Aran Cushion Cover!

Hello Everyone, hoping today finds you all well.

We have had some awful blustery weather today, with some sunshine in between, wouldn't like to be at sea today.

I would like to offer a warm welcome to my latest follower, Karen, it's lovely to have you visit my blog.  I get really excited when I find someone new because it means that I have a look at what you do and that leads me off into a wonderful journey of more inspiration.

Just a short post today, and instead of a card I'm showing the Aran cushion cover that I was trying to finish for part of my son and daughter-in-laws Christmas.  Well I didn't make it, and in fact when we were with them on Christmas day, I noticed that Moreen had lovely new cushions. That said, the knitting finally got finished and I've kept it, so here it is;

This is the back which is just stocking stitch,

It's a lovely pattern and not at all difficult, but I found it difficult to concentrate, and Alistair would just have to ask if I wanted a cuppa and it would throw me off count. 
It is knitted in Sidar Aran and it's a brown fleck shade, doesn't show well here.

I've got yet more socks on the pins and hopefully will finish them soon.  Can't knit for long these days as I have tennis elbow and my arm gets quite painful, Old Age!!
That's all for now, hope to be back soon,
Happy Crafting, whatever it is you do,
Kate x

Adventure Guy!

Hello Blogging Friends,  I hope your Sunday has been a good one.  We have had rain, wind and sunshine today, in fact, just what was forecast, but we went for a walk in North Kessock, and blew away the cobwebs and it was really lovely, on the way home however, the rain began again.  Hope you have good weather wherever you are.

Thanks to all who left comments on my last card, I do appreciate every one of them.

I've managed to produce a few cards today, on a roll, I guess, I won't have the same opportunity during the week as I will be at work. Here is one of them;

This card is for yet another of our friends who is an outdoor guy.

I have so much use out of  the Little Claire Outdoor stamp set, here I've used elements from the set as embellishments, the main image is by the wonderful Mo Manning, all coloured with Promarkers. LOTV sentiment, Kraft card and Core'dinations card, Paper from Nitwits, it's xmas paper, and card candy.  Found a bit of map I'd photocopied for one of my other cards so used that. The little sentiment on the main image comes with the LC stamp set, and it is just right for Graeme, in fact all of Alistair's friends do "enjoy every moment" when they are off doing their thing.

It's always difficult to find an image for a man's card, especially if the person is interested in  pursuits other than footy, wish I could find something with a Canadian canoe, cos that's one of the other things they do, so if anyone out there knows of any, I would love to hear of it.

That's me for today, off to pour myself a small G&T and devote myself to getting dinner ready.
Enjoy what's left of the weekend,  Kate x

A Glamorous Shoe For Sarah!

Good Afternoon Everyone.  Hoping you are all enjoying your Saturday, whatever you're doing.
Thank you for all your lovely comments on the previous cards, I will be telling the two people who made them that their cards were very much liked.
I've been trying to catch up with housework, no matter how much you put it off, eventually needs must.  We have had a lovely day up here, not so cold and some sunshine so at least I've managed to get washing out, and I did the ironing whilst watching "To Kill a Mocking Bird", a fantastic film, in my opinion, and with Gregory Peck, whom I just love.  Ahhh, they don't make movie stars like him any more.

Anyway, I've got a card which is a request for a daughter's 18th birthday;

For a young lady who likes shoes, and who doesn't, I've used a digi from Justinklined, and colours with pastels and distressed inks.  Paper is First Edition, Noir et Chic, and grey core'dination card. numbers by LC, Marianne Happy Birthday die, letters from Tim Holtz.  Feathers from Papermania Art Deco range, pearl Pins and flowers from WO. gems from my box of stuff and loads of Glamour Dust.

I had fun doing this, I hope she likes it.
That's all from me today, hope to be back soon.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend

Hugs, Kate X

Butterfly Wishes!

Good Evening Blogging Friends,  I hope this evening finds you well and that you've had a good day.
Thank you so much to all who have commented on my last card, love reading them and hugely appreciate your time in visiting my blog.

This is just a quick post tonight to let you see a couple of cards made by two of my clients whilst at the little craft group I run at work.  We are only a few, and sometimes it's a bring your own, whatever that might be, craft, some folk bring knitting or cross stitch, and at other times we make cards.  As there is no funding to do this I just use my own stash and everyone pays a £1 which we save in the hope that at some point we can buy basic materials. I am a firm believer in the therapeutic benefits of crafting of any kind and it is quite plain to see that my clients really enjoy the couple of hours spent doing this, especially the card making as they go off with their own creation and feeling good about achieving it. Here are the two cards;

Once again the photos are not great, sorry, maybe one day I'll manage to take better ones.
The cards were made with a selection of Hunkydory Button Cute crafting kit, and gems, ribbons and lots of sparkle.
Although I made suggestions, really everyone designed there own card and had quite definite ideas. One card was for a sister's 60th and the other for a girlfriend.  Yes there are two guys in the group.

So there we are, just a little taste of what I do some of the time at work.
Hope to be back soon
Good Night, Kate x

Gardening Grandad!

Well it's good to be back, it seems such a long time since my last post.  I hope everyone is well and I can see that most of your are happily crafting away, going by the lovely creations on your blogs, I've tried to keep up with them at least.

My best'est friend, Dale, and hubby, Stewart came for a visit and brought their little Grandson Kerr, at the weekend and it was full steam ahead.  Kerr is only 9 and such a great wee lad and so interested in the things that Alistair is interested in so we planned his time here with lots to do, looking for fossils, going to the observatory, an Egyptian exhibition at the local museum, none of which we could do due to snow and the museum being closed on Mondays.  It was turning in to a bit of a disaster for him as he was all geared up for it. However, Damian, my son, came to the rescue by taking him to see the exotic animals at his friends sanctuary for rescued beasties.   So, he arrived back grinning from ear to ear and full of it. Weather apart we all had a lovely time, and Dale and I caught up with all each others goings on, and Stewart and Alistair talked none stop from the minute they bid each other Good Morning till saying Good Night, and it was all about politics.  So now they've changed the world.  And they say women can talk.

With all this excitement I didn't manage to get any cards made, but this one tonight is one I was asked to make the other week and hadn't posted, here it is;

Do you know, I can't remember where I got this image, it's a digi one, and when I find out I will let you now, anyway it's coloured with Promarkers. Brown Core'dinations card, free papers from somewhere, LOTV sentiment, Sizzix foliage die, twin from my stash, charm from The Ribbon Girl and some peel off numbers, card candy and a little Glossy Accents on the spade and ho.

It was for an 80th birthday and the feedback was that Grandad loved it.

That's all from me tonight, have a good evening,
Kate x

For You!

Good Evening Everyone and, I hope that your day was a good one.
Thanks to all who visited me and left comments on my last card, I really do love reading them.
This will just be a short post tonight, I am not long in from work, it's been a long day so I'm ready to put my feet up for an hour or so before taking myself off to bed.  I woke up last night at the back of 3am and couldn't get back to sleep, then a 9hr. shift so I'm whacked.

Here is my card;

Another of the new Little Claire stamps coloured as usual with Promarkers, Papers. flowers, button and pearls from Riverbank Revels and core'dinations card. Sizzix border die.  Foliage is MB. ribbon from stash.
I've left off a sentiment, will wait and see what I need a card for.
I like these new LC stamps, the drawings are very sweet, I've still another to ink up.

That's me for tonight, take care all
Hugs Kate x

Lambs and Lighthouses!

Good Afternoon Everyone and I hope it is such a beautiful day where you are as it is for us here in Inverness.  In fact the whole of the Easter weekend has been glorious, pretty cold but the sun has been brilliant.  The best part of it for me is that I'm of a couple of days off work and enjoying every minute.
Yesterday we went to visit our friend who had the heart attack a few weeks ago, he was able to have visitors and is very much improved.  It was great to see him and considering what he's been through, looking so well. however he is trying to come to terms that he has to change his life style. Out goes the smoking and unhealthy food and he will have to rethink his job.  He is a Housing Officer with the local Council and the stress was overwhelming, it's a stressful enough job, but now with all the welfare changes it's even more so.  He would waken up in the middle of the night, thinking about all the vulnerable folk he couldn't find accommodation for, especially women and children needing to get away from abusive husbands. So no wonder he became ill.
  He and his partner live out in the country and have a croft, on which they have all sorts of animals, as you can imagine I just love going there.  Since our last visit they have a fairly rare breed of sheep called, Zwatbles, and they are gorgeous, really friendly.  And this is the best bit, the sheep have lambs.   Now you might think I'm crackers, but it's always been an ambition to cuddle a lamb, so finally, that one is now off the bucket list.   One of the lambs has needed a bit of extra care so he's been bottle fed and here is a photo of that;

He is such a tiny wee thing, much smaller that the others, but so endearing, he is so light weight too, Alistair did snap a photo of me holding him but it didn't come out, which was annoying as you don't see his face as there is a great bottle stuck in it.
So with geese, hens, ducks, dogs and cats, oh and not forgetting the turkeys, I had a great day. 

I managed to make a card too, not really all that creative as it is a kit and I only had to decide where I was putting the bits, but it reflects the good weather......hopefully;

I'm sure you will all recognise this as a Michael Powell image from Docrafts.  Bought last year along with stamps but not used yet.  Anyway, it is a decoupage kit and I've added an anchor charm from The Ribbon Girl, a couple of shells from Nairn beach and a little Star Dust, with Glossy Accents on the light at the topof the lighthouse.
 Thank you one and all for the previous card's comments, I love to read them and really appreciate the time you give my blog.
I'm back to work tomorrow, still short staffed and not looking forward to it, but at least I feel as if my batteries are recharged.

Enjoy the remainder of your holiday weekend, and happy crafting to you all.
Kate x