WOYWW #847 - Jonah Bonuses

Here's a treat for you all, my desk in action! 

Just trying to make a fish stamp as per the next Jonah Bonus Lesson.

Truth be told it is nearly midnight Tuesday and only just remembered to do my post!

Here's a shot of the other side of my desk with the base collage for a journal page..

You can see my trusty air-con unit which has had yet another outing the past couple of days.

It's been a funny week, hot again, depressed, then back to my Bible watercolours, Journal and Jonah...

I did a couple of Bible Watercolours based on a talk we had in church a few weeks ago. 

Realised I didn't have anything in the book of Song of Songs, so now I have.

I did a journal page earlier in the week when I was feeling pretty low.

Used up some black and white florals/foliage I'd made previously.

So to Jonah... I did the cover page in my back inside cover and am going to work backwards..

The Jonah summary page next. watercolour on gesso. This was simple and fun to do.

Looks like I'll get my post done for midnight too. Horrah

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #846 - Normality Resumed

After 3+ days without my craftcorner, I've nearly got everything back. 

Still quite a bit in spare room from under my desk but trying to limit what I bring back.

I have journals on the top shelf now - can't reach it without standing on my desk anyways.

I did a couple of scrapbook pages before the corner was dismantled completely. I used some of my new papers. I added some white pen prompted by Helen last week.

Our Rhododendron flowers soon after the Wisteria, such a lovely view from the kitchen sink.

I only seem to get one iris flowering somewhere in the garden so always a nice surprise and purple too.

I got my paints out Monday as I hadn't done any journaling for quite a while. 

Used some stamps I'd found whilst I was sorting stuff. Took them off their wooden blocks and put cling backing on them - sticky business.

Still struggling with body temperature regulation despite it being a tad cooler. Left hand is shouting in it's numbness but right thumb has enjoyed the rest as I didn't go to badminton last week. I've stopped going to the NHS Physio as it isn't hands-on therapy just lists of exercises.

Finding the Summer dragging on somewhat and quite down as a result, but on a positive note hubby spotted a frog in our garden on Saturday. First ever and we've been here over 26years. I dug the little pond in 2021 so 4 years ago and no frogspawn yet but this sighting gives me hope for next year... We'll see.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #845 - Craftcorner Chaos!

Oh My - needed a sort and reprioritise of my stash. 

Then there was the wall issue where I had loads of condensation last winter. 

I'd half moved stuff back then, especially paper based items.

So now I have gradually moved most of my stash to the spare room (hands allowing).

Hubby is going to redo the wall paper and line with polystyrene later this week.

Gives me a chance to see what I need "on-hand" and what can be stored elsewhere, (if I can find suitable elsewhere's...)

Made a badminton birthday card last week for one of our social club's members. 

Truth be told the card has been sitting in my "box" for many years but the addition of the racket and shuttles and score/age spruced it up somewhat.

Got my deliveries at last. That ought to keep me going.

Had a little play with the alpha stamp and the doodles I saw on Mary Anne's desk last week.

The letters are a little bigger than my date stamp which is good.

I've had a bit of a scrapping time and got up to near the end of April now (remember I scrap chronologically).

Can't believe I was over a year behind recently. Whoop!

A couple of walks round the local fields remembering the solar eclipse a bit too late!

Our mega Magnolia tree. I used my "Magnolia" alphabet, it would have been rude not to.

Wanted to wait for my new papers for this one but
cracked on. I included the card too. It's of the Wild & Bloom flower box from my son on Mother's Day, a lovely surprise awaiting me for when I returned from church.

That brought us to April with lots of little things.

New PC/mobile speakers for me. A birds nest in the garage and the last time I did my hanging baskets. The amazing white hedge in our local fields and my son and his mates.

More geocaching and Easter.

I used a couple of double sided Basic Grey papers left over from my job lot buy, not my usual paper choice but OK.

Hubby's cycle ride along the River Thames tow path and Richmond park.

The "Cat who got the Cream" as I took delivery of my air-con unit and got it set up just in time for all these heatwaves we've been having in the SE.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Hand Recap as I think I confused some last week. 

I had my Right Hand (dominant hand) Carpal Tunnel surgery (private with hubby's work insurance) back in 2021. Unfortunately it caused wrist issues and my grip hasn't been that strong since. Now my right thumb is really sore, think it must be arthritis.

I've been seeking medical intervention for my Left Hand Carpal Tunnel which came to the fore in Feb 2024. I wear a splint on it at night. I've had a couple of steroid injections, the first was amazing but the second didn't last long at all. I have now spoken to a surgeon and am on the NHS list for surgery for this one too. (Hubby since retired so no more insurance).

Hope that clears up matters relating to my hands. 

Bit nervous about having the left hand surgery with the state of my right hand though. Leaving the date and all my concerns in God's mighty hands.

WOYWW #844 - Poorly Hands

Desk is a bit sorry for itself this week. 

There's my Herma removable glue refills for scrapping my photos. It's part of a bigger Amazon order, I needed cheering up...

There's my scripture writing - I'm following a daily verse plan for the month on Surrender so there's a hiatus in the Beatitudes for now.

Here's last week's Beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy". Matthew 5:7

In the yellow tray are the left overs from a Faith Journal entry for an August challenge on JOTW.

Here's my page. Was struggling a bit with the prompts and also with my hands/wrists, see below.

So yes feeling a bit sorry for myself this week.

My Left Carpal Tunnel is quite bad and also what must be osteoarthritis in my Right thumb and wrist making it sore too. 

I did manage a couple of scrap pages this week, still in March. More geocaching adventures.

Got stuck on papers to use for the next sets of photos so made a Temu order for 5 pads of papers - oops. 

They may even make it by next week along with the rest of the Amazon order another scrapbook and refills and one of those alphabet stamps I keep seeing on various people's desks!

Oh and hubby found me some begonias (the only bedding the slugs and snails don't devour here) so I brightened up my hanging baskets a little.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #843 - Scrapbook Albums

Here's the "empty" desk from the new desk perspective with the latest scrapbook pages on the hanger (top right). Was having a pink moment.

You can see my scripture writing for this week bottom right and just above that the latest RHS Magazine.

And the shelf unit with ALL my 12x12 photo/scrapbook albums 18 former and now 20 latter plus 4 extra ones of special layouts. 

I finished off the last album for February 2025 with my 61st Birthday/Valentine's and then....

... phase 2 of the gasworks! It really did have a huge impact on us as the road closures forced us to take huge detours to get anywhere! 

I "gutted" the backing paper so I'd have enough of the same for the lettering.

Next came our 27th Anniversary and an impromptu geocaching walk in the lovely sunshine.

I finished the album with a few odd photos from February 2025.

Hubby on his static bike - "spinning"

Me getting a "25" photo for the geocaching 25th anniversary. We are only 9 minutes away from the M25 so it just had to be done!"

Plus another of the metal garden sculptures up at last although it has been moved since...

So on to my 21st Album and a few photos of Our Street in March 2025.

Then we're up to the ones hanging up, of my church group and our son's visit plus a few extras which are on a sheet to tuck between the pages.

Debating putting these two in the album the other way round so the photo heavy page is on the left. They were in the same week so not such a problem.

Then the scripture writing.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled (satisfied).

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #842 - Bed Desk!

Here's my bed desk this week where I've started sorting my next 2 scrapbook albums out. The 12"x12" albums usually come with 10 pages (20 layouts) and I expand them to 30 pages (60 layouts) each.

I just have 5 LOs for February 2025 to finish my current album which is my 20th album, oh my!

Here's my first page for 2025 and the THING which dominated our lives for months! 

It took a good 2 months for our GAS PIPE to get done and a further 4 months of continued road closures before they had finished in the area.

January saw me doing some sewing. I converted a pair of trousers into a skirt, made the fabric book I saw back in November's Zen week. And I did the mushroom felting course.

I found a scrapbook page with sewing patterns on it which I spread over the double layout. Even came across my sewing dies, don't use those often.

Actual sewing this week was repairing
the rip in the tent for our kids groups at church. Ladder stitch worked a treat. Fortunately a ball point needle saved me pricking my left hand which went severely numb during the process. Ouchy!

The weekly scripture writing was on Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

What stood out to me was that Meekness is NOT weakness as we tend to think but rather Strength Under Control.

So glad it is a bit cooler this week but still mighty warm in my room though. Getting a bit fed up with it really and my left hand has started to complain bitterly too (going numb at the slightest thing, even typing this...).

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #841 - Scrapbook Update.

Tuesday's Desk from the window getting lots of windy miller today although still warm for me (and this is a so called cool day!!!)

Think I may have confused some last week with my scrapbooking progress so here's a recap....

1) I scrapbook my day to day photos chronologically.

I started scrapbooking back in April 2005 but backtracked to December 2003 when I got my first digital camera. I'm on my 20th 12"x12" album each containing 60 layouts.

2) I buy a job lot of prints through Photobox every 6 months or so. (160 approx)

Not sure I like their updated webpage so wouldn't recommend after 20 years of using them.

***Does anyone have another site for photo printing they like? Please let me know in the comments or by email. THANKS ***

3) I have just finished scrapbooking 2024 - whoop whoop.

December's Wreath making at my new church and the last day at my old church.

Son's birthday and Christmas visit

End-of-Year Geocaching souvenir reached FROM CAR with a few other geocaching hides, finds and curiosities.

4) I'm only 6ish months behind now. Yay.

The Jonah Series completed with 3 more pages on the final chapter.

I did these hunkering down in room with AC Unit 24/7.

I remembered to deal with the small half page appropriately this time, so any words didn't overlap and confuse issues.. It worked out quite well in the end.

There will be some bonus pages and the cover piece at some point. 

Other than that I will need to fill the journal with other watery tales from the Bible methinks. Some other ladies did their own nautical pictures so I'll copy those too.

My weekly scripture writing continues, here's last weeks worth on the second Beatitude.

Blessed are they who mourn as they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Happy WOYWW Everyone.