Home and Away

A bit later posting today because I had to go and see a vampire this morning but the photo was taken first thing and is how my desk looked at the end of yesterday's crafting session.
I was making christmas cards again having been inspired by craft club yesterday morning. That's why pretty much everything that has been abandoned on my desk is christmas related. You can just see my cuttlebug at the left hand side of the shot, it's getting so much use since I got hooked on Sizzix's framelits (I was using squares yesterday). The card that started it all yesterday morning is on the window sill but because it is so bright outside not really visible - I'll have to share that properly another day.

It actually looks like my desk is going to stay like this today because it is so nice outside. As I mentioned at the start I had to go and see a vampire this morning, I actually had to go to the hospital for blood tests but it is great to make people wonder what I am on about. Still because the hospital isn't that far away, I need the exercise and wanted to avoid the struggle for a parking space I decided to catch the bus there and then walk home. On my walk home I was musing about how it was far to nice a day to stay indoors and decided to take myself out for a couple of hours.

This is where I ended up.
For those who don't know this is the world famous Ironbridge built in 1779 and just a few miles from home.
I had a picnic lunch in the park, took a stroll along the river and a quick look in a couple of shops and have now come home to find somewhere to cool off. Who would hav thought it was September out there?

So it's Wednesday again and time to reveal just what is on my work desk this week.
This week yet again my desk is dominated by christmas; I am trying to make a dent into the mountain of cards I need to make but it is easier said than done. On the large mat is a card that I am trying to decide whether to flock or not, flocking is winning and tha may be the next thing I do. Alongside it and pushed into the corner of my workspace are bits left over from making that card and from yesterdays craft club. Craft club is definitely pushing me into christmas crafting, I'm not complaining because I am needing that push.
I am actually desperate to get back to scrapping and once that card is out of the way I may have to raid the large pile of photos that is just out of shot and indulge myself.

I do have a couple of layouts to share that have been completed in the last couple of weeks.

Beginning with a land rover page
Well land rovers and kite flying both at 2010's series 2 club rally in the lake district. The papers are My Minds Eye and simply gorgeous.

And this one is me and him on a rare day out

After I took his photo he demanded the camera to return the favour. Not the best pictures of either of us but I really wanted to record us on our day at the seaside. I used some real favourite papers for this one from Jillybean Soup.

Work Desk Peek Time

So this is my desk this evening, this evening because today has been one of those days that just really didn't begin to happen until it started to get dark due to me being in one of those moods.
I've focused on the corner section this week. The Tulip LO is on the edge of the shot and next to it my newest and already much loved purchase. It is the Ticket set from the Sizzix Framelits range and I can see me buying many more of these! The usual stuff is pushed into the corner, my cake stand, my tote bag etc and a couple of carry on dvds I had on yesterday afternoon while I crafted.

The jug isn't about this week although I am sorry to say it does not contain Pimms but squash! It was vimto flavour last week, hence the colour.

Right onto the Tulips LO
A really simple page to set off the beauty of some of the tulips I photographed in the display gardens at Bridgemere Garden World earlier in the year. I added a little doodling to the diecut letters to make them stand out and did the same around the diecut flowers because I liked the effect.

These cards are my latest christmas cards

I made the two on the left at Craft Club yesterday morning and used the rest of my pack to complete the two on the right after I got home. I'm still not in the mood for christmas but at least a few more cards have been added to the pile, I still need to make loads though.

Where were you...

...ten years ago?

I was at work, my first job after university working for a family run plant and machinery hire company. It was just me and my female boss in the office that day and early in the afternoon she called me downstairs to reception. A rep had called, not a regular in fact we had never seen him before and he never called again, and told her that it had been on the news that a plane had hit the World Trade Centre.
She asked me to see if there was anything on the internet about it. I spent the rest of that working day trying via our very slow dial up connection to find out what was happening whilst listening to the radio. I remember that it was impossible to get onto any of the usual news sites and I saw my first pictures of the unfolding horror via an Irish website.
Like the rest of the world I watched in shock over the following hours and days as the full extent of what had happened became apparent. I might not have been personally effected by events that day but I'll never forget and believe we owe it to all the innocent victims to make sure that the world doesn't either.

Where has the time gone?

And more to the point has anyone seen my watch?
I am sure that I put it on yesterday morning but about lunch time I realised it wasn't there. I thought that perhaps I had taken it off and left it somewhere but can find no sign of it in the house. I fear it must have fallen off whilst I was shopping, and I really liked that one.
I found a different watch to wear this morning but it is in need of a new strap and is a bit too precious for everyday wear so I took myself off to see 'George' at Asda and picked up this little beauty.
It is very like the one that is missing presumed lost forever except that one was black and not yummy purple. I am increasingly drawn to purple again, I think maybe it is a more suitable colour for autumn and winter than the pink that otherwise attracts me.

Which, along with the realisation whilst I was shopping for a new watch that christmas is creeping into the shops, brings me back to my original question. Where as the time gone? It seems like only yesterday we were looking forward to spring and summer and now the dark nights and winter weather are just around the corner. Now I know that like a lot of crafters I have been making the odd christmas card or two and I confess to having picked up a couple of small gifts for himself's stocking but I really don't feel like thinking about christmas yet. Perhaps this will be the year when everyone's presents come from the 24/7 garage.

WOYWW #118

An actual desk pic this week!!!
Or as it appears to me chaos. The plastic box in the foreground is my christmas card making stuff that I took away with me, I was rummaging through it last night for bits to put together in front of the tv (they are still downstairs). Alongside there is the layout I made at this month's scrapbook club and I promise I give you a close up on that another day.
Aside from those pretty much everything else is the standard craft debris around here.
I am sharing the other side of my desk as well this week

and more clutter! there are cards, papers and heaven only knows what in the piles on this side. I really need to sort it and put them away but I'm not sure when that will happen.

Apologies to some of the other WOYWWers because I am still having trouble commenting. Last week I was told several times that I didn't have permission to view the page when I tried to leave comments on blogs, so I'll still be hopping even I can't let you know I've been there.

What I did last weekend

In case anyone wondered what I was on about yesterday I thought I would expand a little on what I did over the bank holiday. It was a big event in the calendar of the Shropshire Off Road Club and took place, for those who know Shropshire, on the Stiperstone side of the Long Mynd.
This was one of the views from our caravan
It really is a stunning part of the country.

We were trialling over the weekend. Basically this means that you have to drive a series of off road courses, between cane 'gates' that determine how many points you get, with the aim of getting as few points as possible. There are varying degrees of difficulty for different types of vehicles.

This is me on saturday afternoon driving in the easiest trial, the tyro, (no idea what it means). I did much better than the first time I had a go coming joint 5th in the end dispite badly twisting my ankle half way through the event. My co-driver is the son of friends who we took with us for the weekend.

And this is him having his go with himself in the passenger seat.

Our young friend came out with the same score as me, really good going as it was his first real driving experience, and won the under 18 group.

The main events took place on sunday and monday and this is himself taking part in the CCV (cross country vehicle) trial, the toughest part of the event.

Sadly for himself and his young co-driver they were out in the third section of the first day due to vehicle problems. One of the other entrants stepped in and let the young chap sit in with him though so he still got to experience many of the more interesting sections.

It was a great weekend for all of us, except the off road buggy which needs fixing, and we will be back next year complete with our young friend.

Now all I've got to do is get the caravan all cleaned up and catch up with the washing. Oh and get over the aches and pains I've come home with.