WOYWW 459

RING OUT THOSE BELLS....

Hello everyone - another week of the crafting madness that is WOYWW rolls around! Hope the weather hasn't been too bad for you, we seem to have missed the Mini Beast that struck with snow at the weekend...fortunately.

My crafting has moved downstairs from the JanCave and I'm now in residence on the dining room table:

If I have a spare ten minutes, it's good to be able to sit and make a couple of cards - the pile is mounting up and hopefully will sell at the next WI Meeting. I'm not asking much for them but every little helps ;-)

Shaz Silverwolf donated a HUGE amount of bits and pieces including these butterflies which go really well with the soft tones of the paper. I turned them into Get Well/Thinking of you type cards - any tips on how to get those blasted peel off words in a straight line?! It may seem like teaching your granny to suck eggs but I need all the help I can can get!!

My other downstairs crafting has been some crochet:


This lovely lot is slowly being turned into...

This! A blanket for a prezzy. Nice colours huh? It's a slightly different colour choice for me which was dictated by the fact that these were the only ones available in Hobbycraft. They're WI double knitting yarns, for every ball sold a small percentage goes to the WI. It's acrylic which I always use for blankets as it's washable and is of a good quality. But why is it that white yarn always seems thinner than coloured?! It's weird, I know the ply is identical, it just doesn't seem as thick!

I also played in a contest with my band last Saturday, we thought we played well but weren't positioned very high - ah well, c'est la vie, adjudicating is very subjective. We held an open rehearsal a couple of days before when friends and family can come to hear us play, which entailed moving from our smallish band room to a bigger hall - and EVERYTHING had to be taken over including:

So last Thursday I was helping to lash tubular bells and timpani to a trailer ( you couldn't make this up, huh?!)


We got some really funny looks, I can tell you!! I was tempted to play them in transit but wasn't allowed....spoilsports :-D  They got there in one piece, phew, and then back again the next day.

You can't say my life isn't varied...........


Have a good week!

34 comments:

Helen said...

oh I wish you had played them as you were going.... shame you didn't do as well as you had hoped in the contest. Your cards look gorgeous, don't under-price them!! the blanket is so pretty, too. Helen #?

Neet said...

spoilsports! They should have had you sat in the back (or stood I guess) playing those various instruments. Would have been a good advert and you would have had fun.
Those cards are lovely and the butterfly is the perfect foil for the background paper.
Just love the wool picture - and the results.
Have a good week
Hugs as always, Neet 2 xx

Sarah Brennan said...

And so the dining room table take over begins... Sorry I can't give you tips with the peel offs Jan; practise, practise, practise! I would have loved to see the faces of other motorists as they passed you and the trailer! Great cards; they are the sort that should sell well. Have a good week. Sarah #12

Anonymous said...

Happy WOYWW. Glad that you didn't have too much snow this time either - it was a slight dusting here, but that cold wind was awful. I love that you are taking over the dining room table. That is how it all starts! I was reminiscing with Rich last week about how I used to just have a little fold up table for crafting, which I used in my stepson's bedroom and I would fold it up and put it behind the door when he was in residence. That is now used for my Scan n Cut machine, and has in the past been my sewing machine table. My stash fitted in 2 drawers. Then I moved to a larger table in our dining room - and had stash in various plastic drawers. When we moved to the rental house across the road I had my own craft room, and when we renovated the Farmhouse my room was the priority (the builders finished it first!). We are looking at small apartments or townhouses in Spain to start with (as we will only be out there for 1 or 2 weeks at a time whilst Rich is still busy with the farm and we have our dog/cat), and I have been eyeing up those craft storage/fold away desk thingies, that just look like a wardrobe when folded away. Perhaps I can have one of those out there so I can do some crafting when the heat is too much for me, or in the winter when it does rain sometimes. I am also planning to start a craft group there, as there doesn't seem to be anything already running. The craft addiction is strong! Ali x #13 ps The thought of you sitting in that trailer playing the drums made me chuckle

Annie said...

Glad you didn’t have lots more snow again....we had more than we wanted but thankfully it’s all gone now and my little daffodils are heads up and smiling again now. Well done you with all the card making and your crochet is really lovely. Never a dull moment at yours is there? 😀
Hugs,
Annie x #15

lisa said...

Look at you in the sunshine. So that's were spring is hiding!! I bet that trailer caused a few heads to turn as it was motoring along....love it.
Your cards are beautiful. Peel off stickers can be a real challenge can't they, I don't use them much now but always found picking them up on the end of a pokey tool worked quite well. I think it's trial and error to see what works for you.
Have a good week
Hugs Lisax #22

Christine said...

It's the taking part that counts - I'm always last but think that if I wasn't .... no one would be first!!
Your cards are beautiful, should sell really well, lots of dosh on that table!
Have a fun week
Christine #23

Julia Dunnit said...

Cor look at you with a dry day! Thank goodness, having to load that lot and then tarp it all in the rain would have been miserable. Glad you played well, and enjoyed too I hope! The cards are coming on great guns....makes me laugh that you’re discovering the bloody elastic annoying ness of the peel off!! Of to do the visiting today, catch up tomoz or fri xxxxxxx

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Ahh, clever cards there Lunch lady Jan.. and not all wools are created equal even is same ply.. quality varies..
re peel off words... do you have pricking tool or a clean skewer from kitchen?
Lever it gently under one end of word and as lift is run it under the length of the word so word runs over length of the skewer/ or pricking tool .. tried to find you tube video. but none sorry.
So once the peel off (**Unstretched is the key - and still hopefully in shape)is lying along the pricking tool, lay it where you want it on card and gently roll the pricking tool out from under it.. sounds hard but easier than it sounds ..
Main thing is not to stretch and lift it with pricking tool, which you use to get it off gently from the sheet in first place. Love my pricking tools.
Hope that helps some .. well done on making an effort for WI.. now blogger better not eat this comment..
Thanks so much for sharing your desky inspiration!
Shaz in Oz.x #21

{Shaz in Oz – Calligraphy Cards}

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Perseverance paid off - here tis LLJ!! YAY! good tips but he uses a craft knife as opposed to pricker .. same principle though words are half way though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L45CQmIIc_c

Crafting Queen said...

Love the cards, so pretty. Hope you had fun at the competition. Have a great day. Hugs Anesha

glitterandglue said...

Morning Jan. Oh what a wonderful picture I now have in my mind's eye of you trying hard to sit in that trailer and play the tubular bells and timps!!! Fantastic - keep me going all week that will! Those yarn colours are glorious - and I quite agree about white yarn! I can only assume that the die used to colour the other ones is what makes it feel thicker?? Those cards are fantastic - well done - you have a really good eye for them. getting peel-offs straight? Well - could use a ruler I suppose - not that I ever do... but if you lay them down and don't press them hard, they will come up and you can reposition them. I hardly ever get them straight.
Sorry the band didn't do as well as you all hoped - one of these days I really must hear this band... I love the sound brass bands make - have some good friends deeply involved with Ratby.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #4

Sue said...

Hi Jan, loving the colours in your crochet. The lucky recipient will love it.

The cards are really fab.

Glad the drums and tubulr bells made it without any problems.

Happy WOYWW
Sue #14

Kelly said...

Wow, Jan. You do keep busy! Love those colors in the afghan. quite the hall on that trailer. I'd love to hear your band play. Is there a youtube somewhere? Speaking of youtube, Here's the link to that video you asked about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYTwYUMTZLo&t=2s I think I made so many because the cuts were super simple. I'll link you to the blog post next week so you can see how I changed mine up a bit. Creative Blessings! Kel #25

shazsilverwolf said...

Hiya Jan, that has made me laugh! Can just picture you bashing out the drums and bells on your way round country lanes, rofl! For the peel offs, the only solution I found was to square up the cards with the grid lines on the mat, the lay a ruler across one of the lines, and use some fine pointed tweezers to lay the peel off along the edge of the ruler. Also good to let it 'rest' in the tweezers for a few moments after peeling them up. Just needs a bit of wiggle room when you have the hanging parts of 'y's & 'g's etc. Pretty sure you're selling yourself short, those cards are going to go really well! And yes, a similar sort of technique for colouring the paper. :) Love & hugs to you all, XXXXXXXX

Lillianb said...

Happy WOYWDW, love the butterfly cards and the blanket colours are great,

Lilian B # 17

Ginny Maxam said...

Hi Jan your cards came out really pretty I love the butterflies and the combination with the paper you put them on. I use a clear ruler and set it on edge and then put my words down most of the time it works pretty well. You know what happens once you start crafting on the dining room table? It becomes your new craft room! Sorry you didn't do as well as you wanted to in your competition, but I'm sure it was spectacular I would have loved to have heard it I love percussion! Have a great week and thanks for stopping by my desk Ginny 29

StampinCarol said...

I just LOVE your cards! And the blanket is so cheery! Sorry your band didn't do so well in the competition but I bet you sounded great. Thanks for popping by my desk! Have a great week!
Carol N #27

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Funny you should say that about the wool. The SU white card stock is always thinner than the colours too! Glad the Mini Beast missed you. We were hit and it meant my girl got to spend the snow day at home and go back to uni a day later. Bonus!
Have a great week x

Fiona #36

Stacy Sheldon said...

HI Jan, those cards are gorgeous. I have heard of people lining up stickers partially on a ruler so you can lay the whole word down at once. ( might work?) :) ~Stacy #31

okienurse said...

Woot! Celebrate the differences I say! It was always fun when my kids were home moving their props/instruments here and there. People don't live in the same world we did! Love the cards a lot. When I layout the words I bump them against a ruler to get them to lay straight...you can tape the ruler ends to the table and slide the card under it for positioning. Have a great week.
Vickie #6

Catriona said...

Glad I read the comments before posting, Shaz, as I always use a craft knife to bet them off. Mind you, I use a craft knife for everything crafty!

Catriona said...

Lovely cards and the story of the instuments had me howling! We once brought a painting home in my open top car with the hood down as we forgot we only had the little car with us when we bought it. I have finally got back to sewing mainly my charity makes.

Elizabeth said...

Hi Jan, so funny, I now have a mental image of you playing Tubular Bells in transit and it won't go away! Those peel-off greetings are a pain to place correctly, which is why I'd rather stamp the greeting. Now, this is going back to my days as a knitwear designer but I think I may have an explanation to why the white feels thinner than colours. It's to do with the dying - dying adds weight and can change the texture slightly. Most notorious is black yarn - often the yarn has been over-dyed because the first colour didn't come out as expected. It's bad economy to throw away a batch of yarn just because the colour is wrong. All this dying is bad for yarn and can make some of them, usually man-made fibres, feel rather hard and nasty too ... this is particularly noticeable when machine knitting the yarn. Hope that answers your question. Beautiful cards. Have a great week. Hugs, Elizabeth x #28

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Ah! Tubular Bells, an amazing instrument and still one of my favourite LPs. gorgeous cards and loving the blanket too. Thanks for the visit to mine and have a happy woyww, Angela x17x

Robyn said...

those butterfly cards are fab! must find my crochet hooks- mia since I moved- the yarn rainbow really inspired me! Robyn 3

April said...

I would love to hear you play! Great colors on the blanket. What awesome bits for cards you received from Shaz.
April #26

craftyani said...

Hi Jan there is some sort of sticky backed plastic for getting peel offs off the sheet and onto a card straight. Have a little bit left but the name of it has disappeared it was made by Woodware Craft Collection. Ani #8&9

buterfliecrafter said...

Nope,can t imagine why you got those looks, lol, lovely butterflycards, would buy them, lovely blanket also, thx for your visit, vicky

Shoshi said...

Hi Jan, my advice for the peel-offs is to stick them on at an angle so it doesn't matter if they are "straight" or not!! I'm not very good at getting things straight either... Love the butterfly cards and the beautiful blanket. Sorry you weren't placed very high in the competition but it must have been fun, anyway. A couple of weeks ago at church one of our local bands was practising after the service for an upcoming competition and boy were they good - raised goose bumps! Such a mellow warm tone. Thank you for your lovely comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the Wind from the Urinals haha! I still laugh about that, years on! Thank you for your good wishes for next week and here's hoping I don't get postponed...

Happy belated WOYWW,
Shoshi #24

Dorlene Durham said...

I love that blanket you are making the colors are so fun! You always have the best pictures. Have a great week. Dorlene #33

Twiglet said...

Where did Wednesday and Thursday go? Guess I was busy with Ben, Max and maybe even a bit of housework - ha ha but not much!! What a life you lead - lashing your drums to a trailer - its \ok they can't touch you for it (as Dud and Pete would say)! xx

BJ said...

Super cards, I use a pokey tool to stick peel-offs on so I can position them easier. Yarn colours are super, and I thought transporting a harp was challenging!! Ended up cutting out 500+ more eggs for the Easter Event, so sorry for the late reply! Thanks for the visit BJ#10

Lindart said...

What a fun life you live! I love tubular bells, such as awesome sound! You blanket looks wonderful all those colours go so well together! Sorry I'm so late getting back to you, with work, and completing my root canal, things have been busy here! Lindart #34

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