What's on your Workdesk Wednesday - (with Freebie!)

 Hello to all the dear WOYWWers and any other folk having a mooch around here today. Well - what a week. I was already for a mega-creative marathon after playing host to all the guests but I had a slight detour. Just an hour after placing last weeks WOYWW blog I found myself lying in hospital having a blood transfusion with a suspected appendicitis and the realisation that the surgeon might be seeing more of the scissors and a "craft" table than me. Turned out to be something else abdominal so I am still intact, but I was completely out of it, laid up for a week, played human pin-cushion to trainee doctors, and yet again devoid of my craft room. My lovely hubby could see I was suffering from withdrawl so he loaded up his i-touch with 30 videos from the CHA and I got to lie around all day and digitally sniff out the new stash on it's way in December. So blessings to be had after all...
When I was discharged and on the way home we stopped at a garden centre and stumbled across a craft corner - and SALE! Mega-goodies and bargains - what a fab treat after the last week.

 I was so chuffed I have even bought something for you guys to celebrate! Here is one of the goodies - my 50p stamp! Read on for your little treat......
So nowt new on my blog until today... Despite everything being all over the shop as we say - I shall blog, I shall babble, and I shall bag...I use bag as a verb as it has been an intense two days trying to finish my Claudine Helmuth project for this week...It was originally a project to jazz up a vest top but I wanted to do a bag. It was all fine until the sewing machine stitching started looking like fungi and I sewed the handles to the bag three times. I did get an A in this at school - really. Anyway it is the left-over bits of my sticky-back canvas decorated with the faux batik technique. Then it is random stitching and a few buttons (yes mum - it is supposed to look like that...) Despite some major stumbling blocks - I got there and as Monty Python would say - "And now for something completely different..." It is a swing in a very different direction compared to my usual thing but I lurve sewing anyway. I am quite pleased and glad to be fighting with needles and thread instead of drip cables and stands!

 Next week I am off on my hols up to lovely Harrogate - staying closer to home due to the last week but still excited as I get to snoop around the Art from the Heart shop all week -  and - I am doing two workshops there !!! Happy jumps and little squeals...So next week is all luxury, Betty's tea-shops and shopping in York. What more can a gal want? So my WOYWW blog entry might be on tour next week...!

So to end - just a little treat for anyone out there who fancies them. Keeping in theme with all the love hubby shows me and the joy of a little flutter with the pennies ...here are two packs of Papermania rub-ons up for grabs. Just leave a comment and your blog/e-mail so I can contact you and I will soon be sending them on to one lucky WOYWWer. No gimmicks - just like giving pressies - so enjoy!

Thanks a lot for visiting and all your great comments last week...

Still loving my type-writer.

This is me - signing off - over and out - and until we meet again...xxx Sarah

WOYWW...?

Well - Wednesday has descended upon us yet again and it is time for the weekly snoop, drool and nose around...I am starting with a piccy of my oh so spiffingly lurvely type-writer. Still ecstatic about my find but I must focus (see previous post for the complete saga). So here is my desk... which had lain unloved for a week due to a household of guests. I am so glad to be let loose again and couldn't wait to mess it up for once.

 Been diving in from all angles...getting back on schedule with my Claudine Hellmuth course which involves doing battle with my embossing powders love affair with the Tim Holtz mask.
 Lots of Perfect Pearl and paint stuff going on but not as messy as last week. Also received three ATCs from a Craft Stamper swap - they are lying on the blue tool box. I do love ATCs - and their momentary escapism - time for a dabble again.

Also a few wooden hearts and butterflies. Found two bags of them for £2 in a craft shop. I don't normally buy ready made embellishments, I don't normally do hearts or many butterflies (no, no, no... I cannot publicly admit my closet girlishness)...

...but they are covered in such a lovely fabric I just couldn't resist...


And finally one of my projects from the CH course. It was quite a journey. The girlishness broke loose and I went all out for the flowers...I was about to add the final gem when it and a blob of Glossy accents did a triple salto onto the little darling's head. I almost died. It was already my second photo tint as the first made her look like she had had a Botox lip job and bad perm. So I was totally gutted because there is no way you can shift GA from photo paper. I really had to decide to be challenged - not perfectionistic. So after a few sighs and mutterings I went for the little label - and even got to use my type-writer. All in all things turned out just fine and I lived to see another day! Tomorrow I'm going to do a modern take on a shopping bag with CH paint, sticky back canvas and the old sewing machine - so that should balance things out on the girly front.

Time to love you and leave you. Enjoy your WOYWWing and thanks for taking the time to pop in...Do come again...!  Sarah

The sanctuary of space...

Well, the guests have all departed, Chez B&B is officially closed, hubby off viewing the A-Team (!) and I am relishing the return to the calm and space inside my little housey. Had to make to do with blog-hopping, on-line window shopping and random flicks through my Stampers Sampler to keep me charged this past week. The busy Hostess with the Mostest job, and work meant an abandoned craft room and a tortured soul...
But this week did bring a visit and a mini-spree in a reasonable craft shop where you can actually touch the stuff. I am a major on-line, "sniff out a bargain" gal...but you can't beat the real thing. I love a good forage and rummage around any shop with even the faintest aroma of an ink-pad. Major catch-up to play this week.

But the crème-de-la-crème this week is a major find in my local charity shop yesterday. I have to thank Mr. Eagle-eyed husband for it as he spotted it. For ages I have wanted an old typewriter and was actually talking about it again just this Friday. I adore using words and texts in my work and just can't quite forgive myself if I just run it up on the computer. But then again it isn't always practical to stamp a whole sentence with individual letter stamps or good for the mortgage to buy every attractive quote stamp...plus being a slight vintage diva means I've just got to get that old feeling in there somewhere. So after just one minute and a double-take at a staggeringly cheap £4 price tag - I have another addition to house in my craft room...the old Epic 6 will have to move right along the bus and share a little space with its new pal, thank you. I could consider knocking through into next door...but not very smart as we are an end of terrace!

Here are a couple of shots for you all - and a close-up of an inspirational text just given to me by a friend. Hoping to get ticking away soon...It is in great condition, everything works and it does red too - just love it! Also bought a great little flower punch, so every unguarded bit of scrap paper and fabric lying on my table has acquired a random typed word and daisy-shaped scar....

 Wishing everyone a great week. Be inspired, be yourself and - just be...

WOYWW

Hello all,

This is going to be short and sweet. I am in mega house-wife, host and tour guide mode with all the Dutch folk here...I am bamboozled after two days full duty and still feeling dodgy. Thank you for all the get well messages. I will just have to send them all off to the chippy tomorrow (and explain later that, yes - our Brit chips are supposed to be a bit soggy - yum!) Tomorrow (well that'll be today now but I still need to get to bed!) we are off to Ross-on-Wye to meet up with the previous load of Netherlanders...to be touristy. I am secretly just excited about going to a craft shop there - just a general one but good enough for a few yippie-doooos - as here on my home turf the options are a bit skinny.
I have added a Shop till you Drop list to my Blog with a few suggestions and also Inspiration Avenue to just let you savour some more colours, tones and moods - enjoy!
Today's recommendation is: Loveology  
Don't you just love the name...?

And I will leave you with two snaps...

The first one of total chaos during a mad session trying to be all done with the CH course for week 4...

The next one is the result of lots of splodging and punching...(paper not people).

This is my take on the CH project for this week.
Quite pleased that I pushed myself to go for a more modern colour scheme that still worked with a vintage feel.

Just wondering - who else has an on-going love/hate relationship with their Glossy Accents nozzle? Mine is like a charming ex that annoys you right up until the last minute. Without success you try all your best moves to get it's attention and just at that final moment when you threaten to dump it - it comes up trumps and you forgive it once again...sigh.

Have a good nosey round and enjoy WOYWW and the rest of your week.

Sunday - day of rest???

Normally Sundays are for lazing around and pretending it won't be Monday when you wake up. I actually want Monday to get here so I can feel normal again
Woke up feeling like utter trash - still battling with the bug. I feel like a Koala Bear because I just sit, sleep and stare and occasionally eat something if I can stomach it. I don't know if I am ill from being ill or mixing too many home remedies as I hate going to the Docs.
Stayed in bed all morning, took a bath and vied for attention and sympathy from my hubby whilst pretending to really be interested in the Tour de France points system.
Anyway, finally got round to finishing this weeks Claudine Hellmuth stuff - photo tinting is hard work when lying on the floor holding on to the hot water bottle...needs some tweaking but as I have more Dutch guests arriving this week, the craft room will be a little desolate for a few days...well...depending on how social I am. I want to add some more flowers but my new stash is in transit. Maybe I can get it finished for WOYWW.
Had to do the big clean up again and get the house looking decent as I prefer my guests not to write in the dust. Thankfully felt a bit better and got going.All done and time to look at my nails which have bonded very well with the CH paints....tomorrow nail salon and a good old gossip.
 During my sick week I did dabble and daub a little (between the narcolepsy).

Just a mini-canvas for showing today. Worked with mixing the CH paints to get the colour and some old serviettes and gel medium to get the faint flowery background  and made a couple of flowers from some vintage lace.

 

So Au revoir for now - wishing you all a good week (and all the folks now facing the kiddies for the next 6 weeks!)

Flickr has arrived

Dear Folk,

Jumping in at the deep end. Trying for the Simon Says Design Team Call. Eeeeek! With the help of my fab hubby I have made a show of my vintage work in Flickr. Have a peek if you like!

Link to my vintage show on Flickr

WOYWW and feeling green

I wish I could say the feeling green was a new found colour scheme but it means feeling full on grotty. Been rolling in and out of bed with the water bottle and upset stomach as opposed to with the hubby and slowly attempting to get up to date with some of the CH project. Me is not so canny at all and gutted that the whole day has gone to waste with being ill and my poor old craft table is also feeling so abandoned.

Just to prove I am not always tidy - a few piccys of the room and work in progress...

Week 3 of techniques - project not yet done..







The finished samples. I am not using my usual camera so some shots are a bit fuzzy and the detail hard to see - like me.

Here is a small canvas I did still continuing my vintage efforts. I have used an original magazine from the 50s and used a spoon as a handle which happened to be in my tea at the time. I have also noticed a bit of ghastly white tape under the flower. Oh, the shame - forgot to get round to sticking it nicely...

 

And a few close-ups - the rather attractive background is the yet to be decorated kitchen and layers of old wallpaper in my Victorian terrace. Working out quite nicely as a display and photo shoot corner! I heard about the Simon Says design call and feel itchy hands, as I luuuurrrve Vintage but feel a bit of a novice compared to the others - But we must all start somewhere. Off to bed now and not setting the alarm. What joy...Have a good WOYWW all.