What's on My Workdesk Wednesday

Morning folks...yes it's that magical day of the week when all us crafters throw open the doors of our crafty spaces and let the world and his wife in for a little snoop...the brainchild of the lovely Julia over at WOYWW.  I had a bit of dilemma about the title of this post...technically it should read...WOYWW...Less is More Challenge and Electrifying Lightbulb Moment ..but that doesn't exactly trip off the tongue so let's start off with what's on my workdesk today...

I was going about my crafty business in the cubbyhole...stamping up some die cuts to make some tissue paper flowers for a workshop project when I had an electrifying lightbulb moment...this doesn't happen too often and certainly not often enough for my liking.  The question is...could I use the negative image to make a card and voila...seeing as the challenge this week over at Less Is More is...

DON'T SCRAP IT...

the otherwise "would have been thrown in the bin" bit of scrap paper turned into this...

and in a perfect world...if all cards came together as easily as this...life would be a breeze.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

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Happy..happy...happy

Morning folks...I'm a very very happy "totally ecstatic" bunny this morning...despite a bit of a slow start yesterday...the whole morning yacking on the phone catching up with my crafty buddies...I finally managed to rally the troops and hoop-de-doo-de-doo...the Fiskars Kitting Marathon is done and dusted...they just need to be packed up snug in my suitcase for their trip to Birmingham...

but I'm even more excited about the parcel that arrived in the cubbyhole on Saturday...Timmie's fabulous Wordplay die...crikey you don't know how long I have been lusting after a die that would cut half decent sized letters and numbers from loads of different materials including chipboard and grungeboard.  I got in touch with his Lordship a while back requesting such an item and he replied to say "I'm one step ahead of you Kath...watch this space"

but before the cubbyhole can descend into crazy Alphabet Die Cutting mode....I need to finish off my Workshop Project for The Papeterie on 17th March...

and then get stuck into the demo stuff...I'm planning another "bunk off" day on Thursday so today is going to have to be another busy busy "working my socks off" cubbyhole day.
See you all tomorrow over at WOYWW

Hugs Kath xxx

Monday Morning Blues

Morning folks...oh no we're back to Monday morning again and I've got the back to work blues and have run out of excuses for having another "bunk off" day....the work stuff is piling up so there's nothing else for it but to gird my loins....yes it's pull the big girl knickers up to my chin time and get on with it because I really need to get these NEC kits done and dusted...only halfway through...maybe then I'll get my workdesk back...

and get the Demo and Class Samples for The Papeterie on 17th March finished off...woohoo we're going to be playing with Hero Arts Stamps...Embossing Folders...Frame Cuts...Tim Holtz Distress Stains and other yummy products.

If you live in my neck of woods why not pop over to the brand new PAPETERIE BLOG...become a follower and then you will get all the the latest information about demos and classes and the thing that all us crafters need to know...when all the new goodies that Charlotte ordered at Stitches arrive.

Then it's going to be play time with my project for our "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" Day in Aberdeen on 7th April...there are still a few places left so if you want to come along and play...you will find the details of how to book on my sidebar.  We have really pushed the boat out this year with fabulous new products and I'm sticking my neck out big time here...I may well end up on the GJWTHF naughty step but I'm so excited that I just have to share what we will be making at my workshop. 

We're going to have so much fun decorating this cute house and by the time we've worked our magic you will be going home with a super gorgeous storage item to hang on your crafty space wall using some of the latest products and techniques to hit the craft market recently...including Distress Stains and Tim's fabulous new "Wordplay" Alphabet Die which just happens to have taken up residence in the cubbyhole...
I'm every bit as excited and can't wait to show you what I will be doing for my workshop at our "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" day in Perth and if I'm not hung drawn and quartered by my fellow GJWTHF tutors in the meantime...I will be sharing sneaky peeks soon...but the kits are a-calling...it's back to the conveyor belt for me...OH JOY OF JOYS...

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

Mini Hat Box Tutorial

Morning folks...I hope you're enjoying your weekend...I've been swinging the lead a little bit since I got home from Stitches...crikey the old body takes longer and longer to recover from these fun trips away...with the Fiskars Workshops at The NEC only a few weeks away and the kits still sitting on my workdesk waiting for the magic "put everything together" fairy to fly in and wave her magic wand I should be putting on my work hat today.  But a visit to see the gorgeous grandkiddies is far more tempting and who's to know if I bunk off from cubbyhole duties for just one more day...I'm sure my secret will be safe with you.

In the meantime...I promised I would share the HOW-TO for the cute Mini Hat Box I made for this month's Colour Challenge over at The Ribbon Girls...I've definitely got the altering bug and it never fails to amaze me that with a little bit of paint you can turn a twee little Christmas box...

into something a little bit more sophisticated in a few easy steps...

 paint each box with a coat of Gesso and allow to dry thoroughly...

then paint with acrylic paint...in my experience Annie Sloan Chalk Paint or Paperartsy Fresco Finish will cover in one coat...most other acrylic paints will probably require 2 coats...again leave to dry thoroughly...when you are painting a paper based product...the surface may bubble a little...don't worry it will flatten out again when it dries.  Now for a little bit of stamping...

A crafty tip...to stamp onto a round surface....ink up your stamp and roll each box over the stamp...reink and roll again until the surface is covered.  You are unlikely to get the stamping absolutely perfect but because it's a shabby chic project...it doesn't matter too much...gives it a great distressed look...

Voila....now for the fun bit....fix some seam binding ribbon around the lids and glue the boxes in place...

a ribbon bow...flowers..tulle and hat pins to finish off

I'm sure you have something in your crafty space that you could alter...have a go it's great fun.  See you all tomorrow
Hugs Kath xxx

A Date For Your Crafty Diary

Morning Folks...have you got your tickets yet for the bestest show in the crafty calendar...yes it's GNPE time...Great Northern Papercrafts Extravaganza held in Harrogate on 17th and 18th March.  I'm so disappointed I won't be there this time round due to a mix up in the cubbyhole crafting calendar department because I had such a fun time in September but if you've been before you'll know what a fun and friendly show this is...organised by Craftwork Cards with all the finest papercraft retailers in UK under one roof...ideal for cardmakers and scrapbookers alike...wow you can shop till you drop and then take the weight off your feet in between shopping sprees in the lovely restaurant/cafe.

There are loads of free demonstrations throughout the 2 days of all the latest papercrafting trends and techniques to kick start your crafting mojo...a free prize draw to win oodles of crafty supplies and free parking.

If you've never been before...you don't know what you're missing...it's a great day out...get together with your crafty chums and come along...you won't be disappointed.  You can book your tickets HERE.  I'll be back soon to share the Mini Hat Box Tutorial...in the meantime I'm off to have a little sulk...mega disappointed that I won't be joining you.

Hugs Kath xxx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge...Week 190

Morning folks...yep it's Saturday once again and time to join in the fun over at Penny Black Saturday. I loved all your Lace and Pearl cards this week and apologies for being late getting round everyone...certainly not helped by the new "To Prove You Are Not A Robot" version of Word Verification...it's making me a very unhappy bunny and I bet I'm not alone...so for the sake of the sanity of everyone in blogland...please consider removing this mind numbing nasty and if you're worried about spammers you can always replace it with Comment Moderation.  But back to the business of the day...this week's challenge is a gorgeous sketch from our lovely teamie NAT...we know that you all love a good sketch to play with...

apologies to Nat for playing fast and loose with her sketch...I wanted to use this sweet Penny Black image but seemed to lose my way somewhere in the creative process...well you can't get it bang on every time...

 but don't you just adore the sweet little mouse...is he just waiting for his friend or hopping from one foot to the other waiting to make a call...

and the prize this week from our friends at

4 rolls of ribbon of the winner's choice from their fabulous online shop...

pop over for a browse...great offers on beautiful ribbons and there is a fantastic button sale running at the moment. I'll be popping by to see what you all create this week with Nat's Sketch...hope you make a better job than I did...in the meantime have a fun weekend whatever you're doing and I'll see you all tomorrow with the promised Hat Box Tutorial

Hugs Kath xxx

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Gorgeous Goodies from Stitches

Morning folks...huge thank you for all your birthday blog good wishes...I truly appreciate you all taking the time to join in the celebrations...sorry that there wasn't enough cake to go around...blame The Furry Boy who demolished more than his fair share and on the subject of sharing I've got a big pic fest for you all...time to put the kettle on...find a comfy sofa while I share some of my favourite new goodies from the crafty sweet shop aka Stitches and perhaps it was just as well I couldn't make any purchases at the show...bank manager/nervous breakdown and bankrupt/living on bread and water are the words that come to mind.
Our first stop was Personal Impressions where the Lord of All Things Holtziness was strutting his stuff and oh my giddy aunt...I immediately went into the familiar syndrome that all us crafters suffer from..."I Want Everything"...

 the wish list is growing by the minute at the Hero Arts Wall...

If you've met Tim...been to one of his workshops or seen him on QVC you will know he has a great sense of humour and while I was trying to set up the shot of Debbi and Mario...he kept fooling around and jumping into my viewfinder...still can't believe that I ordered him out of the shot or he was going on the naughty step...well I am after all old enough to be his Mom...

and do you know what...he has mischief written all over his face...I'm sure he's been on the naughty step before... 

Then we moved on to the Sizzix Stand...the most beautifully decorated stand at the show...great job by my buddy Paula Pascual...one of the sweetest girls in the craft industry and Pete Hughes 

oh boy I could have stayed there for the whole 2 days...check out all these gorgeous new Timmie dies...I went into "died and gone to heaven" mode immediately...

 lots of fabulous samples from Pete Hughes

And that was Day 1...well a girl's got to pace herself...have lots of breaks for coffee and lunch and of course the all important social networking...just a fancy name for good old fashioned chin wagging with  crafty buddies.
After staying up until silly o'clock on Monday night to watch Tim on QVC...Debbi and I were feeling a tad frazzled on the morning of Day 2 but this must-have was definitely worth losing a little sleep over...it is winging it's way to the cubbyhole as we speak...so prepare yourselves for alphabet overload...

but hey we put our best feet forward and steeled ourselves for another fun day of ogling even more goodies starting off at Paperartsy and I'm so excited that The Papeterie will be stocking Leandra's gorgeous stamps....

 and fabulous Fresco Finish paints...

check out this gorgeous sample...

then I hopped over to see Hels and all her beautiful Art Parts samples...yes the new designs will be coming to The Papeterie soon too...

I was positively drooling over all the fabilicious goodies on the Studio 490 Wall...the wish list is a mile long by now...

and there was just time to whizz by Fiskars to take a quick pic of my samples in situ...

before we headed off for an afternoon of workshops starting off with
Spellbinders...

really enjoyed this fun workshop and we came away with a very generous goodie bag containing a die...a brand new double sided embossing folder...tape runner and an ink pad
and
Kaiser Craft

I was so looking forward to this workshop...shame that the tutor didn't seem too interested in helping us complete the project and with no room in the cubbyhole at the moment for anymore unfinished projects there was nothing else for it when I got home but to bite the bullet and do my own thing.

Now you know why I am still buzzing about all these new goodies...my head is a-whirl with lots of ideas for classes and workshops and I'll be hot footing it across to The Papeterie as soon as they arrive....bring on play time. I'll catch up with you all tomorrow over at Penny Black Saturday for another fabby challenge and surprise surprise my DT card at this moment in time is still at the blank card stage.

Hugs Kath xxx