WOYWW 440

I'm still making things for the crafts fairs coming up soon.  These wee treat boxes hold a mini pack of Skittles.  The die is from SU (now sadly retired) and it can be made into all kinds of different things.  I bought a new reindeer die on offer at the NEC last Friday and it just fits perfectly to make a 'Rudolph,' complete with pom pom nose! Visit the other desks by going to Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 439

Mid-term break this week, so I have been trying to make a start on craft fair items before flying over to Birmingham for the Hobbycrafts, Crafts for Christmas, Art Materials and Cake Show (Four in one!!) on Friday - my list is growing by the day!! These are mini crackers containing two chocolate mint creams - anything with sweets inside usually sells well.  Visit the other desks HERE at Julia's blog.

WOYWW 432

A very untidy desk again this week - I'm back to school so that's my excuse - in fact to be truthful, the whole of my house is like this at the moment - but the schemes of work are almost complete and I will get tidied up soon!!  I had to make some baby cards recently and on the desk are a couple which I need to finish.  I also have big tub of pastel coloured paperclips and pins etc on view - an impulse buy I couldn't pass when I was shopping in Asda - I just loved the colours and 'needed' to buy them! I've always loved all sorts of stationery - not sure if it's a 'teacher' thing or a crafters thing (probably a bit of both!!)  View the other desks HERE at Julia's blog.

WOYWW 429

Well I have not really accomplished very much since last week apart from a couple of special order cards - one for a 40th anniversary and this one for an 18th for a farmer who has a blue tractor!! You can also spot a couple of things I was trying out with some of the products in my pre-order parcel - the black cats (new punch) and the wee test tube treat holders - so excited about these - as a science teacher I just couldn't resist them - they even have the old cork type bungs like we used years ago and one pack of 'Millions' fills two tubes with some left over for me to sample!!
My lecture (last Wed) is thankfully over and it was as expected - a bit stressful!! I left home in plenty of time and had all my directions printed off from the aa routeplanner but as it was a very wet day with lots of spray and I got stuck behind a very large lorry load of bales of hay/straw? I couldn't see the road signs in time to get into the right lane etc, so had to depend on the directions of 'Dolly' the sat nav, - who managed to take me into a building site at the far end of a housing development and had the cheek to announce 'You have reached your destination' as I was trying to turn the car round on a muddy patch of building site!! At this point I studied my map and routeplanner instructions and managed to backtrack to the last large roundabout and got to where I was meant to be.  I still arrived much too early but was offered to start in the previous slot to mine so that I could be finished and get home early - this meant I was a bit rushed to set out all my display items, but at least I got it all over with earlier than expected!
Visit the other work desks at Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 428

Not much accomplished since last week - just this special order card (now the desk is in a mess again and will need tidied!). I had four boxes from SU delivered last Thursday but haven't made anything with them yet and as most my own 'stuff'' (ie not for customers) was pre-ordered from the new Autumn/Winter catalogue (which doesn't go live until the 1st Sept) I'm not allowed to show pictures of the actual products!! I have to do a lecture to young teachers on the teaching of craft this afternoon so I've been a bit stressed about that, but will maybe be able to focus on my own crafting when I get that over with! Visit the other desks this week by clicking on Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 427

A fairly tidy desk this week - just a decoupage design I intend to use for a couple of Anniversary cards.  I am expecting a big delivery of new SU pre-order goodies tomorrow so hopefully it will help to stir me up to make a few more cards - my energy levels have been very low and I haven't achieved much this week!! Visit the other desks at Julia's blog HERE.

Best Wishes

I made this card using a digital download stamp from Polkadoodles - it was really difficult to find a suitable image to wish my daughter well in her work placement year from uni in a virology lab - she is doing a degree in microbiology.  There is certainly a big shortage of science based stamps out there.  I used Promarkers for colouring and the paper is from a Carta Bella 6 x 6 pad called 'Rough and Tumble.' I used my favourite colour duo of red and duck egg again (suits all types of cards and can be used for both males and females) so I can enter the As you like it challenge.  I am also entering a couple of Anything Goes Challenges - Crafty Creations and Wednesday's Creative Inspirations.

WOYWW 426

I had a bit of a tidy up after making some sympathy cards and congratulations on passing exams cards for the shop.  I am currently working on a card for my daughter who has recently started her work placement year from uni in the virology part of a veterinary science research lab.  Its really very difficult to find suitable stamps for science themed cards but I found this digital stamp on Polkadoodles and coloured it using Promarkers,  although I would love a microscope stamp as her degree is in microbiology. I have chosen my papers and coloured the image but now have to put it all together - I think I will have  look at the Sketch Saturday challenge as they have loads of ideas for layouts and I find that I tend to stick to a few 'tried and trusted' designs, so a change would be nice!  Visit the other desks this week at Julia's blog HERE.

One for the boys

Another card for passing exams, this time for a boy.  The image is from Whiff of Joy and the 'books' are magnolia I think. The papers are from the MME School Daze 6 x 6 pad and it has been coloured using Promarkers.  I am entering it in a few 'Anything Goes' challenges - Crafty Creations, Simon Says Stamp and CCT and also in the I love Promarkers challenge - 'One for the Boys.'

You did it!

As the exam results will soon be published, I thought I'd need to get making some congratulations cards for the shop.  This one uses really old Magnolia stamps, coloured with Promarkers.  The papers are from a 6 x 6 pad from MME called School Daze and the apple and crayon are cut out of the paper also.  I am entering a number of challenges - As you like it (Favourite colour combo - mine is duck egg and red - although I love duck egg with just about every colour to be honest - that includes my home décor and wardrobe as well!!), Crafty Cardmakers (Lots of layers), PFP (Use 3 patterned papers), Crafty Creations, Simon Says, Wednesday's Creative Inspirations and CCT, all of which are "Anything Goes."

WOYWW 425

The desk has become a little bit messy again as I have had a few special order cards to make recently and my new sorting trays for the scrap pieces of white and cream card has now got 'stuff' piled on top of it (so its off the edge of the photo!!) I will have to do a wee tidy up before I get back to making more of the general cards for sale in the shop - I think I need to get started on 'Passed your exams' type of cards as the GCSE and A level results will be due out in August.  Join the rest of the WOYWWers at Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 423

Back home and now have finished all the wedding stationery I had to make (150 Order of Service booklets!!) So I have been able to unpack and admire all I things I bought - I got to visit a recently opened 'The Range' shop which I have visited before in England but this is the first one now to open in N. Ireland.  Now we need a Hobbycraft as well in the west of the country (The Range and Dunelm Mill are both about 90 miles away from where we live).  I even bought some letter tiles for my name as there are never any personalised items for sale with my name on them - mind you I have no idea where I'm going to put them!  Visit the other desks by visiting Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 423

A change of desk this week as a friend has given us the use of her lovely mobile home for a wee holiday.  I was afraid of having withdrawal symptoms so packed a few sheets of card, some of my folders of unmounted rubber stamps, a couple of ink pads and a big box of Prismacolor pencils. I didn't bring Sansodor etc so have just been using a Derwent blender pencil for the blending and shading - it is not quite as effective but does the job!  I rarely get time to colour with pencils as I am always needing to make lots of cards for sale and tend to use ready made toppers, decoupage or colour with Promarkers for speed.  So it has been very relaxing to stamp and colour a selection of different images which can be made into cards when I get home.  I just hope I have patterned paper to match up now, as I usually chose paper first then colour to match - but it wouldn't have been practical to bring my paper stash along!!  I have my poppies cross stitch with me as well - you can see it is coming along nicely - though a year after we attended the Somme Centenary, I really think I should have it finished!  To visit the other work desks click HERE for Julia's blog.
PS - Looks like they are filming something like 'Game of Thrones' here as there are lots of very strangely dressed people on the beach fighting with swords and staves!! - either that or the locals are even more eccentric that I thought!!

WOYWW 422

The pile of 'stuff' to be used up has continued to build up on the left hand side of my workdesk, but I've pushed it to the side to work on wedding stationery.  I have 150 order of service booklets to make and had the fronts all printed and quite a lots of them trimmed down with the guillotine, when I realised they had the wrong month on them! Now I have to order more card and start all over again - I always ask for the details to be sent by email to avoid mistakes, but the bride-to-be managed to type in the wrong month!! At least I have my little helper to keep me company in the craft room - though I'm not sure that looks like a very comfortable sleeping position! Visit the other desks at Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 419

A quick view of my untidy desk this morning - after making a variety of cards for the shop.  The craft room always looks like a bomb has landed when I try to do lots of things at once and everything gets pulled out of the cupboards and drawers! I still have the inserts to do now - so it will probably look even more messy by the time I get finished!  Visit the other workdesks at Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 411

I have been taking some time stamping and colouring stamped images recently to build up another stock of cards for sale, as I've been asked to stock a small local Post Office. These images are going to be used on sympathy cards and I've been trying to decide if the outline of shading is really worth the extra time it takes to do (as my hand gets quite sore with the fibromyalgia) and also if a pale blue shadow (top right image) or a pale grey shadow (both of the bottom images) looks best.  (The top left one has not been shaded). Mind you I'm not sure if you will be able to actually see any difference due to my poor photography!!  Visit the other desks at Julia's blog HERE.

Birthday card

Another card using a decoupage image from a free pack and 'rose pink dottie card' from Annamarie designs.  The layout is the sketch on the current Sketchy challenge and the white circle background has been embossed with a SU embossing folder.  I am also entering the following 'Anything Goes' challenges -  Crafty Creations and  Penny's Challenges, Simon Says challenge (Happy Birthday) and As you like it (Favourite card base shape) - my favourite is square as there is just enough space to decorate the card without having big spaces or it looking too cluttered.  I also think they look better on the display stand in the shops where I sell them.

Happy Easter

This card was made using the sketch on this week's Mojo Monday. The decoupage image was from a free pack that came with a magazine by Docrafts and the papers from a 6 x 6 pad called Sweet Memories and Pink Petticoat Vintage Rose collection.  I am also entering it at the Allsorts challenge (Food), Crafty Cardmakers (Spring into spring), Stamp Ink Paper (Coming up flowers), Creative Inspirations (Spring spectacular) Crafty Creations and Penny's Challenge (both Anything Goes).

WOYWW 409

I have finally got all my clear and unmounted rubber stamps organised into four large lever arch files and so I've had time to make some Easter cards for the shop where I sell them.  The desk is now in a mess again and so is the floor of my craft room and I still have the inserts etc to do :(
To see what everyone else has been making this week, visit Julia HERE.

New Home

I have made a few 'new home' cards and this one uses a new die I bought at the NEC last month.  It is one of the Robert Addams sentiment dies.  I also used one of the now retired 'cute squares' from LOTV for the image and the red paper is from SU - not sure where the checked one came from.  The key was made using a really old Quickcutz die.  I am entering a few 'Anything Goes' challenges - Penny's Challenges, Wednesdays Creative Inspirations, Simon Says and Crafty Creations. I am also entering the CCT challenge (Warm Colours).

WOYWW 407

This week I am making a bit more progress with my stamp organisation.  I bought lever arch files and heavy duty expanding punched pockets from Tesco and I am attaching the stamp sheets or little bags to a sheet of A4 card and putting them into the file.  So far I have all the sentiment stamps in one file and almost all my LOTV, Magnolia and Sugar Nellie stamps in the second file.  I really need to make more cards but its hard to be creative with the desk in such a mess!! We had a great day out at the NEC last Friday however the trip home didn't exactly go to plan! About 20 minutes into the flight home we did a U-turn and headed back to Birmingham airport due to a technical problem to do with the cabin pressure - so we had to fly back at a low level.  We then had to go back through security to the check in area and queue up to arrange a different flight home.  This flight didn't go until 7 am on Saturday morning - and from Manchester airport so we had to wait 3 hours, until midnight, for a bus to come to bring us to a hotel in Manchester.  We reached the hotel at 2 am and were collected again at 5 am so not much time to sleep!! Got back to Belfast shortly after 8 am and went straight to bed!
Visit the other work desks at Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 406

A messy desk this morning as I am still making lots of quick cards for sale.  Under all the mess somewhere are the tickets to the NEC - looking forward now to the visit on Friday - I was able to get the tickets with my Tesco points so just had the flights to pay for - more spending money!!Last week,  I  eventually got my cardigan finished off and I'm now back to my cross stitch. The cardigan is a darker red than it appears in this photo and matches my red and black skirt perfectly 😊 .  Other desks can be seen HERE at Julia's blog.

Engagement

For the layout of this card I used this week's Sketch Saturday sketch and a cute topper from Hobby House.  The sentiment stamp is from LOTV, punched out using punches from SU.  The sparkly ribbon was recently rediscovered in my stash! The flowers and leaves were made using punches.  I am also entering Penny's Challenges (anything Goes).

WOYWW 405

I have been continuing to build up the stock of cards for sale this week but ran out of mojo last night after an unpleasant hospital 'day procedure' visit yesterday and so they remain unfinished for now.  My cardigan is still unfinished as well as I am still putting off the sewing up.  I got a nice parcel delivered on Friday though - my duck egg green coloured typewriter! I had seen them in an advert away before Christmas but the only UK stockists were out of stock.  Then when I saw Julia's lovely blue one it reminded about it again and I found another company who had them in stock at a cheaper price and with free delivery - even to N. Ireland! It matches my craft room perfectly and I am looking forward to using it on my cards etc.  To view all the work desks, visit Julia's blog HERE.

WOYWW 404

I have been busy making lots of quick cards for filling up the display stand in school and a local craft shop, where I sell my cards to raise money for school funds.  I have used a lot of decoupage sheets and toppers as I needed to make quite a few cards in a short space of time.  Now I just have the boring bits to do - the inserts and packaging 😩.  I finally got Whiskers off my knitting bag (see last week's WOYWW) and have finished the knitting part of my cardigan - I feel the same way about sewing it up as I feel about the card inserts, so it may be a while before it's totally finished and ready to wear! To visit the other work desks this week, click HERE for Julia's blog.

Cat birthday card

The Get Creative challenge for this month is to used red and one other colour so I have used a Craft Creations decoupage design to make this birthday card.  My photography skills are so bad - the ribbon looks to be really crooked on the picture but it is definitely straight IRL! The banner die is from SU.

Pink/lilac birthday card

Another quick card using a decoupage design from craft Creations.  This weeks Crafty Cardmaker's challenge is to 'add some texture' and the Stampavie challenge is 'embossing' so I am entering both of these challenges.  The embossing folder used was one that came as a free gift with a magazine, but I cannot remember which one.  The 'niece' sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and I used a small SU punch to make the wee flowers in the corner.  I am also entering this weeks CCT challenge (florals).

4th birthday (boy)

This card was made using the layout on this weeks Mojo Monday challenge.  The image is a topper and the stars, 'Happy 4th Birthday' and banner were all die cut.  I am also entering the Simon Says challenge (Anything Goes).

Birthday boy

I used a topper to make this quick birthday card following the layout given on this week's Sketch Saturday challenge. The knitted embossing folder is from SU and the sentiment from Craftwork Cards.   I am also entering the Crafty Cardmakers challenge (Add some texture), the Allsorts challenges (Anything Goes), Penny's challenge (Anything Goes), Simon Says (Anything Goes) and the Stampavie challenge (Embossing).

4th birthday

I have been making some children's birthday cards using toppers, for sale in a local craft market shop.  For this one I followed this weeks Sketchy Challenge layout and I will also enter the Allsorts challenge (Anything Goes), Penny's Challenge (Anything Goes), Creative Inspirations (Petals and Pearls) and Simon Says (Anything Goes).

WOYWW 403

 This week I have been trying to make cards to stock up the stand in school and the craft shop where I sell them.  I have been using toppers to speed things up - and also to use them up before I go and buy more at the NEC in March! However, as we had a few days off for mid-term I decided to take a break and build a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, so I haven't made nearly enough cards.  I have also been knitting a red cardigan but I am unable to show you it, as Whiskers has decided it needs to be guarded with her life! - she was trying to make it into a bed by clawing at it, so I had to put it all inside the stripy bag to keep it safe and now she's sitting on top of it!! Visit the other desks this week HERE at Julia's blog.

WOYWW 402

A late visit to WOYWW today with a bit of a mess on my desk.  I'm trying to find a more organised way to store my clear and unmounted stamps so that I can find the one I need a bit more quickly.  I have decided to stamp them onto a sheet of card, then laminate it, stick on the stamps and put it into a poly pocket in an A4 ring binder. I think it's going to take a lot of time though and I need to build up my stock of cards for sale as the display stand in school is quite empty again.  I have just finished some wedding stationery recently and have a few days off now for mid-term break, so hopefully I'll have some time to get caught up.  Visit the other work desks at Julia's blog HERE.

Get Well

A Get Well card I made today using a really old stamp from Great Impressions. I used the Try Stampin on Tuesday sketch for the layout and coloured with Promarkers.  I also am entering the Creative Inspirations challenge (Cute Critters), the Passion for Promarkers challenge (All creatures great and small), Pennys Challenge (anything goes)and the Stampavie challenge (Animals).

WOYWW 400!

On my work desk today I am trying to decorate a hat to match in with a grey and soft blue outfit - so I have added a shimmery ribbon rosette to the centre of the existing flower and put some feathers in at each side.  I have stitched them in as best I can and also added a drop or two of Collall glue - but I'm just hoping she doesn't wear it on a windy day in case all the feathers fly away!! I now have little fluffy bits of downy feather all over my craft room - so I think I better do a bit of clearing up before I start anything else! To visit the other desks in our 400th WOYWW, click HERE for Julia's blog.

Sketchy challenge

This card was made following this weeks layout for the Sketchy challenge.  The papers and topper are from LOTV - both now discontinued sadly. I am also entering the Simon Says challenge (Anything goes) and Die Cuttin Divas (Anything goes).

Under the Weather

This card was made using some pieces of dsp from my bits and pieces box and the image is one of the Gorjuss Girls from Santoro, coloured with Promarkers.  I added raindrops using the Wink of Stella brush but they don't show up in the photo. The daisies are from our local 'Everything's a Pound' shop and the sentiment stamp, banner stamp and matching die are all from SU.  The layout is the current challenge from Try Stampin on Tuesday and I am also entering some other challenges - Tuesday Throwdown (Anything goes), PFP (Feminine fancy), Simon Says (Anything goes), I love Promarkers (Anything goes) and Penny's Challenges (Anything goes).

Pet Lamb

Seeing the baby lambs in the fields around our house over these last few weeks reminded me of this really old Sugar Nellie stamp I haven't used in ages.  I used Promarkers to colour and the papers were bits and pieces in my box of bits to be used up! I am entering the Crafty Cardmakers challenge (New beginnings), Sketchy Challenges (Anything goes), Get Creative (Anything goes) and Tuesday Throwdown (Anything goes).

WOYWW 399

I was up in Belfast on Monday with my daughter for her last exam before the start of her next semester and we managed to fit in a spot of shopping in the afternoon.  I liked the colours of the doilies in 'The Works' so I'm sure I will be able to use them for a few cards (or maybe just keep them to look at, especially the duck egg coloured ones - my favourite colour!!).  I also found a new shop with lots of stationery etc and picked up a box of 8 large coloured paperclips for £1 - I intend to add felt flowers to use them as bookmarkers.  The little card with the strange chicken on it was an extra one of the notices I sent out to my needlecraft group to remind them that classes begin again this week. You can visit the other desks by going to Julia's blog HERE.

Sail away

I made this birthday card using a really old SU stamp (called Sail Away) on pale blue card coloured with Promarkers and a SU chalk marker pen.  The 'clouds' embossing folder is also retired SU as is the oval punch used for the sentiment and the DSP.  The fence and seagull dies are from a set of 4 Sizzlets I bought ages ago - a big tidy up in my craft room has revealed lots of things I had forgotten about!! I am entering this card into the Sweet Stampin Challenge (Use dies and punches), CCT challenge (Cool colours/tones) Sketchy challenge (Anything goes), Get Creative (Anything goes) and Tuesday Throwdown (Anything goes).

With Sympathy

I made this card following the layout for the current Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge.  The lilies are from a decoupage sheet by Marianne designs and the paper, card, sentiment stamp and banner die are all from SU.  I am also entering the Creative Inspirations challenge (Fabulous flowers), Penny's challenges (anything goes) and the Sketchy Challenge (Anything goes).

Birthday boy

I have now finished the card that was on my desk yesterday - the image is by LOTV and I have used my favourite medium (Promarkers) to colour it to match the papers from Papermania.  I am entering it into a few challenges - Get Creative (Anything goes), PFP (Sports/hobbies), Pennys challenges (Anything goes), Sketchy challenge (Anything goes) and Tuesday Throwdown (Use your favourite medium).