Absolutely nothing, that's what. My desk looks almost identical to last week's shot. This is due to the fact that I was away for a long weekend at my eldest niece's wedding up in Yorkshire. I have come back home to chaos and the realisation that I now have only 4 days until the first craft fair....
I might even - and brace yourself for this, Julia - make a list. As I am one of these people who never make a list for anything, this shows that the fear factor is at work!
Anyhow, here's how it looks at the moment..
It couldn't be anything except Christmas in the picture above, could it?! I'm amazed at how much is in the shops in the Scandinavian fabrics and prints that I showed last week. I might have to venture back down to Winchester to go buy some more as every square centimetre of the initial lot has been used up. Well, that's my excuse to go shopping again *grin*
Here's a couple of the stockings made up. I kept the Gentlemen's Stockings quite simple in the end, the buttons didn't work so I left them off.
And here's a basket of bunting ready for next weekend. I'll hang it up to display properly but this is just handy to keep it all together...
Now, there's just the table runners, more stockings, stuff the hearts and whipstitch 'em closed, a display board to make. Is that a list I see before me? Surely not :)
On the way back from the wedding, we stopped off at Leeds for a couple of hours in order to visit the Royal Armouries Museum. G3 and the Big O were very keen to go - I'm not really into that sort of thing but the museum was fab, really interesting and well laid out. We were particularly struck by these huge displays of arms and weapons in patterns, just like in old baronial halls except this was inside a stairwell that ran the height of the building.
Aren't the patterns amazing? We stood and looked at this for ages, whoever designed it is a genius. I love patterns like Celtic Knotwork, diagrams, maps, even Mr Dunnit's blueprints for his joinery, much more than figurative work or landscapes. Even a print that I bought on holiday in August is in this vein.
Isn't it gorgeous? I love the stylized ripples and the otter dipping down below the surface. I'd had birthday money given to me (thanks Mum and Dad) so treated myself.
Another mixed bag this week, but I thought I'd leave you with an image that may amuse....
I was trying to look regal but instead it appears that I'm asleep or going to sneeze!! I'm afraid blue blood does not run in these veins, lol !!
Have a great week! xx
65 comments:
Isn't it ghastly when you have a weekend away (and a lovely one) then have this mass pile up when you get back! - along with all the things you really want to be doing......You have my sympathy, list, prioritise and go for it (oh yes and blot everything else out it'll live we expect to hear back from you on Sunday and not before missus. Go create and have a lovely and productive craft fare :)
Good luck with your crafty catch up and with the up and coming sale. We all need time out now and then :-)
Hugs,
A x
Fabulous pictures - sounds like you are really busy with the fayre coming up - I personally cannot live without lists (in fact I have lists of lists!) so I would be in a right state now if there was no comforting list in sight! Hope you get all your projects finished (in fact if you are ready this you are not doing your projects - so get to it!).
good luck indeed with the craft fair. love your piles of material in prep! The museum looks fab - and yes, what a great way to display them
I love the Elizabeathan Jan! :) It looks like a really cool museum. My boys would be in heaven (and trying to figure out either a- can we convince mom to do something like that in our house, b- how can I get some of this loot to the car without anyone missing it, or c-mideval boys had it much cooler than we do today...or all of the above!). I swar I saw no list. Good luck preping for the fair. Happy WOYWW! -Amanda
Dear queen lunch lady jan, you don't look amused! Those patterns are indeed amazing, I too would have stood looking for ages. Great fabrics
I just have to say how wonderful your board for Julia was ... mind you I think you better sell them on commission as we all seemed to relate to it! I love the state of the desk, it suggests things got more and more frantic as the time went on!
ha ha, so know what you mean about trying to look regal, Lunch lady Jan! doesn't work over here either! and yes I do spy a list and I make them all the time, I have one in front of me now (but of the ticked off variety which I like:D). Love the materials too and can understand them being popular. thanks for popping over and for well wishes love Shaz.x
OMG woman, a list??? that is just too organised and must be a sign that you are getting stressed !! Seriously I love lists, they are great for keeping you on track and have become more necessary as the brain cells start to deplete LOL. I've got a great to do list app on my iphone :)
I was born and bred in Leeds and know the Armouries well (and the lions on the Town Hall steps) That is an amazing display.
Love Mandy xxx
I’m sure you’re going to be ready for your craft fair Jan, with time to spare so don’t panic…….just yet!
That display of arms is something else, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before.
It must have taken hours of planning and then more hours of actually executing the plan but it’s paid off with stunning results.
Happy Crafting!
Sue
x
Hope you had fun at the wedding, I'm sure you will be fine at the craft fair but I would definitely make a list (I'm a big fan of them!). Have a happy Wednesday! Mel #59
Just love the christmas items, really makes a house look special, yours must be fantastic!!! The Halls look wonderful, it's amazing what you can see in the world around you if you really look and not just dash onto something else. Thanks for sharing!
See, you're so damn nice that you can't even look down on someone!! But I like the big frock! I think we need prices for all these buntings and stockings please. I love that you're so busy that you need to make a list. Excuse me while I hope down from my stool and do the 'told you so' dance. Really, I will!!
An interesting set of images. Good luck with ther list making. I couldn't live without my lists
Hope you can make it before the fair starts. I don't make lists too. The time I need to make a list I, mosty, can finish another item. But when it's too busy... I have to make one too.
These pictures of the museum are really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
xFranka
The red roller is called a brayer, you use it to put inks/paints onto a surface. There are loads of different techniques, you can tie fibres, elastic bands, lace etc etc onto the roller to give different textures. I've only used it a few time but they are really cool and cost around £5. YouTube has loads of videos for them.
The snow shovel? Erm...not sure about that one! If it's green then it's a tag I inked that needs flattening, if it's White and under the brayer then it's a box lid taken at a strange angle. Or am I looking in a totally different place to you?!
Well done, Queen Jan. What great photos you posted this week. I hope your craft fair goes well, and that you sell out of everything.
Thanks for the tour and the laugh! Patsy from
HeARTworks
Good luck with the fair, I am sure armed with your list you will achieve miracles!
ah - use of weapons, hmm yes,
very masculine to have a sword, all us girls need are the words and the The Look, our opponent never dies but they live in pain whilst we continue to scowl and scold, until the right thing is done... Suffering -yes - much worse than death don'tcha think? there are no medals for outstanding bravery in the line of washing up.
you do look like something got up your nose in the last shot,
and the list?
nah - that's procrastination - Just Bloody Get on With It,
Dxxx
The Royal Armouries are just fab.... Love the pic of you as The Eliabethan! I think you look regal, if no-one else does. I did get your email and I'm sorry I haven't replied yet - mayhem abounds at home. Thank you for the heads-up on the jobs, but they're fixed term contract and that makes me nervous. TTFN...
Your comment made me laugh. Here's another one. Dirty cat I want you dirty cat I need you ooh - dirty cash!
I know fabric makes a mess. I am always happy to get a project finished so I can put it all away for awhile. I love to hear about your adventures to Yourkshire. A long way from Texas!
Great piccy of you! looks like you had a good time. oh I am a list maker, lists and more lists! I sometimes wonder if I spent less time writing the lists and more time doing the stuff I'm listing I'd get far more done :o) the stockings and bunting are great! loving all the xmassy fabric. Hope the fair goes well, would be nice to see a piccy of your stall laid out with all your lovely makes next week maybe?? :o) x
I love to see all of the Christmas fabrics! It just reminds me how close the winter is getting! And the geometric patters formed by those weapons is fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
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The armoury walls and ceiligs are amazing ...I have never seen anything like it. Good luck with your craft fair ...all that you have shown here are beautiful ...wish you did one near me.
As for lists ...used them lots when younger then stopped as it seemed so ordered which is not me ...but I now feel I need them in order to get through a day otherwise I do nothing that I should be doing.xx
Thanks for your visit earlier. I do need to make one thing clear. I am not good enough as an artist. It is a design that I downloaded from the Silhouette web site, and asked the Silhouette to draw it for me. Then I coloured in between the lines and put the gems on.
Excellent photos...I love the tactile look of all those fabrics. Thanks for sharing the photos of the Royal armouries...I haven't been there in years, must make a mental note to go back!
Great pics, and I'm sure your craft fair will be HUGELY successful, cos the goodies you've made are bee-oo-ti-ful!
Know what you mean about time away, my blog has suffered last couple of weeks cos work (gasp!) took over last week, and this week I have a sick relative and a sick kitty and tons of deadlines and, and, and............... I feel a long list is needed - won't make me do anything, but will feel better just writing the list :-)
A list? Gosh that's getting serious then?? I personally don't do lists but my husband is a huge fan of them, even to the point of laminating the most used ones so he doesn't have to keep writing them out!! The wares for the fair are so lovely, fingers crossed you get everything done! And that museum is spectacular, someone had amazing vision when they were planning that project.
Hugs
Brenda 84
Oh! Forgot to say that I love the otter painting, so incredibly fluid.
Brenda
Oo lovely post you have shared with us this week. Hope your crafty activities work out well and they fly off the craft fair tables. x Jo
good luck getting everything finished for the fair, fab photos!
have a great day, Debxx
Oooo some lovely Christmasy things there, I love the bunting. Sounds like you have a had a busy week!
Nina x
Check out Design Team call on our blog
LOL! I Love that pic of you, very snooty! Do you have an Etsy shop or something like that? And if you come to Winchester please let me know so we can hook up for tea! Good luck with the list, I'm a definite list maker, I have lists of lists, you know the sort ;-) xx
Good Evening your Highness! Love that otter picture is gorgeous and if you get bored with it I can find a place for it in my house.
You could always ask Julia to make you a big fluffy dress that is not quite so stiff as the one you have been photographed in!!
Those stockings are just darling!! You sound so busy I would be hyperventilating - personally I'm a great believer in lists or else I tend to stop completely when things get a bit manic - bit 'hare in the headlights'. Writing the list makes me feel in control, not that that I always follow it!! I really loved the pictures of armour in the museum - stunning display, and stunning otter print too, just my kinbd of thing. TFS Cindy #26
Those patterns at the Armoury are amazing - my DH wants to go there. Although we have been visiting DS in Leeds now for 17 years he still hasn't made it there! Hope you get everything done for the Craft Fair. Anne x
interesting post as usual. some great (christmassy) stuff on show. Have you made a list of the things you have finished, LOL
If you want more fabric you will have to be quick it's going fast . . . and thats not an advert just the time of year!
janet
Well even the queen has to sleep sometime, I don't think I would have made a good queen either. Love the armory photos, thanks for sharing
Do you put any interfacing between your fabric for your buntings? Do you use commercial bias to connect the pennants or do you make your own? I'm thinking about making some. Good luck at the craft fair!
Gorgeous, love them all..especially the polka dots
Thanks for the peek and sharing, xoxo Marjo
I wish you would leave me alone with your stash of fabrics (there might be less when you come back). ;-)
I also love the weapons display. Beautiful indeed.
Loving those 'men stockings'! Especially the 'tartan' ones! That's just clever!
As for the music with crafting?...you know I have never really thought about it to be honest, I usually like to listen to 'new age' whne I'm crafting because I find it good 'concentrating' music! If I put heavy metal/thrash I would never get anything done cos I'd be too busy 'rocking' I suppose! lol...I will keep that in mind though and watch out for any 'connections' in future works! lol
Thanks for the comments
Take care and have a great day
Jackie x
What an amazing display and I never thought I'd be saying that about weapons! Loving all the Scandinavian influences, that was the theme in the current issue of Making.
I've just realised I never stopped by, how rude!!!
I must make amends!!!
Glad you had a great trip to Leeds, the weather behaved for you if I rememeber back to the weekend. It's years since we went to the Armouries, must make a return trip. The City has certainly changed since I was last there too.
Good look with all your makes for the craft fair, I'm sure they'll be a huge success.
Hugs Lisax
Aha... so you are like me... don't really do lists.. not for grocery shopping or anything else... more a fly by the seat of my pants girl!! Then when it all gets too much.... I make a list... normally this is at the end of one assignment and entails moving me, the cats and my house halfway across the world with 3 weeks notice!! DH knows that when he sees the list he should tread carefully and ask if help is needed.... and then you get this satisfying ticking off the things in the list... tick, done, tick, done... and I love it and wonder why I don't use them all the time.... but it wears off and I go back to flying by the seat of pants!!
Oooh Jan, we LOVE the Royal Armouries in Leeds! Your photos brought back happy memories of visits with my school friend who used to live in N. Yorks and took us there more than once. Did you ever see the TV series "Arms in Action" - they had loads of experts from there. I found the whole thing fascinating as an exhibition of social history through weaponry. I loved the helmet wearing glasses, and the horse armour! I just wish it wasn't so far away from Devon!!
Love your adorable little Christmas stockings and bunting! Haven't you been busy.
Thanks for the comment on my blog!
Happy WOYWW, Shoshi #84
My desk almost never changes either except to get different clutter while making another project
Bridget #37 WOYWW 125
Not much left to do in 4 days then! Hope the craft fair goes ok and you don't have too sore fingers.
Hugs Mrs A.
When I went to the armouries I was only there for a few minutes and had to come out as I felt an overwhelming feeling of evil and killing from all those artistically laid out weapons. Considering my husband is a shooter (of paper targets only) I'm used to guns but I couldn't handle that place.
Love your bunting and stockings.... and your expression too!
JoZarty x
love your stockings
thanks for popping by earlier
caroline #58
Oh dear, maybe a list IS in order?
you have such a lot to do!!
But I have to admit, the Armouries is stunning, a very well thought out place, even for those of us not into weaponry lol
Hope you get finished in time,
Happy WOYWW
Lou #63
I hope the craft fair goes well for you - you definitely have been busy. Wonderful fabric, and those stockings are lovely.
Patterns are mesmerising, good look with the fair :) hugs Jennibellie x
thanks for sharing the very interesting weapon walls. looks like an awesome place to visit.
I am a big fan of Celtic knotwork too- and those museum pictures are amazing, I agree.Sorry I am late this week, Blogger has been a complete pain!
Thanks for letting me know how you make your bunting. I've never seen them at sales here in the states. I'll have to make some when I get a free moment :)
AT LAST I am able to pop along and thank you for your lovely message ... sorry it has taken me a while to get back to you but you could see the problems I was having.
That stairwell is amazing ... took a while to figure out what I was seeing and then it was WOW!!! x
Hope by now you are a bit nearer with all that gorgeous fabric.
Love the pictures from the Royal Armouries - not been there in ages, not since the stamping show moved to Harrogate from there. The photo of the "Royal Lady" is exceptionally wonderful - Royals can sneeze and snooze.
Only just had my WOYWW posted as I have been away and now am hoping someone can guess where I have been - little prize for the first to do it. Hugs, Neet #133
The amoury display looks amazing. What a small cyber world, I spent wednesday at the armoury wharf cafe (Sydney) no weapons but lovely cake!
Actually it's a great picture. LOL
Hi Jan, at last I have blogged your fabulous totes!!! sorry its taken so long, love the hearts and those crimbo stockings look great, great display board too and gorgeous photos. Happy Crafting, Sue xx
Loved your post and the one afterwards about the walk around your village.
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