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Tuesday 14 June 2011

WOYWW June 15th

Hi everyone,
Well here's my desk today - What a mess!!!



Yesterday I took a class at the Craft Barn and here are some of the cards I made using a paste called DreamWeaver and glitter etc. I had a lovely day but I was exhausted after all that concentration!!
I also bought a little stamp (I think it's a birdhouse) which if you look carefully you should be able to see it. I stamped it out a few times and laid them on top of each other to give a 3D kind of effect, (decoupage I suppose?) I then added a little birdie to it to look as though he's sat inside! A quick and easy make to do sat infront of the telly.
You will also see my Pif I received which I showed last week - I want to make sure it is visible every time I post photos of my desk, I still love it!
The PIF i sent has now been received so I can post a piccie of it this week.



I put it in a frame and sent it all the way to Canada, I'm so pleased it got there in one piece and I am happy to say that Karen http://stamprr.blogspot.com/ liked it very much!!! - and now, thanks to Julia http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ here at WOYWW I have a new cyberspace friend.
Off to work now - if it's quiet I visit as many desks as possible, if it's busy I will have to wait till tonight to get round as many as I can!
Pop over to Julia's blog to join in the fun.
Have a wonderful WOYWW
xxx

Wednesday 8 June 2011

WOYWW and my Lovely PIF

morning everyone,
What a fun week last week was on WOYWW. I have to show you the lovely PIF I received from my new friend Teresa at http://maudmartha.blogspot.com/




isn't it beautiful, and I am so pleased that thanks to Julia I have a new bestest WOYWW.
My Pif I sent went all the way to Canada and although I posted it that same day I'm not sure if Karen has mine yet, so I can't really post a piccie of it just in case.

Thanks for all the great comments re the recipe scrapbook I had on my desk last week. If you want to see what some of the pages look like you can always clickm on my flickr photostream at the top of my blog.
I have to be really quick as my husband is waiting for me to go up to London with him for his 6 month medical review.
just one more photo of what I was getting up to last week:


First cake I have ever really tried to make. It was for my mum and dad's golden wedding anniversary on Saturday.
Would love to carry on but can't tell you how much trouble I will be in if i don't get off this computer NOW........
Have a great day xxx

Wednesday 1 June 2011

WOYWW - 2 YEARS OLD!



Happy Birthday / Anniversary to Julia Dunnit's WOYWW (2 years old today) This is an amazing visit of messy craft desks all over the world, and it is fab! Visit http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
My desk is as untidy as always but you should see the Wedding present I am still finishing off for my brother and his wife. (They celebrated their first anniversary last week!!!! and I am still adding the finishing touches to this mammoth task!) Over 60 recipes from their friends and family that came to the wedding. I enjoyed it but won't be doing it again in a hurry. I dread to think how many hours I have put into it!I have promised to give it to them this Saturday as we have a big family barbecue, so I am still frantically embellishing pages one year down the line!!!
I will keep this short and sweet as I can't wait to go and nose around everyone else's desks and to congratulate Julia.
I have my WOYWW PIF already so will look out for the person I have to send it to and will e-mail them for their address.
Have a great Day!!!!

Tuesday 17 May 2011

WOYWW 18th May




Good Morning, everyone.
This is my workdesk this morning! - A mess really but heh, what's new. I did have a tidy up and a rearrangement but since then I have just made it a mess again.
I missed last weeks WOYWW, and have to say that although I was busy with friends staying foe a few days, I think I was having withdrawal symptoms as I was actually thinking about all those desks out there and what was on them! Do I need to get a life???
Anyway, you can see some new punchws on my desk which I have avoided buying for ages but have decided they will save me so much time!! There are also some lovely glass jars that I picked up from a car boot sale (4 for £1.50) - they'll look lovely with coloured buttons in.
Talking of car boots, take a look at my floor space (eughhhh). My daughter has convinced me to DO a Car Boot this weekend, and we have sorted stuff out and yes, it has been plonkd in my Craft room for sorting! TYPICAL! My daughter is 13 and desperate to earn some money (for what I don't know). She really wants to get a little job, which I admire her for, but because of her age she just can't! (H&S, insurance etc) I think it's ridiculous, I had a job at 13, and feel sorry for her that she can't. She can't do a paper round either as we are too far away from any shops etc. What about you did you have a job at 13 and do you think it's crazy that our kid's can't???
Rant Over!!!! If you are wondering what WOYWW is all about pop over to Julia's blog at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ and have a mooch around.
I will be visiting desks and looking forward to the WOYWW PIF in a couple of weeks!
Have a great day X

Wednesday 4 May 2011

WOYWW - No Time To Play

I'm busy with other things today but wanted to let you know that following the advice on all last weeks comments I have put the "I was featured in Homemade Magazine" on my tool bar.
Also I found out I have won the Antique Edwardian Scrapbook that DearestJackdaw was giving away on her blog.
http://dearestjackdaw.blogspot.com/ I am majorly excited about that.
Anyway, no piccie of my desk but I will have a great time visiting lots of your desks.
WOYWW is the brainchild of Julia at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
Have a great Day!

Sunday 1 May 2011

Two Challenges in One


One layout for two challenges Picture Perfect Creations Colour Combo # 56
http://ppc-challenges.blogspot.com/

and Sketches in Thyme
http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.com/ Thursday Takes Challenge 46

Saturday 30 April 2011

Sentimental Sundays Challenge (Let's Get Punchy!)


LET'S GET PUNCHY!!
This is my layout for the Sentimental Sundays Challenge. http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-52-lets-get-punchy.html
The Challenge is to use 3 Punches and a sentiment.
I have used a Daisy Trail page border punch, a corner punch (on bottom right hand photo) and a heart punch!
Pop over and see other people's creations.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

WOYWW (& Something I HATE!!)

Hi everyone,
Not long now until the WOYWW (PiF), I am all ready for that!!
Go see Julia at : http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ to join in!

I am being honest- my workdesk for the past 24 hours has been this!!!!!!!!



eughhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE Ironing!

- probably because I always leave it until it get's to this ridiculous state!

Whilst crafting so happily over the long weekend as all my lot seemed quite happy doing their own thing. I bwgan to get the "pangs of guilt", 2 or 3 times per day as I heard cries of "Mummy, where are all my clothes?" and "Mummy, I have no knicker's to wear!!!!!!!."
Enough's, enough's I thought - I have to tackle this - and with GREAT resentment I got that iro***g board out! All the while thinking of what I COULD be creating!!!
Anyway, - ooooohhhh - what's that I see, LOOOOK! What's also on that horrible pile OF IRONING, Could it have been placed there deliberately!!!!!!!!!




It's Issue 3 of Simply Homemade Magazine. and I am in it (only in the "Your Letter's page" but my "make" WAS featured/published!) I am wondering if I could be cheeky enough to post on my tool bar/side bar - "I was featured / Published in "Simply Homemade Mag!" What do you think ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday 25 April 2011

EASTER MONDAY / HANDMADE MONDAY

Happy Easter Monday everyone, and sorry Wendy but I will not be showing any Easter makes although I have been busy with making Easter Cakes and Hot Cross Bun's.
I have decided to show you this W.I.P instead.
And if you're wondering what I'm going on about visit Wendy's blog and join in the fun.http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/




I bought this at a carboot sale to store some of my wooden stamps in and have been meaning to paint and pretty it up for a while. To be honest it isn't very practical really for my wooden stamps but I can use it to store / display lots of embellishment's like flowers etc.
What better time than the long Easter Weekend to get on with it!!!
One problem though that I am dreading however, is assembling it all back together - I am NOT good at that and worst of all I went out to the garage (my HUSBAND'S garage!!!! - he says's it's the one place he can call his own and helped myself to a few tools in order to take it all apart. I was very careful that nothing else was moved as hubby seems to have EAGLE EYE'S. so you can imagine I become very fidgety if he hovers around to see what I'm doing. He is very PRECIOUS about his tool's!!!)

Also I have to tell you that one of the "makes" I did was published / featured in the "Simply Homemade" magazine that I love. Only in the "your letter's" section with a photo about the make! Do you think I can be cheeky enough now to add to my side-bar "I've been featured in." What do you reckon?
If you want to take a look at that make just click HERE http://cauliflowercupcake.blogspot.com/2011/03/woyww.html

Saturday 23 April 2011

Bird's Butterflies Challenge

This is my submission for Frosted Designs (Bird's / Butterflies) Challenge!
"Spread your wings and Fly"
I have used butterfly embellishments with a handmade appliqued bird that I have added in the bottom right hand corner.
Go visit http://www.frosteddesigns.blogspot.com/ if you want to take part or just look at some great inspirational projects!

Sketches in Thyme Layout Takes # 45


I enjoyed taking part in my first layout challenge (and am pleased to say i made the top 3), so have decided I'm going to enter a few more. This is my take on the above sketch with my title "You Know I Just Love CUDDLES", I even got my sewing machine out for this one! It's a great way to inspire you to scrap those photo's!!
Pop over and have a look at everyone else's creations, with some great inspiration from their DT members at http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.com/

Easter Sketch Challenges

I have taken part in a couple of Easter Challenges with my Spring has Sprung double page Layout.
I have entered it into:
Pennys Challenges http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-51.html
Pixie Dust Studio http://pixieduststudiopixiechallenge.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-71-spring-forward.html
Sentimental Sundays http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-51.html
Scrappy Frog http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/04/hoppy-easter.html
Picture Perfect Creations http://ppc-challenges.blogspot.com/
and Lasting Memories Layout Challenge (they have both Easter and Spring Challenges this month so I've entered it into both these categories!) http://kcclayoutchallenges.blogspot.com/

I'm really enjoying taking part!
Hope everyone's Easter is enjoyable!

Tuesday 19 April 2011

WOYWW April 20th 2011

Good Morning all you Woywwer's - hope your enjoying the lovely sunshine like we are here!
My desk this week is as messy as usual - stuff pushed over so that new stuff can feel at home! I have been busy this week,



I think I have created 6 layouts, one of which you may be able to see on my desk is "Blueblells" which I am entering into "Sketches in Thyme Challenge # 44". (oooohh, that sounds quite professional - but believe me, I have NEVER entered a challenge before!!!!)
Hopefully, you can also see on my desk about 8 Lili of the Valley Stamps I recently won on e-bay! I am so pleased with them - I just know I'll use them again and again!!
Anyway all - I am pretending to be shopkeeper again today ( what am I on about??, check out the posts below!!)
Have a wonderful WOYWW!
XXXXXXXX
Go visit Julia at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ if you want to join in this world-wide snoop over creative people's desks!!

Sketches in Thyme Challenge # 44


This is my take on the "Sketches in Thyme Sketch # 44"
I can't resist Bluebells, especially now, at this time of year!
Visit a
href=">http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.com/if you want to join in!






Monday 18 April 2011

Handmade Monday Time Again

Good morning Everyone and Happy Monday to you All!
We had a lovely sunny weekend here and went out to a lovely village pub for lunch on Sunday. We took my husbands open top Jeep (the girl's weren't too happy about it as it ruins their hair!- even Lola's ears were flapping about in the wind. We were able to take in all the smells of Spring, some nice and some not so nice!! We got an excellent view of the bluebell woods as well which really are beautiful.

I must quickly share with you something I am very proud of in my garden. My "handkerchief tree." It was bought for me 13 years ago by my mum and dad for my 30th birthday (oops, really giving my age away there!!) - well, look at it now, after 13 years it has bloomed handkerchiefs! I was so happy when I saw this - aren't they unusual and very beautiful.

On the Crafting side of my weekend I have managed to do quite a few layouts and inspired by a new book I ordered off Amazon "Doodling for Papercrafter's", I did exactly that! I doodled an entire 12 x 12 page - it is meant to be a way of reminding myself to add my own doodles to my scrapbook layout's as they can really lift the page! It was very therapeutic.


Well, that's about all for me this handmade monday, I have to go to work today. I really just do it as a favour for a friend every now and then. It's a handbag boutique in the historic town of Arundel. http://www.sorbetaccessories.co.uk/ It's not work really, it's a lovely place to be and everyone who comes in says how lovely it is and what gorgeous stuff we have in there. I will let you into a secret - I actually pretend I am the owner whenever I work there!!!! (How mad am I?? - don't worry, my friend knows I do this, she just goes along with it if ever she pops in while I'm there!!) If I am not busy I sit with my i-pad and visit all my favourite blogs, one of which I will be visiting today is Wendy's blog at http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ to see what other crafty people have been creating.
So must go now, have a great day - I'm off to play shopkeeper!

Wednesday 13 April 2011

WOYWW April 13th 2011

Here we go again. Another Wednesday!
Here is my workdesk this morning.



You should be able to see the flowers I had just started last week before I had to go off and help with homework! Well, I've finished them and am quite pleased with how tey have turned out. They'll make lovely embellishments on lay outs and I'm also going to be altering an old box I have so will use them for that too. (If you are interested in having a go there is a tutorial on the post below!)I have also started doing some favourite page quotes for 7 of my scrapbooking friends , basically choose a favourite quote and embellish the page so that we can all pass on a quote to add to our albums. This way I make 7 and recieve 7 different ones. As you can see all I have done so far is stamp out the quote so will have to get on with that.
I have also put up some photo's of different aspects of my craft room as all you ever get to see is the same thing as I rarely ever tidy my desk or clear away.
Anyway as usual I will be visiting loads of other people's desks today and if you want to do the same visit Julia at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Sunday 10 April 2011

Handmade Monday & Metal Flower Tutorial

Happy Handmade Monday to everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the gorgeous weather we've been having. I was outside and cut the grass for the first time this year, I was really enjoying myself and got on with lots of other jobs too - now I've stopped and sat down I realise I've totally over done it as I'm aching all over!

I thought I'd show you these flowers I made this weekend - I'm really pleased with how they have turned out!

Below is a quick tutorial, so, if you don't want to read all that then I would just remind you to check out the wonderful Wendy's blog at http://http//www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ to view what other crafty people have been making!





If you are interested in trying to make these flowers then this is how I did it.


Firstly, gather your supplies,


you will need;
copper foil sheet, scrap card stock, 3 different sized flower punches, cuttlebug, embossing folder, heat gun, embossing powder, a small decorative stamp (not your best), a clear embossing pad, glue, scissors, TH adirondack white accrylic dabber, Tim Hotz distress alcohol inks (various colours), TH Dabber, TH blending solution, flat headed tweezers, a selection of small beads, pearls, etc. for flower centre, newspaper and a metal or bamboo skewer.


  1. Using your different sized flower punches, punch out flowers from the metal sheet and also punch out the same amount from your scrap card. Glue the metal flowers to the scrap paper flowers - this makes the flowers a bit stronger and not so bendy and fragile.




  2. Leave to dry.
    Next, fit as many flowers as possible into your embossing folder and put through the cuttlebug. Do this until all flowers have been embossed.



  3. Lay the flowers out onto some newspaper and paint some of them with the TH adirondack white accrylic dabber. (If you wish, you can paint them all with the accrylic. I painted just a few as I wanted to try different effects). When the accrylic has dried, (you can use your heat gun to speed things up, but hold the petals with yor flat ended tweezers as you will burn yourself the metal gets VERY hot!! or you could just go and do the washing up or finish making the dinner as I did!)it's time to start using the alcohol inks. I just squirted various inks onto the wooden TH dabber and added a bit of blending solution to it. I then just dabbed away at each flower until they were covered. I played around with the inks trying to get a different colour each time. When you first apply the ink direct to the foil petals without the accrylic ink on them it will look as though the ink doesn't want to settle but it does and will dry well.



  4. Allow to dry and repeat with another coat of alcohol inks.

  5. Leave to dry again. (You can use your heat gun to speed things up but remember the metal will get VERY hot so use your flat ended tweezers to hold the petals, you don't want to burn your fingers!!!!)

  6. Using an old decorative stamp (I suggest an old one as you are going to be using embossing stamp pads which can get your stamps very sticky if you don't give them a good clean afterwards!) stamp each petal with the clear embossing pad and immediatley sprinkle embossing powder over the petal. Tap to remove excess powder and again using the tweezers heat each petal until the embossed effect takes shape. (You can use any colour of embossing powder I used a denim blue and a red one, only because they were the first two I picked up).





  7. Next, you need to layer up the petals to make each flower - I made some flowers out of 3 different sized petals and some out of just 2. As each petal is backed onto scrap petal gluing them into position is nice an easy. Leave to dry - it onlty takes about 5 - 10 minutes.

  8. Depending on the flower punch you used, you will need to snip into the centre of the flower so that you can then bend the petals into the shape you want.

  9. Finally, glue your little beads, pearls or other embellishments to the centre of the petal. Make sure you use clear drying glue.



To make the stalks I cut small strips of the copper metal sheet and using the bamboo skewer I rolled it as tightly as I could. When you pull the skewer out you can then bend it into any stalk shape you want. You can also use the alcohol inks to dye the stalks as you did for the petals. WORD OF WARNING : Throughout this whole flower making process I did not cut myself on the metal foil UNTIL making the stalk where after pulling the bamboo skewer out and shaping it I managed to give myself a metal foil PAPER CUT!!!!! and it b****y hurts, so be careful!!!