WOYWW What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 108 + Pineapple Jam!

Well here comes another week around again! Feel like your world is spinning too fast sometimes?? I do! The calligraphy piece on my desk does not show as much progress as I would have hoped but that is because of life getting in the way - some more card orders, Pineapple jam and Mint sauce and other such domestic chores. However almost all the painting has been finished and the gold leaf now just has to be done; this one has a lot of it so it will take some time!

After numerous attempts I have finally perfected Pineapple Jam! It must be made on fresh pineapple and pineapple juice (all the recipes on the net were with tinned pineapple, but not like the real deal). When Golden Circle stopped making it a few years ago my brother in law was distressed – one of his favourite condiments no longer available. Anyway he has been patient waiting for this batch, so will be pleased to get it and my sisters' to receive the mint sauce. Our mother always made her own so we are totally spoilt by it now – bought is not quite the same.

Have made more than one card this week as orders came but have posted the other three before so wont worry putting them up again. This last one I really like too. I made it on Monday night as was going to my neighbour’s funeral on Tuesday morning and wanted a really special card for her family. They have been our neighbours since Dec. 1973, so a few years you might say! she was in her 90^th year, and really sweet lady.

This card was made with the lovely Stampin Up Pastel card and a Stampin up stamp now sadly both discontinued.  I used the pigment S.U. Pastels Ink Spots and embossed with Iridescent EP. With Caramello Cuttlebug folder, enlarged method (see sidebar), and Labels 2 dies with Labels 2 Nestabling new from Fat cats, I really like the framing of the pictures with the Nesties. A computer generated greeting, with Fancy Tags and Petite Scalloped Small Nesties also to finish off the card.

Unhappily the photo dies not do justice to the bling and Irisdescent EP, these are are much prettier. Tried several ways - no success.

If you want to enjoy a snoop at desks around the world, and learn sooo much, please join in the fun and pop over to Julia’s blog, Julia's Stamping Ground for the best blog hop around! 

Well thanks for peeking everyone, happy WOYWW and may God bless your day wherever you may be,

Shaz in Oz. x PS You may like post below too?

Pineapple Jam recipe (Jo asked for it so here 'tis,  - now 'tis mine, so  no guarantees come with it! )

750g of fresh diced ripe pineapple.
500g of sugar (you may want to cut it back my brother in law likes it rather sweet)
2 cups of unsweetened pineapple juice
i packet of Jamsetta*
 *( I use 50g packet - but it seems to me this varies, so just add as much as it needs, sometimes it seems to set quicker than others, and need less, but needed whole packet this time).

METHOD:
Cook on stove for about 50 mins, a gentle rolling boil. I puree it with a stab hand blender about 50 mins into cooking it carefully as it is piping hot as that is how the jam is here not in big pieces.
Cook it for another 10 mins to settle bubbles, then jar up in warmed jars, if set and it tastes to your liking.
I find most of the bubbles go after you jar up you dont have to lift of scum like other jams.! :)

Tour de France 2011

I know an odd title... but if you are interested in bike riding at all and le Tour, my brother is going again this year (as an escort, riding but not racing - he is old like me - although he would shoot me for saying it! actually he ie is really smart, as he gets paid for seeing all that beautiful scenery). Here he is last year on the Pyrenees' leg of the Tour on the Col du Tormalet. I could not believe him when he told me he rode it!!

He has his own blog this year - just started and so I can follow his progress day by day, if anyone else likes the Tour here it is.

 I also have put a link on the sidebar of my blog and he is supposedly going to post each day- I just pray he goes well and keeps well.

He is off to the World Track Cycling Championships in Oct. 2011 in Manchester, UK, too. He has medalled in previous years and was Champion of Champions in his age group the first year he went in it. A Frenchman is his main competitor in World Champs (Marc D'Angleterre, I think it was)!

May God bless your day everyone,

Shaz in Oz.x

PS. no, I did not inherit the athletic gene - not one athletic bone in my body!

WOYWW - What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 107

 Well, hi everyone ... Here is some great news! my pIf from Jozart finally made it to Oz on Monday and put a post on it here!  Just a peek of it allowed – do take a look at Monday's post and see how she wondrously spoilt me! 

I love it to bits! A VERY big thank you, Jozart (you can check out her gorgeous blog here!), for all the love and attention which went into making this incredibly gorgeous pIf!!

Here is my desk for this week and you will see I have made some progress on my text for this week. I have begun the paintwork (I use mainly Gouache but also some watercolours), but you will also see there is a very long way to go. The verse is from Psalm 62 vs 8 "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." ("Meditate" in Hebrew). I have finished Morti’s mother’s piece, but I won’t show you it till it is safely in England. I have not mailed it yet as gold leaf takes a few days to dry properly. I am not sending framed and so there is no glass to protect the surface and don’t want it to be damaged in transit.

The main reason I have not done as much as intended on calligraphy is because of card making.

I know! I said last week I was not going to be making any cards for a while but concentrating on my calligraphy! 

 So much for that, I have made three in the past week. The first two were a very quick and easy - one for my nephew (whose birthday, 22nd June, crept up on me – funny that!) the other will be a spare, never have too many of those. For this card I recycled a card given to my brother in law, cut out the black & silver “happy birthday” greetings into two pieces and then triple mounted them, embossing on the last one with Domino Cuttlebug folder. Hey presto! simple masculine cards. I am not too proud to recycle in this way if I end up with good results!

The next card was yet another engagement card. I was asked to do some cards for this event. When I delivered them I found I was one short on the number required so off home again to make another.Here is the last one ( I hope I have it right this time).

I have used Craft Concepts embossing folder – Budding Vine – really love this one (with extended embossing method, as have actually embossed it twice of length on cardstock – i.e .in one way till centre edge reached, reverse it out. Then turn it around and emboss into other till centre edge is reached and reverse out again, for details - see here). Then used Cuttlebug Vintage corners, Shapeabilities from Spellbinder – Pendants – Lattice, with labels 4 with the computer generated greeting, and the Olivia alphabet. I used Mirri card in iridescent shade and the ivory card for bottom layer.

If you want to enjoy a snoop at desks around the world, and learn sooo much, please join in the fun and pop over to Julia’s blog, Julia's Stamping Ground! for the best blog hop around!

And may God bless your day wherever you may be 

Shaz in Oz.x

PIF Gift arrives and Our Big Craft Day

Hi there, everyone! 

First of all I want to say a big welcome to some new Encouragers, (as I prefer to call them :D)!
When I started this blog I never imagined where it would lead. It is incredibly exciting now to have friends all over the place on the virtual world of blogging!

 

Well, great excitement here as the postman finally arrives at my door (have a new postie and he comes up on his bike to my door - very kind!) with my much anticipated parcel from the UK with the WOYWW PIF gift from Jozart! Hooray! And isn’t it a "beaut", everyone? 

Just take a look, thank you very, very much dear friend across the seas, much love thought and care has gone into this one and it really truly greatly appreciated – thank you! 

Crocheted teacloth (right) my UFO from 1988, work in progress!

I love the little bibs and bobs (and bells and beaded bits too) all so very lovely! feathers, the requisite WOYWW in iridescent colours, and a sweet face in two different formats - if you click it will enlarge nicely for you.

Then I thought I would share a few of the photos I took last Saturday at a our church craft day which we held in our church hall... 


What an array of things were there and this is just very few of them.The sharp-eyed of you will see Morti’s mother’s work on my table (it is now finished but has to dry for a few days the gold leaf is very fragile at this stage) along with a few other things - there are some paintings, photos, etc.
I particularly wanted to show off the incredibly beautiful Hardanger embroidery by our very clever Hazel to Morti at WOYWW as she has been showing us each week her progress on her piece of work...

Also some woodwork by a young lad from Huddersfield, Yorkshire in UK (he is the rear right of this pickie).
There were other things but this is just a small selection and very happy day was had by all.

This bobbin lace by my friend Gillian was particularly awe-inspiring, I loved the lace edge which was to go around a handkerchief to the lower left part of the display. What patience and attention to detail - I love it! Do click on these pickies and check them out!

 

Thanks so very much for popping over everyone and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz. x

WOYWW - What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 106

Well, if you look at my desk below today you will see it totally devoid of craft items, as all have been packed away.. Shock! Horror! 

This card is a gorgeous owl one for a friend of mine who adores Owls. It will be the last card for a while. I simply must devote more time to my calligraphy. I love the Stampin’ Up papers I used with this card. Also one of the new items at Fat Cats, Borders1 Nellie Snellen Multiframe DieSet 028  I used on this piece, as well as my Nesties of course, and a very cute owl brad which I had. The stamp is clear one from eBay coloured with Promarkers. (Lisa says below it an Inkadinkadoo owl - thanks Lisa!)

 As you can see I have nearly finished Morti’s mother’s piece which is the small piece in the blue oval - I have yet to do the gold work and re-ink it. You can also see some Copperplate practice as thanks to a UK blogger I have found a great calligraphy Scribbler's site in UK (through Kathleen’s blog - do check it out, she is new-ish to WOYWW! :D) and I have bought some “you-beaut” Walker's Copperplate ink,  Leonardt EF Principal nib and Character original White paper. I am so inspired by my improvement with these new tools to get into some extra practice! We are doing copperplate this term at calligraphy classes, but I have been very disappointed by my attempts until now! 
The Walker's ink is black gall ink and it really reminds me of the ink we used in grade 3 at Primary School. . When I was eight years in Grade 3 the school I went to still used ink and dip pens.  I used these tools with Spencerian (a type of Copperplate) for a year until we moved and then I had to totally change my writing style as they were using very modern Cursive in my new school. I had to forget all I learnt with first script. I so wish I had not lost the use of that copperplate which I learnt for one year only. As a result my "not too nice" writing is nothing like either styles at all!
The large piece to the left on my desk is an order and is inked in ready for laying down of colours, I have done it before so did not have the struggle of planning the layout. :D  It will hopefully be much more advanced next week. 

We have been enjoying (?) flooding rains which closed the Coastal highway to the north and south for day or so, with a tornado decimating a small narrow strip of buildings in small coastal town north about 40 minutes. I am very glad to see a little sunshine today. The coastal low pressure has moved down the NSW coast to wreck havoc down south, our seas are very big at present. I went for a walk to check it all out!

Well, I am off to sticky beak around other desks as the rest of the world catches up to us in Oz. If you are curious why we do this, please do call over to wonderful hostess’ Julia’s blog and check it all out at the  Stamping Ground.

May God bless your day wherever you may be, and happy WOYWW!
Shaz in Oz. x

Lili Of the Valley Challenge 100 Anything Goes

I have looked at this bride and groom image from Lili of the Valley many times and longed to have it and when I finally decided to do an order it was sold out!! so had to wait for it to come on sale again and used the wedding greeting from Lili of the Valley greeting set too love this set as well.

I used the Budding Vine embossing folder from Crafts Concepts and extended it using my method. Olivia Cuttlebug alphabet for initials of bride and groom - this was for my friend and I coloured the images in with my Promarkers and also using the Dovecraft Pearl chalks. I really love this soft colour combination. Used couple of scored lines on lien cardstock, my Taylor die for the edge, some braid and some pearls for simple adornments, my friend Steph was very happy with this.
I am entering this card in the Challenge 100 Anything Goes of Lili of the Valley - this is the first challenge I have entered for months, and if did not have to do this card anyway would not be entering! Really love this stamp!
Thanks for looking and may God bless your day wherever you may be,
Shaz in Oz. x

WOYWW - What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 105

Well, here we are - a whole week after the excitement of last week! How much fun we all had! As I live in Australia I have no exciting pIf from Jo yet. Long way over here! It has not arrived all the way from UK, but the delay just wets one's anticipation, and am very much looking forward to its arrival. I will display it when it comes (still feeling nervous about mine as really wanted to re-do it but not the time to get it done!).

For those of you who are wondering why we are looking at  desks it is all because of Julia our wonderful hostess who thought up this blog hop - do join in our weekly peek and come with me to Julia’s beaut blog -  Stamping Ground.

I have done  a little of my calligraphy this week so the piece of my desk is inked in ready for colouring for Morti, and you can see my calligraphy dip pens to the far right of the picture as I used one of them for part of this, but mostly this past week it has been cards. I am also working on a birthday card - an owl one for my friend, who loves owls and her birthday is coming up! So you can see me colouring an owl (or two) as well as the usual items on my desk!

 Here are the cards - two engagement cards for an order. First one done with pink vellum and Labels 4 frame, plus 3D rose on a Marianne die, coloured in pink pigment ink and perfect pearls, small heart Cuttlebug embossing folder, and lace edge. I used the Cuttlebug Olivia alphabet for the Initials, also coloured and perfect pearls applied.. Second card is done with Cuttlebug Textile texture folder and vintage corners too (also on first one, but different corner) a Fleur de Lis Pendant Spellbinder on Mirri card and also white card with pearl centre.Use for the greeting is a an petite oval spellbinder + scalloped one, mounted on a Spellbinder Fancy tag.

And  I also have another card with the lovely new papers from Fat Cats (Natural Foil Mat Stack 4.5"x6.5" 72 pages). This set of papers  (also pictured on my desk - in the top centre) are perfect male card papers and so was really pleased with them when I splurged on them and they arrived, even better in real life! As I wanted to show off the pretty foiled paper I did a simple design. Mounted it on a white core sheet of Paisley Cuttlebug folder which I distressed, added a little ribbon, cat brad, and  "For You" decoration which had on hand from the cheap shop.The photo sort of captures the pretty foil shades of the paper, especially at the top of the paper where the light catches it!. 

May God bless your day everyone wherever you may be, and happy WOYWW everyone!

Shaz in Oz.x

WOYWW - What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 104 - 2nd Anniversary time - YAY!

Ah, the big day of celebration has arrived! Tis here!!

  I would dearly love to say one BIG thank you to our glorious, royal hostess of this marvellous event - What Is On Your Workdesk Wednesday, Queen Julia. Her faithfulness to the task over two whole years is amazing and worthy of much commendation!

 

I only joined this blog hop January 12th , 2011 as I am only a new blogger, but have learnt so much through this weekly blog hop and really want to thank all concerned! Like Jude and my loose screw (no, not in my head…the Cuttlebug :D) and Susan for sorting out my Nesties with magnetic tape, and Shazsilverwolf and her Aspire cards which I am now hooked on - just to mention a very few!

Now my desk has been sadly neglected this week. I seemed to spend the week at doctor’s, specialists’, and Pathology waiting rooms – doing a medication change. Never popular with me, but God willing all is well! So here is the little bit I have done this week. None at all on my two Calligraphy projects, but one card is being assembled on the desk this week.

Here is the card finished. It is an engagement card a printed computer generated greeting,  it has Nestie hearts, Cuttlebug heart folders (top border is Kimmy Luvs and other is Love Duo, discontinued now), Marianne flower dies and ribbon flowers – I really love them.

TIP: if you have trouble with them coming out of Marianne dies I have found spritzing the card with water (hence the mini Mister on the front foreground) really works a treat! (first read on Ikki's Cuttlebug Cupboard)

I really like the Mirri card with the hearts and flowers. Have to make two more cards as well so better get my act together - now off to check out all the other desks (when the rest of the world wakes up) – do join in our weekly peek and come with me to Julia’s beaut blog -  Stamping Ground

Happy second anniversary every one and may God bless you wherever you may be!

Love Shaz in Oz.x