Love Fest. . . . . . . .

Good morning my little duckadees.Hope you're all on quacking form today. I suppose its batten down the hatches for Friday; gale force winds and lashing rain again. 

If Nesta says one more time that she doesn't want to live abroad as she would miss the seasons, I will remind her of the conversation I've just had with her from her freezing cold Scarborough hotel room. . . . . Sue, she's at The Grand (which by the sounds of things, could be challenged under the Trade Description Act).

The only four seasons I'd like to experience are on CD with Frankie Valli! (or Vivaldi at a stretch) or a pizza. . . . . .well, you catch my drift.

Thanks for the super comments on my last card. Duckadees, resistance is futile when it comes to that Tapestry die and to Donna and Jacquie, I will just say. . . . . .ebay.

Now today, there is a trio of Valentines, a veritable love fest. You have three as to show them individually, I feel I would be short changing you all as they were mega quickies and made last year when I was still a duckling with this card mularky. I fished em out for the charity shop to sell and thought I would pop em on here for the craic (i hope that's spelt properly for you celtic folk or I may pop up on peoples rude Google searches)

I love the embossed pink heart paper on this one though. It is actually wallpaper from a well known DIY shop and I needed a sample, legitimately of course. . . . . . have some left so may use it again this year.

Hopefully, my card making has improved a wee bit in the last 12 months but they're a bit of fun and hopefully the shop can sell them (jeepers, I will be gutted if they don't go hahaha!!!)

Will strive for better with my next post.

Well, that's me for today. Wrap up and hope you don't get too wet.

TTFN

Ang x

I promise to post something better next time.

Love. . . . . . .

Good morning my blogging buddies. Hope you're healthy and happy. Gosh, isn't this month just scooting by? Its nearly that one day per year that we are contractually obliged to be nice to our other halves hahaha.

The charity shop I volunteer at is going to be running a jewellery promotion in anticipation of folk looking for a nice piece for the lady/chap in their life. I am doing some heart shaped card bunting to decorate the counter area and display cabinet and also a few cards for them to sell.

Nothing too involved, just quick and hopefully decent cards so that my manager can sell them at a reasonable price ( I think she feels guilty if I do anything too fancy as she feels she should charge more for them but its difficult to charge a lot in a charity shop)

A warm welcome to Cornelia, one of my HOC team mates. Lovely to have you jump into the pond.

Loved reading all of your birdie tales. Kate, Fat Bird was a baby blackbird. I have a video of its dad flying to the bird table after I whistled him. I will try and figure out how to download it.

Now, today's card is one of my quickies for the shop. Its another DL base in white. I won't go into detail about its construction as you can see what's what but the ingredients are,

SB Tapestry die

X-Cut Alphabet die

Pink PMD card

White organza ribbon

White satin ribbon

John's Chinese Pearls

Simple, but pretty I hope.

Donna, good news, sort of, about the foot. here's to speedy healing. Hope everybody has a super week and lets be careful out there. Nesta is off to Scarborough with her sister so I'm hoping for a quiet few days lol!

TTFN

Ang x

Three Butterflies and a Fat Bird. . . . . . . (and I don't mean me!)

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well but to poor Donna, I sent very best wishes for a speedy recovery with that foot. I hope the news is no to surgery. How awful it must be anyway but not to be able to get to your craft room, when all you can probably do is craft, must be mighty frustrating.

Jacquie, having just watched Winterwatch (yes, I'm scheduling this post) I have discovered that the horrendous fox racket at 4am the other morning was a frisky vixens mating call. Now what sensible bloomin female feels frisky at 4am for goodness sake? If it happens again, I will be quenching her desire with a well aimed hosepipe of cold water.

Thank you for all of your kind comments on my first DT card. I hope you are all going to join in the challenge and big congrats to our Patricia who was Top 5 in the one that's just finished.

Now today's card was me feeling in a CAS frame of mind. I had some DL envelopes and thought I would start doing some DL cards to make use of them.

I cut a DL sized white base card from 300gsm Lime Tree Crafts card.I cut a slightly smaller purple PMD card layer and another white layer. 

On the white piece I stamped, masked and heat embossed a butterfly (a £1.00 Hobbycraft stamp) and a happy birthday stamp.

I then stuck and foam padded the layers, added purple bling in the corners and Bob's your Dad's brother!

As promised, a couple of pics of Fat Bird. . . . . . . 

He/she prefered to eat indoors when it was raining (can't blame a bird for that) but he/she did like a little sunbathe when the Sun was out next to me in my chair. . . . . . .

Hope he/she is still alive and well as obviously the parents chase them off when they come of age, so to speak. . . . . . .bless!!!

That's me for today folks so hope you have a good day and sunshine above your head and in your heart.

TTFN

Ang x

Thank You . . . . . For Paddling

Good morning Duckadees and anyone who is passing through. Hope life is treating you kindly.

Today is my first DT post for House of Cards and I still have to pinch myself that they asked lil' ol' me to join them. 

The picture is a little dark to get the contrast so that you can see the embossing at the bottom.

Today is the start of the challenge for CAS and Classic and Elegant. using this sketch as your inspiration. . . . . .

I hope that you can pop along to HOC and join in the challenge.

Now, today's card is my take on the sketch.

I started with a cream A5 card base. This I topped with a slightly smaller layer in sky blue card that I had pierced around the edge.

For the top two thirds, I cut the chevron paper from the First Edition Neroli pad (told ya I love it) and for the bottom third, I cut a piece of cream card to fit, then embossed vertical lines on it, using my Hougie. I put them together and covered the join with cream satin ribbon, then topped this with sky blue organza ribbon and taped it at the back.

This was then stuck flat to the base card.

The cream frame was cut using SB Decorative Labels 28 and the butterfly is from SB Les Papilions 2. The oval was cut from sky blue card using SB Large Classic Ovals. I then ran the oval through the GC in the Cuttlebug Kassies Brocade embossing folder.

The sentiment is stamped onto the cut centre of one of the SB Fancy Framed Tags 1 dies and this was popped onto an embossed fork cut piece.

Sky blue organza bow and blue bling added and voila. . . . . . fini !

I really hope you have time to have a go at the challenge and good luck if you do. I also hope that you like my interpretation of the sketch. . . . .Jackie, you were "expecting great things" (no pressure there then hahaha) so I would be happy to have achieved "good".

Hazel, I'm guessing the dog tucked a napkin in its collar and sat poised with a knife and fork when it clapped eyes on the kitten. Hope you have managed to keep them separate.

Patricia, I have heard that birds like cheese but have never tried it. Raisins eh? must try that too. I whistle and Mr B comes along. He then sings and Mrs B arrives.

If we are late, he sits on the extension roof so we see him when we open the bedroom curtains. . . . . its almost like stalking!

 I will pop a pic of one of the babies on the next post. We called it "Fat Bird" as it was cheeky and would come in the kitchen and feed from my hand, so it got more grub and was fatter than the others lol !.

Anyhoo, must waddle off. Have a great day and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Get Well Soon. . . . . . . Hopefully not needed by any of you.

Good morning everyone. Hope that you're dry, if not sunny. Spring is around the corner. Our daffs are about 6 inches high and Mr and Mrs B (our blackbirds) are fattening themselves on grapes (don't ask me why but they love em) and mealworms ready for this years broods. Most years they have three but last year they sadly lost two broods, we think to magpies.

Hopefully this year will be a good one for them.

Anne, I used 300gsm card from Ross to make the flowers on the last card. I think maybe the thicker card helps with the shaping and holding the shape.

Donna, hope those winds have settled down and no damage done to you or your home.

Jacquie, hope that washing up is still being done. I got a paper cut on Wednesday and that was met with no sympathy whatsoever lol ! 

Lesley, its not my wellies you have to worry about, it was another lady in the pond who has been known to nip behind a hedge or two. I just hope she's not been doing anything in the pond. I ought to have one of those signs up like at the swimming baths. . . . . .

No diving

No peeing

No petting

Hahaha

Thank you for your comment Diane. If you have a blog, I shall pop by when I get a mo.

Now today's card was one of those we have all had. . . . . ."Ooh, you can do a quick card for me can't you. . . " its always more of a statement too, rather than a question I find.

On a work day, I'm usually chasing my own tail so throw in a card as well and its paper and foam pads flying everywhere.

I thought that the font on this stamp looked very similar to Hazel's beautifully handwritten one the other day. I wasn't happy with my stamping on this as I used Bundled Sage DI and because the ink shrinks away slightly on the stamp, they never seem to give a pristine result. Consequently, I went over it with a sage green Staedler Liner as I hadn't got time to re-do it.

The base card is 6x6 topped with a sheet of sage and cream dotty paper from one of the Back to Basics pads.

I then cut two of the large SB Captivating Squares from cream card. I cut an SB Medallion 3 from the centre of one, then angled the other in the opposite way and popped the die back in the holes in the top square, so it lined up, then ran them through the GC so the medallion cut out of the other layer as well. . . . . .hope you get my drift.

Inked through the top one with Bundled Sage, foam padded them to each other and the base, then added pearls.

Quick and simple I'm afraid but sometimes they have to be.

Its my first DT posting on Monday (will be at 12 noon to coincide with everyone else on the team) so I hope you can join me.

In the meantime, have a super weekend and hope you get some chill time.

TTFN

Ang x

Red and Cream . . . . . hopefully a dream

Good morning my blogging chums. Hope you are all keeping warm and cosy. Its been more wet than anything in this end of the pond. . . . . . .supposedly weather for ducks but not for this one, I can assure you. I don't think that I'm as waterproof as I used to be lol !!!

After seeing the news, I hope that Val is safe on her sojourn to Egypt and I hope that Jacquie is milking getting the washing up done for all its worth. Now would be a good time to hint at a dishwasher. The fellas tend to be more receptive to large white goods when they have had to do the job for a few days.

Now today's card was made because I wanted to use this particular piece of paper. 

The base is 6x6 cream card topped with a sheet of First Edition Neroli paper (adore this pad).

I then cut a slightly smaller piece of red card and cut an aperture using one of the SB Decorative Labels 28 and also two apertures using the leafy die from the SB Botanical Swirls and Accents set.

I then stamped "Happy Birthday" in Versamark and clear heat embossed as I wanted it to look subtle. 

I cut a SB Medallion One out of red card and the HC Sunkissed Fleur set from cream card. 

I foam padded the red layer to the base, then foam padded the Medallion in the centre of the aperture. I shaped and assembled the flowers and popped them in the corner, also with the red leafy cuts from doing the apertures.

Bits of bling added and twas done!

Thanks for popping by and for your lovely comments. Be good and lets be careful out there (and if you spot a pair of pink wellies poking out from under a hedge, run for your life and don't look back hahaha!!!

TTFN 

Ang x

Just a note to say. . . . .

Good morning one and all. How's it hanging? (that's not a reference to Patricia's walking/loo habits). Its been a bit nippier here but I still have geraniums and fuchsias still in leaf and begonias still in flower. About 9 of my orchids (obviously indoors and don't ask how many I have. . . . .My name is Ang and I'm an Orchidaholic) have stems about to flower so the plants are happy.

Work is going well so far. Its busy as we have just had the annual stock take (three words that strike fear into anyone working in retail) but I like busy as the time passes quicker.

Glad that you all liked the white card. I will have a tinker with another one soon.

Before I forget, a mahoosive welcome to The Pond to Karen, my new follower. Hope you join us regularly Karen and feel free to leave a comment. I have only just noticed so haven't had time to pop to your blog yet but I shall. Elaine (Nattyboots) you're still not showing on my followers list but as you're probably sunning yourself somewhere, you maybe won't see this lol !!!

Now, today's card is more of a notelet to me but I guess it could be to say anything. I usually have a stock of these to use for notes rather than pushing bits of paper through letter boxes for friends or neighbours but due to the condition Craftus Interruptus (work) I had not replenished my stock so I had to do this one in a jiffy for a note to be written.

I started with a 5x7 card blank which I layered the front completely with orange Lidl card. I then cut a slightly smaller piece of bright yellow PMD card (though it doesn't look as bright on the photos) and cut the SB Die D-Lite Medallion One die out of the centre.

I then ran this through the GC with the Couture Creations Bouquet embossing folder, wrapped some orange organza ribbon round it and foam padded it to the base.

Triple orange organza bow added, a bit of bling and the sentiment and I was good to go.

I have been lucky to have some new dies to play with as Mr D gave me some money to go to the NEC as my Christmas pressie (then bought me other bits to open on the day, naughty boy) but I only spent a quarter of it then so I have been prowling ebay for bargains and I think I'm up to about 15 sets (plus another two from Oyster that I'm waiting for) and I'm now down to my last few pounds. Need a complete crafting day now but you know how it goes, there is always something else clamouring for my attention (shopping, washing, housework etc).

Hope you all have a great day. Good luck at the Tearoom Patricia and Val, I'm sooo jealous.

TTFN 

Ang x

All White?. . . . . . .

Good morning Duckadee's. Don't worry, the title has nothing to do with Michael Barrymore, it does refer to the card hahaha!!!

Hope that you are all well with the Sun on your face and the wind at your back.

Thank you for your lovely comments on my vellum card. I've worked out several ways of nipping into that SB Tapestry die and of course, it cuts a super aperture. In these austere times, crafty purchases, especially dies, have to earn their keep in The Pond.

Now, today's card is a first for me. I was a white on white virgin (no smutty remarks thank you !!!) and had always admired cards folk had done like this. As you know, I have a penchant for bright colours so I had shied away from it.

I started with a 6x6 white card base which I embossed with a butterfly wreath mask (freebie with a mag). I then cut four of the SB Fantastic Flourish Three and an SB Medallion Three from white card (my white card is 300gsm from Limetree Crafts).

I arranged the flourishes next to each other to form a circular pattern and stuck them together along the edges. I then foam padded this to the base card.

The medallion was then foam padded onto this. I didn't want to add a sentiment as it looked to "clean" so I popped a bling in the centre instead.

I didn't think it was too bad for a first attempt.

Have a great day, whatever you are up to (day off for me, hurrah!!!).

TTFN

Ang x

In the Pink Again. . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hopefully there is dryness and sunshine wherever you are, Summer's on its way after all (well, I heard a rumour).

Thank you for your kind comments on Megan's card. I won't know if the little lady was pleased with the card and pressie until Friday.

Also, thank you for the congratulations on being on the HOC DT. I'm really looking forward to it so can't wait to see what you come up with Donna.

A few messages for our sponsors. . . . . . .

Jackie, you spoil sport. A nice yellow waterproof blankie would have suited nicely.

Elaine, where are you off to then? Going south for the Winter? Safe and sunny travels chuck.

Jacquie, thanks but I'm more common than you think hahaha!

Lesley, sorry I didn't mention it in my post. The alphabet die is an X-Cut one from Docrafts.

Sandy, don't get using up all Mr Sandy's shaving foam! I don't want to be responsible for a domestic situation.

Shirley, there's no such thing as old, you have just seen more sunrises.

Now, today's card was made using another of my craft shop bargains. As well as the distress re-inkers, I got a pack of this Papermania Confetti Vellum (50p for 20 sheets can you believe). I sent a couple of sheets to Christine with her paddle prize, so look forward to seeing what she comes up with.

I started with a 5x7 cream card base. I topped this with a slightly smaller pink card layer. I then popped a piece of the vellum atop the pink layer. Out of cream card, I cut the SB Tapestry die but rather than use it in its entirety, I snipped into it to create the above shape. I could see that this would not be a one trick pony die, which is why I fell in love with it.

I foam padded it to the card and added a SB Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur flower, cut from vellum, to the centre.

A few of John's pearls and a bit of pink bling in the corners was going to complete the look but I then decided to stamp a small "Thank you." in pink in the corner. I blotted it to make it paler to match the vellum and so it blended in more.

Here's a shot of the vellum on its own. . . . . . .

It is pretty.

Well, that'll be me for now. Have a fantabulous day and be good. See you soon, same duck time, same duck channel, but without my pants over my trousers (that's Fraday nights hahaha!)

TTFN 

Ang x

Have a Happy Day Megan. . . . . .

Good morning my lovely paddlers. Hope we're all bright eyed and bushy tailed and if you're not, I'll send Patricia round to see you. . . . . . not in a menacing way (although I would behave myself if she turns up) but because 1. She always dispenses hugs to those in need  2. She is speedy so will get to you quickly   3. Her super tablet will cheer you up (and your dentist lol !!!)

Well Annie and everyone, I will keep you in suspenders no longer. You may have noticed, depending on how you view blogs, that I have a new badge on my sidebar. I'm chuffed to have been invited to join the House of Cards DT on their Classic and Elegant team. I hope that you will have a look at their blog and enter the challenges. There are 4 categories that cover the main genres so why not give them a bash. The winners are picked by the DT rather than at random so you know that your entry will have been thoughtfully considered.

My first DT post is due in a couple of weeks so I will give you the heads up.

Anyhoo, today's card I have made for a friend's daughter who is 10 this week. She loves anything girlie and pinks, lilacs and purple so I thought I would play with the shaving foam again.

The card is A5 in size, white card base topped with slightly smaller raspberry pink card layer. I then used a smaller piece of white card for the shaving foamed layer.

Onto the foam, I sprayed Apple Blossom Luminarte Radiant Rain and dripped Dusty Concord Distress Ink Re-inker, made swirly patterns then popped the sheet of card onto it as per the usual technique.

When the card was dry, I cut one of the SB Les Papillions 2 at a jaunty angle from the top left hand side.

I then cut the same butterfly from purple PMD card. I also cut Megan's name and one of the SB Fancy Framed Tags One.

I wrapped pink organza and white satin ribbon around the patterned card and topped with a triple pink organza bow. I then added the sentiment which was stamped and heat embossed and added to the tag.

I then foam padded this to the base card and stuck the purple butterfly into the butterfly aperture.

Bit of bling added and that was that. Megan likes to craft so she's getting a crafty goody bag from us as a pressie. I hope she likes her card and that you do too.

Offski now but hope you all have a splendid day, whatever you are up to and if there's any lap blankets going begging Jackie, I know a willing lap lol ! And to those of you with holidaying Mojo's, get em back asap. . . . . . . your bloggers need you!!!!!!!

TTFN

Ang x

(not to be confused with the other Ang on the HOC DT. . . . . .yes, there's another one!!!)

The Last of the Christmas Cards. . . . . . . honest!

Good morning one and all. Hope that your New Year celebrations went well. I was a good girl as I had work New Years Day.

Well, Kate has let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, for those of you who had been guessing where I was working. Yes, its the place "where the deer and the antelope play" and Kate, there is a new store opened in Dundee a few weeks ago, which would be your nearest.

Had a tootle to my local independent craft store yesterday to spend a voucher that Nesta had given me. Came away with some sales bargains and actually managed to play in the afternoon for the first time in ages. How I have missed crafting! I will have to get myself back into the swing of things, in between shifts.

Now, I promise that these are the last of the Christmas cards. I know that we are all trying to forget the sprouts (I know I am!), stuffing and getting more intimate with a turkey than is natural but I wanted to show them, even though they are not exactly exciting, as they are good for batch making. I made a few of these for the neighbours. I will just list the ingredients as everything has just been matted and layered.

Ingredients 

5x7 base cards

Soft gold card

Sky blue card

SB Fanciful Holiday Reindeer

SB Snowflake Pendants

SB M-bossibilities Holiday Magic

Foam Pads

Red Nose Bling

I also embossed the envelopes with the Holiday Magic folder.

Well, that's me for today. I will be back at the weekend with a non-Christmas offering and hopefully a bit of news. . . . . . . . . watch this space!!!

TTFN

Ang x

Happy New Year. . . . . . . .

Good morning Duckadees and Haaaaaaaaapppppppy Neeeeeew Yeeeeeeeeear !!!

I hope that all you wonderful folks have had a super Christmas and not too much of a headache this morning. If you're seeing two ducks, go and lie down.

We had a lovely quiet Christmas time which suited us and a lovely dins. Daft but my favourite thing about a roast dinner is roast potatoes. I have managed to perfect the crisp outside with the fluffy middle and there's nothing quite like a spot on spud!!! (I'm easily pleased)

Not too many left overs with the 3 birder so didn't have to resort to turkey rissoles, turkey fricassee or the legendary turkey trifle.

Stayed in to see in the New Year as I have to work today, the curse of retail but I can't complain. Thanks for your lovely congratulatory comments about the job. I was moved from baubles and tinsel (a somewhat depleted section now) to . . . . . . . . Arts and Crafts woooooo hoooooo!!! They knew I had a penchant for crafting so the manager on that section was happy to have me and I'm like a duck in muck!!!

Anyhoo, you all have better things to be doing today, like another roast dinner for some, hair of the dog for others and is there a James Bond on?

Now, I'm going to show the last couple of Christmas cards today and next time so I hope you don't mind.

This is a bit similar to Patricia's last post (here). It is a 5x7 cream card base topped with the largest of the SB Elegant Labels Four cut from burgundy PMD card. I then cut the next die in the set out of cream card and also the tree from the SB Holiday Tree 2012 set.

I nipped away the bottom scrolly bits (a technical term) from the tree, see above, then used it as an embossing mask to emboss the cream label.

I then added gold bling as baubles, foam padded this to the burgundy layer and voila!

I like to emboss this way now as sometimes using the die, its too harsh and cuts the card  or you can't nip bits to fit, like with this one.

I don't think Christine has read my last post so if you're in the pond today Christine, check the last post then email me.

Thanks again for all of your fabulous and supportive comments and here's to happy, healthy and wonderful times in 2014 for us all.

TTFN

Ang x