Fiskars Fun at the SECC

I'm back...don't yet know if my body is all in one piece, my feet may never be the same again but oh boy did we have a ball, so make yourself a cuppa and get comfy this is going to be a mega post today. I have lots of thank yous to do but let's get the scary bit out of the way first. I took lots of photos but they are all rubbish, lots of red eyes from the bright spotlights on the stand or just plain blurry, this is the best of the bunch which I am showing in B & W....kinder to all concerned.

Dave, myself and the gorgeous Severine from Fiskars France all set for the off on Thursday morning

Alison and I early on Day 1, Alison looks all set for some crafty shopping, I have that demented look, you can imagine what I look like now.

It was great to meet up with some of my bloggy buddies, all lovely sweet girls and I apologise in advance if I missed anybody out, Gayle, Alison, Cass, Allison (my Funky Hand Team Mate) Phyllis, Kimberley, Elaine and the 2 lovely ladies from Aberdeen (I'm sorry your names have escaped from my brain) but you know who you are. It was great to meet you all and put faces to names and I just wish I'd had more time to grab a coffee and a chat with you all but showtime is manic and it's a case of grabbing short breaks when you can.

I must also say a big big thank you to my Fiskars Buddies on the stand, Reena, Dave, Severine, Alan and Archie, a great team and what a fun bunch, I loved working with you all. Shows are really hard work but it's great fun sharing your passion for papercrafting and Fiskars great products with all the lovely folk out there and I loved the banter and chat with you all but there is a downside, I am now speaking in a rather hoarse whisper and I bet poor Dave is wishing it had happened sooner. I could tell by the look on his face he was thinking does this woman ever stop talking, sorry Dave, just think yourself fortunate you don't live with me 24/7. He gave me lots of stick about my "Ferret Coat"...my cosy winter padded coat with big hood trimmed with fur but hey who got the last laugh as we wandered around the city centre at night in the lashing rain and driving wind. They came totally unprepared for the monsoon conditions in Glasgow over the weekend while I was toasty warm and cuddled up cosy with my "Ferret".

End of Day One and as the show starts to wind down and customers are leaving, suddenly you realise that your feet have come out on a major protest, will I ever walk again but back to the hotel, a blistering hot shower, change of duds, throw on a bit of slap and off for a nice meal and a few glasses of the old vino and suddenly the pain has gone, home to bed, a good sleep (which was impossible in my room positioned right above one of the busiest roads in Glasgow with taxis, buses and cars passing by all night) and then it's time to do it all over again.

Day 2 - Friday and this was a special day for me....my bestest Fiskars Buddie Ann who had major surgery at the beginning of last week came all the way from Fife to see me along with her lovely hubby Stewart, possibly to do a bit of crafty shopping as well and it was great to see them and spend some time with them. She is recovering well from her op and is one very brave lady. She brought me a little pressie and I love her sweet wicked sense of humour, just a little something in case the anti-wrinkle cream ain't working......

And then on Friday night, I took a trip out to Motherwell to catch up with my other bestest Fiskars Buddie Lorraine...a big thank you to her Mum and Eric for taking the time to pick me up from the hotel and drive me there, buy me a gorgeous fish supper and we had a great evening catching up on all the news. It was great to see that she too is recovering well from her op. Now old Mither Hen Kath is a happy lady.

Reena our Brand Manager very kindly let me make up a "From Fiskars With Love" Goody Bag for both Ann and Lorraine and I went a little bit wild, a gorgeous Heidi Grace Papers and Embellishment Kit which was selling on the stand for an absolute song and us Fiskars Fillies do love our Heidi Grace and lots of other bits and pieces and I couldn't miss out on the Fiskars Love either.....I had to have one too. Not a lot of time for me to crafty shop but I had to dash off on Thursday morning and get the new Sugar Nellie Soft Creations and some gorgeous Me and My Ideas Papers from Craftwork Cards and one or two other bits and pieces, well maybe 3 or 4. Although the rest of the team work in the craft industry they aren't crafty nutters like you and me and I'm sure they were a tad bemused by my excitement over all my purchases but they were well and truly gobsmacked by the two ladies from Aberdeen. I met these two lovelies years ago travelling down to the SECC and they attend twice a year every year without fail.....my kinda gals.

They had spent all day at the show on Thursday and I spotted them throughout the day with their ever growing mountain of bags but even I was surprised when they suddenly appeared again early on Friday morning......"what are you 2 doing back" I asked. She leaned forward and in a whispered voice she said "You will never guess how much we spent yesterday counted it up when we got back to the hotel last night" and wait for it....£1200.....jaws hit the floor including mine but it didn't end there. They had bought a suitcase that morning to take everything home and it wasn't full so they were back to get more stuff. The look on Dave's face was a picture and he said "Well the credit crunch hasn't reached Aberdeen yet then". "This has to last me until the next show in March" was her reply, absolutely priceless.

Hard work but great great fun and the bonus is - paid to play for 4 days, the best job in the world.

A sad end to my fabulous four days, I left the show early to catch my train and as I was waiting in the taxi rank I got speaking to these 2 ladies from Mallaig laden down with shopping.

They too were going to the station so we decided to share and they offered to go halves...."no.no.no"....I said..."I am putting the fare on my expenses" so you are welcome to come along. "Great" they said. We arrived at the station, I paid the fare and we bundled out with our mountains of luggage. Off they went, no thank you or goodbye and then I heard one say to the other....."let's go get a coffee" and they took off without a backward glance. Now me, I would have been saying.....let us buy you a coffee but no, how ungrateful. I don't imagine for one minute they read my blog but if you do, shame on you and thank goodness everyone else I met was wonderful.

Well I am having a lazy slouching around day today catching up with what you have all been doing and then it's back to the Christmas Card Orders. I am so far behind now and will be working 24/7 me thinks. It's great to be back, I missed you all so much and boy was my big lump of cuddles....Buddy pleased to see me too. I slept like a log last night with Buddy's head on my feet......not a bus or taxi within miles. The weather is awful today with heavy snow forecast over the next few days so it's perfect crafting weather.

Catch up with you all soon.......Lots of Love Kath xxxxxxx

PS...to answer Alison's comment.....the slippers in question bought from Asda burst on the first day and ended up in the rubbish bin on the stand when I left at 4.30pm on Sunday.....the moral of the story being DON'T BUY SLIPPERS FROM ASDA....THEY'RE CRAP.