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

Beccy's Place - Booklovers + Out of this world NBUS, Snippets House Moving Bugaboo + WOYWW

 Popping in with a quick post (after a lo-oong hiatus, health up and down, ie the usual, more in thought of the day...) to link up this card set with a few challenges. Hope, God willing, to post Good Friday + Easter Sunday with some more cards and short post.   

Okay it’s WOYWW day again ie desk day, I'm a bit late I think, in Aussie its hard to know! See "What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday", over HERE 😁 at Julia's .. so where’s my desk!?

Here I using a new digi from Beccy's place - used Promarker colours knew my friend would love rather than coloured image in set. Called Booklovers - here! On table is  the usual assortment,spray bottle, WOYWW sign, usual lighthouse cord pull (a mystery person gift at craft crop at Llundudno, 2018), glue, scissors, Memento Summer Sky Spot ink pad and brushes used to lightly dust the image edges for pale blue highlight,+ grounded it with lightest cool Grey 1.

 It's very versatile set either male or female, looks great with tartan for a male, used birthday voucher. If go to above link you'll see I used one of Beccy's cards as my inspiration. My special friend's birthday is Good Friday, so she has it to open then, I "Expressed' it as our mail is slowww.

Completed card - the DSP also Digi. By AMB (how I found it from a google image) called Wisps of Yellow Florals (but as much blue as yellow, load of papers in set for $2.99 AUD as was half price).

 Here's Mister Ten's card. 

His birthday is TODAY! this sadly is a discontinued set of Beccy's. 

Our birthday boy LOVES green, and yes, the grass is green and sky is blue! But today I took liberties and so used mixed brushos on the watercolour paper *Firstly though used Memory Box Stars Stencil (disc.) x 2 as its small A2. Didn't have glitter paste so just added TH Rock crystal glitter to paste before it dried. THEN I added the brushos. (Exciting plus, this card won at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge,  very blessed - thank you, Lols for letting me know too 😄💙)

Thought I'd taken a photo of colours used but didn't - sorry! 

Life doesn't wait for me to catch up! 

Have more cards to share but will add to end new two posts, Fri and Sun.

Last card is a house warming, also not received but they dont look either. Its a CAS of this one HERE. 

 Digi is house moving digi from Bugaboo. Not sure if disc.? I made digi for greeting

Now to Aussie shots: surfers on boards on first 😊

Two seascapes from recent walks. Now autumn, my favourite season and we get amazing skies to go with our stunning seas... more on next two post too, as had visitors and took pickies.

 Thanks so much every one for popping over for a peek and chat!
May God bless your day wherever you may be. 
  Will do my very best in commenting, and truly appreciate your visits!
Shaz in Oz.x 

Thought of the Day:

 We are approaching Easter - the verse that was echoing in my mind in the sleepless, early hours this morning was this - ".. My body .. broken for you.."

.. it was of course  Jesus speaking at the last supper (repeated in 1 Corinthians 11 by Paul). Jesus was with His twelve disciples, one of whom He knew would sell Him for forty pieces of silver! 

Sell Him to be crucified... and much more that - His body broken many times over (Isaiah 52:14 His face was ".. marred more than any man"), skin lacerated by Jewish 39 lashes, beaten by sticks of Roman soldiers, crowned with thorns, mocked & spat up upon, etc .... 

His own Father in Heaven left Him alone to die  - His Father unable to look upon the sin of the world Jesus bore on the cross.

This was hardest for Jesus to bear - separation from His Father because of my sin.

As I thought of all Jesus went through it encouraged me. 

I know He is always understanding...

When no one else gets is, Jesus does!  

How His joy in my heart strengthens me to cope in body's weakness at times.

FAITH in Jesus is not empty, but living, vital, eternal! 

A comfort - which words will never describe!

Praise God for the Easter story - it makes life is worth living! 

******

Linking up to:

 1. Word Art Wednesday - anything goes, all three cards   http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au   
2. Di's Snippety challenge 451 - Used snippets, die cuts, and embossing pieces almost most things on House moving card

3. Beccy's place - two entries card 1 and 2 - APRIL CHALLENGE 

4. Allsorts challenge Anything Goes / option spring garden first card

5. https://mynbus.blogspot.com/2023/04/nbus-challenge-49.html 

NBUS items 1. Booklover set. 2. card two was  NBUS technique, trying brushos after past stencil glitter then brushos! all on  water colour paper and worked a treat!

6. all three cards https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-104/

7. https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=31110 

Simon Says MONDAY Challenge - add texture - added to card 2 and 3.

Christmas Stencilled Oxides Snippets + WOYWW

Well, yes, it’s Wednesday in a blink!  Am hoping to make this short but probably won’t 😆 so thanks ahead for your patience as lots to share! Wednesday time to pop over at Julia’s Stamping Ground, where we see desks, of marvellous inspiration worldwide. 

Desk one was yesterday morning, the night before I’d started on another card batch baking. I’ve one made, took two goes to be happy, but will show next week, it’s going to be nothing like this little ink duster scene, it’s just background. *** BTW for those who asked last week, the ink dusters are by Inkyliscious, UK, I’ve three double ended so with six ends.  Do all colours, my preferred brushes. Easiest to use I think from subtle to deep, used hand cut mask for hills.

BTW for those who asked last week, the ink dusters are by Inkyliscious, UK brand, I’ve three double ended so with six ends, my preferred brushes. Easiest to use I think from subtle to deep, used hand cut mask for hills. 

(Edit to answer further queries: These brushes are in colour families - Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, Black. Clean off excess ink on scraps, do NOT wash. Pink use red brush, brown closest to yellow {for beige} to black. Do NOT use with oxides)

Edit 2: Re Oxides, yes I recommend them. But don't get loads. I've about ten, no intention of getting more. When short of a colour in blending I just use equivalent colour in Distress Inks and it all goes in together just fine. They blend easier, but not better than DI. 

Will add to DI eg NEED Duck Egg Blue yummo! But not adding more oxides

Next desk is late yesterday arvo, quite staged, two piles of completed cards, and on right is the lovely Mo from Scrappy Mo has sent her candy my way. In June, I was quite ill in hospital in Coronary Care Unit, had done my card for Mo’s challenge, but not published. I really wanted to enter every single challenge this year. So of course 😉 I just quickly wrote up my phone in Hospital and entered. I forgot to decline candy and won it! I emailed Mo, saying not to send it cos was so sick thought would never craft again. But dear Maureen said  she didn’t want to redraw she’d wait and see. And Lord in His mercy made me better again. So here it is in Oz! I’m pretty sure the Penny Black heart flower die is a bonus. I can see two gorgeous cards styles for these dies as for NBUS entries. Thanks SO MUCH, Mo!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Now first lot of completed cards are seven in all, these are ones started on last week’s desk.

I did a trial on side of scrap card first, find this helps crystallise ideas. That Holly stamp is a Sweet n Sassy Silhouettes stamp, I am ashamed to say it's a NBUS! No idea how old probably 3 or 4 years! Second lot of cards are snippets, the rectangle is a die cut window left over from another set of ten.

Not happy with this stencilled TH holly stencil, so only did four. The verse is same one on set above, is Stampendous. 

The verse is beautiful - “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Have quite a few Aussie pickies today.

First the roses still in spring flush, perfect this year, these are incredibly fragrant, Sutter’s Gold.

This is a zygo cactus, was off great granny’s plant..

.. and hippeastrum as we call them, or Amaryllis.

The obligatory sea shots are in our harbour it was really blowing this day so it was a place of shelter. 

Lastly are two photos out far  western NSW, near Texas, Qld.

Two family members are out there harvesting wheat out on far west border of NSW and Qld  .. they’re grey nomads and were  caravanning out there some weeks back, and the wheat farmer asked if they’d come and give a hand at harvest? 

So they did!

As our borders are closed, they’re VERY short of labour. With good rains, they’ve some of the biggest crops ever! Two years so different.. last year was fires and droughts, this year huge crops. God is good. 

**Praying hard the rain keeps away and these wheat crops are harvested dry as rain is predicted today and in days ahead, in this black soil country. Wet it becomes glue. Ugh.

Pray with me for them, please?? 

There are three emus in the wheat field there, they’re vegetarian, so having a great feed. 

(Edit: click on photo and zoom in, emus are visible even on mobile if zoom in, black dots in centre and to right, but obvious emus when zoom in).

This was their sunset the other day, with silos as silhouettes.

This is wheat harvesting photo from net to give you idea. Big boys toys these, so much fun if you love them! Mind you trucks BiL driving is much bigger, its only on farm, and is B-Double .

Well, that’s it for today. Thanks so very much for popping over for peek and chat. I’m praying for you, for your families and may the Lord God keep you all safe. We are blessed, those closed borders make it hard for farmers but means we are lot better off. No cases here in our town or area of NSW since April. Cities have some cases, but not country.

Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz.x 🙏🤗

Thought of Day:

I think sometimes we forget exactly what the Lord Jesus when He was still on earth promised ..

“These things I have spoken unto you, 

that in Me ye might have PEACE.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: 

but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

 So if things are tough, we should not wonder, God is simply doing as He promised..

IN Jesus, we have peace... IN the world we have troubles!

 However He promised to be with us in it and through it. 

“Be of GOOD CHEER! For I have overcome the world.”

 In the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ we will make it through! 

He didn’t promise ease, but He did promise His presence.

Linking over to these challenges:

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

** Di's Snippets Playground .Latest Snippets Challenge here - Christmas card stencilled recycling rectangular die cut, left over from a frame.

** Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge. Saturday challenge here 

** NBUS challenge the Christmas holly silhouettes is NBUS “NEVER BEFORE USED SCHTUFF”over here at Darnells

Oxides NBUS Christmas Card for Mo’s Challenge + WOYWW

Hullo there, everyone, and yes 'tis Wednesday so it’s time to pop over at Julia’s Stamping Ground, where we see desk of marvellous inspiration worldwide.

My desk as I left it last night! A little messy, on left is the birthday card I mailed today, not finished there on desk, obviously. Mask circle at back is same one I’ve made about six cards with now, back of an icy pole packet! 
Think that's snippets, Miss!! 😊
In front is my entry in Scrappy Mo’s Rudolph day Challenge, shared below. Beside is my silver Bodnant Gardens pencil, always think of Margaret (GlitterGlue) when use it, as she lives near there! ❤
Two brushes, TH spray bottle, clean Darkroom Door mesh stencil, lots of ink pads and couple of stamps at back.
Now to my cards, Firstly Rudolph Card, it’s really unusual but like it. A happy accident!

This stamp set is truly wonderful, by Colarado Craft Company - "Bethlehem's Light", bought it from Simon Says Stamps, at half price Christmas sale. Bought one for me and one for dear kind Maz who mails my US items.❤ Yesterday, had made the background for birthday card.. then suddenly thought these Christmas stamps would look good, too! 

I lined the three stamps in the Craft Too Press to Impress Stamp Platform. 
While had stamps in there, I stamped and heat embossed 14 more! 
That took a lot of time, even though stamping doesn’t, heat embossing does, but oh! I love the gloss of multiple stamps with Versafine Onyx black!
 I love the greeting too... 
“ May the light that 
shone in Bethlehem 
shine in your heart 
this and every Christmas.” 
The spotlight in oxide was a different way of using these stamps. This is a NBUS set (Never Before Used Schtuff), too! Yay! off to Darnell’s NBUS Challenge!

This birthday card is another colour of this card shown back here! This is the third colourway now. Have another one in mind again for yet another May birthday when will be all done! When you’re on a good thing stick to it! 
Now I’m not apologising for so many skies! The Aussie skies in Autumn are simply stunning.

There was another evening walk, very different, but spectacular too but forgot mobile! So just sat and enjoyed the changing colours till they all faded!

These are all facing east. We are on east coast, so these are reflected lights from west, curiously less spectacular..
Well, that’s it for today. 
Some good news though some of our state restrictions are being lifted and am going to be able to visit family at weekend, will still observe all the correct restrictions, though, but enjoy! We have 88 deaths in Aust and although it’s been hard, these restrictive measures have literally saved lives. 
Sweden’s population is 10 million, we are 25 million, so 2.5 times their pop. 
They’ve had 2,355 deaths and no shut down, mostly older folks, we’ve had 88. 
I know what I’d rather do.

Yes, it’s all for the greater good. 

Praying much though for all who suffer from job losses, or worse the loss of a loved one, praying for wisdom for all leaders, to be guided wisely and well.

And God’s keeping upon all who are hurting. 

God bless you all, dear ones,

Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz.x 
(Edit: re sun and Margaret's question below:
 "At the March (Australian autumn) and September (spring) equinoxes the Sun rises in the east, moves toward the north and sets in the west. These are the only times in the year that the Sun rises due east and sets due west." Sunset sky photos are facing east, the sunset lights are cast from westward setting sun. It was much stronger and not photogenic.

Thought of the day:

These verses always give me such hope!

We are never alone, if we seek the loving help of our Almighty Father God.

If you’d like to read the post called “Are You At Wits’ End Corner?”, please visit my other blog here. 
Thank you 😊 

Linking over to:

1. The mask was made with scrap food packet, so off to Miss' snippets playground here - with a one layer card.. that must be a first! 😊
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. Scrappy Mos Rudolph day Challenge you have till 30th to join! 

5. Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge  http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2020/04/chnc-challenge-487.html?m=1
5. Anything Goes over at Simon Says Tuesday https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/