WOYWW back to paper and card

Well another week and the stress levels are rising (the first offer on the flat is waiting for the new electoral register release at the beginning of December, the second offer is dilly dallying back and forth and likes it but can't rent it out to who they want so disappeared for a week then thought they would buy it with a friend to rent privately but now they are going to look at a flat for £20 000 more because then they don't have to do any work on it..............and so it goes on and on will someone just buy the stupid place so I can move on with my life properly please).  In answer to your lovely queries we don't live there any more when it becomes a matter of you and your families safety over money, family wins hands down so we have been renting for 9 months and the flat is empty. So there is no need for extreme tidyness - other than the pressure from my mother.......... But there is its position as a table of indeterminate purpose and to allow our family to eat together every night it must be cleared. So after dinner tonight it now looks like this (until dinner time tomorrow night).

It is mostly top secret santy stuff but I should be safe and your not seeing any more until after the C day so there. Yes I was playing around with stuff last week for the stamper of the year comp, not because I stand a chance in hell but mainly because I had an idea and wanted to try it out (and then had to do a card to) I don't even know when short listing happens by, because assuming it goes no-where I want to give the bag to the lady who makes the stamps. Any-ways it went like this:

This is the low quality photo and not sure that it does the colours justice but it really looked beautiful and sparkly (the bag that is), I'll post how I did it another time.  Oh and lastly if you are still with me I decided to give one of you lovely folk the chance of getting your mits on the Wizard of Oz nesting boxes.  Just let me know in the comments box if you want to be included and I'll randomly select a name and let you know next Wednesday.

Now off with you to other desks it is WOYWW after all.................

WOYWW An indeterminate table of most determinate purpose

Good morning everyone, Hello to all the lovely new people who are following! To anyone who hasn't come through the hallowed portals (sorry for any dodgy imagery if you are here at an early hour) of our hostess Julia Dunnit then press the WOYWW link on the right hand side to enter a whole new world of time disappearing in a cloud of friends, genius and well desks really.

Life here is feeling more optimistic.  My PIF gifts are all done and distributed, we have accepted a different offer on the flat and this time it is an investor wants to complete in 28 days (come on world give us a break on this one).  Last but not least the creative juices are still flowing strong so without further ado (sorry Doone) I give you my desk today: 

The bags are a work in progress, 3 to be precise and the one that is finished is hidden behind the mug of tea......... I have been a playing with my stamps this week thought I'd have a go at a last minute entry to Craft Stamper - more later,  The cakes in the background were a joint collaboration between myself and my 3 year old he did the egg cracking, egg mixing, flour adding and the icing decoration!

Oh and for those of you who were wondering about the black nesting boxes - some dodgy photo's.......... Still on their side............ I tried emailing Di but don't know if it got though? We're off to see the wizard.........

I went for a tornado with barn, fence and rainbow (you can see some of it in the photo.........

Happy autumn day all :)

WOYWW - the desk of indeterminate chaos

Good Morning,

Mojo still present and correct.  It is lovely having the 2 days in the week to myself and I have been motivates to carry on with my crafting after I put T to bed. So here is the indeterminate chaos as it stands:

Then there is the sewing projects from the last week.  You will either recognise the character on the bag or wonder what on earth I have made,  I cut the pieces out using felt then used embroidery thread to fix them to the calico - my sons response 'WOW mummy that is AMAZING'!!  The other is my first ever sewing project with a zip (and a pay it forward gift for a blogging friend, she hasn't been on here of late and I don't know if she has received it yet so I hope it doesn't break the surprise......).

Lastly before I leave you to head on over to Julia's via the WOYWW link on the right - going lots of desks and creativity to explore, I finished my houses nesting boxes, I was pleased to get hold of a couple of miniature dolls boots for the chimney :)

Sorry can't get them upright you'll need to twist a little.............

Right have a good week, I'm off to link up and see what you have all been up to since last Wednesday.

WOYWW - progress galore

Mojo present and accounted for.  Still no change on anything else from last week (but at least none of it's bad news either).  So here's my desk this week:

Blank white boxes covered and waiting the next layer - ideas drafted underneath, a second set of nesting boxes this time in black (and a pad full of graphic 45 wizard of oz paper lined up and ready). A sketch of the catbus from My Neighbour Totoro for a bag idea I have using felt.  And in the background (so below a close up) the 2 bags I made since last week - I'm pretty chuffed and the reversible one on the right I knocked up in 2 and a half hours - not bad I figured.

So in the spirit of keeping it brief have a good week and head on over to Julia's (follow the WOYWW link on the right) and wallow in desks galore, meet up for chats with friends old and new.

WOYWW - the indeterminate table and a whole load of blank canvasesesesessss

No news is good news that's it isn't it. We are still waiting for the surveyor to go into the flat on behalf of the person buying it (one week and waiting) other than that all is ok, oh yes and the perspective buyer doesn't want to hand over their solicitor details until they know that they have a mortgage........ so it's a waiting game.  That one is less hard than the other one my family and I are playing we are waiting at the moment as my 25 year old cousin is in hospital and under maximum sedation following a massive brain haemorraugh at the beginning of last week. No one knows yet if it will be ok, ok given time and extensive therapy or if it is already over.  That aside really can't complain I have a table of indeterminate purpose for you this week - see:

It is a canvas of blankness awaiting opportunity and time.  There are all the lovely fabrics I washed the other week - but look I now have the threads and some extra bobbins so I can start bag crafting.  Then there are a couple of my other Christmas projects - clear plastic baubles and a puzzle maker. Next to that there are some glass painting pens for another idea in my head. Then lastly are the 3 nesting boxes that I made the last couple of nights - based on an idea over on the graphic 45 website from a project that Laura Denison did.  They are blank canvases too waiting to be created on - was looking at my pile of Lavinia Stamps for inspiration (and to see which other ones I really really need  want!). Starting next Monday I have a run of 3 or 4 weeks where I won't be tutoring (due to late holidays) and Timothy is in nursery I am hoping to be a hive of activity for 2 days a week. 

So how are you anyway?  Want to see lots of exciting desks - hop on over to Julia's place (vis the WOYWW widget on the right and discover a desk or 2 or 150 that are waiting for  a good nose.  Now put the kettle on I am looking for distractions.........

WOYWW - Onwards and upwards

Thanks for all the lovely words and support for last week.  I'm on better form this week, mainly for being proactive rather than reactive.  Nothing exciting to report but no bad news either just keepin' everything crossed.  End of last week (literally Friday), I finally got my butt in gear and washed all the fabric that I have been hording: (it's pretty :)

At last I have a desk to show you (well actually it is back to the table of indeterminate purpose) - mainly because cutting fabric requires floor space and I needed somewhere to iron to.  

Resplendent with all my Argos value equipment (don't knock it, it's cheap and it works).  I have created my first piece of sewing in 20 years. It's got a couple of obvious mistakes, but it will do what it needs to and I learnt a lot.  I'm sure the recipient will forgive me the dodgy stitching and all that makes it unique.  By the time I get round to the last stitched bag as a Christmas gift I'm sure I'll be a pro.  Now to knock the paper-crafting into touch too.

For more desks of indeterminate purpose as well as most definitely dedicated for purpose desks press the WOYWW widget on the right and find friends, inspiration and just well good company dammit.

WOYWW - gosh someone got out the wrong side this morning

Hello everyone.

I am having a grumps day, do you get those? I'm sure it will all pass soon.(post holiday blues? we had a nice time in Scotland last week catching up with family) .    Timothy and I are home alone for a week and a half (with a days respite in the middle).  Motivation for everything has hit a low point. I really must get round to the washing up, and sorting the garden and up the stairs looks like a bomb has gone off.  Then that depressing moment where you have been doing everything right - your calories are under control, you've exercised and for no sensible reason you are heavier this morning than last night (oh I know there are lots of splendid explanations from water retention due to periods, muscle gain - don't weight yourself everyday - its Wii fits fault it says I should take the body test everyday - why I should listen to it when I ignore rational people I don't know.....) still it puts a gloom over everything.  There is a part of me that thinks if I just do some every day then there will be plenty of time to do the things I want to do - but then I forget I have a child who is being incredibly demanding at the moment - which is OK he is allowed to be he is only wee after all. But golly it is draining on energy.  Then the internet thing - does anyone else lose time (I mean masses of it - like hours in one go because you start looking for something - in this case material and then the next thing you know it is dinner time and you have done nada?

So crafting - I have a plan - bags, I got a book and the fabric is one the way I also want to have a go at clothes but figure bags are one up form cushion covers (my only previous sewing experience) and therefore a good interim stop.  Also will make excellent christmas gifts when they turn out all splendid (see optimism appearing already!).  I'm sure I could be getting on with papercrafting projects but every evening by the time I get the boy down I am ready to curl up myself.  Then there is the worrying - someone is interested in the flat and wants to go back and look again - but knowing our luck it will be one time to many the evil neighbour will appear and we will still have that bloody flat for ever and ever.

Right so creativity at the moment nil - there were days when I happily crafted away these are from last year for a competition entry that went no-where - I liked them though - Cosmo Cricket.

Ok no promises next week - but who knows the flat may be on its way to someone else, I may be lighter still and I might just have made my first bag...............

So press the WOYWW button and head on over to The Stamping Ground - most people are no where near as grumpy promise.......

WOYWW 116 - Gosh has it really been that long?

Well it has been far too long.  It is lovely having a dedicated crafting area except now I never seem to find the time to get up there with part-time tutoring twice a week and the little fella (who is now 3 and doesn't stop talking all day).  I disappeared under a mountain of exam marking for 3 months and then there was the gardening to get to grips with.  But there is a light on the horizon the little fella is going into nursery on a Monday - a precious Monday with no other commitments and my brain is a whirling with plans for presents for that time of year (you know some people have already mentioned and got it out there) so I anticipate having glimpses to show.  This year with having the 2 places (no luck selling the flat yet the evil neighbour has so far foiled any likely buyers) it is going to be a handmade Christmas - there I said it.  The other full time job at the moment is weight loss so armed with an app for my ipod (as I don't have £72 a week to try that Lighter Life thing) I am doing OK so far but it takes a lot of commitment and planning to get in the exercise - funniest thing watching the little fella using some bathroom scales to do stepping, running and hula hooping because the Wii board is too big mummy, I laughed until I cried.

So no desk this week - but I do have a couple of past creations to keep things ticking over until the new master pieces start appearing!

I think the first is obvious and was made using spellbinders, the second card I folded an A4 piece of card in half and stamped the poppies in the corner (Lavinia Stamps - love her stuff) then carefully cut round.  The poppies underneath were done by first loading the stamp with a clear ink for embossing, then the coloured inks, stamping and then sprinkling with embossing powder and heating this allowed me to put other poppies behind as the inks resist the embossed surface. A few strategically placed butterflies (you know where that bit of ink on your thumb transfers to the card -sigh) and a leaving card for a lovely friend was made.

Looking forward to having a nosey at what everyone has been up to so put the kettle on (but no cakes or biscuits for now - sighhhhh).

Return of the indeterminate crafting womble

Hello again. How is everyone? needed an excuse to visit again and today seemed a good a day as any. We have been in our new place for just over 3 months and it took me until the end of last week to finish getting the craft room sorted........ A combination of being on an adrenalin (I don't care if it is grammatically incorrect it sounds better to me) fuelled emotional high for 6 weeks after we moved in followed by 4 weeks low then high, low, high, low oh yes and the tansforming of my garden from nothing to productive! - mostly portable so we can take it with us when dh gets the long awaited permanent lectureship thing that he really deserves - although not the proper established one because that has to involve living by the sea and none of the current chances offer this. Anywhoo I have a desk and mostly I have somewhere to put everything (hurrah yay) or possibly not enough stuff.......... ;)

So crafting has been little and sparse, mostly stamping because it is small and highly portable. There was a new addition to my storage crafting space shown below a final treat before the drawing in of the coffers (unsurprisingly the flat is still unsold despite its bargain price tag.......).

There are a number of projects still on the go go and once the exam marking and moderating season has ended (that would be the growing (and still growing) piles scattered about) and the garden is maturing nicely the rains shall be picked up once more. So much to do and so little time. Of course it would help if the dear chiil stopped waking me up in the earlier hours of the morning (it is 4am as I write this) he was fast asleep 5 secs after he was returned to his own bed that was well over an hour a go. Oh well on the plus side it is my birthday today :)

Oh Gosh has it been that long?

Hello everyone - I'm still here I've been doing the mountain and valley thing emotionally since we moved at the beginning of February.  Things are so much better now (nice neighbours for a start).  It has been an entertaining catalogue of disasters too though - nothing I wouldn't take over the last nearly 6 years of my life though :D

The day we moved in the washing machine and fridge/freezer packed up (took 2 weeks to sort the first and a month to properly sort the latter). At this point the shower stopped being able to turn itself off so we had the landlord round at 9:30 at night trying to locate the stop tap (it was hidden behind a panel - at least he did the bashing - I'd already had my fill but more about that later.  Then the next day the boiler packed up (and it was still pretty chilly at the beginning of March.  Still we have shiney new replacements of most things and only the cooker left to pack up (so far it seems pretty solid - touchwood).

Timothy has been delighted with our new place and settled in straight away. He sleeps through the night and everything now :D The instant relaxing of his parents has been attributed towards this.  He delights all by taking them up to show them his bedroom when they visit.  He has, however, been rebelling about the amount of time mummy is spending unpacking and building furniture etc so we have had a number of 'exciting' incidents to deal with, from flour over the floor (makes pretty patterns mind you)

That was the first week, then there was the sanitary products floating in the bath that was 3/4 full.  Followed by the spreading of shredded paper through the whole of downstairs.  The locking of himself and a friend in one of the bedrooms - that would be the door banging part -I had to smash a door panel to get them out (then the shower packed up later that day...........), still need to replace that.  This week we ended up with a bottle of salad cream emptied over the railway tracks and all over the livingroom floor.  Got to love them though right :D

Crafting has largely taken a back seat - there is only so much a girl can do in one day and still need to finish sorting the craft / office space.  There have been a couple of cake decorating moments though:

A couple of scrapbooking classes and I've dug my stamping stuff out and did a trial run for creating mothers day cards.  I've also been trying my hand at gardening the last few days and I managed to remove a very nasty prickly thing and dig over the whole border, next I need to create again :)

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