WOYWW 125 -little gnomie

This morning saw me at my sewing machine again, this time making a picture of a gnome for my friend Kate, who's birthday it is on Friday.  Like me, she loves gnomes, so I thought I'd have a go at stitching a picture of one.

Now I need to make me one as I love him so much!  Especially the needlefelted beard :)  He's made up of a variety of fabrics, and mounted using an embroidery hoop.  The toadstools were a sock I found hanging around my sewing machine lol!

I'm sharing this as part of What's on your Workdesk Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by the lovely Julia Dunnit, where you get to see what everyone else has been up to today!

EDIT: I've discovered where the other sock went (and why there was a sock next to my sewing machine in the first place lol!) - my fourteen year old daughter Sophie used it to make a sock monkey :)

TOFF #10 Stripes and WOYWW #118

Where did that week go?!!!  I can't believe it's Wednesday again already.  I've had a rubbish day, fighting off some stomach bug and generally feeling rotten, although I did watch 'The Adjustment Bureau' starring Matt Damon :) and got a journal page and a tiny canvas made - so maybe not such a bad day lol

The canvas is for a friend of mine who is moving out to live in Hong Kong for a year.  It's tiny so she should fit it in her suitcase!

I had to tidy my desk when I couldn't find my blank inkpad...

...ta dah!  It didn't take long either, as most things now have a home to go to.  More images for desk junkies available from others very like me over at The Stamping Ground!  The journal page I've been working on was for the 'Stripes' challenge over at The Octopode Factory.  I added stripes to the snail a couple of nights ago so just needed to create a background and add some journalling. [This is my A6 passport size journal]

I found it quite hard to come up with something for this little snail as she is so sad!  I wanted to do something more personal than making up a little story about her, but couldn't bring myself to write a list of 'things that made me sad' as I don't dwell on sadness!!!  This quote jumped out at me yesterday and as she has her snail shell strapped on I decided she was really a worm pretending to be a snail ;) 

WOYWW 96

I've not managed a WOYWW for ages!  I've spent the day working on canvases for an exhibition on Friday - talk about last minute!!!  But somehow that's how I usually work best!

I've been busy trying to get my craft room into a reasonable shape before I start my new job and of course working on canvases this size also meant it was beneficial to get the room sorted before I started work on my exhibition pieces.

I'm still organising my really useful boxes, and really useful 'hat', but they have already made an enormous difference to the tidiness of the room!

Gluing the shelves in before turning this IKEA bookcase on its side has meant I have much more light in the room :)

I treated myself to a birdcage from Dunhelm this week.  I've wanted one for aaaaaaaaaages :)  Whilst researching weddings for wedding plate designs for the bean and brush I came across a gorgeous picture of a bride and groom with birdcages decorated with flowers and beads above their heads - the inspiration for mine!  Mine still needs more adding to it...

There are loads of other desks, and some rooms, to peruse over at The Stamping Ground :)

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 68

I'm exhibiting some work in an exhibition in Manchester in two weeks so have been working on some pieces for that.  They're at various stages, some need more layers of paint, some just need some detail stamping and main imagery.

Sorry, the light's not great on this photo.   This one is my favourite canvas at the minute, mainly because it's using colours that have been calling to me for a while!  This is going to get some text paper flowers, stitching and beads I think.

If you're wondering why I'm telling you all this, it's because today is What's on your Workdesk Wednesday, a worldwide phenomenen where bloggers feel compelled to share what they are working on, their tidy/messy desks, and often their cats too!  I don't have a cat, and my desk is too messy to share, but the dining room table was my workdesk last night so...

Head on over to The Stamping Ground for a good nosy and what everyone's up to - it's great fun :)