Update

I missed out on the last WOYWW (see previous posts) because I was at the doctors - for AGES! They took my blood and my blood pressure, gave me more advice, sent the bloods to my rheumatology doctor and sent me on my way - who knew it would take so long?! 

So, seeing as there is no post showing my desk this week, I thought I'd post a quick update. I'm afraid it's all dolls house related again - You can follow my progress with my new project here at

Adventure Into Miniature.

I am making a terrible mess with Fimo clay - trying to create figures for the dolls house. Once again, I am using so many of the tools I had bought for scrapbooking - embossing tools being the favourite at the moment - brilliant for strategically poking little round holes in the clay.

I've also found a little skeleton in my 'Halloween and Stuff' drawer that will become... well, let's keep that a secret for now - suffice to say that Mum gave me a book to read, and one of the tales in that book will have great bearing on one room in the dolls house.

I have an early birthday present from my darling Hubby - a mini table circular saw. My daughters other half makes guitars, and he is SO good at this - search Matt Dennison on Facebook and you'll find him - he is in a screaming metal band named Deference - Matt is the incredibly handsome one - my daughter has great taste lol. Anyways, seeing as Matt often needs tools, I offered him the use of my new gadget whenever he wants... which he seemed really happy about until I said the little saw was "Sooo cute!". That kind of put him off I think.

My desk right now is strewn with pokey tools, blades, black paint, tools, doll bits, Fimo clay, hair, hair stuck in Fimo clay... you get the picture - it is kinda messy. Oh, okay... It is Very messy lol

WOYWW #345

Yay!!! for another Wednesday, and a little blog-hop around to nosey on other people's work spaces.

For information and how to join in with "What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday" (WOYWW), just take a visit to Ms Julia at The Stamping Ground, and all will be revealed :)

This week, I shall be number.....31 - every time I write that sentence I think of "Stars In Their Eyes" lol

I usually photograph my desk in the early hours of Wednesday morning - those dead-of-the-night hours when I just can't sleep. Usually not a lot changes - but my trusty white lamp with the magnifier broke (not so trusty!) and I lent my large crafting mat to ..well, er... Matt, actually (my daughter's other-half) - so that's missing too.

I spent most of this week making a fireplace 'topper' for the 'Miss Havisham Room' in my dolls house. It's not good. In fact, it looks awful! I ripped out the ceiling paper too, and have decided to use some of my scrapbook papers - both for the ceiling and the walls (which is on my desk).

I am trying to complete the whole house on a minimum budget - making things where and when I can, with whatever I already have in the craft-room. Hence, the upturned glue bottles in a dolls house bath that needs mending (I trod on it, broke the taps, and swore rather loudly). I keep them upturned so I can eke out every last bit of the glue inside. I need to get my money's worth! On the right is my 'What I Am Using Now" box... just bits and pieces that get in the way as I'm crafting, but that I use often - they stay sort-of tidy in my box. One cold cup of tea and a few bits and pieces scattered over, and this is my desk :)

Did you notice my little pressie? The green sleigh was a gift from my dearest friend Ms Lizzie - isn't it the cutest?!  She's also made me some miniature books for the 'Woman In Black Study' room - but forgot to pack them last time she paid a visit, so I'll show those when I get a chance to photograph them.

Apart from my desk, I have also commandeered the dining table...

I am just using a wood dye to stain lots of bits and pieces of wood I have lying around... from lollipop and cocktail sticks to a wooden fan - I thought I'd get them ready for a few projects I may work on for the dolls house. I shan't share right now - because if it turns out as bad as the fireplace topper, I certainly won't be showing any of it off!

Apologies for a long-winded post... but here's hoping your Wednesday ~ and the rest of the week too ~is a massively happy one!

WOYWW #344

Ah, the pure bliss of getting back to normality with a weekly peruse of desks, hosted by the ever multi-talented Ms Julia at The Stamping Ground.

I'll quickly get to my desk before a quick round-up of the seasons events...

I shall be number... 47 for this weeks "What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?"

My desk - as of the very early hours of Wednesday - is actually organised. It's still a mess - but it's an organised mess :)

After finishing the floor of the dolls house kitchen (made with card... I am forever the paper crafter at heart), I decided to make a start on the walls - high wooden tongue-in-groove type walls with a whitewashed top half (or quarter... whatever it turns out to be). The pine had to go - I just wood-dyed everything in a dark oak. The wall panelling is made from lolly sticks - though between me and Ms Lizzie, I think we've bought up all popsicle sticks in Southampton - there seems to be a shortage!

 Originally, this wood was going to be the flooring - but seeing as I didn't have enough lolly sticks to do a whole floor, I changed my mind :) I will have lots of utensils hanging off the narrow shelf, and hopefully, a mish-mash of plates and crockery too. Even the poor stove didn't get away with being left as is... I tore off the backing shelf and the stove pipe to be replaced with a longer pipe straight to the ceiling - the plan is that the fixings to the ceiling will be made from buttons from my stash.

 

Behind the oven, a 'tiled' background - with wood surround - those are leftovers from my 1:24th scale house build - waste not, want not!

And so onto the past few weeks...

A busy Christmas season last year, with my  oven conking out on me Christmas Day, with a final flourish of "Nah, can't be bothered" kaputedness on Boxing Day... I had a meal to cook for 11 on the first day, and 7 on the following. I then had my grandchildren visit on the 27th with my mum-in-law and brother-in-law... What a mess! But I did it - I succeeded without my oven.

My son named me "The Shaven Grinch" (which makes a change from Alzheimer's McGee I suppose)... Why? ... you may ask. Well the tradition in my home is that the Christmas tree goes up on the 1st of November... and it is down by 26th December. Come Christmas Day evening, those decorations came down quicker than My Aunt at the Boxing Day Sales. My son was spending Christmas with us, and he had a little nap early evening... when he went to bed the tree was up, two hours later, my son woke up and the house was back to normal with no signs of Christmas anywhere. "You stole Christmas, Mum!" my son cried - and then came up with the new nickname. Apparently nobody can destroy Christmas as quickly as me - though my oven did try :D

 

My new cooker was installed on Sunday with an impromptu roast at 7.30pm to celebrate being able to cook again :)

 

Apart from that, I have done very little - apart from think a lot about the dolls house. What I am enjoying more than anything right now, is using paper-crafting to make a lot of the little things - like rusty enamel jugs, books and furniture.

 ... and those floor tiles for the dolls house kitchen, of course :)