Wednesday 21 May 2014

WOYWW #259

Good morning WOYWWers, hope you are all well. A busy week this week, but I did manage to get a bit of crafting in. I've had a new delivery of stamps, so thought I'd have a bit of a play, this is what my desk looked like "mid session"


Some of you may recognise Sheena's new "Taste of India" stamps, fab designs, love them. With the new stamps I also received my new rock-a-blocks, jury's still out on those though, I'll let you know how I'm getting on with those next time. The background is made using distress inks, I tried the technique of adding a coating on glycerin to the card before applying the ink - all I can say is WOW! It makes such a difference, the ink goes on so smoothly and the colour is really vibrant!

The finished card looks like this:

I highlighted a few areas by taking the colour back off the card with water and added a few extra highlights with a white pen, the splodges are just water to take the colour off.

Hope you like it. Off to explore the other desks over on Julia's blog

Have a good week

Donna x

Wednesday 14 May 2014

WOYWW #258

Ooops, missed last weeks WOYWW, these Bank Holiday Mondays really mess my week up, and the week at work doesn't seem to go any quicker either, even though its a day shorter, not that I'm complaining about the long weekends....

For this weeks WOYWW I thought I'd have a long shot of my desk, there is nothing "in production" this week but after watching Sheena Douglas again this week on Create and Craft and buying yet another set of her stamps, I realised that I still have some that I haven't used, so I have got them out ready to use, and had intended to have a play tonight (writing this on Tuesday night) but it was such a lovely evening I had a nice walk around the village with Jess and stopped off for for a quick drink at my local, so nothing has got done.
The white folders are full of Sheena stamps, and I have to confess there are some I haven't used in there as well, but they are Christmas stamps, so I'm sure its OK, some many stamps, so little time....

The latest stamps that I want to use are these:

I have used some of the sea horse stamps, but the rest are awaiting to be cut out, as for the others I have invested in some rock-a-blocks, so when they arrive (with even more stamps) I will cut them all out, hopefully this will be quicker and easier that mounting them all on EZ mount.

So for this week, as there is nothing in progress on my desk, here are a couple of finished projects from the last couple of weeks:



Thanks for looking, off to look at everyone else's desk over on Julia's blog.

Bye for now

Donna x

Wednesday 30 April 2014

WOYWW #256

Good morning, a very quick post this morning, as although I was very organised this week and actually took the photos on Monday (had an extra day off as I had to use up my hols) I didn't get around to downloading them until this morning. My desk for this week looks like this:

 As you can see I don't make all of my flowers, I do occasionally buy a few, although I do have to ink them up a bit before I stick them on. The finished card looks like this


If you saw my desk last week and noticed the melt pot flowers, you may be interested as to where they went, a couple are on the above card and the other two went onto this card:

But I couldn't show it as I didn't want the recipient to see it, but I can show it now, hope you like it - she did.

Must dash, a quick look at the other desks on Julia's blog and off to work

Bye

Donna x

Wednesday 23 April 2014

WOYWW #255

Good morning WOYWWers.

You may be wondering where I was last week (or maybe not!) However, for those of you who were wondering although I said I wasn't going away last week, we decided at the last minute to have a short break, and the place we had booked for July had some availability - so off we went for 4 days to Devon, and it was as lovely as I had hoped.

For my desk this week


As you can see I have had my alcohol inks out and I have a finished card, here are a couple of close ups. The die is from Tattered Lace, a pressie from my sister. The background is the caught in crystal technique.



As you can see my melt pot has been in use as well, this is what I made:


And as an extra bonus, a piccie of Jess in the garden at the cottage in Devon, as you can see we had fab weather

Off to look at everyone else's desks over on Julias blog, so bye for now.

Donna x

Wednesday 9 April 2014

WOYWW #253

Good morning all, only 3 days and I finish from work for a week and a bit, can't wait, I may even get to do some crafting! Not going on holiday, just "pottering" at home, although we have booked a holiday for later in the year, off to Appledore in Devon, never been before but I have it on good authority that its lovely and very dog friendly.

Anyway for my desk this week I have been playing so there are a few shots of various parts of my desks with messy bits on them taken during the evening.

This first one is using my Pebeo Moon paints (they sneaked into the shot of last weeks desk), I've just added them to a flower I die cut. Do you like the glass cutting mat? Found it in my utility room, bought it ages ago for baking, however its so big, it is too hard to handle, but found a better use for it....


This second shot is all the background bits I was playing with, the bright green, red and orange one is alcohol inks, as for the one on the left and the blue/silver one I don't think you'd ever guess what its made of, particularly if you could feel it, its very textured, give up yet?....read on and I may tell you

I was going to use the alcohol ink background for a card and stamp over it, but then I decided to make this one instead


And now, how I made it, but first - did any of you watch Sue Wilson on C & C where she demonstrated a background technique using cosmic shimmer pearl glue? Well this is what this was suppose to be, however, when I was squeezing the glue pot, the lid fell off and the glue went everywhere, so I used my palette knife to spread it about a bit, then when dry added alcohol inks. It looks great "in the flesh" as it is very textured. Then I just did my usual acetate with a sentiment on it.

Thanks for visiting, off to Julias blog to look at the other desks

Bye for now

Donna x

Wednesday 2 April 2014

WOYWW #252

Good morning, had a busy weekend, gave the mothers day cards to their recipients, so I can now show the cards from the "sneak peak", not yet though, I need to show you my desk for this week first:

This is a card in progress, there is a background being flattened underneath the Cuttlebug and hubbys book (not a very exciting read and no idea how it got into my craft room), then are loads of bits ready for colouring and adding together to make a card. Here is a close up of the "bits"


Eventually all the bits were added together and they became this:


There are a few hints of my normal style, but this was done as a commission, hence the personalisation and the golf theme, it turned out better than I though it would, as I hate doing male cards (unless its just trees) and adding a theme is even harder. The golf tees and wooden leaves have been gilded and the burlap has been die cut using a Tim Holtz Bigz die to match the leaves.

And as promised from last week, here are the finished mothers day cards:


This one uses a sweet poppy stencil as the focus, all the flowers are made from cardboard, those sharp eyed among you will notice that a few more bits were added after the sneak peak from last week - I just got carried away with bling. Here is the other one:

Also with added bling!

Anyway, must dash, a quick look at the other desks on Julias blog and off to work

Bye for now

Donna x

Wednesday 26 March 2014

WOYWW #251

Good morning WOYWWers, had the lurgy (cold/flu type thingy) the last couple of weeks so haven't felt like doing much blogging, still got the lurgy but just a bad cough now. Had a great weekend as I used my birthday present from December - tickets to the Hobbycraft show at the NEC in Birmingham. not as good as in previous years and definitely more sewing/textiles than papercraft. Anyway, on my workdesk this week are all my crafty purchases:


I've cheated a bit as I have sneaked in some new Sheena stamps, which although not bought at the NEC arrived this week from C & C. The rest of my purchases consist of Lavinia stamps, Sweet Poppy stencils, masks, more DI's and some MDF hearts - bargain at 30p each. Here is a close up:

I have made cards this week but, as they are mothers day cards I can only show a sneak peak:


And as I can't show a finished card today how about two cute dogs instead?

This is my little madam Jess (the Westie) and her new "aunty" Molly, not sure if she looks as if she is sharing the ball or guarding it!

If you are wondering what all this WOYWW business is about visit Julia's blog to see what its all about.

That's all for now

Bye

Donna x

Wednesday 26 February 2014

WOYWW #247

Good morning WOYWW's, missed you all last week, just forgot what day of the week it was - only just remembered what day it was this morning - is it my age? or just another busy week at work? - bit of both I think! Anyway, my desk this week is from a recent commission I did for a friend at work, the sort of commission I like, one without any specific requirements - they always work out better like that.


and a few close ups:



The card was made entirely from white card and one ink pad (wild honey distress ink), with a few extra twiddly bits

And cos I had a couple of birthdays this week, some finished cards;


and this one was made with the left over bits

That's all for now, off to Julias blog to look at everyone else's desks.

See you all next week

Donna x

Wednesday 12 February 2014

WOYWW #245

Good evening, another late one this week, don't have an excuse this week, just had such a busy week so far (and its still only Wednesday) that I forgot what day it was until I was on the way to work! Anyway, here is my desk:

and a closer look
You are probably wondering what these are, those of you who follow me know I'm a big Sheena Douglass fan and these on my desk are the start of the Faux leather technique that she demonstrated on Create and Craft recently, however this is as far as I've got with them, I'll try and finish these before next week. The embossing folders are Sheenas as well (well not these particular one - these are mine, but you know what I mean!). Here is a close up:




I love these designs, really different. Now in the demo she used kraft card but as I hadn't got any I used old manillia folders from the office and they worked just as well.

That's all for tonight, got a birthday card to make, but not before I pop over to Julias blog to look at the other desks

Bye for now

Donna x


Wednesday 5 February 2014

WOYWW #244

just a quick post this morning as running late (well later than normal). My desk for this week looks like this


Forget all of the above, it is now evening, laptop/internet were not happy this morning, so take two:



These are the backs of my backgrounds, and now for the fronts.....




The above image is a stencil that I have versamarked (is that a real word??) through and then used white embossing powder.

As the above are still in their "raw" state here is a completed card I made for a crafty friends birthday

yep, still love my Lavinia stamps


Close up of the frame, made using gilding wax

That's all for now, off for a late visit to Julias blog to look at all the other desks

Bye for now

Donna x

Wednesday 29 January 2014

WOYWW #243

Good morning, I've been "missing in action" for a couple of weeks, I've had the "lurgy", so haven't felt like crafting, feeling a lot more human now so have actually made a card, only one though, ...little steps

Here is my desk for today:

As you can see I am still playing with my new Lavinia stamps. The background to the right is a bit of playing with my Luminarte Silks acrylic glazes

Here is a close up of the card:


Really loving these stamps, just used a few distress inks, and a bit of sparkle:

bit blurred, but you get the idea.....
That's all for today. Off to Julias blog to look at all the other desks

bye for now

Donna x

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Whats on Your Workdesk? Wednesday #240

Normal service has resumed...I would like to say I did loads of crafting over the Christmas holidays (I had nearly 2 weeks off) but I didn't do any, unless you count trying out my lovely new Pebeo gilding wax on my Jack Daniels bottle whilst sat in bed on Christmas morning. Both items were a pressie from hubby (why else would a bottle of Jack Daniels be upstairs?), I say both, but I actually received all 3 colours of the gilding wax, I was only expecting just one (aren't I the lucky girl?) also had the new underwater Sheena stamps (they are in the photo of my desk - as yet still unopened - told you I hadn't done any crafting). Anyway this is last nights desk as I don't have time in the morning to take photos as back to work already...


....and a closer look:


As you can see I also had some had some Lavinia stamps for Christmas form my mom, love these stamps so ordered a few more, hopefully they will be arriving this week. Here are a few close ups:

You can just about see the sparkly bit on this photo


This one isn't quite finished yet, just waiting for the other stamps to arrive so I can add a bit more sparkle.

The other card is actually one of my caught in crystal cards, I loved it so much that I didn't add anything else, just left it as a piece of modern art


and a close up, you can see the gold flakes, this would make a nice background for my new underwater stamps, hmmm...that's a thought...
That's all for now, off to Julias blog to look at all the other desks



Donna x