WOYWW

 Good morning all.

Isn't this a lovely sight.  

A brand new box of beautiful oil pastels.

I gave my own, old box to Maxine so that Ben could use them for his artwork, as he loved using this medium. But I decided a budding talent really should have a lovely new set to work with. Don't they just look tempting- all fresh and new and ready to go.

Below is the little collage all ready for free machining. Neet asked how I made the little girl in the window on my bags.

I love a bit of free machining. It's like drawing with thread. I just stitch over the edge of the fabric and then do the fancy bits like the hair and the facial details.

I have a few more bags to do -I just need the time.

I have put 4 bags of workshop packs ready for Tilly. Two are sunflower packs, one lavender fields and one poppy set - so that's a total of 56 individual packs. So, as you can imagine, it doesn't leave much time for other crafty activity. I love doing it so it's not a problem. 😃

Well that's me for this week

Have a great week all 

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all.

Welcome to my wooly bags of felting yarns and fibres. This week, I have been busy making fibre packs for Tilly Tea Dance. Her workshop attendees like to stock up their felting fibres. So.....

I emptied out my cupboard so that I can put together pre felt, roving and yarns in colour packs.

The finished ones look like this...

Max doesn't have workshops in August so that gives us time for a staff meeting and time to take stock and organize.

I need to reorganize that cupboard too!

That's it for this week.

Have a good week everyone.

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all.

I had an hour or two in my craft room this week, using up a bit more of my fabric stash.

I decided to make a few small bags to go to charity using the Dollytime ideas. I've used lots of the Dollytime knitting patterns but other ideas include these little fabric collaged dollies.

I made a couple of bright cheery bags using this fun balloon patterned fabric.

I've loads of small pieces which I can patchwork together to make more. I think they sold well last time I made them so I will keep going and try and clear a bit more of my stash 

So that's me for this week.

I have jobs to do for Tilly Tea Dance to get ready for her exhibition in early September. It keeps me out of mischief.😃

Have a good week all 

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

This is why we crafters have such a huge stash of fabric! Don't ask me where it came from or how long I have had it. It has been waiting for a special purpose, not known until this week.

My friend's 14 year old granddaughter wanted to learn how to make clothes for herself. (They don't have sewing classes at her school). 

So I delved into my stash and found this 4 metre length of viscose fabric - nice and drapey. I washed it just in case it was likely to shrink 

We found a basic skirt pattern (in my stash, new, unused). She wanted a tiered skirt so, as long as the basic skirt fitted, we could easily add extra tiers .

On Friday she came round and, with a little tuition from me, she cut out the paper pattern and set to cutting out all the pieces she needed in fabric.

On one of the hottest days of the year, she worked hard, sewing it all together. The only bit I actually sewed was the elasticated waist and the overlocked seams.

She was delighted with the finished results and I'm sure she will be confident to make others now she has caught the sewing bug 

Don't you just love being able to pass on our skills.😃

It's been far too warm for me to do anything else.

Of course it's been the perfect excuse to watch the tennis and I've loved it.

Looking forward to the ladies footie now.

Have a great week 

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all 

I'm back from my little break in Llandudno. We had a lovely time with walking, train rides and laughter. It's so good to meet up with old school friends.

We walked in Bodnant Gardens.   

Then we walked along the pier in Llandudno and saw this on the prom. There are so many seagulls waiting for a chippy snack.🤣

On Thursday we had a train ride down the Conwy valley and I snapped this little steam engine in Blaenau Festiniog. We saw herons and egrets on the river bank.

I even snapped a salmon leaping the falls at Bettws y Coed. You might have to enlarge the picture and look closely near that timy fall of water. It is there, believe me.🦈

So that's my busy little week.

I am back to helping Tilly Tea Dance this week but hopefully I will have time to visit your desks 

Have a good week.

 x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

This week has flown by - yet again 

We are having a couple of days in Llandudno and paying a visit to Bodnant Gardens too, so I may not get round to visiting desks until later.

Here are my part done card toppers all ready to sew and embellish. I've used up all my background piece so now need to think of a new idea.

Below are just a few snaps from my front garden....lots of purple - lavender, hebe and my beautiful "Happy Birthday" clematis that little sis bought for me a few years ago. We thought it had died but this year it burst into bloom and twined its way through the Mahonia and up the fence .

Short and sweet for me today.

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all.

I'm a bit late posting today. Let's be honest ...I was out yesterday and completely forgot today was Wednesday 🤣 Where does the time go?

I thought I would show you my sunflower cards which I made using my background fabric that I created a few weeks ago. They are a bit random but I like them.

Below is an old school photo that my friend showed me this week ....

I'm on the top row, fourth from the left. Look at the hair! I'm guessing it's the mid sixties. Happy days! 

I hope you are all enjoying this lovely weather.

Keep cool and drink plenty of water ☀️☀️

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all.

I've been busy with my usual tasks for Tilly this week. The fluff above is for her "Inspiration packs". I just put together toning colours with some yarns and textural bits and bobs.

On Saturday we went to a Model rail exhibition at St Mary's church Shrewsbury.  I enjoyed the models but was a bit distracted by the church textiles and some ceramic plaques 

The banners were old style needlework but fascinating to look at close up .

The ceramic plaques were made by the local college students. I loved them and think they reflected the windows and architecture of the church brilliantly.

So that's me for this week.

Have a great week everyone.

x x Jo 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all .

At last I have put my ATC collection together for you. Thanks to Kyla, Mary Anne, Jan, Annie and Julia.

 I love them all and don't they  beautifully reflect our multi talented bunch of crafters? 

Thanks lots to you all.

This week I have been using up my background fabric for more cards. I really love making them and have come up with a few different designs.

I've made lots more - sunflowers and clematis amongst them.

 I will share them another time as I haven't taken photos yet and I might keep one or two secret as they will make lovely birthday cards for later in the year.😃

My orchids have all burst into bloom this week.

The pink one is a poor specimen with only one shrivelled leaf but it produced the one perfect bloom.

 

I have had the peachy one for about 7 years and it still produces beautiful blooms each year 

So that's me for this week 

Have a good week everyone.

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 Just a quick one today.

I've a few jobs for Tilly before I drop her stock into The Bog Centre on the Stperstones.

Yet more beautiful little sheep needle felted picture.

They are so bright and cheery and just fly off the shelves.

In a spare hour or two I used up a bit more background fabric and made two more cards.

And then with one of the last small pieces, I made another WOYWW ATC 

So that's me for this week.

The rain is doing the garden good but not so good for trips to the coast!

x x Jo 

WOYWW

Good morning all 

Well here we are again, moving into our 17th year of friendship and sharing. It was lovely to link up with our friends who joined us on our Zoom meeting on Saturday. Thanks to Sarah for setting it up for us. It gave Annie an excuse to pop round so that we could link up together. It's always good to spend time with my little sis!

I've had another busy week sorting artwork for Tilly. Here are some little felted sheep pictures all ready to go to a gallery in Yorkshire.

Below is a tiny orchid that Annie gave me three years ago. This week, the three little buds have popped open to reveal these stunning tiny blooms.

Now....

Remember my motherboard? Spider suggested that I scanned it so that it could used as a background paper when printed off. So here is the result.

If anyone would like me email the scan to you, then email me and you can have it. 

So that's me for this week.

Last night we had a tremendous thunderstorm. We had about half an hour of really heavy rainfall, so our gardens will be breathing a sigh of relief at getting a long drink at last. I hope some of it managed to soak into the parched ground 

x x Jo 🌈

WOYWW 16th Anniversary

 

Happy WOYWW 16th Anniversary.

I hope you like my little ATC which I am sharing with you all today.

It's really just a token of my friendship to you all. We have had 16 years of desk sharing but that is just a a tiny part of what we have shared over the years. 

 We crafty folks have made wonderful friendships and shared happy times and sad ones. We have shared ideas and our stash. There has been a lot of giving over the years and we are grateful to all who have joined in and kept the brilliant spirit of the Wednesday desk share going.

Thanks lots to Sarah for taking over from Julia and keeping us all linked up over the last year. We really do appreciate it.

My week has been busy with work for Tilly.

I've made packs for her Puffin workshop.

These are her pictures that she will take as samples

And here is a snap of my favourite garden plants just coming into bloom....

My two clematis. A Montana and Clematis Josephine.

Have a good week and I hope you enjoy the wonderful weather.

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 Welcome to my WOYWW opportunity to share my crafty activities with anyone who pops in to see what I'm up to.

This week I decided to make another Masterboard although I think I prefer to call mine a Motherboard even though I know that's something completely different 🤣

Here's my bag of green bits and bobs that I use for collage....

I snip strips of various fabrics and lay them onto a plain fabric - white poly cotton in this case.

Gradually, I build up an entire background.

Then I overlay a piece of very fine net and finally run several rows of leafy machine embroidery over the whole piece.

Here we are.. all ready to cut up into smaller pieces so that I can add detail with hand embroidery and more collage .

The little embroidery piece I showed you last week now looks like this..

I hope you enjoyed your V E day celebrations if you had any. G ran his model railway as a V E Day special and invited folks to pop in and see it. Just a bit of fun.

We had a walk through the park at Attingham. The azaleas and bluebells were pretty and the birdsong was lovely.

So that's me for this week.

x x Jo 🌈 

WOYWW

 

Good morning all.

My desk is empty but I have been working on a little bit of hand embroidery on this little card topper. I used a small scrap of my masterboard piece from last week and made a little scrap of flower garden.

Speaking of flower gardens ......

Here are a few snaps of the colour in our garden just now. I love the apple blossoms.

Short and sweet for me this week.

Enjoy the beautiful weather.

x x Jo 🌈