What can I say...

Morning folks...it's been quite a week so far...sad times in the cubbyhole but I've been keeping myself busy with commission projects and there's always a silver lining to every cloud and light at the end of the tunnel. It's not often as you will probably have gathered by now that I am lost for words but right this minute I've been stunned into silence...am absolutely gobsmacked at the kindness of one of my bloggy buddies.  The lovely and very talented Alexandra recently won our Summer Distress Inks give-away and contacted me to ask if she could do a  pencil sketch of The Furry Boy as a thank you.
Wowee how kind was that...to say we were thrilled is putting it mildly so I sent off some pics of my bundle of golden deliciousness and oh boy was I blown away when not one but two sketches arrived in the cubbyhole this week...

Words can't describe how I felt when I saw Alexandra's sketches of my beautiful Furry Boy...she's managed to capture him to a "T"...the likeness is uncanny and I can't stop looking at them...gorgeous...fabulous...too beautiful for words and they are sitting in the cubbyhole where I can just stare at them in wonderment until I decide on a permanent home. It's been a sad time in the cubbyhole this week but Alexandra's kindness has lifted my spirits and the tears I'm shedding today are tears of joy.  What can I say...thank you doesn't seem enough to describe how much this means to me...thank you so much lovely lady...I will treasure your beautiful sketches forever and love love love the tag.
Time to get organised and packed up for the Christmas Altered Art Workshop at The Papeterie tonight...fun and Christmas frolics here I come.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

What's on My Workdesk Wednesday

Woohoo it's me...how lucky are you to have the company of your favourite Furry Boy for the second time this week...my old crafty Mum is losing her touch...no post done for today..well that just won't do..couldn't let my bloggy buddies down so your Favourite Blogger...Handsome Devil...Knight in Furry Armour has stepped in to save the day but it's going to be short sweet and to the point as my hooligan chums are coming to play today.
Time for our weekly visit to Julia's place or WOYWW where all you crafty folks throw open your crafty doors to let us have a snoop...well forgive me if I pass...crafty stuff just doesn't do it for me...now biscuits or bones and I'll be right over.
So what's on the cubbyhole workdesk today....very hush hush apparently...lips are sealed kind of stuff..sworn to secrecy and I have no intentions of spilling the beans...even I know the difference between naughty and downright stupid.

You'll probably know what all this stuff is....me I don't have a clue

the latest technology for crafty pensioners

You have to pop over tomorrow and see what has arrived in the cubbyhole...it's absolutely fabilicious if I say so myself...I'm tempted to shed a little tear at the kindness of one of my lovely bloggy buds.

See you all soon

Big Hugs and Furry Snuggles

BUDDY xxx
I've been over to Julia's and there's no-one answering the door...where could she be?

Less Is More Challenge...Week 77

Morning folks...crikey here's a surprise and let me tell you no-one is more surprised than me...despite being up to my eyeballs in stitchy stuff...I've managed to make a challenge card.  I'm sitting amidst piles of fabric...felt...buttons and ribbons stitching the hours away and what a stroke of luck that this week's challenge over at Less Is More just happens to be...

SEWING...

I can't share any of the stitching projects yet so it was time to dig out some embossing folders..one of my favourite On The Edge dies...ink pad...pricking tool and buttons...

you may not know but one of my crafty pet hates is anything stuck down at a jaunty angle...especially a sentiment mat...my crafty mates know only too well that I am likely to go off on a little rant when confronted with said offence...in my humble opinion it just looks WRONG...drawing your eye to the sentiment instead of the image which you may have spent hours colouring but hey each to their own and sometimes you have to tear up your own rule book...confront your demons and eat a little bit of humble pie...so for all those fellow members of the "SAY NO TO THE JAUNTY ANGLE club...I have NOT gone over to the dark side...it just didn't on this occasion look right STRAIGHT.
It's been a very sad start to the week...my cup of cheer is running on empty...life has a way of bringing you right back down to earth with a reminder that your world can be turned upside down in a heartbeat....my heart goes out to the parents of the young lad who died after being struck by a delivery van in Westhill at the weekend...to the family and friends of one of the sweetest girls I've had the pleasure to know...Suzanne (35) who tragically lost her courageous 7 year battle with cancer and to Gordon from Once Upon A Stamp who with family and friends will be gathering today to celebrate the life of Gordon's soulmate and partner of 20 years...the one-in-a-million lovely lad Robert. Farewell Suzanne and Rob...you have touched the hearts of all who knew you...you'll be sorely missed.

And my thought for today...
when life gets you down...it's time to pull on your big girl knickers and deal with it...
 don't get your knickers in a twist...it solves nothing...
just makes you walk funny...

I'll see you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

Happy Monday

Happy Happy Monday to all my lovely bloggy buds from your favourite bundle of golden deliciousness and why am I so chirpy this morning...the weather is back to the usual rain wind and chilly crap...yesterday's pamper doggy spa day treatment never happened...the cubbyhole is awash with lots of die cutting debris and I'm back to being the sweeper upper again.  No doubt you'll have heard the news about the missing slipper...oh yes I'm back on the doggy naughty doodah step again...honestly what a fuss and palaver...life's too short to get all hot and bothered about minor irritations...the blighter will turn up eventually so let's all have a big group hug put on our happy happy faces...big smile everyone because it's time for me to announce the winner of my  "Keep It Tidy Girls" Give-Away Box...

Drum Roll please Maestro....

the winner is....
TINA (64)
mum to my gorgeous buddies...Poppy and Bella Boo

congratulations Tina...please e-mail us
and I'll get your box parcelled up and on it's way to your crafty place soon

and if you didn't win this time...remember it's happy happy face day...there will be another chance to win some goodies just as soon as I can fight my way through the debris to get to the stash.
Big Hugs and Furry Snuggles for now
BUDDY xxx

Having a Sizzix Day...

Morning folks...yes I know it's Sunday...supposedly a day of rest but when you've fallen way behind with the crafty list...it's just another day like any other for the cubbyhole crew. No lounging around on the sofa for me today with the Sunday crosswords and the Furry Boy is missing out on his usual Sunday morning pamper treatment...it's all hands to the pump for a day of die cutting with the goodies that arrived from Sizzix...but first and there's always a but isn't there...the task of unpacking...labelling and recycling all that fabulous thick acetate packaging...great to use with your embossing folders and my trusty Fiskars scissors will make light work of it all...chopping through it like a knife through butter.

all we need now is lots of inspiration...time to kick Mr Mojo out of bed and invite him to join the party.
But I can hardly be expected to put my best foot forward whilst I'm hobbling around with two left feet...oh yes the phantom slipper nabber has been at work again...not the best start to anybody's day...so THE HUNT is on.

Don't forget you have until 8pm tonight to put your name in the hat for The Furry Boy's Give-Away....he'll be joining you tomorrow to reveal the winner and no doubt throwing his tuppence worth into the pot and still loads of time to get creative and enter this month's challenge over at Penny Black Saturday.

See you all soon

Hugs Kath xxx

Back to work...

Morning folks...our sleep over guests have departed for home after a fun time at Grandma's...all good things come to an end and life returns to normal in the cubbyhole...well almost but more about that in a bit.
As you know from The Furry Boy...no secret is safe when he's about...I snuck off from my Grandma duties yesterday to pop over to The Papeterie to see the lovely and fabulously talented Barbara Gray in action and what a day it was...standing in the aisles...jammed packed to the rafters...every crafter from far and wide must have been in attendance...even the sun came out to welcome the lady herself who was on top form...fabulous demos along with her inimitable sense of fun...

But after a short 2 day crafting week...it's time to get back to that crafty list again...it looks like I'm going to have BUSY BUSY tattooed on my forehead for the next few weeks...it's been like Christmas in July in the cubbyhole "goods received" department...exciting goodie parcels arrived yesterday for some commission projects I'll be getting my teeth stuck into and as much as I enjoyed my time off with the grandkiddies...I'm itching to get back to work (that's a laugh...how can you call this work) I'm so lucky to do what I love and love what I do and have the opportunity to play with fabulous products like...

this bundle of gorgeous pastel wool felt and uber cute teeny weeny buttons...

Another pile of die cutting goodies have arrived in the cubbyhole from Sizzix and all I can say at the moment is that I'm itching to get stitching and this boy will be seriously earning his keep for the foreseeable future...

I'll see you all tomorrow
Hugs Kath xxx

Fun with the Hooligans...

A very good morning to all my lovely bloggy buds from your bundle of golden deliciousness...I had the bestest fun at last night's sleep over party with the grandkiddies...I thought all my Christmases had come at once when we settled down for a movie and some yummy munchy treats before heading off to Bedfordshire...all snuggled up together in dreamyland. But they got a rude awakening this morning when their very own resident furry alarm clock dived onto the bed tail wagging with my version of a silly o'clock wake-up call...if the shouts of "Go Away Buddy" were anything to go by...I got the impression they weren't best pleased.
I can take a hint so I sauntered through to try again with my Mum who mumbled her usual "for goodness sake Buddy...what time is it" as she swung out of bed on automatic pilot looking like she's been dragged through a hedge...once her feet have managed to locate the slippers we're heading downstairs to put the kettle on ready for another day.  Goodness knows what time the 2 sleepyhead hooligans will put in appearance...not before I'm fed and watered that's for sure and it's not looking likely that they'll be joining me for my morning stroll either. 
Us boys are going to be home alone today...my old crafty Mum is skivving off from her Grandma duties...whizzing off to The Papeterie for a "not to be missed" event apparently so we have to decide on today's entertainment...Dad will probably suggest football in the park...I'll be voting for another movie and more of those yummy treats.

Catch up with you soon

Hugs & Furry Snuggles

BUDDY

xxx

What a Midden...

Morning folks...what a difference a day makes...the workdesk has gone from military precision kitting mode to what can only be described as a MIDDEN....abandoned last night at late o'clock after a day kicking some ideas around for my Tim Holtz Masterclass at The Papeterie on 28th July...

But I need to get a wiggle on and get tidied up before the grandkiddies arrive for their sleep over...after the torrential downpours of yesterday and today doesn't look much better...I hope they've packed their wellies.

And for those of you who are not familiar with the word "midden" official translation coming up...

"dung heap or cess pit...popular insult in the North of Ireland and Scotland and often used to describe any slovenly mess including persons"

See you all tomorrow
Hugs Kath xxx

What's On My Workdesk Wednesday...

Morning folks...another week disappearing in the blink of an eye...yes it's Wednesday already and time to pop on over to Julia's place and meet up with the WOYWW gang.  The cubbyhole is knee deep in kitting and my workdesk is looking decidedly Christmassy...

despite The Furry Boy's tales of woe from yesterday...it looks like we're going to make the 2 day working week deadline...he's an absolute whizz in the sweeper upper department with his huge built-in brush...he can swipe a mug or a wine glass off a table in the blink of an eye so a few pesky bits of paper are a piece of cake when you have a Golden Retriever Tail. 

Kitting almost done for the

Christmas Altered Art Night

at The Papeterie

on 26th July...6.30pm - 9.30pm

still a few places available so don't miss out on an evening of guaranteed glittery Christmas fun...the chance to make 3 fabulous Christmas projects with a free buffet to tempt your taste buds...if you would like to join Charlotte...Debbi and me...
call Charlotte on 01224 802337
a few sneaky peeks...

We had a fun day yesterday with the hooligans and woohoo the sun came out to play but it's back to dreary doom and gloom rain again this morning...the grandkiddies wil be back tomorrow for their Thursday/Friday sleepover...please please please let it be sunny or if that's too much to ask...we'll just settle for dry so that we can get out and about and have more fresh air fun...I'll see you all tomorrow.

Hugs Kath xxx

"Keep It Tidy Girls" Give-Away...

A very good morning to all my lovely bloggy buds from your favourite bundle of golden deliciousness...I'm stepping in again to hold the fort...trying to keep things calm and tickety-boo in the cubbyhole and let me tell you I have my work cut out today...the frantic levels are going through the roof...we're trying to squeeze 5 worky days into 2 because we have guests coming to stay...yes my favourite hooligans Brodie and Oliver are coming to play today and then back for a sleep over on Thursday and Friday so it's all go...all hands to the pump in the Kitting Department. While my old crafty Mum gets busy with the die cutting...I'm on Debris Controller duties...she doesn't fool me with fancy titles...I wasn't born under a gooseberry bush...even I know that's just another name for a glorified "follow on behind" tidier upper.
Just between us...why do you crafty girls have to be such a messy bunch...can't you tidy up as you go along and why do you throw everything on the floor when there's a perfectly good empty bin at hand. That's all I'm saying on the subject...I ain't rocking no boats...I intend to keep well under the radar...do exactly what I'm told and the storm will pass.
But if YOU want to turn your untidy habits around...I have the very thing...a tidy box to safely store all those little bits and pieces and I do have permission from my old Crafty Mum Mum to give-away the box she made for this month's Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge...

but there's more...it's a set of 3 nesting boxes so you'll have 2 smaller blank ones to play with and in my official capacity as Debris Controller who knows what else I might find to tidy away in the course of a day's work.
All you have to do to get your name in the hat is leave your name with Inlinkz before Sunday at 8pm and I'll be back bright and early on Monday 23rd to announce my lucky winner.
But must dash...the die cutting is going like the clappers...the floor already looks like a tornado's blown through so I'd better get back to work or I'll be in big dog doodahs again and be joining the ranks of the unemployed.

Big Hugs and Furry Snuggles

BUDDY xxx