New Blogger Coming, Altenew Enchanted Iris, NBUS, Rudolph Day + WOYWW

Well, a multi faceted post!  😁 yes! WOYWW or What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday over at our lovely Queen of Desks, Julia, Rudolph day again.. tell me how does that happen? And some NBUS!
(Blogger question at end of post).
Now to my desk!

Two cards and a whole lot of sorting needing doing! 
First on right is Christmas card for Rudolph day, on left card is for my friend Iris' 88th birthday, it's already winging it's way to Lincolnshire! 
Thanks so much for sending the stamped diecuts, dear kind Darnell! I do love that set. Perfect for dear Iris!

Desk 2: Here I’m painting the images, sheet underneath is back of used envelope. Found these paints work well as watercolour as well as thicker style of gouache-style painting on card two weeks ago. I did add some Tombows watercolour pens to image, too.

Finished card for Iris. 

Sheen on image is from embossing Darnell did with Platinum Wow EP, I think. 
TIP: After painting images with Gansai Tambi watercolour I reheat set Embossing Powder to make it pop.

Think it's up there with a favourite card!! Several NBUS here so popping over to join in there. The lattice is one, a SB die sent me by Marilyn, kind friend, thank you! The lattice aperture DP piece was cut from was a drooloworthy pad. I thought I’d stroked it long enough, so broke into it, and irises are NBUS to me! Also used Stitched rectangle die for frame, a layered peel off Happy Birthday, dry embossed parchment card with A4 EF in stitched daisy pattern from Crafts Too. Have a few more iris in Black stamping to make one or two cards more too.

Second card was ultra quick card for Rudolph day over at Scrappy Mo’s Christmas card challenge. It is a DL size card, a topper made from an old Christmas card, gold layer up, gold thread three times around with bow,  and some bling. Love the names of Lord Jesus, Immanuel which means God with us, and really wonderful background.

Now to Aussie pickies, first is fading sunlight on a walk the other day, this is the creek a bit further along from usual ones. Then surfs up on local beaches.

First one is by Greg in Oz.

Then the next two are by Robbie in Oz, on an SLR. That’s all for me today, sending love and prayers for everyone everywhere who is hurting. 
Comfort, help and a refuge at such a time is found freely in the LORD to all who seek Him.

Thanks for popping over for a peek and a chat, may God bless you wherever maybe, 

prayer hugs, 🙏🏻🤗 
Shaz in Oz.x

Blogger update:

And the question bloggers might  be wondering- what is this new blogger coming? Well, you've possibly noticed the  pesky little orange tab on lower left of your blogger dashboard saying:
'Try the New Blogger!'
*****

This  is an Article on it by Blogger here! 
I suggest you read it. Last update to Blogger was in 2012, I do recall it, but only know date by search. So if blogger is going to keep going, they do need to update it.
At least Google isn't pensioning it off!

From a cursory research I did on it there were some issues by some folks, noted in mid May. It's with things I don't use, but one issue was with image insertion last month.
I usually wait before adding updates till they iron out glitches. I dont rush in. 

****The update will just happen on your blog, at different times in different locations in June. 
You may change back to old blogger, till end of July. 

I don't think I would.
It will become outdated and not be assisted if you get issues. You may lose some information further down the track if dont accept update.  

I'd also recommend if you can, backing up current blog on Theme tab of Dashboard page, in that page there is a BACK UP/ RESTORE tab. Perhaps do that before June, just in case of issues, but would need to go on computer, as backup file probably too big for mobile device. Pray all goes well with it for us all.
Another blogger tip: 
If writing your posts and having issues, try it on Chrome Web browser. 
Google owns Chrome and Blogger, their software are compatible. Apple definitely is not.
I'm also writing this blog post on Android Samsung phone. Android is also owned by Google. Rarely have issues as all software are compatible on apps.  

Linking over to:

**Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. Both cards.     http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/

** NBUS  Challenge by Darnell or NEVER BEFORE USED SCHTUFF over here  Iris card

** Rudolph Day. Christmas card

**http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2020/05/chnc-challenge-491.html?m=1

** Christmas recycled card -  Wednesday Challenge "Recycled" by Simon Says  
https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/ 
** Happy Little Stampers Anything with Dies.  Iris card. 

What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday 11th Anniversary + UFO

Hi there everyone! 

Great celebrations today! 
Week 572 of WOYWW!

 WOYWW 11 - What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday

In the land of Blog, there is a hop called WOYWW,

For running it, our Head Desker, Julia, must take a bow,

All over the world she gathers desks all in a row,

And thereupon we Bloggers our work we do show.

It’s our eleventh anniversary which has come upon us now,

So let’s all join together to celebrate our Eleventh WOYWW!

Huge Congratulations dear Julia, and also ably aided by Lunch Lady Jan!

 So to check out desks elsewhere.. see our Queen Julia of WOYWW, Over Here! 

To my up close desk showing WOYWW objects over the years! Monkeys with WOYWW badges proudly ready for anniversary party time! Clever dumfing ATCs by Jo, my first PiF from Jozarty back in 2011 - my first anniversary with WOYWW, started blogging Nov 2010, joined WOYWW Jan 2011.

Front of this desk trying to work on  a card with some beautiful iris Die cuts kindly sent by Darnell for my English octogenarian called Iris, who has her birthday in June. 

I’ve four NBUS (two were gifts) I realised to chose for background to irises. At far rear on left is my only card which will share below.

However this is the star of the show. My UFO (Un-Finished Object) as Julia challenged us to finish a UFO! This was mine a fortnight ago.

It’s a crotcheted teacloth, started in 1988, Aust. bicentennial year. Did first half in 18 months, then Dec 1989, I broke my right arm badly, it came to grinding halt. Never quite built up impetus again, so took another 30 years to finish!

Yes, a 32 year old UFO. When lifted it out I had one and bit squares to go. Each last row on a square you tediously crotchet new square onto teacloth. 

Believe you me, Row 10 is not for the faint hearted. 

There are 49 squares in all.

Here’s the FINAL square in each of its stages this week. It starts as a circle, then turns into a square.

Ta-dah!

And here is the teacloth finished! 

Am soooo excited to finally have finished  .. thank YOU  Julia!

And ready for a tea party! Cuppa anyone? The kettle so on! For those who crotchet it’s done in no 20 thread, I mostly use it, have once done no 40. The hook was 1.25mm, pretty fine,key stitch to make star pattern is popcorn stitch,  I varied the stitch though from 5 to 4 trebles. My very crafty and funny Yorkshire grandmother taught me to crotchet. 

I was actually taught to crotchet with sewing thread, cause that was what was available, did mauve edge around a plain handkerchief.

Here is one of my grandma's many crotchet pieces, Nanna made us all lots of blankets too and stuffed toys, like this one.

Anyone recognise this one? Very 1960s when made, Rupert bear. Love him, think my brother had a Rupert Annual. Do you remember the Annuals? Loved those books.

Now briefly a card.. a quick snippety one because had this wonderful printed image with WAW verse printed postcard left over from mail out. Been very busy over four days doing monthly mail or delivery for our oldies church group, since still not meeting. 

Aussie photos were from walk, this past week.

Firstly the dog in the far right distance made me laugh. He was being called and knew it but so didn’t want to move. 
A lovely spot, who would?

This is a bit further along the path.

Lastly the stunning sunset Monday. 

Well, have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, keep well, God willing I’ll be around later on.

May God bless you all and those you love and keep you safe, I’m praying for you and your countries too. 

Prayer hugs Shaz in Oz.x 🙏🏻🤗❤️

Thought of the day:
This is the verse on the card above from  Isaiah, a wonderful book.

Such beautiful words! 

Truly the word of God is an anchor to the soul, full of hope help and comfort for all who come to our loving Father God in their distress.

Linking over to:

**Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. Both card and crocheted teacloth..     http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/
** my card uses snippets, all but base, which actually embossed with Embossaliscious Orchid 8 x8 do like their size. Am off  to playground! Yay! http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com/2020/05/pixies-snippets-playground-challenge-378.html?m=1

** Simon Says Wednesday Recycle,  top image recycled from postcard left over. 
https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-recycle/

Cheery Lyn ChooChoo Die with Memory Box Landscape, NBUS + WOYWW

Hi everyone, 'tis Wednesday so it’s time to pop over at Julia’s Stamping Ground, where we see desks, of marvellous inspiration worldwide. 
Couple of desks shared but none of today as scheduled, busy!

Desk on Saturday, starting a card which really should’ve been mailed a week ago now, but wasn’t made. 
I think there should be a law against having birthdays in first week of any given month! 😁
Don’t you? They always trap me? And have most of birthdays in first week this month and next! 
I’d had these lovely new Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour paints for my Feb birthday, they arrived from Japan a bit late. I’d swatched the colours but not used. I bought them because all the reviews made me think they’d be more like Gouache watercolours than original artist watercolours. I’ve several sets, best is Windsor and Newton set, but not as good as Gouache for my ornamental work in calligraphy. My Windsor & Newton Gouache are only available in tubes. In our weather they dry out too quickly, so very interested in these paints!
Yes!!!! was right, the binder in them makes them dense in colour and vibrant, *opaque too like gouache, not like watercolours which are translucent.. I like these a lot! 
(*although opaque, maybe diluted to almost translucent , but not same as my usual pure watercolour no binders).
Here I’m playing trains and scene building, ain’t growed up yet!😉 These two Dies are almost five years waiting to be used, pretty bad isn’t it?

Prize from Playground in 2015! (Sorry Miss!)
They’re NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff), so off to Darnell’s NBUS Challenge Yay! All cardstock except  black is recycled from cereal, muesli bars, biscuit, tissues box etc. This desk shows the Memory Box Modern Background Die cut x 3 pieces inked up with Memento Dew Drops.

Fun painting these train cars and engine. Researched, of course, the train colours. Decided the nicest ones to use were the Flying Scotsman, loved the colours they even they varied! Added gold highlights with Gold watercolours set by Finetec (left of image on first desk).
Totally not the right colours for this train😉, wrong era as think this Choo Choo Die is US 1850s as opposed to UK 1900 ->.

Handcut a cloud stencil, with ink dusters shaded sky clouds (Adirondack inks x3 used for sky).

Well, here it is finished, everything has multiple shades, eg 4 greens, 3 blues, even in paints mixed that too.

Houses were cut separately and they’re just the white side of the packet used, with roof line painted in. The rail track was made out of another really brown scrap back of box, I scored it lengthways, then cross ways and inked it up and cut to size. Frame is triple cut out rectangle stitched die set A6 by Paper Roses see link.

The timber background is brown inside of cereal box, and then inked in three different types of browny Memento inks. The greeting too is NBUS from disc SU birthday greeting set, bought second hand on eBay. It says: “Happy Cake Day! Oh and and happy birthday too,” .. rather think suits the very dear recipient well. 😁
Now for the Aussie photos!

Two different days, two different skies and moods, but same location! Those are crab excavations around their tunnels in front. When little, we thought they were crab eggs!

There are Pacific Silver Gulls and Crested Terns, in the foreground, pretty much always here in a big mixed flock.

I do enjoy watching the birds, the water and the skies and communing with our Father Who made it all. 
Well, that’s it for me today .. didn’t WOYWW last week.
Did do Friday Smiles post below... pray that all is well with you! I have lifted out my UFO and am working on it, God willing, for next week's Anniversary Reveal! 
I do pray might have it finished for next Wednesday!
 Our 11th WOYWW anniversary!
 Thanks so much if you popped over for a peek and chat. May God bless you all and keep you all safe and well too. 
My love thoughts and prayers are with you all, that you will be kept safe in all this perplexing time. 
Love and prayers, 🙏🏻🤗 Shaz in Oz.x 

Thought of the day:
There are so many gems in Psalms.

David has many a giant to fell in his life, not just one called Goliath. 
Out of trials David learnt where his Refuge was..
More encouragement also on Purpose of Aloneness, see latest post here on Wonderful Words Of Life.

Linking over to:

**Darnell's NBUS (NEVER Before Used Schtuff) May challenge here  

**Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. Both cards  http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/

** Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is Dies and punches over HERE!

Snippets Playground, NBUS, with Friday’s 😀 Smiles

Hullo there everyone .. another Friday here in Oz is drawing rapidly to close, so better do my Friday post to link up with Annie's Friday Smiles.. and the Snippety Playground too.

This was on my desk yesterday, I’ve cropped it to show you this was originally one card, but I’ve made it into two beauties, well I think so anyway. Too nice an image not to use!

This is it made up, using some dies and two Our Daily Bread Stamps from a scripture set.

I’ve had these unused for years, I’d tidied them away into an unexpected spot which I came across the other day... as you do! So as they are NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff), I’m off to Darnell’s NBUS May Challenge.
Used snippets in all but base card so off to Snippets Playground, wowee lots of fun today! Big smiles!

Next card is another of the ones I’ve been doing with masking of DI Oxides, firstly shown here.. with full recipe!  Loved this .. used the Sweet n Sassy Scripture set "Wait on the Lord" again.

It’s in mail today as are one of the others. That makes me smile more!

Now for rest of my Smiles... and why wasn’t here on Wednesday for WOYWW??

Well, this scene gives it away, I’d baked a cake and travelled to my sisters.... this cake is a family tradition, called Lady Smith Cake. The recipe apparently goes back to Boer War, when it was concocted after the siege of the town of Lady Smith in Sth Africa. These were ingredients left from siege to bake celebratory cake.. or so legend has it! See on internet (here) there are lots of recipes, stories too. It's what we call a basic butter cake, with additions.

Our mother always swirled the jam, plain layer and spice layer around with a skewer as you can see in the cut cake, and we always have crushed nuts on top not walnuts. Must be raspberry jam too. So grateful we could celebrate together, as our restrictions are being lifted little by little, we are at 97 deaths in our country. We are grateful for our government, who reacted more firmly than other places, which now suffer as a consequence. Our Christian PM has been a real peacemaker in all this, getting all the state premiers together each week to decide what to do. I am really, really praying for so many countries with large death rates, may the Lord bless all who care for ill, especially in aged care.. so hard with minimal visitors. 🙏🙏🙏

Next smiles are from my walk today. 😁😁

... at 4.30pm to 5pm the lights of setting sun are so beautiful and was wearing short sleeves, too as walked, beautiful Autumn weather and we were blessed with good rain during week, and praying for others who need it too.

This large shrub of small tree is called a Banksia and I think the banksia flowers look like candles on it (Banskia genus are named after Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist on the Endeavour with Captain Cook in 1770).

See the lovely lights here ..peering through to the Jetty and boats moored there too.

A final smile. I sent this on Wednesday to someone whose birthday I'd missed.. it did make me laugh!

Well, thanks for popping over for peek and especially if you stay to chat. I shall try to return your kindness, you are appreciated.

May the LORD bless and keep you blessed in all things, and those you love also.

Prayer hugs, 🙏🏻🤗❤️

Shaz in Oz.x

 Thought for the Day:

This verse came to mean a great deal to me many decades ago now.

I remember crying with joy that Someone really understood my predicament like none else. I’d been really ill again and nearly died (no.4), but the LORD graciously carried me through. Sitting alone feeling so sad - suddenly the light of the promise of this verse broke through my grief, my God was there with me, holding my hand, He understood! He got it!

Great is our God and of GREAT power, His understanding is INFINITE! 

Wow! Our omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient God understood it all!

Like none other did, and so I was never ever alone, then or by simple childlike faith in the LORD Jesus!  ❤

Linking over to:

1. Two puss cards are nearly all snippets, so off to Miss' snippets playground... over HERE!
2. Darnell's NBUS (NEVER Before Used Schtuff) challenge.   https://mynbus.blogspot.com/

3. Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. Both cards  http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/

4 Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is Dies and punches over HERE!