What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday # 581

Morning all!! Been a very quiet week craftwise as I had to ditch Christmas in favour of a few commissions that came in (all still secret so no pics) and a few birthdays of my own that I needed to get done (also still secret lol). Plus a couple of days in the garden sorting out the last of my seedlings. The week went very quickly (as usual), and the highlight was a family BBQ at my sister's for her birthday on Saturday. It's the first time since March we have all been together (basically 2 bubbles meeting up in case you are keeping track!). It was a good night, but we are a very huggy family and I missed our usual hugs as we are still trying to be good. I've been getting a few requests to meet up with friends for the odd socially distanced coffee etc over the next couple of weeks so my social life is starting to look up. 

I also received some gorgeous happy mail from Debbie at 'Tattered Rocks' as I won one of her giveaways - it's the last one this week so do check it out -  there may still be time to join in! 

I received this gorgeous clock which now has pride of place in my craft room. I am absolutely delighted with it - isn't it gorgeous? As some of you know I used to do a lot of giveaways - if I did something for next week would anyone be interested? (Can't guarantee it wouldn't be Christmas related ...........only joking).

Well my actual desk then, from a slightly different angle. It's hardly feng shui is it? Mountains of stuff! 

The crazy Christmas pile is still over at the back, and I've been playing with a paper artsy stamp and my distress oxides - I have quite a few but for some reason I haven't used them much. Not sure why as they are really nice to work with. My trusty bug (anchored to my Tim Holtz glass mat - the only thing it sticks to for more than 5 minutes) is on show too as well as a huggies box with my card mats in. I think I must have bought a lot of baby wipes at one stage as there certainly hasn't been a baby in this house for over 20 years!! I think I may have to cover that box, heaven knows I have enough paper. Two more birthday cards to make and I really must do some 'admin' - Christmas is going to be lucky to get a look in again this week!! 

Why am I telling you all this? Because it's WOYW Wednesday, the day when we go for a wander around the desks of the great and the good courtesy of the lovely Julia at Stamping Ground. Pop on over and join in why don't ya?

Have a good Wednesday. Stay home. stay well, stay safe.

Cindy x

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #580

CHRISTMAS!

But I am getting ahead of myself. Morning deskers, it's Wednesday again, blog-hopping time. Yep, weeks still flying and my only constant is WOYWW on a Wednesday. To find out more, pop on over to The Stamping Ground where all will be revealed. Join in why don't ya, check out what everyone is up to and spread a little love.. 

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SO ... here is my desk. The 'hat' snowmen at the back were coloured when I was on holiday in Spain in February (Pause while she mourns her past life) so they only needed to be finished off. The snowflake cards again were already cut out just has to make up. I am currently making up some rocker snowmen cards - the little characters are v cute but lots of fiddly bits. Don't know why I cut so many - must have thought I would do a class. 

The thing is with this whole 'get Christmas done' idea is that I have a bundle of unfinished projects - at least 25 - that in my head need to take priority. So not very creative, just production. So there's been a bit of procrastinating this week. Just getting out all of my Christmas stuff was a task in itself and slightly overwhelming. 

This is about half of it. 

Anyhoo that's it for me, hope you all have a lovely week.

Happy WOYWW, stay well, stay safe, Cindy x 

NBUS 4 - Clearing the decks

Made so many of those flowers up I needed to use them to make some cards. Decided I would make use of some of my big sentiment stamps that I never get around to using because, well they are pretty big!! Chose a fairly simply style and stuck with it in different colourways. The gingham backing paper is from a huge £1 6 x 6 pad. Pretty pleased with these and used up lots of scraps as the circles were already cut out and the mats came from my scrap box. (Obviously gutted to make the scalloped mats). Again only a selection.

Clearing the decks now because I am moving on to Christmas till the end of the month. Watch this space!! The NBUS will still be there when I get back though. 

Using my stash - NBUS 4!

For this NBUS session I grabbed a Lisa Horton die (Stitched Blooms). I had a Pinterest idea to try out, so grabbed lots of tone on tone card stock scraps (the ideal size for these dies) and cut out a bunch of flowers and layered them up.

I then went to my trusty Scan n cut (which has hardly been used this year) to see if I could create a cutting file to simulate a word border edge die. (There's probably a free one somewhere if I'd bothered to look). Well, I managed it, easier to look at it to see what I mean. After a couple of false starts I twigged that it's only really feasible when none of the letters go 'below the line'. Hence 'hello'. 

I wanted to find a small sentiment to white heat emboss below the 'hello'. Until this point it was all under control, but the search for suitable sentiments resulted in a wrecked craft room. There has to be an easier way LOL. Anyhow, here's what I ended up with. 

I did a bunch of these with different sentiments and combinations of flowers but I won't bore you with them all. I tried to do another one with 'thanks', but must have misjudged because I just ended up with the letters cut out. Will have to try that  one again, but waste not want not. 

And, of course, I had to use the 'hello' waste as well. And another gelli print.

Lots of flowers  left.......

Side tracked by some YUPO...

Whilst rummaging amongst the gelli prints I also came across some alcohol ink prints on yupo made with lift off ink. I really should try out that technique again but for now here are two cards I made  utilising those gelli prints as backgrounds. The stamp is by Ali Reeve.

I particularly like the sentiment on this one - very appropriate for me! The stamps is a Lynn Perella design. The 'lift off' is really unusual. 

What's On Your Workdesk, Wednesday #579

Morning deskers, on this grey and drizzly day. Late on parade and must start by apologising for not getting to everyone last week, In my OH's wisdom, a couple of weeks into lockdown he researched, bought and installed some kind of 'booster' for our internet so that it could be used in the garden - much to my daughter's delight, and mine when it's nice. That is the sum of my knowledge about this. But what I do know is that since that day I regularly lose my signal and cant do anything at all web based. And that is what happenned towards the end of last week and why, after a very good start I just gave up. Jury is still out whether it's us, our provider or the large numbers of peeps zooming away on t'internet but I know what I think!!

So, once again I have been waiting this morning to get online since I got up at 6 am. As I couldn't link, I actually started doing something on my desk, a commission for a friend which is just as well as the desk was pretty uninteresting otherwise. I've been using colouring pencils as she wanted soft yellow flowers. I have also been die cutting some flowers for my next NBUS project but they are on the other desk. Typical, the one of the dies I really want to use won't cut on my bug so I'll have to get the gemini out - that projects been abandoned for now as the gemini is a bit noisy to start cutting at 7, I would not have been popular. I've done quite a few NBUS this last week so scroll down if you want to see.

Well that's about it from me, fairly short and sweet. Got a lot to do before I start Christmas next week.

It seems increasingly unlikely that I will be back teaching craft classes before the new year so I'm just carrying on doing things for myself. Makes a change.

Happy WOYWW, stay safe, stay well, Cindy x

 

A little bit more NBUS 3...

More gelli backgrounds, this time with a Lindsay Mason stamp which tickled me and some sentiments I haven't used before. 

3 quick cards and a tag with very little added to the prints.

The last  card says 'Hang in There' - 'You got This' inside. 

Think that might be the NBUS collection 3 finished!! 

Plenty more where they came from however. 

NBUS3 continued...

I decided I wanted to add my grungy teenager to a page in my alphabet journal. In amongst the gelli prints I found some kitchen roll that had been rescued from my 'spray' box. Wow it was yummy. So I stuck it in my journal as a background. Hadn't tried that before but it seemed to work OK.

But I added a bit more. Playing with that Tracy Evan's technique again. This time my circles turned out like funky little planets!!

Finished page - T for Teen Daydreams (a stretch I know).

I think that stamp has been used now, she can go away for a bit, but there are more NBUS3 to come. We are going to be here a while!!

NBUS 3

Today I'm sharing my next collection of NBUS. I pulled out a couple of stamp sets I haven't used yet plus whilst checking out a drawer I found a treasure trove of gelli prints I had forgotten about - these are just the few I thought I could use. Don't think I'll need to get the Gelli plate out any time soon!

Concentrated initially on this great 'teen' stamp from Visible Image. I made several cards cutting her out and putting her against those gelli bgs. Don't really need to do much more, it's such a great stamp. Shame my daughter is now in her late 20s as these would have been perfect for her in the day!

Part 2 to follow....

WOYWW # 578 Sorry, it's not about the desk.....

Warning: Picture heavy post with little or no reference to crafting!

Morning all, hope everyone is well as we go into our 101st day of lockdown. 

Yesterday was our 30th wedding anniversary. Hubby and I aren't big on anniversaries as regards cards, presents or even remembering (!)  though certain significant numbers do seem to deserve a little recognition. 5 years ago for our 25th our daughter threw us an amazing surprise party and I had thought we might to try to mark this year's as it was, actually, great fun and a good excuse for a get together with friends and family.

 

But Lockdown put paid to that.

However my daughter - party planner extraordinaire - had other ideas. After being banned from the downstairs area for the morning we were invited to attend Pearl's Brunch Bar for a bottomless brunch and an afternoon of games, snacks and, of course, cocktails. They had gone to town, decorating everything in a pearl theme, creating professional looking menus and fantastic food - we even had a balloon arch and a killer playlist to keep us entertained.

Well, we had a super time. 

I am still on a high. 

Certainly the most precious memory of the year so far.  

So here are a few photos of our day.

I hope you will forgive me for this indulgence. However, if you want to see crafting, I have been working on my NBUS this week and posting non WOYWW posts - yeah, radical I know -  so scroll down and you can judge my efforts. I've got loads more to post as well this week so keep an eye out.

Why am I telling you this? Well that's because it's WOYWW, desk hop day in blogland. To find out more, pop on over to The Stamping Ground where all will be revealed. Join in why don't ya, check out what everyone is up to and spread a little love.

I am running a bit late today so not sure when I will get round to everyone. I've still got to help clean the restaurant, those guests yesterday didn't leave until after 2.00 in the morning. And this afternoon I have a date with my daughter. As it now doesn't seem likely we will get to our theatre booking any time this year we are going to watch Dirty Dancing this afternoon. Bring on the popcorn.

Stay well, stay safe, Cindy xx