Crafting with Alex (WOYWW)

Some of you have asked how I manage to keep my desk so tidy; well the truth is that most of the time it is a complete tip, but I have to tidy it on a Monday night, because Tuesday morning before school has become a time when Alex and I craft together at my desk...if I leave anything on my desk he wants to use it or play with it so I have found it best to empty the desk and then let him decide what he wants to do in a more controlled and less stressful manner.

Usually he wants to make a card for his girlfriend! He and Ella (who is not yet 5), decided about a year ago that they were going to get married, and he makes a card for her most weeks. This was the card he made yesterday morning for her using punches, stamping and hand drawing.  Inside it has a heart which he drew and the words "To Ella, love from Alex".  Aah, young love!

This is my desk, for WOYWW, as it looked at about 5.30pm yesterday evening when I had got as far as choosing papers and photos for a scrapbook layout. I had managed to trim the photos using the craft knife, metal ruler and cutting mat, and drink half my tea before I had to go and give Alex his tea, do homework, bath, bedtime etc. 

I came back to the layout later on, which features October half-term with my family here in Sheffield, and this is how it looked when I had finished it. The layout followed sketch #210 from Nuts about sketches.  I stamped some of the leaves and the others were made using home-made stencils from two different woodware punches.  I inked through the stencils with pine needles distress ink.  The papers used were Basic Grey and K&Co and the embellishments which have glitter embossed on them were left over from a Cosmo Cricket set I had a long time ago (not sure how well the glitter shows up, but it is there I promise!). The leaves and skeleton leaf add texture to the layout.  As a result this layout fits with Lasting Memories 'stencils', Cards for men 'texture', Tuesday Throwdown 'use some sparkle', Pile it on 'sparkle and shine' and Stamptacular 'loaded with layers'.  That is all from me...I am lecturing for most of the rest of the week, hence preparing this post on Tuesday evening.  Have a great rest of the week everyone.
Love,
Caro
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