Christmas Defrazzle Therapy...

Hi folks...we can all become a bit frazzled by the christmas preparations...the list of things still to do seems to get longer and longer so I decided it was time for a bit of a break before I start on the big Christmas Cookathon...a day out to meet up with some special friends...heading for them thar hills and my once a year Christmas treat...

and who couldn't fail to get into the Christmas spirit when you're greeted by the man himself...

at the Raemoir Garden Centre in Banchory...so if you're not feeling the Christmas Love yet...make yourselves a cuppa...find a comfy sofa and get ready for a wander through a wonderful Christmas Wonderland of all things glittery and sparkly...

 check out this gorgeous Christmas outfit...if only I was 40 years younger...

 or All Things Arctic White...

and if white isn't your thing...there's always Red...

or Blue Snowmen and cute little birdies...

 or teapots in Blue Jumpers...

or the Rustic Look...love those wooly trees...

and who do you think came to mind when I saw these...

after that retail therapy adventure it was time to recharge the shopping batteries and head for the coffee shop for a latte and a yummy delicious wholemeal cinnamon scone...

before heading for the next retail destination just a few miles down the road...Mains of Drum...

and don't be fooled by that beautiful blue sky...it was blowing an arctic hooley but we couldn't resist a peek at their spectacular 15' Christmas Tree...

and more festive sparkliness...

Just time for me to dash home for a quick change and set off to meet the Friday Girls for a festive lunch followed by Afternoon Tea at M&S...courtesy of my "Happy Birthday-Afternoon Tea for Two" voucher...all in all a fun day of Christmas Inspiration and so much feasting I don't think I will need to eat again until the big day. I'll see you all tomorrow over at Craftwork Cards Blog for my last post of the year and no prizes for guessing it will be CHRISTMAS.

Hugs Kath xxx

Don't Get Your Tinsel In A Tangle...

Hi Everyone...a very good morning from Santa Buddy...your favourite bundle of golden deliciousness is full of Christmas Cheer and getting excited...only 6 more sleeps until that jolly fat man in the red suit comes to call...I've been very good this year so paws crossed he got my letter and is loading up the sleigh with all the goodies on my list.

It's been a bit hectic here what with the card sending...parcel wrapping and all that festive decorating but now it's time for the best bit...the cooking fest of all that mouth watering grub...time for me to take up residence in the kitchen to guard the oven and treat my super sensitive nose to the delights of all those glorious smells and await the great big Christmas tasting session...oh yes the cook and this gastronomic connoisseur need to sample everything just to make sure it's fit for the Christmas Table.

But I hear that some of my bloggy buddies are getting their tinsel in a bit of a tangle...running around like headless chickens and getting themselves in a right old state...well take some advice from one who knows...Christmas will come and go whether you're ready or not so CHILL...it's only a fancy "bigger than normal" Sunday lunch after all...who's gonna care if your roasties are a bit overdone or your sprouts are more al dente than is good for your teeth...just fill up their glasses with some Christmas Cheer and if they are anything like the diners at our Christmas table...all plates will be scraped clean and tummies will be full to bursting...if not I'm happy to step in and mop up any left overs.

But apparently the cook fest is not kicking off until tomorrow...my old crafty Mum is off out today for a special Christmas Treat...bah humbug is all I can say...why am I never invited to go along. 

So stop fretting...take a breath...it will all be alright on the night...I promise...

See you all soon

BIG CHRISTMAS HUGS

BUDDY xxx

Deck The Halls...

Hi folks...time to get back to the Christmas prep after yesterday's OAP impression of dancing on the ceiling excitement and I'm well and truly into the Christmas groove now...

"deck the halls with boughs of holly...fa..la..la..la....la..la..la" 

is the tune running through my head right now.  The crafty stuff has been put on hold and the cubbyhole converted to the parcel wrapping station...

not my most favourite of Christmas tasks...probably because I make the same old mistake every year of buying oddly shaped presents which results in many hours of trying to make them look presentable (excuse the pun)...just as well my chosen career was not in the gift wrap department of some high end store...crikey I would have been given my marching orders after 5 minutes. I've cheated in past years by popping everything into gift bags but last minute Annie didn't stock up when they were going for a song and now the choice is limited unless you're prepared to pay a king's ransom...so it's big girl knickers and overcome adversity time.

Then I'll be moving on to the "Decks The Hall" bit and saying Hi to some old friends...

Mr Frosty who lives out in the garage for most of the year and will probably need a bit of a dust down...

 check out that adorable sparkly face...

the chill out gang...

 not forgetting the angel with atitude...

and I'd completely forgetten my Altered Book project...

and once that's done...time to marzipan the Christmas Cakes...

I know it's a bit last minute but hey I've iced my cakes on Christmas Eve before now and they've been fine. From now it's going to be a great big cooking fest with quick trips into the cubbyhole to nail a Fiskars sample or two...just as well us girls are dab hands at the old multi-tasking.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

All in the name of Art...

Hi folks...it's amazing what some of us crazy crafters get up to "All In The Name Of Art" and hey I'm sure you'll agree I am crazier than most. But before I regale you all with my latest tale...I have to say a big thank you for all your congrats e-mails and comments on Facebook...yes I was utterly gobsmacked and ever so humbled to get another Blogworthy Link from my Heroes...

the guys that inspire me each and every day...the sweethearts that are Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi and oh boy I have to admit to shedding a little tear or if truth be told...blubbing like a babe...so a big thank you guys for turning another frazzled day in the run up to Christmas into one that was very special...love you loads.
But back to the latest cubbyhole crew adventure which kicked off when I decided at 4pm on a dark cold windy afternoon last week that I needed some small pine cones for my last DT project of the year. Now I know that Mr TH has a fabulous die that I could have used but for some reason unbeknown to man I got it into my noodle that nothing but the real thing would do...so armed with a big torch and my trusty furry partner we set off in pursuit. Not the best idea ever...it was definitely a bit spine chilling and scary walking through a pitch black forest with the wind howling through the trees and my mind playing spooky tricks so we abandoned Plan A and hightailed it out of there.
Time to implement Plan B...bright and early the next morning we were back in hot pursuit of the little blighters but it soon became apparent that the Furry Boy wasn't going to be much help...obviously his retrieving skills don't run to pine cones...after all they aren't edible so no way was he going to be interested in joining in the hunt and why oh why can't he stay on the path instead of taking shortcuts through all the muddy areas...

where are we going to find pine cones....where there are conifers of course...

and voila...

but like all the fruits of the forest they tuck themselves away in inaccessible places...nothing else for it to be get down on my hands and kness and scramble through the undergrowth to retrieve the treasure...

What I didn't realise is these beauties were home to hundreds of microscopic little beasties who were a bit miffed at being evacuated from their home and were running hither and thither on my workdesk looking for an alternative place to snuggle up for winter...little did they know it would be Mr Dyson's tummy.
All we need to complete our adventurous project are some tealights...a piece of cake quick trip to M&S and we've cracked it.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

It's All About Planning...

Hi folks...crikey it ain't even Christmas yet and already I'm thinking about what's happening in 2014 in the crafty department...an e-mail from Fiskars with the dates for Stitches and the Hobbycraft Show at The NEC in March sent the logistical department into a bit of a tizz. But everything runs more smoothly with a little bit of planning so before I even contemplate samples and workshop projects...I needed to hop on over and make the necessary arrangements with Mr Flybe to get there.

Usually a piece of cake...hop online...tick a few boxes and Bob's your uncle...on this occasion a bit of a nightmare.  The old computer was having none of it...freezing...crashing and playing silly beggars and just when I thought I was home and dry with the first flight...Mr Flybe turned up his nose at my credit card...3 attempts at entering that great long number which I now know off by heart and all the other security details before I got confirmation my bum had been allocated a seat.

And silly me for thinking it was a one off computer blip...major catastrophe when I logged in again to book the flight to Hobbycraft...up popped Mr Dell Diagnostics with a critical warning...in not so many words...it seems the old computer is on it's last legs and I fear he needs replacing...crikey please don't die right now was going through my head.  So I switched off...switched on again with everything crossed...softly softly catchey monkey...whispering words of encouragement instead of my usual "oh for goodness sake...get on with it" atitude...breathing a huge sigh of relief that I won't be walking to Birmingham after all.
I don't have time to go and shop for a new computer right now so it looks like I'll be lavishing the old boy with lots of TLC and crossing my fingers that I can keep him going into 2014.
And there's more grumpy news...what popped through the letterbox last week might well put the scuppers on January's planned samples and workshop projects...a Jury Citation for the High Court...a real spanner in the works...who knows how long I'll be there sitting twiddling my crafty thumbs doing nothing but listening to the evidence and the High Court bit tells me I could be in for the long haul...it's definitely not going to be "a 5 minute...you've stolen a sandwich from Tesco" session that's for sure...here's hoping the powers that be take one look at this crazy old biddy and decide I'm not jury material.

See you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx

Just For The Kids...

Hi folks...my lovely buddies Mary and Andrea from The Ribbon Girl have decided to hold a special challenge "Just For Kids...16 and under"...

CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS CRAFT CHALLENGE 2013

"We know lots of you like to make cards or do various other crafts when your Mums, Aunties, Grandmas, Nannas, carers and big sisters and so on are all making cards or colouring in so we thought it would be nice to have a special challenge JUST FOR KIDS!   

The challenge will run until 9pm (UK time) on Saturday 28th December"

"The winners will be announced on New Years Eve - we're sure you will have some time to fill in before Christmas and maybe some spare time between Christmas and New Year - you might even be hoping to get some new craft things in your stocking and this is a great opportunity to put them to good use"

There are 3 fabulous prizes up for grabs...

"The winners will have their project displayed The Ribbon Girls blog, on The Ribbon Girl Facebook Page and on the front page of The Ribbon Girl online store website on 1st January 2014"

You can enter any type of project, for example you could make a card - could be a thank you card, a birthday card, a get well soon card, you can do a drawing or painting, a piece of knitting, crochet or sewing - in fact, any type of craft you like to do as long as it is your own work.  No need to send us the project, just  ask an adult to photograph it for you and put your project on their craft blog so they can enter it for you using the inlinkz button below - don't worry if you don't have a blog, just get an adult to email a photo of your project to Mary and she will enter it for you - let us have your name, age and an email address so we can make contact if you are chosen as the winner"

So come on kids...get... CRAFTING

I'll be back later to share the latest cubbyhole DISASTER DARLING !!

Hugs Kath xxx

Fun...fun...fun

Hi folks...time to share a fun afternoon at the last Workshop of the year with lots of happy "never made a card before" folks...

they were great fun and absolute crafty superstars...

thanks to my two Christmas Elves...Chris and Jill aka The Catering Crew...

and here's what we made...

I kept it fairly simple for their first dabble into the world of papercrafting but they all took to it like ducks to water finishing half an hour ahead of schedule meaning there was time for more coffee and cake...think I might have to up the ante for next time girls...

And the very last Christmas card for 2013 for the special little people in my life...the adorable grandkiddies...

See you all tomorrow and beware Mrs Moaning Minnie has her grumpy hat on

Hugs Kath xxx

Hoop-de-doo-de-doo News...

Hi folks..I'm all of a flutter...excited excited to share the news that my lovely buddy Enfys and yours truly will be heading to Leeds on the 25th January to do an all day workshop at Craftwork Cards...I can't wait...guaranteed to be a day filled with fun and laughter and it would be lovely if you could join us.

KATH & ENFYS 

GREAT BRITISH CRAFT WORKSHOP

Join our very own 'Mel and Sue' for our Great British Craft Workshop on Saturday 25th January at our Factory Outlet, Unit 6-8 Willow Court, Lotherton Way, Garforth, Leeds. This fun filled day of papercrafting magic takes place from 9:30am to 4pm.

Enjoy fabulous workshops with Design Team members, Kath Stewart and Enfys Cashmore on this special day creating beautiful cards and a keepsake project.

Everything is provided to complete the projects, all you need to bring is a basic tool kit.  The workshops are perfect for beginners through to the more advanced crafter and you will pick up lots of hints, tips and techniques throughout the day.

The day includes a lovely buffet lunch and refreshments are available throughout the day and there will be 'spot prizes' to add to the fun!

We have a shop that is filled with a range of our gorgeous crafting goodies, so you can shop to your hearts desire!

The cost of this special day is £30 so why not come with a friend? Book your seats now as space is limited.

So what are you waiting for...a great way to unwind after the stresses of Christmas in the company of lots of lovely crafty folks and a chance to play with fabulous Craftwork Cards goodies...a sneaky peek of what we'll be using for one of the projects...yes it's the gorgeous and stunning Correspondence Collection...

I'll see you all tomorrow to share my fun fun Christmas Workshop with lots of super duper crafty superstars.

Hugs Kath xxx

Christmas Gremlins...

Hi folks...just when I thought it was safe to stick my head above the parapet...the Christmas gremlins seem to have moved in...after all it is Friday the 13th...all day unfortunately. Perhaps it's payback time for feeling smug...oh yes the Christmas preparations were going so well and silly me for thinking that I might be lazing around in the last few run up days...chilling out with Mr Buble...indulging in a latte or two and more Costco Mince Pies than are good for me.
It seems that technology and anything electrical is out to get me...the Christmas Tree lights kicked it all off...now you would think that hubby might have tested them before draping them around the tree...apparently not and yes you've guessed switch on was a bit of a damp squib...not even one little teeny weeny flicker of light let alone the huge sparkly glow I was expecting.  And guess who had to dash to the shops to get another set...remove the first and redrape the replacements (and yes I did test them) before hanging the decs...

and this year's addition to the bauble collection...a pressie from the grandkiddies from their trip to Disneyland Florida...

I did tell you that the baubles on my tree are a real mixture collected over the years...this one from the store at the Statue of Liberty...rather huge and a bit over the top but hey who cares...it brings back wonderful memories of fabulous trips to NYC...

and an old favourite...a set of six gorgeous suede bells which actually ring...bought from...yes you've guessed...good old M&S...more years ago than I care to remember...

I have a sneaky feeling the printer may be on it's last legs...likely to be heading to the nearest skip and the old "hissy fit" computer may well be joining it if it doesn't pull it's socks up...in the meantime there is some GOOD news...the Christmas Cakes are baked and I'm thinking perhaps I should cut myself a slice...just a test you understand in case the Christmas Gremlins have been playing havoc with the oven.

I'll see you all tomorrow to share some hoop-de-doo exciting news

Hugs Kath xxx

Thinking Of You At Christmas...

Hi folks...time to share the Christmas Cards that I find the most difficult to make...for the friends in my life who have lost loved ones during the year...somehow Merry or Happy Christmas just doesn't seem appropriate and I know that for all of them Christmas this year will be tough...

clean and simple...using the gorgeous snowflake stamps and dies from my lovely buddy Paula...a flittering of glitter...a few gems and the perfect sentiment from Hero Arts...

On a happier note...I'm off to have fun this afternoon at my Christmas Workshop and I've been promised coffee and cake...definitely the way to this crafter's heart and talking of cake...this morning's task..making the Christmas cakes and while they're baking...perhaps a little bit of decking the halls.

Toodle oo for now and I'll see you all tomorrow

Hugs Kath xxx