Darkroom Door Emboss resist + WOYWW + NBUS + Snippets

Well, believe it or not for the first time since Christmas, I’m sharing a blog post. And since it’s a Wednesday, it’s time for What on Your Workdesk Wednesday or WOYWW over at Sarah of Sarah's Craft Shed, Head Desker of WOYWW.(maybe late linking its a special day out here at my sisters where I am for few days.) Below is my dining table which is cooler than craft room in our summer. There are three February cards in process of being made. I sent two away unphotographed! As you’ll see the 6 x 6” Darkroom Door NBUS stamp “Scales” was stamped four times to cover an A4 sheet then cut into three which gave me three DL cards for the three birthdays. I bought the Darkroom Door stamps before they closed down April 2024, sadly. The scales background and Filmstrip were coloured with Distress inks … on the Scales background - see Rachel Grieg’s video, start at 10.35mins approx. Just loved the effect, though I didn’t have Rachel’s colours.

This is a NBUS and years old, a CCD. Paper from Disc pad, greeting from same pad. I made two more cards as the die cuts enough paper pieces for three cards.

This is the one card on desk not sent off yet, background is done on Tim Holtz watercolour smooth side, the Filmstrip was done on Bristol. I tried three papers it was by far the best. Greeting is an Amazon set, by Origarch.

"Snippets" card made in a hurry for a present to go to newborn, colour chosen because present was the cutest crotcheted lemon giraffe. Penny Black hedgie and bee coloured already, the image in snippets drawer, as was the  sentiment, "it’s a girl!" and background Daisy was in reject pile, embossed not used. Only cut the celebrate die, out of snippets of course. Ribbon Daisy pattern to match! 

 

This card is made out of photo paper coloured with distress re-inkers, embossed then brayered gold acrylic paint followed by MB gold die cut and stamped embossed verse, both disc. items.

My sister & hubby went to Japan in Nov '24, bought me some washi and mulberry paper, so made these two cards, the top one shows the texture and colours are beautiful. I also made this less traditional style of quilting in washi with gold matte card. It’s her birthday this month I’m still not sure which I’m going to give her. Probably both and write in one and give her the other to use.

Now to Oz photos.

Went for swim down here at the jetty a few days ago, swim when I can … it is truly beautiful, lovely summery weather in Oz. The beach above it, is the dog beach where folk can walk their dogs and let them go for a dip. It’s not a safe beach to swim at unless you’re a very strong surfer, which I’m not. 

 in January I had a friend staying with me, this was our favourite swim spot very safe at the Rock Pool.

 

Below is grevillea Moonlight which the rosellas love, but they’re very shy and I’ve never been able to photograph them. They’re finishing flowering, then will get a good prune.

Thought of the day:

I have Illuminated this verse for a very dear friend so I must have a photo of it somewhere. Perfect peace truly is found by trusting and resting in Jesus. 

"Thou will keep him in PERECT PEACE whose mind is stayed on Thee."

 How I need to remember that, how we all do! Every moment of every day.

Thanks so much for popping over for a peek and a chat. May God bless your day wherever you maybe be.

Shaz in Oz. X

Linking up with:

Snippets Challenge - Any Celebration Baby card says Celebrate! 

NBUS challenge - Quilting cards x 4 (3 pinks and 1x washi) plus Darkroom Door cards

Word Art Wednesday - Cards as linked up  

 

WOYWW 800 in review + Snippets

(I unusually did this early as have medical entertainment today, found out after doing it we were if possible to share our first WOWW post. Mine is HERE January 2011. Oh, it took me back, over a decade!)

 Well, I've heard through email 2nd of Oct is a very important date... our 800th WOYWW! Hurray! So even though I've not blogged since June, I'm going to attempt a catch up share and reminisce as requested by Sarah at Sarah's Craft Shed, Head Desker of WOYWW.. this year Sarah kindly replaced our former Queen of Desks, Queen Julia. 

My desk shows some current cards and also my first item for my first anniversary from 2011! (I joined Jan 2011). We had a PiF or Pass it Forward then instead of ATC. My PiF was from Jozarty who had as I recall a round craft table with a strawberries 🍓 cloth on it, then as her craft interest changed it had a metal top then Jozarty went into making exquisite sewn bags with detailed embroidery.

My PiF was a kind of key chain, labelled with WOYWW icon, and is always on my desk, at the back, along with monkeys and their WOYWW Badges, WOYWW sign + lighthouse light pull from 2018 crop. I'm unsure of Jozarty all these years later. My most exciting adventures with WOYWW was when I met up with WOYWWers in UK.  Neet and Margaret were the two instigators. I think the most exciting was my visit in 2018 to Llundudno. I met Shaz Silverwolf who's sadly no longer with us.

From WOYWW crop with dear kind Magaret I received many ATCs. Tag was from Sarah (I think). I loved it.
Neet have me the gorgeous ATC holder above and glasses case from dear Jan and bear from Annie, spare ATC is Heather.

Here's the ATC cover that Neet made me for that crop and Shaz brought me a huge bag of crafty treasures too. I then met up with Sarah and lots of other WOYWWers. Margaret took me all over! to even see my friend Iris who lives near where Margaret's now living in Lincolnshire.

It's Spring in Oz, & I've picked in last 2 days 8 bunches of flowers, 5 of roses 3 of sweetpeas ... sharing a few here.

There are still more out there. I've 3 dozen roses, and I now have more help paid for by a government package as I couldn't manage otherwise. My health is very poor these days. God is good and kind to me though and I'm well looked after. I'm still crafting and learning new techniques. I just rarely come onto blog land to share. I'll share new cards now as my blog is also my creative record for myself. Some panpastel cards with PB Aspire stamp, Lavinia stamping and also a disc Bible stamp. Birthday cards too.

A surfer handcoloured free digi and die cut card for Eamon who's 9, I loved the purple card on this I used perfect pearls in interference violet on top of purple ink. It was WOW. Eamon loves purple.

As does Emily who's 13, loves her ballet and she has brusho deep blue and purple background with unamed stamp on it, greeting is celebrate die cut and digi. Inside I did photos of Emily over last 12 years and a poem. It was very special. Just adding cards now since June, sorry for overload as I said this is my record, a wedding card and other special ones.

This is glittery but photo won't pick it up. Lavinia, new stamps as are pair of birthday cards below, also NBUS Lavinia stencils.

SNIPPETS CARD, mostly kraft like packaging from freezer goods, coloured with inks and Lavinia red brick stencil (a NBUS), the gold bronze in back ground is heat and dry embossed CB cogs folder. Gold cogs and number 5 are years old and heat embossed. Linking to Snippets Challenge here.

Now to Oz photos! Mostly nearby.

I've just realised I've laser surgery on cataract today so glad I've done this early. I maybe late in comments, depending on eyesight.

And NOW thought of the day.

Living as I do with precarious health, I've become very conscious of life's brevity and to make every moment count for Jesus. I don't want to be ashamed when I stand before Him as my Judge. I want to be always ready .. "ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh ". Matt. 24:44.

1. As well as Snippets with link above in post, I'd like to link up to:

2. NBUS Challenge here red brick stencil by Lavinia is new on 5 y.o birthday, the ballet stamping on 13.y.o also, and are Lavinina stamps in mauve encouragement card with bible verse.
3. Allsorts Challenge 800! A hearty congratulations,  to Brenda and crew... how amazing is that 👏👏👏 exactly the same as WOYWW 800!!

See over here Anything goes so linking the 13 y.o birthday card which uses brushos and NBUS stamp.
 4. I'd also like to link these cards over to this wonderful challenge - Word Art Wednesday- Anything goes.  Linking the 5 cards as chosen, I think it's best I can do, hopefully ok. I'm struggling doing this post so hope this is okay.

God bless and have a great day everyone. Shaz in Oz.x

Happy 100th Birthday, Beatrice! + WOYWW

 Hullo, hullo! It’s Wednesday... again! As it’s a fortnight since I blogged I’ve really no right to be surprised, but I am! 😉😃 And yes, for those in the know Wednesday time for desks of the world at WOYWW - What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday So head over to Julia’s - peek, learn and share - do! Today two desks for the price of one.

Here I’m trying to finish a card for my Aunty, this card has been in the making since Friday, one stage at a time, very indecisive, not my colours so seem to have lost natural flow. 

Second desk was last week, when trying to decide on papers, colours and actual images for a 100th birthday for my friend’s mother, Beatrice! Many happy returns of the day, Beatrice!

Her favourite flower is sweetpeas, so I printed out a number of sweetpea images. Hence used them on my aunt’s card, but actually chose the red for my Aunt, as she wore a patterned outfit with a lot of red in it last time I saw her. Anyway, decided mauve with touch of pink, glittery silver was the obvious choice for Beatrice's 100th, added glitter layer (Tim Holtz Rock candy glitter) over the image.

This first image on desk inside under lights captures it the glittery effect the best!

So here is the finished card. Use SB die set Divine Eloquence, used largest die cut and the greeting from it and the 2nd largest Labels 28 happens to fit into the centre perfectly, so this how I cut the sweetpea image out. I was given that set, years ago now, very useful. So blessed..

Now to the Aussie views... for photography, Autumn on north coast has the most amazing skies, colours and clarity of light.

I often just stand still, simply amazed in my walk, at the surprise of such beauty.

How blessed am I? Thank You, Lord!

The last photo .. that scene took my breath away as I came upon it, and it was a real dad painting the whole setting of it, he would’ve loved it.

Every blessing of the LORD everyone where ever you maybe and thanks so VERY much for popping over for peek and chat..

Mm, am way behind these days so will endeavour to call back eventually, God enabling me!

Prayer hugs, 🙏🤗 Shaz in Oz.x 

Thought for the day:

This verse from Hebrews 12:2 is my life verse, I’m sure I’ve shared it before but I will never weary of it. When things are hard, tough and very difficult to bear this verse ALWAYS and in ALL WAYS picks me up.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

A dear brother in the Lord now in heaven used to say:

Keep looking UP, it’s only mud underneath! 

How true is that? 

And the One we must look up to, is the LORD Jesus Christ.

He has run the toughest race ever! Bearing His cross, He climbed the hill to Calvary - whipped, mocked and jeered, spat upon, and hanging on that cross He bore  the sins of the whole world. 

So He gets it! 

He understands like none other how utterly different, difficult and tricky life is for us all, at times. 

It always humbles me to read that “for the JOY that was set before Him, He endured the cross”! 

He died for me, my sin and now I have a place in heaven waiting for me, because I asked Him to be my Saviour from sin,  down near this beach when I was twelve years old. JOY indeed! 

You too can know the JOY of sins forgiven and home in heaven by faith it Him, today, read more here.

I would like to link this post with:

1. Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes?
2. Springtime! It maybe autumn here but the sweetpea are definitely springtime, my seeds are just sprouting into little babies in my sweetpea patch. 😊 At https://www.welovechocolatebaroque.uk/2021/04/april-springtime.html
3. https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-happy-birthday-9/
   
4. 
   

Ros’ French 70th card, Snippets + WOYWW

What a difference a week makes. Things topsy turvey here. Many evacuations yesterday in town, north west south of here, due to severe fire threats across North coast,into Sydney, Hunter district.

Mercifully I'm not near timbered bush but beach. Am continuing to earnestly & often to pray for rain, BECAUSE until we have it , this rollercoaster will not go away. Now watching weekend.
“.. a sunburnt country - of drought and flooding rain” to quote a well known poem. For us, a balance would be good.
My desk is distracted today because I am.

Do pop over to Julia’s for WOYWW or What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday at Julia’s Stamping Ground!
On the far left is a contemplative pile... or what am I going to do next? I did actually go with top Brusho stencilled piece from few weeks back, as you’ll see below. At back is usual collection, far right you can just see a messy Milwaukee heat gun, that is 26 years old, still going strong! Well remember it cost an astronomical $60 in 1992! Next is mug of black tea which I think I managed to drink hot, not cold! 

To cards, this first card is order by family member in exchange for one of his birthday gift certificates. Ros' 70th birthday card is of her favourite location in France. The image is a painting entitled Beaune by CP Logan (she’s a French lecturer at Uni, so hope the French greeting from Google is right, it’s supposed to say “Best Wishes on your 70th birthday”).

The corners are from SB marvellous Square, 2nd largest die, EF is Embossalicious Regency Swirls.

The second card was asking to be made! I’d fiddled with this from two weeks ago when it was pastel shades, with TH Mosaic stencil (extended) in glittery paste on base card from recycled food box. Not happy .. added more brushos spritzed and dried. 
Die cut frame with Poppy Crafts Double Stitched rectangles, largest die. Added frame to card base, flat then popped up the internal rectangle. 
Used more snippets to multi due cut MB Chloe stem, extended the stem on the second one, the birthday die, is a CCD. When die cut the rectangle piece flattened the stencilled mosaic which I really liked.
Now the Australian photos today.
Sharing past week on the north coast, sadly 150+ homes and three lives lost at weekend. Last night (Tues12) 50+ homes were lost, 3 were just out the back areas of our town.

This is our town 4pm yest.. 

and 7pm at creek yesterday. The blanket of smoke was actually a Godsend, for the blanket meant the winds and temperatures were not as bad as predicted. 
As the cloud went before the children of Israel and kept the Egyptians from attacking, so the Lord kept worse happening yesterday, as it often is in our lives. I heard amazing stories of people who had everything around them go up in flames but some how they did not!! Prayer works, I've (&others) prayed for such miracles.

And so we pray on for properties, human lives and animals. Many are suffering as the next few photos show from FB. This poor kookaburra south of here, is a striking silhouette on a fiery landscape. The firies are simply amazing. I cannot thank them enough.

This Sat night at Nymbodia, is the area north west of here. Our fire is biggest in NSW, fire front is over 1,000km (621 miles) long 150,000 hectares 370,660 acres, burning since mid  Sept. 
Our fire has joined to four other fires, that make up roughly same size again, so over a third of million hectares, or 700,000 acres.
That is incomprehensible to be honest.

This comparison may help comprehension, as roos flee before the flames.
Numbers are out of date already. As one million hectares burnt in NSW alone😥😥😥.

Last one for today, such a pretty cactus flower, they last about 2 days, soo big, roses are pretty at moment too but not had rain either of them.

On other news, start new meds on Fri 😊. 
Also having at another excision on my right shin on Tues 26th, two inches above last one. 
Life is never dull. It will be stitches in three weeks, this time to make sure it doesn’t open, like last one, stitches only 2 weeks, May 15th. At least looks like this one is not malignant, just very fast growing, glad I jumped on it quickly. 
Well, that’s it for me, I pray with all my heart that this time next week I’ll be sharing rain again. At least all the rain of two weeks ago means 
those areas out west aren’t burning, a blessing indeed. It's places that missed that rain that are burning.
God bless your day wherever you maybe, and keep you and those you love safe,
Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz.x
Thought for the day: 
God sends rain, blessings even to the unworthy..

We're a nation of sinners, who've willfully disobeyed God's holy laws (eg "love your neighbour as yourself").
I must continue watchful in prayer for a sinfilled Oz, as this rollercoaster has not ended.. till rain comes in God's great mercy. 
We never ever do deserve any of His blessings.

Do click on this, and read, it's a beautiful prayer. May God keep tgem all safe, and draw them to Himself too.

Linking up to the following:

1. Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. Two cards  http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/
2. Snippets playground  http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com/2019/11/pixies-snippets-playground-challenge-365.html?m=1 card 2 is all snippets except card base. Food packet for Brushos piece.