WOYWW- Teddy revealed and a productive Easter!

Hi Everyone.

Well just to show you what became of those cut off's from the denim jeans! Ta Dah!

A bear cushion! I found the idea on Pinterest but couldn't find a pattern so made up my own. I still have quite a lot of denim left so I will be searching for more things to make by up cycling! 

I have to admit I'm addicted to Pinterest at the moment and have been looking at all the lovely cards other people have made. Inspired by a card I saw I also made this birthday card for a friend.

I really enjoyed making this. The design is great for using up all those odd pieces of scrapbook paper that you have kept "just in case."  I stamped on some of the squares and added the butterfly and flower to link the squares and bring it all together. Trouble is I then got to thinking about my drawer full of odd Christmas papers that I have and…..

Same design…I used white embossing powder and blue ink to stamp on this one and added die cut snowflakes and silver gems.

I will be making a lot more of these they are so easy. A very productive Easter break! 

As well as working at my craft desk we also went out on a few lovely walks…

Llanelli Beach where we almost got blown away on Easter Sunday…

And on Monday we went to Rhossilli on the Gower… This place is so beautiful and so was the weather, we managed to get out of the wind and sit in the sun.. bliss...

Bad hair day!

Then a big black rain cloud appeared….. 

and we just made it back to the car before the heavens opened! 

Well… That's me for this week.  I'm looking forward to more walks and more crafting as I am on the 2 week school holiday… I've also got lots of time to visit you all too.

Have a happy week

Lynda X

WOYWW- Where would ART be without flowers?

Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of WOYWW!

I have a few projects on the go since you heard from me last so what to share?? Hummm!
Well I have had two work spaces.. The first is my usual desk upstairs in my craft room..

Some new Tim Holtz flower garden stamps, some backgrounds ready for stamping with the flowers and a little canvas I made.

Myself, Ali and 2 other friends are going up to London in a few weeks to the Royal Academy to see the 'Painting the Modern Garden' exhibition. Great works of Art from Monet, Matisse, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Pissarro but to name a few, all inspired by their gardens and flowers! I am so excited that I got to thinking….

And although this little canvas won't sell for millions.. well, I like it! I LUVVV these stamps!

My second work space has been my living room floor.. Someone was throwing away lots of pairs of  cut off jeans until me like a mad woman pulled them out of the bin, much to the amusement of my colleagues! Well, I spent a few hours trawling through pintrest for ideas and I will share with you next week what this little ol' pile of cut offs became!

Well… that's all from me this week. 

I'm looking forward to visiting as many of your desks as I can. I haven't been very good at that lately so thank you to all of you who have left kind comments and perhaps haven't recieved a visit from me in return. Will try to do better!

Have a happy week

Lynda  X

WOYWW - Stampotique bat bunting and some Xmas sewing.

Hello Everyone

Welcome fellow deskers it has been two long weeks since my last confession! Well… more like I've had a bad cold and haven't even been in my craft room! I felt so awful last week, no energy, not sleeping, a bad back blah blah blah! On the mend now tho' so I will share a card I made for a young colleague a few weeks ago.

I used a bit of artistic licence with the stamp and made it look like she was making bat bunting! I love these quirky stamps, they always bring a smile to my face and I really enjoyed making the background with DI's, stencils, masks and stamps. My colleague is a very individual young lady with her own unique style and is very talented. She battles with an ever present illness which is so unfair when you are only 28! This 'piece of art' (as she kindly called it) is now in a frame on her wall and she asked if I would change the sentiment to "You can make your own friggin' bunting!" See… hurrah for individuality! 

I have been inspired to continue sewing by many of your blogs and the wonderful projects you have shared. I have been sorting through an odd assortment of christmas fat quarters that I must have bought long ago, and have decided to make a lap quilt for the winter. Just squares mind you, nothing fancy, one step at a time! 

Here are the squares cut and laid out on the floor to get the positioning right of the patterns. (Sorry about the poor light.) I may also appliqué some simple Xmas tree shapes on some of the plainer squares.  

Although I didn't match all of the colours exactly, the whole point was to finish up what I had in the true tradition of quilt making so I am very happy with it so far. (I resisted buying some different green this morning!) 

Well, have a happy week and I look forward to visiting as many of you as I can as I am on holiday! 

Hugs

Lynda X

WOYWW- Art journal page

Hello Everyone

Wednesday again and time for Julia's blog hop around some pretty inspiring crafty desks. Click here to join in!

Well… no picture of my desk this week because the only thing on it is my large Dylusions journal which I don't get out very often. I can't say much about this page really, except that I did it yesterday evening after a particularly frustrating and upsetting day. Often when I'm upset, inspiration comes quickly and easily….

When do I get to be me?

Anyway you can see how I was feeling at the end of the day. It's not finished, not stuck down and I need to do some shading around the words and make a question mark, but you get the picture. 

I then felt instantly disgusted with myself for feeling like this, selfish and moody. That's not me… I'm quite a happy, steady person… happy to help, so what's wrong? Damned if I know… 

so I wrote a poem too….

ME 

I am happy, yet melancholy, 

I should feel content but I am restless. 

I am whole but something is missing

I am fulfilled but I need more

I appear confident but want to hide...

I cry but no tears come

I stay but want to run.

Sooooo… what to do? Go for a long walk that's what…down to the sea….

Normal business will be resumed next week, I promise. The fog will lift…

I'll give myself a good talking to in the mean time and a visit to you all will cheer me up.

Lynda  X

Click here to see my photography blog and new photos! 

WOYWW-ATC's and 888,246 poppies!

Hello everyone and welcome,

Glad to be back after the half term, we visited family near Oxford and there was much love and laughter. Just what I needed! We visited the Tower of London to see the now famous Poppies or Blood swept Lands and Seas of Red to give it it's proper name.

It really was very moving, to stand and to realise that each of the ceramic poppies represented a solider who was killed in WW1, 888, 246 to be precise. We enjoyed lunch on the embankment overlooking the Thames and then I found my way back to Marleybone train station on the tube! Not bad for a girl from the sticks!

We also had a beautiful walk in Wendover woods. Who said "there's no such thing as a Gruffalo?"

What fun we had! The children willingly and patiently posed for me while I tried out my camera!

Anyway back to crafty things……. ATC's made for our A-Z challenge. The beautiful stamps are from Inkylicious. 

Another initial made for a colleague…… only 2 more to go! 

A canvas covered with fabric and then painted/stamped chipboard letters added. Ready for the Christmas fayre. 

 I am home alone this week as dear Hubby is away and I last night I found myself standing out in the pitch dark garden (spooky rustlings going on in the trees) taking photos of the moon! 

Hmmmmmm…. enough said… thank you for staying with me 'til the end of my meanderings...

Have a happy week..

Lynda X

WOYWW- JOFY workshop and preparations to be busy!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by… first of all let me tell you all about the fabulous day that Alison and I spent on Saturday at the Stamp Attic in the company of the very patient and inspirational Jo Firth-Young. We made 5 cards and a masterboard using her stamps and chalk paints and were kept very busy all day!

Here are the cards we made….

Lots of new techniques, tips and hints. Do visit Jo over at her blog http://jofirthyoung.blogspot.co.uk  So a big thank you to Jo for a great day and also to Alison for driving all the way there and back!

Of course it would have been terribly rude not to pop in the shop now wouldn't it? Also rude not to buy anything don't you agree? 

My new stencils are to DIE for! Sigh! Scrapbook paper for my travel journal, a little chip board house book. (Just liked it) I'm also excited about the little green book you see on the right.. I plan to keep and stroke it until January when I vow to do a little page of art journalling most days if I can.  

Well.. back to my desk and I have two shots this week. The first is how it looked at the weekend..

A mess of twigs and tree canvases being made for the school Christmas Fayre.  A 'de ja vu' moment from last year! And today's desk….

Showing frantic preparations for Wednesday craft club where I will be demoing texture paste and helping the girls to make two Xmas cards. In the bags you see all the kits ready and then some extra samples of other things you can do with texture/grunge paste. 

Tinting it with paint 

After cleaning the stencil you then replace it over the raised areas and colour with distress inks using   brushes.

Don't listen to me… go to  http://blog.paperartsy.co.uk  and there are some great tutorials to watch and inspire.  Barbara Grey from Clarity Stamps also has some great projects. 

Sorry about the photo heavy post but for once I have a lot to share!

I am looking forward to seeing what's on your desks this week too.

Have a happy week

Lynda X

WOYWW- Travel Journal and JOFY workshop!

Hi Everyone and thanks for stopping by.

My desk this week I'm pleased to say has been quite busy. I've errm tidied it a bit before this shot as you wouldn't have seen anything under the pile of trimmed photo paper. 

I have been working on my travel journal. Selecting photos, sizing them, printing, cutting, mounting and journalling. It's quite time consumimg but I'm not in a hurry!  I hope to share more soon if other things don't get in the way like Christmas! I had to put the distress ink right in front of me while I was working because I kept forgetting to ink the edges of the photo mounts before I stuck them in. Very frustrating because now some are inked and some aren't! Please ingnore the 'Hip Flask' I haven't taken to the drink (yet) a friend thought it might look good amongst the pages and indeed it will at some point. 

I am very excited as Alison and myself are travelling up to Wantage on Saturday to do a Jo Firth-Young workshop in The Stamp Attic. Whoo hoo! But Oh dear, all those lovely goodies in the shop to buy….now where did I put my piggy bank……? 

Have a happy week

Lynda B X