Don’t you just love it when your plans go bottom up. WOYWW (#125)

And that’s exactly what happened to me yesterday.

I didn’t really have anything specific in mind when I got up, I just thought I would make some more Christmas cards to bring the ever growing list down a bit and continue to challenge myself in making my own backgrounds instead of using patterned papers.


So with Christmas firmly in mind I decided that I needed a Fired Brick or Barn Door Distress Stain to speed things up a little and as I don’t possess either I thought I would go on a little jaunt to my favorite craft shop Imagine That over at Upminster.
The trouble was it wasn’t until I actually drove into the road where the shop is that I remembered it’s shut on Tuesdays………..what am I like, Lol!

My next thought was to take a ten minute detour to the Romford Hobbycraft, but again my mind wasn’t on what I was doing and I took a wrong turning ….......don’t ask me how because I’ve done that trip I don’t know how many times…........and I ended up going in totally the wrong direction.

Half an hour later I made it to Hobbycraft, only to find they didn’t have any Distress Stains at all, so after that little lot I had no intentions what-so-ever of coming home empty handed and I treated myself to some new Christmas stamps and embossing folders instead.

You can just see them sitting at the back of my deck on top of the ice cream tub I use for my rubbish.

Here’s a better look.

So today is going to spent making Christmas cards, minus the Distress Stain but it’s been ordered on line now and should be with me in a day or two, along with a few extra colours that just happened to drop into my basket.
I should have done that in the first place but hind sight is a wonderful thing.


While I wait for them all to arrive I’ve been playing with my Promarkers instead, colouring these Penny Black images. They're a bit different for me because I don’t usually do “cute” but I'm glad I made an exception for these though.

I’ve also made two cards (which are sitting on the corner of the desk) for this week’s The Ribbon Girl challenge, which is “Jingle All The Way”.
If you look closely one of my Sleigh cards has a Jingle Bell as well as a “Jingle Bells” greeting so I think they should pass muster……..just!

So that’s what’s on my desk…......how about showing me what’s on yours.

Julia’s blog The Stamping Ground has all the details of what you need to do to join in if you don’t already know and I’m off to make a cup of coffee and settle in for a morning of blog hopping, curtsey of What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

See you on the hop……..

Happy Crafting!
Sue
x

By the way, I’ve updated I’d Rather Be Stitchin with a few more projects if you fancy a peek.

Santa’s little helper…….I think not! WOYWW (#124)

So the Christmas card making marathon is still in full swing and whereas Santa has his little helpers to get everything done in time I have BoJangles.

Helping….I think not, but good company and a joy to have around…........…...well,most of the time……......… but not when I’m trying to work to a deadline.
He has to be amongst it all and loves nothing better than sitting on my pretty papers and generally getting in the way as you can see.

Many a card I’ve sent to friends and family will have an inky paw print on it somewhere Lol, so if I’m working on commissions I have to be very firm with him and banish him from my work room which he will object too very vocally.

So on my desk this What’s on your Workdesk Wednesday morning apart from his furriness, is yes you’ve guessed it, a Christmas card!

I’ve been having a go and making my own backgrounds and have had a play with my Brayer, Tapestry stamps and Distress Inks.
I don’t think it turned out too bad as it goes and I love the way the greeting looks.
It’s the first time I ever used my Nestabilities as a stencil and inked over the top of it….heaven knows why I’ve never done it before, so you can expect to see a lot more of that going on.


I’ve also updated some more of  My Cross Stitch Projects this week, including the one glimpsed below so if you’re interested in seeing the finished piece please stop by and leave some comments there as I would love to hear your thoughts about what I’m up to.

So that’s it from me this week as I have to go out now.
I have to take a cordless kettle back to the shop where I brought it yesterday because the base that was in the box wasn’t the one for the kettle…..I’m so annoyed because it means more than an hour round trip but I’ll be back later to see what everyone’s been creating this week.


  Julia,   Queen of Snoop has a list of everyone who’s joining in this week, so why not pop across and show us what you have on your desk.

Bye for now and……..
Happy Crafting!

Sue
x

Play Time! WOYWW (#123)

So here we are, another day in the life of a “What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesdayer” and a good excuse for a good old nosey at everyone else’s work space.
 Julia has all you need to know on her blog if you feel like bearing all and joining in with this fun weekly blog hop.

Here at Chez Krafty Kards it’s been a busy seven days since we last meet, with Wedding stationery, Christmas cards, Heritage LO’s and Cross Stitching all in the mix.

The one sad thing is that the winner of the duplicate Holly Mask that I brought didn’t reply to my email last week and hasn’t claimed her prize so I’ve picked another name.

And the winner this time is ………………

Sunshine Girl



So this week my own workspace is just a big clutter really and nothing much to show.

The table is more or less how I left in on Monday afternoon after my lovely friend Lythan left.
We get together every so often and spend the day crafting together, which is really fun.
She’s the most amazing scrapbooker , so she spent the time working on a couple of LO’s while I made a few more Christmas Cards.

Here's a few of the cards I made.

My other workspace on my computer table is covered with heritage stuff at the moment because yesterday I was doing the write up for the page I was working on last week of my Gt. Grandparents.

I’m please to say the LO’s all finished, except for the perishing clock hands that still haven’t come to light. I think they must be buried in “The Sands of Time”, Lol!
I’ve ordered some on Esty now, so when they arrive they will be added to the LO and then it ‘will’ be finished then.

If you’re interested, please feel free to visit Family Footprints in the Sands of Time and become acquainted with my ancestors and read their story.

For those of you who visited there last week and left so many wonderful messages, not only on the newer post but the older ones too, many thanks to you.
I’m pleased you are enjoying my trip back in time. I’m going to change the way the comments are done on here because I hadn’t realized that so many of you had left messages on the older posts.


I’ve also spent time adding some more of my completed cross stitch projects to I’d Rather Be Stitchin……than in the kitchen!

It’s getting to be quite a tedious job really and I did think about adding things as I finish them from now but then they wouldn’t be on there in the order that I stitched them, which is really what I wanted, so I just need to keep plodding on with it until I have it up to date.

The final bit of good news is that Carol picked up her Wedding Stationery samples last night and is over the moon with them and she also was thrilled with the Christening card that I shared with you a couple of weeks ago.
All I’m waiting for now is numbers and then I can get everything ordered and make a start on the invitations.
It’s more than a year since I worked on a big order like this and I’m really excited about doing it.

I’m off to grab a coffee now and have a blog hop to see what everyone’s up to this week, so sees you later.

Happy Crafting!

Sue
x

Where’s Mr. Blue Sky gone? WOYWW (#122)

I suppose I shouldn’t complain because we were given that extra week of beautiful scorching hot weather last week but why does the temperature have to drop by more than 10 degrees in one fail swoop.
I’m freeeeezzzzing…..........….ok that is an exaggeration, but it does feel flipping cold and I’m even contemplating putting the heating on.

I’ve been busy since last we spoke, making Christmas cards, setting up templates for the Wedding Stationery and also playing with a few of my new goodies.

I’ve even been setting up another blog.

I know I already have two, this one and Family Footprints in the Sands of Time, my heritage blog but I wanted to have somewhere I could record all my cross stitch projects, going back to the 1980’s when I first got hooked.

I’ve actually been working on it for the last few weeks but I’m nowhere near up to date as yet and still have loads to put on there so it’s really a work in progress at the moment.
If you’re interested in cross stitch and would like to see some of the projects I’ve stitched pop across to I’d Rather Be Stitchin……than in the kitchen!

Now then, Julia is mustering the troops again for another day of blog hopping in the name of What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday and my photo is duly taken and ready to show the world.

As you can see I’m attempting another page of the Heritage album and have been sorting out some photos of my Great Grandparents on my Father’s side of the family.
There are quite a few to choose from but most were either out of focus or had damage on them so I’ve had a play in Photoshop again and finished up with some pictures that will just about pass. I think I might be trying to be too fussy with them and have to keep reminding myself that we are lucky to have the photos in the first place. I'm sure that whoever inherits the albums in years to come will be only to pleased to see the slightly out of focus pictures of their ancestors.

I’m still not entirely sure what I’m doing with the LO and am making it up as I go along Lol, but I’m using some of the lovely TPC Studio and Pink Paislee ink resist papers that Lythan brought me for my birthday.

Watch this space to see what evolves!

One thing I had planned to do thought was add some black filigree hands to the clock face.
I’ve been saving a pair to use on a LO and they’ve been kicking around on my desk for ages but do you think I can find the darn things now I want to use them. They must be here somewhere so it looks like the rest of the day is going to be spent searching for them.

Well, thanks for dropping in on me this week and for all the lovely messages last week but before I go I need to announce who the winner of the Holly Mask is.
I made a list of the people who voiced an interest in winning it, put all the names in a bowl and picked one at random.

And the lucky winner is…………….
Claire.

Email me Here Claire with your details and I’ll get it in the post to you as soon as I can.

Enjoy your blog hopping and I’ll see you all soon.

Happy Crafting!

Sue
x