WOYWW! It's great to be back!

Hello, welcome and thank you for dropping by to look at what's on my workbench this Wednesday! It's especially nice of you to remember me as I've not been around much lately! If you're wondering what I'm chattering on about in my magpie way, do drop over to the lovely Julia's Stamping Ground here, read her lively take on the world of crafting and take the opportunity to show what you've been creating and peek at other crafters' work desks all over the world. Here, after all this time is what's on my work desk, which is still, as it always was, the top of my washing-machine!

That hasn't changed; but life has - in all sorts of unexpected ways! I have joined some design teams, which is keeping me busy, but happy! I was ill with an infected salivary gland, which was surprisingly painful, but that's better now - thanks to anti-biotics! Helping my Mum settle into her new home nearby has - unsurprisingly - been lots of work; but the flat now looks beautiful. She's eighty-four and partially sighted so adjusting has been hard, but she's happy now. Some of you may recall that my son, in his early twenties, suffered a mental breakdown at the start of an MA course and was diagnosed with Aspergers last April. I am so proud of him because he found himself a voluntary job, worked hard and has overcome huge challenges so that the team he works with are now applying for funding to keep him on as a paid employee! And, from stepping into a world that I didn't know existed before last April, that of Crafty Blogland, I have found new friends! The Sunday before last the amazingly creative Alison Hall of Craftytrog's Inky Adventures kindly took me to Stamperama, Stevenage where I met up with all kinds of lovely people: Helen Lindfield, Lin Shields, Deborah Wainwright, Kirsten Sheridan, Sarah Baldwin, Hazel Agnew, Alison Bomber and - of course - Leandra Franich and Darcy Wilkinson. There are other really dear friends who were not able to be there like the lovely Lucy Edmondson who I hope to meet up with soon and the incredibly talented Laura Bomber. Maybe some day I shall meet in person with my friends, Kerry Ann and Dianne who have both filled my life with colour, kindness and inspiration. The kitchen re-furb that I thought was underway when I started WOYWW is no nearer completion and now helping with flood damage is increasing Kevin's workload even more, but we can live with our shabby and far from chic kitchen a bit longer - far worse to have lost your home to filthy waters: my heart goes out to all the victims of the terrible storms.
I mustn't ramble too much, but can you spy what's on my desk today? I have discovered the delights of brayering; using baby wipes for everything including wiping away layers on projects; some homemade stamp cleaner which I learned about through WOYWW and the tiny edge of something secret I'm working on. Well, I have to fly now, but have a wonderful, creative Wednesday. I'll try to visit as many of your desks as I can and leave my number! Happy WOYWW!