Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Stitches Part 1...

Hi folks...time to share Day 1 of a fabulous fun trip to Stitches...the annual UK craft trade show where wholesalers...suppliers and manufacturers come together under one roof at the NEC to showcase all their new products to the craft industry. So it's time to make a cuppa and find youselves a comfy sofa. I arrived in Birmingham early thanks to a super speedy Flybe flight...met up with my bestest bud Enfys and her lovely hubby Mike who whisked us off to The NEC to be greeted by this gorgeous cuddly bundle of wooliness...
What a pity I couldn't buy this fabulous doggy scarf...perfect for my wintry early morning doggy strolls...
but the clock is ticking and there's so much to see so we headed off to the Fiskars stand to say hello to my lovely Fiskars family and and woohoo was I chuffed to see that some of my favourite makes...including the Sweet Moments Scrapbook page of my gorgeous grandkiddies had made it on to the huge Tag Maker promotional banner...



then we headed off to drool over the Tim Holtz wall at Personal Impressions...
 this crafty girl's wish list all in one place...a delighful feast for the eyes indeed...

next stop was the Sizzix stand which is always the most beautifully decorated stand at the show...lots and lots of gorgeous samples...beautiful home decor made with a simple butterfly punch...
 gorgeous fabric flowers...
 colourful rosettes...
 so simple but beautiful...
 a collection of felt cards...
and a cornucopia of gorgeous butterflies...
moving on to the fabulous Tim Holtz makes from my adorable hero...the one and only Pete Hughes...
 my favourite...made with the gorgeous Alterations Mixed Media  and Scribbles and Splat
no pic of Pete this time...I couldn't get near for the crowds of adoring fans but I did manage to snaffle a pic of my gorgeous buddies Paula and Enfys deep in conversation...
 and thank you Pete for my beautiful Sizzix brooch...
and in between all this "eyes out on stalks" crafty drooling...there was lots of social networking going on...meeting up and chatting with lots of crafty buddies...too many to mention but you all know who you are and it was lovely to catch up with you all again but we had only visited the first 3 stands and Day 1 was over...time to join the Fiskars gang for a yummy dinner...lots of chat and laughter before heading off  to bed and I slept like a log until 7.28am...probably because there was no Furry Boy bouncing around on the bed.
Hanging out with lots of crafty buddies is the best fun you can have with your clothes on but I'm shattered...I feel as though I've been dragged through a hedge backwards and have no idea what day of the week it is...it's strange that walking the show is much more tiring than working at the show...I blame all the chatting and I think my bestest bud Enfys may well agree after she posted this on Facebook...
"Walking around a trade craft show at the NEC with Kath Stewart is a bit like going on a walkabout with the queen, or visiting a woman's convention with George Clooney, even the security guards knew her and stopped for a little chat...quite exhausting"
I'll be back tomorrow to share Day 2 sharing more goodies and fun workshops.
Hugs Kath xxx