What's on my Workdesk Wednesday

Morning folks....it's Wednesday and time to play along at WOYWW....the desk is a bit of a mess this morning...well and truly abandoned last night after a last minute crafting session and what started off as bit of a quickie post for me has turned into a full blown saga....with a rant thrown in....

once again I was skidding in by the seat of my pants to make a card for a very special someone.....yes my sweet furry boy is 4 today....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY

xxx

he has changed so much from his hooligan puppy days followed by the terrible twos and the tiresome threes....suddenly he has grown up into a lovely young man with just the occasional blot on his copybook...and just like his Mum he doesn't do half measures.....our motto is if you're going to be in big trouble you may as well have fun getting there and life would be so boring if we all behaved all of the time....he's such a character and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So after opening his card and I don't think he's impressed... it's just another card from the cubbyhole.....he got stuck into the goodie parcels but obviously dogs don't get as excited as us girls when it comes to birthdays.....he's now fast asleep on the sofa and time for me to do a quick tidy up in the cubbyhole.   Desk all cleaned up and ready for the next project.....

this book shaped box caught my eye the other day at Hobbycraft....great for storing clear stamps and I am going to have a go at decorating it with some fab canvas that my lovely buddy Anne gave me, stamps and Alterations from Lord Tim of Holtz...you know the one and only King of Distress....just as well he doesn't read my blog...I'm sure he would be mightily distressed to learn that I have had these stamps for ages and they have never seen ink but I aim to put that right today and after our morning stroll  I plan to have some fun.

I am stuck in the house today waiting for the BT engineer to arrive and what on earth have BT done to get my dander up.....if you've got a minute or two to spare I'll get the latest saga off my chest.   Went to use the phone yesterday and no dial tone but my broadband was still working so after trying different sockets and changing the ASDL filter I came to the conclusion the fault lay with the phone.  Headed into town to get a replacement which didn't work either and being of highly super intelligence I put 2 and 2 together and came up with the answer - it must be a fault with the line and all I need to do is report the fault to BT - simples you might think - don't you believe it - what a palaver - went online to find a number to call with my mobile but of course being BT I had a sneaky suspicion it would probably be a marathon....why can't they just have the numbers you need to call clearly displayed instead of having to search through the whole website and once I eventually found it.....was it a piece of cake...what do you think.

I was now listening to..surprise...surprise a recorded message....enter my telephone number...press 1...if this is your number press 1 and on it went question after question followed by press 1 but this really took the biscuit...."did I know that I could go online and troubleshoot to find the cause of my problem and fix it".....I don't think so Mrs.....if I have a fault with my phone...I am paying you a line rental charge each month so it's your job to find the fault and fix it.  Eventually I got a call back to say that there is a fault on the line and I await....THE BT ENGINEER....I feel so sorry for these guys because they are right in the front line and are the ones that get all the flack from frustrated customers but I promise I will be on my best behaviour and be nice....that is just as long as he manages to fix it.

Hugs Kath xxx

Save The Children Challenge

Morning folks....a quick question.....have you managed to make any cards yet for the Save The Children Challenge over at Simply Create....NO and I don't need three guesses at what your excuse might be....the weather has been too nice to sit indoors and craft or you are too busy watching the tennis on TV and nobody is more guilty than me...just couldn't gee my ginger and get into the crafty groove yesterday....I had great plans but they all went pear shaped....it's becoming a bit of a regular occurrence in the cubbyhole...so after the sun went down I set to work...had to be something simple so that I could craft and watch tennis at the same time and great news that Andy Murray is through but oh dear what happened to Andy Roddick.....still can't believe he's not through to the next round....but fair dos...he was well and truly outplayed by Mr Lu.
So I sat and stamped....coloured and cut out keeping one eye firmly on the action and churned out another batch of cards....I do hope you will try and make some cards for this very worthwhile cause....and remember there are 3 - £50 vouchers or £50 of goodies waiting to be won and one of them could have your name on it.

Image: Penny Black....All Dressed Up

Sentiment: Hero Arts.....With All My Heart

Hero Arts Jubilee Dots

This must be one of my all time favourite Penny Black images....but he can look a little lost on a bigger card but these cute little scalloped cards from Craftwork Cards are perfect  and hey does he remind you of anyone...but playtime is over...time to crack the whip and get Mr Mojo back to work.   Catch up with you all tomorrow...it's a very special day over at Chez Kath and I wonder what will be on my workdesk tomorrow morning.

Hugs Kath xxx

Edited to add: just had a message from Jacqui.....the event on Saturday has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances and will now be held on 4th September.....I was so looking forward to my day out on Saturday but the good thing is.....it gives you all plenty of time to get some cards made

The Wimbledon Experience

Morning everyone...and it's another gorgeous morning after a night of heavy rain...saves me having to water the garden...up bright and early...lots to catch up on this week. Had a relaxing day yesterday popping out to see the grandkiddies with their goodies from Wimbledon  and guess what...ended up playing tennis in the garden...not quite up to LTA standards but lots of fun especially when Grandma lobbed the ball into space and it ended up about 3 gardens away.
Now it's time to bore you all with heaps of pics of my Wimbledon experience...we arrived at Terminal 5 and took a quick tube hop to our apartment which was fabulous...a lovely place to rest our weary heads for 2 nights....

quickly dumped our luggage and set off to Putney Bridge where we strolled along the river in the beautiful summer sunshine...

finishing off the day with a gorgeous meal at Carluccios with my lovely Wimbledon groupies

up bright and early next morning...4.00am that's seriously early even for me...all showered and picnics packed...not wanting to miss even one second of the Wimbledon experience...not even the daunting queue c could dampen our spirits...

but before you know we've arrived at the top of that queue...

and this was a dream come true for this tennis fan...to finally stand at the main entrance to Centre Court

but play doesn't start until 1pm so we managed to catch a couple of matches on the outside courts

just time to do a bit of retail shopping and head to that hallowed place beloved of all tennis fans and this is where it all went pear shaped...a friendly steward offered to take a group pic and goodness knows what buttons he pushed but all my photos from then on were seriously out of focus....basically a blurry mess and it took me hours last night reading the manual to get things back to normal...never mind...his heart was in the right place And my hero was definitely back on form and sailed through to the next round in 3 straight sets but after a whole day of eyes flicking right and left you'd think we'd be completely tennised out...not a bit of it...we then managed to get Resale Tickets for the final match of the day on Court No 1....best £5 I've ever spent...cracker of a match and delighted to see Andy Roddick also through to the next round.

To be honest folks...unless you have a camera with a huge zoom lens...it's impossible to get good up close and personal pics and you definitely don't see the players as well as on TV but it's the atmosphere of the crowd and the excitement of every point played that has you sitting on the edge of your seat and what I truly love about this great game...the crowd applaud the tennis not just the player they are willing to win.

After a thrilling day and just one more bowl of strawberries and cream...we said our goodbyes to Wimbledon around 10pm...

 and wandered up to Wimbledon Park Village...tucked into a gorgeous Chinese meal and arrived back at our apartment well after midnight...four very tired but happy souls...fell into bed and I think we were all asleep before our heads hit the pillows.

All too soon it was time to come home but I have memories I shall cherish forever of a wonderful Wimbledon experience...finally seeing Centre Court....Henman Hill or Murray Mount as it's now called...cracking tennis...the lovely folks we met and a big thank you to the "GIRLS" for your wonderful company...

 and to M&S for the yummy picnics.....can't wait to do it all again

Catch up with you all later.

Hugs Kath xxx

Anyone for Tennis

Morning folks......yes I'm home after the most fabulous time at Wimbledon......if you're a tennis fan and have never been....let me tell you it's the experience of a lifetime...can't put it into words....and I must say a big big thank you to all the wonderful staff at Wimbledon for making the day so special.....lots of companies in this country need to take a leaf out their book....nothing is too much trouble...not a job's worth in sight....each and every question...and they must get millions in one day....is answered with a cheery smile all geared to make your Wimbledon experience one to remember......and such a great friendly atmosphere...no drunks....no rowdiness just lots of folks enjoying the atmosphere and great tennis.
Will be back later in the week with some pics....but I need a few days to recover from the effects of the scorchio heat and all the miles that the little legs have tramped in the last few days.....arrived home late last night totally shattered but not too shattered to open a huge box that had arrived whilst I was away.
Yes.....the cubbyhole has been invaded with mountains of delicious rubber of the Penny Black variety.....not for me..but to share with you all as prizes over at Penny Black Saturday.

Hugs Kath xxx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge...Week 107

Morning everyone and I am here in spirit only...the old body is all set to have a retail therapy day in London after our day at Wimbledon yesterday...can I last the pace.....and fingers crossed that the ever so nice...and so obliging Mr Blogger has done as I asked him or basically I am talking to myself.
Big thank you to all you lovely Penny Black lovers who took time out to join in last week's challenge...loved all your gorgeous creations on a travel or holiday theme.

But it's time for this week's challenge over at Penny Black Saturday

PAPER PATCH

and if like me....you don't have a clue...basically it's using papers to make a patchwork or quilt effect...great for using up all those itty bitty scraps

Papers: Delish Designs...Bistro Collection
Pink Petticoat....Little Fleurs
|Image: Penny Black....Whispers
Ribbon: Fantastic Ribbons
Pearls: Hobby House
Sentiment: HOTP

And we have a real treat for you all this week

there will be 2 lucky winners chosen at random

from PB Stamps

15% lifetime discount voucher to spend online at this fabulous Aladdin's cave of Penny Black stamps....have totally lost count of how many stamps Dick has in stock and he probably has too.....but it's thousands

and

 from Fantastic Ribbons

4 rolls of ribbon of the winner's choice

Keith very kindly sent a bumper box of ribbons for all the girls on the team and they are gorgeous...so pop over to Fantastic Ribbons where they have a huge collection of beautiful ribbons and great offers...check out the summer sizzlers....multibuy discount.....free ribbons with every order and you can sign up for the newsletter which will keep you informed about all the special offers and new ribbons coming in stock....but I will not be held responsible if you have no willpower.

Well that's it folks......it's your turn now to get cutting up those paper pieces and inking up those Penny Blacks.   Looking forward to seeing what you all create this week and will be popping over to pay you all a visit later in the week.   In the meantime..happy crafting.....have fun and enjoy your weekend.

Hugs Kath xxx

The Furry Boy is flabbergasted

Morning all my lovely bloggy buds....it's your gorgeous bundle of golden deliciousness and guess what.... I'm feeling a bit down because once again I have been left at home while Mum jets off on her travels....don't know why I couldn't have gone to Wimbledon...I could give those ball boys and girls a run for their money...I'm a real whizz  at catching tennis balls giving them back.....well that's another story.  So I thought I would do a little blogging today and tell you about the mega surprise that arrived at the cubbyhole this week.....a huge parcel and not for my crafty Mum this time.   No.... this one was addressed to "Buddy"....what on earth could it be....and who is it from.....
Let me tell you folks.....my flabber was totally gasted and my gob was well and truly smacked......

this beautiful album full of photos of MOI......Mum was in tears when she saw it

yummies for me......

a super cute card for my birthday which is coming up soon....I'll be 4 don't you know

aren't I such a lucky boy and just in case Mum was feeling a bit left out....
a gorgeous card which she absolutely loves

Now who could this lovely kind person be......well it's my lovely bloggy bud and No 1 Fan

ANESHA
such a lovely kind girl who leaves me a big hug most days....I bet her kitty cat ain't too happy about that

Thank you....thank you....thank you Anesha

Big Hugs & extra Snuggles

BUDDY xxx
Pop on over tomorrow for another fabby challenge from Penny Black Saturday and if Mr Blogger messes it up.....he had better run for the hills....he will be in so much trouble when Mum gets home.

All for a good cause

Morning folks....by the time you are reading this.....that is if Mr Blogger has decided not to have a "throwing his toys out of the pram" tantrum...I will be at the airport tucking into a croissant and coffee waiting to board my BA flight to Heathrow...whisking us off for a three day girlie away trip to that hallowed place so beloved of all tennis fans...did I mention I am off to Wimbledon and fingers crossed for some cracking tennis and a chance maybe to watch my hero...the gorgeous and mega talented Mr Federer and I'm also a bit partial to "el bastante delicioso" Senor Nadal.   Sunscreen...aftersun and sun shades packed.....don't want to end up looking any more dried up and wrinkly than I am already....so keep your eyes peeled on Friday if you are watching the action unfold on TV...you may just spot this old gal with her oh so silly hat on.

But onto the important news as promised yesterday.....

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON SATURDAY... 3RD JULY

my lovely friend Jacqui from Simply Create is hosting a very special day for all us crafty souls in the North East of Scotland.....in fact for you all....if you want to make the journey to this beautiful...but a bit chilly sometimes...part of the world....just pack plenty of warm sweaters.....I just know it will be a real fun day....

Sales Table...all proceeds going to Save the Children
Make and Take....a small donation appreciated
Tea and Coffee as always
Entry fee £10 (lunch included as usual) 
with 20% of door ticket going to Save the Children

a chance to meet up with lots of lovely crafty friends...relieve yourself of some crafty cash and do your bit for this very worthwhile cause....helping to alleviate the suffering of unfortunate children across the world.   Will I see you there.....I do hope so.

And for those of you who live too far away.....you can join in the fun too....Jacqui has set us  

A CHALLENGE IN AID OF SAVE THE CHILDREN

with 3 prizes of a £50 voucher to spend in the shop and if you aren't able to attend.... Jacqui will post £50 of goods to the lucky winners...so all you super duper crafty bloggers out there...what are you waiting for...I know we can rely on you all you to join in and help raise loads of money....you will find all the details HERE.....and I managed to make some quick and easy cards for the challenge with the bits and pieces that were on my workdesk yesterday...whilst sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine...3 days of sun in a row....crikey we're heading for a World Record.

I have a sneaky feeling that you may have a visit from the Golden Delicious One tomorrow....he is panting with excitement about a yummy parcel that arrived for him this week.   He's been a bit of a grumph....the minute he sees the suitcase he goes into sulky mode....do you really think he would go down well at Wimbledon...causing havoc by running down every ball....and the poor umpire to have a heart attack....oh dear the embarrassment of being escorted out of Centre Court  by two burly security guards with a naughty dog in tow....in front of millions of viewers and I bet that would make front page headlines and News At Ten.

Catch up with you all when I get back.

Hugs Kath xxx

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday..55

Morning everyone....well summer has returned to this far flung part of the UK..it was cooking yesterday and it's getting me in the mood for tennis......thoughts of sitting getting all red and lobstery.....eating strawberries and cream...the click clack of the ball as it wings it's way time and time again over the net in a marathon Federer rally...oh yes did I mention I am off to Wimbledon tomorrow.....and I can't wait....am so excited.
But why oh why do the British media always have to pour a damper on things.....the mighty Mr F gave me a few scary moments on Monday but pulled back to win through to the next round.....and the media go crazy.....is the mighty one finished...going to be out in the next round.....for goodness sake the guy is human and probably just having an off day....we can all relate to off days can't we....he's not some super machine playing every shot perfectly.....so give the guy a break.
And not content with that....they are now whipping up a storm about who is or is not going to bow and curtsey to Her Maj on Thursday....not helped by comments from Andy Murray who thinks he will look foolish if he bows and his opponent doesn't......what planet is this guy on....as my old Mum used to say "don't follow the flock....do what you think is right"....and if I was his Mum I would be giving him a clip round the ear and a good talking to....time to grow up young man.   And haven't they been in their element with the goings on at the World Cup.....players going on strike...dissent in the England camp....oh for goodness sake...lots of prima donna behaviour from a bunch of overpaid little boys who have come to believe the hype about how wonderful they all are.....the sooner it's over the better but the media will then move on to the next lot of sensational news...anything that will sell newspapers.
I feel better for getting that off the old chest and after that little rant it's time to play along at WOYWW this week.   The work stuff is all up to date so today I am having a little play with some felt and Tim's Tattered Florals...

no I haven't got World Cup fever....making some cards to be sold in aid of a very worthwhile cause....and you can join in the fun too....will post details tomorrow.....am abandoning the cubbyhole for the garden....a crafting session out in the sun...

and will be taking this with me

so I had better get a move on but I leave you with this thought......has the furry boy got wind of my girlie trip away and in his own funny way trying to tell me something....he deposited this at my feet this morning....

Catch up with you all tomorrow with news of a fun day out at Simply Create

Hugs Kath xxx

Allsorts Challenge 57 ...A Little Sketchy

 Morning folks....time to share a card I made for the Allsorts Challenge this week following a fab sketch from my lovely bloggy bud Emma....such a simple sketch but I love it.....great for using up all those paper scraps that us crafters seem to hoard.

Papers....Delish Designs....Bistro Collection 

Image: Hero Arts....Artistic Borders

Sentiment: Hero Arts...Fill Your Heart

And after the button threading bonanza on Saturday.....I am still at it...and yes they are of the 4 hole variety....and something that you may have worked out for yourselves....I have a bit of a button fetish I fear... and can't bear for them not to be threaded....they look naked somehow.   These gorgeous papers caught my eye at Simply Create on Saturday......just had to have them....a girl deserves a little treat after all that button threading don't you think and how could I resist my favourite colour combo of the moment.....browns and blues....but I've turned over a new leaf.....got right in there and started chopping them up...it was difficult and had me out in a bit of a sweat but there is a new rule in the cubbyhole "no more stashing away....taking out to stroke and admire occasionally".....it's for using or else I will never work my way through the paper mountain.

Off for our morning stroll and I can't believe the weather here....it's supposed to be flaming June...the sun is supposed to be shining....it's supposed to be warm and toasty instead it's brass monkey weather...feels more like October....what happened....did I miss summer......have just looked out my cosy winter fleece and may even be grabbing my scarf on the way out the door.

A big thank you for all your lovely comments yesterday on the little sewing tidy....but as I said to the girls on Saturday....it isn't hard to be creative when you are working with such fabulous products from Hero Arts...Tim Holtz and Ranger.

Hugs Kath xxx

Edited to add: by the time it's taken me to have a shower....the wind has dropped.....the sky has cleared and the sun is out.....make up your mind Mr Weather

Fun...fun...fun

Morning folks....what a fun time I had at the class I did at Simply Create on Saturday...just hope all the lovely girls who came along enjoyed it as much as I did....and first of all can I say a big big big thank you to  Anne...you were an absolute star my lovely friend....keeping us all supplied with coffees.....attending to customers in the shop...running hither and tither catering for our every whim.....a true Girl Friday.....couldn't have done it without you....and also huge thanks to Jacqui who prepared all the kits....my least favourite job so it was a real luxury to have it all done for me.

it's eyes down and hard at work.....

my lovely bloggy bud Carolann

lots of happy crafters.....projects almost finished
and they can still smile after me cracking the whip for 3 hours

 after a busy afternoon...still smiling with a welcome cuppa
 Girl Friday Anne and Mrs Simply Create...Jacqui

We inked...we stamped....we glued....we threaded buttons......we wound spools...we tied bows....we giggled and laughed and this is what we ended up with.....a cute Sewing Tidy Box.....to hold needles..scissors... threads and all your sewing bits and bobs

perfect gift for a friend who loves sewing with a matching card

or if you're like me.....just keep it for yourself.

We were running a bit behind schedule towards the end...feeling a bit tired and weary and still all those buttons to thread....so Anne and I decided to help things along but ended up hysterical with laughter when we discovered that each and every button had 4 b****y holes.....and it ain't easy trying to keep your hand steady and thread a button when you are in big danger of wetting your pants.

Big big hugs to all the lovely girls who came along and worked their socks off....you were an absolute pleasure to teach and such good fun......hope to see you all again sometime soon.

Hugs Kath xxx

Edited to add:to answer Ursula's question.....the box was bought from Hobbycrafts along with the cute little sewing reels.
The stamps I used are....Hero Arts...Simple Handmade and Jubilee Dots....the tape measure and sewing words stamps....I think are from Impressive Images...but not sure....I bought them from Simply Create...will ask Jacqui and let you know.    The sentiment is from the Sew Crafty Digi Kit from Hero Arts available at 2 Peas in a Bucket.