WOYWW #211

 Happy WOYWW! This time last week I was in Torquay, so I scheduled a post (maybe I should have taken a photo of my Really Useful box that I took with me containing sheets of images and some of my Promarkers, which I didn't get to use much due to the awful lighting - I need an Ott light or similar to take).
So I couldn't link my post until Friday evening. This is a pile of stash which mostly came in the post while I was away and a few bits I bought in Trago Mills including a HUGE tub of white gesso which took me ages to find because I was expecting it to be the same as the black gesso and couldn't understand why there wasn't any - then eventually after looking, going away and looking again I finally looked down and saw the HUGE tubs! Happy me, it was so cheap to buy that size! Most of my new goodies are dies, dies and stamp sets, stamp and embossing folder sets and a bird Bigz die and embossing folder set and these were something like 60% or more off from Sizzix. Then you might spot the WR Memory Keepers envelope punch tool, which took me an extremely long time to extract from the packaging and I haven't tried it yet! I also bought some speech bubble dies from Trago, some 12" x 12" plain cardstock and I can't think what else.

So here is my desk view 1, and you can actually see the wood (not real wood)! In the centre is my altered dictionary with the new page underway for The Alpha project at the Craft Barn, and next to that on the left is a pile of stamps waiting to be put away. Next to that is a Really Useful box (you can't see it) in which I have put any coloured images that are ready to use or ready to cut out, and a few odd die cuts. On top of the box is a folder with Unity stamps in it, some are for the dictionary page. On the right is a pile of images ready for colouring, not sure why because I put a load away - the box must be full!

 View from the other end of the desk.

Cutting corner, see the domimoes? I bought them in a charity shop for £2.50 and got them out to see if I could make a domino book but the images I had printed were too large and I didn't want to make them teenie tiny so made them into a pirate card, another day for a domino book!

What is WOYWW all about? Well it is a day a week that you can share your space and visit and nosy round a heap of other desks all thanks to the lovely Julia Dunnit at The Stamping Ground!

When I first started on this I remarked I would never get round everyone and was advised that the thing to do was to visit all the people who's number ended the same as yours, so if you are number 155 visit all the numbers ending in 5, then any favourites and additional ones if you have the time.

Then I saw someone comment that they visit the first 20 only and anyone who visits them. Could you miss out on a lot if you do that? I bet most people get there in roughly the same order, I know I am usually last or close to it!

I could have posted very early indeed, I was up late last night, it took hours to make the pirate card, then I needed to blog it then it was too late to bother with WOYWW! I gave the card to Richard for his birthday tomorrow, I hope he likes it. I realised the treasure map fold up was the perfect place to put his birthday money!

Quirky well fold it, late reminder!

 For this joy fold card I used images and sentiments from the Ahoy Matey set from The Cutting Cafe who are sponsoring the challenge, and giving three great prizes. Freebie papers, brass charms from stash, ribbon by Crafty Ribbons, white banner ribbon by Papermania.

 Untie the bow and you can see the pirate ship.

 The little pirate is a Kraftin Kimmie stamp. All images ae coloured with Promarkers or Trias.

 Fully open the card reveals the treasure map and some more sentiments and charms.

Finally the top card flips up to reveal a greetings frame that is perfect to write your own greeting in the centre.

I have entered the following challenges:

Joanna Sheen - male cards

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon.

Papertake weekly - hot hot hot - warm or hot colours.

Cute card Thursday - Once upon a time (there were pirates on the high seas)

Stamping for the weekend - cute (cute pirate)

I love Promarkers - anything goes.

WOYWW #210

 I wanted to show you this little drawer unit which I got at the opticians, really! I was sitting waiting for my glasses to be tightened and I noticed this sat on a table looking empty, and I remarked that it would be perfect for craft storage. Well it was going to be thrown out, and only hadn't because they hadn't had time, so I was allowed to bring it home! It hasn't got any of the dividers, maybe I can make some if I need any.

Having stood the Really Useful little boxes behind the eBosser without them falling over (I was waiting for himself to attach them to the wall but seems unecessary after all) I thought I would try stacking the first set on top, in grabbing them two of the boxes fell out and there are mother of pearl buttons and feather charms all over the floor in the most awkward places and I will be finding them forever after I think I have picked them all up!

Finally here is the desk, new stamps and same old same old! I won a set of Marianne dies which took me ages to fathom out, finally I found out they are Christmas banner dies (why only Christmas?) and there was a corresponding set of stamps so when I saw them I thought I better get them!

Happy WOYWW and pop over to The Stamping Ground for an official weekly nosy around other peoples spaces!

Lyn said Quirky Well Fold It!

In case you haven't guessed - it is Quirky Crafts challenge time again! Lyn has set the challenge as "Fold it", make something with more than one fold, anything will do it doesn't have to be a card. 

We are generously sponsored by The Cutting Cafe who are giving all three prizes, and provided the team with two sets of printable files to use. I have used some of the many bicycles and sentiments from Lets Go for a Ride. 

I decided to make a side step card, and had to go find the instructions on Split Coast Stampers  (where there are at least a couple more tutorials I want to try). This card was so much easier than before because I used the Scor Buddy, which is the smaller size of Scor Pal board, and the instructions were written using one of these in inches and I didn't have to try and convert it to metric. I bought the Scor Pal and got the Scor Buddy free in a great offer last year, so my Scor Pal is metric and the buddy is imperial to provide the option of using either as required.

The ribbon tag, bicycle sentiment and some of the panels of paper are cut using Spellbinders dies. The spotty ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. The final touch was to add a pearl heart to each wheel of the largest bicycle although it looked just as nice without. Saddles, handlebars and hearts are coloured with Promarkers.

Top down view showing the back of the folds decorated with the star paper, papers are by DCWV. I just need to add a panel of white to write on the back and this is done.

WOYWW #209

 I nearly didn't bother with WOYWW, and as you know it is Thursday so I am late. I remembered to take my photos late last night but had already logged off and shut down by then. Not a lot has changed due to me going down with that awful bug last week and not feeling well enough to do very much, but I am better now and the bug accelerated my weight loss so I am happy, not happy to get the bug in the first place though!

I got my dedicated pink dustpan out to sweep up some bits, filtering out any bits to keep and bits for the bag for the neighbour's children. On the right is a sheet of stamps I have stuck onto EZ ready to cut out, and on the left are stamps and sets waiting to be sorted and put away, most are magazine gifts. There is a bag of ribbons still out too that need to go away. I have been putting away stamps back into their sets or folders and the stamp mount drawer is full to bursting as a result so it must be slightly tidier! I still have a box of stamps to sort out and it is possible I need to get more EZ. 

I do have some glue I can paint onto rubber stamps to make them cling - if it hasn't dried up! I should use that to save money, I have one sheet of stamps with the glue on that keep popping off the sheet so it probably needs re-applying. It was something I spotted years ago and I had to try it, the idea being that you can use rubber stamps on your Rock a Blocks, you can't if they are on EZ. I don't tend to grab the Rock a Blocks often even for clear stamps though.

If you want to nose around head on over to The Stamping Ground where it is all happening!

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - F for Felin (e)

F for Felin in the French section, which is Feline or Big Cat. So this is another attempt at The Craft Barn Alpha challenge because I realise I couldn't enter Face and should have done Femme!

Most of the stamps are by Cherry Pie Art Stamps, and the rest are Elzybells and Creative Expressions U Mount stamps. There is one cat on the right hand page top left that I am not sure about - it was stored on the Cherry Pie Art Stamps page with the others and the I heart cats sentiment.

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - F for face

Another page for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge, this time F for Face which I decided not to colour. Is it too plain? That yellow blob on the page is a sun face though you can't see it, so it was a mistake really!

I just popped over to add my link, which due to my weakened state I forgot all about, only to realise there is a restriction of Fe to Fr so I can't enter these pages sadly.

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - F for football and Fleur

 The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge is F this time, and I choose two words that don't go together relaly Fleur and Football, and I don't even like football (so please forgive me for the two stamped cricket balls - they all looked the same!).

This proves I cannot draw a football.

Quirky Black and White challenge reminder (with a tiny touch of colour allowed).

I used Mushrooms 7 and Whootie Owl from Limited Runs, and some Papermania double sided paper used both sides matted! I added some polka dot ribbon and my mushrooms have gel medium on them for texture. Not sure it worked but hey. This is a short post because I am not well and I am either hitting the shower or going back to bed!

Dreaming of strawberries.

 The new greenhouse is in full production, I just need to plant out the pepper seedlings now. I have strawberries, early, mid and late, courgettes, 4 varieties of Italian tomatoes, a few radishes, some herbs and the marigolds have gone out to harden off.

I invested in the strawberry plants because since being on the Slimming World plan strawberries have become an important part of my diet. (Total diet club sceptic now converted).

So I was really excited to see these flowers a few days ago, and I am hoping for fruit and a return on my investment!

WOYWW #208 and 4 years anniversary

Happy WOYWW and happy 4th anniversary WOYWWers. If you want to find out what it is all about go to The Stamping Ground.

This pile of buttons and fastenings was in my knicker drawer, I was rummaging through looking for my lost nail scissors! I decided this lot should be in the craft room so I can find them, but I haven't bought any clothes for over a year until very recently, and I can't think that I still have all the things these belong to - can I?

Desk, it was in the process of being tidied but I had to tidy it to show you how tidy it is compared to last week! I did sort a carrier bag full of offcuts to give to the neighbour's children who are bored with the rain, and I have started another bag. Before I got rid of loads I die cut some more cupcake wrappers.

View from the other end. The middle needs a good sweeping up, and I cannot get rid of the red EP that I spilled, it seems to be getting into everything!

Happy Birthday Husband.

The night before a birthday is not really the time to be making the card! I used my new Stamposaurus stamp of a greenhouse, you may recall the posts about the new greenhouse! Well I spotted the stamp at the Shepton Mallet craft show, and thought of my husband, and bought it and a few others that I couldn't resist, and there were plenty more that were hard to resist too!

 I coloured the image with Promarkers, then added glossy accents for the "glass". I heat embossed the words using Hero Arts and Papermania stamps in red, that pesky red embossing powder got everywhere it shouldn't including all over my desk when I spilled it! Here you can see it on the card where I didn't want it to be, and I had used an antistatic bag first, grrr. Then the "glass" wasn't dry so I gingerly attached some 3d gel pads to the back of the image and tried to plonk it into place without touching the wet glaze. I had attached the die cut (Spellbinders) before I added the image. However the image has curled and I had to leave it out with no envelope because it wasn't dry.