WOYWW 295

Hello fellow Deskers on this warm and sunny Wednesday morning, this is how it looked today on our walk along the Paseo.

What a difference a week makes, last week snow on the mountains, not often it happens and it didn`t disappear completely until Monday. I know it`s not much compared to other places but that`s the closest we get to snow down here, and pretty thankful we are too.

Much happier crafting this week, even complained I was burning my legs at my desk near the door, you just can`t please some people!!

My desk this morning and sorry its at a jaunty angle, the sun was too bright as the desk is next to the patio doors so I had to stand in front of the door to take the photo.

 A few pieces I`ve been playing with at the back in pink, trying out my new EB folder on core-dinations, abandoned that idea as it wasn`t quite the effect I wanted.

 I made a card using triple stamping for a challenge over at Splitcoaststampers and just thought it might work with triple embossing, hence the white and purple pieces,  not sure about having the small top piece but I quite like it with just two layers, something to make into a card later, hopefully.

The other card is decoupage, I do love doing them, I`ve used a House Mouse image, and made a frame for it using the Fleur De Lis die, one of my favourites. The other papers are freebies from my craft mag, the gardening images I might use for my BIL`s card at a later date.

I`ve just finished this card for our youngest, can`t believe he`s nearly 41, seems only five mins since I was racking my brains to make his 40th card.

I`ve kept the colouring to a minimum as its not my strong point but I`ve just noticed the strings on the balloons have come adrift so it`s a good job I haven`t posted it yet. 

Must say bye for this week as I haven`t shown the other side of the room with the ironing that really needs doing so I`ll see you over at your desks later, take care and thanks once again for visiting my desk last week and your lovely comments.

Jan x

WOYWW 294

Thanks to everyone who popped over to Spain for a visit to my desk last week, it was so pleasing to know that I`m not the only one who has a Smash book and can`t get started with it but as you can see from the first photo I have actually made a start.

 Only a small start granted but I have glued my maps in place and you can see from the small pile of photos I managed to pick out a few, well quite a few really and probably too many as it wasn´t until I was browsing through the photos that I realised after taking a photo of the train leaving Chicago I didn`t manage to take another one until Denver, must have been the excitement of looking around the train and choosing the time for our evening meals, so it looks like page one will be quite bare. I`ve made a small folder and tied it in the middle of the two maps to keep the timetable and tickets in and printed a couple of photos of the Cabin.

The card at the front is for a challenge on Splitcoaststampers to try triple stamping, I wouldn`t say it totally worked but I used the Memento Ink Rhubarb Stalk I`ve had for ages and never used and the stamp has only been used once before, its a Sizzix stamp with a matching embossing folder.
I found a place napkin that`s been in the drawer for years, the colour is quite a good match with the ink so I used it for the layers, I just need to finish it with a sentiment and backing card.

 Oh and on the left you can just see the free papers from my craft magazine, there`s some lovely images, just need to think of someone who likes dancing!!!

Nothing too exciting going on here, I was trying to think of ideas for our youngest sons birthday card when I was up here last week, didn`t have a clue so decided to have a play with some of my new dies, a couple don`t actually cut very well but I do love the Romantic and Nobel Rectangle Dies.

You can see one of the mini snowflake rossettes too, Tim Holtz alterations, I could have done with another pair of hands trying to hold it together while sticking it to the backing part as it kept springing up in the middle so if anyone has an easy way please share it with me before my patience runs out!

The pile of white card on the right is a Sitting snowman card I started after seeing it on Splitcoaststampers, I discovered my circle dies aren`t big enough so its been sitting there for a couple of weeks waiting for me to set up my Cricut. 

 We`ve had a cold snap here and having no heating up in my craft room,( it`s on the solarium) I haven`t been spending much time in here so I think I`ll go off to do a bit of snooping around other desks before I get too cold.

Jan x

WOYWW 293

I`m doing well managing to join in the desk hop two weeks running, I cant say I`m doing quite so well on the crafting front! 

Well here`s my desk showing my new smash book, I´ve been wanting one for absolutely ages and was quite excited when it arrived, flipping through the pages thinking of all things I could put in to it, so why is it as soon as I open the pages does my mind go blank! 

 I`m using it as a travel journal to have a reminder of all our trips and for the family to see what we get up to over here, so thinking our train journey would inspire me I decided to make that the first layout, big mistake, I have so many photos I can`t choose between them so I`m already thinking this might have to be a double spread, I`ve watched so many You tube videos about this and it looks sooooo easy, you never know maybe next week I will have been inspired and have it finished, don`t hold your breath though!

Under the map sits my Big shot, I suddenly thought yesterday just after I had switched the computer off that maybe I could scan parts of the map to stick on the page already there,  showing the places we passed on our journey!

 I think I have to give that idea a little more thought really.

You might notice the small tins on the shelf behind, they were a spice set our Grandsons gave Grandad for Christmas, I think Grandad knew he wouldn`t be able hold on to them for too long as soon as he saw my eyes light up.

 Nothing in them yet but I`m sure they will be useful, one day.

Lovely and sunny here in Spain although a little cool first thing, well 9C!!!

Hope to see you over at your desks, maybe for some inspiration.

Thanks to everyone who popped over last week and your kind comments.

Jan x

WOYWW 292

Happy New Year, its been a few months since I've been around to join you all on a Wednesday as  we had an extended visit to our family in San Francisco. We started our trip in London with our Eldest son and Gf before flying out to Chicago for three days, it really lived up to its name ¨The Windy City¨as you can see from the photo below.

 This was out on the lake, where we all ended up in the downstairs
lounge leaving the poor girl narrating on the upper deck on her own,
luckily she did have some cover from the rain. Thankfully the other two days were dry.

We spent three days and two nights travelling across country on the Californian Zephyr, an amazing experience, we had an en suite cabin on the top deck so was able to take in all the views going through Denver, Salt Lake City and the Rockie Mountains, arriving in San Francisco where our youngest son was waiting for us. The train is an amazing sight, being a double decker,  I took this photo after we had passed through the Rockies.

We celebrated our two Grandsons birthdays, my birthday, which is Halloween so we had an evening of Trick O Treating, our Grandson who is six told all his friends I was a witch and said I needed to prove it to him by making his bed fly around the room, If only!! 

We were fortunately able to stay long enough to spend our first Thanksgiving with them too before flying home. Luckily we had really warm weather so we had some lovely days out down the coast.

Of course quite a few days were spent craft shopping at Michaels and Joanns with my DIL who managed to spend even more than I did, we followed that by meeting up with our other halves in the city to have lunch at Macy`s Cheesecake Factory, no wonder she bought me a Jawbone to monitor how much exercise I`m doing!

 I haven`t done any crafting since, just a little try out of my new dies, I seemed to have lost my mojo so I`ll just show you what I managed to squeeze into my suitcase.

I`ll finish there and nip along to see what exciting things you all have on your desks, until next week, Happy WOYWW

WOYWW277

Hello Desk hoppers, I've finally managed to find my way back again this week, we've had a busy few weeks but here is my desk this morning.

I must admit I'm really not back into a crafting mood yet, you know how it sometimes is when you have had a few weeks away from it, takes a while to get going again, then you get an idea, rummage through the drawers for interesting bits and then the spark of inspiration just fizzles out, well that's been me this week, this is the third Christmas card I've started for our Grandsons.
You will notice the plastic containers, I do find it hard to throw any away as you just never know when you will need one, especially for all those unused die cuts!!
The box in the background is an old perfume box, oh yes something else I never throw away, anyway this one is being used to keep all my cards safe, hopefully they will survive the journey in my suitcase.

I am quite pleased with this baby card, I had already made one a few weeks ago when I spotted a free SVG on the Whimseydoodles blog, it looked so cute I just couldn't resist making one.

That's all I have going on over here, the weather is cooling nicely though, down to 23c at 9am. Just off to catch up with what you are all up to, thanks so much for your visit and comments.

Jan x

WOYWW 273

Happy WOYWW, I hope the weather is being kind to all of you fellow deskers, the temperature in the car was showing 36c as we drove back from the beach this morning at 10am!!
I must admit it was quite an effort walking back and only the thought of cool orange juice and breakfast kept us going this morning I can tell you.

 This was my desk a few days ago, trying out ideas for my Christmas Fireplace, its still not finished but its a little bit nearer as you can just see in the photo below, I had to give up on the flat pack idea as it was far too complicated measuring everything.
I've made the little Christmas Stockings, they are hiding inside the fireplace, the breeze from the window keeps blowing them on the floor! I'm trying to find a way to use the dog somewhere too.  

You'll notice how tidy my work top is now, well the part you can actually see, I had to clear a space as Steve has just finished writing book number four,  the exciting adventures of Joey, Charlie and the two headed Dragon,  Joey insisted it had two heads!!  we  spent yesterday afternoon laying all the pages out in order so its now its  on the dining table to ready to have the pages laminated. 

The cards are gift wallets, they open up with two pockets inside, one to hold a tag with a sentiment on and the other to put Christmas money in, much easier and cheaper than buying presents for sons and DIL's seeing as we all live in different countries!

Well must be off to visit some desks so until next week, enjoy the sun if you have some,  and have a great weekend

Jan x

WOYWW 271

Another Wednesday, another Doctors appointment, only more medication this time thank goodness but another late start for our walk which meant the temperature had already reached 29c at 9.30am but undeterred we walked trying to keep under the shade of the palm trees as much as possible, quite hard to do now its August and so busy, a much needed coffee at La Gloria, yesterday our coffees were on our table as we arrived again, sometimes we are even given little treats, melt in the mouth small pieces of cake to try with our coffee, sometimes I even have to eat Steve's too, only if he insists it will spoil his breakfast!

Still not much going on up here, I've only been spending about an hour a day, its been far too hot to do anything with the humidity but I have started a Christmas gift wallet, I saw one in my Making Cards Mag and as we always give the family money with postage charges being so expensive I thought I'd give this one a go.
As you can see so far I've printed the Christmas paper, cut out and folded the wallet and that's it up to now, just trying out flowers versus snowflakes for the front at the moment. The board at the back was meant for me to write reminders on but I decided that postcards from the family are far more cheerful so I still have pieces of paper floating around my desk.

The tiny suitcase is a sample one I made, I saw a blog by Bonnie, Live, love and Peace where she made so many of these cute suitcases for all occasions, they were gorgeous, mine, well, still work in progress , the pile of bits are leftovers from my first attempt, as usual I went rushing ahead without reading all the instructions first. oh the iron, well eventually even in this heat I had to knuckle down to it but its the job I hate the most!

Hopefully you will all have much more interesting desks to visit this Wednesday so I will say goodbye and see you over there. Have a great Weekend

Jan x