Little Claire Girl Cat!

Good Evening All,  hope you are all well and keeping warm and cosy in this still very cold weather.  We had a fall of snow overnight but by mid morning it had gone and it continued to be a beautiful sunny day, but really cold.

Firstly, I would like to welcome my latest followers, it is good to have you visit and I hope you will enjoy what you find here, and secondly, a Big Thank You to all who visited and left comments on my last card, I read every one and very much appreciate the encouraging words.

This is just going to be a short post tonight as I've had a very long day at work as I was working late and really I'm getting too past it to do a 9hour day, especially as staff are stretched due to illness, so once I've posted my card I'm off to bed.

So here it is;

This is one of the new stamps from Little Claire and I think it's an awfully sweet image, coloured with Promarkers.  I've used papers from LOTV, Candles and Cake Nitwits paper pad, Core-ordinations card, MB border die and Fabulous phlox die, American Seam Binding from The Ribbon Girl, pearls and gems from my stash, and Star Dust.
I've left off the sentiment as this card is just for my box and I think it would do for various occasions, and just lately I've had to take off seniments as the card I decided to use had a sentiment which didnt' fit.
Hope you like it,  so Good Night and hope to be back soon.
Kate x

The Love Boat!

Good Evening All, well the weekend is almost over once again, goes so quickly doesn't it.  I hope what ever you were doing you enjoyed it.  To those who are affected by the awful weather, I do hope you are managing to keep warm and safe when out in it.  I see on the news that there many houses with out electricity, hope it's not any of you good folk..

Thank you to all who left comments about my last card, and thanks to for taking the time to visit, even although you might not have left any comment.

This is just a quick post tonight and I have a card finished earlier  here it is:

This is a LOTV stamp, The Love Boat and I thought it would be just right for a young couples anniversary card. Hunkydory Adorable Scorable and Core-dinations card then  layered with papers, flowers and butterfly from Dovecraft Princess Fairytale.
Coloured with Promarkers and pencils, sentiment is also Hunkydory, Hessian and ribbon from The Ribbon Girl, Papermaina gems. A little bit of Star Dust for sparkle.

I'm afraid the colours haven't shown up too well, they are shades of teal and a little lemon.

That's it folks, hope you like it,
Good Night, Kate x

Time to Go!

Good Afternoon Blogging Friends, what perishing weather we are having, and my thoughts really go out to all of you who have the snow and blizzards.  We up here in Inverness have had snow flurries not really coming to much, but oh so cold, with a biting wind.  So I hope you are all keeping safe, warm and cosy and if you can't manage out, you'll get lots of crafting done.

I'd like to welcome my latest follower, Sue, and hope that you will enjoy visiting my blog.  Thanks to all who left comments yesterday.

Now I must tell you of the fabulous pendants that I received from Patricia at http://patricia-summerhousecrafts.blogspot.co.uk/ They are simply stunning and made by Patricia and her sister Hazel to raise money for Maggie's unit in Ninewells hospital in Dundee.  Some of you might already know about this, but I just wanted to mention it here in case anyone would like to see them.  Patricia has a photo on her blog.
In reality though the pendants are so much more as the work that goes into them and the story of how they came to be made is marvellous.  If you are looking for an extraordinary gift for someone, or, even if you want to treat yourself, have a look at them, and remember it all goes to a good cause as Patricia and Hazel only use some of the money to buy more materials.

So to my card today, made for our Operations Manager who is now leaving the Organisation, he has had some health problems and I think that he feels that now it's time to go.  He will be missed.  Here is what I came up with;

I've used a clock stamp from Kanban and distressed it with ink, Core-ordination card, Papermania papers, Kanban gold foiled paper, sentiment computer generated, and some card candy.

I've kept it fairly simple, I hope he will like it.

That's me for now. working tomorrow so don't know if I will manage to get another card made over the remainder of the weekend.
Enjoy your weekend,  Kate x

I'm Still Here!

Hello Everyone,  I'm still here, just not managing to get much crafting done.  It seems an age since I last posted so, although I have no card to show or even some knitting, I thought I'd better let you know I'm still in the land of the living.

Thank you one and all who left comments on my last blog, very much appreciated, and I always find them so encouraging.
I've been trying to keep up with all your creations and news and have loved everything I viewed, some really inspirational work from all you talented folk.
Please forgive if I've missed any of your posts but, I've had some trouble with my PC system, I couldn't access any of your blogs, every time I clicked on them I was told the server failed to find.  I don't know what the problem was and I was blaming the fact that I'd signed up to Bloglovin and maybe it wasn't all compatible, anyhow I've managed to get it fixed, even that is a mystery to me.

We have been very busy at work, illness strikes again, which overloads those staff members who are remaining to make sure the project can open, so I'm afraid I was just too tired to really do all that much in the way of crafting.  I do however have some photos to show you and hope you like;

 I have Grand pets, not Grandchildren and here are two of them, Toby who is a Horsefield Tortoise and really quite small, he's awfully cute and friendly, and Molly, who is just a big spoiled doggie.  As Damian, my son and his partner Moreen have no children they have lots of pets so hence the Grand pets, but as I love animals too I play along with it. Damian has a few lizardy creatures, a corn snake and fish, there are also 3 wonderful cats, who don't like their photos taken.

Then there's me, taken today at Culloden Battlefield, it was perishing certainly blew the cobwebs away this morning.  We had planned to walk round it, but it was  too cold, thankfully the Battlefield is just up the road from our house so we didn't have far to go to find a warm drink.  It's just dawned one me that I have no photo of me on my blog this is the only one,  pity, it's not so good because surely I must look better than this, oh well, we can't all be photogenic.

I hope to have a card tomorrow, I've been asked to make a couple for a friend so I will have to get cracking.
I'll love you and leave you, and hope you all have a good weekend, I've got two days off to recharge my batteries and unfortunately, Patricia, Wilma, hazel had to cancel their visit because of the horrendous weather, so I'll have no excuse to slack with the card making.

Bye for now,  Kate x

Love ya!!

Good Afternoon Everyone, and I hope it is a nice day where you are, raining cats and dogs up hear and so dull, mind you better than snow.
I hope you are all well and for those who are not so good today for whatever reason, sending hugs and best wishes for you feeling better soon.
Thank you to all who visited me and left kind comments and thanks also to Marie-Louise and Erika about the wax paper to help release Spellbinders dies.  I duly purchased some from Joanna Sheen and it arrived yesterday, so I'm all good to go. Would also like to welcome my latest follower, Susan, great to have you visit me and I hope you like what I do.

Well, I managed to get the kitchen cleaning finished, I lest the most awkward cupboard till last, tackled it this morning, and almost wrenched my back in the process as it's a corner cupboard and the door doesn't go right back so there is hardly any space to manoeuvre properly and with short arms this all added to why it is a cupboard that doesn't get looked all that often.  Couldn't ask for hubby's help as he has pulled a muscle in his back lifting a table in his shed and is in quite a bit of pain.  Honestly, we are a pair of old crocks. Nevertheless, I feel as if I've achieved all I had planned for my time off, and even although I'm back at work tomorrow I still feel as if I've had a rest.

So on to my latest card;

I just love this Mo Manning digi image, I think she is gorgeous and I've coloured with Promarkers and used papers from LOTV, Nitwits Promises.Sentiment from Little Claire, Core-ordinations, Hessian from The Ribbon Girl, Pearls from Riverbank Revels range, Tonic flower punches, ribbon from  my box, finishing off with Star Dust.
Nobody in mind for this one, so into my box it will go and await to see who need a card.  I think this could be for a few occasions, anyway hope you like it.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

http://mosdigitalchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/challenge-176-pearls-ribbon-wmo-image.html
http://ilovepromarkers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ribbons-and-bows-at-i-promarkers.html

Where's the Mountain!

Good Evening Everyone, gosh Friday again aren't the weeks just flying by, frightening really.
Hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend doing what ever you like doing best.  I got some of the kitchen cleaned, left the two most horrid cupboards, I'll tackle them tomorrow, normally I'll do the worst tasks first but for some reason I couldn't start with these ones this morning, I think Alistair was in my way....blame him anyway.

My card today is for a work colleague who is having a hip replacement done and he is a bit like Alistair in that he loves the mountains and has climbed just about everywhere in the world worth climbing.  He was really very apprehensive about the op, but he knows it worked out really well for Alistair who is now fitter than ever.  Here is the card;

I have used one of Alistair's photos of a mountain, it is Scurr na Lapic, with snow, and photocopies one of his maps, however as Alistair was out I couldn't ask where this mountain was so that I could use the correct map, so the map bares no relevance to it.  Pete will spot the mistake right away, I put it down to yet again one of my little signatures.
So, Little Claire The Great Outdoors stamp set,  Pete Promarkered up and cut out, rucksack and boot embellishments from my box. sentiments from Kirsty Wiseman with a bit of distressed ink.
I've used this stamp set quite often now as you can imagine we have a lot of outdoor men friends and thankfully manage to do something different each time.  I am really quite pleased with how this has turned out.

That's all for tonight folks, enjoy your weekend, hope you get lots of crafting done or if your at the Harrogate show have a great time buying lots of crafting goodies,

Kate x

Flowers and Butterflies!

Good Evening All,  How are you all tonight?  I hope everyone is managing to keep warm, we've hit Winter again it seams and I found it really difficult staying warm today and I was in the house.

Anyway, took myself and a friend to lunch today which was lovely and caught up on all the news, then she had to go off to work and as she works in the same place as I do, I had a huge amount of sympathy for her, but it is her turn to be off next week.

Apart from starting the cleaning in the kitchen, which is part of the "Big Plan" for my holiday, I've not done much else, except make a card for one of my clients who will celebrate a land mark birthday in May. So here it is;

I've used the Flower head Stamp from Little Claire, coloured with Promarkers  and cut out.  Papers and Doily  are from Dovecraft, Princess Fairytale, Sentiment from Hunkydory, Sizzix Butterfly die, Pearls from WO, Frosted lace Sparkles around flower and Glamour Dust on Butterflies.

I hope the lady likes this, she is a bit ambivalent about turning 60 so I didn't put an age on it.
I would like to enter this into;   http://wildorchidchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/challenge-72a-sketch.html
Off now to settle down to do some knitting and watch Robin Hood, Oh I do like Russell Crow when he's in costume.
Bye for now, Kate X

Take it Easy!

Good Afternoon Blogging Friends and I hope you are all well and keeping warm.  There is still some snow about, and we have had a bit of a flurry this morning, and it's darkening over as I sit here so my guess is that there will be a bit more.

Thank you to all who visited yesterday and left comments, especially taking the time to read my story.

It's so lovely to have a few days off work, even although I have plans to give the house a good clean, with working full time there are areas that just have to be left for a bit, you know how it is ladies.  My hubby does do his bit, but it's as quick as he can get things finished so he can get out to play. He is away out to play just now, just before he he left he asked if I needed him to do anything, but as he was standing at the door, in full cycling gear, helmet and gloves on, not to mention the Lycra......no I won't mention the Lycra, except to say not a good look,  the question was not for me to take seriously. Anyway he's away for the afternoon, and I am so enjoying listening to Classic FM, I don't get the chance that often, it's wonderful.

My card for today has been made for a friend who has just had a major heart attack, in fact the hospital told him that if he had gone home when he felt "not too good", he would not be here today, and thank goodness for the little cottage hospital in Dingwall who acted so quickly made this wee card in getting him up to Raigmore.  He is only in his late 40s.  So as we can't get up to see him just at the moment;

Little Claire stamp coloured with Promarkers, shades of brown Co-ordination card, sentiments also LC, papers, First Edition Desert blooms and Riverbank Revels, a few pearls from mu box and a little Star Dust.

I've  just noticed that I've not lined up my stamped image onto the brown card well at all, oh well, I just put it down to my signature to get something not quite right.

Signing off now, away to get some homemade soup that Alistair made yesterday.
Have a good day everyone,   Kate x

The Lost Balloon!

Good Evening All, hoping you have had a good day and that the weather wherever you are has been kind to you.   We had quite a fall of snow Sunday night so woke up to a winter wonderland, which is lovely if you don't have to go out in it, I did  and waited ages for the bus to get to work because the roads were quite bad.  However, the sun came out and melted the snow and it was pretty clear by the time I was going home.  Glad about this as I had to go to choral practise and I hate having to go down the big hill in bad conditions. Bitterly Baltic though.

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last card, I always look forward to reading them, and can I say a warm welcome to my latest follower, Debby 4000.

My card today is using a lovely LOTV stamp called the lost balloon, and when I saw this I had to have it as it brings back a very early childhood memory.,  I'll show the card first before I tell my wee story;

I've used a 5x7 base card(decided I don't like this shape, prefer square shaped cards), coloured with Promarkers, LOTV sentiment, Papers and everything else from Riverbank Revels range,  glossy accents on balloons and Star Dust on the bunnies tails.

Now are you sitting comfortably?,  once upon a time, a little girl named Catherine was taken by her mum to the local clinic to have injections.  Poor little Catherine wasn't very happy about this and cried especially when the big bad nurse called Nurse Millar stuck a needle into her arm.  Catherine cried and cried, it would seem that nothing would console her, well she was very little, about 18months or so and didn't understand that this pain was for her own good.  Well then the big bad nurse, who wasn't really all that bad gave her a big balloon.  Catherine stopped crying immediately, was thrilled with her new balloon, so off mum and little girl went and whilst walking in the countryside, Catherine let the string of her balloon out of her little had and it flew away, she watched it going further and further into the sky never to be seen again.  Catherine was inconsolable, mum tried everything to to comfort her  but to no avail, so much so that she cried herself to sleep.

A few years ago,  I had a Taro Reading, it was a bit of fun, and, the lady by reading the cards I'd chosen told me I had real issues about loss and that I had had a devastating loss as a very young child, yep, you've guess it I'm Catherine, and I thought it's that dammed balloon that started it all, life went downhill from that point!!
This is just a little story to entertain, however it is true, and the amazing thing is that I have such an early memory, what isn't in my memory is the balloon's colour.  Every time see a balloon flying away I always think my own one which flew off in to the blue yonder.   So I just love this wee image.

If you've stayed with me and read to the end of my story, well done, hope I've not bored you all.

I'm away now to have a coffee put my feet up and enjoy my time off work until next Monday, yippee, I'm on holiday,
have a good evening,  Kate x
I would like to enter this card into; http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/launch-of-our-new-challenge-site.html

Tulip Cat!

Good Morning Everyone and a Happy Mother's Day!

Well I'm off to work in a wee while so that's how I'll be spending mine, enough said.

Thank you all so much for the comments on my last card, I really do appreciate them.

This will be a short post today as I have one or two things I need to attend to before I'm for the off  so here is my card for today;

Another of LC's latest launch, I've coloured with Pormarkers, and used Xcut dies to matt the image.  papers are from First Edition Desert Blooms, and co-ordination card in shades of brown. Desires Border die, sentiment LOTV, WO flowers, The Ribbon Girl for ribbon , pearls and charm, finishing up with Star Dust for sparkle.
I think this is such a lovely stamp and can see it being used in lots of ways.

Anyway, that's me for now, enjoy your Sunday
Kate x

Butterfly Kisses!

Hello Everyone, back at last.  It seems ages since I last posted anything and that's because I've not managed to do any crafting.  I find by the time I get home from work and this last week I worked two late nights, I'm not fit for much, and I was pretty brain dead as we have had a cracker of a week at work.

However, thanks to my new toy, a Tablet, I've managed to keep up with your blogs and what wonderful creations I've been seeing.  These new Tablets are just great as I can use it from my bed in the wee small hours when I can't sleep, I just have to remember to put the sound off so that it doesn't waken up Alistair with the jingle when switched on.

Thank you one and all for all the comments on my last card, I do look forward to reading them, and can I just say to all those folk who visit and don't leave a comment, please do, because I would like to visit you and I would hate to miss your wonderful work.

So, I have managed to make a card, here it is;

I've used one of the new stamps from Little Claire called Butterfly Blossom, the sentiment is another LC from their Bright Blue Skies stamp. Base card is also LC.  Promarkers for colouring,  Nitwits Candles and Cake paper pad from LOTV, Lilac Co-ordination card,  image stamped on to white card and cut with Xcut Butterfly die.  Pearls and gems from The Ribbon Girl and flowers from my box.  Star Sust and Waterfall Sparkles.

Just another for my box.

Enjoy your weekend,  Kate x

I would like to enter this into;  http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/challenge-84-flowers.html

You're So Tweet!

Goo Afternoon All, Monday again, where does the weekend fly off to!  I'm still on a day off so I don't have that awful Monday morning blue feeling, that will happen tomorrow when I go back to work.

I hope you are all well and have had a good weekend.  We have had some rather good weather over the last few days and it makes for brighter spirits.
Thank you for the comments on Alistair's Sock Blocks, he is delighted you like them.  I am so lucky to have him be able to make things for me.  When he was still at work for Community Service, he was a Projects Officer and he looked for projects which the clients could to do for the community.  He didn't think that it would help to rehabilitate people if they were sent to to the most horrible task, he wanted them to experience meaningful work which may lead them to having a sense of achievement and self worth. Not a principle held by all of his bosses, but nevertheless Alistair forged ahead with is plans.  The scheme reached 100% attendance rates, never before happened, and a few of the folk went on to either college or managed to get jobs. Of course there was always going to be those who are habitual offenders, who will never become good citizens, every society has them, but you can't give up on people because of that.
Unfortunately, when Alistair retired, the powers that be, who have no vision at all, have managed to run the scheme into the ground, and all the hard work Alistair put in is long forgotten, not thankfully by the elderly folk who had gardens created, and logs cut for them, playgroups who benefited by various projects, the Hospice, and other charity organisations who were able to make money from all the lovely, planters, picnic tables and various other wooden items made by "the boys and lasses" as he called them, many of whom had no idea that they had skills which could be used for the good of others.
Community Service in Inverness is now a much poorer scheme for the want of a man with, empathy and vision.

Anyway, that's my Alistair for you, but enough about him, here is my card for today;

This is just a little card which I tried to replicate from the Little Claire examples using their new Club Stamp.
Didn't work, so this is my version.All the card and paper arrived with the stamp.  Coloured with Promarkers, and I've added gems and paper flowers and a button which are from the New Riverbank Revels range. Star Dust to give it a bit of a sparkle.
Just one for my box.  Hope you like it.
Well that's all for me today and it might be a few days before I get back to posting again, but when I get an opportunity I'll be popping in to see what you're doing.
Have a good day
Kate x

Sock Blockers!

Hello Everyone and I do hope you are enjoying your Sunday.
Thanks to all who commented on my last card, I look forward to reading them and appreciate the time you give to visiting.

I have had a really lovely afternoon knitting and watching Les Miserables on the TV, not the glossy new one obviously, but one that was made a number for years ago going by the amount of actors who are no longer around.  I have never read Victor Hugo's book, so I only knew a little of what the story was about, it has now encouraged me to read it, so I must see if I can get it on my Kindle.  I didn't managed to go and see the new film when it was here in Inverness, but i did enjoy this version, and I got a bit of my latest socks done.  I was so frustrated yesterday as I had to rip out one and a half socks, It looked as if I wasn't going to have enough yarn to complete the other sock, so annoying.  I didn't check the yardage of my yarn, I just assumed that 100g would do the job.  Anyway, I've now started again with other yarn which I have to say I like better.  But look what I have for you today, Sock Blockers.... my very clever husband made them for me as he thought it nonsense to pay around £25 for the small size and you only get one.  He had a look at what I needed and hey presto, I've now got a small and a medium set of Blockers.  It makes such a difference to the sock especially if for a gift, which most of mine are.  I'm so delighted with them I thought I would show them here;

Well, I've no card for you today, I began one last night but I quickly realised it was going nowhere, so it's been abandoned for now. I also don't know why my typing has suddenly  gone on to center mode.

That's me for today, off to bring in the washing and make a start on the dinner.

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend

Kate x

Marsha; Another Mother's Day Card!

Hello Everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying this turn in the weather making it quite Springlike, at least I hope it is where ever you are.
Thank you to everyone who left comments on my last card, I look forward to reading them and appreciate each and every one.

Well, I'm feeling a bit better, still not 100 per cent, but I ask myself "will I ever at this age?", so I am going to attempt to go back to work tomorrow, it's my little craft group in the morning and although it's only "bring your own" it would be a pity if the Cottage couldn't open due to short staff.  There will only be myself and Susan the manager on tomorrow, then I'm off for two days, so surely I can get through a day.

Anyway, here is the other Mother's Day card, this one is for Karen' mum. see what you think of it,

Karen had seen this particular image before and had said it was the kind of thing her mum would like, so I thought I would turn it into a Mother's Day card.
You may have seen it before- its from .aciddropsandwhatnots.co.uk
This is the image my hubby thought suited the name of Marsha, coloured her with Promarkers, added a shacking of Glamour Dust to her wrap and feather in hat. Base card I cut out with a large Xcut die, never done that before and didn't know if I would manage it, I'm used to sticking to mainly square cards.  Papermania Art Deco paper and black card, feathers and gold gems also from Art Deco range, sentiment comp generated. I've gone around edges with Weathered Wood Distress ink, not sure why.

So there you are, this is my contribution today, if I don't get back to posting over the weekend, I wish you a great weekend whatever you're doing.

Kate x