WOYWW #264

It has been an interesting week since I last posted.  I haven't gotten a lot done that you can physically see or touch in my craft room but I did take some time to do some crafting and reorganizing.  I have a lot of my stamps in that big 3 drawer file cabinet that is next to the window and I have been trying to find a way to put them in the computer so I will know what is what.  It is going to be an ongoing process to say the least....probably weeks if not months to get them all cataloged. 

Our friend of 45 years Alan Moller passed away last week and the services were Monday in Ft. Worth, TX so we drove down to pay last respects.  Al was only 64 but had suffered with Alzheimer's disease for the past 5 years become more and more physically and mentally debilitated over the time.  Sad days...

My desks...
I took a couple pictures of my desks but when I put them on the computer I didn't like any of them so I retook them...Funny that the computer has the original desk picture on the screen when I retook the shot.  As you can see Miss Stormy has decided that spot is hers and hers alone to the point she is hissing and slapping at the other cats that try to get up on the desk.  Ghost the white cat has pretty much vacated any desk sitting today because of Stormy's nasty disposition regarding the space. 

 The work desk here has been seeing some action this week.  I wrote a blog post over the week end for the SOC 4 week 2 project that I made.  Click on the link or scroll back to see the previous post about what I made. 

I started a painting but became dissatisfied with it and put it off to the side but decided to go ahead and finish it anyway.  I am my worse critic and I like some parts of it and I will just live with the rest.  I was trying for a whimsical face but it seems all out of proportion and not colored right...any suggestions?

 Well that's it for me today.  I need to head to bed so I can be up bright and early for my day of appointments.  Going to get a repeat followup mammogram done at 11:15 then a visit with a new therapist at 2 pm.  I always dread these things but...what can you do!  Getting old is not for the faint of heart!!

If you would like to know whats going on about these desk shots go visit with Julia at Stamping Ground and look over in the upper left for all the information you need to come play with us.     

Summer of Color Week 2 and NBUS #1

Well it has taken me almost a week to finally complete something for the SOC 4 (Summer of Color) challenge and I think I am going to use it for the NBUS (never been used schtuff) challenge since everything on it is something I have had but never used.  I have listed buttons on the right side bar for both challenges if you are interested in coming along and playing the challenges game or just checking out some of the other players.  I do it cause I need something to get me motivated and the people I play along with are awesome!

The color prompt from Summer of Color this week was...

Coral & Teal 

with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Bright White

NBUS was to be loosely tied to friendship and my daughter Heather and I spend a lot of time crafting together and she is one of my best if not best friends ever.  Heather and I love to spend time by the sea.

I tried to paint something, draw something, etc. and finally fell back on Graphic 45 By the Sea papers and stuff I had in my stash that I have never played with before. It was really hard to get both a true color and a sharp picture so I decided to go with a sharper picture!  When I held all the embellishments up to the block I had painted teal blue they matched and now some look too blue or too orange....OMG!  Any way here is my creation...hope you like it.

Front

right side

back

left side

What is is made of you ask...well my son-in-law was cutting up some 2"x 4" boards one day and there were 6" long pieces left over so I glommed onto them cause I knew I could use them some day on something fun.  The designer paper from G-45, some stickers from K&Company, real sea shells, Spectrum Noir pens for coloring, glitter glue, and some embellishments from the stash.  I have had the eyelash yarn forever and have no idea who it is produced by!  The cabinet knob on top is from Michaels and a real find for $.06 each! 

Come check out both challenges and play along.  It is a lot of fun! 

WOYWW #263

Yay!  Glad to see the post up and Julia is back in the saddle heading up this group of work desk snoops!  I think all of us were a little worried last week when our fearless leader didn't post, and didn't post, and didn't post.... Hat tip and a big thanks goes out to LLJ for filling us in on the details of where she was.  If you would like to see Julia's desk this week and join us all in WOYWW go to Stamping Ground and follow the directions you will find there.

My desk this week isn't much changed over last weeks but I have been doing some crafting and a lot of craft room/studio work.  I was foolish to think that I would have the room moved in a couple weeks and I am now hoping that I will have it up and running by the end of July!

Here is my desk/workspace.  I now have a lot of space to cut, design, and implement the things I want to make.  Better then the 12x12" I was working in on the old desk...

Old desk....

now I have three areas I can work from...Stormy has taken up residence in front of the computer.  See the boxes under the desks?  Those contain different holiday and seasonal papers!!!  I won't be buying holiday paper this year.

looking into the evolving mess called crafty goodness!  Middle desk is made up of 3 file cabinets with a board. 

Do you think this is enough paper...nah I got more.  These boxes contain all my Graphic 45 and designer papers by subject.  No I don't think I will be buying more paper in the near future.  Some of this has to go as I am feeling very overwhelmed by it all!  You can see more card behind the boxes.  6 of the Expedit cubes hold paper and 6 hold cutting dies and embossing folders. 

New button chest...I have had this metal chest for a long time and decided to put all my buttons in it by color...it was fun separating them!

new Big Shot pro cutting area and the new ribbon clip it ups I put up to store ribbon in.  My other way was great but difficult to remove rolls from the rack or to cut without unrolling more then one roll.  

I have way too much of everything and yes I see more everyday on the Internet that I would love to have but my daughter and I have decided that this month we aren't buying anything new and will try to not by for as long as we can make it another month.   As I go through and sort stuff I wonder what I was thinking buying so much stuff...I know there was a good reason but I am embarrassed!

No time for crafty goods this week but plan on going to Heathers house tomorrow night to do some art.  I will post it when it is done.  Have a great week. 

WOYWW...ah yes!!!...I remembered!

Welcome to Wednesday again and I am posting on Wednesday!!!  I actually didn't remember but my computer did because I set an alarm to remind me 12 hours  before the event and I happened to be sitting here when the alarm went off!  It is actually late Tuesday afternoon but seeing as I was a day late last week I am going to take it and run with it!

My desk this week isn't much changed from last weeks picture...except I moved things around a little bit...maybe a little less a mess but nothing has changed really...Stormy is in the window and I couldn't get the darn camera to take a good picture but she was ecstatic to be getting her back warmed by the afternoon sun and was purring so loudly that I was having trouble thinking straight! 

and here is an up close of the spoiled rotten baby resting in the sun...

I had to take one of her covering her face...looks like she was embarrassed about getting her picture taken.  My husband calls her the little Princess!

What am I working on this week...well see the previous post for my Summer of Color project where Kristin challenged us to create something with specific colors.  If you would like to follow along the the SOC 4 challenges click the link to the right or go here...

I also have been playing with tea bags and making this...I don't know yet what I will use it for but I think it is gorgeous...and to think it was made using watercolor paper and tea bags I used to make my iced tea!  I might use it as a background, I might add more tea bags, or I might just leave it as is...What do you think?  I can't say this is an original idea because I saw it here on WOYWW a while back but for the life of me (poor memory!) I can't remember who published about it.  If you do please let me know cause I have some questions I would like to ask!

 

 Wonder what I am talking about when I say WOYWW?  What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday a weekly blog hop hosted my Julia Dunnit in the UK.  If you visit her blog, Stamping Ground where she has a link you can click on to find out how you too can show off your desk and projects you are working on. 

Okay that is it for me this week.  I made it around to all the blogs on Mr. Linky last week...I think that was because I came so late in the game and Mr. Linky was malfunctioning in the beginning!  Have a great week and see you next Wednesday!

Summer of Color 4, Week 1

YAY!! Summer of Color 4 begins this week!  The first year Kristin started this there were only a few of us that participated in the fun but now it the 4th year it looks like more people then ever will be playing along.  The challenge is only 6 weeks long so it doesn't consume all your fun time summer hours and it gives you color challenges you might not think of putting together...like the one below. 

Week 1:

"The real fun begins! We'll be working with our first - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors along with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. As indicated last week, your goal will be to create anything you'd like using the combination of the 2 main colors and 1 accent color I assign. And whether you smudge, splash or have a pop of that third color on your piece is up to you. As always, you can create anything at all that you'd like, with color being the only stipulation. "

All the instructions for playing along can be found on Twinkle, Twinkle, Like a Star blog and you have a whole week to work on your project!  Go check it out and join in the fun!  In the warm up week Kristin gave all sort of ideas of things you can make so it isn't just painting, or multimedia stuff but jewelry, sewing etc.

I went up to my daughter Heather's house last night for a play night in her studio.  I took nothing with and just used what she offered up and oh my gosh she has a lot of things to play with!  I am not really into brights like above so I decided to go into the darker shades and hues and made this 11" x 14" piece.

I started off with an 11"x15" piece of cold pressed watercolor paper that I spritz with Dylusions Ink Spray in Pure Sunshine and Vibrant Turquoise and I set it aside to dry.  Next step was covering the entire page with a piece of the Tim Holtz tissue paper then I began to stencil and paint.  I don't remember who the stencil is made by but I love the flourishes.   Next I painted the vine and flowers and finished up with the pop of pink.   I was whining and complaining to Heather all evening about my being in such a hurry to get to the next step that I ended up smudging here and there but I don't care!  I like the way it turned out anyway!  Oh yeah...want to know what Heather made?

You need to link up with Heather on Facebook at Wayward Gypsy  and her Wayward Gypsy Etsy store.  Come play with with us and enjoy the challenge!  Like I said it is only 6 weeks and and there are a lot of talented people to interact with both on the Twinkle, Twinkle, Like a Star blog and on the Summer of Color Facebook page! 

WOYWW and OMG!

update:   I started this yesterday and I have been having Internet problems again.  Oh well a Thursday post is better then not at all!  

I have been very busy of late and my memory hasn't been worth a flip cause I am trying to keep up with my tail (chasing my tail!) as my dear husband has been lecturing in Europe and now on a stormchase tour!  I can't remember the last time I blogged...just looked...OMG! over a month!!!  I am like the white rabbit and wonder when or if it will stop.

Thought I would share some of the things that I have been up to....
This is a fairly photo intensive post so for those of you who are just here for WOYWW check out Julia's blog Stamping Ground and see why we post on Wednesday each week.   I am in the process of switching out craft/studio rooms right now. I didn't realize how much stuff I own and why I do I don't know...I will blame it on the Fibro and ME and let it go at that.  Here is my desk this week..

My desk this week...no crafting going on!

The sight that greets you as you come in the door...this is going to be a work table/sorting area when it gets cleared up.

This is what I am calling my goodies drawers that house all my bits and pieces....God knows why I need 16 drawers/cab units.  The unit to the right that you can barely see is two Alex units from IKEA stacked one on top of another giving me space for my punches and art supplies.

a

looking catawompus (corner to corner) from the bookcase above to my desk.  I was always so envious of the desks that had window so now I do too!  Do you think I should put my ribbon back up over the desk?

My paper/cutting station.  This is an Expedit 2x4 and 2x2 stacked together.   Boxes of dies and large dies for my Big Shot Pro you can see on the mid-left there.   Plastic paper containers to right house my Graphic 45 papers etc.

With all my medical issues it is going to be a work in progress for a while and as I said I have a long way to go to get it all settled in but...I am making progress and it will be a fun place to work and play.  I am planning on updating my Etsy store and selling some of my "homemade" goodies in the fall.   I will take some pictures when it is all done and post later!

Have I been able to do any crafting...a little.  Here is a canvas I made for Father's day next week and a discarded whisky container my husband gave me to play with.  I thought that it could be used as packaging for a gift and was really easy to make.  

Lots of Tim Holtz dies and inks here.  Love the way the pocket watch mini die turned out with the lens made from Glossy Accents!  

discarded can covered with Graphic 45 Good Ol' Sport Papers. 

Okay that is it for the WOYWW only group.  I will try and make it around to a lot of pages cause I have missed seeing what you are up to!!

Gardening!  Last post I promised I would show you some pictures of the garden and didn't get online again till now.  Here are some before and after pics...look what a difference 2 weeks can make!  It is currently 92f/33c outside right now and that and a little water things grow quickly!

Did I show you a picture of my new herb planter?  I love the stacked pots!

This is the flower planter from a couple weeks ago.

The veggies beds a couple weeks ago!

And today...

cabbages, onions, peppers

look how big the cabbage is getting...awesome! What ever mothy thing has been chomping on the leaves.  Bought some powder so they aren't eating my cabbage!

corn and watermelons

Tomatoes, squash, and sunflowers

broccoli, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes, squash

onions, potatoes, and tomatoes with a sunflower

okra and green beans

check this out!  a few green beans and a lot of blossom...we will be eating beans next week!

tomatoes and blooms...can't wait!

potatoes

I am so excited about my garden and the way things are growing.  I will try to post more as the season progresses.  I have tried 3 different ways of staking tomatoes this year and 2 different ways of growing potatoes to optimize the growing space in the above ground beds.  I am very pleased at how easy it is to keep the beds weeded and watered!   If I get dizzy or fatigued I sit on the side till I can move on!

Hope everyone has a great day and hope to see you on WOYWW next week!