WOYWW 342

Happy Christmas Everyone

and welcome to the sharing of 'Wednesday' desks, wonderfully hosted by the lovely Julia.  Click on the link to see lots of more interesting desks than mine is.
Certainly my Wednesday desk is not very exciting today,  mainly clutter on there and at the far end the presents hubbie has wrapped for my birthday after Christmas. In the middle behind the bow maker are some Thank you cards I made in anticipation of getting some pressies for Christmas. 





 Better pic here.

Regular WOYWW folk will have noticed I have been slacking as far as blogging for a few weeks, and really all I can say is that the past few Wednesdays have been busy with things like Christmas shopping, making things for various events and life generally getting in the way.
These are some of the things I have been making over the past few weeks, just to show that I'm only slacking about blogging, not crafting.

Here we have stars for a crafting swap,

 and these were decorations for a craft work shop.

 And finally the card I made for hubbies birthday at the end of November.

Thank you so much for visiting my page, I love reading your comments, and I will visit your page if you leave your number.

Have a fabulous Christmas everyone and I'll try to be more regular next year.
Chris 

WOYWW 333

Good morning people, once again I am trying to do the blog thing and this morning I am having to fight technology to do it.
So on my desk are these flowers, coloured with Distress inks

 





























  and the card they were designed for, and I didn't need all the pink ones, so now I have a dozen pink flowers to use, sometime, along with lots of other "sometime" use stuff.

 The rest of the desk has a lot of other 'sometime' stuff on the desk, but it really isn't very exciting.

There are piles of half made Christmas cards that I can't decide how to finish, dies I am trying to work out how to store in already full storage folders, and lots stamps I am telling myself to put on Ebay because I will never use them. However the squirrel part of me tells me that
 "they are very pretty, shame to part with them"
 and the sensible part is saying
 "get rid, you know you will never use them, you are so uncomfortable with stamping that you only ever use the same easy ones"
I know the sensible part of the brain is right, but I'm just not very good at getting rid of things
Anyway if you are visiting me, thank you for your time and effort, and suggest that you pop over to Julia's page where you will be able to snoop at far more interesting desk than mine.
Bless you all
Chris

WOYWW 330

Well I'm back in circulation for a little while so I'll join you in the fun at Julias for a couple of weeks. My desk, as usual, looks a bit of a mess, so I will just show you the two bits I am working on.

On the right is a card for my grandson who is wild about puffins,  a new challenge each year to do something different,  and the one on the left was just a play. I bought a new die from the dreaded C & C so when it arrived I tried it on the first piece of paper that came to hand and then thought,  that would look good on cream so a card was created!
While we've been away I made a few cards, playing with fiddly bits and produced two twisted easel cards. This one was for a couple who celebrated their 60th birthdays very close together so I sent them two cards in one.

 Then having got a taste for twisted easels, I made this one for Margaret's birthday

And just to finish I'll share a very atmospheric picture of a September morning on the Bridgewater Canal.

 This was taken at 6.30 one morning when I couldn't sleep, so I crept out with the camera and got some lovely pics, but oooh it was awfully cold!.


Well thanks you for visiting me, you lovely people and I will return your visits before the weekend.
Bless you all
Chris

WOYWW 324

Gosh it's Wednesday again and as usual I am caught unawares. I'm still trying to catch up on washing and ironing and cleaning

Well I am back again  for a little while, after a wonderful celebration of my sister's Golden Wedding anniversary and as requested I have some pics of the event for you.

This was the moment when we sang silly song to the happy couple.
It has become traditional in our family to write a song mentioning foibles of the star of such occasions and then give them something silly to do with that issue. For example my niece's wedding we mentioned thatshe was famous for losing things, phones, purses etc, so we gave her a large plastic toy phone and  handcuffed her to the groom so she wouldn't lose him.
For my sister we majored on the fact that they spend a lot of time with their grand children and they like to go for walks, hence they were given a walking stick, a baby doll and other useless items.

I don't remember the significance of the hat, but it is very fetching.
Since we got back I have not had time to do any crafting, I'm still trying to catch up on washing and ironing and cleaning, so my desk is exactly as I left it four weeks ago. Well almost, as it is a convenient surface for all the unpacking from the caravan to be dumped for sorting and there are still some of those things on there that 'you got out of somewhere before you went on holiday, but now you are back you can't remember where to put them back' Anyone else have that problem?.
Anyway I'm not going to show you the chaos, it is too embarrassing.  

Well I must publish this or you won't get the dubious privilege of reading my rubbish; there much better stuff to be read and seen at our host's Stamping Ground where Julia facilitates the snooping at lots of desks.
Bless you for visiting bless you even more if you think it it worthy of a comment, polite or otherwise.
I will get back to you if you do.
Chris

WOYWW 320

Hi there deskers and first of all I must say Thank you to all of you for welcoming me back to WOYWW, it is nice to know you noticed that I wasn't there. And then........
I am here to say I'm off again!!!
By the time most of you read this we will be on our way to Netherlands for my sister's Golden Wedding anniversary, we are taking the caravan and after their party we are all going down to Luxembourg for a couple of weeks in our caravans, leaving Margaret, and a very twitchy curtained neighbour, minding the homestead.
This is a picture of the card I've made for my sister and her hubby, not a very good picture.

And this is a candle that I had made for them at a place in Betws Y Coed, (http://www.candlespower.com).


















If you have arrived here and wonder why I am wittering on, this is the place where lots of crafty folk share what their mojo has led them to produce or not, as the case maybe, byshowing our desks on a 'Wednesday' morning, or more often Tuesday evening, and it is all hosted by the wonderful Madame Julia over at her Stamping Ground, so if your want to see more or better, go over and visit lots of desks.
So thank you for visiting me, and I love comments but will apologise now that I will not be returning any visits as I will be out of internet contact for a few days, but bless you if you leave comments nevertheless.
Chris

WOYWW 319

Well it has been a while since I have posted on here, I been away on our narrow boat for three months, but I am back now and it shows, just look at the desk top, looks very familiar. Somethings never change, only the depth of the piles of chaos.

I know I am making lots of cards for a church sale, but it still doesn't need to be that bad.
However, there was someone posted on Facebook recently that she had challenged herself to make as many cards as possible using one 12 x12 sheet of paper, so I thought I would have a go, but after 6 I got bored.

One is missing and couple of others crept in there, but it was interesting exercise, I might repeat it with some masculine colours for cards for church sale.
Anyway, although I was absent from WOYWW, I did do a bit of visiting and can encourage anyone visiting here who doesn't know what I am on about to go to  Julia's Stamping Ground where you can visit lots of more interesting desks.
Well just before I go, I will share a couple of pictures from our holiday.

June sunset over the Erewash Canal at Ilkeston in Derbyshire, unfortunately our boat is round the corner so not in the picture.

And this is Max, thoroughly enjoying his holiday.

And finally a proud mummy moment. 

Some of you may remember last June I posted pictures of the stole I made for my daughter when she was ordained deacon, well this June she was ordained priest, a very special occasion.

Now I have overloaded you with pictures I really must run away before Julia puts me on the naughty step.
Bless you all
Chris

WOYWW 304

Gosh it is Wednesday again, nearly Easter and I haven't recovered from Christmas yet.
Welcome to all you lovely people who drop in to share my work space, for uninitiated this is the place where we bare all, well as far as our worktops are concerned, and share them so that you can see mine and I can see yours, just pop of to Julia's and you can follow the links to lots of bared worktops.
Right so what is on my worktop today, or in reality, what was on my worktop at 5.30 Tuesday before the light failed.

Well actually for a change, it is rather bare.
On the left is a Baptism card for friend who is being baptised, by full immersion, on Easter Sunday and on the right is the Golden Wedding card for my sister, who is celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss!!!, in July.
And the scrappy bit of light blue card was the first attempt at a backing for the cross, destined for the bin, because was too generous with the glitter and made a mess.

And a side view of the desk shows you that is is very clean and uncluttered, with just the two folders of my die cutters and some papers and a free embossing folder from a magazine.

The reason it is so cleared is that we are off on our travels on our narrow boat, so I have had to clear the place as we have family who are planning on having free holidays in Wales, while we are away, and friends coming into check between family stays. I felt it really would be nice for my family not to have to wade through all the paper 'pooh' on the landing carpet.

Oh Monday, after the the worktop was clean and shiny, I started to put out craft materials and tools to take on the boat with me so that I can do some card making while we are pottering around the system. It is quite difficult to work out what is absolutely essential and what I really can manage without, given the very limited storage space inside the boat. Whatever I do take, sooner or later I will be trying to locate a craft shop within walking distance of the canal, for glue or mirror card or ribbon,
So this will be our home for the next three months and if anyone here live near the Trent and Mersey, Coventry, Oxford or Grand Union canals and see us gliding along, do make yourself known.
Right now I really must go and make a pile of essentials and then reduce it too one crate full!. If you leave a comment, I promise I will return your kindness, but it may take me a couple of days.
Have a great day and a very blessed Easter
Chris

WOYWW 303

Morning lovely people and welcome to What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Julia.
Right housekeeping over, now to tell you that my workdesk is not worth viewing today, instead this will be a picture heavy post.

So, Margaret, John and I went to the craft show at the NEC last Friday and did a 'little' bit of shopping!! I did have a list and did try to stick to it, but it was all so tempting!!!

So this was my desk on Saturday morning when these pictures were taken, before I managed to find homes for it all, well most of it.
 There is a stamp press, because I always end up with my stamp just not quite straight and this should help me line them up perfectly and a bow maker, which I have been after for a while, and some ribbons and a Tattered lace die.

 And some stamps, especially the Savannah set with a giraffe, my daughter is mad about giraffes, and a music stamp for son in law's birthday card.
A Spellbinders die, which I bought for a special reason and it is not the right size, and a tattered lace embossing folder, which is gorgeous and sort of goes with the die I got.

Then there are some Distress inks and Occasions dies, Golden and Anniversary for my sister's Golden Anniversary, of course!
Also some bling, I love Meiflower gems, and other embellishments, and another music stamp.

This is the Savannah set of stamps in more detail and a lovely Nativity set as well.

Looking at these pictures, a few days after I took them, I am suddenly reminded of all the goodies I did buy, and I couldn't get everything on my list.

And just to prove I will use them, I played with the giraffe stamp and the bow maker and made this card for my daughter.

And finally a card for friend who is 60. I got these cardboard numbers at the show, 30 for 25pence, which I thought was jolly good value, and I also used the grass stamp from the Savannah set on this.



Well if you have stuck with me through all that, thank you very much for visiting, even if I cheated and didn't show you the mess that is my desk.
Well I'm off to visit other desks and see what other folks are doing.
Bless you all
Chris

WOYWW 301

Another week has whizzed by and Wednesday is approaching fast, so it is time share our desks with the delightful Julia and all you lovely people.
First of all, thank you for all your visits last week, and a moment to set the record straight. The flowers I 'ordered' for Julia, were only on my website, so Julia only got to enjoy them there, as did the rest of you, I hope. Actually they were the flowers my daughter sent me for Mothering Sunday last year.

So to business, although I still have tendonitis, wearing a brace on my arm relieves me of some of the pain, if I am careful with what I do, using scissors is really painful, as is using my mobile phone or tablet, However making cards is good exercise as long as I am not putting too much pressure on my arms, so I have had quite a blitz, I finished some previously unfinished symphonies, made new cards, the eagled eyed among you might notice that I have used the die I showed you last week on three cards, and, Oh dear, I have more unfinished symphonies.  I am particularly frustrated with the red card with the fan and lacy corner, anyone got some good ideas what else to do with it to make it look finished.?

I also made some Easter cards, our church has very close link with the local school and there are some children there whose families are in very straighten circumstance, so we are putting together some Easter bags, a bit like the shoe boxes, but for the whole family, and we needed cards for the bags so I rustled up half a dozen, and it gave me the chance to use the new corner punch I managed to miss in last week's picture.

Then there was the requirement to make a birthday card for no 1 grandson, 14 years old on Monday and absolutely mad about tigers, his bedroom is a vision in black and orange, pictures, blankets bedding and floor cushion, so at least I had a theme to work with.

Well I am having serious problems with Blogger so  I will say Happy WOYWW, have a great week and thank you for dropping in.

 Chris

WOYWW 300

THREE  HUNDREDTH  EDITION of WOYWW and it's all down to the wonderful

 JULIA 

at Stamping Ground

Step forward desker queen for a round of applause and a virtual bouquet of flowers.

 

I'm sorry I haven't got real ones to you.
Well it has been seven weeks since I last posted, and I am still battling with tennis elbow/tendonitis. This severely restricts my ability to do much in the way of crafting, and or using the computer keyboard, both of which cause severe pain from above the elbow to my finger tips. However in those seven weeks, I have visited lots of desks and made a few comments, and even tennis elbow can't stop me posting for the 300th edition of WOYWW and will visit and comment as  much as I am able over the next week.
So down to the serious business of sharing my desktop, and I'm afraid my desk will be a bit of a disappointment for anyone looking for great creative genius. We have been away for a week, visiting junior daughter for her 40th birthday, gosh I feel old, and then on to see 92year old uncle in Hampshire, where it has become clear we need to be looking for a care home for him.
So we only got home at 7pm on Tuesday evening and unpacking was a priority, however I managed to buy a few goodies at the Works whilst I was away and these have been carefully posed on my work surface to get a picture late Tuesday evening.

So there is a nice corner punch on the very right hand side, you can't really see it, some lovely shimmery ribbons, some bling, and a packet of 5 x 7 cards. There is also a vertical die I purchased online before I went away and it was in the post when I got home, and there are five unfinished symphonies that I had put on my desk about 10 days ago, in the vain hope that I would get something finished before we went away.
Well, time to do a bit of visiting.
Happy 300th WOYWW to everyone
Chris

WOYWW 293

Hello lovely people and welcome to my first WOYWW of the year, If you don't know what I am on about, visit Her LadyshipJulia at The Stamping ground. 

Well I have had a mixed start to 2015, 
We have had problems with our electrical power circuit which keeps tripping and setting off the alarm, amongst other things, so the electrician was summoned and the decision was made that the alarm needed to be run straight from the fuse box and not on the power circuit. So where was the wiring that had to be altered? Running along the back of my craft cupboard, he would come back on Friday, so last Tuesday everything came out of the cupboard, leading to this chaos.

Of course while it was out a much needed sort out was in order. Piles of paper and other craft bits, that I know I won't use, will soon be on their way to the children's ward at  the local hospital

In addition of course I had unreliable power supply for my computer, so didn't dare try to do a post last week, because the poor thing has had its power supply withdrawn randomly at least twice a day for several weeks, and keeps suggesting that I turn it on in safe mode.

Anyway, in the middle of that chaos, I just had to create a 60th birthday card for brother in law and a 70th card for a friend, so a serious right shove cleared sufficient space to make these two cards.

My brother in law is so into Scalextrics cars that all he wanted for his 60th birthday was 'toy' cars, so we decided that he was never going to grow up, just continue to play with toys like a six year old for the rest of his life.

Now for a bit of not so good news. I did a lots of knitting for Christmas, if you look back to my  Christmas eve post you will the doll I knitted and this is the tea cosy I made for my niece and the result is that I have repetitive strain injury, or tendonitis and I am not supposed to be doing any knitting and limiting computer use to a bare minimum, so for a few weeks at least, I will probably not do a WOYWW each week, but may do a little bit of visiting each Wednesday. I will try to return visits to this post, but will otherwise save my arm for important things, like doing my bra up and brushing my hair and lifting a cup to my mouth.
So bless you all reading and Happy WOYWW and 2015
Chris