WOYWW

There be an intruder at me desk! Aaaar!

Erm... not sure why the pirate side slipped out there but in any case there is still an intruder at my desk. I can't complain though as it's Craig helping me work out how to set up a sewing machine. We finally sussed it and I spent an afternoon trying to follow the patterns on swatches of material. We have discovered that my foot has it's own mind and I need a separate brake pedal. All the time I'm taking it slow and easy my sewing is pretty crash hot even if I say so myself. Then of course my foot gets excited and twitchy and my sewing speeds up and ends up all over the place, up the walls, over the carpet... out the front door... ok, maybe a teeny exaggeration there.

See, I jest not about how dark our house is. This was lunchtime. With the light on. Flashlight anyone?

If you want to play along and have a nosey at some desks while yours in turn is being rummaged through, pop along to Boss lady Julia's blog so you can link up and we can all find you.

Thanks for popping by!

Red, Red, Glorious Red

I was lucky enough to be sent a bunch of ribbons to participate in the 11th Crafty Ribbon Challenge entitled "Valentine." The criteria being you have to make two projects using ribbons and send them back to them so they can take them to exhibitions and display them on their blog. I think they were more after cards but we all know how I struggle with those so they are getting a duckie instead. And... it's Christmas duckie and not valentines... Ho hum...


She's made using Christmas napkins, I highlighted the white custard/cream with my white gel pen as that became a bit transparent with the Decopatch glue. I then Glossy Accented her to within an inch of her life and added blingtastic eyes and beauty spot. A ribbon and jingle bell from a chocolate Easter bunny and the love heart beaded stuff is from Crafty Ribbons.

Then, feeling guilty about the lack of valentine subject matter... I made this brooch.
I used this tutorial found via the Fiddle Farty blog. Both girls did a gorgeous job, however, I couldn't work out how they stopped their twirls from exploding in every direction. So I Glossy Accented all over and left to dry... still exploding, so PVA'd and left to dry again, not so much explosion but still some... So 2 days of drying time later (placing it on the heater, by the boiler, thought about microwaving and heat gunning it...) I glitter glued all over. No joy. In the end I raided Craig's tool box and super glued the beast.

Success!

So just to be sure I Glossy Accented AGAIN and then - because I still had a tiny bit of GA left - I attacked a black flower and attached that to the back and added a safety pin. Et Voila. Easy peasy. Good news is I love it and know to use super glue FIRST next time, it is solid now and sort of has the effect of being sculpted which I love. I just wish I had some black glitter but will get some for next time. Craig even suggested it would look pretty in clusters as a table decoration or floating in water. So I better get practising eh?

Here's hoping Crafty Ribbons like what they are getting. Thank you as always for stopping by :)

Bottled Mojo

I had a lovely surprise yesterday. I had to pick up some parcels from the post office. One of them was from the fabulously talented Paige. She has amazing luck catching stray Mojo's... they seem to gravitate to her. She was lovely enough to catch mine and give it a new home! This has got to be one of the most fun presents I've ever had - I love it.

Dodgy light and Cooper having a nosey...

Dodgy light and Ruby having a nosey...

Shamelessly stolen piccie from Paige's blog representing my fantastic Mojo in it's true gorgeousness. 

She's supplied her with a picture of Alice, a Labyrinth snap and some buttons, threads and pins to get that sewing creativity going. I think she'll be very happy in her new home here with me and I can feel the creative juices flowing already!

Isn't she fabulous? Thank you again Paige. *hugs*

WOYWW

Good evening What's On Your Workdesk people. It's a bit of a late one tonight... almost forgot. Been one of those days.

Here's my uninspiring desk today. One wool jumper, still all on it's lonesome. There's a pot of salt... bit random - why it's there I don't know! Some candy canes... not guilty, I think one of the girls has put them there...On the other side a little jackpot moment from this morning. After weeks of begging, threatening, cajoling and pleading with Phoebe to tidy the dump she calls a bedroom I decided to do it myself. That little jewellery box on the end of the desk was in the bag for charity - the reason? It's a little sun faded on the top and it's Barbie - everything has to be High School Musical or JLS with her now. A quick check over showed that apart from the sun fade the musical mechanical bits still work and play a lovely little tune, the ballerina Barbies inside still twirl so I've smuggled that away to alter.

There's also a lovely bundle of ribbons I was lucky enough to be sent from the Crafty Ribbons blog. The challenge is to make something with them and then send my creations back to them. Hmm. My mind isn't as quick off the mark as the lovely, if somewhat modest, Myzdamena.

So what's been on your work desk today? Well if you linked up with Julia, our fearless WOYWW leader  I shall be paying you a visit shortly. If you haven't linked up, why not? Come play!

Thank you as always for stopping by - bring cake next time :)

The Big Freeze

Well, always one to talk (boast) to soon, what should happen Wednesday night? The Heavens opened and covered Kent in snow. At one point over the weekend both bridges onto Sheppey were closed so we were well and truly cut off. People predictably stripped the shop shelves of all the basics and it was almost comical to watch people trudging past the window with bags and bags of bread. What is it with snow and bread? Our local newsagent resorted to hiding basics out the back and offering to sell one loaf at a time to his regulars. Which Craig is. *smug grin* I didn't leave the house for 4 days and got VERY creative in my cooking by using up cupboard and freezer stock. This did however result in what Craig called my best stew EVER! So we'll be doing that again.

This was the view from my front door... the furthest I was prepared to venture. They are quite blurry because it was still snowing when I took them.
Our little local library - yep - sorry Vivienne, the library is literally opposite our house...
Right next to the free residents carpark.Which is right next to the huge green and little park... I really shouldn't moan about not having a garden should I? But come the spring and summer I will be again.

It's all started melting today and the schools re-opened. Trains resumed service and the shops restocked their shelves. Normality is restored...

Until the next flurry.

Hope you've all stayed warm and safe wherever you are. Thank you for stopping by!

WOYWW?

How goes it with you? Still trying to snow here but not succeeding very well, light spatterings is all. I think, judging by the news that we are in the minority though. Little as we've had it's enough to stop all the trains on our little Island in Kent. No surprises there then. I can't help but wonder whether the rest of the world guffaws loudly at our inadequacies in dealing with the white stuff. How does Alaska and Canada and er... the North Pole cope on a daily basis eh? Eh?

Anyhoo...

My desk is still reasonably tidy after my post Christmas tidy up. We have a new book which I keep flicking through and drooling over. A box of  Christmas cards taken down, waiting to be cut up into tags for next year. And! A pure wool jumper of Devvie's that doesn't fit her any-more. I'll hit the charity shops soon to see if I can find some more before I have a go at felting.

We also have my all important cuppa and *drool* toasted blue cheese sandwich. Suffice to say that is no longer on my desk but in my tum.

Thank you for stopping by and if you'd like to play along please drop by Julia's blog so we can all link up into one great big cobwebby, crafty herd of.... desks. I'm not good at these descriptions.

Go link up! :)