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.....

Memorandum Monday ~ Doll Making

My whole weekend was about learning new things. The many and varied processes of dollmaking. I was lucky enough to attend a two day workshop with Jan Horrox, dollmaker extraordinaire.

We jumped right in at the deep end, on Saturday morning, with the head. Probably the smallest pieces I've ever attempted to stitch together on a sewing machine.

The pins are to mark the features before sculpting with strong thread.

Onto the body after lunch.....

Sewn, turned and stuffed, ready to add the head and limbs.

Sunday morning was all about the hands.....

This is where things got very tricky. Turning those fingers right side out, after stitching, required a lot of patience. I was so engrossed in getting this process right I forgot to take any progress pictures.

After that, the foot and jointed arm were a breeze!

The legs follow the same principle as the arms. Jan also demonstrated how she makes wings and hair. I wasn't too worried about that as I wanted to get the basics down while I was there. I didn't expect to come away with a finished doll. Only one lady managed that and she had made dolls before.

It was a great weekend, made extra special by the company of a friend, who came up from Devon to take the workshop with me. I was absolutely shattered when I got home last night. Learning new things can be very tiring it seems.

Waving to Sian and my fellow Mondayers and wishing you all a great week.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #365

It's been a busy kitchen table in the past couple of days. I'm getting ready for my catalogue launch party on Friday and I had a class this morning.

Here I'm using the Balloon Celebration set. I always like to find a way to get the less obvious stamps off the backing sheet. The circular designs were ideal for making a pattern on my card stock before folding it up into a box....

Linking up with the Deskers again today, ably hosted by Jan for the time being. We're all rooting for you Julia and wishing you a speedy recovery.

Take a Note Tuesday aka Memorandum Monday

It was another slightly surreal Sunday, here in my corner of the world. Last week a peacock crossed our path, this week it was a bride on a beach.

When I shared the picture on Facebook at the weekend, a friend was quick to point out that I didn't actually *know* she was a bride. He was right of course, and I think it probably was just a photo shoot. "Random woman in a wedding dress, having her picture taken at the seaside" doesn't quite have the same ring, does it?!

Linking up with Sian and the Mondayers. Have a great week.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #364

Today is the 7th Anniversary of this weekly desk hopping madness. Can you believe it? Who would have thought that Julia's little seed of an idea would grow, over the years, into such a friendly and wonderfully supportive community.

If you are a regular around here you'll already know that I craft at the kitchen table. That means clearing away between meals, which can be a little tedious at times, and often there is nothing to take a photograph of on a Wednesday morning. That's the case today, but I couldn't not join in, could I? Here's one I took earlier.

In Monday's post I talked about the Cornish seaside wedding we are attending this Summer. Under "Dress Code" it says:

Our wedding will be on the top of a hill by the sea with an outdoor ceremony - so expect a bit of a breeze! If it looks like drizzle or rain bring a brolly.
​
The ground is uneven and untamed so ladies, wear stilettos at your own risk, if the worse comes to the worst bring your wellies.

It's not the day to be wearing a full skirted Fifties number, with layers of tulle petticoat to contend with! Instead, I have gone for a different vintage style. More Katharine than Audrey Hepburn. My first thought, when I saw the Margo pattern, was Mapp and Lucia. I'm not a stiletto kind of girl so that won't be an issue.

I'll be sharing more about this another day. For now I'm wishing all the Deskers a very Happy 7th Anniversary and a Happy Wednesday to everyone else. 

Don't forget, we're partying at Jan's place today. Pop over and say "Hi!", you can be sure of a warm welcome.

Memorandum Monday ~ Peacock

When travelling country lanes on a Sunday morning, it's always a good idea to factor in extra time for your journey. You never know what might hold you up. Other drivers, pottering along, enjoying the scenery. Cyclists and joggers. Dog walkers and horse riders. Wild birds and animals of many kinds.

This was a new one on me.

We were on our way to Bristol to buy a suit for The Mechanic. The trip was a success and he is now appropriately kitted out. His current suit is charcoal wool and not ideal for a Summer beach wedding. Which brings me to the other thing that was new this weekend. The invitation for that wedding arrived by Paperless Post.

Have you come across it before?

There's no doubt it's very environmentally friendly. Easier to organise and less time consuming than writing and posting out a stack of invitations. However, the hoarder memory keeper in me laments the lack of something tangible I can hold in my hands. I'll bet I'm not alone.

Waving to Sian and the Mondayers on this afternoon that can't quite make up its mind and wishing you all a good week.

Memorandum Monday ~ Brusho

Oh Monday, has it really been a month since I shared something new with you all?

These little pots of brightly coloured powders arrived on Saturday morning and they were just what me and my girl needed to kick start a creative session at the kitchen table. Yes, I know, they have been around for years and I am a long way behind the craze for them, but better late than never.

Some watercolour paper and a spritzer was all we needed to add, to get these cool effects. No artistic ability required. Highly recommended.

Waving to Sian and the Mondayers on this sunny afternoon and sending good wishes to anyone whose household is in the grip of exam fever. For the first time in very many years we are escaping it. Instead, my girl is working on her final module for the year and my boy is figuring out what to do next.