WOYWW 625 - Air Dry Clay

Good morning and Happy WOYWW to all those that I don't manage to visit this week.  It is sunny in Pembrokeshire today and I am looking forward to driving into town this afternoon.  I have my first IRL papercraft workshop since the beginning of 2020 (and dropping off the signed contract etc for the purchase of our investment property - offer accepted at the beginning of December; we had started to look at other properties it was taking so long to get sorted!).  We have to take most of our supplies, to save having to share and then keep wiping stuff down, so will be packing up my rucksack (the shop is on a pedestrian street, so a bit of a walk from the carpark) this morning.  A bit of a long list, but mostly small stuff like inkpads etc.

The workshop I went to on Friday evening was excellent.  Very well organised and safe.  We had our own table, well spaced out and only had a few tools to share - and then we put gloves on to handle them.  It was using air dry clay - my first time with this.  We made a wall hanging from the already-dry hearts that the tutor brought with her, and then rolled out/cut clay to make more shapes for other projects.  These are still drying, and then I will make another wall hanging plus got some extras for cards/ATCs/scrapbooking or whatever.  My first photo shows a ball of clay that I brought home to make into a dish.  It stays soft for a long time wrapped in cling film.  Only £4 for a big pack from The Works at the moment.  There is also a nearly-finished beach hut card that I started in a recent Zoom workshop (going to put some shimmer on the sand and a sentiment), and a strip of the ribbon I printed with my Colop EMark for the 12th Anniversary ATCs.  

WOYWW 624 - 12th Anniversary, and celebrating with ATCs

Good morning from a sunny Pembrokeshire - and HAPPY 12th ANNIVERSARY to all.

If anyone would like to join in with this ever-changing group of crafters from around the world, then click HERE.

My photo today shows my crafty table yesterday afternoon, when I started making my ATCs to celebrate the achievement of reaching 12 years of weekly blogs (no, I haven't done them all !).  Of course I have had this in my calendar for several weeks, but it would be unusual if I wasn't starting at the last minute, and still to finish them (my excuse is that they had to dry overnight!).  They will be finished today and hopefully in the post, along with postcards from sunny Solva.

I had been admiring one of the latest Distress Ink colours for a while, and gave into temptation and bought it from Amazon (local craft shop had sold out).  I do love a nice pink.  Otherwise you can see 2 partially finished ATCs, glue (and cotton bud for applying it), some gold texture paste (which was in a set from either Aldi or Lidl, I can't remember which) and 2 die cut shapes, which will be adhered to the ATCs at some point.  I actually don't have much of a plan for finishing the ATCs, but my Colop E-Mark will be used to decorate some ribbon.

I missed last week, as I just ran out of hours in the day.  We have been out and about making a decision about which electric car to purchase for me (now I have craft workshops and other events going in my calendar we realised that a smaller car would be needed again, so I could park it easily and not have to share a car with hubby), plus some lovely walks when the weather has been nice.  My 'new to me' BMW i3 was delivered last week and it is brilliant.  We now have 2 electric cars in the garage, plus another coming soon - so our solar panels are proving to be the best investment ever (and the battery system was very welcome when our area had a power cut).  If anyone wants some advice on moving to an electric vehicle, just get in touch.  I am a total convert.

After so long of crafting by myself or with a Zoom group (which are still fantastic for 'meeting' crafters from outside our area and other countries, and we have at least one digital crafting Zoom at weekends), I have my first 'IRL' (In Real Life) craft workshop on Friday evening (making a wall hanging with air dryed clay - never used it before), and already another one booked in for next Wednesday.  Hopefully the scrapbooking group will be able to meet again soon (just waiting for confirmation that we can use the British Legion, which has a big hall and fantastic facilities for social distancing).  I have got used to the more relaxed schedule of not going anywhere, so the housework is suffering (especially as if the sun shines, then I just want to drive somewhere and enjoy our fabulous scenery).  See photo below of the coastline just outside Solva (an easy flat walk from the Upper Town) when I joined my Walking For Wellness group walk on Monday afternoon.  Again, fantastic to be walking with 'strangers'.

That is enough words and pictures for now.  Happy 12th Anniversary WOYWW to everyone, if I don't manage to visit all the blogs this week.

Ali x

WOYWW 622 - purely digital this week

Morning from a sunny and breezy Pembrokeshire.  The storm we had on Monday was not very pleasant.  Very strong winds and some damage in our area (but just weaker branches down on the ground on our farm).  We did need the rain though!

It is Wednesday again, so I am making an effort to get this post typed.  Very little crafting has happened in the past week (or 2 weeks really, as I missed last week), and if I do make something I often forget to take photos.  I have started learning and using Serif CraftArtist 2 Professional again (to give it its full title!), and joined a Zoom workshop group on Saturday afternoons.  It has been a few years since I have had this software working (my old craft room pc died and had to have its hard drive replaced, and I never bothered reinstalling all the software as I wasn't using it right then).  When I saw these workshops I decided to get my spare CD-Roms out of the cupboard and get it installed on my fancy new pc.  I had forgotten how fantastic it is and intend to learn all the more advanced features this year.

Here is my screen this morning.  Nothing exciting to show so far.  We were learning how to take a page of embellishments and divide them up (so they are transparent to use as 'stickers').  Very useful.

The search for a car for me continues.  We went to drive one locally yesterday, but decided not to get that specific one.  Seen a few online, so may well be buying one 'unseen' and getting it delivered.   We spent all of last Tuesday in Swansea trying out a few different new cars (plus a wonderful lunch down by the beach - exciting to have a meal 'out' again).  Decided on the BMW i3, so at least we have narrowed down the search now.

We might be going to visit family in England this weekend.  My stepson, fiancee and their 2 young daughters.  Not seen them for well over a year.  It does depend on the weather though, as would only be able to meet up outside somewhere.  We also have to stay at a hotel in Wales, rather than the usual Premier Inn close to them in Warrington.  If the forecast for Saturday continues into Sunday, then I will definitely be postponing until later in May when we can at least have a meal inside a pub/cafe.

Hope everyone is keeping well and busy.

If you would like to join in with WOYWW (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday), click HERE.

Ali x

ps  This is a picture I took on a warm/sunny day recently.  My electric bike up on one of the hills a few miles from the farm.  A very nice place to stop and admire the views from the coast round to the mountains.