What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #492

Well hello! It's been so long....blah, blah, blah. No apologies. Just life getting in the way and it always being Thursday when I think of it!

My desk was in a barn, up a mountain, at the weekend. I got more done than I had in a very long time and it still wasn't that much, compared to my very productive scrappy friends.

Seasonal crafting has now begun in earnest. Those snowflake dies cut like a dream. The stamping was a practice run for this wreath card....

We made it in class today and although time consuming, building up the layers, it's worth the effort I think.

That's me, coming to you from from a wet and wild Dorset this afternoon. Joining the Deskers hosted by Julia. Time to put the kettle on and visit a few of you.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #467

Another Wednesday rolls around and I actually have a desk shot this week. Admittedly it's from just before the National Scrapbooking Day shenanigans started! I was prepping for a class and making a few more PL cards for my 100 Day Project.

We had a new lady join us and she hadn't dabbled in paper crafting before. I kept the gift box simple and planned the other projects to include the use of punches and the Big Shot as well as basic stamping. I also need to keep things interesting for the ladies who've been coming along for several years. It's a fine balance.

One card made with a repeated motif to get used to the pressure required and one with a large background stamp used face up, bringing ink to stamp.

The square cut from the frame on this card was used on the other one. Waste not, want not!

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers this morning. Happy Wednesday.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #416

"What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday" is celebrating eight happy years of crafting, fun and friendship today. Who'd have thought it? I've been joining in since 2011 and met some very lovely people over the course of those six years. Here's to many more. Big thanks to Julia for bringing us all together.

I did have time for a little bit of playing with pretty paper earlier. I'm finally cutting into this lovely stuff, having admired it for several months.

I also stamped a whole bunch of greetings ready to add to some cards.

When I kit for class I can get four card mats from an A4 sheet and I end up with two little pieces, like the one in the picture above, left over. They usually go straight into the recycling because I know, if I keep them, they'll most likely never see the light of day again. This time I had a purpose in mind and I've used them all. Very satisfying.

Happy Anniversary to all you Deskers out there and Happy Wednesday to everyone else. I hope you've enjoyed some glorious sunshine today, like we have.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #407

Ah Wednesday, you've become my touchstone again this month. Nothing happening at the table. My boy has a week off work and never stops eating it would seem.

One of those ladies from last week found her way onto a couple of cards for class. Techniques are paper piecing.....

.....and using embossing folders.....

.....as background stamps. There's always something new to try.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers this morning. Happy Wednesday.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #406

And just like that it's Wednesday again.

This was my kitchen table on Monday afternoon.....

.....while I tried to decide which images to use from Beautiful You.

Two cards with Hey, Chick.....

.....already made. Gotta love that crazy chicken!

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers, now that I'm home from my class.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #402

Things were happening at the kitchen table yesterday. Prepping for class this morning. Cutting and scoring blanks for 32 cards and packing all the supplies.

We'll be inking up a brand new set of stamps and I've chosen colours that I usually wouldn't put together. I think it worked. It's all too easy to reach for the tried and tested and get stuck in a rut. Here's to breaking out.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers before I head out this morning. It's Half Term here so that means 9am instead of 7am, which is a bonus. Happy Wednesday.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #400

February. Here you are already. January feels like a total write off, along with my poor little car. First "school run" of the year and some eejit (in the wrong lane) drove into me exiting a roundabout. We were uninjured but extremely shaken and I'm not quite over it yet. My crafting and blogging mojo has definitely taken a backseat.

When I saw that our desk sharing antics had reached their 400th instalment, well, I couldn't miss that, could I?

This was actually the state of play, at the kitchen table, last Wednesday. Preparing for the class I taught today. That strip, stamped with flowers, is the outer part of a little treat holder. I'm hoping to put together a tutorial so cross your fingers for an end to these grey days. They play havoc with photographing anything that has a white background.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers this afternoon. Happy Wednesday to you.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #396

Thank goodness for these desk sharing shenanigans. They kept me blogging during December and spurred me to post for the first time this year. With the added bonus of knowing which day it was, at least once a week, during the festivities.

Nothing on my table today, but I'd like to wish you all a creative and....

.....and to say.....

.....for visiting and commenting over the last year. Here's to the next one. Cheers!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #393

I managed to get here on the right day this week. Nothing crafty on my kitchen table though. Today is the busiest day of December for me. It began at 6am, getting my girl off to college, and will end some time after 3am (and around 120 miles later) when we get back from the midnight showing of Rogue One.

I do have something to share. If you were one of my half a dozen visitors last week, you might remember the moose and Santa faces. This is where Santa ended up....

The last Christmas card I make with my class, each December, is always a fun interactive one. To give to kids.....big or little.

The hat is on a slider so that it can be lifted from Santa's head for a bit of a fun. It kept me amused for ages!

Happy to have found a little window to join in with Julia and the Deskers this lunchtime. Hope to have another this evening, between the school run/dinner and picking up my boy from work at 10pm, ready for the cinema. Now I'm off to pick up my Mum and drive over to visit my brother on his birthday. See you later.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #392

Wednesday huh? I took the photo on Tuesday and I'm blogging it on Thursday. Ah well, it's been one of those weeks, which you'll already know if you were here on Monday.

I had a class yesterday and a laptop that refused to recognise the internet router. I seem to have fixed the issue now, more by luck than judgement, so here I am a day late.

We used that cute little moose to adorn a gift card holder, similar to this one that I wrote a tutorial for a while back. Santa made his appearance on an interactive card for kids, big and little. I'll share that at the weekend.

Joining in with Julia and the Deskers, fashionably late.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #385

I'm very late to the party today. Had a class this morning and the rest of the day just disappeared. This was the scene at the kitchen table on Monday morning.

I taught the baby wipe technique today and everyone had fun creating their own unique ink pad.

The finished tree in Autumn colours.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers, before Bake Off. Then an early night for me. Rock and Roll!

Stampin' on Saturday ~ Penned and Painted

It's World Card Making Day today, so what else to do but share a card with you.

Another design using the Penned and Painted set from Wednesday's post. This time just the outline stamps for the background.....

.....with a three layered flower fussy cut and added on top.

I'll be putting an order in tomorrow (Sunday) evening. Shout if you *need* anything.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #382

On the Wednesday in between classes, I'm usually planning for the next one, but not today. Instead, I'm making use of the stamps that are already mounted up, from last week, to make a batch of cards....

....like the one below....

....for when I need them. In fact I'm just stamping the strips of flowers. I can then change the background colour and sentiment to whatever I want.

That's me. Short and sweet. Linking up with Julia and the Deskers today.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #381

We are back into some semblance of a routine now. My classes start again today and there was actual paper crafting going on at the kitchen table yesterday.

Testing out the colour combination I had in mind, before making the final sample.

There are three stamps that make up this gorgeous flower. If I were making this card at home I would most likely use the one ink pad. Stamping it in first and second generation shades of colour.

With ten ladies in the class, and three flowers on each card, this is not an option. I don't like anyone having to wait around for too long. More importantly I don't want the person stamping to feel under pressure, with a queue behind her. It's supposed to be fun.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers this morning. I'll be round to visit, with a nice cup of coffee, this afternoon.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #375

Hello, hello. Only a fortnight between desks this time. Things are looking up!

Playing around with my lovely new floral die. It cut beautifully first time with the precision plate. I found it a bit alarming rolling the sandwich through though. The plate is solid metal and there is no give in it. I was sure I was going to break my trusty Big shot, after 10 years good service. All was well. That roller brush is a big help with all the little pieces. Gotta love a handy gadget.

Now to decide on the ribbon and I can make the gift box, ready for the wedding at the end of the month. If only my outfit was as easy to put together!

Joining in with Julia and the Deskers today. Happy Wednesday to you.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #373

Hello. It's been over a month since I showed you my kitchen table. How very remiss of me. The party is now back at Julia's place, after a few weeks of being capably hosted by the lovely Jan.

This was the scene yesterday afternoon. I was making a batch of cards using my new Jar of Love stamps and dies. It started to rain before I had a chance to take any photos.

Instead I'll show you the card I gave Darnell, when I had the good fortune to meet up with her (along with Jan, Julia and Morti) last week. What a lovely afternoon and evening we had. I never imagined the connections I would make when I started this little blog of mine. On Friday, I'm off to London to make some more. Can't wait.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #367

It's going to be short and sweet today as I'm heading out the door shortly for the school run. I also have a class this morning and the venue is between there and here. Not much point coming home only to turn straight back round again.

It's all butterflies and ditsy flowers this week. An antidote to the endless rain and rumbling thunder.

I shared the little box we made a couple of weeks ago and here are the cards.....

Two quite different looks from the same set and background stamp.

If you're interested in cloth dolls you might like to check out what I got up to at a workshop with Jan Horrox at the weekend.

Linking up with the Deskers.....

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #360

Another week has sneaked past me and the kitchen table hasn't seen any action since my last class. We made a box, which you saw the beginnings of last time.

And a couple of cards.....

.....continuing the theme.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers on this bright and frosty morning. I had to defrost my windscreen today. Not what I expected at the tail end of April.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #357

On the kitchen table this morning, the leftovers and scratch paper from sample making and kit assembling.

The first class of the month is a four card session. Usually building on skills I've already taught. Nice and relaxed with plenty of time to chat. It's not all about the card making. Here's one of them....

We've done ombre stamping before, but not directly to the card mat in one layer. There may have been a collective holding in of breath as the last few balloons were stamped. I think it's an impressive effect, using just one inkpad and one stamp.

An extra balloon was added with a foam pad to give some dimension and take the pressure off getting the sentiment straight. Also handy to cover up a less than perfect impression, if needed.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers this gloriously sunny afternoon. Happy Wednesday to you.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #352 ~ Snap!

Two for the price of one, as it's probably the only chance I'll get to blog this week.

First up, the state of the kitchen table, for the perusal of Julia and the Deskers.

The few remaining bits to be put away after class this morning, along with my diary, lip balm, recipe book (Mushroom Stroganoff tonight) and wallet. Also a page from the Blackmore Vale Magazine, handed to me by a friend this morning, detailing an exhibition he thought I might be interested in.

And here's what we made. Three Spring themed cards so that I can at least pretend it's on its way, despite battling through high winds and hail this morning.

A little therapeutic colouring in of the Spring wreath and a way to adapt the Christmas wreath, on the middle card, to year round use. Making a set of (between 2 and 4) visually linked images for Helena's weekly photographic meme: Snap!

Happy Wednesday to you, wherever you are visiting me from today.