WOYWW

Hello - Wednesday again and time to get nosy looking at everones desks. Not sure what I am on about hop over to stamping ground blog and see what it all about.

My pictures are of the right hand side of my desk today. This contains all of my papers (12 x 12, 8 x 8, 6 x 6 and A4), blank cards ready for making up and all of mybit of papers that I cant bear to throw out. I have so many as I used to get some from work - when i worked for Readicut.  I also have a photo of my side desk that I use to cut. The brushes are from INKYLICIOUS a fab shopand online shop in Batley that sells all things stamping. Deby that owns it has been on Create and Craft with her brushes and I think they are fab.It is my local shop so I do pop in often.

Signing on day today and I am meeting a friend for a coffee at the Mill Village, Batley straight after so that I dont feel quite so depressed about having to claim. I know I have worked all of my life and to claim my Pay in lieu of notice after being made redundant I have to claim job seekers but why do I feel the lowest of the low.......and for a depressing £67 a week...... I really dont know how people survive on this longterm.  Bring on a job soon please........

Oxford was lovely......

Oxford was lovely and here a a couple of photos to prove it.

 

There were a lot of bikes.

 

One of the colleges not sure which as we got lost but how priveleged are the students that go anywhere in Oxford , studying in these beautiful surroundings.

 

Messing about on the river...........

 

And a nice cold glass of something when we got back to the hotel/pub. It was really hot...........................

Back to reality today and job hunting via the internet was the orderof the day. I also need to make some cards this evening , hopefully some pictures tomorrow.

wedding anniversary

Hello all from Oxford today. Its my wedding anniversary on Saturday and we always like to go away to celebrate. So for we have done Cardiff, Shrewsbury, Stirling, Cardiff again, Manchester and now Oxford. ( yes i have only been married 6 years)

 Red Kite flying off

This was a Diet coke - Honest

The Windmill that was on ChittyChitty Bang Bang.........



Seen some Red Kites ( lots of them and one dragging off a rat or something with a long tail ..eeugh) We stopped off at Bicester Designer Outlet ( lots of Prada, and Gucci and Jimmy Choos........) they dont do my size so I was not tempted.....apart from the shoes.......Also stopped off at Turville where they filmed Chitty Chitty Ban  Bang and some of the Midsomer Murders stuff. Lovely village and some photos below. Getting ready for a nice meal now..................

whats on your workdesk Wednesday.................

Its Wednesday again............. My desk is a mess as I am desperatly making cards for the shop where I sell them at and trying to make some samples for a new shop. Not sure if the new shop will take my cards as they have quite a set format and the style of my cards is much more random as I discover new techniques, new papers and new stamps. You can but try.......
I have included a picture of my inspiration board and the racking to the left of my desk today I am saving the racking to the right for next week.

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ if you have no idea what WOYWW is all about. Its good fun and you get to be really nosy looking around other peoples desks. Must go cards to make..............

Sharne

sewing machine...

I have got a new battery in the camera so Viola some of my sewing machine makes..... Hopefully they look good . I cant wait to get some clothes made. I probabally wont model them for you..........  I have also tried some knitted flowers. Got a pink rose done just need the leaves now.  Happy crafting in all its forms, what would I be without it ?

new things

i have ordered a new spacer mat for my Wizard. Thank you all that suggested this very simple remedy to my frustration.  I have also purchases a new sewing machine.........This was born out of the sad demise of my faithful old machine ( purchased in Cyprus in 1979 ) which finally went to the sewing machine heaven a couple of months ago. I have recently used my Mums old Singer machine but it only did ordinary stitching and I wanted my fancy stitches back. I had not done much machine sewing of late but now I have time on my hands I have been feeling the urge.  I have been down to The Skopos shop in Red Brick Mills ( about 5 minutes drive from my house) and bought some off cuts to get me started. So far I have made 8 cushion covers. The sizes are a bit iffy but I am loving them. If I can get a new battery for my camera tomorrow from Leeds I will take soem photos and show them off. I am also going into Leeds looking for some tunic patterns so that I can make some tunics/Kaftans for myself in funky fabrics. I love the ones I have but am looking forward to trying to make some for myself.
My Thumb is coming along nicely but I will be glad when the stitches are taken out and I can get back to using it properly as it becoming a bit of a nusiance now.

See you all soon.

WOYWW

Hi all , i had such a good experience last week with this http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com WOYWW that I had to do it again..........
I purchased some shaped cutting things from a "new" shop in Ossett. It has always been a good craft shop but the lady that owned it has retired and new blood has given it new life. It is much brighter and seems easier to get around the small space. The shop has been renamed Piggin Crafts.....................
 I am however disappointed with my Wizard machine. I have had it an age but never really used it and now find that I do not have the right mats in it. The spacer mat is much smaller than the rest of the mats so I cant cut a larger shape. I did get it from where I worked for free as it was a sample and had been used to demonstrate. I think the wrong mats had been put back in with it. I also have a Xcut but it is too small for the shapes I have bought.  Maybe I need to purchase a better machine........suggestions welcome.
Here is my workdesk today - I have finished some cards and have experimented with a single colour. I love the Molly Bloom stamped in green, on green dotty Brazil card. I used some glitter for a bit of sparkle.  I also have repeated a cat card which was very popular last time I did it. This time I coloured with promarkers ( i only had watercolour paints last time) and I think its quite cute. I don't put sentiments on my cards for the shop as they prefer no words so that the customers can adapt to whatever occasion they want - i sometimes find this frustrating as a sentiment finishes off a card sometimes.

 

I am looking forward to snooping around everyones desk today and seeing if I get some more nice comments (or even not so nice if its constructive)

Sharne

no washing up.....

Its amazing what you use your thumb for.........................so far I have had to have help washing my hair (that was funny) and lifting the sunday roast out of the oven. I managed to fasten my bra but got the hook, hooked into my bandage so had to ask for help to be released, with my thumb attached to my bra fastening halfway up my back. Him indoors (Ken) thought it was very funny....... not as funny as me watching him wash up everything as I cant get my hand wet yet and rubber gloves wont fit over the thumb dressing, he he he he he he he..........he he he. I should get the bandage reduced on Wednesday at the doctors surgery hopefully so I am taking advantage while I can. 
Did some cards for the shop last night and this afternoon. I seem to be stuck in a lime green and lilac cycle at the moment but i really love the fresh look it gives.  I have also spent some time in trying to grab the lotv banner thingy to put onto my blog but cannot work it out. Any help gratefully received if you have the time or indeed the inclination.
Ken has just started doing his ironing of work shirts for next week I am really lucky that he was in the RAF and has had training for this. He did 9 years and I did 12 years sohe is just as qualified as I am. I am sure he would not mind if I did them for him but why not use your skills if you have them.........

Happy Crafting.............

ouchy.....

I have been missing for a couple of days having a small op on my Thumb. It was a small lump around my thumb joint which we did not know what it was. It was getting painful and really irritating so as i am not at work i thought i would do something about it. I only had local anesthetic so easy peasy and it turned out to be a Giant Cell Tumour ( benign) so all is well. The surgeon let me have a look at it and it looked like a baked bean..... Its all wrapped up nicely now and i have lots of pain killers - just got a few stitches to have out in a couple of weeks.  Crafting may have to be curtailed a little while it heals but all is well... phew.......

I have attached a couple of photos of a card I did for a small friend.... and a scrapbook page of myself and my mum in Grassington. We stayed at the Devonshire Hotel for a couple of nights and had a lovely time in Skipton.  Hope you like......

whats on your workdesk wednesday.....

Just checked out Stamping Grounds WOYWW and thought it was good fun so here is my 1st attempt .
I must admit I did have a bit of a tidy up before the photo ( well it is the 1st time anyone out side my family has seen my workdesk.) I stamped various stamps the other evening and I am in the process of pro markering them. I love colouring in it seems to calm me when I am feeling a bit stressed. I have also got my new Molly Bloom stamps on there  which are work in process as you can see. I got the girl stamp but have got to work out what she could be sitting on...........duuuuuh, schoolgirl error.

I have also included a finished card which is destined for the Shop I sell at, just so you can see I do actually finish things.

Got to go and get ready for an interview in Leeds now - 1st one for **** years so I am very nervous. It is a good practice one as its "only" with an agency but I am still pooing my pants............ What do they say "You should do something every day that scares you"  I AM SO WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE NOW I MAY GET TO LIKE IT........

Sharne

Busy Days

Hello - had a busy day yesterday and another one today.

Had to go over to Sheffield yesterday for a MRSA swab ready for my op on Friday. Its is a 45min drive there and 45 min back - was only actually in the building for 10mins and 5 of them I was waiting ( in a very nice room)!!! Its only a day surgery op on my thumb - nothing serious just better done than left and I thought it was a good time to do it. I did try to pop into the Craftbox at Elsecar on my way home from Sheffield but it was shut on a Monday......just my luck as it is always a nice shop to mooch in and I always come out with something.

Today I need to make a Baby boy birth card for my mums next door neighbour. The new arrival is 2 weeks early so caught my mum out and I had the "emergency make a card quick" phonecall last night.

I also need to go shopping for an interview outfit as I have a "date" with my 1st agency tomorrow. I thought Marks and Spencer may hit the right note so Owlcoat centre in Pudsey is my destination of choice.Its much larger than the White Rose centre and also has good free parking.I hate driving around for ages and then paying a fortune to park, it can spoil my whole day.

Some scrapbook pages

These are photos of my mums cat FLUFFY, taken about a week before she passed away ( the cat not my mum !!!). It was very sad and mum loved this page as it summed up Fluffys bright personality, even though she was always hiding under the bushes and trees. Think I need to sort out my photograhy going forward.

This Ken my husband in Weymouth. It was the 1st time we have been down to my Sister-in-laws cottage getaway. We have been down loads of times since but this was taken at Weymouth carnival day and the weather was fabulous. Tried some ribbon folding for the ist time as well on this layout, need some stonger sticky stuff I think to make it a bit more even. I do like the randomness of it. Also stamped and glossy acented the white flowers ( prima I think) Papers were Fancy pants.

Lazy Sunday

Its been a lazy Sunday afternoon, morning and evening.
Had a look around a new house this morning as it had an open day.
We love the house we are in but I feel the need to move nearer my parents. They are aged 78 and 80 and are getting to the stage where I think I should be a little closer to them to keep a better eye on them. We narrowly missed out on a house to buy just down the road from them and it would have been perfect but we were not in as good a position as the people who bought it. We do now have our house up for sale and we will see what happens but no takers yet. We have only had the board up and been on websites since Wednesday so early days....

Did a bit of crafting this evening  but cutting the grass and generally weeding the garden came 1st today.

Got to fast from 9.00pm tonight as got some blood test in the morning better go and get a nice coffee and maybe a toasted T cake........yummy.

Sharne

BBQ

OK just been upstairs in my Craft room using my promarkers to colour in some stamped images.
will put them on here once I have sussed out how to transfer photos easily. Smelt the BBQ going so have left my colouring in to make the salad - It is the womans contribution to BBQ's isnt it ? SOmetimes we are traditional in our house.......


I do have one photo of a card I made for my sisters 40th which I am posting on here and a couple of my general creations. Feel free to comment....

what to do next

Ok Redundandcy stinks.......at any age  - especially mine.


So what do I do now ? I do have a sort of plan of action.

1. Find a job - this easier said than done I guess I am applying a scattergun approach. I feel the more jobs I apply for , the more chance I will find something.  I really enjoyed my last job and I am really missing it and missing the people as well. I worked in an open creative office. We produced craft catalogues selling Rug making kits, cross stitch, papercraft items and some household stuff in our sales.As well as being a stock controller within Purchasing I made most of the sample cards we used to demonstate product and thoughly enjoyed it.

2. Try to use my crafty side to make some money and let people in the craft business know I am there and what I can do.

This Blog is hopefully the start of it and I will be discovered..................who knows...........

lots of love
Sharne

test

testing