WOYWW last of the year

Welcome to the last What's on your Workdesk Wednesday of 2014.

So, how was 2014 for you?  No doubt like many of you it was a mixture of ups and downs and even a few diagonals!

I was lucky enough to meet up with several fellow WOYWWers (how about 2 meet ups in 2015 Julia?! HINT HINT) and was lucky enough to take my husband to Malta to share with him places both my grandparents and parents used to live. The year saw us loose a friend far too young and changes at work that I am sure we will feel the impact of for several years to come.

My word for the year was "Balance" and I have to admit there were times when I seemed to forget it (mainly through long hours at work and lots of unpaid overtime) but when I remembered it it usually helped to pull me up short and forced me to re-shift my balance, so I think I will probably choose it again!

2014 saw me try new sewing techniques and I turned into a bag producing machine in the run up to Christmas (thanks Lunch Lady Jan for introducing me to it!).

So, what is actually on my desks then?

Gulp...all this!

 

On the right are my pages being prepped for my 4th year taking part in Kate Cranes 365 Journal challenge.

On the desk are 2 calendars I am making for small gifts.  One is  a hanging calendar and one is a desk calendar.  Something bright and cheery to lifts the moods ready for when a couple of friends go back to work next week.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Bizarre Hits Lady Singer'....having been VERY lucky to see Kate Bush LIVE in 2014 it seemed apt!

So, come on in and join us and bare your desk for all to see over at the lovely Julia's blog

Happy crafting and a joyful 2015 to all

Kyla

First part of my Christmas make round up

Hello peeps, as many of you will know I have had to be a bit cagey over the past couple of months about what I show on my desk in case I uncovered something I was making for Christmas!

Finally I can share with you some of those makes.  First for each brother (hubby has 2 and I have 1) I made a homemade hamper.  They each contained a bottle of elderflower cordial, some spicy rhubarb chutney, spiced sugar (which contains flavours such as clove, orange, cinnamon and bay leaf, yep, bay leaf...it really does work) and some sloe gin.  All handmade and I finished off the hampers with some candy canes and some christmas tree decorations with their names on (not handmade but they did look so cute)!

 Back in the summer I did a glass fusing course and made necklaces, keyrings and coasters.  Now, I did make a few but I kept a lot of them myself so I need to do another course (luckily my brother in law and his lovely wife bought me a glass blowing course voucher so that's another craft to try!).

 I also made several book covers.  I made a few quilted ones (but these are a PAIN and took me hours to make just one!)

 So I decided to try using solid fabric instead and this worked just as well but took a lot less and didn't cause my RA to flare after.

Then there is the proverbial problem of what to make for men!  Well, my brother currently works for a Japanese company and I know that tradition states that they respect their business cards so I made him a leather business card holder with his initials stamped on the front.

So, that's a few of my latest makes.  I will finish uploading the rest of my photos soon and share them.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Keeping me warm

Hello everyone.  This is a bit of a test for me, you see my lovely hubby bought me a Tesco Hudl2 tablet for Christmas.  After hearing about Julia and others who have issues with iPads not allowing access and my trusty over 5yr old net book almost grinding to a hault he decided my wails most Wednesdays were getting too much! The reviews seemed like it would do most things I needed it to and the price perfect.

So, I am trying a photo and a blog update to see how it goes.  My laptop is my main access but I thought I would try this.

The photo is part of my Christmas present from my mum (thanks mum!). She knitted the chunky neck roll and fingerless gloves both of which I wore earlier today.

So there you go.  A quick update now back to Radio 4 and Christmas chocolates!

Happy crafting

Klya

Festive update

 Hello peeps, I do hope you all had a lovely time over the past week celebrating whatever it is you each celebrate.

I am busy uploading photos of the presents I have been making over the past couple of months that I haven't been able to share-but in the meantime I thought I would share a few other festive photos.

I made about 50 odd cards over the past month and don't really show them all as that would get really boring...but every year this is the one that raises a smile (I do like my googly eyes)

 In the weeks running up to the festive season I got this lovely parcel from Jan.  Isn't it wonderful?  I already have some bunting from Jan from a couple of years ago that I keep up all year round so this was pinned up along my staircase and the brooch adorns my winter coat.

  

We also popped back a couple of weeks ago to the small Wiltshire market town of Melksham (it was mentioned in the Doomsday book don't you know, I think that is its only claim to fame!!) where I grew up.

You may have seen it on the national news as B&Q (a HUGH DIY chainstore in the UK) used some of the house displays in their Christmas advert-WITHOUT PAYMENT.  Now this caused an outcry as the people decorate their houses for local charities.  

 The market square all decorated

 This is one of the houses that B&Q didn't pay to use in their adverts.

They were shamed into making a donation, but the national BBC news still says that they have not donated to each of the properties charities they used in their adverts.

They put on a wonderful display and raise thousands for local charities each year-fingers crossed B&Q are shamed enough to cough up!

 I hope you are all enjoying any time off you may have.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

 

WOYWW

 What's on your Workdesk Wednesday is once again upon us.  That time of the week when many of us share our desks (or floors) in whatever state they are.

This week once again I am sewing another Christmas pressie (or birthday as we have 6 Birthdays within 7 weeks of Christmas!!) so I have decamped to the dining room table.

 

This is an overhead shot, I am making something from natural colours this time.  Its another one of the items I made when I spent the day with LunchLady Jan the other month (you can see them on earlier posts...but I am staying a little cryptic as family sometimes read this).  Its a little smaller to fit the fabric panels I already had, by not having to make a patchwork I managed to finish it within 5 hrs (rather than the entire weekend it took me to make the last one without Jan stood over me-and unpicking for me!!).

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Crazy Star Hits Prez'...ooh, I will be watching the US news closely this week!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

365 Journal double whammy!

I am slightly behind with my 365 journal postings so I thought I would do a double posting!

This is Novembers page.  I used POSCA paint pens and glitter to give the feeling of vibrancy and fireworks

For Decembers page I used the traditional colour theme and stamped around the edges with some pine tree stamps that I carved from rubbers.

I added some green glitter for the month and a little gold tinsel on the trees along the bottom of the page (well it is Christmas after all!).

 If you would like to join the 365 challenge then feel free over at the very talented Kate Cranes http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.co.uk/

Happy Crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW and a sexy Santa

 Hello peeps.  This time I have stuff on my actual desk that I can show you (rather than half made gifts)!!  I must admit to having hit a bit of a brick wall with the making of Christmas presents so decided to make some cards instead.

The eagle eyed amongst you may notice my rather nifty acrylic stickles holder on the right hand side of my desk.  This was £1 from poundland and is meant for lipsticks etc.  I swear that if this was in a craft store it would probably be closer to £5!

Also in full use is my tape gun that I won at the last WOYWW crop (I know...I never win anything yet still I enter the lottery every week!!) and now wouldn't be without as I use it all the time.

 My bombshell stamps 50's pin up girl image is once again being given a hand drawn mini skirt and Santa hat at a jaunty angle with a  little glitter thrown in (well, now I have my stickles to hand it seems a shame not to use them!).

 This is the finished card.  I love the 40's and 50's scene so bombshell stamps are always a winning combo for me.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week spell out "Cruel Lawyer Ready to Convict Hubby"....my own hubby couldn't believe I drew them out not only randomly but this time in order of the actual sentance!!

So do you feel ready to join the throng and have a legal snoop at desks across the globe all thanks to our lovely leader (yes I know Julia hates being called that....but without her starting this I would not have met so many people in real life and virtual with similar hobbies!!).  There is a link over on the right....go on, you know you cannot resist for long!! :-)

Happy crafting

Kyla

Penguin in a blizzard

 Today is the first day of Advent (if you are that way inclined).  Personally I am not a great Christmas/Yuletide person but I am fine with everyone else being seasonal ONCE you get to December (I get a right strop on if I spot a decoration in November though!!).

 

In an effort to get in the spirit I thought I would share some of the cards I make.

This one has a silver parchment cover and a piece of white card that I put through an embossing folder and spread star dust stickles over to add some festive bling.

I touched the edges with some black ink for definition and then made a penguin with a stampin up (I think, I borrowed it from a fellow coven member, Bex) owl punch and some snippits left over in my scrap box and a sentiment.

One card down...goodness knows how many to go!!

Bah, humbug!!

 Kyla