WOYWW 175: some inky tags and a bit of shopping

I've not been doing much moodling lately so I tiredly sprayed up some tags the other night.  They were a little dark so, after tidying my desk (!) I slapped some paint etc on them.

So my desk, unveiled today for Julia Dunnit's 175th 'What's on your Workdesk? Wednesday', is scattered with a few tags and my sketchbook [I'm trying my best to do some work for Jane Davies' Extreme Composition workshop].

I added some transparent fluid acrylic to this tag which really lifted it, before adding a black acrylic paint/india ink flower.

And to this one I painted and stamped some squares, added some strips of tissue tape and a 'Chloe Stem' that was lying around my table!

On another table in my house are some of my purchases from The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.    I'd love a few of these butterflies up my wall but only had the funds for the one.  Check out what Anna Collette Hunt did with thousands of these and other insects at Nottingham Castle here

Cheryl Ewing's piece was almost too nicely packaged to even open! [don't you just love brown paper packages tied up with string ?  ;)]

Inside, another piece for my hallway...

I mentioned Julia Jowett's wonderful work in my last post, and ended up spending more than I intended at her stand!  But it's just sooooooo gorgeous!!! (and I don't usually 'do' birds!!!)

(love the printing on the above felt, might need to try that at some point!)

A new bathroom is on the list of DIY jobs at the minute so when I saw 'Harriet' by Kate Lulham I knew she had to come home and live there!  She's so quirky she really makes me smile.

And finally, a fabulous felt 'stone' forming a fun pin cushion by the very talented Lindsey Tyson :)  Her nuno felting is to die for but these pebbles were more in my price range.

Thanks for looking!  I'm off to blog hop a few desks myself :)

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 :)

What's on your workdesk Wednesday 121

These yummy slices of cake were waiting for me at work today, how kind of the clandestine cake people!  Not much has been happening on my desk at home, but I did do some exciting work at the Bean and Brush today.  When Graham, one of the bosses, saw my heart tile he asked if I could make something similar using the butterfly from the bean and brush logo across a number of tiles.  

I cheated, kind of, and traced the logo from one of the windows then transferred it to the tiles.

I then painted the tiles black, and added 'crumbles' of dried paint in the butterfly outline.  It took a couple of hours or so to finish this, and I can't believe I then forgot to take a photo!  The tiles are now all waiting to go in the kiln, fingers crossed they come out as nicely as the heart did!

Take a peek at more desks over at The Stamping Ground with the wonderful Julia Dunnit :)

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 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? - 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 :)

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:)]