A little bit of INFO

Numerous people have asked me about the beautiful snowflake stamp that I have used on several of my cards....it is from Hero Arts....Snowflake Rosette E2881.....but it came in a set....Fluttering Snowflakes Fancy Notes....LL888.

I bought this set many many moons ago but I went online to Hero Arts Website and the set is still available....although it is showing "limited availability" so it could involve a bit of searching to find a stockist in the UK...but you might be lucky.   Unfortunately I don't think it is available as an individual stamp as the code isn't recognised.

Well I am off to put the kettle on....make a cuppy and settle down to watch Kirsty at 4pm and then American Crafts at 6pm......OMG.......I am not even counting up what I have already spent and know that I won't be able to resist the 6 o'clock show where I believe there are going to be some terrific birthday prices.

Love Kath xxxxxxx

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

The sketch this week on 2 Sketches 4 You is from Kazan......brilliant sketch and fabulous cards as usual from Kazan and the Design Team....there is no way I could go away on holiday without doing this challenge. I used some of the papers that I received in my October Kit from My Creative Scrapbook and they are absolutely gorgeous.

• Papers: Vintage Moon....Moon Pie
• Jenny Bowlin...Vintage Black Ledger
• Image: Inkadinkadoo...Tin Can Mail
• Sentiment: Adorn-It Tiny Etched
• Lace from my stash

Basic Grey Challenge

The challenge this week from Basic Grey Challenges is to work from a sketch and it's a great way of doing a quickie card.....I am so chasing my tail this week trying to get everything done before I leave on Saturday morning..... not entirely happy with this one but off to watch Rosemary Merry on QVC at 11.00am.....did you get your TSV...can't wait to get mine....it will probably arrive when I am on holiday...shucks.

• Papers: Basic Grey....Ambrosia
• Ribbon from my stash
• Fiskars Ribbon Slot Punch
• Gems: Kaiser Scrapbook...Black
• Alphabet: Adorn-it Tiny Etched

Well that's one scored off the list of a million things to do....so just 999,999 to go......

Love Kath xxxxxx

Whoooo.hoooo

Well I've got my booty for the anti wrinkle trial and guess what.......I was right there is a slight difference on the left hand side.....they take a photograph with a special camera linked up to a computer and hey presto on the right hand side there was a 1.1% reduction but on the left there was.....a 2.7% reduction so am off to get the calculator to work out if I smother my whole face in this miracle stuff twice a day how long it will take for my wrinklies to completely disappear.
I am off for a week's holiday on Saturday with Son, DIL and gorgeous grandkids, OH and Buddy...an early present for my approaching "BUS PASS" birthday....to a gorgeous house on the outskirts of Invernesss..surrounded by hills and beautiful countryside....lots of beautiful walks and fun things to do with Brodie and Oliver....but in the evenings.....what will I be doing.....well..you can have 3 guesses....the first of the Christmas Card Orders are starting to come in so once the kids are in bed I shall be commandeering the kitchen table and getting a head start on the orders .....hubby isn't amused but I ain't a telly fan so what else is there to do.....they can all sit glued to the box and I will be crafting whilst sipping a nice glass of wine.
This week is going to be a little manic but I can't miss out on my favourite challenges....so hopefully back with some cards to show you instead of me blethering.....maybe tomorrow if I can fit them in between watching the Rosemary Merry and American Crafts hours on QVC and don't forget to watch the fabulous Kirsty at 4pm......well off to keep myself awake until midnight so I can snaffle the fabulous Cosmo Cricket TSV....did I mention that before......you don't want to miss this one girls....it's jam packed with stuff.......... £26.74 with P & P of £5.45..... do you get the impression I am excited. Love Kath xxxxxxxx

P.S. Oops almost forgot to tell you..... the gorgeous red ribbon on my card holder I got from the lovely Dawny...well guess what.... it's from COSTCO.....and you won't believe the price.....about £4.50 for 45-50 yards and it is even more beautiful in the flesh.

What a HOOT

What a hoot....at the car boot.....I haven't been to a car boot for absolutely ages and I had forgotten how much fun it is....my sis and niece had a major clear out and suggested a car boot.....well I too need to have a major clear out but of crafty stuff.....I can't possibly have bought all this stuff....I think it's multiplying in the dark depths of my crafty cupboard.    Sheets and sheets of decoupage....when did I buy that and boxes of Christmas Peel Off's......that was obviously a mad moment.   Loaded up 3 of those fold down cratey things and off I set.      A cold, dark and windy morning and after the initial buzz of setting everything out.....just standing around I'm freeeezing...... Sis's table is off to a cracking start....£70 by 9.00am......me I've taken in the princely sum of £2.00.....long way to go to cover the cost of the pitch.   But crafters are more discerning customers.....so they don't turn up until 10 ish and slowly the tills are ringing.....well the lock and lock box is filling up.....a £1 here and 50p there all mount up.   I love the banter of the car boot and all the great folk you meet......catching up with old friends....my crafty mate Elaine who I haven't seen for ages but of course, you do meet the occasional numptie...but I can do numptie....as long as they are buying stuff.   Before we know it's 1pm and time to pack up.    Everything that's left fits into one box so a bit of a result and a wad of cash to spend......I know.......on more crafty stuff.....do we ever learn.
The good news......Sis and I are off for our after piccies tonight on the antiwrinkle cream and a nice fat cheque.....so we are having a treat.....supper out tonight for the car booters.....and hey me thinks we might even run to fillet steaks.   The bad news.....I not only got lots of dosh at the car boot.....I also got a stinking cold.....yuck.
Craft day on QVC tomorrow......gotta get the TSV.....Cosmo Cricket Mega Bumper Pack of Deliciousness and might just be splashing the cash on some of my fave American Crafts goodies.    Catch up with you all later.......Love Kath xxxxxxxx

Tag You're It Challenge

The challenge this week on Tag You're It is to work from a sketch and I do love working from a sketch...... I am so in Christmas mode now and will be eating, sleeping and breathing Christmas card orders and workshops probably from the end of next week until the end of November.....so I am apologising in advance for boring you to tears with nothing but Christmas.

• Papers: K & Co 6 x 6 Pad...Holiday Traditions
• Image: Sugar Nellie Santa with Tree.....kindly sent to me by the lovely Dawny
• Ribbon: from my stash
• Holly & Berries: Sizzix Die
• Sentiment: Brenda Pinnick Christmas Stickers

I have completely fallen in love with the Sugar Nellie Home Grown Santa and Snowmen stamps from Funky Kits .....how can we resist...they are gorgeous.....might have to go and grab myself some.

Off to the car boot tomorrow with my sis.....and that's an early rise.....6.00am.......so a nice hot shower (guaranteed to make me sleep like a babe and snore like a train apparently...but you can't believe everything you read) and then hit the sack.....catch up with you all later.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend........Love Kath xxxxxxxxx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 16

I really enjoyed visiting all your blogs last week to oogle over the inside of your cards and what a fabulous job you all made of making the inside as special as the front......gave me lots of ideas.
The challenge this week on Penny Black Saturday is "SEASONS" Spring..Summer..Autumn...Winter....take your pick.....I have really been feeling the cold this week especially in the evenings and hey I am still in Christmas mode after the christmas samples....so it had to be "WINTER" which is just around the corner. I must admit to loving frosty crisp mornings and the first fall of snow is always a wonder to behold.
I thought I would go with an acetate card and they are perfect for snowy Christmas cards but some folk find them tricky so here is how I made this card......

• Cover the inside and the back of the card with paper and stick the Thickers on here
• The scallop circle, snowflakes and stars have been stuck on the front and inside front.. mirrored exactly so no worries about glue marks showing and if you wish you can use the inner scallop to write your greeting. Or you could place a white panel on the back of the card.
• The ribbon is tied using my tutorial from earlier in the week and is as neat on the inside as the outside.

Easy peasy.....so give it a try.....can't wait to see what season you have chosen.

• Papers: Sandylion Snowflakes Embossed
• Image: Penny Black..Cuddle in Snow
• Sentiment: American Craft Foam Thickers
• Snowflakes: Cuttlebug Die Set

And a little bonus offering for "SPRING".....that is a whole other story.....don't even go there and if you think you have seen this one before....your eyes are playing tricks on you or you need new specs..

Have a great weekend everyone and I look forward to paying you all a visit to see your fabby creations
Love....Kath xxxxxx

This made my Day

Don't know why but I am having a bit of a down day today...silly old moo.....rampaging hormones no doubt......or maybe all that talk about wrinkles....until Mr Postman arrived with a parcel.....and this has put the smile back on my face.......lots of scrummylicious images from my lovely bloggy buddy....the one and only gorgeous and kind Dawny.....thank you so much.......and take a gander at the gorgeous holder they came in....such attention to detail......enough to bring tears to my eyes.....and fill me full of emulsion.

and look at that fabulous ribbon......it's gorgeous.

Love Kath xxxxxxx

The New Face

Well folks I am almost at the end of my Road Testing of the anti-wrinkle cream and........HAS IT WORKED? I hear you ask......I think that there is a little bit of a difference......now I don't know and apparently we will not be told which one is the real McCoy....but I think that the left hand side is ever so slightly less wrinkled than before..... you have to remember that I have been cultivating these little beauties for nigh on 60 years...so it's gonna take a little longer than 4 weeks to kiss them completely goodbye but I am confident that if I keep using the left hand side cream (and I have absolutely tons of this stuff left...you only need a little and we got 2 big pots) all over my face for the next 60 years......it might just do the trick.   To be perfectly honest....WHO CARES.....I have been looking at this old physog of mine in the mirror for absolutely yonks and have kinda gotten used to it....wrinkles included and hey I think wrinkles are a sign that you've lived life to the full...because they do say smiling and laughing cause them....well if that's the case I have sure done my fair share of that and would rather be happy and wrinkly than a miserable old cow with a face as smooth as a babe's bum.......NOW I HOPE YOU AIN'T SMILING OR LAUGHING.

A little ode I found on my blogging buddy Dawn's blog...sums up my atitude to life........

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely

in an attractive well preserved body but rather skid in sideways

CHOCOLATE in one hand...wine in the other

body thoroughly used up totally worn out

screaming

WOO HOO!!!! - WHAT A RIDE...............

Off to hopefully do lot's of work today after my 2 days of playing with boys toys and watching Fireman Sam.....gee whizz I am finding myself singing the song......"When you hear that fire alarm...Fireman Sam is cool and calm" and can't get it outta my head.
See you all tomorrow on Penny Black Saturday and a little sneeky peek of my card for next week's challenge which is........well you will just have to wait and see.

Enjoy your day wherever you are and whatever you are doing......and remember if you don't want to end up a wrinkly like me.....NO LAUGHING.... Love...Kath xxxxxx

A Big TOOT...TOOT

This is a  bit of a quickie folks....Oliver is coming to stay with Grandma again today so that's two days out of my crafty schedule....pay back time for all that playing at the beginning of the week.....deadlines are looming fast again.... but I had to make a card to celebrate some great news...my 2 Funky Hand Design Team Mates Carol and Allison have been chosen to be on the Design Team for a brand new challenge blog....for all those of you out there that LOVE YOUR BUG.....this is for you.....YES...a challenge blog dedicated to the Cuttlebug....starting on Wednesday 1st October....a date for your diary....check it out HERE.
In the time honoured fashion I am killing 2 birds (excuse the pun) with one stone and entering this card for Carol's Sketch Fun....yes it is the same Carol....a fortnightly sketch challenge on Wednesday....fabulous sketches to work from....why don't you pop over and check it out.

and the thing that keeps the mojo going

The best laid plans always seem to go out the window for me.....and last night I decided to have a night off and watch the new DVD....Sex and the City.....well I was about 30 minutes into the film when the door bell rang....a friend arrived to collect cards....so that put paid to that...then the call to ask if Oliver could come again today and I am now in panic mode.....so up at 6.00am and in my tatty but cosy old faithful dressing gown...coffee in hand out to my crafty cubbyhole to make this card....had to wait until daylight for the piccie...but job done.. Oliver has arrived so Grandma is off to play with the boys toys today.....he's a bit too young  for crafting.

• Papers: Vintage Moon...Night Owl
•              Jenny Bowlin
• American Craft Foam Thickers
• Papermania....Rub-ons

Love Kath xxxxxxx

Arty Girlz Challenge # 53

The challenge this week on Arty Girlz is AUTUMN and it is definitely beginning to feel like it....there is now a nip in the air in the morning but the plants in the garden don't seem to think so.....clematis is still in full bloom and there is still lots of colour. The birds are feasting on the loads of red berries on the rowan tree..in the garden....don't they say that is a sign of a hard winter......can't remember the last bad winter we had in the North East.

• Papers: Basic Grey Sultry Collection
• Stamps: Hero Arts Holiday Postale Collection
• Flowers: Prima Artful Collage
• Buttons: Basic Grey Sultry
• Sentiment: from stickers in my stash

Oh...the memories

The memories came flooding back last night when I was commenting on a card made for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge....a Halloween Card...now when I was a child and let me tell you that is neither here nor yesterday....many moons ago my friends.....children were allowed to be children. We used to get the biggest turnip (or neep as we call it here in Aberdeenshire) we could find (no pumpkins in those days) .....sometimes we asked the farmer but more often than not we stole it from the field.....to make our lantern... the kitchen was commandered for the rest of the night...newspaper spread on the floor and with the help of Dad because it was hard....hard work..we would scoop all the flesh out and then cut out holes for eyes, a nose and a mouth and the mouth had to have teeth...poor Dad...he had two to do. Let me tell you, the house stank of turnips for weeks after. Holes were poked in the side and string fitted for a handle and it had a lid. Inside had a little hollow for a candle.....yes a proper candle....none of your high falutin' tea lights in them thar days....imagine shock horror, wouldn't be allowed today....children near a naked flame.....If it was a windy night the bloody thing kept blowing out until one year my Dad came up with the brilliant idea of using a torch...it was never the same.
Great excitement as the big night approached and off we set my sister, me and a few friends all dressed up...we thought we were the bees knees and if I recall we gave more than a few neighbours near heart attacks....and you had to sing for your supper as they say...do a poem...tell a joke or sing a song....i think they just showered us with stuff to get us to shut up......now the purpose of this started off as "Penny for the Guy"......supposedly to collect money to buy fireworks but we were more interested in the bags of sweets and apples and such like and we each had a big pillowcase to stuff our loot in and it kept us going for weeks.
What a sad reflection on the society we live in today that children no longer seem to be allowed to be children.....apparently at a local nursery they are not allowed to celebrate Halloween...no witchy costumes or scary masks.....why..... because it is a pagan festival..... PLEEEEASE..... don't get me started....... and of course, what parent in their right mind nowadays would allow their kids to wander the streets in the dark calling at strangers' homes.......
In those times we didn't have computers, Wi's, mobile phones or the like but we had FUN...good old fashioned FUN.....and they really were the good old days.
Hope to get back later in the day with my Arty Girlz challenge card ...if Oliver co-operates and goes down for his afternoon nap......Love Kath xxxxx

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

The sketch this week on 2 Sketches 4 You has been set by Laura.

I've had a real fun day.....lots of playing and quite a few sketches done and just when you think you have all the time in the world........the telephone rings....."Mum can you please look after Oliver tomorrow".

Well that isn't a problem...he is so sweet but it meant that I had to speed up a bit with the challenges and when the going gets tough..the tough get going....oh dear I'll be singing that for the rest of the night......I made two challenge cards in less time than it took me to make one in the morning.

The Design Team this week were all given clear cards from Shortcuts this week to work with so I thought after my tutorial with acetate and organza ribbon...I would go with that and yes I am still in Christmas mode.

Please forgive the piccies......acetate isn't the best subject to capture late afternoon when the light is fading but I know I probably won't have time for taking and uploading photos in the morning.

• Papers & Embellishments: Paper Adventures....Holiday Joy
• Ribbon...think this came off a Christmas gift

Enjoy your day........Love...Kath

Perfect Non-Slip Organza Bow

I have been working on my DT card today for Penny Black Saturday next week.....it's using acetate (VERY IN AT THE MOMENT) and organza ribbon.....well how do you fix organza to acetate without ending up with a gluey mess...well I can't show you the card but let me share with you a little trick I learned some years ago and it's the perfect way to do a non-slip wrap around bow on acetate or in fact on cardstock. Now I've seen demos on Craft TV shows....."just wrap the ribbon around your card and tie in a bow" OK first you need to borrow someone's finger to hold the knot (and I don't always have access to somebody's finger) and it maybe stays in place for the duration of their demo but let me tell you after a bit of handling it will be slipping and sliding around all over the shop. Because I have been crafting for donkeys years I assume that everybody knows these things and forget that there are lots of new crafters out there so this is for you.
I used satin ribbon for the demo because the camera isn't always happy with organza. Folk at demos have said to me I just stick my satin ribbon down with D/S tape.....OK that's fine but I don't think you get that proper wrap around look so I still do it this way whatever type of ribbon.
Please forgive the camera work....these are not your usual professional tutorial pics.

Here is the finished article on an acetate card......

and the back just as neat as the front

First punch two holes at the folded edge of your card in the centre
P.S. A very useful comment from Eveline - she only uses one hole....so always open to suggestions, I gave it a try and it works....the only thing I would say if you are using a heavier wide ribbon it might be better to go with the two holes.

Then lay the ribbon over the holes and turn over....

You are now going to feed the ends of the ribbon through the punched holes...and when you turn your card over it will look like this

All you have to do now is tie your ribbon in a knot and tie your perfect bow.

Voila - one perfectly secure wrap around bow that is not going anywhere....give it a try and let me know how you get on.

Love Kath xxxx

House Mouse Challenge

Well I did warn you that you might be inundated with challenge posts this week and here is the second one.

The challenge on House Mouse and Friends this week is STITCHING......I used this cute image of the mouse bouncing on the pin cushion.....an accident waiting to happen matey....Health & Safety would have a field day and just wait til your Mother sees you.......added some faux stitching.....buttons...thread and the thimble and scissors charms.

What am I up to today.......some commission cards to do ...not required until the end of the month...but I always like to get them out of the way and then my DT card for next week's challenge on Penny Black Saturday and who knows....may just have time to fit in a challenge....I still have my 2 Sketches to do.....can't miss that one out.

• Papers: Daisy Bucket....Wondrous World
• Image: House Mouse.... "Mouse Bounce"
• Ribbon: American Crafts
• Buttons, thread and charms from my stash
• Alphabet: Docraft Rub-ons

See ya later.......Love Kath xxxxxxxx

Sketches by Tamara

It's Monday...the weather is gorgeous...the cubbyhole is all neat and tidy and it's PLAYTIME... I have been itching to get my crafty paws on my new kit from My Creative Scrapbook....it's gorgeous and fill to the brim with scrummy papers, rub-ons, flowers , buttons, ribbons and bling.......all my favourite things.

So many sketches and challenges await....so it's Sketches by Tamara Sketch 62 first.....but hold onto your hats folk...I feel there could be lots of challenge cards done this week....make hay while the sun shines....

• Papers: Pink Paislee....Vintage Moon Collection
• Gems: Kaiser Scrapbook Black Rhinestones
• Ric-rac Ribbon and flower from the kit
• Alphabet: Pink Paislee...Fashion Script

Hope the weather is kind where you are.......enjoy the last days of Summer.....Love Kath xxxxx

A Smiley Award

What better way to start a Monday morning....with an award from 2 lovely and talented ladies......Dawn and Kim .........it never fails to amaze me the lovely kind and thoughtful people that you meet whilst blog hopping and chances are I will probably never meet  most of them in the flesh... Kim lives too far away but Dawn is only about 40 miles further north so we must put that to rights Dawn and meet up some time for a good old chinwag.   Thank you so much girls for thinking of me for this award.

Now in the time honoured fashion.....I am supposed to pass this on to other bloggy folk who make me smile....the ones I would have nominated Chris and Dawny P.... whose humour has me hooting with laughter.. have already received this award from Dawn....so I am passing it on to one very special lady, my bestest crafty buddy  Lorraine who made me smile big time this week when she called to tell me that her tumour is almost certainly benign...a small operation to remove it and she will be back to crafty deliciousness once more.... Great news....the best news in the world.

I so enjoy visiting all of your blogs and  please don't make me type out and link a list as long as my arm...so to all my bloggy buddies out there....please accept this award with all my love because each and every one of you is special to me and you make me smile with your enthusiasm and passion for papercrafting...Here's power to the scissors girls.

Well off to do a bit of scissor work and it's all play.....play.....play today.

Love  Kath xxxxxx

Basic Grey Challenge 3

The challenge on the Basic Grey Challenge this week is DISTRESSING and I do love ripping tearing and distressing my papers......I missed out on the first two..just not enough hours in the day and I know I could so easily get addicted to this one as well... it's been a really productive day.....a little bit of tidying up in the garden, all my ironing done, meal for tonight prepared and 2 challenges under my belt. I am getting a little bit more confident with the colour work and used Tim Holtz Distressing Inks on this gorgeous image kindly sent to me by the lovely Cass. Added some glossy accents to give the apples a bit of a sheen.

• Papers: Basic Grey Sultry 6" x 6" Pack
• Image: House Mouse...An Apple a Day "Hop-it"
• Letters generated on the computer, cut out and inked
• Word: American Craft Foam Thickers

Tag You're It Challenge

The challenge on Tag You're It this week is to create a card using the word DREAM or a derivative of the word...I'm still in Christmas mode and because I'm up-to-date almost...no mad deadlines...only a few commission cards and none of them urgent...I spent the whole day yesterday mooching around...it feels like a bit of an anti-climax after 3 weeks of hard slog on the Christmas samples. Now I have lots of new stuff to play with but seem to have lost my mojo big time...hopefully a couple of days off will do the trick.
Decided that since I'm still very much in Christmas mode I would make a tree hanger or it could be a wall hanger for the challenge. Two ovals cut out with Fiskars Shapecutter and template...stamped with my favourite snowflake stamp and Versamark and then embossed with White Embossing powder. Coloured with Tim Holtz Distressing Inkpad...wiping over with a kitchen towel to remove the ink from the snowflakes...added a strip of blue vellum ..a few laser cut snowflakes...a bit of bling and some gorgeous Costco organza ribbon.

Don't panic...I don't have my Christmas tree up yet...this was hung on the conifer which is just outside my cubbyhole door...the old gal hasn't quite lost the plot yet.

• Stamp: Hero Arts..Snowflake Rosette
• Ink Pad: Tim Holtz Distressing...Weathered Wood
• Snowflakes: Crafty Bitz
• Alphabet: Hero Arts..Artistic Upper Case Alphabet
• Word: Studio G Clear Stamp Set

The weather is gorgeous here today so I think I will have a spell tidying the garden and then fall out with the mountain of ironing....yuck...yuck...my least favourite job but the clothes available to wear are approaching nil so needs must...enjoy the rest of your weekend and hopefully I'll be back in the swing again next week.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 15

Last week's challenge was a little bit tricky ...cards for men can be a challenge but let's face it girls....men in general can be a challenge.....so no surprise there then.   But I knew you wouldn't let a Man's Card get the better of you and you came up with fabulous cards......well done everyone.

The challenge this week on Penny Black Saturday is..DECORATE THE INSIDE OF YOUR CARD.....you will love this one.....any theme...any colour...let your imagination go wild just as long as you have used one Penny Black Image.    

A fabulous prize to win this week  "I Love Shopping" stamp from our sponsor Crafty Krafts and designed by the mega talented designer Rachelle Anne Miller .......so let's get crafting.

I have to hold my hands up this week.....a million and one things to do and not nearly enough time so my card is fairly simple this week.....well simple girl....simple style.....I decided to do a Baby Announcement Card

and the inside......

• Papers: Pink Petticoat....Lots of Dots
• Image: Penny Black Stickeroo
• Sentiment: generated on the computer....cut out individually and inked
• Ribbon: American Crafts

Well who's going to be first this week I wonder...looking forward to paying you all a visit and I think I am going to be in for a treat this week.    Happy crafting everybody and enjoy your weekend.
Love Kath  xxxxxxx

Last Peek

A rather long post today.....so put the kettle on, grab a chair and make yourself comfy....
this is the last peek at one more Christmas Card Sample....the boxes are packed up and are going out today..a few weeks rest hopefully before it all goes frantic and manic here at Chez Kath and the orders start coming in and oh boy that is crafting with a capital C.....practically 24/7....just as well I love what I do.

I love this card....it's simplicity... the colour combo...the glitter and that fab little tree stamp.....it was so inexpensive but it stamps beautifully everytime and I love this paper from Pink Petticoat... the colour is New Leaf and it's just scrummy....goes beautifully with red or gold.

• Papers: Pink Petticoat....Doodle-icious Christmas
• Stamp: Stamps Away: Little Tree
• Sentiment: Hero Arts: Three Holiday Wishes Set
• Snowflakes: Quickutz Die
• Ribbon and Gems: from my stash

I can't believe that Christmas is only about 13 weeks away and I'm sure someone will help me out here and come up with exact shopping days and by the end of November....all my Christmas card orders will be done and dusted (I hope) and then I have to make my own cards......usually frantically last minute but hey isn't that the fun of Christmas...

Now I left you rather rudely yesterday when Mr Postman arrived with parcels.... and another arrived this morning......I'm like a kid at Christmas...just love parcels and take a gander at this pile of fabilicious crafty stash......my prize ...from Daisy Bucket "Wonderful World Collection" and the papers are gorgeous...my first kit from My Creative Scrapbook.. have lifted the pics from their websites.....too dark for the camera this morning.

can't wait to have a play but my cubbyhole needs a major tidy up....I must be the most untidy crafter on the planet.. there are papers and stuff everywhere......oh I start off great guns....filing away left over papers in their correct place but after about hour, I just dump them in the most convenient place, usually the floor and the pile gets bigger and bigger.....why don't I put them away when I am done instead of having a mega filing job on my hands. The number of times in a day I lose my poky tool buried under reams of stuff on my desk...and everything comes to a standstill....can't craft without it.....it's my third hand......Off to make a cuppa and then make a start.... see you all tomorrow on Penny Black Saturday for a fabulous challenge and a great prize I'm sure you will all want to win.

Love Kath xxxxxxx

The Power of a cheery Hello

Following on from my post this morning....and talking about some of the misery guts out there.
For about the last year most week-day mornings Buddy and I pass a business suity type guy with the most miserable face on the planet taking a shortcut to work through the woodland path...and me being me....I talk to anyone me....it's Morning....lovely day or Morning....bit chilly today and not a flicker....no reply.  Even Buds has given up his tail wagging and just saunters past now sniffing every blade of grass.   Can't be all bad he is doing his little bit for the environment and walking instead of driving.   Well I am not a giver-upper, so every day I smile my cheery smile just in case and this morning lo and behold...he replied...OK it was barely audible and I think it was "MORNING" and hey it's a start.  Well did I have a spring in my step for the rest of our walk and who knows....from little acorns grow....by this time next year...it may be little sentences and in five years time we could be on first name terms.
Mr Postman has just been and there are 3 parcels.....one from Fiskars....the anticipation....could it be
"the Threading Water Punch".....oh the excitement.....one from Cardcraft....new cutting mats for my Cricut and the third....I can hardly contain myself.....my first kit from My Creative Scrapbook...don't mean to be rude but bye folks......off to oogle all my goodies.
Love Kath xxxxxxx
P.S.  It's not the Threading Water Punch....it's Christmas Stamps for the Stamp Press and a bumper pack of Christmas Eyelets.....oh the disappointment.

A sweet Blog

Hi Folks

I am delighted to have been given the Sweet Blog Award from the lovely Julie....thanks so much for thinking of me...isn't it cute...designed by the mega talented Diana Evans who said

"I have a special award for all the sweet blogs I visit...

I am giving this award to all the wonderful people that I visit almost every day....they have inspired me and shared their wonderful lives with all of us....

I only ask that you nominate some of the wonderful people you visit each and every day...."

There are so many talented people out there who inspire me and I love visiting their blogs for my daily spoonful of crafting medicine. Please don't be offended if you ain't on this list......had to draw the line somewhere or the list would have been endless.....I love all of your blogs so if you want to grab this award for your sweet blog, you are more than welcome...

You will have guessed by now that I don't take life too seriously and let's face it there are enough miserable folks out there already - you only get one shot at life....this ain't a rehearsal  so I am nominating these lovely ladies not only for their mega talents but for their great outlook on life and how they tickle my sense of humour on a daily basis.

Dawny

Terrie

Kirsty

Chris

Well that's it from me this morning....back to work I'm afraid.....see you all later.....and have a real fun day wherever you are.........Love Kath xxxxxxx

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

It's time for another challenge on 2 Sketches 4 You and the sketch this week is from Kazan.
Where are the weeks going and let's face it we are now on the run up to Christmas.....bah...humbug.....I hate all the manic running around in the weeks beforehand....shopping.....cleaning....cooking mountains of food and we don't eat half of it.....the decorating of the tree and it is no sooner up and it's time to take it down.......What a grumpy old mare, I hear you say..but if truth be told...I LOVE CHRISTMAS...the looks on the faces of my grandkids on Christmas Day and it's a great excuse to get out the glitter and go wild.

This is very similar to a card that I used last year for one of my Christmas Workshops.....it is SPARKLE, GLITTER AND BLINGICIOUS.....and I have heard it said that BLING is going to be the IN trend this year. The colours are the softest sky blue and a gorgeous choco-latte brown which I don't think the camera has done justice to......still a favourite colour combo of mine. The snowflakes and lettering have all been given a magic fairy sprinkling of glitter. The ribbon is from Costco.....a 45 metre roll for about £5.00...I have had it for about 5 years and it just goes on and on and on......gorgeous wired sparkly organza......must pop down and see what they have this year.

• Papers: Pink Petticoat....Doodle-icious Christmas
• Stamp: Stamps Away......Tree
• Snowflakes: Quickutz Die
• Words: American Crafts....Foam Thickers.....Doodlebug Rub-ons.....Woodware Family Christmas Clear Stamp Set
• Glitter: Decoart Glamour Dust
• Gems: from my stash

Silly Old Moo

What a silly old moo I am....in my last post I said that the clocks change this weekend...well they

DON'T.....

I have just received an e-mail from the lovely Terri to tell me it's next month..26th October apparently......OOPS! and here was me thinking that I would get an extra hour in bed......shucks!
Thanks for that Terri....think of the havoc I could have caused....all my bloggy buddies sleeping in and all because of me. Love Kath xxxxxxxx

Ruby Wedding Anniversary

The rain from yesterday has gone and the Sun is doing his best to make an appearance but hey there is definitely a nip in the air this morning...I'm afraid Summer has gone and Autumn is here....what happened to those gorgeous indian summer days we used to get in September and can you believe that the clocks change again this weekend....Spring Forward.....Fall Back....OK...it means another hour in bed but we are now heading towards those dark winter mornings and even worse.....dark afternoons.......I used to hate when I commuted to work that you left the house in the dark and came home again in the dark and if your office didn't have a window....you never saw daylight all day. Don't have that problem anymore....my little crafty cubbyhole is a hop, skip and a little jump from the kitchen door and has a huge window where I can gaze out at the garden and watch the birds.....I know....when I should be working.
I thought I would share this commission card with you today...the couple have now set off for a lovely cruise to celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary......40 years married to the same person....well that's an achievement in itself......says me...another 2 years for us and hey I don't want no cruise....I want a gold medal or even a nice little Damehood in the New Years Honours List.

• Papers: K & Co...Basic Grey
• Hearts: Woodware Chippies
• Lace & Buttons: from my stash
• Rub-ons: Doodlebug All Mixed Up

Off to get ready for our morning walk....then back to work but hopefully time to get another challenge done today. Enjoy your day wherever you are and whatever you're doing. Love Kath xxxxxxx