Kool Kitty Musings

Oh my word

Last night's The Closer on More4.... OMG some absolutely hilarious moments in it - especially considering it's a drama... Detective Provenza cracks me up every week without fail, but last night - eek it just hurt to laugh considering the workout I had at the gym Thursday night (ow the abs) and Friday evening (ow the sides)...

I am seriously, seriously considering getting the box sets on DVD once season 2 is out! Can't wait for more, and I wish they'd repeat season 2 so far at a decent hour as there is still one episode with Brenda's mother in town that I missed.

After my driving lesson today I'm on creative duty for a special little assignment, plus I have a few birthday cards to make, but tomorrow I'm got some work to do - don't you just love it when clients tell you to stop working on something and switch to another more urgent project right now... and then the next day say, um, you know what? Stop that urgent project and get back to what you were doing as it is now even more urgent...

Oh, not had that eh?

Must just be my world! LOL

So the day I spent on urgent project A that is no longer as urgent I need to make up for urgent project B which was urgent, then not, but now is doubly urgent. All clear as mud eh?

Joy, joy... as long as it means I am work free the Easter weekend I am OK with it... so far.

You're a lightweight!

Oooh it's back tonight - a new series of The Apprentice on BBC1 this time... ho-hum - I just hope they don't mess with the format or schedule like they often do when moving a successfully BBC2 show to BBC1... but ooooooh lots of new victims and challenges! :oD

No gymming ce soir due to lack of transportation so although not at a loose end I'm undecided on what I actually do want to do... play with stash, style file (now that new issues of CK and Papercrafts mag are here...), knit, discover a bit more with The Sims Seasons... hm... decisions decisions... I've already had my shopping spree for the day...

One step closer!

Thank heavens for that - I passed my theory test 35 out of 35 on the questions... and a rather decent score for the hazard bit except I nearly had a heart attack when one question was disqualified as I apparently clicked to fast! Gaaah...

But all's well, and I can stop the hypnotic theory test sessions I've been having of an evening when cramming for today with my special software... haaaaaaaaaaaa...

So nice.

Mind you best not rest on my laurels too much, I have a little creative project to get out of the way this weekend and am hoping to play with the KI stamps along with a whole load of other stamps! Just because...

In the meantime think I shall do a bit of knitting tonight - camera battery needs charging so know "in progress" shots or anything just yet. ;o)

Something creative this way comes...

Have you seen?

:oD

I just hope to heck

that I flaming well pass this driving theory test on Tuesday. My brain is completely overloaded - and I know it's not rocket science or anything... but I am rubbish at remembering figures at the moment... LOL

I have interspersed the revision and running of mock exams on the DVD with knitting. Finished the back of the plum/pink bag, and cast on the loopy Moroccan bag (but had to unravel it all at row 13 as I'd some how managed to drop a stitch and couldn't for the life of me correct it so to save me piece of mind I just started it again!

I spent most of yesterday when not revising re-watching 8 hours of The Closer on Virgin on Demand and caught the repeat of the first episode from season 2 just after midnight, alas by 1.25 a.m. I was getting a bit tired and missed the second episode - hopefully another repeat will follow! But I am seriously contemplating purchasing the DVD box sets as I am just not getting tired of rewatching this series. Next week's episode looks a belter, I just love Det. Provenza. hehe

Anyway, I'd best go do a few more mock exams...

From the stamping corner

Well I've concluded that I'll just have to use these ink pads for more subtle effects on light cardstock and stick with the Colorbox Queues for really vivid looks - all is not lost though because the stamp sets are fab-u-lous, just fabulous!!

I am really loving the new size - hoping to get some playtime in this weekend amongst the revision as my driving theory test is on Tuesday and I just feel woefully inept at the moment. :oS

I got a really nice response from KI re my feedback - they're not resending me all the ink pads, wouldn't expect them to really (the said they felt I might have the same issue if they did send them, although it has been brought to their attention and it has been addressed), but they are sending me a "gift" to make up for the disappointment. :oO Bit unexpected eh - and I do like surprises. hehe

I asked if they were planning on releasing re-inkers for the pads as to be honest I think that's how I could totally solve the issues I'm having, they just don't seem to have enough ink in them and when I pressed paper down into the pads then I got a blob of the colour I was more or less expecting. They actually really remind me of the opaque staz-on pads - foam based with sparse ink covering that you just want to top up! Anyway we shall see. Fingers crossed as, I don't want to give up on my pursuit for zinging KI colour in all aspects of my life! LOL

But if you're thinking about getting the stamps - just do it! ;oP

Also today I received my loopy bag knitting kit from the knitting parlour in Malvern - very nice shop to deal with. :o)

They were out of stock of the wools for the colour way I wanted (raspberry and pink as pictured here):

So I plucked for the other option being impatient :oP and went with Morocco beige:

If I manage it I think I'll go shopping for a totally different colour way in the yarn and make a bag for ma.

Hm...

A bit disappointing, I've had another play with the KI ink pads, looked at some photos of them on Lifetime moments where they are pictured live at CHA and compared the colours on in the KI product catalogue, and they definitely are not representative of the colours you'd expect from those... I'm not totally bummed, it's not like I can't use them, they are still nice - but they appear really washed out in real life compared to the catalogue pics.

I've left some feedback for KI on their contact form just to say what I thought about them, and also the packaging which makes them difficult to stack - i.e. they don't! Plus they seem really dry and not at all juicy for dye inks. I had to push down on a number of stamps really hard, the black ink pad... well it's more a grey!

But it's not all negative... the stamps themselves are divine! :oD

So if you are thinking about getting the ink pads, I'd maybe hold off a bit until they've sorted out any manufacturing issues, hope they offer re-inkers as I think my pads could do with a good dollop or two to perk them up!

Oopsie

Erm... maybe I should have shown just a weeeee bit more restraint, as I took delivery of a rather big stash order today.

Comprising mainly new KI stamps oh and all the ink pads... well how was I supposed to choose??

I have to say the alphabet stamps are now the perfect size, the initial fonts they released were a bit big for using on anything but LOs... but my word the fonts are sooo lush and I saw a great idea on 2peas today for layering the bubble letters and disco dots. Yummo!

So photographic evidence?

So the shopping list:

• KI stamps (not the entire range - honest!)
• KI ink pads
• Art Warehouse stamps
• Fontwerks stamps
• MME chipboard
• 7 Gypsies stamp
• Heidi Swapp stamps
• Heidi Swapp giant photo corners - and they really are huge!
• Scenic Route chipboard

Mmmm ink pads!

Alpha stamps :oD

I know - flamingos? What can I say... just too cute to pass up and I really love the designs!

Anyway I've miraculously managed to find a home for all this - once you get rid of the mountain of packaging it honestly doesn't look like all that much... really... ;o)

Oooh

What a strange day - look what greeted me when I got up:

Hm... winter weather and it's been drifting and melting all day! Every time I looked out the window we were experiencing a different weather phenomenon!

Anyway, when I got in my order from Angel Yarns and the Knitting Parlour arrived:

Mmmm... now I just need to decide what I'll knit with them! hehe

Music to my ears

Hurrah!!!

Pink Martini have a brand new album coming out on May 4th - cannot wait!

The new single Hey Eugene (also title song of the album) has had a few airings on Radio 2 and they performed live on GMTV this morning... so wish I was going to seem them in London tomorrow, but hopefully it'll be recorded by the Beeb as they are playing with the BBC concert orchestra.

Oh my goodness...

Contrary to popular belief I have not disappeared off the face of the planet... no I have been locked away all weekend working away round-the-clock on a cool new project and I have just added the finishing touch of glitter to the last page.

Despite feeling completely pooped now (ooooow back ache!) I really like how it's turned out. Hurrah I was starting to think all my scrapping rations had been totally zapped, and the knitting has been very neglected this weekend... Mind you, I did order some circulars and a nice selection of big wool for another bag project - so that kinda makes up for it! :oD

But now I must tidy up and work out how to remove perma herma from carpet. :oO

Good night all!

Oops I nearly forgot

I did some LOs this weekend, didn't just knit you know... well.. mostly I knitted, but that's good as I finished the first side of the bag last night, complete with picot trim (feeling very happy about that!)

Used BG Blush, Cowboy's Ransom alpha stamps, Fancy Pants Pollen Dust, Tree's ink pads, and that's about it really... Handwritten journaling and me are not going to be seeing one another for a while I don't think. :oS

And here, an old pic of Kizia. Just one for the album. Used some of the new Fancy Pants papers, the Pollen Dust stamps and some other random stamps and BG white rub-ons.

Oooer

Knit 2 together, yrn and knit 6, and repeat... It looks like I've managed to get the row with the little eyelets for the drawstring done ok... just want to keep going now, but there's a tricky looking frilly bit coming up in about 10 rows! :oO

Oh, and I spent a considerable amount of moula before breakfast today... KI stamps and inks... oh yes.

{and breathe....}

Progress report

Ok, so we're now on knitting project 2: The Rooster Bag.

It should look like this when finished... when finished...

At the moment, it looks like this:

Or a bit closer:

I did it, I did it, I did it...

It's happy dance time!

I went into Principles. I did it, I entered with purpose and picked up 2 tops to try on including, the top in the window - you know the one I was drooling about. In a size 18 no less...

And it fit! Granted I am currently sporting a rather "mummy to be"-esque paunch, and before anyone asks, no I am not a mummy to be, just retaining water. Mmmhm...

But it is just my colour scheme, will need to get a safety pin to hold the criss-cross bit in place better, don't want anything spilling out, but yep. I have shopped in Principles!

Oh and I bought some wooden knitting needles, size 5.00 mm, just cos, I'm sure I'll need them and it's wrong to leave a wool shop completely empty-handed, but there really wasn't anything else I wanted to buy... which is either very sad, or extremely fortunate. So I will have to badger Judi into telling me where she did her online shopping as she has really nice knitting needles and I am sure I will need some for the Noni bag project... whenever that may happen!

The chicken pizzas are back...

If anyone watched last year's UK Apprentice then you'll shudder in memory of the fiasco that was 320 whole chickens for 300 pizzas, that averages out at over 1 whole chicken to 1 pizza oddly enough - that's a well loaded pizza right?

Well it looks like poor Maureen Lippmann is in charge of the chicken pizzas in Comic Relief Does the Apprentice (Thursday night BBC 2 at 9 p.m.) - must not miss it!

Also they've moved the last week of Masterchef to the new 8.30 p.m. slot so I can get to the gym earlier. My Ozzie snapper fillets are currently waiting to go in the oven mmmm...

Anyway, that's the TV sorted for much of this week. I had a little spree today in Artbase for a number of items I *need* for a new project.

Managed to get some good silhouette shots tonight so that's a relief.

And as promised here are a few shots from Gibside:

A cheeky smile from Gillie

Jean and Claire - look those wine glasses are half full!

Notice Gillie's glass is empty, as is the wine bag.... mmm-hmmm...

Ta-daaa finally the scarf was finished, and it's not all weirdo width - it's more or less the same width throughout... {cough} honest... I didn't aquire too many stitches...

And speaking of acquiring stitches. Poor Bev, I did not photograph the expression when Janice unpicked an entire 2 weeks work of Noro knitting... :oS But Bev is now armed with The Scarf project and looked quite happy to be knitting something where a few dropped stitches won't make a difference!

The beautiful people

Excuse me while I get gushy, but my happy meter has just gone off the scale this weekend.

Sometimes it's all about the beautiful people in your life.

The beautiful people that organise an amazing scrapping weekend and stay up until 3 a.m. to make sure everyone is having a great time - and Bev-lay they did by the way!

The beautiful people who offer to cook for 20 odd ravenous scrappers and spend the days before their holiday to the Caribbean slaving over a hot stove preparing the most amazing feast for them instead of leisurely packing their suitcases.

The beautiful people who never go anywhere empty handed and surprise you with their signature mars bar cake prepared that very morning you're set to head off for 2.5 days of scrapping!

The beautiful people who very patiently wait to finally get their 8 mm knitting needles back after you successfully complete your scarf project and also knit you in a new colour on your new knitting project (The Bag).

The beautiful people who have a loft full of gorgeous yarns and invite you round for a stitch and bitch night to kit you out with stash for the Noni bag you intend to knit very soon!

The beautiful people who offer to record Project Catwalk for you now that Virgin Media are Sky-One-free. It's just 3 episodes but the offer is much appreciated, because you just love seeing Julian McDonald say "I've never seen such a load of sh*t..." in his fabulously facetious Welsh accent.

The beautiful people who give you 2.5 days of non-stop laughter that has meant you've lost your voice from cackling and now sound like a 60 a day smoker...

The beautiful people who compliment you on your work when your mojo seems to have hit rock bottom and totally boost your spirits. They even give you an offer there's no way you'll refuse!

So many beautiful people in my life and it's just so nice to realise that. So many little things made this weekend so special - it's just lovely to realise how lucky and happy you are when you put the brakes on and are liking where life is taking you in the grand scheme.

So in summary, I had a fabulous weekend. I may have only scrapped 2 layouts, but in all honesty it was never about the scrapping really. That's just an added bonus and in fact I now feel very inspired to get my act together, Fi will be happy to hear that at the very least.

Now, I just need to make sure I don't miss tonight's sunset and that'll make one more person happy. ;o)

The Closer Season 2

Oh my god, I just got the shock of my life when my tv reminders from www.tvgenius.co.uk arrived today stating that The Closer is on More4 tonight at 10, and guess what it's the start of Season 2! And I'm going to miss it!!!! :o(

BUT The Closer is BACK people, it's BAAAAAAAAAACK!

As Brenda would say, thank yooooooou!

Just had a revelation

...in front of Principles of all places, the shop where many moons ago I received the worst kind of customer service from one of the assistants whilst waiting for my skinny friend to try on a dress - and I was perfectly aware that nothing in the shop would fit me at that time, I wasn't there to shop under a huge cloud of denial, no I was just waiting for my friend to try on one of their dresses, I didn't need the assistant to point that all out to me - unsolicited info, is usually not info you want to hear in my experience!

Anyhoo... back to my revelation. So after that my friend and I never entered Principles on well... principle and I've always just kind of glided past it for a number of years. That was until this week when they have had THE most gorgeous tunic tops in the window. So I walked past... all of 3 feet, did an about turn and walked in to see lots of gorgeous patterned fabrics and really nice clothes... and some even going up to my current size.

The top in the window must have been popular as there was a size 18 but it got nabbed before I could even debate trying it on and the only other one left was a size 6. Er, not ever going to be there!

So I meandered around and although the price is a bit off-putting there are loads of items in there that I could see myself wearing and there was a nice top I would have tried on, but I thought if I like it I'll buy it and I can't really afford a clothes spree on short-sleeve tops just yet... am hoping to be a smaller size by the time I need short sleeve tops, but this was it:

It's very popular on the website too as it happens, all but a size 16 out of stock.

I resisted but I clocked a few other tops I wouldn't mind owning:

This one is very similar in colour to the one in the window (what a day to leave the camera at home...) but not as nice, still rather lovely! I even checked the website and the window top ain't on it...

Anyway Principles for summer fashion could be one to look out for - it's got me rather chuffed in fact.

I just wonder where else I could be shopping, my days in Evans could be a thing of the past soon (although the Dorothy Perkins cubicles are tiny compared to Evans! God knows what the ones in Principles will be like...) - recommendations gratefully received except if it's going to cost me an arm and a leg!

AWOL

Again...

Tsk... and I can't even provide lots of juicy reasons as to why!

I've not even been knitting much since Sunday. :oO

My ipod arrived yesterday, it's lovely, but I am getting very frustrated with getting playlists onto it and keeping them on it. Will have another look tomorrow night after the gym, but it drove me demented last night and the computer was still trying to transfer stuff over at 3 a.m. today. I.e., not much in the way of sleep!

The Sims Seasons arrived as well, I installed it last night but have had absolutely zero time to check it out properly. Might do that now and then go and watch telly in bed and knit some! Need to get the knitting done before I see Tree... dun dun dun.

I still have a "to do" list to compile for Gibside which involves a trip to M&S for a few items of naughty-ish food... so I'd best get on!

Shocking!

Well it would seem my attempt at planning ahead has actually come to something.

I decided that I should really get my butt in gear and get packed for Gibside, not leaving it to the last minute on Thursday night!

And here's the result:

• 2 Artbin satchels
• 1 Mimi tote
• The MM trimmer

I still need to pack my little rucksack and retrieve the sleeping bag, plus the knitting bag... Just hope Jean's car (aka removals van!) can withstand the test of 4 scrappers packed up for a retreat... er... Mind you the above is actually just 1 item less than I usually have for an all-day crop so... not bad!

All but my cutting mat and Bazzill BG cardstock is packed in there so it looks quite promising that I've managed to squeeze in everything that I think I'll need. It looks like a BG weekend, as the only other papers I'll have with me are my new Scenic Route, 2 sheets of Fancy Pants, and my Cosmo Wanted left-overs! :oO Is this brave or stupid? But then I do have a lot of BG to work with, a bit of Urban Couture, Blush, LilyKate, Gypsy and Phoebe... A few sheets then...

Also a carefully hand-picked selection of stamps to play with! I even have my Fontwerks "Notes" stamp in case I feel brave desperate enough to start hand journaling.

I mean I hope to come away with a couple of LOs... we shall see. I have some heritage ones to get on with, but really I'm not convinced how much I'll really scrap.

However, when wading through those scrapping mags for my style file a few weeks ago I did get the urge to start a "just because" album/journal. One where I can put random photos/cuttings/post-cards of stuff that just catches my eye and that I like looking at, you know?

Anyway I think it's time to get back to the scarf, oh and I should really find some cream cardstock for journaling on Blush...

Day 5 in the Knitting Asylum

And we have progressed to the second ball of wool!

Could be I finish this before seeing Tree at Gibside next weekend. :oD And after sorting stash today I have a feeling I may actually knit next weekend as I am feeling totally bereft of any ability to make up page kits in readiness. I just can't plan ahead...

But I will have my little rooster bag smuggled away in with things....

Anyway, where are we?

Ah yes, a bit longer now isn't it?

Soon... soon...

I managed to download my scrap-a-faire classes today... will just have to play at a later time as it's so not happening this weekend!

Day 2, 3 er... 4 in the Knitting Asylum

Well I managed a little on Wednesday night, but nothing last night as I was out gymming and got back later.

But progress so far:

Thanks to Bev I have some great videos to refer to on www.knittinghelp.com should I come up a cropper when it comes to starting my bag!

But not just yet, not just yet.

Also Happy Birthday Julie!! I decided she deserved her own little birthday card shrine to KI:

And right about now she will be cropping away at the Paper Arts crop and eating cake and KK donuts!! Lucky birthday girl! hehe

Well I should get on with some knitting eh? Got a driving lesson in the morning and hope my ipod shuffle and "Sims: Seasons" game arrive. But also I want to do my classes at Scrap-a-Faire. ;oD

Oh and I bought some shades today... I know it's March, but I just about blinded myself in the car yesterday with the sun so low, so I may give them a try tomorrow if it's sunny.

Sorry for crap pic, and god do I need to put some lippy on - well in fact my new Benetint (on the recommendation of Zoe)...

But I am still hankering after the very similar pair that has a green frame and grey lenses, Zoe and I saw them in Outfit (general store with DP, Warehouse, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, etc.) or whatever it's called last week. They didn't have those in DP, but they had these and I got them! Now if anyone spots the green pair, let me know!

Personally I am just happy I have *a* chin singular in that pic!