Christmas in July. . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning Ducklettes (this is a suggestion of John's so blame him hahaha!). Hope everyone is well, if not a little damp around the edges.

Thank you for your comments on my book folding. For those who said you haven't the patience, once you're in the zone, its quite therapeutic and relaxing, honestly.

Well, I bought a set of Allen Keys and took the GC apart, again, replaced the popped bolt back into its hole and tightened all the others. Got covered in the black gunk that has been dropping off it but shall send those snaps onto Spellbinders and see what happens.

It appears to be working so we'll see how long that lasts.

I decided to have a play with Sue Wilson's new Christmas Tree Greetings die. I made the gold piece first for another project and thought what great little tree decorations they would make. Please excuse the lighting as I took these at night to try and capture the sparkle from the glittered ones under a light (also, my curtains on the first snap look grey with the flash but they are actually ivory lol!!!)

They are made from 3 layers of funky foam, each cut out with the die and then glued together. Then I cut the die again with card and gilded the one above. . . . . . . . . .

just glittered the blue one above (please excuse the blur). . . . . . . . . . . .

and the red one was heat embossed with red sparkly embossing powder.

I then stuck each top card layer to the triple funky foam base and voila! 

They are sturdy little pieces and quite quick to make. You can see the depth of them below. . . . .

Hope it gives you an idea of something different to do. . . . . . . . . . and I've got a tonne of funky foam to use up following my bulk purchase to try John's funky foam stamp idea hahaha!!!

I'll show you what I did with the gold one on my next post.

Anyhoo, I'm off for a few days, hurrah! with housework to do, boooo hissss! and some crafting, hurrah!

An exciting GP at the weekend too but tinged with sadness for Jules Bianchi. Hope Jackie D and Wendy managed to watch. Glad you seem to be doing better Val.

Someone, I think, asked how I twanged my Achilles.I had been standing on tippy toes and felt something twinge. There is a bit of bruising and its still twinging now and again.

Janice, thanks for the tip about Orimoto (wasn't that one of the Wombles lol???)Will have a butchers at it.

. . . . . . . . . . Ooooh, that reminds me, sorry Pamellia and our overseas Ducklettes for using bits of British slang that you're having to Google lol!!! Also, hope your leak gets sorted soon. I'm guessing you're going to re-plaster the walls yourself with your super texture paste!

Maureen, fortunately I've managed to produce some craft stuff so haven't yet had to resort to the pole dancing video. . . . . . . you've had enough trauma recently gal.

Well, that's me. Hope you all have a great week and play nicely!!!

TTFN

Ang x

Ps. . . . . . . . this post was supposed to go live at 6am but apologies it didn't. Not sure what happened as the scheduler details were correct but then I've had a game trying to get it to just publish. Hopefully it has now. x

What does a Caliburless Duck do?. . . . . . . . . . .

She book folds hahaha!!!

Good morning blogging chums. Hope this finds you well.

Thank you for your lovely and encouraging comments about my diary of carp lol!!! I'm not one to be koi . . . . . . .koi, carp, gettit??? Look, just humour me eh hahaha!!!

Some of the carp is ongoing;

Calibur still being tricksy

Camera still being tricksy

Work still being tricksy

Was going to borrow a friends' camera but the software wasn't compatible with my old laptop (I think its running Windows Noah's Ark Edition lol!) so I've had to make do with my phone.

The first book fold I did was the free heart pattern one that's been doing the rounds (forgot to photograph it so will pop it on another time)

These two were patterns I paid for from ebay. Ive done the "Charity" one to go in the window at work to advertise that we sell books. I did think about doing "Read" but thought that was more likely to get half inched (yes, sadly it happens). 

I have painted the cover in lime green eco acrylic paint from CE. I didn't want to make it too fancy in case it made it too tempting for half inching lol!

I have inked the word with Crushed Olive distress Ink

This second one of a VW Camper Van is for one of my volunteers. He is a lovely guy who works very hard, despite a disability, with me on a Tuesday morning. He loves cars and also Camper Vans so I thought he may like this as a little thank you.

I have also painted the cover of this with the same paint but in a pearlised blue and inked the bottom half of the van in Broken China Distress Ink.

I have my Allen keys now so will be attempting to repair the Calibur again. Christine Emberson passed my email to Spellbinders and Ive had an email from them wanting various details.

Watch this space.

I am still trying to play catch up round your blogs. From Sunday, I have some time off so will have more time to do that properly.

Thanks for bearing with me and have a happy Friday and weekend (Hungarian GP hurrah!!! Don't start that joke off about my doctor again Val lol!!!). Hopefully will have some cards to show you soon or I'm afraid its the pole dancing hahaha!!!

TTFN

Ang x

Sorry I've been AWOL. . . . . . . .

Hello all you lovely folk and a special welcome to Anne and Margaret who have become followers whilst I have had a little unintentional sojourn.

Please accept these virtual flowers and my apologies for being AWOL this past week or so.

Its been a combination of various bits of carp (yes, that is a deliberate misspelling rather than pieces of fish lol!!!).

Here is my sorry tale of woe for the last week or so. . . . . . . . . 

Firstly, my GC went "crunch" so I took it apart, put the loosened bolts back in but couldn't tighten them fully as I hadn't got the right size Allen key. I have therefore had to use it minimally, just doing a couple of birthday cards until I could go buy some Allen keys.

That hasn't been so easy to go shopping for them, as I have had to do extra days at work. My boss forgot to tell me he was covering another shop this past week and expected me to then cover him at a couple of days notice. . . . . . . . .You can imagine that was as popular with me as a guff in a crowded lift!!!

A friend of mine has been needing a bit of emotional support and tlc by phone in the evenings.

Next, the GC went "crunch" and jammed completely. I have managed to get some A keys from B & M but have been at work and won't have time to take the GC apart again until tomorrow.

Then my camera battery won't hold its charge to photograph the couple of cards I did make and the spare battery is kaput so I am awaiting a new one.

Have also got a strain of my left Achilles and a bruised knuckle (no, I haven't hit anyone, though I have been sorely tempted on occasions this week hahaha!!!)

And no, my middle name is not "Lucky" lol!!!

But other than that, its all been fine dandy at The Pond hahahahahahahaha!!!

I didn't like to post anything but a card as I know everyone's time is precious and didn't want you to spend time having to read my random waffle about the carp (still deliberate misspelling lol!!!)

Still, if you've made it to this point without nodding off, many thanks lol!!!

Also, I will be trying to catch up on all your posts tonight and tomorrow but sorry if its only your last one that I manage to comment on rather than all the others I may have missed.

Normal (???) service will resume shortly, although I'm not sure what it will be if the GC has gone to that craft room in the sky (ie BIN!) as I won't replace it until I've had a look at the new Platinum due out in 2 weeks time.

I may have to pole dance or make shadow puppets for your entertainment in the meantime but please bear with me until things get sorted.

Hope this coming week treats you all kindly and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Mappy Birthday. . . . . . . . .

Good morning one and all. Hope you are well and to those who've not had the best of weeks so far, as Yaz said, "the only way is up" (or was that my gynecologist?)

Nice to see Val back. Hope you're better chuck.

Anyhoo, I'm a very excited girlie. Next year, I will not be sat watching the British F1 GP from my living room, I shall be screaming like a banshee at Silverstone hurrah and double hurrah. . . . . . .and what the heck, thrice hurrah!

I was poised at 10am Monday morning on the Silverstone website waiting for next years early bird tickets to go on sale. It took about 40 minutes in queues but tickets purchased by Mr D for my birthday next year.

He had got his mate to make secret enquiries about packages to Barcelona or Belgium to see the GPs there but I said it had to be Silverstone.

I apologise, in advance for the times during the next 12 months where I bore the pants off you by whooping about it lol!

Now, back to Earth Ang and the card. I made this for my dear friend David, the one who travels around a bit. . . . . .well, a lot actually. He is currently somewhere in South America on his trip round Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

This was for his birthday in June and I got the idea, I believe, from an anniversary card that Karenlotty made (a thousand apologies if I've had a memory lapse on that one and said the wrong person)

Ingredients

Cream card

Black card (Lidl)

Brown card (Lidl)

Old map printed from tinterweb

Swiss Dots embossing folder

Cosmic Shimmer Black PVA Pearls

Stampin Up sentiment

Black Archival ink

He was chuffed with it (but probably won't be chuffed that I've told the world how old he is hahaha!) I've now been asked to do another for where the person was born abroad so getting hold of a map to print off for that will be interesting lol!

Wendy hope your bits have stopped sweating and that Janice's doggy isn't suffering to much Thankfully, I haven't needed that bloomin fan since. 

Pamellia, I'm surprised that the bits of broken lamp haven't made their way onto a card lol!

Christine, please tell me you are a real person whose had a bat up her nightie lol!

Gail, if there was Prosecco in the offing, the St Bernard wouldn't have made it out of The Pond lol!

Jan, I got my sporty toppers from The Range at £1 per set and I think I'm doing my hostess with the mostest again on 30th July.

Jacquie, no such luck with Mr D nodding off downstairs. He's always first in bed and emitting a low rumble (that's snoring rather than anything else lol!!!)

Karenlotty, me write a book? Heavens to murgatroyd! It would be discounted in The Works within a week and book folded into the Eiffel Tower by someone within a month hahaha!!!

For those of you who don't know, lovely Maureen lost her brother last Saturday so sending sincere condolences to you and your family Maureen.

TTFN

Ang x

Fore !!! . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Phew, what scorchers we have had recently. 

Its been stifling at times at work. We have a fan but all it seems to do is shift the warm air around. Mr D was away for work overnight midweek and so I had the luxury of having our fan at home at full pelt in the bedroom. Even in this weather, he's in jim jams and snuggled under a duvet, not wanting the fan on or a window open!!!

So Tuesday night, there I was, on the bed, flat out with the fan wafting over me warm bits. . . . . . bliss!!!

That is until I had dropped off and it obviously built up a healthy gust which blew over a picture on my chest of drawers. The clatter resulted in my leaving a dent in the ceiling as I jumped with fright. That was that, fan off for the rest of the night.

Now, back to today's card. I've had to do a few guy ones of late and here is. Its a variation of a golfing one I have done before.

I got a few of these Docrafts toppers with sporty themes as I thought they would come in handy.

I tend to use this embossing folder for male cards too.

Ingredients

Cream card

Brown card (Lidl)

Green card (Lidl)

Papermania embossing folder

Docrafts topper

SB Matting Basics A & B

Peanut Butter Memento Dew Drop ink (to highlight the embossing)

Had a wonderful morning at Sue's demo on Thursday. The non crafting Nesta came along as well. I think it was out of curiosity as she has been on the end of "Can't chat, Sue Wilson is on the telly" so many times hahaha! 

The funny thing was, John had put her on the list as Nesta Vipers and Sue asked as she got things underway, who was Nesta Vipers? which left my poor pal, pink faced lol!!!

Still, it was lovely to see Anne, Joy, Pauline and Kathy again.

Learned a couple of new techniques and just enjoyed seeing the good lady do what she does best. Then had another spend in the shop. . . . . . . 3 embossing folders, a stamp (just had to get John's Twas the Night one), a distress ink dropper and a spatula (don't ask!).

Then a spot of lunch on the way home. . . . . . we went retro and had scampi hahaha!!!

It was a nice interlude in a very busy week. Thankfully, I'm off for a couple of days so I can finally chill. Obviously, today's chill will be in front of the British GP (yes, I did mention I wanted that day off at my interview hahaha!!!). Jacquie and Wendy, enjoy!

Kate's lucky son is at Silverstone and didn't take me as a stowaway (or should that be Stowe-away. . . . . . .sorry none GP fans who won't know, or in fact care, what I'm talking about lol!!!)

Good wishes for the week ahead.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps. . . . . Maureen, if you're reading this, thinking of you chuck.

House of Cards July Challenge . . . . . . . . . . .Photo Inspiration

Good morning blogging pals. Hope everyone's tickety is very boo!

Welcome to Anne who has joined our happy band. I met Anne and Jan from Northampton last Thursday at John's workshop. Lovely ladies and definitely see you again tomorrow Anne, if you're on Sue's first session. Sorry Jan can't make it.

No more puddles found since Sunday, thankfully. Still, it could have been a lot worse (I'd rather find a puddle than a pile. . . . . . . .isn't that a Simon and Garfunkle song?)

Now, today its time for July's challenge at House of Cards. Fortunately, Mynn is happy for me to have another term on the team and this months challenge is a photo inspiration. . . . . . .

Food and/or colour

So please pop over and check out what the rest of the gals have done and join in the fun.

I remembered that I had some fruity paper (steady chaps!) that I was going to use for a MAWTT challenge but didn't as I had hurt my wrist (just before I was poxed. . . . . . .and yes, still using BB cream so I think my career move into modelling is over)

Anyhoo, I decided to use it here and try and use some of the colours too.

Ingredients

White card

Mint green card (Lidl)

First Edition Family Ties 12x12 pad (for the cherry papers)

Sissixs Square dies

John Lockwood's Cherry Blossom Elements stamps (had to be with the cherry paper)

Hobbycraft corner punch

Wendy's (Spanish Crafter) pretty pins

CE dazzler 

CE double sided ribbon

Memento Dewdrop Rhubarb Stalk ink

Antique linen DI

Pearls

I'm sure this will be a Marmite card but when ya gotta roll with a theme, you just gotta roll.

Karen, there is a shop on site at CE Towers so its temptation on a stick when I go to help John. If you're there for a workshop, you get 10% off on the day.

Hope you can join it over at House of Cards.

Have a great day.

TTFN

Ang x