WOYWW #264

Wednesday again? Really? Already?!

Must be time for WOYWW then!

Here's how my craft desk table was looking this morning for you to have a nose at:

Last weekend Shimelle set a few scrapbook challenges and so this morning I have been finishing off my layout for one of her sketch challenges. So, on my table there's an assortment of embellishments (scattered across the table or in their storage boxes which I've been rummaging through!), various sheets of stickers and 6 x 6 pads (I'm trying to use these a lot more at the moment!). The box of enamel dots is spilling over as I had just been going through it trying to find the right colours for my layout. 

Do you spot my cat looking out the window?!

A closer look on my table will show you the complete mess I made of my journalling! I didn't like the way my writing sloped on the journal card (which you can just see at the top of the pic!) so I pulled it off but as it had been stuck on a while it didn't come away very well and has left a bit of a mess! Oops! Don't you hate it when that happens?!

Anyways, I've found a nice new journal card, added the "Write it down" sticker and wood veneer arrow and I'm ready to re-write it and stick it on once I've done this blog post and had a nosy at the other WOYWW desks!

Thanks for visiting today!

WOYWW 263

Hello

Long time since I've joined in the fun with Julia but today I am here to show you what's on my desk today!

So you can see in the top of the picture my photograph matted onto a couple of patterned papers ready to go on the layout once I've finished the background. 

You'll see my new Tim Holtz Bubbles stencil there. I've been playing with embossing paste. I added a couple of drops of Mister Huey ink to make the paste a lovely shade of green to pick out the trees in my photo. I'm waiting for the paste to dry whilst I'm writing this post. 

Just peeking in the top left corner is another layout which I've just started to plan. It's for a sketch and so far I've picked out a couple of photos and papers so I'll probably work on that this evening whilst the paste is drying.

Want to have a nosy and see what others have been up to in their craft rooms today? Then pop over to the full list here on Julia's blog!

Oh hello Blog! ..... And WOYWW 226

Oh hello my poor, sadly neglected blog!!

I had a conversation yesterday over a cuppa and biccies with Jennifer about my blog and the fact that I hadn't blogged for ages. It made realise that I do miss blogging and that I really should find 10 - 15 minutes a few times a week to write a post. So here I am!!

And what better way to get things started again than with a post to join in with What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (the biggest world wide "snoop" at craft desks!!)

So here is my desk table this morning!

Messy?  Or not too bad??

I'm in the middle of making my 4th card for my set of 6 Christmas Cards for "Six on the 6th"!!

I have discovered this morning that my box of washi (which you can see bottom right of pic) is sadly lacking in festive tape!!!  Note to self .... need more tape!

On another note .... I have started a sort out of my craft shelves/storage!

I had a BIG clear out a couple of weeks ago and sold or gave away a ton of stuff! But now I need to reorganise what's left so I can actually find and use my stash!

I have a tall Ikea Expedit unit and two smaller units beside it. I have a bad habit of just returning from a crop and dumping my craft boxes on the top rather than put them away properly. I want to sort through the boxes and store them better.

This is some of my 12 x 12 papers in need of a good sort out!

It's a slow job .... I'll do a little bit each day!

Right, time to make another cuppa and then take a wander around some WOYWW desks ... then back to those Christmas cards!

Thanks for stopping by today! xx

WOYWW 202 ~ Piles!!

Hello ... so this was the state of my desk table earlier today!

Piles!

And Boxes!!

 

I still have the pile of unfinished layouts that I told you about last week on the top left corner. I've finished a couple of them but also added another to the pile!

 

I've been getting a few layouts planned ready for a crop this Saturday so you can see a pile of photos from my "to scrap" folder and two of my boxes of stash just balancing on the edge of the table.

 

I have two new Echo Park collections that I want to use - Bundle of Joy and the Sisters Mini pack. I've been choosing my papers, photos, embellishments and alphas and creating piles ready to put in 12 x 12 plastic bags to take to the crop. Watch out Lisa-Jane, I'm going to be organised this time!!

 

This post is for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. ... the weekly nosy at the desks of other crafty peeps!

 

Right I'm off to visit some more desks!

WOYWW #201 ~ Unfinished Layouts!!

Apart from last Saturday when I had a fabulous time cropping with my lovely friends Lisa-Jane and Paula at a 12 hour All Day Crop and helping to raise a few pennies for breast cancer, I haven't had the chance this school holiday to get scrapping! Last week we had some work done on our kitchen (new worktops, sink, tiling etc!) and there was a lot of dust (how does it travel all over the house?!) so all my crafty stashed stayed carefully packed away and protected from the mess!!

 

My Dad very kindly offered to look after H for the day today so after dashing around like a mad thing this morning catching up on jobs, errands and just a little bit of housework I have settled down at my table this afternoon for a little creative time!

 

As it's Wednesday I also thought I could join in with the weekly blog hop, WOYWW where we all get to have a nosey at each others desks. If you have no idea what I'm on about take a look at Julia's blog to find out and join in!

 

So, on my desk is a pile of half done layouts.

 

Actually there is 10 in total!!

 

I've taken the photo so you can also see how I use the floor and a chair beside me to pile my boxes and bags on so they are near at hand! I craft at my dining room table and hate getting up and down to get stuff from my storage unit.

 

Some of the "unfinished pages" just need dates or journalling .... others need titles and some like the one I'm currently working on (with the banners & pic of H sat on my knees) need just about everything!! I matted the photo and cut the banners last Saturday at the crop but got no further!

 

Do you always finish layouts or do you have a pile of unfinished pages too? I'd love to know!

 

What's on Your Workdesk 189

I haven't joined in with WOYWW for quite a  while so I thought it was time I dropped in for a  little snoop around the desks to see what you've all been up to!

But it's only fair that before I go see your desks, I show you mine!

Just before I took this photo I had been adding a few final touches to the two layouts I made at the crop last weekend - they are over on the top right of my table. Over on the left is a lovely pile of some new stash ... Crate's On Trend papers! I think I will use some of these for a layout to record our trip to see Wicked in London last Summer. The photos are right there ready to go!

In the front is a selection of photos and papers .... the very beginnings of another layout ... once I decide which pics and which papers to go with ... which is what I was doing when I paused just long enough to grab my camera and snap this photo.

Before I go visit all the others crafty desks, here is one of the finished layouts.

Worbarrow Bay, one of my favourite places in Dorset.

Look at the beautiful colour of the sea! 

It really is a beautiful beach, quiet and peaceful even in summer as not many people are even aware it is there. 

It's a 20 minute walk down a track through the woodland to reach it but it's well worth it.

Thanks for stopping by and do please take a minute to leave me a comment so I can come visit you too!

WOYWW 171

I'm very pleased to report that with the house all to myself again I have been scrapping quite a lot lately!! Anyone else pleased schools are back?!

I don't think I joined in with Julia's weekly round up of crafty places all summer so I thought it was high time I played along.

So, as mentioned back here I did have a good tidy up last week but this week I'm back to pulling out boxes (see that tower I'm starting to build on the left!) and rummaging for supplies. I'm still unsure how best to organise my craft space - I'm now thinking I "need" another Ikea expedit unit!

There's my bag at the back which still needs unpacking from a crop I went to at the weekend and next to that a pile of magazines (with my button box on top!) that I had been looking through and are now awaiting a new home - maybe in a new expedit unit?!! 

The rest is just various papers, stickers and stuff I've pulled out of the boxes that I might use on the layout that you can see in progress.

Right, I'm going to make another cuppa and go visit some crafty desks!! 

Happy WOYWW x

WOYWW #144

Oh dear, two weeks since my last blog post! Very naughty! Sorry, I have no real excuse apart from being very busy with the shop and preparing for forthcoming classes.

I do love Julia's WOYWW and I can never resist a nosy around all the desks so it's only fair that I show you mine too!!

So, here's how things were looking earlier this afternoon!

You can see that rather large stack of photos - my last order from Photobox! I have been going through it picking out some to scrap. This is how I usually start off when I'm making a new layout. I've pulled out some papers (the ones on my table are the new collection from Cosmo Cricket ) and then picked out photos that work with the papers. Sometimes I start with the papers and sometimes the photos. Next I've pulled out some embellishments from my stash that I think might use on my layout.

There's also my lovely new stamp set and punch that I recently bought at a friends Stampin Up party. I'm planning on using them on this next layout.

Regular readers of my blog will recall my "exploding basket" of stash - look, it's still there at the back of the table - still not sorted - and as full as ever!

Right, I'm going to make another coffee (yes, the one in the photo is long finshed!) and have a nosy around some more crafty desks and then finish the layout!

WOYWW # 142 .... & A Finished Layout!!!

Hello from a rainy and rather chilly Dorset! Perfect weather for staying indoors and scrapbooking!

I have had a few days break from my little blog. There's no particular reason for the lack of posts apart from it was half term last week and I was enjoying spending time with H. She is such great company and growing up so fast, I wanted to make the most of our time together.

Anyway she is back at school this week so I'm back at my craft table again. It's good to be back!

So for those of you who are here for a nosy at my craft space - this is how it was looking earlier this morning!!

This week I've taken the photo from the other side of my desk so that you get a glimpse of the units and shelves behind me where I store my stash! To the right hand side of the photo is a pile of letter and alpha stickers. I had to have a good rummage through them to find enough letters to make a title. There are so many sheets with just a few letters left. My fabulous Martha Stewart butterfly punch is there again. Will I ever tire of it?

I've actually managed to finish a layout today!! Woo hoo!! I started off following a sketch by Jules Dix which was in Scrapbook Magazine, issue 61. My finished page looks quite different though.


The photo is H and my niece L (the two of them often get referred to as "the girls") on a walk in the forest just over a year ago. My journalling is about their lovely relationship and how they are very close and enjoy each others company sharing lots of fun, giggles and happy times.

My supplies included: MME Miss Caroline papers and stickers, a Ranger tag, MME Kraft Funday twine and Prima pearls.

Right,I must get on over to Julia's blog to see what all the other WOYWW participants have been up to this week!
Thanks for stopping by!!

WOYWW #140

Wow, Wednesday again - doesn't a week go fast?!! Happy WOYWW!! If you have arrived here from Julia's .... hello, welcome and thanks for popping in!!

Anyone who follows my little blog will know that my craft space is currently undergoing a much needed reorganisation and as part of this I have been going through my ever increasing pile of stash and having a big clear out and tidy up so that hopefully I'll spend less time trying to find stuff and more time actually crafting!! So, I thought you might like a nosy in some of my storage boxes and baskets!!

On the right is my fab little "cake stand", now standing on my lovely new Ikea Expedit unit, which makes a great place to keep my punches (these are just my favorites and most used punches - I will admit to having another box full as well!!) and the top tier holds some of my tapes and adhesives. Not sure where the others are .... probably still in my craft bag!!

The smaller of the two circular boxes (aren't they pretty?) stores my buttons and the bigger box is currently empty!! It used to have small packs of embellishments and odds and ends in it, but I've cleared it out as it was a complete mess and I've not yet decided what will go in it!! 

I have 4 sets of these little drawers and love them.  I keep my gems, pearls, journalling  cards/spots/tags, chipboard shapes, nestabilities and journalling pens  in these 2 units.

Oh my!! What a mess this basket is in!! This is the next one to be sorted. It is currently full of sheets of stickers, rub ons, embellishments and goodness knows what else!! This basket is where I used to put my new purchases and favourite embellishments and I kept it on my table so that it's contents were close to hand and more likely to get used. Just lately, it has got so full and untidy I tend to avoid it going near it because if I pull one thing out everything else falls out!!

I hope you've enjoyed just a little peek at some of my stash, I'm off now to make a cuppa and have a look around some more of your desks!

What's On Your Work Desk 138

Oh dear!! I'm a little bit late sharing my crafty desk table today. I took this photo this morning midway through my card making session but I have only just got around to blogging it this evening.

This morning I have been having a play with my new Hero Arts heart stamps and made some speedy Valentines cards. I'm loving everything kraft at the moment and couldn't resist adding some twine to my super simple cards!

Now I just have to choose my favourite to give to my valentine! I think I'm leaning towards the red spotty one!

If you want a nosey around some more crafty desks head on over to Julia's and join in the fun!

WOYWW 135

It's the first Wednesday of 2012 and as I haven't done a WOYWW for a while I thought it would be fun take part this week and show you what's on my craft table today!

This morning was "Back to School" and thankfully H couldn't wait to get there and see all her friends, so with the school run done in super quick time I was back home to take down the Christmas Tree and pack it away to be stored in the loft for another 340 or so days. Job Done. Time for a cuppa and then it was down to some scrapbooking.

It was nice to take a break from my Christmas journal which I'm doing in a didddy 6" x 6", and scrap 12" x 12" with some of my new My Minds Eye Fundays. I love, love, love this new collection and I think the border strips and chipboard pieces will get used loads as they are just gorgeous!!

Nothing is actually stuck down at the point this photo was taken so the finished layout could end up very different. Do you stick down as you go along or are you more of a "place everything first and only start sticking once you've decided where all the elements will go" ??

Right I'm off for a nosey around some more desks/tables/floors .... if you want to look too hop on over to Julia's blog for the list of peeps taking part!

WOYWW

This was my craft table about an hour ago .....

I'm currently on a stash busting challenge, trying to use up some of my older stickers, alphas and embellies so I've got my box and a basket close at hand so I can rummage through. The layout you can see I'm half way through is a photo of H when she was just a few months old (where do the years go?) and she was laying on her soft playmat on the floor. She loved that playmat, it was one of those mats that had various flaps for her to lift up, soft areas, fuzzy sections and bits that if she scrunched them in her little hand, they would make a crinkly sound. Kept her amused anyway!

This gorgeous pink box holds my button stash and just before I took the photo I was trying to decide which buttons to use ... the pink with tiny white dots or the yellow stars ... decisions??!! Which buttons do you think?

If you haven't got a clue why I'm showing you the mess that is my desk pop on over to Julia's blog to see what WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday) is all about. Have a nosey at all the other desks whilst you are there!!

Right, I'm off to make a late lunch and then finish this layout!

* What's On Your Workdesk *

I haven't joined in with WOYWW for a while, but this morning as I was sat doing some scrapping I thought it would be fun to participate this week so grabbed the camera and took a few pics to share with you. So this is a pic of the table in the dining area part of our living room which is as it looks most days .... a mess! We rarely use the table for eating, although I do clear it from time to time but I will admit that most evenings we eat our dinner sat on the sofa in front of the TV. I love working at this table as it's beside the patio doors so I get lots of daylight and today was lovely with the sun streaming in. So on my table there is the obligatory cup of coffee and the new issue (purchased this morning!) of Scrapbook Magazine but more interesting are the 3 storage boxes/baskets that you can see at the back of the table. I have a set of shelves just behind the table which stores some of my stash, with the rest upstairs in the spare bedroom. But I like to have the things I use the most close by. It's a case of if I can see it I will use it! So I have these 3 on the table whenever I'm scrapping.

• The cake tier stand which stores my favourite punches in the bottom and glues, adhesives and my acrylic stamping block in the top two tiers.


• The little white basket holds some of my stickers and embellishments.

• This plastic storage box is overflowing with Thickers, alphabets and more stickers. Anything new goes into either this box or the little white and lilac basket.

Thanks for stopping by and if you want to know more about WOYWW pop over to Julias blog to see more crafty desks.