What a Weekend...

Edited to add: not the news I was hoping for and I'm not too happy with the conflicting reports I've had this morning...the emergency vet called me before she signed Buddy over to the day staff to say that she was really pleased with him and I should be able to take him home today but when I spoke to the nurse she said he's not eating and they are not happy to discharge him until he does...obviously he's not eating because he's missing home and thinks he's been abandoned but I'm waiting for the vet to call me back with an explanation...not a happy bunny right now.

Morning folks...woohoo I'm counting down the hours until that magic phone call to say that the Furry Boy will be coming home today and can I say how much I appreciated all your words of comfort and support...it really meant a lot whilst I was pacing the floor and climbing the walls waiting for news...it really has been the longest rollercoaster 24 hours of my life...quite a weekend in more ways than one. Hubby decided to start demolishing the downstairs bathroom...we were planning a complete make-over but not just yet but I suppose it was his way of keeping himself busy whilst we fretted about our sick Furry Boy.  I'm 2 days into the "try out before you buy" cycle experiment...are you itching to know how it went...from the waist up everything is A/OK...from the waist down...not so good...in fact that's putting it mildly...the truth is hubby's bike is far too big for this "vertically challenged"...short legged crafter...if I put my feet on the pedals then I'm sitting on the bar which isn't the most comfortable situation and if I sit on the saddle my feet don't reach the pedals...a no win situation really and crikey who invented this modern instrument of  torture they have the cheek to call a saddle...to my way of thinking it should be large enough to accommodate your bottom...more like a horse saddle which is smooth...rounded and the perfect shape for that delicate part of your anatomy to sit on comfortably...not something that leaves you barely able to walk.
And there's the added difficulty of the helmet being a tad too big...not easy finding your way round country lanes when you can't see where you're heading but despite the little hiccups...I'm rather enjoying it...once I've invested in my very own midget sized bike and the Furry Boy is back to full fitness..the training will begin...who knows...watch out Chris Hoy...Rio here I come.
But living dangerously hasn't completely taken over my life...there's been a bit of crafty stuff in between and I was itching to play with my DT Project of the Month Kit from Craftwork Cards...well named I think...

NATURALLY GORGEOUS

love the chipboard cards which are perfect for colouring with Distress Inks...the mannequins and dresses and the vintage chipboard tickets are so cute

See you all tomorrow
Hugs Kath xxx

InLinkz.com

The Furry Patient...

Morning folks...I've just got back from visiting the Furry Patient in his state of the art weekend accommodation...he's a sight for sore eyes in more ways than one...poor boy has really been through the wringer but thanks to the excellent care he's getting...he's slowly improving...I was so relieved to see his tail wagging again and am over the moon that he's well on the way to getting back to his perky self...mind you he does hum a bit but hey what's a few smelly hugs between buddies. He's been promised a little stroll outside...a wash and brush up and a little bit of lunch later if he feels like it...talk about a 5 star doggy medical hotel.
It all kicked off on Friday night when he was suddenly sick...not an unusual occurrence when you own a Golden Retriever...the scavengers and dustbins of the doggy world and on Saturday morning he seemed fine but after his breakfast he was sick again followed by several episodes of violent eruptions from the other end so we set off to the vet. The diagnosis was that he had been eating rubbish...well there's a surprise and after 3 injections to sort things out we set off for home but as the day went on he just wasn't responding to the meds...us Mums have an instinct about these things don't we...I just knew he was very poorly and was deteriorating rapidly.
By the time we got him to the emergency vet he was very badly dehydrated and was diagnosed with a severe case of gastro-enteritis...I could tell she was very concerned about him and it broke my heart as he gallantly tried to wag his tail every time she spoke to him and I had to fight back the tears when the nurse took him away and the vet said to him...not to worry Tiger...Mum will phone before bedtime and I will come and give you your bedtime hug.
He had a bit of a rough night and it took them into the early hours to get him stabilised...I can't praise the emergency weekend vets and nurses at Vets Now enough...the level of care is second to none...they are such dedicated professionals who love what they do...our canine friends really do get far better treatment than us humans can expect...OK it comes at a cost but if it had been me I would probably have been a goner waiting on NHS 24 to diagnose the problem.
He'll be staying another night and if he continues to improve...will probably get home tomorrow...I'm missing my gorgeous bundle of golden deliciousness so much...it's been the longest 24 hours of my life...no tripping over his sleepy body in the cubbyhole...no sharing my breakfast toast and no morning strolls and no crafty stuff for me today...I'm going to be chilling in the sun...I need to get my heart rate and blood pressure back to normal....big thank yous to all our bloggy buddies and facebook friends for your good wishes and support.

Scroll down to see today's DT card for the August Colour Challenge over at The Ribbon Girls

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

The Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge # 22

Morning folks...it's Sunday and time to join in the August Colour Challenge fun over at the Ribbon Girls...

I was ooohing and aaahing when I saw the colours on this month's mood board but translating them onto a card was a bit of a challenge...thank goodness for flowers and buttons...

as always there are fabby prizes up for grabs...this gorgeous Sunshine Yellow Mini Ribbon Kit
from The Ribbon Girl 

and from our lovely chums at LOTV...a voucher to spend in their online store...

so why don't you hop on over to The Ribbon Girls and check out the fabulous inspiration from my lovely teamies and this month's guest designer...the very talented...

Mel Fletcher

I'll be back later to let you all know how the Furry Patient is doing...see previous post
Hugs Kath xxx

Poor Buddy

Morning folks...just a quick post to let you all know that the Furry Boy is in hospital...been quite poorly with a severe case of gastro-enteritis and badly dehydrated.  I have just had a call from the vet to say that he had a bit of a rough night but she is much happier with him this morning and he's now resting comfortably.   I'll be popping over to see him later this morning so I'll keep you updated.

From one very relieved Momma....hugs kath xxx

On Yer Bike....

Hi Folks...I do apologise for the rather abrupt title of this post...I'm not being rude...just a bit taken aback by the latest suggestion from The Furry Boy...where did his sudden obsession with getting me on a bike come from ...up to now we've been quite happy with the tried and tested Shanks's Pony but I'm not totally against the idea of cycling because I can see the benefits....

toning up the bum...tum and thighs

giving the old heart a good work out

using the car less = saving on fuel

yes all in all good healthy out in the fresh air exercise

but there are lots of "what if's" not to mention a few big BUTS...

the need to invest in a safety helmet sets alarm bells ringing...will I be stepping into the world of dangerous pursuits...will I need knee and elbow padding just in case I unceremoniously fly over the handlebars and me in lycra cycling shorts...well let's not even go there...

I wonder if it has occurred to The Furry Boy he'll have to kick it up a few gears to keep up...gone will be the days of his ambling along sniffing sessions...crikey I hope he doesn't have any ideas about riding pillion..

will I be missing out on nature's snacks as I speed past on 2 wheels

keeping my eyes peeled for those muddy waterhole hazards...

perhaps I should just avail myself of the free fitness equipment provided by our local Council...yes the same one that is constantly cash strapped but yet can find the money for stuff that nobody uses... 

But I may have hit on a solution...the "try before you buy" option...there's a perfectly good...used twice mountain bike and helmet in the garage...another of hubby's great intentions so I'm willing to give it a go for a week and if I don't kill myself I may just take the plunge...never say never...the purchase of a new mode of getting from A to B is definitely under consideration.

But before I rush off to have a little practice whizz around the block it's time to announce the winner of The Furry Boy's little give-away...

BRENDA B (37)

please e-mail us with your address Brenda and we'll get your parcel off in the mail

See you all tomorrow for a brand new Colour Challenge over at The Ribbon Girls

Hugs Kath xxx

Back to Gorgeous Give-Away...

A big hello to all my lovely bloggy buds from your furry bundle of golden deliciousness...apologies for neglecting my blogging duties for so long but I got caught up in the whole Olympic fever thing...cubbyhole life as we know it went into topsy turvy overdrive...we turned into couch potato snackers...snoozing time was limited by all the whooping and a-hollering...strolls cut short in case we missed any Golden moments and my weekly pamper sessions forgotten...speak about going to the dogs...time for the cubbyhole crew to ditch the extra inches on the waistline and that scruffy "just got out of bed" look...

my doggy mates won't recognise me after yesterday's spa day...a good old session with a brush and I'm back to my usual gorgeousness with shiny locks that any top model would be proud of...

but I may have my work cut out with my crafty Old Mum...we need to up the anti in the fitness routine to get rid of those extra snacky inches...strolls are not going to be enough and my suggestion of her getting a bike went down like a lead balloon but you know me...I'm a dab hand at the "dog with a bone" thing so I'm going to keep plugging away and wearing her down...why don't you join in the "Get On Your Bike Mum" petition.

and I have a little give-away...

which is cluttering up the cubbyhole and desperate to go to a good home...not claimed by the winner at the Penny Black Saturday Blog Hop...honestly why do folks enter these things and then not come back to claim their prize...sometimes I despair of you crazy crafters so if you want to put your name in the hat....leave your name with Mr Inklinz before 11pm tonight and we'll announce the winner tomorrow

Big Furry Hugs & Snuggles

BUDDY xxx

Another Numptie Moment...

Morning folks...it's been a week of numptie moments and that's the truth...the embarrassment of flashing my big girl knickers...forgetting a couple of birthdays requiring a quick trip to the Post Office with the "never going to get there in time" cards and the return of a parcel containing the biggest numptie moment of them all.
Remember this from yesterday....

a little secret shopping spree...a "cheer me up" guilty pleasure moment to boost the morale after failing miserably last week in the Crafty Olympics and oh boy has it jumped up and well and truly bitten me on the bum...it would seem that we already have his twin brother residing in the cubbyhole.  Well this was certainly "blow me over with a feather" news to me...I can't for the life of me remember buying this...just goes to show that the new die-cutting filing system ain't working as it should.
What a stroke of luck it was bought from Countryview Crafts...my first online stop for all things Timmie...great customer service and super duper speedy delivery and when I explained our cubbyhole dilemma to Susan...she probably had a good old snigger but there would be no problem exchanging the duplicate and there would be no extra postal charges to pay for sending the replacement...definitely my kind of shop...10 out of 10  Countryview Crafts for helping me to dig myself out of yet another numptie moment hole.
I'll leave you with another card and tags made with Craftwork Cards...gorgeous Christmas Ornaments Pad...for once lady luck was on my side...Tim's Stormy Sky Distress Ink was an exact match for the embellishments...

I'm intending keeping my head well and truly under the radar for the next few days...locking myself away in the cubbyhole well out of the way of those pesky numptie moments but The Furry Boy will be popping on to keep you company tomorrow...no doubt with his take on life in the cubbyhole.

Hugs Kath xxx

What's on my Workdesk Wednesday

Morning folks...after a bit of a pep talk the cubbyhole crew are back at work...to be honest the horrible weather that's returned to our neck of the woods...rain...rain and more rain gave us the kick up the butt we needed to get going again and hey before you know it's the middle of the week and time to hop on over to Julia's place and join all those crafty folks at WOYWW.
So what's on my workdesk ....a Sizzix die-cutting project which needs finishing today...

so that I can move on to planning a workshop project with these goodies...

but workplace relations are a tad strained...a certain unhappy hang dog look cubbyhole crew member aka The Furry Boy is threatening all sorts of mutinous actions because he missed out on his usual Sunday pamper session...so to keep the peace it's time to get de-furring which basically transfers the hairs from His Nibs onto me and the carpet resulting in everybody needing a de-fur with a little help from that other very essential member of the crew...the "can't live without" Mr Dyson.

but in the time it's taken me to put the kettle on for the first cuppa of the day...he's fed up waiting and is now having a snooze...

See you all tomorrow...oh dear another numptie moment to share...

Hugs Kath xxx

In The Pink...

Morning folks...yesterday's great intentions fell just a little bit by the wayside...what was intended to be a "nose to the grindstone" day turned into a "couldn't gee my ginger" having Olympic withdrawals kind of day and by the time I caught up on some much neglected household chores...took the Furry Boy for his stroll...had my lunch...the thought of knuckling down to the worky stuff didn't float my boat...instead I had a play with the Craftwork Cards Recipe Ideas "Christmas Ornaments" Pad that arrived in the cubbyhole a few weeks back....yes back in the days before the addiction with all things Olympian took hold...it's absolutely choc-a-bloc with die cuts (240 in total) and 6 printed background papers...I made this from 2 sheets with some left over...using 2 images in some cases for a bit of 3D and I've hardly made a dent in the pad...

perfect for making quick clean and simple cards to fill up your Christmas box...

 and with the bits and pieces left on the sheet...I made some tags...

I know you've heard it all before but today is definitely going to be a "crack the whip" and knuckle down kind of day...it's blowing a hooley outside and the crafty list is calling.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

Everyone's a winner...

Morning folks...up with the birdies this morning but feeling a bit bleary eyed after staying up late to watch last night's Closing Ceremony...what can I say...fabulous bits and not so fabulous bits but hey it's each to their own and a very fitting end with Take That...the fabulous Darcey Bussell and The Who proving that the oldies can still rock it...the light show was out of this world...we really know how to put on a show and I did have a giggle at Boris disco dancing...

but it's time to announce the winner of the Mini Makes Kit from The Ribbon Girl...

SUE BEARHOUSE (4)

Congratulations Sue

if you e-mail me with your address your goodie parcel will be on it's way to you soon

I'm just wondering how I'm going to manage without my Olympic fix...for someone who doesn't watch daytime TV...well hardly ever...I've been glued to the box for the last 2 weeks...the planned Olympic Viewing Timetable went completely out of the window and I found myself sitting on the .sofa most days spellbound...wasn't it incredible...in fact there isn't a word in the English language that would come close to describing how fabulous it all was. I'm so proud of all our athletes...it was very emotional sharing their Olympic moments...whether they won medals or not each and every one is a champion...

The words of wisdom on this month's calendar page say it all....

but as wonderful as it was...it was stressful heart in the mouth stuff and to be honest I feel like I've been pulled through a wringer...absolutely shattered after jumping every hurdle...swimming every lap...pedalling round and round the velodrome and jumping every obstacle on the 3Day Event course...much more exhausting than cubbyhole duties but no hopes of a medal for me in the Crafty Olympics...in fact I ran out of breath about half way round after nailing the Fiskars Workshop card and the Prima Demo Projects for the NEC and had to do the "no pain no gain" thing to get the step-by-steps done...

and I still have the prep Marathon to run...crikey I need to get in some serious training for that one....perhaps a few practice sprints around the track with this little lot....the much neglected crafty list will kick start the crafty fitness...

and how long have I got before the Paralympics begin and another Viewing Marathon takes over my life again...catch up you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx