Wednesday everyone.  It's the day of the week when we share and stare courtesy of the lovely Julia over at The Stamping Ground. so grab a seat and have a nosey around my desk this week.

Bottom right is deco book I am making with pages sent by members of my Yahoo group.  I have three sets of pages already and the swap goes on for another three months so I thought I had better pull up my socks and get on with making the cover.  You can see a close-up of the page here - link.

The book is sitting on a pile of washi papers from my (very large) stash as I have also been making a book to store my ribbons in - the red and black on on the left.

I am following the tutorial made by Jenniebellie on YouTube and the book is made out of an old cardboard box.  I have had some of the washi for years and save every last tiny piece but am also lucky to have been given a load recently.  My favourite is the piece of claret and gold sitting underneath the deco book, this paper is fabulous, soft just like fabric and so rich in gold, I have been saving it up for a 'special' project for about 6 years now

Hiding at the top are a couple of sheets of German scrap birds and butterfies that will be going in my altered book (don't tell Elizabeth but I'm a bit behind with my homework on that one).

Top left is a card I made this week, PaperArtsy stamps on a sprayed background and my favourite 'splodges' stamp embossed in gold.  I love the colours on this one and here is a closer look.

Not sure how many desks I will be able to get round today as I am off on a jaunt to meet Neet and Jozarty and a couple more ladies.  We are having lunch and a bit of a shop in Manchester - crafty of course and I'm looking forward to it.