When I named My Cats Merry, Bright, & Jingle layout

 

People have certain expectations of my holiday home decor because I named my cats Merry, Bright & Jingle. I used 12 different stamp sets, a couple of dies, Texture Paste, and heat embossing to explain the difference.

The Expectation.

The Reality.

The Humbug makes it Holiday : D.

Altenew

Dot Labels stamp and die set

Kelly Purkey Simon Exclusive

F Bomb

My Favorite Things

Merry & Bright stamp set

Papertrey Ink

Comic Strip cover die

Ink

Jingle All the Way stamp and die set

Lighten Up stamp and die set

O'Tannenbaum stamp set

On My Couch stamp and die set

On My Couch Additions stamp set

On the Wagon stamp and die set

Snowfall Style stencil

Tiny Treats: Christmas stamp set

Tim Holtz 

Alphanumeric die set

1" Alphanumeric die set

Distress Ink

Distress Oxide Ink

Snarky Cat Christmas stamp set

Texture Paste

Watercolor Trees stamp set

WOYWW 634

 

Desk Pelican is flipped, but slowly but surely a bit of order is happening.

Three of the four outdoor cousins were so hungry they started eating before I was finished pouring. Of course they had been away for three days on their own doing goodness knows what. They are about a month older than their indoor cousins. I believe the mother is a slightly older sister to the two kittens I have. Hoping to get them fixed soon and perhaps in a barn.

For more crafty peeks, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground.

WOYWW 633

The current state of the desk. My laptop is elevated for the times I am standing. Still getting used to the smaller desk space, so far nothing has been pushed over the edge and the table on legs does wobble a bit especially as compared to when it was on ultra sturdy saw horses. 

 

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I also changed the orientation of the table 90 degrees. Another shelving system will be arriving this week so there will be more puzzling out new places for things. Then I'll have to go through everything and write down the new locations lol. it is so much easier to get up off the bar stool than my old chair.

 

The baby kittens are eager to help with chores these days lol.

 For more crafty peeks, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground.

WOYWW 632

 

The current state of the workdesk... the table top was cut down from 36" x 60" to 29" x 50" and 34" legs were attached. I am still using the dollar store tablecloth I bought 12 years ago. It's sort of like figuring one of those sliding puzzles. Figuring what to put where. 

Because I have a counter high table I also bought an A-Stand for the computer.

The first of three metal shelves. I bought shelf liners which makes them so much more useful. Plus hooks to keep scissors in plain sight (in theory) and some hanging pockets I didn't need for one of my rolling carts : D. Definitely taking the tortoise approach lol.

For more crafty peeks head over to Julia's Stamping Ground.

WOYWW 629

I am in the process of converting my large piece of plywood sitting on sawhorses to a smaller piece of plywood  sitting on 36 inch table legs. Of course this involved moving practically everything in the craftroom (screaming face emoji). but it is an idea whose time has come lol. In theory it is easier to go across the room and get something if one is already standing up. But I found some free bar stools in case I want to sit down.

Also the baby kittens are gamboling about. Never have I ever before had six kittens. Two 6 month old kittens and 4 almost 4 week old kittens. Fingers crossed I can get the younger kittens into some sort of adoption thing. The two older were supposed to go into foster care/rescue... but I never got a call back so now I guess they are mine.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 625

 

Something a little different on the workdesk today. I am unpicking a cross stitch project. I am not known for immediately diving into a project. So I was so pleased with myself that I opened the mail and started stitching that night. I moved to the desk because I needed better light and a table. I have also been wearing two pairs of glasses at once to see the stitches clearly. Only after about a week, I noticed...

 

I was stitching everything SIDEWAYS (insert screaming face emoji). So I am reflecting on my impulsiveness as I carefully rip out each stitch with my trusty seam ripper.Counting is usually my nemesis so I was quite happy to have the idea to stitch the large single color areas in alternating 5 stitch grids rather than counting 50 dark stitches in a row.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty desk peeks.

WOYWW 615

 On a quest to get some projects done, but first pictures must be found (ugh). Hence the hard drive to the left.

 

For more crafty peeks head over to Julia's Stamping Ground : D.

WOYWW 613

Working on a layout for the latest Victoria Marie online crop. Broke out my old Martha Stewart Crown punch. Also some old Hot Off the Press Dazzles circa 2009, There is a very old Club Libby Lu gift box to be used in another layout.  I managed to finish four layouts last month.

Mama cat spending a little quality time with the kittens on the back steps.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more peeks at crafty spaces : D.

WOYWW 610

 

Between projects. Just behind the basket handle is a glimpse of Kitsch Flamingo Distress Glaze : D.That is  [edited To add: a picture of ] my cat Archie taped to my Ott light.

Last week I found out there were kittens living in the basement. It scared the crap out of me because there weren't supposed to be any animals on that side of the door.. I was wondering why there were no mice in the kitchen this winter. I made them a little loft at the top of the stairs. This is them watching me cook lol.I am of course scrapbooking the adventures. The one in the box LOVES polar fleece. When you are a winter kitten in this area, it makes total sense. Keep your fingers crossed I can find a rescue organization for them.

 Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

 

WOYWW 606

 The state of the desk this morning. Lots going on, the Light Blue thing is a spindle in the making. The tiny piile of yellow by the light green mouse is a paper chain for a layout about the tine I saved Christmas (according to my sister) by making a tree out of construction paper. I am left handed : D. Also an empty teriyaki  bottle now a tip proof dispenser of clean water. The gold disk in front of the light is another spindle in the making. Fingers crossed it will be a fancy one! I may have an ink problem... there are more in drawer and boxes.Tools hanging out like sailors on a ships rigging. It's always a test of gravity around here : D.

 I am really benefiting from Victoria Marie's Project Done (a year long scrapbooking class, a rolling class that can be joined at any time btw). While I do like that sponotaneous creativity that comes from following one's creative nose, I am seeing the benefits of having a loose guideline of direction. For instance I have decided to put all my child's childhood birthday events in a single album.

I am also taking an Altenew Academy class called Background Magic. While it was intended to be for cards, I am having fun with scrapbook pages. I used Altenew Halftone Circles and my Tim Holtz stamping platform for this one stamped three times simply rotating the paper.

Then shifting the paper 1/8" to stamp a fourth time with embossing ink. Then sprinkling some embossing powder across the page (make sure to only heat it from underneath lol).

Check out Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty goings ons : D

WOYWW 605

The state of  the desk this moring, computer closed on the right, headset from a Zoom Crafty session. A spindle needing some paint, a bottle of India ink to open (carefully) and the booties completed : D.

I made a card for a 2 year old with action wobbles. Love how it came out and it's been a minute since I made a card. I used Hero Arts Color Layering Gold Fish that I had never used before and some fabric washi tape I never used before. So I entered it in Simon Says Stamp's Something New Wednesday Challenge.

 

 

Close ups of the booties finally finished : D.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 603

 Busy desk, lots to do... but apparently most of it will be put aside to work on a two day layout : D. With stamping of an unused stamp that can't linger idly a moment longer though I've had it since August 2010. The paper and flocking (because I had to stamp and glue and flock too) material from the same kit. The subject is only half as old. I spent three hours looking for the stamp set (not from the kit) because I forgot to write down where I put this box. 

 

 Close up of the Stamping and Flocking. BTW if your flocking has gone clumpy just sift it through a small sieve. : D.

What I should be doing is wrapping Baby Yoda. But I keep admiring the 2020 embellishment I made with Darcie's Stamps Dumpster Fire set.

Also the Slipstravaganza Shawl is finished!

A view of the front and the back. I think I overblocked, but I will live with it for a while : D.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 602

 

Today's desk is more purging, than creating. Today it's testing all the little ink pads. Today I am just testing them, keeping the inky ones and throwing out the bad 'uns. Yesterday I did all the ink pads in the drawers. The big ink pads on the desk are all current and good. Yes I have a lot of inkpads. Not in the picture is my growing stash of Distress Oxide Inks that are a good substitute for the pigment inks that don't always age well. Except for the pigment inks I use for water colored images.  I am also making a Christmas playlist on Spotify that avoids all the songs that make my teeth grind : D.

Also if you want to sign up for a Year Long Scrapbooking Class called Project Done, here is the link to the information : )

For more crafty peaks head over to Julia's Stamping-Ground : D.

WOYWW 601

The Carnage of last Thursday and Friday is ebbing slowly away. Round 2 is about to start, except I tweaked my back... not enough to completely stop, just enough to be really inconvenient. I also baked bread in my new bread maker. Two loaves were successful, the third I forgot to add the yeast... it was a real standin for things to be catapulted when you want to smash something.

In knitting knews, the knitting portion of the Mystery Knit Along is done. Now I need to weave in some ends and fluff them up with a sharp needle to help the ends stay in place. A tip I learned from an online class taught by Ann Budd. When that is done it needs a nice soak and a blocking : D.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 600

 

The state of the desk lol. I had grand ideas of having everything that needed shipping being shipped by this point. But to quote Little Britain, "The computer says nooooo". So I am trying to catch up.

I am making two December books as gifts. Very simple, plain cardstock cut and punched and some simple embellishments for them to do with as they like or not.  I had a vision of pre-atg the embellishments, but the freezer paper these days is very light on the slick side, so I am throwing in some extra tape. and the rest are in a zip lock.

The Slipstravaganza shawl is 2 rows further than pictured here. and then there is only 900 stitches to bind off! lol

Also I broke out the breadmaker and made myself a loaf of whole wheat bread : D. Which I used to make this delicious grilled cheese sandwich (which is the custom for the first day of snow that sticks to the ground). 

For more crafty peeks, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground and wish her a happy 600 : D.

WOYWW 598

I went to another virtual crop last weekend and all the challenges are due Nov. 30. So here I am making Christmas layuot kits and two December Daily kits (to be given as gifts).

 

I have also been chugging away at my MKAL although I know how it looks finished now even though I am not done, but I did get a few surprise sections so I am happy about that. The rows are now over 900 stitches long, and it is a good day when I get more than one done. Really it's a good day when I get 1 done : D. I am on row 3 of 24 in this last section and then there is the bindoff. So I might have this done in a little less than a month (fingers crossed). 

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for peeks at more crafty spaces : D.

WOYWW 597

 

There is a lot going on here, which is typical. some things from the crop last month yet to be put away, embellishments to be made. The booties to be finished are just out of view.

And proof of a scrapbooking miracle : D. The Gary Larson cartoon was the basis of my daughter's first Halloween costume. She was the miracle and I was the butterfly from the wrong side of the meadow. Sadly I did not get a picture of my wings. But the picture and the cartoon have been toted around for about 25 years, but like Superman and Clark Kent, never together. I finally got them both together so there will be a page : D.

For more crafty goings on head over to Julia's Stamping Ground.

WOYWW 596

I have been making layouts!!!! It's been 2 years and some months since my last one was completed. I went a virtual crop in the beginning of the month at Victoria Marie Designs Mighty Network (free to join and 8 dollar for the crop).

I have also been knitting alot as October is Mystery Knitalong Season (you get clues every week and knit them up not knowing what the shawl will look like. This is the back of it as I don't want to accidentally give away spoilers : o.

So one of my pages is about the MKAL, and how I bought a kit for the first time : D. I used the yarn bands (labels) and the yarn used to tie the skeins for embellishments. I also used some of my Crackling Campfire Distress Glaze to color a little piece of wood (in the right corner), and Crackling Campfire to change the color of the letters to orange. Also if you knit, LolaBean Yarn is amazing! I can't afford to buy it regularly, but totally a wonderful splurge now and then. It sells out very quickly. I had to buy mine from Amsterdam : D.

Also a new stamp set : |, because 2020.

For more crafty peeks, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground : ).