WOYWW 188

Another day, another journal page (but a new journal), that's what's on my desk this week.

Thank kind elderly gent who visits around the end of December gave me some money (well someone did) and I have been very careful in spending it.  I bought a moleskin sketch book and some new acrylics and have already done my first page following the techniques used by Kate Crane in the DVD I also got from Santa.  The colour is truer on the close-up here.

Bit more peach than apricot, or is it the other way around - I'm not a fan of squidgy fruit nor of any that has hair on (peaches - yuk).  Middle is blank for some journalling - yes, I'm actually going to write in this one.

Not being happy unless I have more that one thing on the go I started cutting out the greyboard to make a case for my iPad (yet another Santa gift, but from me - to me this time).  The idea, comes from Laura Dennison of Following The Papertrail and I had to watch a good few hours of her videos to get all the measurements and instructions.  I've dug out some papers and fun foam for the cushioning and now need to get hold of some clear sticky-backed plastic so that I can start but can't find any :-(
Am scheduling this post for Wednesday morning as I'm planning a lie-in as I had a bad night Monday (cold/flu bugs!!!) but I will catch up later.

Hope everyone had a good break and can't wait to see what you all got from Santa.  Trying to get round a few more desks this week - see you over at Julia's place for the starting line.

WOYWW 187?

Missed last week's WOYWW and a bit late for this - it was almost 9:00 when I woke this morning and that is very late for me.
Well the festivities are over and it's back to normal at my house.  Very busy couple of weeks and time now to take down the decoration (I never wait until twelfth night as there is nothing more depressing than an unlit Christmas tree and dusty cards.  That's why my desk looks like this.

Craft stuff at the front including my new Caran D'Ache watercolours wax crayons (thanks Santa).  I have already had a go with them making the background for my January journal pages (resolution to do one set a month during 2013).

Here they are in close-up. Background is various shades of blues and greens then I flicked colours from the crayon with a wet brush.

The Christmas stuff at the back (top picture) includes a Pergamano tree I made years ago (it has to come out each year as I spent weeks of my life on that one), a Christmas wreath (complete with robin) that hangs in the hall and various other bits and pieces from around the house.  The tree will come down tomorrow when Mr B can get up in the loft for the boxes.

Sorry I missed the Christmas WOYWW but here are a couple of photos for you.
My Christmas table (complete with Mother-in-law).

Sorrel opens her presents (the hat stayed on for 2 minutes before she decided it was better as a toy).

Can't you just tell she hates it.

Off to h ave a quick hop over to Julia's place (mistress of this whole blog-hopping mini-world) and then it's off to HobbyCraft for some new paintbrushes and some grayboard so that I can start the case for my new iPad.

Happy New Year everyone.
Love
Ann
xxx

WOYWW 185? - mmmm, not a lot.

Well it is Christmas, my excuse for anything this week.  Presents wrapped, cards written and sent (apart from the one I forgot about that is sitting on the worktop in the kitchen, Sorrel has a smart haircut and the turkey is in the oven - well no.

No crafting, although I have been watching a few YouTube videos for inspiration, want to make  stand for my iPad and Follow The Papertrail has a good one. Also some brilliant 'how-to' vids on the PaperArtsy blog as well.

Hope the lovely Julia who organises this weekly gallop around the craft desks of the world will forgive me this week (well it is Christmas) for not showing my desk but here is a magical Christmas angel instead from the top of my tree..

May she bring all my followers, fellow WOYWWyers and casual visitors a Happy Christmas and healthy and peaceful New Year.

WOYWW? Christmas!!!

Well it's Wednesday and this week - a special 2-for-1 offer as this is not the post I planned for today.
Got a bit mixed up on Monday, thought it was Tuesday and took a photo of my desk in the afternoon ready to post - this is what happens when you finish work, lose all sense of time/days etc.

Anyway, took another yesterday (Tuesday) before the light went and here it is, and still is this morning.

Penguin is from a pattern by the lovely Jozart and contains a chocolate bar, as do the bases of the half finished sleighs.  These will be my place setting for Christmas lunch - only three of us this year but we will see StepD and family at the New Year.

What else?
New Memory Box dies for the rest of my Christmas cards (got a bit carried away with the plastic - oops!) and a gorgeous angel by ShazSilverwolf that popped through my letterbox at the weekend, isn't she glam, thanks Shaz.
Middle are two pretty little dollies I bought from Jo and Annie's shop, Molly and Polly arrived this morning and one is parcelled up ready to make her way to my Gdaughter Kitty, the other will be on my tree when I get it out at the weekend.

Nearly forgot - also there is my new Christmas present (from me, to me) a new iPad, yippee!!!

This is the photo you nearly got a day early - lots of brayered Christmas cards on this one, including some charity ones with 'Holly and Ivy' (you may have to zoom in for a better look) - reminds me of my Auntie Hilda who always, always wore a hat..

All the hand-made ones are brayered and most have die-cut poinsettias on the front.
I received a beautiful Christmas easel card from Neet (Hickydorums) at our last stamp club meet, all white with a silver-edged poinsettia and I knew I wanted to use this idea in mine, with the addition of some brayering and stamping thanks Neet.

That's(almost) it for this week but lots more desk to peruse over at Julia's Stamping Ground.
....and finally, just wanted to share a photo of Sorrel I took Tuesday morning on our walk, lovely frost day with clear blue skies, if only all winter could be like this.

Hope the rest of your week is a good one.

Yet another Christmas card

Another play session yesterday with a Christmas card at the end of it.  Not without a few traumas on the way though - this was attempt number three.  How come I can produce a perfectly clean card and then at the last minute put a big smudge on it.  First one almost finished and I put the heel of my hand down not realising there was a big black inky smudge on it - that went in the bin.  second one it was the ink on the edge of the acrylic block and although I tried to disguise it it also went in the bon.

So here is attempt number three.  Bigger than the previous ones as this is A5 size (for Mr B) and I 'found' these deer in my box of Christmas stamps (can't remember who they are by but they are part of a beautiful A4 sheet - bet Cath can tell me).  The moon was on a sheet of Japanese stamps and the big tree is from Crafty Individuals which I also used together with some Clarity minis to make the hedges - sentiment stamp is also CI.

I like how it turned out ( although if super-critical I think the moon should be a bit higher).  Once again the glitter has created a haze on the larger of the two deer that isn't there in reality.  More brayering tomorrow when I will vary it and maybe do a vignette and add some pretty die-cut snowflakes.

Have a good weekend, hope you don't all get snowed in.

WOYWW 183

Are you ready for the first December blog hop over at the Stamping Grouind I can guarantee there will be Christmas themes a plenty plus some very arty work around, a few very tidy desks and a lot of really messy ones.  Just like mine in fact.
Think I have excelled myself in the messy stakes this week but it is bound to get worse before........etc etc.

A few weeks ago at our monthly stamp club meeting Jacqui led a lovely class on brayering.  I've tried this before and most of my efforts end up in the bin but her examples were so pretty I thought I would have another go on a few Christmas cards - that's what you can see front right, and that is why there is so much mess around.
Luckily none of the ink that is spread around got on my hands and then on to my finished cards which is what normally happens and, for once, I'm pleased with how they turned out.

Also on the desk is one finished box, all pink and girly for a very pink and girly-girl - well young woman really as she is 21 next birthday.  Box number two is also on there somewhere but it's waiting to be stamped and decorated.  If you want a closer look at the box you can see a better picture here - pink box.

Here's a closer look at the cards - picture quality is not right because it was getting dark yesterday afternoon when I took them.

The black and white one - looks a bit brown in this photo,

and the blue and white one (the sleigh doesn't have that white blob on it - must be the camera lens).

Off out today so I may be late (again) getting round the desks but I will visit as many as I can and, of course, return any 'calls' made to mine.

Just found out that my angel 'Anastasia' has arrived at Chez Jozart so I can show you a picture - here she is.

Crafty Individuals Blog Candy - WOW!

Quick visit this morning as I'm a busy woman today, but I had to tell you about the fantastic blog candy on offer from Crafty Individuals until 10th December - loads and loads of goodies on show and a great prize for the lucky winner, and some fab new stamps as well.

Pop over to the CI blog for a closer look and a chance to win.

Funnily enough I got all my CI Christmas stamps out this morning as I really must make an effort and get some made.  Have to do one for Japan that has to go this week - no pressure then!

Off to the craft table to get cracking - see you tomorrow on WOYWW.