Hello my friends. I do trust this finds you well and coping! I have a twofer for you all today…

…Taken around lunchtime Tuesday, this was the second version of my desk. Earlier it had been chaos. Papers, card blanks, scraps of card cut on the guillotine. Testament to a card fest of epic proportions. Then a rapid tidy before starting in on this. Remember those tessellating boxes from some weeks back? Well, I have pondered how to use them, thought up a few ideas – and come up with something. More later! So, now on the desk are two sets of 6 boxes, a 12 x 12 paper pad, 2 pairs of specs, the base of a daylight lamp, glue, DST, blade, etc.

So, desk number 2?

The floor! Evidence of that card fest… Boxes of different coloured card used as backgrounds and simply not put away yet in the haste to start on those boxes before I chickened out. Paper poo from die cutting all around the almost full waste bin – good thing the recycling is collected Friday. So what exactly have I been up to this past week?

Made a load more Christmas cards. I ummed and aahed over those new dies from last week, and in the end decided they were just so gorgeous and said exactly what I wanted to say, that I would keep them really simple. The dies are big – 6 inches across, so these are 7 inch cards. The Gemini has been working overtime.

Isn’t this just the cutest nativity scene? Decoupage isn’t my favourite technique (understatement!), but I saw this pack of 10 and thought… Just right for families.

So, those boxes…

They make a lovely hexagon shape when placed together. Stuck onto a base card piece, I spent ages making the shape for the top decoration – a nativity picture. Cut out a hexagon to match the size, then I cut the hexagon into six triangles (keeping the picture the right way up all the time!), and am sticking them onto the tops of each box. A large brad will ensure the lids can be opened when I have made and attached a short tassel to each one. Into each box I shall place a little gift for my family and a clue to a Christmas treat. The treats will be wrapped separately, and added to the large box I am making up for each family – yes, I am anticipating a virtual Christmas. I do hope that description makes sense!

So, what else have I been up to? I like to spend the evenings down in the lounge – and, of course, therefore have to have a jigsaw on the go! Here’s the latest…

And finally…. Thought it was about time I added a Welsh picture. I’m not allowed to go anywhere at the moment as Wales is in total lockdown – so here’s a picture taken some years ago. Get your tongue round this… Just remember that “ch” isn’t pronounced as it would be in the word “church”, but has its very own Welsh way, as does “ll” – umbrellas are passed around when at Welsh class, as this is a non-covid sensitive pronunciation involving a certain amount of huffing and puffing… and yes, it is just one word!

… Although I wouldn’t try pronouncing it as in the photo!

Thanks so much for all the visits and lovely comments last week. I do so appreciate them.

Take care everyone. God bless you.

Margaret

Hello my friends. I trust this finds you healthy and enjoying life and creativity. It’s been another busy week here on the North Wales coast. I have really been enjoying my pergamano and doing exciting preparations to send presents and cards to my family. My desk this week…

Taken around 2pm on Tuesday – a grim, dull day at that point. I was attempting to finish these little pieces, so had pulled out a box of gold card, there was a pack of 12×12 papers, the usual detritus of a card fest, and at this right hand end, a pile of cards I printed off this morning for my own use. Not too bad! However… a mere 2 hours later…

… By then the sun was shining, but there is barely room to move! In a mad moment I decided to add a bit of glitz and glam to the Christmas cards I had already made… that’s fine; but glitter and pearl drops need room to dry! This task is obviously going to take some time…. The to-do list right at the front right here has a LARGE number of today’s tasks crossed off – YAY!!! A good day.

So, what else have I been up to…

… Hmmm… spending money. I simply couldn’t resist – not that I tried very hard!

…making a couple of special pergamano cards… I’m pleased with these. I don’t do enough of this craft!!!

… hunting the internet to find a different way to present my family with their Christmas money, and I came up with these. They are little wallets, with lots of folds and different papers. The money slots between the back fold and the middle one. Simple and quick to make – called a tri-fold accordian card and demonstrated by Tina Zinck.

So that’s me this week, folks. I am gutted I won’t be able to partake in Julia’s lovely idea to celebrate week 600 – I don’t have a camera or microphone on my computer (it’s REALLY old) so can’t do zoom meetings. I’m sure you will have a fantastic time together!

Thank you to everyone who visited and left a lovely comment last week – you are great! Take care of yourselves. Stay safe. God bless you.

Margaret

Hello my friends. Well, what a rapid week that was! But what changes we are seeing here. My heart goes out ton[places in Britain struggling at the moment. Places in the North of England with more and more restrictions. Areas of Scotland really struggling. 17 parts of Wales in restricted areas – we can’t leave our county or travel into another area except for emergencies or essential travel. Mr Drayford (our first minister) doing his best to get Mr Johnson to agree that people from a hot spot in England shouldn’t travel to a low area in Wales – with no joy as yet…Thank goodness we have something other to think about! Being creative.

I have been a busy girl this week – so here’s my desk. This was taken Tuesday – and what a dull day it was at the time.

Currently in pergamano mode! You can see the large RUB with everything piled in and on it; the pattern I was attempting (unsuccessfully) to do lying on top of my case of tools; glues, DST, a roll of glue dots, scissors, blade, ruler; and on the black embossing mat the piece I was working on, specs, and kitchen roll for covering the piece when working so as not to get the natural grease from my hands onto the parchment. I have to say that the pattern in the magazine and the finished item are nothing alike! Made a very basic mistake – AFTER I had started the pricking… so to redeem it I have changed things. Hoping Alison Yeates won’t mind!! (Pattern maker!)

However, I have been busy doing lots of other things. Remember those brusho backgrounds? Well, I found the photos!! Finished!

The top two are pergamano cards, and the bottom one is a bridge card. Never heard of the idea until I went across to peek at some of our Carol’s (Stampin’ Carol) videos – and thought I would have a go. Great fun! Thanks Carol.

The first of the baby blankets from the two filled carrier bags of yarn. And the start of the second… and yes! Those two large bags were filled with the yarns!! I fancied a change from squares this time – so these are hexagons.

Apart from that I have been doing jigsaws… (and watching tv)

A Pollyanna Pickering image – and look out Julia… It WILL be coming your way for your MIL.

Finally, a gorgeous Thomas Kinkade image – sent to me by our Julia. The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that there is a piece ofte outside missing. I messaged Julia and asked if she had put it into her pocket so she could “put the last piece in”. Hilariously, it was on her floor… so it is going into the mail to complete it. Thanks Julia. I really enjoyed that image – being a Christmasaholic

So there you have it folks – life in semi lockdown. To cap the week I have learned a new life skill – not new to almost every one of you, I imagine, but new to me. I have just successfully registered and placed an order for an on-line click and collect grocery shop at Asda – and so, I will get round to visit you all – but I got a slot for tomorrow, so need to go get a month’s worth of food!! I’m feeling quite proud of myself for achieving that…

Take care dear friends. God bless you.

Margaret

Hello my friends. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments about my post and birthday last week. I really appreciated them. I certainly did have a great time with the family – it was exactly the birthday I longed for. And… what a blessing, and how thankful to my Father God I am that my birthday was the weekend it was! By last Thursday evening my area was in extra covid lockdown measures. My family could still have come into Wales, but I couldn’t have met with them, as Llangollen is out of my area – and we are to stay in our county! My extended family arrangements have been suspended so I can’t see my children, again; but one of our church has phoned me and asked me to join them as a special concession by the Welsh assembly to those who live on their own. It will mean I can visit them, have a meal with them, etc.

However… enough of that… On to my desk.

This is how it is looking late Tuesday evening. I was doing some pergamano – until the light went with yet another downpour! I’m making a quirky Christmas card – not got too far yet… but I shall get there. You can see my embossing black mat, the velum with the start of the design, the magazine with the pattern and instructions, 2 pairs of glasses – different focal lengths – my pack of polychromos pencils, and the large RUB with all my tools, inks, etc for doing pergamano. I have also been playing with some other cards…

Top left is a stamped card using the Magix stamps; bottom left are two stencilled images one with a stamped image on top and the other with a die cut. The right hand pictures are all my first attempts at making some diorama cards – not perfected the art yet… I know that I photographed the finished cards with those brusho backgrounds… I confess I have been doing a lot of sorting and refiling on the computer… so I can’t find them. But I will!! I have promised to show them to you.

Now that the evenings are drawing in I tend to spend them down in the lounge either attempting to do jigsaws or crocheting another blanket. Remember me saying I had completely emptied my yarn stash?? Then I caved in and bought some to wile away the evenings… well! Then a friend visited and handed me two large bags of yarn, and asked if I would make lots of baby blankets for her. She and her hubby make up baby parcels for new mums who aren’t very well off… so, yes, you guessed it… I’m back with the crochet hook out again! Not quite finished the first one yet. But I have been attempting a Pollyanna Pickering jigsaw – not easy and only to be done in good daylight – a lot of blacks! But I did finish a Brueghel style one…

I love this one. Look out Julia – it will shortly be heading your way!!!

So that’s me this week here in Wales.Attempting to keep myself busy, get through the to-do list each day, and still have time to relax in front of the tv – just been watching Strike on I-player – didn’t see it when it was on, so thought i would give it a go. One of my neighbours has loaned me the dvd of Hot fuzz – which I confess I thoroughly enjoyed – laughing out loud at some of the antics!

And on that note… Take care everyone. God bless you.

Margaret