WOYWW 190 I need a tidy up.

I haven't done a "What's on your Workdesk Wednesday" for a while, but seeing as I remembered to take a picture of my messy desk today I thought I'd join in.

If you don't know what  "What's on your Workdesk Wednesday" is, then please pop over to Julia's blog to find out more, especially if you like nosing at other people's crafty work desks.

You can see all my wonderful PaperArtsy stamps all lined up on my wall, this is where I hang the stamps up that I'm currently using, so I can see what I want to use.

You can see I'm working on my next Creative Expressions design team piece too. It'll be on the blog later this week.

It's my birthday today and I'm off to Art from the Heart for a Gelli Plate class with Kate Crane, what a great way to spend a birthday!

Have a great crafty day 

Michelle x

WOYWW 170

Well I've certainly been very busy lately. Here you can see a sneaky peak of something Halloween related I've been working on on my desk, I'm obviously right in the thick of it here because it's a real mess!  I won't give the game away yet but it will be on the blog next week.

If you don't know what 'What's on your workdesk Wednesday' is, then why not, have you been under a rock!?

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Here's my little Felix update. 16 weeks old and he's had his second set of jabs last Friday, so he'll be going out for the first time this Friday morning. I'll have to have the camera at the ready to take pictures of his little face as he sniffs flowers and chases butterflies. It's a whole new world to explore now he's conquered  every box in my craft room. He likes to run away with things and play fetch! I fetch, not him!

Dylusion card and WOYWW 168

I thought I would sneak in a card I made for a friend at work before my Workdesk Wednesday.

I went all out Dylusional for a 30th birthday card instead of the cute stamped images I used to do for commissioned cards. My tastes have changed so much in 6 months. I wonder what I'll be doing in another 6 months time. 

It's very BLUE and I love it! I used Dylusions inks and stencils and The Octopode Factory stamps.

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WOYWW 168

Err Excuse me I'm working here!

Seconds later!

My new rescued kitten Felix is top hampering most of the time, then claiming the workdesk as his!

I would really like to give Try it on a Tuesday a mention because I've just discovered that I was voted their monthly winner, Thank you TIOT gang.  xxxx

WOYWW 165

I have been out and about today, I'm not completely attached to my crafty workdesk while I'm off work, although I wouldn't need much arm bending to make me to stay there! I've been to a museum to see a Saxon archaeological collection. I love history it always inspires me, especially all the old distressed collectables on display. I bought some old postcards which will make their way on here at some point.

On my workdesk this week you can see I'm working on a couple of journal pages, all will be revealed later this week. I also have some art parts on the go too, quite excited about these.  I have 2 deep edge 5"x5" canvases which I might hinge together to make something with, but not quite sure yet what to do with them.

A few weeks ago I went to a preview day at Art from the Heart and bought some ex-display racks. When I got home I was hoping that the Dylusion inks would fit in them, but they didn't. However, all was not lost as they turned out to be very useful as they keep my distress stains, applicator tools, alcohol inks, liquid pearls, acrylic paints and re-inkers all tidy. I love how gorgeous they look like this.

If you're wondering what What's on your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW) is all about then hop over to Julia Dunnit's blog where all will be revealed.

See you tomorrow I hope xx

Golden Paints play day at AFTH

Well I've had the most enjoyable day today. I really had a lot of fun at Art from the Heart (AFTH), .... it should be dished out as therapy ..... I sang all the way home in the car on cloud nine! The paint-ier my hands (and face) got today the happier I became.  Kate Crane was of course on top form again drawing out the secret artist inside you. I'm always surprised about all the creative things I've made when I get home. If you've not been for a class there, then you should seriously think about having a go.

Here are a couple of pics of what we got up to today.  Here we are rubbing off our printed image transfers that we stuck to our tags. In the foreground you can see the colour swatches we made from using Golden paints with different mediums. Brilliant idea Kate.

Here are 2 journals drying on the end of the table. The blue one is mine, and the orange one belongs to the wonderfully talented Ruth.

Here are the tags I made and a little canvas board in the middle. Some tags are only a background for now and will appear on the blog later when I've finished them.

Here is the background of the journal pages. Not finished yet, it needs calming down a bit, but I love those Golden paints! 

Here are those printed image transfers. The one on the left we used fluid matte medium to adhere the print to, and on the right we used gesso. I rubbed more of the paper off around the face to give it a 3d effect of a face.

I love this background below. This was made using watercolour card, I sprayed it with water first, then painted it with some light blue paint, then dried it off.  Then I added a darker blue with a palette knife, oh and did a couple of circles with the lid while I was on. Then I added iridescent orange Golden paint....OH this is sooooo yummy! I NEED MORE.... finished it off with some splats of orange paint. Now I need to make an image to go on it.

I also managed to spend £68 while I was there too! My second haul of the week, good job I'm on a diet, they'll be no food shopping this week!

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On another note.

On Wednesday's post for WOYWW I promised I would put up the ATC's I received from the 3rd Anniversay swap. 

Trace's grungy steampunk from InkyPinkyCraft is full of wonderful layers, love those embossed rivets.
Jo's felt Dumfling from Twiglet is beautifully different, love this idea.

Rita from RMG creations produced this wonderful art embellished ATC.
Belinda from Belinda's Crafts gave me a marvellously inspiring quote, "Do small things with great love".

And last but not least Jo from JoZart made this fab colourful ATC dedicated to the 3rd WOYWW anniversary.

Thank you everyone for my smashing ATC's which are now on my wall inspiring me everyday.

Michelle x

WOYWW 158

I'm trying to write and upload this post into the only 45 minute gap I have free today! I'm off out shortly and I can't miss WOYWW! I've only got time to upload one pic of my crafty stash I bought at Stamp Magic on Sunday, but I will update the post tomorrow evening with some more pics of my ATC swaps for the Anniversary of WOYWW.

I did buy a lot on Sunday, but it was the MDF man's fault because he had so many great bargains on his stall. I can't wait to slap loads of paint on them and ink them up!   I got a few new stamps from Lavinia, Inkylicious and Indigo Blu, a couple of masks, some gorgeous Stampendous Shaved Ice and aged embossing powders, can't wait to get cracking with them!    

A couple of canvas boards, some more Pinflair, because I fixed my fridge door handle with my last tube! OMG it's brilliant, oh and my tea towel holder's never budged since I stuck it on with Pinflair, it's a wondrous thing!

A couple of pads of papers, some old style cigarette cards, an ATC pack, some more blank tags, some twinchies like inchies but 2 inches instead of 1. A Christmassy TH embossing folder ......  aaaannnd some little mirror florishes, ooh and a random bottle of Colourcraft mist spray, I wanted to see how it compares to my other bottles of mist sprays.

More to come in this post later, I gotta dash.

Bye bye my lovely crafty friends xx

There's probably a spelling mistake somewhere, but I'll have to fix it tomorrow!

xx

WOYWW 156

It's been 9 days since I last blogged, I'm a bad crafter! Basically I have 2 garden parties this weekend and I have been tidying the house from top to bottom, and trying to make the garden look like I haven't spent the last 12 months in the craft room! I am off work next week, so after my epic entertaining session I'll be right back where I belong getting inky & messy. I'm craving being creative.

I'm interested in the ATC swap with my fellow WOYWW'er. From my desk this week you can see that I have been making ATC's as well. I'm ready to send mine off to my swapee.

If you're wondering what is WOYWW then please see Julia Dunnit's blog here for an explanation and to join in if you want.

Done an ATC swap with Evil Edna this week, I will try and put up my 4 ATC's on the blog Friday perhaps.

Michelle x

WOYWW 154

Julia Dunnit's What's on your workdesk Wednesday
It's my messy desk from last night. I have a few jobs on at the mo. I have some super dooper ATC's to do, and finish off my mixed media canvas. I've blurred out my ATC as I don't want to spoil the surprise for someone. I will put it up on the blog later though.

Here is a sneaky peak or close up of the mixed media canvas. Here I'm using Indigo Blu's Flitter glue and gilding flakes with a Tim Holtz stamp. Can't wait to finish it.

Happy What's on your Workdesk Wednesday. Michelle x

WOYWW 153

This is a WOYWW that was on the Create & Craft Cruise, I just couldn't live without my inky messy crafty stash, I took loads with me, and maybe only used half of it. I chucked the tray of bottles of water and ship bumf off this desk and replaced it with my crafty stash, I'm sure the cabin lad thought I was crazy.

More about what happened on the craft cruise later, and my arty class with Kate Crane today at Art From The Heart. I'm out this evening, so don't have time to post more. Laters. Michelle x

WOYWW 151

What's on your workdesk? Wednesday 151 - Join in to Julia Dunnit's messy workdesks

My desk is considerably more messy than my previous WOYWW. But still not as messy as it gets on a weekend when I'm in full swing.  So what do I have on my workdesk today? I wanted to make a deep blue sea background for my journal pages, and then I drew a mermaid and coloured her in using Promarkers.  It's still a working progress but it's beginning to take shape.

I'm coming over to have a neb at everyone else's desks....Michelle x

I'm number 82 in this weeks WOYWW

What does he see?

Well all this rain is doing my garden the world of good, and it makes me feel not quite so guilty about spending all my time (when I'm not working) in the craft room. Do we crafter's actually need an excuse to get into the craft room? Mine is I'm awake, therefore I craft.

You saw these journal pages below earlier this week on the WOYWW (What's on your workdesk Wednesday) post. I had not started to add all my journaling bits and pieces. But it's finished now I think, I might still add some writing to it later.

I really enjoyed making this background, there is a lot going on here so I'll try and list everything I did. firstly using cream and white Adirondack dabbers and water spray I coloured a background using long strokes, I distressed the edges with TH Walnut Stain and used a number of stencils here and there. The small round circles are Crafters Workshop, I used dark brown, tan and pearl white dabbers through the stencil. The big round circles, I drew. Then I used a few stamps, a TH flourish (used brown Archival ink), and circles (used green acrylic dabber), the flower stamp was free in this month's Craft Stamper, the crackle stamp is a Clarity stamp. The wispy swirls along the bottom is a My Minds Eye stamp. I used other stencils that you can't see in the picture below, but you can in the picture above. These are an old brass sunburst stencil, which still comes in useful sometimes, then I used a piece of old netting with some metallic bronze acrylic paint dabbed through it. Old window netting is brilliant for stencilling. I dragged white and green soft pastels down the page to distress a few areas.

I then wrote out my journaling on pieces of paper, distressed them with scattered straw and mustard seed distress inks, and cut them out. I drew a women based on a picture of me with pencil & soft pastels, and stuck these onto the pages. I forgot to mention about the pile of silver embossing powders in the bottom middle of the right page. I'll say more about that further down. I drew some stems and leaves for the flowers too.

This is a pile of silver, gold, black, white and copper embossing powders with some mica flakes stuck in it.

I have a roll of wide florist straw ribbon. I cut a heart shape and stuck it on the page too. I based the pastel drawn women on the black and white picture of me in the Crafty Individuals frame. I coloured the frame using Lettuce Adirondack ink, and then stamped it with a text stamp, a flourish and the TH circles.

I finished off the pages using blue and white oil pastels around elements on the page, and orange and yellow oil pastels on the flowers.

I've probably forgot to mention a few things I did because there is so much going on here. I do love it though. Michelle x

WOYWW 150

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday
I came home from work tonight with a bunch of flowers on my workdesk Wednesday from my son, how nice :-).  He was not in the dog house or anything.....it was just a nice surprise.

I'm working on a couple of journal pages at the moment, I've only done the background so far, hoping to get it finished by Friday. My desk looks tidy right now, but it won't be at about 9pm tonight. Just thought I would take the pic now before the chaos commences.  Just looking at the pic then makes me realise just how many pairs of scissors does one crafter need! lol

A closer look.

I usually have a line of string on the wall in front of me, I use pegs to hold up things I am using at the time, be it stamps, card, cuttings for inspiration whatever, but at the moment I have a line of nails to hold up the packets of stamps I'm thinking about using. I think I might have a Visual Artistry addiction! It's just easier to see what you have this way and you can whip it out quickly!

WOYWW  I'm number 147.

WOYWW 148

I thought I had removed the word verification, but I noticed it was still on! Not any more though Ha!

OMG! In my best Janice impression from Friends. My music book journal is going to work out great. The pages are nice and thick, and there is no seepage onto the next page. Mind you I've caked these two pages in gesso first though. So we'll see how this turns out.

I'm back on the WOYWW, been away for a few weeks, but I'm glad to be taking part again. My list link number is 136.

WOYWW 141

This is my first time posting on the WOYWW.

Here's a sneaky peak of the 5th letter in my series of 12. The Decopatch letter 'O'. I'm thinking Ornate being the theme for this one, although not quite there yet. I still have a few ideas kicking about and don't know which ones to go with yet.  I normally reach for the nearest Craft Stamper and inspiration strikes.

I have 5 commissioned cards to do for Monday, so this weekend is going to be pretty busy.