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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

WOYWW - 179

Good morning, it is Wednesday again (or it will be by the time this post goes live) - doesn't time go fast.  Anyway, it is time to join with all the other (now famous - it was on the radio) members of Julia's club over at Stamping Ground where we all get together to see what has gone on since last week, and show what we have on our desks.

This is not actually my desk today.  That comes later.   I thought you might like to see the fascinating occupation I gave myself on Monday.  During my hunt for my (still) missing foils, I came across  a couple of sheets of mirri card with embossed sentiments and embellishments on.  I have had them from the very beginning of my paper crafting and forgot they even existed.  I thought that if I chopped them up properly and put them in a small box on my desk, I might actually use them and get rid of them.  In this first shot, you can see all the tiny bits of left overs, ready to be swept into the rubbish bag.  I started by cutting them with my Fiskars finger knife, but rapidly descended into the scissors mode.
Monday Part 1

The second shot shows other things that have surfaced from the dross of years, mainly freebies from magazine fronts - things I have not thought about and will probably never use.  So they go into a separate pile to be passed to our eldest granddaughter to experiment with.  There is also another sheet of gold sentiments waiting to be chopped up. 
Monday Part 2
Now we come to my desk as I left it on Tuesday evening - it is still untouched today.  A little more exciting. I think.  No actual crafting yet, but a delivery that arrived today from Create and Craft, containing two sets of gorgeous stamps from Clarity and a box of spare mounts for the remountable stamps.  I also use those for stamps from other companies as they are so much easier to use, light and easy to handle.
 
Tuesday/Wednesday
I need to get going with those sets of stamps this week.  One set is for the December Classroom lesson with Barbara Gray on Create and Craft and I want to really experiment with it and see how I can adapt it to what I fancy doing, maybe adding other stamps to the mix.  The second set blew me away when I saw them demonstrated at the weekend - fab!

The little picture in the silvery frame is actually not my work, but was done by my DH's aunt, who was very clever with her fingers.  She was also a talented watercolour artist, although she never passed her creations on, thinking they were not good enough.  This little embroidery is one of three embroideries we were given after her death and we do treasure them.

Now I am going to finish with a rant for the week - hope you will forgive me, Julia.  If you don't want to read on, then nip over to Julia to see what she has on offer this week.  However, I bet you will know what I am talking about and probably have suffered too.

Does anyone know how we can stop all these nuisance calls that come from abroad. We bought our present phone system because it shows the telephone number of any caller. We now let our answer phone take all calls where the number is not displayed or whenever it says "International. Out of Area" The caller never gets as far as the answer machine and always hangs up. However, we are now getting these calls at 7.30am or earlier. At this sort of time of day, we immediately think there is an emergency with one or other of our family and get worried. We are told there is nothing that can be done to stop these calls. Isn't it time that the government or the Telecoms people actually sorted this nuisance out and put a stop to this intrusion?  Is it just in the UK that we have to suffer this intrusion and disturbance?   I, for one, have NOT had an accident that I want to claim for, I do NOT need to claim back mis-sold PPI's, I do NOT want a free holiday that will cost me a small fortune, and I do NOT want any of the other things they are trying to sell me. 

I would love to know how all of you around the world deal with these things and if you have an answer for us over here.  (We are registered with the Telephone Preference Service, but that does not stop these international calls, which are mainly random number generated - we are told there is nothing that can be done to stop the international ones)

Have a wonderful week, all of you, filled with good crafting and good company.  xx

19 comments:

Maria said...

Hi Maggie,

That must be so annoying with those phone call's is there anyway to block them? Hope someone is able to come up with a solution to your nuisance calls...
I hope you fun playing with your new stamp set's....


Maria
http://ajourneythatstartshere.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/whats-on-your-my-workdesk-wednesday-179.html

sandra de said...

Oh it is not only in the UK .....we have the telecallers anytime between 5 and 6pm. I havbe become quite hardened and just hang up.
Sandra @10

Ali H said...

Hi - looks like you have had a great clear out of your old stash - I really need to do this ! We get a lot of phantom calls too - sometimes 4 in one afternoon - sorry don't know how to solve it ! Have a great week Ali #52

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Are you ex-directory? That seems the only way to stop the calls....
You have got a lot going on there on your desk! Is Create and Craft reasonable to buy from? I don't know if they are expensive or not...
Hugs, LLJ #58 xx

Helen said...

I am so with you re the phone calls! I hate them... I should have one of your sort outs with my old stash too.. but not today, lol. Helen 4

lisa said...

Hi Maggie
You look as though you are having a good sort out there and getting organised. Lucky you having those new Clarity stamps, I love The Classroom but only ever watch and enjoy!!
With answer to your nuisance calls, there is a preference service you can use to stop them. We had lots when DD was a baby and BT gave me two numbers you call to register, they work in conjunction and touch wood they stopped the majority of ours. I have had a hunt round for the numbers for you but can't lay my hands on them at the minute. I'm shooting off to work in a minute but will find them later and let you have them.
Happy WOYWW
Hugs Lisax #71

Sunshine Girl said...

Oooh great desk this week - not sure what you can do about the calls - we have TPS and also caller id so if the number is withheld I just dont bother answering it and only reply if they leave a message. Thanks for sharing - Sunshine Girl No. 54

Keren Howell said...

Ah ha, a fellow Barbara Grey fan! Love what she does and I bet you have great fun with your stamps!
Cold callers - I rarely answer my landline, I've turned the ringer volume right down and I let the machine take it. The people I want to speak to have my mobile number. If by chance I do pick up the phone and hear that pause (it's an automatic dialler which will try multiple numbers at the same time - the poor person who gets to the phone first will get the joy of the call) I hang up immediately. The machinery at their end reads this as a successful call and won't redial your number. And if they do manage to speak to me, I have no hesitation in hanging up on them in mid-word. I used to work in a call centre and it has hardened me to organisations that take advantage of the courtesy of the person they're calling. Why let them? Hope this helps!xx Keren

Caro said...

I love your desk and bits and pieces this week. We have some sort of BT privacy setting (my husband sorted it so I don't know what it is called) that may be worth checking out. Very few calls seem to get through that and we haven't had any of the ones you are describing. Thanks for sharing. Caro #73

MiniOwner said...

Aren't they just a pain in the proverbial? Those phone calls and also the emails you get about problems you never knew you had. :o(

You are doing a good job sorting out old stash - come and do mine of you have time. LOL Happy Wednesday. :o)
Sue x (MiniOwner@95)

famfa said...

Look onthe Internet, there is a way of stopping calls, we have done it here in Canada as we were getting all sorts. We get calls from India saying our computer has a virus bu we just threaten the police and they seem to go away. Yu could give your mobile number to family and friends and unplug the phone at night. Hope you get it sorted.
Forgot what is on your desk now. I'm sure it was wonderful
FAMFA (20)

House of Bears said...

No idea how to stop those calls, we haven't had any at stupid o clock yet but do the same as you and let it ring if we don't know the number.
Great desk by the way, enjoy your new stamps.

The bears @#80 this week

Twiglet said...

Yes I agree - someone should stop all these cold calls. Luckily we rarely get any - don't know why but I am so glad. Jo #70

pearshapedcrafting said...

Love your changing desk!
Mmm! nuisance calls - we used to have caller display which meant we could leave it if we wanted to, our new phone doesn't have that feature(even though I asked in the shop if it did -Yes was the answer) so we answer every call, I just act daft and try to keep them talking - some of them get really frustrated and hang up on me!!
Chrisx

Linda Simpson said...

Good Evening Maggie, great to view your desk again. Enjoy your new stamps from Clarity I am sure you will enjoy them and look forward to seeing your creations.

Hugs
Linda xxx

Princess Judy Palmer said...

Oh! Love your desk and your finds this week. I too have been poking into areas not explored for quite some time and finding interesting things. It is almost like Christmas! I'll bet those shiny embossed greetings will come into great use now that they are all cut up and ready to go. I'm learning that too--get them ready to go and you'll be more likely to use them. I've no idea on the telephone thing. I no longer give my phone number out for anything least they sell it or use it and that includes companies I do business with (like credit cards). How annoying it all is.

scrappymo! said...

You look very buy...we get those nuisance calls too, DH just hangs up but i wait patiently till they are finished their spiel and say not interested...It drives DH crazy...He says just hang up...but I always think they are just some poor Jo trying to make a living...or some poor Ravinder trying to make a living...as Canadian companies seem to parvel everything like that out to India.

lisa said...

Hi Maggie
Just me again. It was the TPS I had the numbers for. It seems to have worked for us, touch wood!!!!! We are also ex directory which seems to make a big difference. I hope you manage to block these silly calls, someone really should look into this!!!
Hugs Lisax

Neet said...

I know how infuriating it can be to get those telephone calls but apart from what you have done already I haven't a clue how to stop them.
Love all the work you have been doing in order to get some stuff used up - must try your tactic - when I get time. Maybe mojo will come back if I tidy up a bit.
Thanks for visiting me - have a lovely weekend.
Hugs, Neet x