WOYWW 209, the Crop and some Homework!

Hello What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday-ers, hope you're all well. Check this out, I'm posting early (for me, at least)!...but I'm late mentioning how wonderful, friendly and inspiring the WOYWW Crop was on Saturday! Thanks to the lovely but, alas, too-modest Julia and equally lovely and fab foodie Lunch Lady Jan for the organising and hosting - but more of this in a mo!

First, then, my desk...er, well...kitchen counter... You see, I have no space in my writing room (also known as the cupboard under the stairs) to craft, so I have to do it in the kitchen...

I stack everything around the hardly-ever used microwave...and on top of it! To the right are storage boxes housing my (growing!) collection of stamps and inks, with the basket of washi tapes and string/bakers twine, covered by my funky apron (I hate getting messy!). To the left are re-purposed (thank you Kirsty Allsop for the term!) Mini Cheddar tins from Christmas, in which live glues, scissors and craft knife, and ribbons respectively. On top of said microwave is a guillotine salvaged from a colleague's clear-out, stacked with things I Need To Finish.

In front is the piece de resistance...my new SMASH Book!

I made the first one as a characterisation and scene aid for my novel-in-progress, but this SMASH is all about me...hence the scrabble tiles in my initials, the chipboard tree standing for family and the roots they've given me, and the Tim Holtz pen nib made into a quill is, obviously, all about the writing-ness of my life.

This is what I've been doing since the Crop on Saturday, and why I must visit you all in little bits over the next few days...because I've spent the first part of my week off crafting and organising crafting, and not a word has been written...oops! As many of us do, I've kept a box of mementos for years, and am now going to SMASH it...so I've gone through the book deciding which page suits which event, and I've organised possible papers, toppers and candy for each one in an old, hacked-up cereal box...

Now, to the Crop! I had a great time - everyone was friendly, fun and generous, both with ideas/suggestions and with stash they no longer wanted...Shaz, I'm talking about you! Thanks to all of you lovely people for making it such a creative and inspiring atmosphere...and sorry to those I didn't get to chat to, 'cause I was such a keener and got crafting straight away! (Blame a stressy couple of weeks at work and lack of opportunity...)

Plus, I learned new vocab, too:
Taking inspiration = to have a nose at what everyone else is doing (!)
and
Going in a new direction = making an awful bodge and then salvaging it (!!)

Here are the cards I made throughout the day (I should say I'd already inked the backgrounds weeks ago and was waiting to finish them off) and a few inky-play stamps that have yet to find their homes...

And, finally, I'd better hand in my homework... Julia and Jan gave us goody bags with a card blank, paper, buttons and a piece of ribbon (I'm not mentioning the chocolate buttons I scoffed - ! - but thanks, Jan, for the lovely handmade tissue-holder) - so here is the card I made with the goodies:

I took inspiration from the crown paper and came up with the sentiment, then stamped inside using a Portabello Road stamp I had free with a magazine, then used stick-on pearls to finish it off...I only hope I won't get detention for 'forgetting' to use two of the buttons (they didn't suit the royal theme, you see...)!

Right, time has ticked and I MUST away and WRITE MY NOVEL! (Not the whole thing in one chunk, I hasten to add, but a scene will do!).

~ ttfn ~