What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Finally, Some Order!

Here is my desk this morning.  It is the most organized it's been for some time even if it may not look that way to those of you who are super neat! 

I'm in the middle of my altered dictionary project (if you would like to see some of the pages I've done, scroll down to this post).  The box with the mini album on it is where I decided to keep some of my magazine clippings and paper scraps for collaging.  It has a place on the upper shelf and if I really wanted to impress you with my neatness, I could have put it there before I took the picture.  Wow, imagine all the empty desk space there would have been in my WOYWW picture!  I didn't want you to faint in shock though so I left it where it was.

What's on Your Workdesk this Wednesday?  Why not take a peek at desks from around the world or join the party? Happy WOYWW, everyone!

WIP: English Czech Altered Dictionary

Here are a few pages I've worked on in my altered book project (the Dictionary was included in the 100th post giveaway I won from Lulu)...

The first page, with the word "above".

 This is the page with the words

"nádobía" (crockery), 

"nahý" (naked) and 

"nach" (purple).

The page with

"mirror" (zrcadio - isn't that an amazing word?), 

"moon" (měsíc), 

"moth" (mol - ok, I know that looks more like a butterfly), and 

"mother" (matka).  

 

You can't see it from the picture but the little frame has some foil that makes it look like a little mirror.  I am especially pleased with this page!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Look at what I won!

  

Here is my desk this morning (I admit I used the push back method to clear up some space!)   I recently won a very generous box of goodies from Lulu, who had her 100th post giveaway...

 

Here are all the goodies before I put them away...

 On my desk is the lovely card she sent...

and the basket of tins to alter, gesso, decoupage tissues, a mini album, and some glitter...

One of the things Lulu sent me was a little "Anglicko Český" dictionary with some pages taken out, all ready to be made into an altered book. I was so inspired (and I remembered the project in Stamping Mathilda) that I started on it right away...

Here is the page where I found the word "anděl" for angel and "amen" for ...well, amen!  I am having such fun with this project because even with a few spare minutes I can work on it, looking for words and images and even learning a bit of "Český".  Since I just visited the Czech Republic (Prague) last month, it will make a nice memento of our visit there.

Lulu has some interesting projects and tutorials in her blog and also joins What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday sometimes. I hope you can drop by her blog and say hi.  Unfortunately, the internet connection at home is not working these days so I have been able to visit only a few desks this week.  Hopefully I will be able to visit more this week.  Thank you for dropping by and leaving me such encouraging comments!  Drop by the other desks in the What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday list for other projects and storage solutions or even just to feel better that yours is not the only messy desk around!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Mother and Child

Happy What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday (or whatever day you are visiting)!  As you can see, there is not much difference in the neatness of my desk from last week but at least I was able to unearth my sewing machine to do some altering (like I shared about in this post).  I have also made some progress in my Mother and Child painting...

  

Here are some other closeups of my desk.  Right under the painting is a brown envelope my daughter doodled on while waiting in line...

Pretty doodle, isn't it?  I can use it in a collage or something.

Then there is a wonderful ATC that I traded for in ATCs for All, and a tag I got from a pair of sandals I bought.  The butterfly illustration is something I can use in a collage (by now, are you wondering if I throw anything away?)

 

Here is the badge souvenir from my elementary class reunion last Saturday (gosh, I am that old?)...

and the World Vision progress report from a child whose education I am sponsoring...

World Vision is a "Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice."  Sponsoring a child and making a difference in his/her life only costs $13.90 (£8.70) a month.  Anyone interested?

In my previous post, I shared about Artsee Bloggers, a new blog/directory.  If you are a blogging artist/crafter, you might want to have your blog listed.  It is a great place to find new blogs and be inspired! But for now, be inspired by what's on the other desks in the What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday list!

Artsee Bloggers!

 

 One of my blog friends, Geri Centonze,
has just put up a new blog/directory for blogging artists. It's called  

Artsee Bloggers, 

"a place of inspiration for the creatively inclined"!
It is, in her words, "a virtual gallery of blogging artists." 

If you are an artist/crafter and an active blogger,
you can choose among the following categories:

Digital Art

Drawing and Painting

Fabric Arts

Jewelry

Mixed Media

Paper Crafts

Photography

and have your blog listed under a maximum of 3 categories.

I see familiar names among those who have joined
and I'm sure I will be able to find some new favorites among those listed.
So many wonderful blogs to visit and so little time!
Drop by Artsee Bloggers and join in the fun!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Finally, Some Art

Hello, WOYWW blog friends!  The thought of visitors coming over to my desk today for the What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday link party made me determined to finally have some art project on my desk!  So, I took a break last night from scanning memorabilia for our 40th year anniversary reunion of graduating from elementary school (see the scanner underneath?) and inspired by Sarah's Mojo Monthly Post about Kelly Kilmer's art journals...

I started gluing some paper scraps to my altered book project. I also used the stamp I showed you last week to add some texture...

And then, using a background I made some time ago, I also started a mother and child painting.  Hopefully it will look better by next week.

 

Here is the tin of old jewelry I showed you last week after I organized it a  little.

 

And here is an example of what I've been scanning.  This is my report card when I was in Kindergarten.

I got an "A" (Always) for "I keep materials from my mouth."  Ooops, I should remember that when I'm trying to make my painting brush have a fine point !

To peek at more desks, go drop by Julia's blog.  Or why not take a picture of your desk, whatever state it's in, and join in the fun!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Again?!

I know, I know, my desk is in this state AGAIN!  I am running out of words to describe it for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!  Shall I call it "a mess"? I said that last week.  How about "in complete disarray"?  Yup, used that as well.  "Chaotic"?  Done.  Anyway, it is AGAIN, like this...

I am sorting out the brochures I kept getting from the tourist information offices around the places we visited in Europe.  I know, I am a compulsive brochure collector!

At least I can show you the new stamp that my sister Patsy gave me.  Isn't it a beauty? 

And then there is a tin of old accessories, earrings, necklaces, beads, etc that I need to sort out.  But then, I could decide to just close the tin and put it away!

Here is a handmade wedding invitation that I received for my friends' wedding in Ireland...

(the husband-to-be is Filipino and he made this using native Filipino materials (sinamay, a dried sunflower center, wood shaving petals).

And here is my little portion of Paris...

A vintage postcard from the marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen - Porte de Clignancourt, my vintage key on a chain with the cheap Eiffel tower keychain souvenir (maybe I can make a bag charm?), a feather I picked up somewhere, and the clay yoghurt containers that were too cute for me to leave behind.

So, no work in progress on my desk today, hopefully there will be something next week.  For more desks with all sorts of interesting things to see, or to join in the fun, check out the WOYWW list!

And if you are interested to see some pictures of the places I visited around Boston, why not drop by my previous post!

Travel Notes: Boston and Around

I'm amazed at how much traveling I've done these past two months!  My trip to Boston and the surrounding areas seems like ages ago after my trip to Europe but I thought I 'd share with you some of the places there that I visited...

...like the Boston Convention Center (where my hubby and I attended a conference)...

...the beautiful campus of Harvard University (established in 1636)...

...Abbot Hall in Marblehead which houses the famous painting...

 "The Spirit of 76" by Archibald Willard commemorating U.S. independence...

...the House of the Seven Gables, in Salem, Massachusetts, a National Historic Landmark District, which inspired the setting and title of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel "The House of the Seven Gables"...

...and Gloucester, a popular summer destination on Cape Ann. 
If we had the time, I would have wanted to go on one of the whale watching tours they were offering there.

A lot of boats, my Dad would love it here!

We visited Essex and although there are a lot of wonderful shops there, (Wikipedia says, "The town now boasts of being the municipality with the greatest number of antique shops per square mile in the US.") we only had time to stop by the White Elephant Shop. 

I bought some old and not so old books for only $1 each (I posted some of them for the What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday post after I got back).  Have you noticed how I often come home with old books?

The views in Rockport...

...and Ogunquit, Maine were wonderful...

And so was the lobster!

 

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: My Travel Journal

My desk is again in a whole mess so I took a picture of a just a small part of it (the only part where you can actually see the desk)...

... where, among other things, you can see a wonderful pile of ATCs I won in Sniisk's ATC lottery on ATCs for ALL and my travel journal which I am trying to finish (I didn't have time on the trip so I just kept notes to remind me of where we went and what we did.)

And since Neet already received my PIF for the WOYWW 2nd Anniversary, I can finally share with you the post I deleted when I realized I wasn't supposed to reveal what I was giving away...

"To celebrate WOYWW's 2nd anniversary, I made a set of ATCs, one for each letter...

Do you see the "W"?...

 the "O"?...

 the "Y"?...

 another "W"?...

  and still another "W"?

 Put them all together, and you'll have the WOYWW international village, where, on Wednesdays, bloggers from all over the world ask each other, "What's on your workdesk?"

If you look really closely into the windows, you will see little pictures of actual desks (pictures posted on the week I made my ATCs).  It's hard to see from these pictures but Julia's window (on the 4th card) has a little golden crown (because she's the Queen of WOYWW).

And this ATC set was my "Pay it Forward" gift to Neet who came next to me on the WOYWW 2nd Anniversary list.  For more desks joining in the fun of WOYWW, check out the Julia's Stamping Ground! 

For Father's Day

I hadn't even fully unpacked from my trip to Europe and I was packing a bag again for a Father's Day weekend trip to the beach, my father's favorite place.  At 52 years old, I am so blessed to have both my Mom and my Dad still with us, with my Dad still strong enough to go sailing alone in his boat (like the picture I shared in my post last year).  No internet in the beach and so I was not able to post this wonderful song I first heard from Lani in her blog Healing Expressions...


Belated Happy Father's day to all the wonderful Fathers out there!  Belatedly linking up with Then Sings My Soul Saturday.