Kick Up The Bum...

Hi folks...it's time to give myself a great big kick up the bum...I've been missing from the cubbyhole for 6 days...3 days away at the workshop in Leeds was great fun but as always once I'm home I find myself missing the buzz and fun company...that old day after the day after syndrome kicked in and I've spent 3 days snuggled up on the sofa...being a lazy slob watching daytime TV trying to pysche myself up to get back in the crafty groove again. Being my own boss and working from home has it's advantages but the cubbyhole can be a bit of a lonely one man band with only The Furry Boy for company existence...he's a good listener but not very chatty. But it's time to gee my ginger...get a grip and get back to the crafty list.
And the dangling carrot incentive is my next trip away in 2 weeks to Stitches...the thought of 4 days hanging out with my lovely Fiskars buddies has definitely done the trick but first I need to make a pile of samples with this little lot of goodies...

loving the new border punches...the Intricate Shape flower and leaf punches and that Honeycomb Everywhere Window Punch...

and finish off my "skidding in by the seat of my pants again" DT card for tomorrow's challenge over at Penny Black Saturday...

in between "drookit rat" doggy strolls...heavens above is this rain ever going to stop.

See you all later

Hugs Kath xxx

Strictly Fun and a long travel saga...

Hi folks...crikey doesn't time fly when you're having fun...before we could blink the workshop was over and we were whisked off to catch our train back into Leeds to head to the hotel for a quick wash and brush up and a sprinkling of glitter all set for a fun night out at the Strictly Come Dancing Tour...Oh Aljaz...be still my beating heart...

and what a lovely surprise when our lovely chum Gill...

presented all the Strictly girls with a beautiful box of chocs...a gorgeous calendar and matching coasters...thank you so much Gill...that was very kind of you.

Wrapped up like Polar Explorers against the howling wind and driving rain we kicked the night off with a beautiful Thai meal...jumped in a taxi to the venue and guess what...another taxi driver who didn't have a clue where he was going but we finally arrived after a tour of city and suburbs and took our seats...

Sue and Julie...

 Gill

 and the crafty hooligans...

 and oh boy...what a great show...

Lisa Riley was an excellent compere (watch out Brucie)...Len...Bruno and Craig were on top form...the music and singers were fabulous and the celebs and pro dancers were spectacular twirling around the floor in their gorgeous sparkly costumes...go and see it if you get the chance...much better than watching it on TV...a real treat for us girls to see Artem...Aljaz and Robin strutting their stuff...thanks Sue for a wonderful end to a fabulous day.

But it's time to make a cuppa and find a comfy sofa for the next instalment in the great travel saga...little did I know that Sunday's journey home would be another fiasco. Said goodbye to my lovely bud Enfys and with 2 hours to fill before my departure in what must be the coldest draughiest train station on the planet I grabbed a comfy sofa in Starbucks and topped myself up with warming hot chocolates (4 in total) before heading for Platform 11D...thinking that in 10 minutes time I would be speeding my way North. But you know what thought did...don't you...why oh why do they always wait until you're stood shivering on a freezing platform to announce that the train you were hoping to board is going to be an hour late...believe me I was so cold I was tempted to open my suitcase and don every bit of clothing I had and it didn't get any better when I finally got on the train...no heating all the way to Edinburgh so I snuggled up in my Nanook Of The North coat with the hood up and had forty winks.

Could it get any worse...oh yes...I discovered that my ticket from Edinburgh was an "Anytime Ticket" meaning I could get on any train travelling that route but had no seat reservation and being Sunday trains are a bit thin on the ground going to my neck of the woods. The next available train had come all the way from London so resembled a cattle truck as it pulled into the station and with hundreds of folks pushing and shoving to get on...I ended up sitting on my suitcase outside the toilet all the way to Dundee which is about halfway and again no heating. But it could have been a whole lot worse...thank the Lord I wasn't on the London-Aberdeen East Coast route train...it had terminated at Edinburgh due to engineering works on the Forth Rail Bridge and all the passengers were travelling to Aberdeen by coach...now that would have well and truly sent me over the edge.

Oh boy was I ever so glad to finally reach my cosy central heating going at full blast home...don my jammies...pour myself a large glass of something alcoholic and snuggle up on the sofa with my Furry Hot Water bottle to watch Dancing On Ice. But the gremlins weren't done with me yet...I had filled a hot water bottle and popped it into my bed while I undressed and cleaned my teeth...a little extra top up you understand...what I didn't know that the darned thing was leaking and instead of a toasty bed I now had a great big wet patch just where my bum should be....could I be bothered stripping the whole bed and drying off the mattress...definitely NOT...so I spent the night...sleeping like a baby...atop 6 doubled up big fluffy bath sheets.
I've been suffering with the old "day after the day after" syndrome since I got home...the baltic "time to build an ark" weather certainly hasn't helped either but I really need to give myself a good old kick up the bum and I have the very thing to entice me back into the cubbyhole...thanks Sue and Julie for the gorgeous bundle of brand new Craftwork Cards goodies...

Flower Shaped Cards...
Colourwash Patterned & Embossed Cardstock and Papers
and woohoo Burlap

See you all tomorrow 

Hugs Kath xxx

More Workshop Fun...

Morning folks...after a yummy lunch...

and a bit of a crafty shop...our lovely crafty girls were back to it making this gorgeous White on White Embossed Box and matching card designed by Enfys...my favourite project of the day...

 with gorgeous embossed flowers galore to shape and curl...

Enfys showing how to tie her fabulous double bow...

2 more gorgeous cards to make from Enfys
using the beautiful Flying High Collection...

 and the fabulous Opulence Collection...

before we finished off the day with my Correspondence Stepper Calendar...

what a fabulous day...one I will remember for a long time...catching up with one of our lovely bloggy buddies Maxcine...

how chuffed was I see to see my lovely buddy Esther who lives in York but has attended some of my classes at The Papeterie in Aberdeen whilst on holiday...

but we couldn't have done it without the help of our gorgeous Crafty Elf...the one and only Julie Hickey...

and a big thank you to the other Julie for all your help on the day and keeping us topped up with coffee and woohoo it was lovely to finally meet our teamie Joanne who also popped by to lend a hand...

But there was even more fun still to come...I'll be back tomorrow to share the rest of our fabulous weekend and hard to believe more "couldn't make it up if you tried" travel sagas.

Hugs Kath xxx

Great British Craft Workshop...

Morning folks...oh boy did Enfys and I have a FUN FUN FUN day at our Great British Craft Workshop at Craftwork Cards with 53 lovely super duper crafty girls...a big thank you to you all for coming along and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. I'll be sharing all the projects and lots of photos over the next few days but first we had to get to Leeds and you know me...there has to be a bit of a saga involved...a chilly soggy adventure of delayed and broken down trains...taxi drivers who didn't know where they were going before we finally arrived at Craftwork Cards on Friday afternoon...most of the kitting and setting up had already been done...just a few bits and pieces for Enfys Julie and yours truly to pop into the kits...

 all set up...

Sue and Julie ran us back to our hotel (probably thought it was safer than letting us loose in Leeds unescorted)

for a yummy dinner followed by a Costa Fortune coffee...crikey at £4.50 each they must have milked a sacred cow...

time to tuck ourselves up in bed and have a good giggle about the day's travel adventures...we slept like logs and managed to make our way back for the workshop despite the train breaking down and another mad changing platforms sprint around Leeds station ready to meet up with all our wonderful crafty buddies...

 who were oohing and aahing over all the goodies in the shop...

and checking out the gorgeous samples...

time to get the show on the road kicking off with the first project...

my table decoration using the Blush Rose Papers and die cuts flowers...lots of glitter and a bit of Frantage fun...

followed by a card designed by Enfys using the beautiful Flying High Collection...

and doesn't time fly when you're having fun...before we knew it was time to break for lunch and very yummy it was too but I'll be back tomorrow to share what we made in the afternoon...

hugs kath xxx

And The Winner Is....

A very good morning to all my bloggy buds from your favourite bundle of golden deliciousness...

time for me to announce the winner of my give-away so without more ado...the yummy bundle of goodies will be winging it's way to...

CAROL EDWARDS (21)

please e-mail us with your address Carol and I'll make sure your parcel is delivered to you soon...

The intrepid crafty lady or my Old Mum is home and by the time you're reading this she'll be snuggled up in bed with her very own furry hot water bottle...crikey it hasn't half turned arctic in our little corner of the world and with snow forecast for today I suspect we may be having a lazy snuggled up on the sofa kind of a day.

Don't be too disappointed if you didn't win this time...pop over HERE and get your name in the hat for the gorgeous Craftwork Cards goodie bundles and if the pile of crafty work stuff to do is anything to go by...no doubt I'll be back to keep you company very soon...in the meantime I'm off up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire...night night.

Big Hugs and Furry Snuggles

BUDDY xxx

The Ribbon Girls Challenge...

Hi folks...crikey we're racing through January...the third Sunday of the month means it's time to join in the fun and play along with The Ribbon Girls...the first challenge of the year and this month's theme is...

ANYTHING GOES...
another canvas and oh my giddy aunt...I've totally fallen heads over heels in love with the gorgeous new Prima Resin Embellishments...

 leave them white if you wish but you know me...I can't resist a little bit of inking...

As always there's a yummy prize up for grabs for one lucky winner...

 Prima Park Bench & Bridge Set; White Mixed Dahlias to colour yourself, a metre of 10mm flat back ivory pearl square trim and a packet of ten aurora borealis hearts

and lots of gorgeous inspiration from my lovely Ribbon Girls teamies

The Furry Boy will be joining you bright and early tomorrow to announce the winner of  "Buddy's Give-Away" and if you haven't already entered...you have until 8pm tonight to get your name in the hat.  I've got a long boring train journey back home today after a FUN FABULOUS TOTALLY WICKED WEEKEND but I'll see you all on Tuesday to spill the beans.

Hugs Kath xxx

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