Something's a foot on my workdesk - WOYWW 178

Yes, I know puns are cringingly unfunny but I like them OK?  Anyway there is something a foot - it's at the end of my leg, and on it is my first ever sock.  It may be a bit baggy, and the tension a bit slack but I'm pretty pleased with it and it got better looking the more I did.  Also pleased that I was able to get my foot up on the table and balance long enough to take a photo without falling over.  Just hope I don't get in trouble with Julia for breaking the H&S rules but then she is a kind, generous soul who organises us every week in to this masooma desk hop so I think I may get away with it.

Shut up Ann and show them your desk.

Other things on there this week include a new stamp set by Stampers Anonymous (say's she who was supposed to be on a strict non-buying month but couldn't resist that face and face parts) alongside a Paperpag Studio stamp (not new), a few bought background papers and one I made yesterday with distress inks in a favourite colour combination.  The big stamp at bottom left is one I have had for a while by Provo-craft.  Looks like a big date stamp but it has alphabets on each rubber band.  Reminded of work when I use it but this is much, much more fun.

That's it for this week.  Need to get busy as I have at least three cards to make for the weekend, some knitting (one sock is no use now is it?) and I'm hoping the workshop ring to say they have fixed the leak in my campervan - they have had two goes at it but can't track down where it is getting in.  Replaced seals round the window and roof-light and kept it until it rained to check if that has sorted it - fingers crossed everybody.

Graphic 45 Asian heart - or I love Asian art

Can you believe it, two posts in two days, what is happening in the world.
Not sure about the answer to that but quite a lot happening on my desk at the moment as I have been playing with the Graphic 45 Birdsong papers I won last week.

Yesterday I showed the basic hearts as part of my 'tear-and-share' WOYWW post, today it's the finished article. Added quite a few bits and bobs, buttons, stick on hearts, Ideology frames and some more lovely Graphic 45 faux postage stamps,  Lots of fun making this and lots more paper left for project number 2.

(Garden's looking a bit sad at this time of year but there is a still a bit of colour.)

Back to the hanging hearts and here are close-ups of the individual hearts.

The blue one, complete with handmade rose dipped in UTE and a scrap butterfly.

The black one with handmade mitzhouki (?) knot and an alcohol coloured dragonfly.

The red one with another alcohol inked piece (the butterfly) and a rolled paper scroll.

So that's finished and my next project is a Christmas house - will take me a bit more than two days to complete that one though.

WOYWW 177 and Mr Mojo is back

Lost him for a while back there but Mr Mojo is definitely back as you can see.

If you saw my previous post you will know that I won a set of Graphic 45 papers in a Facebook giveaway.  They arrived last week, putting the sock knitting on a bit of a back burner as I wanted to get started with them straight away.

The papers are on the right of my desk underneath the sock (just to show you I'm still cracking on despite struggling with a very poorly written pattern but I think I've turned the corner - as well as the heel -ha ha).

Centre stage is the project I'm working on with the papers using a set of heart shaped frames (think these were from Calico Crafts) that I have over-painted and covered with the beautiful eastern papers.  I have been going through my box of bits (top left) sorting out matching bits and bobs, buttons and charms, to decorate the front of the frames and ready to glue down.

Just peeping in at the top of the photo is a house blank gessoed ready to do a Christmas/winter theme.  I see Tim Holtz has brought out some white Christmas trees and wreath but his are expensive so I went to my local garden centre yesterday and bought two packs of different size trees (6 in total) for £3.50 (centre left).

So that's three projects on the go now - just as I like it.

Now for a quick trip round to Julia's place and a few more desks before breakfast.

Facebook candy - I won!

Last week I put a comment on the Facebook page of A sprinkle of Imagination as there was the chance to win a Graphic 45 collection of papers, and guess what - I won.

The papers arrived a couple of days later and here they are in all their glory.

Beautiful aren't they?  Now to make something with them.

Dug out this set of hanging fames yesterday and gave them an undercoat of Gesso before picking some papers and edging the frames in matching acrylic paints - as you can see I have more than a few types of paint from superstore match-pots, posher Fresco Finish and even posher Lumieres.  Decided on black, gold and copper and picked the papers to match.

Very much a work in progress at present but I did spend an hour in there this afternoon sticking papers on and deciding on some decorations.  If you want to see stage three then pop back later in the week.

Beautiful day today and very busy - tidying the garden, ironing and crafting now which do I like best.......

Enjoy the rest of your weekends.

WOYWW 176

Quick visit this morning as Sorrel is waiting for her walk so here is my desk.

A bit bare as we have been away for the weekend and Sunday is my usual day for playing.  Still it was good to get out in the fresh air and a bit of sunshine (see previous post for a few pictures).

So what can we see, my ongoing sock knitting - very slow progress but I'm getting used to managing the needles now.  Also my 'moulding' drawer with polymer clay, moulding mats and various bits and pieces.  The roasting bag is to back the clay in (stops the fumes spreading) so when I get back I'm going to have a go at making some beads.

Here is a close-up of the knitting.

I like the colours but think I have left the rib a bit short - we live and learn.

Will be back later for a good old nosey round the rest of the desks via Julia's place

Weekend on the Wirral

As the weather forecast was quite good for the weekend we took the campervan to a site on the Wirral.  For those who don't know the area it lies between the Mersey (Liverpool) and the Dee estuary (North Wales) and is the home, at Port Sunlight, of the best stamp show (Happy Stampers) in the north-west

One of our favourite places on the Wirral (apart from Post Sunlight) is Parkgate, a slightly weird place in that it was a port and is now totally silted up and instead of overlooking water you have views of the marsh and the estuary.

It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday and we enjoyed lunch overlooking the marsh and watching three herons being mobbed by seagulls.

I haven't been there at spring and autumn high-tides but believe it is very busy then as the tide drives the birds and the small mammals towards the land and the 'promenade' is full of twitchers.  What we did see was a weasel (or a stoat - I always get them mixed up), coming out of the grass carrying it's prey and crossing the footpath. Not on this stretch but on the footpath a little further north - here.

We were looking back to Parkgate and it just jumped on the wall right in front of me - didn't have the camera out then which was a pity.

We stayed on a perfect campsite at Thurstaston a little further up the coast on the cliffs above the beach - yes it was a proper beach this time.

This was taken on our Sunday morning walk looking over the estuary to the mountains of Wales.

Later on we drove up to West Kirby, hoping to walk round the marine lake but the tide was in.  The causeway runs right round and is covered at high tide but once the tide starts to fall  you can walk between the sea and the lake and from the shore look as though you are walking on water.

The tide fell as we walked back to the van so I took this photo of a woman walking round the lake - see what I mean about the optical illusion?

Raining again today (what a surprise) so I may just get out the stamps and have a play - see you on WOYWW tomorrow.

Playday

Looks like my mojo is making a bit of a re-visit as I have been making a few cards.

I get bored very easily when doing cards, love making backgrounds but because of postage costs and the need to keep cards to one layer it is a bit restricting.  The answer - never making the same one twice, an easy task when you have zillions of different stamps and almost as many ink pads.

Here are a few I made this week.
Resist background on coated cardstock stamped with IndigoBlu and Artistic Stamper sewing theme stamps.
Think it needs a little something else - real buttons, or a bit of lace?

Mucky(grungy) distress inked background and a Paper Inspirations stamp I won on E-Bay.  Only ever won two things - the other was a pair of curtains - I prefer the stamp LOL.

And now for something completely different, Distress Inks from the Summer collection smooshed(?) on card  and spritzed with water (a favourite technique).  Stamp is from Crafty Individuals coloured with the same ink pads.

Last one is an Acey Deucy wood mounted stamp - Puccini's Muse.  Another favourite of mine (I have so many).  I tried to do a Brazen Brilliance background but have fogotten quite how to do these so I improvised.  Gloss card stock understamped ginko leaf with silver Brilliance, sponged combination on chalk inks (the russet colours) with Adirondack (Denim).  Have to come clean now as the Adirondack was a mistake.  That's what happens when you pick up a dirty sponge ha ha, still I like how this one has turned out.

Much nicer in real life as the metallic leaves show up better and the colours are a bit richer.

So that's me on the road again - off to hang out the washing now and then I may try the socks again - didn't know how hard it would be knitting on four needles, need a few more hands to hold them.

Have a good weekend everyone.

WOYWW 175

Better late than never but better.......Won't bother finishing the quote, you know what I mean.
Didn't think I could join in with Julia's weekly massooma desk hop but I've just flung my current project on the desk and snapped a photo so here it is.

No progress yet, well I only bought the wool at the weekend taking my StepD to our local wool shop to escape the kids, dogs and general birthday chaos in our house on Saturday morning before returning for Mr B and Gson's joint birthday party.

Never knitted socks before so this is a bit of a challenge, the firt bit being to understand the instructions on the free pattern, talk about complicated!!!!  Still I'm a woman so capable of mastering anything so I'm sure I'll be OK when I get going - will share progress next week.

In the meantime, in true Blue Peter fashion (very old kid's TV programme for our friends from across the seas) 'here's one I prepared earlier....

Not knitting but stamping, what a surprise. A closer look at the pages I did for an on-line swap last week.

The Acey Duecy stamp on the right is my all-time favourite oriental stamp - wish my backview was like that, it was once, many moons ago boo hoo.

See you next week.

WOYWW 174

It seems an age since I took part in the biggest desk hop run by the lovely Julia over at Stamping Ground - that's probably because it is.  Haven't blogged for over two weeks which is the longest I've gone since I started, not only that but I hadn't crafted for a month which is unheard of.

What with holidays, birthdays, new campervan (see previous post here) and a myriad other excuses the weeks have flown by.  Putting that to rights now and making some journal pages for a swap I'm in so my fingers are well and truly mucky - nice though.

Here is my, at long last, messy desk today.

Lots of Distress inks, stamps and other bits and bobs.  I have loads of different types of inks but I always go back to my DIs, my absolute favourites.  I have lots of crafting to do and need to catch up on belated birthday cards.  It is Mr B's birthday on Friday and I haven't got him a card yet - gave up on the hand-made ones as there are only so many ways you can use the limited number of 'man' stamps I have.

Family get-together this weekend with my StepD and family arriving from Bristol on Friday - means I will have to record Strictly - either that or send them all out while I snuggle down in my jim-jams with Brendan, Vincent, Artem etc.

Good to be back.

My new toy.....

....and for once, it isn't craft related.

Picked up our new (to us) campervan (Auto-Sleepers Topaz) when we came back from Norfolk and spent the next week playing 'Wendy House' with it before taking it out for our first night away last Sunday.  Remember last Sunday - the night the storms started and it didn't stop raining for three days.  Talk about timing!  I was nice and snug inside while Mr B did all the practical stuff, emptying tanks and stowing cables before we left for home Monday morning.  Still, at least we know we will be warm enough when next we use it.

So with one thing and another I haven't done any crafting for weeks, not done any blogging for two weeks and not visited any blogs either - that had to change so on Saturday I got out my sewing machine and made a cushion for the van.

Printed of a photo, made a template and cut the material.  I know it isn't the same colour as the van, and I'm not sure about all that empty space above the applique but am quite please with it as a start and the word is my very first attempt at free-embroidery.

Not only that but I actually got out the inks and stamps this afternoon and had a little play so I'll be able to join in WOYWW again for the first time in weeks, so watch this space.