WOYWW 421

I SEE SKIES OF BLUE AND CLOUDS OF WHITE....

It's been a fun week with family visits, lovely meals and lots of fab walks - this early retirement lark isn't half bad :-D

Thanks for all the great comments and entries for my giveaway last week...the winner of the little zippy bag is:

CRAFTYANI (Anickoana)

If you could email me your address, I'll get it off to you ASAP! Hope you find it useful :-D

I haven't done that much sewing this week as there have been other priorities but I did get my scraps box out to see if I could find odds and sods to make lavender sachets with. I found where the stuffing was hidden too, so all is good! The only problem is that my dried lavender needs replacing, the pong has gone...my neighbour has a few lavender bushes in full flower at the moment, I might have to beg some off her to dry.

I would love to tell you that this is the sum total of my scraps but I'd be a naughty little fibber if I did!!  

The reason for my title lyric this week is this:

This is Worm's Head right at the end of the Gower Peninsula, we walked there on Monday and from an overcast sky at the start, it turned into this. What a great morning we all had.

Worm's Head from the other side - it's got nothing to do with earthworms but comes from the Viking word 'Wyrm' meaning Dragon and was named by Sweyn the Viking, so the story goes!

It's just round the headland from this beach, Rhossili, which often features in the Top 10 Best Beaches of Wales/UK/World. If you look just to the left of the hill, you can see land in the distance, that's where I live, so I get to look across at this scene every day. Tough huh?!

As we walked along, we saw this:

Odd little plastic shelters, each of which had a table, chair and artists easel. There was also an Outside Broadcast Unit set up and a notice that said The Landscape Painter of the Year series on Sky TV was being filmed Tues/Wed. We were just a day too early!

And they'll be facing the famous view - I wish we could see the programme when it airs, but we don't have SKY. I hope the contestants have fun painting that gorgeous view!

Take care all and have a fab week. I know Julia's been having a wonderful time in the US but I'm looking forward to catching up with her :-)

xxxxxxx

WOYWW 420

PLANT HAS FLOWERED IN THE SAND

SHELL AND PEBBLE SUNNING....

Thanks for all the sympathetic comments about HarrytheCat last week, it's still weird without him but you all helped xxx

I'm showing a pic from a couple of days ago - I was determined to get my money's worth out of that jelly roll and wanted to make something out of the last few leftovers. Add a zip and a bit of gingham ribbon and what do you get?

A little zippy bag, that's what! This is the prize for my giveaway this week (as a thank you for just being there). If you'd like to win it, just mention it in your comment. The winner shall be revealed next week :-D  I'm happy to post overseas if any non-UK gals would like to join in!

My desk yesterday.....

I've been in a fabric stash using-up frame of mind recently but saw these on sale last week, the spot came from Dunelm (£5 per metre) and the pink gingham from Laura Ashley (£8 per metre) As they're furnishing fabrics, they are really wide and I can cut out loads of things from them. More tote bags for my projects:

Good combo huh? The sturdy fabric makes a good strong bag. You'll no doubt see a lot of this over the next few weeks while I use it all up :-D

And the reason for this week's lyric?

G and I escaped on a road trip last week and went to an NT garden and walk in Pembrokeshire. We'd walked all the way down a valley to the seaside and came upon someone's impromptu artwork. It made us smile!

I could live with this picture on the wall! Very Zen, doncha think?!

I see that Julia is having a high old time in the US, she's been threatening to bring me back all sorts of 'lovely' souvenirs....hmmmm.

Have a great week :-D xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 419

CRYIN' OVER YOU...

Thank you to everyone who asked after Harry the Cat last week - unfortunately, it wasn't a good outcome. Under sedation for an x-ray, we found out that he had a massive tumour and it was kindest to let him slip away in his sleep. Poor old puss cat, we miss him so much. He was a very big personality and has left a moggy shaped hole in our lives...

He had a fab life (16 years) and is hopefully chasing mice up there in the clouds :-)

Crafting helped fill the void. I'm still making items for various projects:

This is the aftermath of a big cutting out session.....

I'm taking a leaf out of Wipso's book and making PE bags for the charity stalls. I'd forgotten I'd got that hearts fabric, there wasn't much left, hence pairing it up with the lilac spot.

And I managed to make three tote bags and a grown-up drawstring bag out of the jelly roll strips. They came together really well and I'm pleased with how they turned out.

G and I went out on a road trip the other day to cheer ourselves up after Harry's demise and found this tiny little wool shop, which doubled up as the main reception office for a caravan park. My dear hubby insisted we stop (no, honest, he really did!) which earned him lots of brownie points :-D I had to buzz an intercom to speak to someone to come and open up - that's a first!

Unfortunately there was nothing that caught my eye, but Emily the owner was lovely and she had a neon sign in her door!  Hopefully she gets lots of custom from the holidaymakers on the site :-D

I hope that Julia is behaving herself stateside - what am I saying?? There's no chance of that ;-D

Have a great week xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 418

TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPIN'..SLIPPIN'...INTO THE FUTURE...

I seem to be repeating myself each week saying that's been a full-on time, but it's true! More sorting out of the house, dealing with a poorly puss cat, band, walking etc etc - it has just flown past.

But some crafting has also taken place!

You find me making different items for various projects - doggy bandannas, pretty hearts amongst them. There are scissors, templates and wadding in use but these will be cleared away before the next project. My mate Helen came over and cut out the hearts and bandannas while I sewed 'em up - what a great help she was, it's amazing how much quicker things got made when they were already cut out. It was like a production line, lol! Thanks Helen, same again soon?

Just little things but hopefully will help raise some cash :-D

The hippy bag came out ok - I thought it could be called a Boho Beach Bag! Still loving the colours.

And some more ATCs found their way to Wales - I do love it when the envelopes drop through the letterbox.

Pretty gorgeous huh? Thank you Sandra D, Sharon K, Cardarian, Christine Bishopsmate and ArtyAndrea, I love them so much - especially the sentiment on Sharon's card (bottom left) after the further sadness in London this week. Thank you for thinking of me, lovely gals, I appreciate it so much xxx

Take care everyone, sending you much love xxxxx

WOYWW 417

FEELIN' GROOVY...

I enjoyed last week! It was fun celebrating the 8th anniversary of this fine crafting get-together and seemed appropriate therefore that I spent the day with someone who I met through WOYWW, the lovely Sam (Hettie) 😊💖

It was a really gorgeous day, we caught up with all our news, had lunch and went for a walk down on the beach (which is why I look rather windblown, it was sunny and breezy! Hettie looks lovely!!)  Fun times :-D

I posted my ATC to Robyn in America and also sent off a few others as well. I do enjoy getting exciting envelopes through the mail every day:

Lovely cards and ATCs from Wipso, Diana, Shaz Silverwolf, Margaret, Twiglet, Neet, Anne, Kim and Lisa...thank you, gorgeous gals, they're all beautiful and very different. xx

Ok, the desk - I'm channelling my aged hippie vibe this week.

I found some jelly roll strips when sorting out my stash and vowed that I would put them to good use! So, I've sewn ten together (three times) and will use them to make funky, hippy tote bags for charities I support. The crochet blanket has been my TV zone-out project, using yarn that was given to me (thanks, Wipso!) and odds and sods of left overs. It came out quite fresh and pretty.

A close up of the strips - the fabric is Moda - I do love it when all the hard work of co-ordinating the colours has already been done *grin* The bohemian patterns makes me feel groovy - can you hear Simon and Garfunkel too?!

That's it - shortish and sweet. Blimey, I amaze myself sometimes, lol!!

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WOYWW 416 - CELEBRATING EIGHT WONDERFUL YEARS!

                                 CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS.....

Wow, what can we say? Eight amazing years of crafting fun, support and friendship around the globe - well done Julia for keeping us all going, we appreciate your hard work more than you could know. After the terrible events in Manchester, it's more important than ever to share the love. 

I'm looking forward to visiting desks today but it will be after the visit of the lovely Hettie, who's coming to visit...it's been ages since we last met. 

There has been a reasonable amount of crafty goings-on at the desk these past few days. My friend Helen (she of Knitted Boobs fame) came round for a coffee last week and was more than happy to be dragooned into some serious cutting out for me:

Oh but she had a lovely time! Once she'd got through what I'd sorted out, the riffling through my scraps box commenced; the next hour was spent cutting out co-ordinating fabrics for tissue pack holders...there would be a squeal as another good combination of colours was found.  We had lots of fun and chatting may have been involved :-D  Helen is my oldest friend, we've known each other since we were 11 and started grammar school together. She's seen me through my rebellious teenage years and is still friends with me!! It's good to be back in my old home town and see more of her x

This was the desk yesterday. I'm making a whole load of tissue holders, sunglasses cases, small zippy bags etc for a couple of charities. I'm in Production Line Mode, it's quicker that way. The fabrics were fat quarters that I got in a family Secret Santa last Christmas - I wouldn't have chosen these myself but am really enjoying the colours. Something a bit different!

I received a parcel on Monday - inside was this:

The most gorgeous mug! With a hare...swoon! But there were no details about who sent it. So I rang up Little Weaver Arts (whose logo was on the bottom of the mug) who sell gorgeous homewares and asked if they could help - the very lovely lady who answered the phone told me it was a Secret Squirrel present and she was under orders not to reveal who had sent it to me!! Friends on FB didn't own up and so if it was a desker, then Thank You! I love it xx

Hope you like the new header, I had fun doing that. Hope you all have a wonderful time moseying around the desks today. Long may the crafty madness continue.....

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WOYWW 415

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND....

Hello lovely deskers around the world - hope you've had a good week! There hasn't been much crafting going on here again, although there has been fun in the JanCave Mk2 :-D

My friend Lynne came to stay for a few days - she has recently joined WOYWW as Lynnecrafts, so pop along and say hello if you can!  Lynne and I have known each other for a very long time (34 years to be exact!), she and her husband have been great and loyal mates to me and Mr LLJ and, do you know what? We still chat away happily, there's never any silences :-D 

From the other end of the table, so you can see experience the full deskiosity! Lynne was helping me out by drawing around the circle template for some ornaments I'm going to make. It was lovely having someone to chat to while I was mending some clothes!  Lynne had brought some jewellery with her that she was going to make a necklace/chatelaine with for a party she's going to soon:

A little light extra internet bead shopping may have occurred at this point :-D

Lynne also bought me some really fab postcards by a photographer she's stumbled across in France - Nicolas Ughetto:

He's a wonderful landscape photographer (see here) As well as some amazing wildlife pics, he's played around with the printing which I love - the top left is my favourite, I could live with that on my wall!  Lynne bought me a hare triptych which I'll show another time.  We had a great few days and visited The Ginhaus in Llandeilo again - it's getting to be a habit :-D

I'll leave you with a couple more pics of my home town harbour. G and I decided we didn't want to sit down all evening so went for a walk and spent ages watching things go on down there....

The RNLI crew had been out practising....

The tide was going out and the sun was setting...

It was a still evening, we spent about three hours just watching the world turn.

ATC anniversary next week, I really must pull my finger out and get some made!!