Hero Arts Pairing Up Challenge

Morning folks.....something a little different to share with you all today.....over at the Hero Arts Flickr Group we are having a Pairing Up Challenge and I was partnered with the lovely and very talented Agata.   The idea being that we make 3 cards using Hero Arts fabuous stamps...it took us a while to decide what we wanted to do but for our first card we decided to use....one Background Stamp....One Floral Stamp and One Sentiment Stamp and here is the result.....

AGATA

and from me

Hero Arts: Large Canvas Stripes Design Block

Hero Arts: Dogwood

Sentiment: Hero Arts Thinking of You

Lace from Simply Create

Pearls from Hobby House

and not forgetting my fetish at the moment.....Kraft Card

This was so much fun but a little scary when you see all the fabulous talent in the group and we now have to decide what we are going to do for our second card....so watch out for the next instalment.

The Budster and I are off to brave the weather on our morning stroll....it's a real batten down the hatches day....gale force winds and the sky doesn't look too happy either....so I think it will be a snuggled up in the cubbyhole kind of a day....I have so much to catch up on.     And just to make life a little bit irritating...what is going on with Mr Blogger...please tell me it's not just me who has been singled out for his "throwing his toys out of the pram" antics.   He really is a pain in the old butt sometimes.

And did I happen to mention I am off for a play date with Mr TH and it's only 161 sleeps....perhaps I did.

Hugs Kath xxx

What's on my Workdesk Wednesday

Morning folks...Wednesday 15 September and 162 sleeps until Carol and I meet up for our play date with Lord Timmie of Holtziness and believe me folks you will be praying that the weeks fly in so that I stop wittering on about it....to say I am excited is putting it mildly....lord knows what I will be like when the time finally comes round.....got absolutely no crafty stuff done yesterday but I did manage to sit still long enough to go online and book my flights....do you think it's too early to start packing my suitcase.  This is the message we got with our confirmation from Leandra at Paperartsy......"FASTEST FINGERS IN THE WEST....YOU GOT PLACES 4 & 5 IN THAT CLASS"...lucky I had my lovely bloggy bud Carol on the case as all four classes sold out in 40 minutes....way to go girl.
And because it's Wednesday it's time to play along with all the fun crafters at WOYWW who allow us to snoop around in their crafty spaces....and here is what's on my workdesk today...

loads of gorgeous Hero Arts Christmas stamps and just a little sneaky peek of one of my demo day cards

and for all the Buddy fans out there...this is what is on my sofa today...my snuggly bundle of golden deliciousness doing what he does best....snoozing

I am seriously behind with the crafty stuff so I need to get those crafty fingers working overtime....off out for lunch today and tomorrow so I think I may be burning the midnight oil for the rest of the week......see you all tomorrow.

Hugs Kath xxx

Well......

Morning folks and I won't keep you in suspense...did we manage to get places for Lord Timmie of Holtziness workshop........the answer is a great big.......

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.....

still can't believe it.....now counting down the sleeps and at a quick reckoning it's 163  Yesterday was a bit of a "couldn't seem to concentrate" kind of a day and I found myself looking at the clock every 10 seconds as the 8pm hour approached and was willing the phone to ring.     As I suspected the booking process took a while and I sprinted out to the hall around 8.30pm when my lovely bloggy buddy Carol rang to tell me the fabulous news. You do realise that I am going to bore the pants off you between now and then with my chat of all things GRUNGY.

Can I just say a great big thank you to all the lovely folks who e-mailed to offer me a bed for the night...how wonderfully kind you all are when you have never met me.....I was truly overwhelmed by your kind offers and it just reinforces my believe that in this mad mad world we live in there are lots of lovely kind folks out there and most of them seem to dwell in bloggyland.

Catch up with you all tomorrow.....Hugs Kath xxx

Trying to get back in the groove....

Morning folks....after a gorgeous sunny weekend here in Bonnie Scotland...my DIY debacle of a day on Friday and waking this morning to a dreich rainy morning I am struggling to get back into the crafty groove.....not a lot been happening in the cubbyhole over the weekend apart from making a couple of cute cards for the lucky winners of last week's challenge over at Penny Black Saturday to include with their goody parcel...

and a little crafty tip to share......when I buy a sheet of stamps I am always looking to get maximum mileage out of it and sentiments are no exception....

I love this "sending you hugs and kisses" sentiment but if you cut carefully between each word with a sharp pair of scissors you have lots more options..."sending hugs"......"sending you hugs" or just "hugs and kisses"

Off to have a play around with some ideas for my demo day at Simply Create in an effort to keep my mind occupied .....I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof this morning and all of a titter......roll on 8pm tonight when the tickets go on sale for that once in a lifetime date with Mr Holtz.....everything crossed in anticipation and I will be pacing the floor until I hear from my bloggy bud Carol.   Can imagine it will be the online version of opening  the doors at the Harrods Sale.....so you go girl and get those elbows pushing and shoving.

Catch up with you all tomorrow......Hugs Kath xxx

Lock Me Up and Throw Away The Key

Morning folks...if you are having a down in the dumps Sunday or the weather is not exactly sunny and bright...why don't you make yourself a cheery cuppa....pull up a chair and have a giggle at my expense.... I have a big confession to make....I definitely think I have lost the plot and need locking up for my own safety or at least to save my sanity.....you won't believe what I got up to on Friday....I can hardly believe it either.

walked into the cubbyhole and in a moment of complete and utter madness decided that the shelves filled with lots of bits and bobs were annoying my happiness....a cluttered mess and this is where it all went pear shaped...Miss Neat Freak decided they had to go....so I set about emptying everything onto the floor and demolishing the place

by lunchtime I was having serious doubts....what have I got myself into but once you start you have to finish and spurred on by endless cups of coffee and with trusty Phillips screwdriver in hand I set about getting order restored.....after the whole blinking day and much bad words my new bits and bobs corner is now up and running and I rather like it......phew thank goodness for that....

but there is a slight problem and I forbid you to laugh.....I now have two walls peppered with holes......do I get out the polyfilla or just create some art canvas to cover up the devastation and I am trying to ignore the diabolical ribbon storage which needs serious replanning.

I have been inundated with e-mails this weekend from all my lovely bloggy buds giving me a heads up on some faberoonie news and they are wondering why I haven't been shouting it from the rooftops.....oh yes the Lord Timmie of All Things Holtziness is coming to the UK to do some workshops.    My reason for keeping quiet is entirely selfish.....my lovely bloggy bud Carol and I are hoping to attend and I just know that every Timmie fan in the UK will be logging online on Monday at 8pm so keep your fingers and toes crossed that we are successful.  Newport Pagnell isn't the easiest of places to get to from the North East of Scotland....but I have sussed out flights to Luton airport and the lovely Carol has offered me 2 nights accommodation....she is so kind and it would be wonderful to meet up with her again and spend some time together playing along with TH... the most inspirational of all crafters.......a dream come true and something that would make this old girl very very happy indeed.   I can hardly bear the waiting and if we are lucky enough to get places.....you will hear me hooping and a-hollering no matter where you are on this planet.

Catch up with you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

Remembering...

My thoughts today are in New York City.....remembering those poor souls who lost their lives in a tragedy that none of us will ever forget....my heart goes out to all the families who lost their precious loved ones and to those who are now suffering from related illnesses having been engulfed in the dust and debris storms when the towers fell....living each day with the constant reminder of that fateful day when a senseless evil act changed their lives forever.

Hugs Kath xxx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge..Week 118

Morning folks....yes it's the weekend once again and time for another challenge over at Penny Black Saturday....where do the weeks go...can never remember the weekend coming round so quickly when I was stuck in a boring 9 to 5 job.   Big thank you to all the brave souls who joined in the colour combo challenge and came up with fabulous cards using the colour that sends shivers down the spine of most crafters and remember to pop over and check out if you are the lucky winners of those gorgeous Penny Black stamps.
And just when you thought it was safe to stick your head above the parapet.....we have another challenge that may perhaps have you hiding under your crafty table.....yes it's........

MEN/BOYS CARD

Background created with Hero Arts: Large Canvas Stripes
inked with TH Distress Broken China
Image: Penny Black Slapstick....Sweet Snowman coloured with Distress Inks
My favourite snowflake die
Buttons: Basic Grey
Sentiment: Hero Arts...Holiday Sayings

The cubbyhole is in serious Christmas mode at the moment so I decided to make a cute Christmas card for the little men in my life and don't you just adore this sweet tubby little snowman...but if you shudder at the thought of making male cards pop over to Penny Black Saturday and check out the fabulous cards from the girls on the Design Team...guaranteed to give you lots of inspiration.

We have a fab prize this week for one lucky winner chosen at random

from 

$20 voucher to spend at their fabulous online store

where you will find loads of your favourite Penny Black stamps

Time for you to look out your Penny Blacks and get inking and I will be popping over for a visit just to see what you have all created this week.....in the meantime have lots of fun...see you all tomorrow.

Hugs Kath xxx
Edited to add....the snowflake die is from Cuttlebug

Yummy Goodies and a Sneaky Peek

Morning folks and for once the weather forecast for yesterday was spot on.....yes the sun decided to come out to play.....from winter to summer all in the space of 24 hours and I decided to escape from the cubbyhole and head off to you know where....yes off on a trip to Simply Create to have a coffee and a chat with the lovely Jacqui about my demo and workshop days.  I will let you into a little secret...strictly between you and me you understand.....it's all about CHRISTMAS....only 15 weeks away....now that's a scary thought...

and whilst we were browsing through the new Christmas catalogue....I mentioned that I needed to order this...

absolutely "Fabulous Flourish" and not just for Christmas.... this is one stamp I will probably use until you're all sick of the sight of it and then some more....well my luck was well and truly in....Jacqui just happened to have it in stock.....so into my bag it popped and I know what you're all thinking how big is that button......

huge to be honest.....but they are so cute and check out the brand new trims in stock and before you know the crafty stash windfall has got a great big dent in it.....well I did warn you it wouldn't last long.  Just time for a little sneaky peek and after spending the morning surrounded by all things Christmas......say no more....

catch up with you all tomorrow for another fabby challenge over at Penny Black Saturday...off to play with all things Christmassy and that means my crafty partner and I will no doubt be covered from head to toe in the old glitter.

Hugs Kath xxx
Edited to add: have had several e-mails already asking about the huge buttons.....they are 2" or 6cm in size....check them out compared to a normal button

A throat like a badger's bum

Morning folks....yesterday was another of those days when things didn't go according to plan....had to cancel my lunch date with an old friend because I woke up in the morning with a throat like a badger's bum and feeling totally miserable and I don't really have time to be "out of sorts" so spent the day pouring home-made honey and lemon drinks down the offending part of my anatomy and gargling with warm salty water....feels a bit better today so fingers crossed.
Order has returned to the cubbyhole and surprise surprise all the little bits and bobs have been returned to their shelf in exactly the same place as before minus their 2 inch coating of dust....so not an entire waste of a morning.....but oh dear I think the ribbon storage now needs some serious consideration...but not today thank you very much...

and my little windfall from yesterday has been safely tucked away in my "cash for stash" jar all ready for the next time I feel the need to have a crafty spend and if I am a true crafter it will be burning a hole in my pocket before too long....

but all work and no play is "tres" boring especially when you are feeling a little sorry for yourself so I managed to steal a little time to have a play with some of the fabulous products that I got in my Ribbon Girl DT goodie parcel.  I am totally in love with the gorgeous ribbons and lace...these cute polka dot buttons and the bakers twine which comes in lots of yummy colours.     If you haven't paid a visit yet what on earth are you waiting for.....but please don't blame me if you have no willpower because I know you will want everything.

and prepare yourselves for yet another tale of woe.....Mrs Smarty Pants thought it would be a good idea to wind red sewing cotton around the reel and down to the eye of the needle....fixing it with teeny dots of PVA.....in theory a great idea but putting it into practice took the patience of a saint.....almost as bad as threading the needle of my real life sewing machine.....

another scrapling using this cute Hero Arts Stamp.....Row of Houses

Time to set off for our morning stroll and thank goodness the weather has improved....they do say it's going to be 20 degrees today......blimey from Winter and back to Summer all within 24 hours.....no wonder us poor humans are taken poorly.  And what I want to know....how come my snuggly gorgeous bundle of golden deliciousness...my out in all weathers hardy boy...who comes home absolutely drenched and if I could lift him up I guarantee I could wring bucketloads of water out of him...never seems to get the slightest sniffle....it's a dog's life right enough.

Catch up with you all tomorrow for a sneaky peek......Hugs Kath xxx

What's on my workdesk Wednesday

Morning folks from a chilly windswept and very wet corner of the country....windswept could be putting it mildly....for the last few days we have been buffeted big time by gale force winds....washing blowing off the line...car door almost ripped off it's hinges and me struggling not to be blown off my feet and taking to the air for my Mary Poppins impression...so there are consolations to being a little tub of lard.
Enough of my weather woes....it's Wednesday and time to join in the fun over at WOYWW and share what's on my workdesk today...well folks there hangs another tale. I have absolutely loads and loads and loads of crafty stuff I could be doing....so why on earth did I suddenly decide to have a tidy in the cubbyhole.....search me...must have been one of those mad hormone moments us girls suffer from occasionally.......needless to say once you start there is no turning back. Complete and utter chaos which even a cuppa can't fix but no option now but to grit my teeth and get stuck in and what's the bet that it will all end up back where it was originally.

But there are some consolations...I'd completely forgotten about these Maya Road tins chock full of chipboard pieces...just need some extra crafty time to use them all up and then I'll have lots of fabby tins to alter....

and wow was this a surprise....opened my cute little M&S bankie to find £26 hiding inside.....suddenly my mad moment didn't seem such a bad idea....

and more good news for this microfibre chap.....he managed to escape from his dark and dingy cupboard for a rare outing.....

but I am off out for lunch today.....so gotta get dusting....catch up with you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx