WOYWW 382

I can't believe how little I've accomplished in the week it's been. Yet, I've been busy. Today, you see the clean desk from last week in it's first throw-up mode. If I can keep it cleaned up between projects that stays in first throw-up mode. If I work on top of remnants of other project we move on to 2nd and 3rd throw-up mode.

Since last week, I received some happy mail and put it away. Finished a layout and put away the stuff to make said layout. The layout is under the pile of stamps at the far left of the desk. Shared in my last post if you want to see.   This is mainly my 8x8 calendar swap in progress. The little leprechaun's probably give away that my month is March. My dd watched me add glossy accents to little parts of the fussy cut figures yesterday and exclaimed her love for me after ahhing over the bottle.  It ROCKS having a person who gets and enjoys crafting living in the same house!!!  The kid's Bible memory work box ended up on here too since yesterday. My "has to be completed by Sunday layout challenge information" is in the top right corner of the desk. I'm struggling with the exact concept to take this one, so it sets there as a reminder to mull it over in the back of my mind.

That's my desk. Linking to the Stamping Ground so I can be off to see all the other creative desks this week.

One Stylin Girl enjoying the process

The balance between quickly telling my stories in the limited bits of time I have, and creating pages with creativity that I releases my happy endorphin's that I desperately need is a struggle to say the least.  On a facebook swap group, we have been having a craft war. Each week our hostess puts up a new challenge, and we play along.  If you complete the challenge by the allotted time, you move forward. Instead of my 90% methods of either pick and stick speed scrapping or doing just the bare minimum to get it done. I've been challenging myself to get creative with these layouts. To enjoy the process even more.

Here is this week's page.

We had a sketch: The layout needed to have at least 4 layers, a large page flag, and a layered title.

What I like:
 The page flag is super cool as a sequin pocket that used my fuse. I love that I have glitter, sequins, wood veneer stars, the pipe cleaner flowers and the wood veneer glasses that I embossed with silver to match the ones my dd is wearing in the photo.
The hand stitching on the title layer. I love stitching but am too lazy to do it.
The blue flower in the bottom right cluster was actually made by my dd and given to me on a birthday gift in 2012. I love that!!
My silver bow! I am THE WORST at bow tying. I used youtube and a video that showed you how to tie bows with a fork to get this one. It worked!!

What I didn't like/learned:
The stitching was difficult on the smaller parts of the lettering even when I used only 3 strands of embroidery thread and a smaller needle. After welding the word together my silhouette software would not let me edit points. Maybe you can't within letters. If I were to do this again. I would read up and see first about edits or use a thicker font.
I liked using the small sequins on the N and R of my San Serif font, but it was so difficult to get a straight row. I'd do less of them and take more time.

I still have my journaling to do. Typically I'd just write on the pattern paper at the bottom and be done. But.... I really like the look of the layout and don't want my bad handwriting to detract from it, something I don't care about on a quicker page. I'm thinking of telling the story on the back side. Still debating.

Happy, OH, So Happy

* Photo Heavy Post *  Just giving you a warning up front. 

My desk yesterday mid-morningish. The bottom box is the Fancy Pants Design Warehouse Box.

It says so right on the label!!

 

The WRMK scallop die was ordered with the circle die during the making of a scrapbook layout where I was afraid I was going to have to stop and actually execute what I wanted on my cameo.  Look at all those Feed Your Craft Flairs!!!  They make me so happy. I've wanted so many that I waited for the latest sale to purchase.

It led to a conundrum though.  I tend to keep the flair with the original packaging, at least until there is only a couple left. My bin is full.

The answer - a new bin which I already had. New conundrum - I NEED more flair. It only comes up to the "scientifically" in the bin.

 Next up: The Fancy Pants Design Warehouse Box which was $39 shipped.  Right out of the box the side view and the top view.

 7 rolls of washi (3 Millie and June, 2 Good Fellows, 2 Atwells -but the Atwells coordinate with my sets in the box nicely), the Atwell pens, the collection kit of Millie and June including the bows and an ephemera pack, the Good Fellows collection kit including wood veneers and tags, Life is Beautiful 6x6 pad and alphabet set.

I'm always nervous about purchasing warehouse boxes. I purchased in the past and ended up stuff that I don't use. Probably because I order from a company that had many things I loved but many things I didn't. I just got the didn't package.  But I don't think I've ever not liked anything from FPD, so I'm super glad I ordered with all of these new goodies to play with.

Quick and easy post.

See You Later,

WOYWW 381 - Waiting to Get Messed Up

Hello deskers and other friends,

Today is Wednesday, which means I share what's on my workdesk. You can also see other desks by visiting Julia's blog here.

After weeks of mess, I finally cleaned up after the mess of last week.  Well, as clean as this desk gets. This is what it looked like Tuesday afternoon.

So on the top is a line of essentials that are always left out. My hot glue gun, a couple of inks, my current drink (today's black cherry sparkling water), a printout of my current challenges, my atg, and bits that seem to stay on the far  right upper corner, usually embellishments that didn't get used or have just a bit left get put here to see if they make it on the next crafty session things. In between my inks and my water are a few supplies that I took out for working on my 8x8 calendar swap. I need to get started so thought having these out would help me along. The layout in progress has been stuck under a pile for - I can't even remember how long. It's awaiting me to cut with my silhouette. I have my ATC's there as I was getting ready to mail them off. Here's the close up.

 I started with a shaving cream ink print, used an orange-ish paint with a stencil, then gesso with a different stencil, then distress ink with a different stencil and then distress ink with a rubber stamp. The image was stamped on tissue, colored with copics, and cut out. Then adhered. After drying, I applied wink of stella to the hat feathers for sparkle and the gem earring and neck brooch.

Last thing on the desk is the book in far bottom right corner, I had searched the upstairs closet, the shed, and every place I could think of looking for this book. It's the science book we were going to use this year. I found the Astronomy book that we never did. But not this book. I gave up on finding it and was researching another option online. Luckily I did not purchase anything. When I went to wake my son this morning, it was right beside his bed. He reads science and history books for fun. He reads other stuff as well - as he says he's a geek not a nerd. lol. So I took it down to start prepping the material.

It's good to have a clean desk to mess up again!  Look for next week's messy desk!

Thanks for visiting!

I'm On A Roll!

Today I'm sharing a short video as to why I love collection kits for my page kits. I still have bit to learn about taking videos. Plus my iphone keeps telling me I'm out of storage and shutting off while taking the video?!?  Yet I have 46 GB free of a 50GB icloud storage. So why do I pay every month if it's not going to help!?!

I also have a layout I finished for the Monthly 2peasrefugee Sketch/Scraplift Challenge.

Two days in a row for blog posting!  I must be I'm on a roll! Just don't expect it to continue like this. ha.

I Must Be Crazy!

I've been so busy with summer projects that I've been neglecting my crafting. I get uptight when I've been away from crafting too long. You too?  So what's a crafter to do?

Well, this crafter decided to sign up for a bunch of swaps and a group Craft War - 1 layout a week for 8 weeks.  I must be crazy!  I thought it was the perfect prescription to get me back into the crafting habit or at least make me set aside time for it.   Fast forward in. I'm looking at what needs to get done in my house and what I'd like to get finished in crafting. The list is overwhelming. My blog has sat really only touched on Wednesdays through the summer. With September, my thought was to make my blog more productive.  I must be crazy!  How did I think I had the time. I know that I'm not alone, right? Everyone, some others go through the same bouts of busy and have to put their crafting aside.

I've decided to not fret about my blog and just post when I can for September.  I will share my 2nd week layout of the Craft Wars with you, this also fits the September Bonus Challenge over at 2peasrefugees.

I used Shimelle's collections. I created the pattern in my silhouette and cut out a template. Yeah, I'm too lazy to separate each ray and to run each paper through individually. It was just easier to take the pieces put them on the pp and cut them out.  I did run the yellow cardstock through to get the Sonshine part of my title. It has really little on the embellishment side of things, but with the amount of pp across the page and they design which I wanted to highlight, I'm really very pleased.  I've been wanting to do a "Sonshine" page for a while.

The jouranling: "Ever since you were a baby, I would sing, "You Are My Sunshine." But I always meant Sonshine. You have brought so much happiness and love into my life and my heart. I am so very blessed! Love you, Baby Boy. -Mom"

I must be crazy, but it's a good crazy!

WOYWW 380 - Back in the Saddle Again.

Hello Deskers!  I've missed 3 whole weeks of posting and desk viewing as I took a ONE week vacation with my family. What? Yes, it took me a week to prepare for vacation, a week to go on vacation, and a week to get things back to as normal as they seem to be in my house. Oh, plus we started school. (I homeschool.)

OK, so you're not here to hear me bather on, but to see the state of my desk.....cringing.....
so here it is.

So I'm currently working on an inspirational quote ATC swap (yes, the deskers got me hooked with their annual ATC swap that I joined this year.) There is such a small work space on this big ole' desk. The left side has a stamped image on tissue paper still resting on my stamping pad which is laying on top of a pile of stamps and ink and stamp blocks and my trimmer and part of my tape gun. The far right has a pile of things brought back from vacation: maps, brochures, postcards, etc. There is a book in the far right upper corner which I haven't read in years and for some reason is now in my craft room. In the middle sets the background I've been working on.

After coming home, I did work and finish a new layout as well.

So, that's it for me. Hop on over to Julia's to view the other link-up's or to join in the fun. And have a great Wednesday!