What a Weekend!

I have just spent the most lovely weekend scrapbooking, learning how to do a form of book binding (including tassles), making wrapped pressies look pretty, how to make different ribbon roses, lots of scrumptious foods, stroking fantastic craft stock, discussing ruffles, getting inspiration, socialising, & lots of chatting.

Lets start at the very beginning, thats a very good place to start (I'll stop that sentence before I either get done for copyright infringement or told to hush coz its 4:30 in the morning & my singing voice isnt all that)

There was talk earlier in the year of a potential meet up of crafty bloggers, then 2months ago Ruth sent me a link to Curlyscrappers blog detailing information about.....

Ruth kindly did some emailing, querying if a day visitor was allowed to join in (aka me). Lizzie from Lizzie made answered that it was fine, yay! so I contacted her to introduce myself & so started a few emails of arrangements & chatting (once I rescued them from virginmedias spam, aghhh, how rude of it!).

Melsh emailed me asking if I was the person on the list of attendees (thats how I found out about the naughty spam box guzzling my emails from Lizzie). Yes, yes I was that Kirsty, Yay, I get to meet my Cyber buddy Melsh (even when I physically call her Mel I mentally add "sh" at the end in my head)

Friday arrived with me baking chocolate cakes (one to take with me, & another for my lads), checking everything was ready for the next day & chatting to Ruth via text while she was on the train. Oh, & altering the hole in Melsh's Pay-it-forward gift to fit a particular choccy bar thats was 5mm too big! (all will be revealed so that this sentence makes more sense)

Ruth mentioned via text she'd forgotten her umbrella, & then later, if there was somewhere local she could grab a sarnie as she'd forgotten to pack a lunch. As I was waiting for my cake bases to cool I grabbed my coat & rushed out the door. With time to spare I picked Ruth up an umbrella & sarnie from poundland - not the most glamorous of places but the queue was short, on the way to the train station & served the purpose.

I sat on a low wall, leaning on a lamppost, at the corner of the street, in case a certain little lady comes by (oh me, oh my, I'm obviously in a musical mood again). As the train pulled in I stood, hoping I'd put myself in prime position that Ruth wouldnt escape unnoticed (can you say stalker!!). There she was, a grin spreading on her face as she spotted me, blue suitcase in tow. As I said to her, I couldnt have her come to my little town without meeting her off the train. I know if I arrived in an unknown town I'd like a familiar face there.

I walked with Ruth to the Euston (as its known to us locals, its official name is The Euston Way,  Beefeater Grill)  where she was getting a lift by the lovely Jemma from Just Jim-jams (what a FAB blog name). With introductions over Jem kindly offered me a lift home, which I gratefully accepted as it gave me more time to do jobs; It didnt as they both ended up coming in for a cuppa, with strict instructions to ignore the dust/floor as though I'd tidied (briefly) I hadnt as of yet swept etc. Far nicer to be drinking a cuppa than sweeping in what was borrowed time anyway.

Partially out of shyness (I have an extroverts personality trapped in an introverts mind, I really should give it back one day), partially out of my liking to listen/watch people to get an idea of what they're about, I sat back with drink in hand & mainly listened to Jem & Ruth chat until it was time to get Kai. Another lift, yay, so I was nice & early to get him, which he enjoyed as he could wave for longer from where he sat in the class.

External design of the cake was unabashfully copied from one of Hayleys makes, who also kindly instructed me on how to do the topping :-)

I worked hard that evening decorating the cake, which I think was the prettiest one I had ever done, making sure everything I needed was packed, clothes layed out, school uniforms in the machine, house generally tidy etc etc. I sat down for half an hour & felt a little dispondent that everyone else going would have now all met up, maybe making clicks & I'd walk in tomorrow a stranger. I put it to the back of my mind as I read the magazine Ruth had lent me.

I crawled into bed at 10, absolutely cream crackered, excited, nervous, wondering what the next day might hold.........

......pop back tomorrow to find out! (it does get more interesting :-)