WOYWW 636 - A Lot To Show, but none of it is recent!

Good morning from a slightly drizzly Pembrokeshire.  Since coming back from our weekend in Oxfordshire/Warwickshire (EV Festival at the National Motor Museum on Saturday, followed by shopping in Leamington Spa - found the CraftWorks shop! - and visiting my mum in Banbury a couple of times), I have amazingly been sleeping for at least 8 hours per night.  Thought it was just from being tired from the travelling, but now I am thinking it is because we are keeping Milky the Cat out of the bedroom (she still has an occasional flea on her).  Usually she climbs around on me in the night and wakes me up constantly.  Perhaps my sleep issues were that simple?!  

The main reason for being here on this Wednesday (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday) is to share my crafty space.  If you would like to join in, click HERE.

Crafting - I have done nothing since last week.  The piles of new crafty stash have grown, with another delivery from Create & Craft (some scissors and photo corners, which I ordered a while ago).  I will do an unboxing video of it all either today or tomorrow, and then add a link on here.  Here are the piles - plus the bag of goodies from CraftWorks (they had a job vacancy for an Assistant Manager - I would love to work in there!), some of which is presents for grandchildren.  (The jigsaw is the one passed onto me via Cindy.)

These are the cards we made at my last craft workshop - lots of inky/embossing fun (the glorious dark blue is the new Distress Ink, Prize Ribbon).

I will be back to my scrapbooking class on Friday morning, and then another craft workshop on Sunday (with alcohol inks this time).

Finishing off the Ikea Kallax started yesterday evening - and I got half of one of the pegboard inserts done.  Only another 3 to go!

I am not going to promise anything for next week, but hoping that the end wall of my craft room will be finished, all the new stash played with and put away, and the jigsaw started.  However, life is very busy with the last rush to get the rental house renovation finished before the end of the month.  We have ordered the kitchen/worktop/flooring for delivery next week (thank you to Howdens for their exceptional service).  Carpets were measured up for yesterday and paid for, and most will be fitted in 2 weeks time (our fantastic local branch of Carpetright saved the day).  New front door ordered.  The builders and electricians have been there full-time and got a lot done.  Unfortunately, not all will be complete before my stepdaughter needs to move in (stair carpet not arriving until September, plus gas meter needs to be moved outside), but we are still really proud of our progress considering all the delays getting the keys.  If anyone in West Wales needs an incredible builder, then Mark Roberts is your man (he organised the renovation of the Farmhouse and also the Cottage at the farm).  We also have a lot going on with our farm business, so time in my craft room is mainly taken up with work on the computer.

Health update - I do have arthritis in my feet.  I have stretching and foot strengthening exercises to do every day, plus going back to have orthotics fitted soon.  I have to wear either trainers or walking boots (even in the house - I have some house trainers), or my walking sandals in really hot weather.  

One last thing - we are selling Mr T, our campervan.  Would really appreciate it if you could share my blog post on your social media.  We were told that campervans were selling really fast, but I think we have missed the main rush.  He is better equipped than most vans of his size, and will be fantastic for anyone who tours in the winter.  Here is the BLOG POST.

Keep Crafting!

Ali x

Click HERE to go to my Unboxing video.

WOYWW 632 - Getting There

Good morning from a misty Pembrokeshire (although forecast to be another warm and sunny day, with a heatwave at the weekend).

The title of this post is my answer to most crafty friends right now.  The reorganisation of my craft room has progressed a lot.  However, there is another delivery from Ikea due to arrive next Monday (the additional row of cubes to go across part of the wall, which have the inserts with pegboard doors, so I can display photos etc), and I also have a delivery of specialist MDF storage inserts coming for my papers/cardstock, inkpads, dies and stamps.  I just then need the big old wardrobes to be dismantled and removed from the room.  

I do have some bulky stuff that needs to be kept in this room that will not fit in the cubes, so have a wish list on Ikea with a few different cupboard options.  This will be chosen and ordered once everything else is sorted and I see exactly what my final storage needs are.

It is wonderful to have an expanse of floor in the room, and to have more room to move about.  I have a spare 6' folding table now, so that can be used when I need more table space or if crafty friends are visiting for a crafty session (if any of you are in Pembrokeshire at any time, just let me know).

Here are my photos.

The top cubes without any boxes are where the specialist papercraft inserts are going - and the rough contents are already piled in each.  The extra layer of four cubes will go on top to the right (before the ceiling starts sloping), and again some of the stuff that I hope will fit in them is sitting there patiently.  There will be space to the left and on top to slot in books/ATC folders, some slimline boxes etc.  

I want to fill the whole wall.  

View from the end of the room by the door.  I still have my 2 tables in place, but the crafty table is now up against the wall.  The old trolley is between them (very useful to put my handbag on top, plus guillotine, A3 paper etc on the bottom shelf).  I am planning to get the filing trays into the new cupboard, so that will give me more space to craft.  The whole room feels more light and airy, and easier to clean too.

Regarding photos of new stash and craft workshops, I haven't got round to photographing any of that.  Although I did take photos during the weekly scrapbooking/mixed media construction class that I go to on Friday mornings.  Here are a few.  (Barry the Cat lives on a boat in the marina and likes to visit as often as possible - he wears a harness and his owner attaches a lead when he is out by the water.  He literally has to be dragged out of the shop, as he gets treats and a lot of fuss/games from us crafters!)

I started a scrapbook page, and need to get it finished before Friday.

Barry playing with his 'mouse'.  He was throwing this around the shop.

Yes, the toilet for the shop is also a crafty storage place!

It is very dangerous to hold craft workshops in a craft shop.  The shopping temptation is huge - and she also had the remainder of the stash that was in the charity sale for our friend (I did have another rummage and bought a few more items!).  By the way - over £3000 raised and that is rising.

The shop is on the Marina in Milford Haven.  InHouse Crafts.  Say hello to Cheryl if you are in the area.  Her opening hours do vary, so check on Facebook or with me first.  The Marina is a fantastic place to visit.  Lovely cafes/bars and shopping.  Come on a Friday morning and join in with the class !

Apologies to Julia for the number of photos.  I could have posted a lot more!  I am taking part in 2 online events this week/weekend.  A summit for making 'Holiday Cards' (it is mostly hosted by Americans) and also the monthly virtual crop for GoGo Scrapbooking (in their Facebook group).  There is F1 and the Tour de France to watch, and the weather forecast is for wonderful weather.  I will be torn between sitting outside with my iPad and watching sport or craft videos in the sunshine, or being in my craft room.  I think I will be inside first thing in the morning when it is still cool.  

The link for the Cardmaking Summit is HERE.

If anyone would like to join in with the weekly hop around crafty workspaces that is WOYWW (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday), go HERE.

Ali x

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 618 - Owl ATC & Colop E-Mark

It is still just about morning here, and I was determined to get a blog post typed today.  Was shocked to see how many weeks I have missed with this global hop around crafty workspaces (click HERE to join in).  I have been super-busy earning money with Matched Betting, and the Cheltenham Festival is named 'Cheltmas' in that community, so I joined in just to see how much money I could make over the 4 days.  I have decided not to continue with horseracing betting, so glad that I did try it out this year - and I made over £300 (my usual monthly target).  Flare ups of my chronic pain and preparing for the first family visit since Christmas 2019 last week also kept me away from blogging.

I have been crafting quite a bit, and deliveries of crafty stash have arrived (I treated myself as a reward for all the time I have spent with Matched Betting). 

You can see the latest delivery from Create & Craft (please remember to go through TopCashback to get the 5% cash) on my crafty table.  It is a Colop E-Mark, which does multi-colour stamping - on all sorts of materials.  I also bought a selection of the accessories including ribbon and labels.  I have been watching the tv shows for a few years and always wanted one of these latest models (I had one of the original ones many years ago, which you had to put cartridges in to get the designs.  This one links via wifi to an app and you can can do any words/images.)   Already made a birthday card for a friend - with personalised ribbon on it, plus toppers/insert.  There is a lot to learn to take advantage of everything it can do.  Anyone else got one?

I am also in the process of getting an owl ATC made for a trade.  I actually got my dies and Sizzix machine out for this.  It just needs sticking together and then I can get it in the post this afternoon.

All busy here - with solar panels being fitted to the roof of the shed that is closest to the house.  This is a garage now (new electric door fitted), with charger for our electric car - and it will also be a workshop for bikes etc.

I will get around blogs later and catch up with what everyone is doing.

Ali x

ps  I am doing a Tarot course this month and will need some 'guinea pigs' to practice on (haven't done any readings for a couple of years, so decided a refresher course would be useful).  If anyone would like a reading, email me at aliwade1971@gmail.com.