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You are welcome to copy any of my designs, as long as you do not take credit for them yourself. I am very happy for you to sell them. If I have used anyone else's design, I always try to give credit where it is due. If I have missed anything, please let me know and I will put things right.


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 27 March 2019

WOYWW 512


This is my desk this week, my lap tray which I can carry through to sit in the sun to make the most of it.  I have a comfy chair in front of the dining room window so that I can watch the birds and keep an eye of Flash while he wanders in and out.

There are three separate pieces of work here at different stages.  The piece on the right is just at the beginning - an old embroidery transfer which I am going to trace, colour and emboss onto parchment.  The one on the left has had two days of work so far and is for class.  The third you can see further down this post.

Why should I be showing this tray, I hear you ask.  Well the answer is in the title of this post.  Almost ten years ago, a lovely lady by the name of Julia set up a small online group by the name of "What's On My Workdesk Wednesday", which is still going today.  We each take a photo of our workdesk, warts and all  and link the resulting post to Julia's Stamping Ground blog.  Then we all go round and have a look at what everyone else is doing.

 It has been a busy couple of weeks, both crafting and non crafting.  I am gradually getting together a whole load of crafting kit that just is not getting used, both media and stamps, plus a lot of dies.  

Some of it will go to Derbyshire for a decision to be made whether it stays there for my granddaughters or to be passed on to the craft group in their school.

Some of it will go to the crop in June to sell off in aid of the charity.

Some will go to a local craft group for disabled people.

I have already ditched the total rubbish, so what is left is in good condition, partly because I don't use it.  Due to lack of space, I am getting rid of almost everything that does not come from my favourite company (no prizes for guessing the name).


In between this clearing out, I am busy doing my favourite parchment craft.  That includes recovering from disaster a tiny piece, a PTC (parchment trading card), which I had seriously over embossed, resulting in ugly and lumpy parchment.  With the encouragement and help of my tutor, it has gradually settled down and smoothed out.  That just confirms that you can rescue most pieces of apparent disaster, and learn more from them.

As crafters, we are all guilty of over criticising our own work, and too much of it ends up in the bin.  That is where this piece might have gone without help from my tutor, who showed me how to gradually bring it back from the brink to something I am quite happy with.

While you are wondering what pieces you could save from the bin, Julia  has got the coffee on for you at Stamping Ground while you wander round to see what everyone else is doing.  Have fun.

25 comments:

Bridget Larsen said...

We are our worst enemies arent we, cant wait to see your parchment, I have not taken up that hobby yet and probably never will, have too much other junk to keep up with lol
Bridget x 1

Sarah Brennan said...

Morning Maggie and Happy WOYWW. I can picture your favourite products with total Clarity lol. Look forward to seeing how your parchment pieces progress. Sarah #5

Helen said...

sitting in a comfy chair in the sun, crafting, sounds perfect! Helen #3

Roz McLellan said...

Morning Maggie.

I did the same as you a while ago and cleared out my craft room. Apart from some dies everything there is from my favourite company too.

Love, Roź.xxx

Tracey@Hotchpotchcreations said...

Maggie that's a lovely way to use that embroidery pattern, such a pretty pattern. Parching always amazes me, so much love for detail.
Happy WoywW Tracey #7

Lynne Bishop said...

PTC is improving, rescued. I reckon you still might have a lot of crafty stash though after your clear out. It is hard sometimes letting things go. X

Julia Dunnit said...

Well I think your PTC is a triumpH, sit looks like a piece of fabric faggot work, amazing! I understand the space thing, believe me, and you probably don’t intentionally use anything but Clarity products anyway, it makes perfect sense to weed out and downsize the rest. Big job though, huh!

Lunch Lady Jan said...

I think that a clear out is good for you - I love having a tidy up, passing on those items which you know you'll never use. And all those groups you mentioned will get something useful, so it's a win win situation! I'll look forward to seeing you at the Crop!
Hugs LLJ 9 xxx

Marit said...

Isn't it rewarding to 'save' something you created from the bin... good for you!!! I would love to meet you all for the 10th birthday crop but my budget doesn't allow it to travel to the UK, bummer! I'll look at the photos then... ;) Happy woyww and a hug from Holland. Marit #18

Pat S Witney said...

Hi Margaret.
I think I also tend to over emboss. Well press to hard anyway. But this piece looks fantastic. I couldn’t really notice that it was lumpy. But a good save anyway.

Glenda said...

I too would sit in the sun if I had a spot to get to a sunny window! It just makes me happy. Love that piece you will be doing on parchment, it will work up so nice! Happy WOWYY!
Glenda #19

Neet said...

If I had stayed with parchment craft instead of getting into rubber stamping I would have a lot more room in my craft area. Who on earth got me interested in rubber? Trouble is I am hooked now. Good luck with your downsizing - I need to begin!!!
Never heard of PTC's before but how lovely it is. I thought it was fabric. I am envious of those who do the lovely parchment craft, it really is a beautiful craft to get into and so delicate. I remember only too well doing a cut and the centre falling out - ah well, maybe that is why I went to rubber.
Hugs, Neet 4 xx
ps thanks for the well wishes x

shazsilverwolf said...

Hi Marg, love the PTC. Such a beautiful piece of work.Something I have never got into, and fully intend to stay within what I do, lol. Don't need any more hobbies. Love & Hugs, Shaz XxX

Diana Taylor said...

I've often admired parchment work but it's not something I've tried (it's on the 'to do one day' list). Your work is beautiful and I'm so glad you didn't put it in the bin. I love the old embroidery pattern, that's a good use for it.
Have a good week,
Diana x #23

My name is Cindy said...

Morning Maggie! Adore looking at parchment work but don't think I have the patience. Good for you sorting out your craft stuff - yep there's too much here that doesn't move from one year to te next but I'm loth to clear anything out until I stop dooing my craft classes. Always useful to have something different up your sleeve!! Happy WOYWW, Cindy #21

Shoshi said...

I think your parchment piece looks amazing Maggie. Margaret from WOYWW visited me once and showed me examples of her work and I was astonished at its delicacy and intricacy - certainly not for me, but I'm in awe of such work! What a smashing idea, using embroidery transfers as designs for embossing. That's thinking outside the box! Thank you for your visit, and I'm sorry you can't see my photos - you're far from being the only one unfortunately - it's wretched google playing up again, I think. I couldn't see Julia's on my iPad this a.m. but can see them on the laptop. Go figure... I'm so fed up with them messing us about all the time. Can I suggest you try again later? Hope you're successful!

Happy WOYWW,
Shoshi #13

Sue said...

Hi Maggie, I love your list of what you will blog about each day.

The parchment will be fab. I've not done any for over a year.

It's good that crafting stash you don't use, will be used by others.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Happy WOYWW
Sue #10

Caro said...

I had a crafting clearout at the beginning of the year - it is very therapeutic. Your parchment work is stunning. Thanks for sharing. Happy WOYWW and have a lovely week. With love & God Bless. Caro xxx (#26)

Anne said...

Hello Maggie - lovely work. Parchment is not something I have tried but admire it very much. I am the worlds worst for criticising what I do (sigh) Anne x 16

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Hi Maggie, loving your Parchment, not something I do very often. I am working on using more of my long term stash or passing it on. I need the space more than the stuff. Happy creative week and hope your woyww has been a good one, Angela x20x

Heather M said...

Hi Maggie, your parchment does look impressive, but I don't think I'll be trying it out anytime soon. I would love to have a clear out, but since I only started crafting a few years ago everything is quite newish, and I'm still finding my feet about what I do like. Thanks for stopping by earlier, and have a lovely week, hugs Heather xx #11

Shoshi said...

Just to let you know I've re-posted the photos from yesterday's blog post, and hopefully you will be able to see them now.

Shoshi

Lindart said...

Hi Maggie! It must be so nice to be able to craft while sitting in the sun watching the birds - I'm so jealous! We have very few windows and not much sun gets into them, especially in the mornings. I love your story of the cats shredding your curtains, our downstairs living room curtains are fine, but my bedroom curtains - !!!! That's because both cats like to sit in that window which does get the late afternoon sun. And I always keep my craft room door shut! Good save on your parchment, I would have been the one to bin it and try again! Thanks for your visit, sorry I'm so late! Lindart #27

Twiglet said...

Your parchment craft is always so beautiful. Looking forward to seeing you in June. xx Jo

Shoshi said...

Thank you for your return visit, Maggie. The fact that you can now see some, if not all, the photos, gives me hope! I really don't understand what is going on, because I can see the photos when I view my blog online, but nobody else seems to be able to!

Shoshi