What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #417

It's Half Term here and I'm enjoying a break from all the usual driving. In fact my car is currently in pieces on the drive. The brake shoe broke on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully as I was backing onto our drive and not out and about with passengers.

This is how the kitchen table looked last time I did anything crafty.

Stamping up a bunch of ink samples, to show off the new colours.....

.....and some brown paper to wrap a gift.

Linking up with Julia and the Deskers. Happy Wednesday.

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #299

There hasn’t been any crafting going on around here lately. This is my kitchen table shot from last week, which didn’t get posted.

I was playing around with a new set of stamps that layer up to make….

….this Lotus Blossom. I’ve used three different coloured inks for the flower head here. It works well with just one ink pad too, stamping off on scrap paper first to get lighter shades of the same colour. I did that for the stem on this example. Well, I meant to. I forgot when I stamped the finished card. You can see the effect it gives on the scrap paper to the right.

That’s me for today. I’m going to make a cup of tea (I’ve made and drunk an ocean of it, this last week, I think) and have a quiet half hour of visiting desks. 

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #293

It’s more like “Where is Your Workdesk? Wednesday” around here this week.

This is the spot where my desk usually stands. It was taken down for the duration of the festivities and the legs were put up in the attic, by mistake I’m sure. Without them the top is little more than a giant tray so behind the sofa it remains, for now.

Instead of a workspace, I’ll share the other two cards we made in class last week. The technique here, was using a variety of small stamps to create the look of patterned paper, which we then cut up to decorate our screen cards.

This was our “Twenty Minute” card. Although it’s considerably quicker in class as the cutting is done by me in advance. It’s just a matter of some punching and then assembling. A design you will no doubt recognise as a favourite of mine, if you’re a regular visitor. I haven’t run out of ideas for it yet. I tend to make a batch in different colours/styles, ready to add a sentiment when I know what I need it for.

Joining in with Julia and her merry band, as always on a Wednesday.

Monday Randoms

This is what my hands looked like after class last week. I’m still trying to find a way to persuade one or two people that they really don’t need to press the stamp into the inkpad *that* hard! If there is ink on the edge of the rubber, then it’s a little too much pressure. If the whole of the background rubber is awash with ink, then it’s a lot too much pressure. If the entire wood mount is also covered…well…the person cleaning up after you will end up looking like this!

It’s quite a difficult thing to teach someone. I can demonstrate my own technique, ‘til I’m blue in the fingers face, but you have to find the right pressure for yourself. I’ve described it as a tapping motion, rather than a pressing one. Suggested building up the colour gradually, by using two or three gentle taps, rather than trying for even coverage in one firmer push. If an inkpad is particularly ‘juicy’ I sometimes just rest the stamp on the surface and that can be enough. You know it’s level and you won’t get that irritating ‘ghosting’ from inky edges. If you’re a stamper, do you have any other handy hints that I could suggest? I want everyone to get the most from their experience and go home with something they are proud of.

While we’re on the subject of teaching…..I’ve written a few tutorials, to share here on my blog, over the past couple of years. I always use the same format: a photograph of each step, with an explanation underneath. A few people have commented that I should make Youtube videos so I thought I’d ask the question. Is that how you prefer to view tutorials?

I do watch them myself, to get an idea of how to do something. If I was going to follow the directions, I would have to keep stopping and starting the video, while I made my own ‘copy’ of the project. Personally, I prefer to have the directions in a series of images and instructions, that I can have open on my laptop screen, or print out to refer to.

I’m going to make a tutorial for the “Card in a Box”, as a few people said they would like one and I have all the “Blue Peter” bits ready to photograph. It will be in my usual style of words and pictures this time, but I might rethink for the future, depending on feedback.

One last thing, before I go. Abi opened a discussion, about replying to blog comments, last week. A couple of people commented that they didn’t know if they were “no-reply” bloggers. I thought I’d direct you to my own post on the subject from last year. It includes a link to instructions for finding out and fixing, if you’d like to.

Oh, I know I said that was the last thing, but I wanted to share this little teaser. Something that I got very excited about on Friday night. If you’re a Facebook friend you’ll already know, but if you’re not…..can you guess what it is? I’ll tell you the whole story later in the week. Hope you’ve had a great start to yours.

PS Links to the tutorials pictured above can be found here:

Flower Treat Box

Gift Card Holder

Hearts & Doilies

Lollipop Holders

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #246

It was back to the kitchen table for me this week.

My usual Tuesday afternoon pastime of kitting, ready for class today. Kraft cardstock, doilies and twine, with a bit of peach thrown in for good measure. We’ll be using my current favourite wood grain background and some banners to make a card like this one and a couple of other projects.

The gift bag can just be seen in the middle at the top and we finish with a quickie card like the flower one in my last post. It’s fun to make cards using lots of different techniques and products, but I also like to show that simple can be effective too. Especially if you are new to this hobby and don’t have many supplies of you own.

That’s it from me. I have boxes to pack and a car to load. See you later, somewhere among the desks.

Hearts and Flowers

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today seemed like a good day to share the next few cards made for the 52 Card Challenge. There has been absolutely no let up from the rain since I got up this morning. A day for baking biscuits and snuggling up in the warm.

Week 3 was a sketch challenge. I tinkered with it a bit, but kept it simple.

I cut the mat to fit the card front, rather than leaving a space at the bottom for the sentiment. I stuck with a flower motif for my first card, but I didn’t want it floating in that large white space so I put a square of paper underneath and added the sentiment there as well. The design was easily adapted for a quick Valentine.

Week 4 was a photo prompt and there was plenty of inspiration here.

I went for a kraft and white base with a pop of bright colour. Also taking inspiration from the wooden table and doily underneath those beautifully iced biscuits.

I made a second “Just because” card in peachy tones. I think there will be a few more of these, in other colours, coming soon!

Week 5 was a selection of words picked from Nat’s prompt jar.

I went back to an old favourite for the scripty background. Chose pale pink and ivory as my colour scheme and framed the letters with some champagne glitter card. I also made a simple box to match and these were our projects in class last week.

I’ve set up a Pinterest board with all the prompts and my own takes on each…..so far. It’s a great way to build up a little stock of cards for whenever you might need one. There is a second part to the challenge, which encourages everyone to make a Christmas card for each prompt, but it’s far too early for me to be starting that. I will refer back to the board when the time comes though and I’m sure it will be helpful.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #245

Planning for future classes, making cards for February birthdays and leftovers from keeping up with the 52 Card Challenge.

These are from the week 3 sketch challenge. I’ll do a round up of the rest on Friday.

Short and sweet. Head on over to Julia’s place for more crafty goings on.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #244

Hello from dark and gloomy Dorset. More rain and another shadowy desk shot.

This is what remained, once I’d packed everything for class. Offcuts from kitting. A failed prototype of the box I made. Evidence of a change of heart over colour scheme. Red with glittery cardstock, looked more Christmassy than Valentinesy, to my eye. The pink was a better choice I think. An old card which spawned a new one.

That’s it from me for this week. Join us at Julia’s for a good old nosey round.

Peachy Keen

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I’m taking part in the 52 Card Challenge again. I was a bit hit and miss with it last year and thought by posting what I’ve made here, every now and again, I might be more inclined to keep up this time around!

The first challenge was to use stash you’d been given for Christmas. In my case, that was none! Instead I went for something new(ish) that I’d bought myself, the smaller of the two flower stamps. The larger one is an old favourite and both have matching punches, which makes things easy. Inspired by the peachy tones Alexa chose for her Friendship Quilt blocks, I made this card and a coordinating box*.

Last week, the challenge was to use a very bright colour palette, with many more colours than I would usually put together in one card. I managed to get them all in, albeit in very small doses, including a nod to the spots and chevrons in the picture.

This week it’s a sketch challenge, if you fancy joining in. I’ve yet to make mine, but I’ll share it, along with Week 4, later in the month. Here’s to keeping up with good intentions….so far!

*You can find a tutorial for the box (in a slightly smaller size) here.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #241

Here’s *what* is on my desk…..

…..but the bigger question this week is: *Where* is your workdesk?

Look, look! Tucked into a corner, beside a big bookcase, in front of the cupboard of doom (well, I didn’t want to get in there anyway!) my little desk is back. It’s not ideal. There’s only just room to get my chair underneath and I have my back to the window, but I’ll take it. So happy to have a permanent space again.

Please excuse the horribly blurry photos, but it is so dark here today. If I put the lights on all the colours are very strange indeed. I made a card last week for Nat’s 52 Card Challenge and stamped some extra pennants to make into a few more. The circular thing, top right, is a Christmas decoration. I got it for 90p, in Paperchase, yesterday and will be dismantling for the multi coloured jingly bells.

That’s me. How about you? Are you joining in today? I’m about to head over to Julia’s place and find out.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #240

That’s another week gone by. Seriously? I had planned to blog in between, but it just didn’t happen. I’m teaching this morning so a very quick fly by from me.

Kitting yesterday afternoon, ready for class this morning. My essential notebook at the forefront. Trying to gently steer myself away from what have become my signature colours. Kraft still puts in an appearance. It does go with everything, doesn’t it, or is that just me?

Pop over to Julia’s to see what everyone is up to and I’ll be round to visit after lunch.

Seasonal Variations

I love Christmas, but like to keep it firmly in December, where it belongs. Since I started teaching classes, I’ve had to begin my Christmas card planning a little bit earlier. I was finding it difficult to come up with designs, when we were looking forward to carving pumpkins and watching fireworks.

I got over it by adapting a previous design into a more seasonal version. This was a Thank you card I made some time ago. I took a different flower from the set and switched the soft vintage colours for a more traditional red, gold and green.

The final touch was the ‘merry’ stamped tag, hanging from the candy striped twine. I made a little gift box/treat holder to match. It’s very easy to make from half a sheet of A4 cardstock and I’ll share the instructions on Saturday. The first of three Christmas themed tutorials for December. I hope you’ll find them useful.

Grab Your Greetings

What a glorious day it has been, here in Dorset. Too nice to be crafting inside so I’m recycling some previously made projects, to show you a few different cards using the same set of sentiment stamps.

First up, the card that I was part way through making, when I shared my work space earlier in the week. Several layers to this one, with punched flowers and embossing.

Something much simpler, for when you are in a hurry.

There are quite a few stamps in the set that work well for this style of card . Repeating a motif and then putting the sentiment in the last empty square.

A simple card for the December production line. Note my avoidance of the ‘C’ word! A good set of sentiment stamps is a must for any card maker I think.

I’ll be back on Monday with a recipe for a simple curry. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Pinwheels #2

Another card using the Pinwheel die.

This time I used them as more of a traditional windmill. The kind I would have stuck in sandcastles as a child, or attached to the handlebars of my bike. I embossed the background with clouds and made a 'hill' from some spotty scrapbook paper. A quick sentiment banner with a stamp and matching die. Got to love that for ease.

Now I’m off to Rinda’s place, to see who has found what, for the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. Are you joining in this year?

Pinwheels

Remember those little pinwheels I was putting together on Tuesday afternoon? Here’s one of them added to a very simple card.

I was planning to die cut a circle to go behind the pinwheel, but I happened to have my pricking mat and tool out so I used a template to define the circles instead. I think it’s quite effective. I cut the two navy blue banners using a die, but it wasn’t quite big enough to fit the sentiment. I stamped and then cut to size on the trimmer. Finishing the end with the corner of a square punch. I find it neater than cutting into the middle with scissors. I always seem to go a bit too far on one side!

Easel Cards & Humming Birds

I showed a little sneak peek of this card on Wednesday and here it is completed.

I’d never made an easel card before, because I had it in my head that they were really complicated to engineer, but it couldn’t have been much simpler. The embellishment involved a fair bit of hand cutting, which is not everyone’s favourite thing to do, but I find it very relaxing, if I have the time to spare on it, and I think the effort was worth it.

The second card, on the right, involved cutting an aperture and stamping a pattern on the panel behind it. We stamped off most of the ink on scrap paper first, to give a muted look. I gave everyone the option of a punched butterfly, if they didn’t feel like hand cutting another humming bird, with its very slender beak!

Lastly our 20 minute card. Some random background stamping, on a couple of panels of cardstock, finished off with two punched butterflies, twine and some bling. Perfect if you need a last minute card, which seems to happen quite often, or is that just me? This design would work well for any small stamps you might have.
I used the same three colours for all the cards, with the addition of kraft.
Have a lovely weekend and I’ll be back on Monday with Simply A Moment.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #210

This was the kitchen table yesterday afternoon. I was making up my easel card for the class today. I totally changed my design from the one I had in mind last week!

Because the cards I make are usually fairly clean and simple, I sometimes forget that style is not always appropriate for a class project. A card you can whip up in 10 minutes is not a lot of use for a two hour class. I’d need about 10 designs for every session. This one should take about half an hour. Here’s a sneak peek.

I’ll share the full card later in the week.

That’s me for today. Want to see what everyone else has to share? Head on over to the Stamping Ground where Julia will be happy to welcome you.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #209

Another week between blog posts. I can’t blame exam season this time though, well only in part. I had a very busy weekend meeting up with lovely new friends as well as some very old ones. Both occasions brought about by the power of the internet. Don’t you just love that?

Nothing very exciting on the kitchen table this afternoon. I didn’t get much out, because I knew I didn’t have long to play with it. I’m designing the front panel for an easel card. That will be a project for next week’s class. I’ve not made one before, but they are surprisingly simple. A colour scheme of kraft, buttery yellow and chocolate brown with a hint of vanilla. Sounds good enough to eat!

My girl will be bursting through the front door any minute now so I’ll be round to visit later. Pop over to Julia’s place to find out what everyone else has been up to.

PS More on that busy weekend soon.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday #208

#208. Yes, you read that right. This is the 208th time that creative folk around the world have shared their desks, with anyone who cares to pop in for a good nose around. Four whole years of desk hopping. Happy Birthday Julia!

The kitchen table was all stacked up this morning, with everything I needed for class. Ready to be loaded into my little Clio. From that to this.

We made a card incorporating several techniques. Using markers, to colour a stamp directly, to achieve a multi coloured image. Inking an embossing folder to give it a vintage look. Inking the edges of punched shapes to give them more definition and layering them to make a 3D flower. So much to share.

My plan for this anniversary blog hop, is to visit as many of you as is humanly possible. It is half term here and I have a busy weekend coming up, so it will probably take me until next Wednesday to get all the way around, but I’ll give it my best shot.

I’m looking forward to meeting some of you on Saturday at the crop and I’m hoping to have a few ATCS made by then, if anyone would like to swap with me. Can’t wait!

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday #206

Another week between posts. My poor neglected blog. GCSEs in full swing now.

The contents of the kitchen table at approximately 6am. I like to pack on the morning of the class, then I know that I have everything I need. If I did it in advance I’d only have to unpack again just to be sure. Today’s projects were a box for a cupcake and matching card, plus a simple 20 minute card.

I arrived at the Arts Centre in monsoon conditions and left in brilliant sunshine. Is it really May? I’m still wearing my Winter boots! Time for a very quick coffee and a few desk visits before the children get home from school. See you there.