WOYWW 149 - a work in progress

I had a wonderful, wonderful yesterday splodging paint around at The Cubby Hole, Crewe.  Armed with an old Amazon box, a pile of paper and a stack of paints I spent the day creating a new art journal.

The beauty of working in a shop is that new supplies are right to hand!  I just fell in love with the Graphic 45 door handle and plate and when the rest of the journal cost so little I had no problem justifying its purchase!

With all my journaling over the last week or so I've started missing my handmade journal with its different sized pages (it's at Stampington & Co awaiting publication hee hee) and when my eye caught this Amazon box I decided it would make a perfect cover.

Inside the pages have been created from scrapbook papers, old envelopes, watercolour paper and pre-painted papers.  The file folder is by Cavallini, which I found in my local Waterstones :)

I love the challenge that starting from different papers provides.  I am a little scared now by the size of this journal lol!

So now it waits on my workdesk to be stitched together!  Don't forget to take time to peruse lots of other desks via Julia's Stamping Ground.

a splash of watercolour = some funky, weird creatures

This is kindof a bit of a late WOYWW as I visited my artist friend Graham on Wednesday, and took my watercolours with me.  He's done some more work on his studio since I last visited...

It's such a warm and welcoming place...

... full of inspiring art...

I, meanwhile, just splashed some watercolour around on a couple of pages in my sketchbook.

Then hunted for some 'beings' amongst the paint splashes aka Carla Sonheim (Drawing Lab).

My favourite is the little 'thing' leaning up against the central spine of the book.

It was this large bunny I found first though.  I just LoVe this technique, there's no way I'd be able to invent these imaginative characters any other way!

WOYWW 110 - the clatter of my sewing machine

I really should oil it!!!  It's a good job you can't hear it, but I thought I'd share what I've been up to, seeing as it's Wednesday and that's what Wednesday's are for!!  Miss Julia likes to inspect our workspaces on Wednesdays, which is fine by me, I love to see what everybody's busy doing.

I've been stitching away on my fabulous Bernina, creating a collage for the Bean & Brush.  I thought it would make a nice addition to the history wall.

The postcard is a copy of one from the Birkenhead series.  George Birkenhead ran the post office [the Bean & Brush is located in the old sorting office] and two of his son's ran a florist shop next door, and became world famous for their ferns!

I AdOrE ferns.  I love the magical look of them when they are unfurling, the smell of freshness when you brush past, and the stillness of the woodland that they invoke.  Anyone else a fern lover?

WOYWW - in the studio

Today I am working in my friend's art studio at The Mustard Tree in Ancoats, Manchester. [I'm usually over there on Tuesdays but I had a fabulous day out to The Cubby Hole, Crewe yesterday with a couple of friends :)  We had such a fun time :)  ]  I am gathering together shapes and patterns to use in my pieces for my exhibition, and practising working BiG!!!

It's a wonderful place to work in, full of inspiring objects, and surrounded by fun people - we have a good laugh as well as supporting each other in our work.

Graham is a really talented artist, and is currently working on commissions for John Lewis and The Hilton Hotel - if you know Manchester's Betham tower well enough you can just spot it on Graham's easel in the background.

WOYWW weeny books :)

I have workshop prep on my desk today.  I'm so looking forward to teaching it at The Cubby Hole, Crewe on Saturday, and again at The Stamp Attic, Wantage in March.  It's called 'a basketful of books' as we will be making five little books, all bound in different ways, which would look fab in a basket on your coffee table!  

If you fancy a nosy at what fellow crafters are up to, head on over to The Stamping Ground where the gorgeous Julia Dunnitt hosts this perusal every week :P

WOYWW - gems, zebra and a bit of research

Here are the results of waking up at 1.30am yesterday morning and not being able to get back to sleep as I had to be up at 4am for my train to London.  It's my lino and eraser carving for my day 3 zebra journal page . The result of this lack of sleep followed by a long train journey, a busy morning training teachers, a busy afternoon looking at gorgeous illustrations (including some Oliver Jeffers' ones which was a fabulous surprise)

... and mooching around Piccadilly in London was that I fell asleep on the train home (despite your good wishes and hopes Helen!)  To the extent that the train got in at 10.50pm, and I was woken by some very kind lads at 11.10pm who tapped me on my shoulder and just said 'Manchester Piccadilly'!  How sweet were they!  I heard them haring down the train, very noisily, then one of them say "shall we wake her up?" I'm so glad they did!!!

My workdesk also features the contents of my pocket after a trip to a restoration yard which I emptied onto my table before travelling to London!!!

And finally, this is my printed out research for this month's Sketchbook Challenge.  Jill Berry set this month's theme of 'HiGHLY PRiZeD' and referred to the work of Sister Corita Kent who I had never heard of so immediately looked up!  These images will go into my sketchbook as part of the challenge, I've just not cut them up yet!

I do like WOYWW.  It's a bit diary like, but in a format that works for me ;)  If you'd like to see what other people are up to, head on over to The Stamping Ground where you will find many other people who happily share their workspaces each Wednesday :)  Mine's a late entry as I slept looooooooooooooooong today I am very happy to say :)

WOYWW? - the results of a Christmas gift idea!

This is the elegant, posed shot of the project ;)

Whilst this is what is underneath that calm exterior - I put some white paper on top of a box of inks to take the pic above!

I've had the idea in my head for this project for ages!  Lots of ink, snowflakes and glue later it's finally finished :)  Although I'm going to need a lie down now, I'm worn out.  Anyone else suffering with this nasty cough?  I spent all day Sunday and Monday asleep, and Tuesday am.  Not good when you've still got tonnes to do for Christmas!

I made this wintry piece as part of my design team brief over at The Stamp Attic (more photos and details over there) using Tim's filmstrip alteration die by Sizzix.  I love the versatility of this die, and it also punches great weeny rectangles which you can use on tags or cards :)

I was asked last week on WOYWW what was in my drawers [??!!] - nothing exciting I'm afraid, but here's a pic for the curious.  The plan is to store inkpads etc in there that are best kept at hand...

The trouble is, my distress inks and stazon are in separate boxes cos there's too many to go in a tray, and I keep losing my versamark pad and black memories pads.  Hopefully, with a home they'll stay put!

Happy Wednesday everyone :)

WOYWW - settling in to my space in the attic :)

This is what my desk looked like a few weeks ago or so...far too sparse!

I spent quite a bit of time on Sunday unloading bags and organising my craft space, so that now my workdesk is workable on, and I have my essential crafting supplies to hand!

I had to laugh to myself though when I saw the full cup of tea in each of these shots!!!  I found it very difficult to work in the sparser space, although looking at the images, there isn't much difference!  I've moved the cuttlebug and it's gubbins onto a shelf elsewhere and the table shelf now has some wooden stamps and some pieces waiting to go to Julie in the States ;)  I must just prefer the look of wooden stamps to a cuttlebug!

I managed to squeeze in a tiny bit of me time last night - much easier when you are at the top of the house and the rest of the family are scattered about the house!  I used some 'I believe' reindeer paper by My Mind's Eye and decorated a little tag book.  For the main feature of the front cover I made a large tree in the style of the one printed on the paper whilst watching 'Miranda' - such a funny sitcom!

Have fun perusing the desks of those who choose to join in with, what is known in these circles as 

'WOYWW'

It's Wednesday, time for a nosy at people's workspaces :)

WOYWW joins us altogether in a little community, I just love it :)  Not only a good excuse for general nosiness each week lol but also opening up the opportunities to visit like-minded people in blog land.

This photograph is proof that I am midway through moving into my new craft room and out of my old space!  It is far too tidy and organised!

Fortunately you can just see some boxes that need sorting in the bottom left of this pic.  I've got the important things sorted though - my minions bunting is up :)

And there are more minions waiting by the side of my desk for a home :)  One of the great things about being up in the attic is the bathroom next to my workroom, from which I saw an amazing sunset tonight.  Unfortunately, the camera on my phone is rubbish with pinks and oranges it turns out!

I promise you, half the sky you can see was pink!

WOYWW - down on the floor

... doing a bit more on my first big painting!  Working to such a large scale means I'm finding alternatives to my usual tools.  The watered down acrylic worked 'ok' in the garden water spray bottle, but I'd have preferred more of a 'mist' than a direct spray.  I am pleased with my large 'A' though, cut from newspaper and used as a mask.  The piece still needs some more work but I'm happy with what I've done so far :)  I even did some planning in my sketchbook!

And I have exciting news!  At the moment I have a craft room in the cellar.  Although there are worktables down there, it just ends up as a dumping ground and storage area.  Our house has an open plan attic and Malc and I are moving up there, swapping rooms with our middle son.  As long as I keep it tidy I'm allowed half of the room as a studio - I feel so grown up!  So going up and down three flights of stairs is keeping me fit this week!!!

Looking forward to picking up some organisational tips from all you WOYWWers [that's What's on your workdesk Wednesday for those of you who haven't come across this fabulous idea - a good nosy at what others are up to!  Head on over to The Stamping Ground for a look:)]

WOYWW

Have just returned from a wonderful holiday on the Isle of Wight and for the last couple of weeks my 'workdesk' has been my lap, a field, a camping table... and I've been very tidy and kept everything organised and in it's place - cos you have too in a tent lol!

The bag to the right contains my wools and crochet hooks - crochet is very portable (I crocheted some of those flowers whilst standing in a fish and chip shop queue on Cowes night!) so easy to take away on holiday.

My little craft bag is pretty portable too, with pencils, pens, paints and blank ATCs to hand.  What you can't see is the small suitcase filled with other bits n bobs, and the jute bag that contained the little craft bag lol!

I decided to catch up on my ATCs whilst I was away.  These were made using Dyan Reaveley's Altered Originals Spray inks (collection 1).  I sprayed the card, allowed it to dry, then used a watery brush to merge the colours.  The flowers are Daisy Daisy (Stampotiqu) from The Stamp Attic, coloured with a white gel pen.

I also had a bit of a play with my new Stabilo Woody pencils (a watercolour, pencil and wax crayon all in one).  I picked these up in an art shop in London, but you can see them here, they are YuMMY! [think you're gonna love these Sue!!]  

I scribbled with the blue and brown pencils, used a wet brush over them, then a walnut ink spray.  I've wanted a white spray for AgEs and finally tracked one down at The Cubby Hole, Crewe.  It's a Memories Mist in Whipped Cream and I used it with a Tim mask over my coloured card.  A bit of stamping, a touch of collage and the ATCs were done!

Happy WOYWW!  Looking forward to having a sneak at your workdesk, and if you're wondering where all this started, head over to the lovely Julia's Stamping Ground for the info :)

WOYWW

I'm on my way to London today, very early, for a meeting so I've stamped up some images to sit and cut out on the train :)  I'm in love with theses cogs and gears from Jennie's time series.  You'll find them over on the Artistic Stamper.

I'll also be playing with my new smartphone - hee, hee, hee :)