What's On My Workdesk Wednesday 243? Photo Blocks

Hello fellow Desker!  Thanks for joining me from Julia's place over at Stamping Ground.

Here is my desk with two of the photo blocks I have re-purposed.

Photo blocks are kind of like a wooden canvas.  They are a hardboard version.  In the 80's it was very popular to glue photos onto these blocks to hang them on the wall in all sizes from small to poster size.  Now they print directly onto canvas instead and block that.

I was given these blocks from a student who did not need them in her business any more and so I have ripped off the photo and covered the left one in hessian (burlap) then added texture paste through a Tim stencil and painted the right one with a crackle technique, now I am contemplating the decorations I am going to add.

Yes, those are "industrial" sized jars of gesso, texture paste and acrylic gel medium you see piled on the left!

The new blue clock is one I got yesterday at the Typo sale shop for R42!  Down from R179!  I am tempted to alter it...it is cheaper to buy this than Tims one which I have been dying to get!

So that's me.

See you at your desk

Bella

Wedding card

I have been asked to make a wedding card and I quite like using white on white for this.  All I need to do is get the correct spelling for their names which I will add to the card in silver.

Here is the card above I made after being inspired by this one I found on Pinterest by Sistersandie from Splitcoaststampers, as seen below.

Thanks for the visit

Bella

What's on My Workdesk 242? A Prize!

Hello fellow Desker, welcome to my desk on a perfect windless summers day...in fact we are going to "cook" later...they are predicting ridiculously high temps for today!  So while I know you are probably freezing, we are cooking...where is the happy medium?

Well you are not here to discuss the weather, but to see my desk.

I participated in the New Years Eve streamathon that was organised on Facebook and I won a set of IndioBlu stamps from Cathy.  What a generous prize, not one, but 3 sets!  The nice thing is the images are ALL ones I will use and look forward to making stuff with.

Then there is a pile of old photo blocks on the left of my desk and the jars of texture paste, gel medium and gesso lurking in the background.  I have been invited to supply craft items for a stall at a carnival at the end of February.  I have been scratching around to see what I can use and found these abandoned old photo blocks. (these are wooden blocks that had glossy photos mounted on them like posters in 5x7" and larger - I have ripped off the photos and am left with the plain block)  I have covered the top one with hessian so far and played with some stamps and sprays on the bottom one and some neutral tones of paint on the others.  Now to decorate them with something that peeps might want to buy...

Then here is a pic of my desk while Claire's Mom came to stay with me, she wanted a painting of an African sunset with an Acacia tree in it to take back to England with her, so I painted her one in an evening...I forgot to share that last week.

So that is me

Now I am off to see what I can see on your desk this week if you have linked up with Julia.  With school starting last week, I did not get a chance to reciprocate to comments, but I appreciated those of you who made the time to leave me a note.

Bella

Whats on my (sons) Workdesk Wednesday 241? School...

Hello fellow desker.  Welcome to my son's new class room for 2014!   I have just dropped him off and am now back at the studio.  He is in Grade 4.  How did we get here so fast?  Seems like yesterday he was in nappies...best go buy is Tuxedo for his Matric dance...that will be next...10 years will fly by if the last few are anything to go by.

thanks for the visit

See you at your desk

Bella

Land Ahoy!

Here is the first card I made for my store as a sample of what to do with the stock we have on our shelves.

I used the Tim Holtz embossing folder as a background which I inked with walnut stain, peeled paint and chipped saphire Distress inks.  Stamped (with archival ink) the Prima set of the ship, compass and anchor onto white cardstock, cut it out and inked it.

 

I did the same with the "Explore" bingo stamp from the set by Kaisercraft.  The ships sails were first covered with Glossy accents and left to dry, before the background colours were added.  On the small stamped compass, I added glossy accents after I had inked it to add dimention.  Then I pop dotted all the cut out stamps onto the embossed background, glued the front onto a kraft card and added some bakers twine as a final toutch of colour together with the shiny anchor at the top of the card.

I hope you like it.

Bella

What's on My Workdesk Wednesday 239? store sample and X-mas cards!

Happy New Year fellow Desker!

Here is my desk in all its 2014 glory!

I have started making samples for the store for when we re-open on 6 Jan and so I am slowly working my way through that list of things to do.

Then there are the 3 stunning Christmas Cards I have received from 2 of my fellow deskers, Vonny K and Ali H as well as one from my Studio assistant Tertia.  I always appreciate cards that have been made for me.  I know how much time, love and effort go into them and they will stay just above my desk as inspiration for a while to come.

Here is a close up of them.

and a close up of my card sample.

We had an early night as we were out all afternoon with my Mom and friends so I missed the rest of the live stream a thon that was held.  I am going to spend the day watching the recorded videos...won't be as fun without the live chat, but I have printed all the instructions etc, so I want to see how my projects are supposed to look,  as a teacher it is wonderful to be on the receiving end.

Here's wishing you a fabulous 2014 year ahead.

Bella