It's a Friday Give-Away...

Hi folks...yep it's Friday...another adventurous in more ways than one week gone in a flash but hey the painting's done...the tum's back to normal and the cubbyhole crew are back in the crafty swing again. Today's the day the Friday girls kick up their heels and head off for lunch and some girlie chat but first I'm looking forward to my first cuppa of the day sitting out back with just my bestest Furry buddy and the birdies for company...

Best time of day...I love the peace and quiet while the rest of the world is still snuggled under their duvets. But before I do battle once again with the paint splattered hair and get all scrubbed up to face the outside world...I've got a little give-away to share...an extra copy of this month's Simply Cards & Papercraft together with freebies...an embossing folder and stamp...

all you have to do is leave your name with Mr Inlinkz below before midnight tonight and I'll be back on Sunday to announce the winner. Toodle oo for now and I'll see you all tomorrow over at Penny Black Saturday for the (can you believe it) JUNE challenge.

Hugs Kath xxx

Flipping Heck...

Hi folks...flipping heck...what a to-do...the biggest saga of the week hit the cubbyhole when I decided to play with the "long-awaited" Sizzix BigZ Album Accordion Flip 3D die...

to make a "running at the last minute" birthday card for my little Sis...

forgive the bad photography...it isn't nearly so dark looking in real life...the camera does lie sometimes...

and I have to confess this was my third attempt at this little bit of paper engineering...what I thought was going to be a "wham bam-easy peasy-job done" card turned into a nightmare...entirely my own fault...I should have read the instructions that come with the die before charging in like a bull in a china shop or better still popped over HERE to watch a fabulous tutorial from Karen Burniston herself...it really is easy peasy once you know how but what I didn't realise...to get the matting and layering effect I should have also ordered the Frame & Label Bracket Die...

and by the time my befuddled old brain got the hang of the valley/mountain folding trick...I was so chuffed that I'd mastered it that I charged ahead fixing the panels together before I realised it would have been much easier to add the embellishments when everything was lying flat on my workdesk...a mega OOPS moment...hence the "losing the will to live by now" minimalistic decoration. Now I could make them in my sleep...so watch this space for more "Flipping Heck" cards.

I just want to say a very big HAPPY 4th ANNIVERSARY  to Julia and all the lovely crafters at...

I was mega gutted to be up to my crafty eyes again and not able to join in the fun celebrations this week...yes I'm back in the cubbyhole with a vengeance...starting off with deadline attached Fiskars projects to get my teeth stuck into but first I need to unpack the goody box.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

What's Not On My Workdesk Wednesday...

Hi folks...yep it's Wednesday...the middle of the week and if it was a normal run of the mill week I'd be heading over to Julia's place aka WOYWW to meet up with lots of lovely crafty folks from around the world to share our crafty places but as you know I'm still in mad trying to catch my tail DIY mode so I'm ducking out again...I'm sure you don't want to see yet another shot of my paint splattered step ladder and paint tray.
And I'm thrilled to announce that the tum seems to be back in working order again...the painting is almost done and dusted...I'm not so thrilled at the prospect of scrubbing out said paint trays and washing out the rollers and brushes...between you and I...I'm tempted to bin them when hubby ain't looking and buy replacements if and when I'm hit with another mad painting urge.
But I have some crafty sneaky peeks to share of the birthday card I made for my little Sis on yesterday's cubbyhole play date and oh boy was that saga and a half...I'll tell you about my latest adventure tomorrow.

I'll be delivering said card today...a killing 2 birds with one stone little outing...I'm sure she won't mind sharing her special day celebrations with the picking up of the family room curtains from the dry cleaners...she may have to treat me to a cuppa and wipe my fevered brow until I recover from the "my gast is well and truly flabbered" cost of said process...what possessed me to buy curtains that require professional cleaning and if I'd known it was going to be an arm and a leg job...I might have ditched them too and bought new. Or if I'd timed this little make-over project for later in the year...I could be sitting at the sewing machine as we speak running up a new pair from the fabulous Eclectic Elements fabrics from Mr Holtz with matching cushions...now there's an idea to add to the winter crafty list.

In the meantime it's toodle oo from the cubbyhole...I'm looking forward to my morning toast with just a scraping of butter (don't want to tempt fate) even if I have to share it with my Furry Partner.

Hugs Kath xxx

I'm Wasting Away...

Hi folks...the tummy upset is still ongoing...lots of rumblings going on in that part of my anatomy...I feel OK until I eat something so it's a bit of a dilemma...I'm nibbling away on little bits of dry toast and wasting away to a shadow of my former self...not a bad thing I have to say...I could do to lose a good few inches from around the old midriff but for an old biddy who loves her food it's torture especially when others are tucking into delights that could be mine.
And the torture continues with the pile of new crafty toys sitting in the cubbyhole gathering dust...time for drastic measures...I wrote myself a sick note...skived off from the painting and headed for some rest and recreation in the cubbyhole to play with some gorgeous and cute Studio 12 stamps from my old buddy Mrs Nikky Nikky Noo Na or you might know her as Mrs Polkadoodles...the papers and flowers are from Craftwork Cards Macaroon Goodybox with a few Tim Holtz goodies thrown into the mix...

and as my energy levels fade from the lack of food...I've decided that another sick note day is required playing with this fabulous die which has been on my wish list for absolutely ages...sold out...sold out...sold out everywhere...until BINGO I finally got one...

That's cheered me up no end but I couldn't half murder a cuppa and 2 slices of toast spread with lashings of melting butter while I play.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

One Saga after another...

Hi folks...I'm not exactly in a goody goody gumdrops mood today...I seem to have picked up a bit of a tummy upset...up several times during the night speaking to hughie is guaranteed to make me a tad on the grumpy side and yesterday didn't go to plan either...for starters the sun shone again...crikey 2 days in a row must be some kind of world record and it's not exactly an incentive to stay indoors and crack on with the painting but with time running out...it was big girl knicker time again and a hot date with a stepladder and roller...

and silly me for assuming that pale cream is going to cover the original mocha latte brown in 2 coats...yes for the third time I'll be hopping up and down that ladder again today...no doubt whispering lots of unmentionable words in the process but there's always the in-between waiting for coats to dry time so I didn't exactly miss out on spending time in the sun...sitting in the garden with a cuppa and doing absolutely nothing but watch the plants grow was bliss and hey all that rain and the little bit of sunshine has brought them on a treat...

and I even managed to snatch a little bit of a play in the cubbyhole with the Black Magic Goody Box from Craftwork Cards...now don't get too excited...it's just a quick little project decorating an old Harvey Nichols biscuit tin I found when clearing out the kitchen cupboards transformed into a rather posh container for ribbons or buttons...

Time to don the painting glad rags and get to it and I'll see you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

It's Confession Time...

Hi folks...for those of you who have been following the DIY shenanigans going on in my life at the mo...time to bring you up to speed with a little update...the painting of said kitchen and utility is finished and I'm surprised to have come this far relatively unscathed...

all that cutting in stuck up a ladder jammed between cupboards and ceiling with your neck at a jaunty angle trying to get a straight line between wall and ceiling is not my idea of a fun pastime and would have been nigh near impossible without the help of the fabulous brushes from Claudine Hellmuth...probably not what she had in mind when she designed them but they worked a treat.

Still lots of little bits and bobs jobs to do before the arrival of the lovely joiner lad at the beginning of June...new doors...frames...skirting boards and flooring are being delivered on Friday...where I'm going to store them is anybody's guess...the cubbyhole may well be turned into a temporary Builders Merchant yard...at least the chef's happy to have little pockets of kitchen that are useable again...

but it's confession time...why go at things half-hearted when you can go the whole hog...oh yes in a moment of unprecented wisdom...I decided it would be a good idea to continue the flooring through to the little hallway and family room replacing skirting boards and doors there too...makes sense to me to get all the messy jobs over in one go instead of hubby's idea of leaving it until later in the year so guess who won the day which means I'm back in painting mode again...

more step ladder...emulsion and roller adventures...not forgetting my favourite pastime...cutting in but I can definitely see light at the end of this very long tunnel...whether this knackered old body will make it out the other end is a whole other question.

And there are other pressing things to worry about...what on earth is going on with the weather...we've had all seasons this week...yesterday was baking wall to wall sunshine...hailstones and winds of the brass monkey variety a few days ago...the central heating's been off on and off again and right at the beginning of the week...snow was falling only 30 odd miles from where I live...

who knows what today will bring but it's time to get back to the paint job and hey if I get a spurt on I might well be scooting off the cubbyhole for a little crafty playtime...see you all tomorrow.

Hugs Kath xxx

For The Guys...

Hi folks...time for Squidgy Pins for the guys...

Glasses...Moustaches and Bowler Hats Wood Shapes

Chevrons Arrow and Pointer Wood Shapes

 Cogs Wood Shapes

the lovely Abbey from Traplet Publications will be sending me some Squidgy Pins as a give-away...so as soon as they arrive...we'll be sharing. I'll be back tomorrow with a DIY update and another of my bright idea "come clean" confessions.

Hugs Kath xxx

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