Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Give-Aways Galore

Good Morning to all my lovely bloggy buds from your favourite bundle of golden deliciousness..
I'm back with the first of my rummage around give-aways and I've been thinking...yes the cogs have been turning...that maybe it's time to say a big thank you to all the lovely folks who keep us company most days and take the time to leave us some crafty love so I put all yesterday's comments into the hat and out popped the lovely...
please e-mail us with your address Rachel and your pile of goodies...
will be popping through your letter box real soon...
but not to worry I have oodles more stuff to give-away in the next few days...pizza boxes of stuff in fact...
well my Mum always says if you're going to do a job...do it right and you know me I ALWAYS do what I'm told...so major declutter it is...
And on the DIY front...things are fairly ticking along...crikey if you stand still long enough around here...you're going to get painted...the utility room painty job is finished and I have to say it's looking rather cool...crivvens I'll be in all sorts of trouble if I dare to do the old shaky routine...wet mud splatters is not going to go down well...a whole day banished to the naughty step misdemeanour...
and my "whizz with a paint roller" Old Mum is on a mission....hitting the kitchen today with all guns blazing or should that be brushes...you know what I mean but I'll be back tomorrow with another pile of give-away goodies...in the meantime have fun whatever you're doing.
Big Hugs & Snuggles
Buddy xxx

Monday, April 29, 2013

To The Rescue With A Give-Away

Good morning to all my lovely bloggy buddies...it's your favourite bundle of golden deliciousness popping on keep you company today...it's been a while but guess what...my Old Mum's in a bit of a painty pickle right now and I knew it would only be a matter of time before she would be sweet talking me into offering my blogger extraordinaire talents to help out...no worries you can always rely on Superdog to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress although it would have been nice to get a bit more notice.
I'm not acquaint with all this DIY jargon but apparently "cutting in" is on today's list of things to do and right this minute my crafty Mum's got a face like a fiddle so probably not best pleased with the task ahead...
needless to say there hasn't been much happening in the cubbyhole over the weekend but I've been having a bit of a smooch around in there and I came across this paper bag decorated apparently with stuff called grunge paste...I gave it a lick and it's definitely not edible and I'm thinking seeing as I've got the run of the place at the moment while the boss lady is otherwise occupied...I'll be filling this boy with lots of goodies as a give-away...
So I'll back tomorrow with my haul to give you the info you'll need to enter and no doubt the latest gossip from DIY Central...have a fun day...see you later.
Big Hugs & Snuggles
BUDDY xxx


Sunday, April 28, 2013

A picture paints...

Hi folks...they do say that a picture paints a thousand words and they may be right...I've been back on chain gang duty priming the plaster with a diluted coat of emulsion which inevitably means I've been splattered from head to toe...more paint on me than went on the walls I suspect and if it's a water based medium why is it such a devil to remove...even a hot shower with the aid of Timmie's scrubbie failed to do the trick completely...

but I'm cracking along just the utility room to do...
get those wall cupboards down and steam the tiles off the wall before hubby makes a start on painting the ceilings...hours of looking skyward with a roller on an extending pole is not my idea of fun and my neck doesn't think so either...no point in being Project Manager if you can't delegate the crap jobs is there. And the burning question...what colour did I choose for the walls...blimey I hummed and I haaed backwards and forwards between the two right up until the second I opened my mouth at the paint mix counter and out came the words "Woodland Pearl 5"...no turning back now but am I going to like it...only time will tell.
In the meantime I've been having a little play with Grunge Paste and a Pallet Knife...you could say...the cubbyhole's take on plastering.
and if I can sneak away to finish them...I'll be sharing tomorrow. To answer all the e-mails yesterday asking where I got my Kraft Storage Boxes....Tesco...on a "Buy 3-Pay for 2" deal....(not sure if that is still available) but they are really sturdy...the magazine folders are ideal for holding big stamp sets and my favourite sheets of alphabets and the A4 boxes hold loads....in fact I've got my Melt Pot...Texture Treads and lots of bits and pieces in one.  Enjoy what's left of the weekend and I hope it's considerably warmer where you are...it's real brass monkey temperatures here...hat gloves and scarf for a morning stroll at the end of April seems crazy.
Hugs Kath xxx

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Off On A Tangent...

Hi folks...if you pop over to the cubbyhole regularly you'll know that I'm rather prone to going off on a tangent and as if I don't have enough on my plate at the moment...I got a real bee in my bonnet when these arrived in the cubbyhole...cute alphabet letters from YOU KNOW WHO...
perfect for labelling the cubbyhole storage boxes...no more turning the place upside down in search of one little item...a job for a rainy day you might be thinking but me being me it had to be done right there and then...I'm a bit of a "once I get something in my noodle" kinda of a girl...so with my "no time like the present" hat on I started off at the "use on a regular basis" stamping corner...
but not content with just labelling the boxes...I had to have a good old sort out...filing them according to themes instead of packing them in higgedly piggedly and that was a labour of love for sure but why stop there....time to move on to the next storage area...
alphabets of every description...thick...thin...chipboard and sticky...Melt Pot goodies...masks and stencils and little boxes of bits and bobs...did you know that I have a serious addiction to alphabets...for goodness sake how many sheets of alphabets does a girl need...
not forgetting the person who caused this "off on a tangent" moment in the first place...
the Timmie Stamps and Idea-ology storage

and I have to say it's LOOKING GOOD..only problem is...I now can't find a blooming thing but that's the least of my worries...after yesterday's arm aching torture session applying primer to the plaster I'm ecstatic at the thought of how many more emulsion fun filled days lie ahead. I'll see you all tomorrow...that is if the old body doesn't give up the ghost and I'm hauled off to the knackers yard. I did have a fleeting thought about painting all my Kraft Box Storage but you know what...sod that for a game of soldiers...I'm not completely bonkers. In the meantime...hop on over to the Craftwork Cards Blog where my teamie Marie is sharing more fabulous Bunting inspiration.
Hugs Kath xxx

Friday, April 26, 2013

I Love My Melt Pot...

Hi folks...have I told you lately that I love my Melt Pot...I haven't really had time to have a proper play with it until now and crikey it's so addictive...once I started I didn't want to stop...well and truly lost in my own little world of UTEE and just for the fun of it experimenting with lots of different stuff that has been hibernating in the cubbyhole for years...remember Bedazzles...those little blighters that flew everywhere the minute you tipped them from the pot...Perfect Pearls...I must have every colour of the rainbow and not forgetting the stock of Frantage goodies.
So here's what I made with Texture Treads...a cookie cutter and those gorgeous Vintage Trinkets I couldn't resist at The NEC from the lovely Brenda and David at Craft Obsessions...
this has to be my favourite...
then confident that I've got the hang of this...I moved it up to notch using Spellbinders Media Mixage Bezels
I have to say that I thought the bezels were a tad pricey for 3 metal items in a pack until I realised you can use the bezel as a mould...the shape will pop out once the UTEE has cooled and you can make as many as the fancy takes you....cool huh!!
but a little word of warning...the jump rings top and bottom seem to be quite fragile so handle them with care...as you can see I managed to dislodge the bottom one but maybe I'm just a clumsy clogs. And as much as I would love to continue my Melt Pot journey...I've just been summoned back on the chain gang so I'll see you all tomorrow to share another of my "off on a tangent" adventures. Why don't you pop over to the Craftwork Cards Blog for Day 5 of Beautiful  Bunting Inspiration from my teamie Jo...leave a comment and you could be the lucky winner of a Bunting Kit.
Hugs Kath xxx

Thursday, April 25, 2013

So far...so good...

Hi folks...well so far so good...I'm still managing to keep up the cubbyhole tradition of posting every day...did you really think that this old crafter would allow a little thing like a kitchen make-over to deprive me  of doing what I love best...what keeps me sane in this mad old world we live in...time spent in the fun place we call "the cubbyhole"...a place of peace and tranquility (well not all of the time) where coffee...craft and The Furry Boy rule.
And I have to come clean...we're only here because...surprise...surprise the DIY make-over has ground to a bit of a halt waiting for the plaster to dry...it's very frustrating...a bit like the old saying...a watched kettle never boils or in this case...watching paint dry...
talking of paint...I'm itching to get it on the wall but first there's a major decision to be made...the COLOUR...now here's a thing...who would have thought that Mrs Indecisive would have managed to narrow it down to TWO...Woodland Pearl or Golden Rambler out of the billions of colour mixes available now...changed days from MAGNOLIA...MAGNOLIA or MAGNOLIA...which one should I choose bearing in mind it will have to blend in with my hair...oh yes I'll be sporting the paint splattered look for weeks...who needs to pay for mega expensive streaks at the hairdresser when you can get it for free with a tin of emulsion and a roller.
A decision that has to made this morning on the 20 minute drive to my local B&Q before I scoot across town to the Builders Merchants to order the flooring and doors...crikey this Project Manager job is harder than you think but no point in getting stressed...hey I can do CHAOS...after all it's my middle name and here's what I've been playing with while we await the pleasure of the next phase of this "who's bright idea was this" make-over...having oodles of fun with the Melt Pot...Bedazzles and Perfect Pearls...
and if I say so myself...I'm rather chuffed with my first efforts...although I haven't quite mastered "the cut off the flow of UTEE with your spatula" trick yet...definitely a new addiction thanks to my lovely buddy Hels...
In the meantime why don't you hop over to Craftworks Card Blog for Day 3 of Beautiful Bunting Inspiration from my teamie Tina and have you seen the fantastic offer on the brand new Goody Boxes...ends today so get your skates on...
and I'll see you all tomorrow to share some more Melt Pot creations...
Hugs Kath xxx

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

It's A Waiting Game...

Hi folks...I've realised that this kitchen make-over is going to be one Big Waiting Game...the plasterer has been and gone and I'm now WAITING for it all to dry before I can paint the walls leaving plenty of time to pour over all those paint charts and make a decision and with so many gorgeous colours to choose from...Mrs "I'm not indecisive...I just can't make my mind up" may well have a big challenge on her hands...WAITING for the joiner to arrive for Phase 2 of the mayhem and not forgetting the new crafty goodies WAITING to be played with.  I have no control over the first two on the list but I sure as dammit can do something about the last.
So there you have it...we've been back in the cubbyhole playing with another of my Hero Arts "Art of the Card" purchases...
and making a bigger dent in the gorgeous goody parcel from The Ribbon Girl...


In the meantime why don't you hop over to the Craftwork Cards Blog where my lovely teamie Kim is sharing her gorgeous Vintage Bunting...leave a comment and you could be the lucky winner of a Beautiful Bunting Kit. I'll see you all tomorrow to share some more playtime makes
Hugs Kath xxx

Monday, April 22, 2013

"Sew" Tidy...

Hi folks...I'm sharing a little project that I made for the Fiskarettes Blog showing just how versatile the Fiskars Fuse Creativity System is...it will die-cut 10 layers of cardstock with ease but how would it fare with the same number of layers of felt I needed for my "Sew Tidy" needle case...
I cut 5 pieces of felt...folded them over to create 10 layers...placed them on the Curvy Square Die with the folded edge 1/4" away from the edge of the die to create 5 single pieces and as you can see it worked like a dream...perfectly cut with lovely neat edges...
to be honest I had a sneaky feeling it would because this machine is truly the bees knees when it comes to cutting...after decorating the cardstock cover with one of my favourite Curvy Square Expansion Plates...a few butterflies cut from the patterned paper and of course there had to be some buttons...
I stitched the felt layers to the cover and finished off with some Bakers Twine...a quick and easy needle case whipped up in no time...
and it's just as well because DIY has taken over my life...crafting time is at a premium but hey hopefully I'll be back tomorrow to share something...even if it's more tales of DIY woe.
Did you know there's a competition running at the moment over at Fiskarettes to win a Fuse Creativity System so pop over and check it out...who knows this fabulous machine could be arriving at your crafty space soon and it's Day 2 of the WIN...WIN...WIN...Bunting Give-Aways and fabulous inspiration over at Craftwork Cards Blog from my teamie Georgina
See you all tomorrow
Hugs Kath xxx


Chief Tidier-upper...

Hi folks...today's the day the nice man arrives with buckets of plaster to turn the horrible paper stripped walls in the kitchen into something smooth and beautiful ready for painting but from past experience it's a bit of a messy affair and no doubt I'll be wearing several hats today...Chief Tea Maker and changing to Chief Tidier-Upper at the end of the day.
So far I've managed a few sneaky forays into the cubbyhole despite the mad DIY malarkey that's happening all round me...well there are new stamps that I've been itching to ink from my beloved Hero Arts...how could I resist having a play with this gorgeous mix of delicious rubber...
and a chance to play with some more of  the delicious goodies from my Ribbon Girl DT parcel...

It was love at first when I saw the Beige Shabby Dahlias...they are so gorgeous and so many in a pack too...likewise the beautiful Ivory Pleated Satin Ribbon
Now plaster and furry feet are not a good mix...I really don't think me picking hardened plaster from between his toes would go down too well with His Nibs so it might be a good idea for the Furry Boy and his Mum to retreat to the cubbyhole out of the way...as good an excuse as any for some more crafty playtime but I'll be back tomorrow to share a project I made with the Fiskars Fuse...another of my "throwing down the gauntlet" challenges for this fabulous machine.
And I have news of some fabulous give-aways from Craftwork Cards...every day this week you can WIN...WIN...WIN some Beautiful Bunting...so make sure you pop over to Craftwork Cards Blog and check out the fabulous inspired makes by my lovely teamies...starting off today with gorgeous makes by the very talented Julie Hickey.
Hugs Kath xxx

Sunday, April 21, 2013

The Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge....April

Hi folks...time to have some fun with this month's Colour Challenge from The Ribbon Girls and here's this month's photo to inspire you...aren't those roses just gorgeous...
IVORY/CREAM
I love neutral colours and was super duper excited when I opened my bundle of DT goodies gorgeous blooms...fabulous ribbons and lace with little bits and pieces that had me rushing to find a blank canvas to decorate...another opportunity to have fun with paints...masks and texture paste...now I just need to decorate a room to match...
check out those gorgeous flowers and the Beaded Sprigs twisted into funky shapes...
the large silver Butterfly Charm painted white with Tim's new Distress Paint...
As always there are fabulous prizes up for grabs...

from our lovely chums at Lili Of The Valley
and 

to spend in The Ribbon Girl online store...
and gorgeous inspiration from my lovely teamies so why don't pop over and check them out.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy crafting
Hugs Kath xxx