Woyww

My desk is quite empty right now, I've just finished a project and I'm in tidying mode - doesn't happen often lol!!

Warning - photo heavy post!!

This photo folio is what I've been working on 

It's A4 size, and has tons of room for photos - at least 70 but can hold more - lots of pockets 

And lots of flip out pages 

There are some big side pockets for memorabilia

And the centre pages can hold 24 photos on double sided photo mats

I had a ball making it! See my previous post for the basic construction pics, the whole thing was inspired by Hetties travel journal, but it took on a life of its own!

And I used tons of snippets, but created tons more. Doh!! 

So I'm off to check out other desks, I didn't make it round many last week sorry peeps. I'm also going to see who's playing in the Snippets Playground. If you want to join in, click on the links in the side bar. 

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Photo Folio mini album

I thought it might be nice to show a work in progress for a change! I was inspired by Hettie's travel journal, and wanted to make something similar. She very kindly pointed me in the direction of Laura Dennison - a very talented lady.

So this is the outside cover - exciting....not!

And this has pockets on the inside cover

That flip open to more pockets (all hold 4x6 photo) 

Then on the facing page, a cascade of more pockets!

And there are large pages & pockets  too ....

But none if this look very exciting until you start to decorate it .......

Aren't those little flip up pockets gorgeous? And each one holds a double sided photo mat. 

When its finished I'll show the full album, its taken a while, but I am having SO much fun with it :-)

Happy crafting

Debs x

Saturday 25/10 - all day workshop

Come and join us at an all day workshop making 2 beautiful projects. No experience necessary. All techniques fully demonstrated. We will be making faux leather embossed notebooks and a Shabby Chic 3 hearts wall hanger:

 

All materials and equipment are provided, all technniques demonstrated, you just need to bring a packed lunch (or there's Tesco nearby)  You keep everything you make, and get a take home pack of instructions so that you can make it again at home. Coffee/tea and cakes provided, and a lot of fun guaranteed! Total cost £36 - payable on the day.

The class is held at Valley Park Community Centre, advance booking is required. Please contact me for more info. 

Debs x

Woyww

My desk late Tues afternoon

At the back an 8x8 scrapbook page being assembled - a pic of my mum from Christmas 1975 when we lived in NZ. 

 

To the right some letters & tags ready for scrapping. A bunch of dies, some for scrapping, some I just haven't got around to putting away!!

Mid cutting mat a note of some measurements for a future project. 

So, I've shown you mine, you know the drill - click on the woyww link in the sidebar to see what's on other desks around the world. 

I'll visit Deskers at the weekend :-)

Debs x

Coffee needed!

I made this for a friend who's having a rough time at the moment, and who happens to be a big coffee lover! We both have a Costa habit :-)

The stamp is an ancient Artstamps wooden one I've had for ages. I totally love it, but it only gets to come out now and again for people with a sense of humour!! Love those bunny slippers with that expression :-)

The coffee cups are from a house mouse 'Gruffies' set. I stamped coloured and cut out the diddy cups and used Pinflair gel to give them dimension. 

The sentiment was hand written and both die cut images were mounted on spellbinders die cuts. 

The twisted easel is an A5 card base landscape position, top flap cut vertically up centre. Left flap scored horizontal across centre, right flap trimmed to a square 10.5cm then scored diagonally from centre cut to outside corner. These look great and are so easy to make. 

Papers are snippets from a first Edition pad, so I'm hopping over to Pixies Snippets Playground to see what everyone's been up to. If you want to join in click the link in the sidebar. 

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Woyww

For those of you joining in with Julia's international desk hop, this is my desk today. Well, yesterday, as this is schedules cos Weds is yet another MRI! Trying to sort out Ongoing neck and back problems - neck causing hand pain is seriously interfering with my crafting :-(

Anyhoo, tidy desk for a change! On my cutting mat all those envelopes with scribbles ideas on, waiting to be transferred to my notebook. Right of mat some flowers die cut & stamped with new set bought at Ally pally. Plus an embossed frame using a mag freebie. At back a set of Heartfelt creations dies I'm

waiting to use on my scrapbooks. 

If you want to join in the deskhop, click on the WOYWW link in the sidebar, but I warn you, it's addictive!

Debs x

New Dies

I made these with a new Tattered Lace die bought recently when C&C had them at half price. I bought this, some musical notes & some leaves. These are my first Tattered Lace dies & I've been impressed with them!

Anyhoo, I bought this one cos I thought it had multiple uses, being able to cut apart the hearts & flourishes. Then when it arrived I thought it looked like Christmas baubles! So I raided my mirri snippits & made these 2. 

The cream background is embossed with a Crafters Companion frame embossing folder, then mounted on more mirri & the Merry Christmas is a Cheery Lynn die. 

So cos I used snippets I get to visit the Snippets Playground, and as I made 2 of them I can visit Sarn's Rudolph Day Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Woyww 277

Look away if you're a neat freak, my desk is a mess!!

New stash from Ally Pally on top of samples I'm prepping for a 1-day class in October, and pride of place centre desk is my industrial sized bottle of PVA that I didn't even notice til I wrote this post :-)

I bought some fab stamps from Visible Image, lots more stamps (surprise!) couple of DI's I don't have yet, (some old ones lurking there too!) some dies, some gilding wax and a ton of card stock you can't see lol!

The samples buried under my stash are some really cute faux leather notebooks ready for a class in Oct

And a shabby chic wall hanger that I just love! Made it ages ago and been waiting for the right class to cover it

So that's mine. If you want to join in with the weekly desk hop that is WOYWW click on the link in the side bar and hop away!

Debs x

WOYWW 276

Desk shot early morning before rushing off to work, planning to post in my lunch hour but didn't get one! So, a bit late to the party. If you want to see other desks click on the woyww link at the side

New baby card front & centre, not quite finished - A4 so everyone at work can sign. Rest is usual bits n bobs. 

Did get a chance to alter the stationery set folder sat on desk last week....

Cut off the flap, cut out the butterflies & fixed to front, added lots of Stickles :-)

Cut card to fit inside, decorated with Ink Dusters & stencils & presto! A new Birthday reminder  Folder!

Each card will have that months birthdays listed, and I just move that month to back & have next months there in front of me. And it's so slim it slots in next to my notebooks, with hand cream in front which was birthday pressie from the lovely Hettie

Cards in right hand side - hmmmm - not yet sure what to use them for, suggestions welcome!

Will visit desks later this week, hope you had a good Wednesday!

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

A smile!

This little one is made entirely of snippets, even the big black die cut was languishing in my snippets box - I have a separate one for leftover die cuts! The flower is 2 leftover layers of decoupage used elsewhere, and the backing paper was left from a magazine project. 

The lovely Smile die cut was given to me by my friend Sarn , and it really does make me smile :-)

Taking this over to the snippets playground. If you want to take a look click on the link in the side bar

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Men's cards!

This is another of the 'Acid drops & Whatnots' stamp set I bought at Newbury. They do make me chuckle!

This one was made on a 5" square card blank, using a leftover bit of stripey paper & some blue snippets. When I mounted the stamped panel & sentiment on the blue card I was left with 2 straight cutoff pieces, so I had to use them too!! I think they work quite well with the card candi :-)

Off to link this to Pixies Snippets Playground, where I heard a whisper that it might be Miss's birthday, so I'll have to pick her a bunch of dandelions on my way thru the gate! If you're wondering what I'm blathering about, click on the link in my sidebar & see what's going on in the playground this week

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Woyww

Today's desk, left in chaos yesterday when I dashed off to my class, and not touched since!

Deskers across the world snoop on Wednesday, guided by Julia at WOYWW HQ. If you want to check it out, click on the link in the sidebar. 

On my desk to the left, a folder from a stationery set that is too pretty to throw away, awaiting re-purposing. Centre back some red & black papers from an old Red Hot Bed kit, used to make a card yesterday. Peeping out from underneath the papers my 'back of envelope' sketches :-)

Some bling, my 'sticky' scissors & my fave fiskars scissors. Some rub ins used recently & not put away, so edging to the right hand side of my desk to join the out of sight crapalanche!

And for those who liked last weeks samples of stencilling ready for class, this is one I made yesterday with my lovely ladies

Will check out desks over next few days

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Woyww

So this is my desk today, and anyone who saw it over the past few weeks might notice that the big crapalanche on the right has reduced substantially! It was cleared at the weekend, but I've had a few days off and been scapbooking so it's starting to build again :-)

On the desk a completed layout, the usual spotty caddy and tools, tags, some DI's and a tea bag box awaiting altering. On the chair my box of completed layouts waiting to be put in an album. 

And to the right is my computer and printer, which is piled high with a mahoosive collection of cards made over the past few days - at least 12!  I've had a ball spending uninterrupted days in my craft room! Will desk hop to see what other deskers are up to 

Last week some deskers asked to see the finished stencilled cards, so here they are

 

 

That's me for this week - off to link up with the desk feet that is woyww!

Thanks for stopping by

Debs

Butterfly Challenge

This card was made to fit Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge. But I also challenged myself to make it entirely from snippets!

So I decided to keep it really simple, not something I do usually! The square die cut was an extra that was in my die cut snippets box, where I keep all unused, extras or bits of die cuts (thrifty or plain mean???) the butterfly was there too, but had a mark in it, so I pulled out the die and inked the ought it to cover that up. The diddly piece of coloured vellum was another leftover from a mag ages ago. Am finally, I stamped one of my fave LOTV wordy stamps on the bottom

Considering this is a simple card, I found it quite stressful to make, cos I was trying to make inns wotk, rather than pulling together things that matched - whew! Challenge complete! Now to link to MrsA and Pixies Snippets Playground. 

Don't forget to visit. Janet, Shaz and Vickie who will be posting their Creative. Blog Hop posts today

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Snowmen circles

I've been wanting to try this technique for a while, since I saw samples on the Majestic Stamps stand at Newbury. 

The basic circle is stamped using a teeny branch stamp, then I masked off the lower half of the circle using torn paper and used duster brushes to ink a sunset & hills. 

Then I added the trees with a stamp from a Katy Sue Designs silhouette set, & the snowman from a Snowglobe stamp set bought from USA years ago. A few punched and die cut snowflakes to cover the inky finger prints! Then my favourite Christmas sentiment stamps from Inkylicious.

Then I made another one, and 2 more this time with snow-cats!

 and finally one with a church. I had so much fun making these I just kept going lol.

So as I have multiple Christmas cards I'm linking them to the Rudolph Day Challenge, where Sarn asks you to make 2 Christmas cards between the 25th and the end of the month. Also to Pixies snippets Playground, as the snowflakes were all cut from snippets!

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

WOYWW

So this is my desk late on Tuesday, mid-prep for my Sept class. You can see 2 completed samples, and the Stamps Away Patchwork Templates and Stencils that I plan to use, plus a few distress inks and my essential Scotch Scrapbooker's Glues (another Desert Island must have!)

So if you're wondering why I'm showing my desk, hop on over to Julia's where lots of lovely crafters will be showing off their desks!

Thanks for stopping by

Debs

The Creative Blog Hop (TCBH)

I was thrilled when the lovely Sam (aka Hettie) asked me to take part in The Creative Blog Hop (TCBH). I am constantly amazed at how craft and blogging can connect people, and have made some lovely friends through blogging.

TCBH started when some clever blogger suggested a game of blog tag, where each person posts once on a Monday, then nominates 3 other crafters to take part. Sadly the name of the person who started this idea has been lost, but there are a lot of crafters involved, from all different areas of the crafty world. Artists, spinners, stitchers, knitters and paper crafters like me!

A bit about me

I've been crafting since I was little. I started with old fashioned scrapbooks - the sort with thick grey sugar paper - where you stuck everything you liked the looks of. A bit like today's smash books! I was a bit of a crafty flutterby even back then, as I taught myself to knit, crochet, embroider and sew. My mum didn't have a crafty bone in her body, so no idea where I got the genes (milkman?? Lol)

From around the age of 10, I was making my own clothes, and embroidered everything I could! I have fond memories of making a cheesecloth gipsy top in the 70's and embroidering all around the neckline, with some beautiful flowers and some tricky French knots! Ditto for a hand made denim jacket :-)

As an adult, it was mainly knitting, crochet and dressmaking until I developed a love of cross-stitch in the 80's and 90's. All my family had cross stitched greeting cards, and I made a new cross stitched Christmas decoration every year from when I met my hubby.  They still go on the tree every year!

Then, about 5-6 years ago, I was stuck at home recovering from the flu, and started channel hopping on the telly (it's the law when you're poorly sick!) and I came across Create and Craft. I was amazed at the demo's, I drooled over the beautiful kits on offer, and suddenly had the urge to rummage in my drawers to see what I could make myself. I still have that first card, a little A6 with a couple of stickers on the front, to remind me how much I've improved!

Since then, I have discovered a vast range of paper crafting. I started with basic decoupage kits, and quickly moved on to stamping, Pro Markers (a desert island must have!), parchment craft, heat embossing, alcohol inks, 3d cards - the list is endless!

I have been on Design Teams for Debbi Moore and WOW Embossing powders, and had the great delight of seeing my designs featured on TV (yes, I did record the very first one and jumped up and down like a loon!) My designs have been exhibited at the NEC, as well as being used as tutorials on craft CD's. I teach regular classes and I am a designer for Making Cards magazine, although I've cut back a bit lately since I've returned to the world of work.

     

I work 3 days a week as an HR Manager at a busy Veterinary Referral Hospital, and teach craft classes twice a month, with some all day Saturday workshops now & again. I live in Hampshire, with my hubby and big fat ginger cat called Barney.

I only ventured into the world of blogging 3 years ago, and through WOYWW and Pixies Crafty Playground met the lovely Sam who nominated me for this blog hop. She's a lovely, talented lady who lives in Wales. We've only met up a couple of times, but we have a real giggle. Our last outing was to meet up with a couple of other Bloggy friends, Di and Sarn from the Crafty Playground and we had a lovely day out, with lunch at a posh hotel :-)

The Fab 4! L-R, Sam, Di, me and Sarn

Ok, on to the questions........

1. What am I working on now?

I tend to have several projects on the go at once, and currently it's a couple of men's cards using some fab stamps picked up at the last Newbury Artstamps show. A couple of baby card commissions from friends and work colleagues using a house mouse stamp for one, and a Bebunni stamp for the other
A birthday card for a shoe-a-holic, a birthday card for my hubby (that ones more of an idea than a reality at the mo!)

I am also planning my next class, which is in early Sept, and an all day Saturday class for October.

I have just finished a repair to a cat-damaged top using die cut flowers, and I have a few blouses that need an extra buttonhole made (or I need to go on a crash diet. Not happening! Lol)

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?

To be honest, I'm not sure it does! I love lots of different styles of paper crafting, but am probably most into stamping and paper engineering - I love to make cards that move, open in unusual ways, are 3D

or have a hidden surprise. The ladies in my classes often see the sample and start the class with a comment of  'I'll never be able to make that!'  

And I absolutely love seeing the big grins at the end when they've made something a bit different.

3. why do I create what I do?

Well, it depends. Sometimes I create purely for pleasure, sometimes I am asked to design something specific, maybe to meet a design brief, and sometimes it's just because I have a deadline to meet and need to find something that will work for a group of ladies with different levels of experience and ability.  But most of all I create because it gives me pleasure.  I have found papercrafting to be a source of huge creative fun, it gives me an excuse when hubby finds glitter on the loo seat, and has allowed me to make some fabulous friends along the way!

4. How does my creative process work?

This was a tough question, as I don't have one answer.  Sometimes I'm inspired by a specific image that I think will be perfect for a person or occasion, and sometimes I will see a colour combo that gives me an idea. Recently I had a lovely flower in a bouquet that was lime green and deep plum pink and it was gorgeous!  At other times, I will see an idea on a blog or on tv and think to myself 'I can do that' and will take it and adapt it.

I'm big on seeing a kinetic card, and then trying to figure out how to make one myself from scratch.

Now and again I enter challenges, but I've never been a big fan of sketches - dunno why, just can't seem to translate black & white line drawings into a card design.

Having said that, I keep a notebook handy, where I doodle my own ideas and scribble instructions to myself. Said notebook also has a list of ideas I want to try out. Unfortunately, I am not a tidy crafter and the notebook is often buried beneath the crapalanche on my desk!

so I resort to scribbling on the back of envelopes - yes, really! And I have mountains of these envelope scribbles dotted around awaiting my attention lol.

And left is a pic of the current crapalanche on the desk awaiting sorting!


















OK, enough about me, I now get to introduce you to 3 of my crafting friends who have agreed to join in on this blog hop, and they will all post on their own blogs next Monday.  Each of them has their own unique style and talents, and I met all of them through a blog know as WOYWW, or 'Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday' run by the lovely Julia - click here to find out more.

Shaz

Hi everyone, my name is Sharon, known as Shaz, or Shazsilverwolf to all my friends.I was totally blown away when Deb asked me to do this,it still astounds me that someone actually likes what I do, lol! I've always had something crafty going on, I used to do cross stitch, then glass painting,dabbled a bit in candle making, and jewellery, then evolved into card making. 
When I first started, I got heavily into Decoupage cards, and probably cornered the world market in Decoupage sheets! Big mistake that was, as I eventually discovered inks and stamping! One of my biggest loves is scenic stamping, I am a huge fan of Kevin Nakagawa's Stampscapes, and have been fortunate enough for him to link to my blog from his lessons/artwork links, and also to be a former  Design Team Member for Craft a Scene, a challenge blog for Scenic stampers. 

I started my blog entirely due to my Beloved Hubby- he kept telling me I should do one, and eventually I did. I truly did not think anyone would be interested in what I did, there are so many way more talented people out there. I've made some wonderful friends in Blogland,and thanks to the lovely Julia of WOYWW, I have been fortunate to meet a number of them at the Annual WOYWW crop. So to anyone who wonders if they can be bothered/ if anyone would be interested/ if there's any point, I say jump in, you don't know what you are missing! 

My 'real life' job is a Centreless Grinding Setter, in the Aerospace Industry, along with my Beloved Hubby, who taught me everything I know about my job! What we do is make Fasteners/Bolts for Aircraft/Satellites etc. It really is a dirty job, ( working with oil all the time) but I actually do enjoy what I do! So thats a thumbnail view of me, I'm looking forward to my 'show and tell' post, I'll catch you all then. Hugs, Shaz xx

Janet
I have been crafting all my life.... I just didn't know it. I have a school report aged 7 that says "Janet is very good at cutting and sticking"..... 'nuff' said.
 While my 3 children were small I enjoyed doing crafts with them and sewed and knitted for them as well.
In recent years  my crafting has taken a new turn ... more for myself... lacemaking, beading, patchwork, knitting, card making,  scrapbooking, mixed media, embroidery, both hand and machine and most recently pottery.
A work  colleague suggested I started a blog to document my 'makes' which I did. Then I found WOYWW  ( what's on your workdesk Wednesday) a lovely group of crafters who upload a photo of their workspace once a week.  It is like a great big extended family.
A blog friend asked me recently if there was anything I didn't do..... of course there is ... mostly involving housework and the ironing !  I just love trying new techniques.
However with my family expanding with Grandchildren I am always under pressure to make more and more things...... I love it and find myself spending more and more time crafting, much to the dismay of my long suffering husband or to give him his blog name ' my handyman'.

I also work 3 days a week in a fabric store..... in the craft section of course. Life is full of juggling, often stressful.... but never boring., 


Vickie
I became interested in crafting a long time before it was called crafting…it was a necessity.  As a child my mother, aunts, grandmother etc made all of my clothing and just about anything and everything in the home décor, gifts etc.  I promised myself that when I got old and rich {{I know!!! A piper’s dream!}} I wouldn’t make anything it would all be bought.   I did pretty well in my life and never totally bought everything but continued to sew, knit, make items for the home but it was mainly something I needed not something for fun!  Things were headed for a change in 2008 when I was introduced to my creative side!

I worked for over 40 years in the health care and medical field as an RN in management and supervisory positions until I was forced into retirement by illness.   About a year before I become ill I was asked by a friend and co-worker to join in with her and others in a “play day”.  I went not know what to expect and oh my gosh!  My life was changed from then on.   Pam was a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and it was a party to sell stuff but from that time on I was entranced with paper arts and eventually the multimedia stuff I do today.  I love to get inky and to recycle or up cycle items that I normally wouldn’t have looked at in the past.  Cereal boxes and toilet paper cores become books, blocks of wood find their way to home décor.  It is so fulfilling to see things become something useful and beautiful.  My fun art has changed my life and kept me sane in this forced retirement.  I don't know what I would have done without it.  




Well, that's a REALLY long post! Thanks for stopping by, and if you've read this far, thanks for your patience!

don't forget to check out Shaz, Janet and vickie's posts next week

Hugs

Debs xxx