Football Birthday. . . . . . . . . . .

Good afternoon everybody. . . . . . . Had to change that from "good morning" as my post didn't publish earlier. Somehow, my photos had disappeared too.

I'm hoping its just a technical glitch rather than Blogger becoming a card critic lol!!! I know some aren't as fancy as others but like to think they each deserve their moment in the Sun hahaha!

What a glorious day today. The Sun is indeed shining and my washing is gently blowing on the line and a F1 GP qualifying and Sue Wilson on the telly.................you gotta love life's simple pleasures lol!!!

Now, talking of simple, today's card is just that but it was for a male friend of ours who would definitely not appreciate anything remotely girlie.

You may remember my fisherman cards from previous years? Well those were for him but I thought he may be getting fed up with them so I plumped for football this year.

Ingredients

White card

Shades of Lidl blue card

X-Cut extra large circles dies

Docrafts Happy Birthday embossing folder (a go to for me for the guys)

Hobbycraft football stamp

Tumbled Glass  DI

Dovecraft teeny weeny bling

Hopefully, you can see the decreasing circle aperture better on this snap.

Not frilly and fussy but functional lol!!!

Well, now I happen to be on here and altering my original post, I may as well tell you about a happening this morning. Regular visitors may remember my tales about the strange guy who lives over the road and some of things he wears and his nearly trapping things in his vertical blinds. All has been quiet on the western front for a while but this morning, after an early rising for F1 Qually, I popped upstairs to put some socks on as the tootsies were a bit chilly and I happened to glance out of the window as a movement caught my eye across the road.

The aforementioned blinds were open, not quite fully and the glow of a lamp was illuminating the bedroom.

The movement I could see was this chap bending up and down (I'm hoping some sort of exercise routine) but he was butt naked!!! I use the word "butt" as thankfully (though its a close call) that's the side that was on display.

It was too much for the eyes at 7am, although it did remind me that I need to Polyfilla a crack in my garden wall lol!!! Mind you, is that where the phrase "the crack of dawn" comes from? (I'm fairly sure his name isn't Dawn though) hahaha!!!

I really don't know if its done for effect or whether he doesn't realise he can be seen. I'm certainly not going to be the one to enlighten him. 

Anyhoo, back to fiddle with my jacket spuds as Mr D finishes the hedges.

Have a great weekend folks

TTFN

Ang x

Golden Peace. . . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope everyone is well?

Welcome to Janet and Marilyn who have kindly pressed "follow". Thank you ladies and hope you can come for a paddle often. Glad Im making you laugh lol!

I'm back at work today after a very enjoyable but exhausting weekend at Ally Pally. It was very interesting to see how it all comes together behind the scenes and boy there is some hard work and dedication involved in creating a fabulous show. Lots of fun too, I hasten to add but after a late breakfast and catch up with Nesta yesterday morning, I was a very lazy ragamuffin for the rest of the day......................testing that theory about dust not getting any worse after 5 years lol!!!

It was also great to meet, for the first time, some fantastic ladies from Blogland including our very own Karenlotty (my goodness is that girl tall lol!!!) Sandra from Cotswold Crafter and Helen (Oooooh, Helen Ive just noticed you have pressed follow too as you said you would so thank you chuck) There were other ladies who seemed to know who I was so it was quite funny hearing "Ooooh, its Mrs Duck" now and again lol!!!

You were all an absolute delight to meet girls and soooooooo lovely. 

Now, today's card is the last of the cards I made for John's 12 Days of Christmas shows (is that a cheer I hear in the distance hahaha???) and also incorporates a couple of Sue Wilson's Christmas dies.

Ingredients

CE Rich Red card

CE Vintage Gold card

Sue Wilson Peace die

Sue Wilson Snowflake Corner, Border and Tag die (Border only)

John Lockwood's 12 Days of Christmas 8x8 paper pad

CE Scarlet ribbon

CE Gold Dazzlers

CE Pearls (coloured with gold Krylon pen)

The snowflake, ribbon and Peace portion is raised up on foam pads for a bit of dimension.

There were some ladies that I hoped to meet at the weekend but I don't know if I missed them or if they didn't go (Mrs B and Maria)

Maria has started her own blog at http://ivyleafcrafts.blogspot.co.uk so it would be lovely if you had time to pop over and welcome her to Blogland.

Well, I shall try not to bump, bash or headbutt anything this week. I escaped Ally Pally with just a bit of a bad back (well, it was quite a bad back Saturday night but I rallied on Sunday).

Hope you all have a week that treats you gently.

TTFN

Ang x

Moving Along With The Times. . . . . . . . . . Hats and Scarves

Good morning paddling chums. Hope that you are all well. I noticed things have been little quiet of late. Hope its because you are doing fabulous and exciting things (either that or I have bored the gilding flakes of ya lol!!!

Thank you for your comments on my last card. I'm not big on green normally but I do like the CE Brunswick Green for Christmas.

Now today we have the latest challenge over at MAWTT and the lovely Janice has picked the theme which is . . . . . . . . .drum roll . . . . . . . . .Hats and Scarves!!!

Your creation must feature both (greedy girl Jan lol!!!)

Hope that you can join in or that you can pop over to see what my fellow team mates have come up with.

I reached  for my trusty Hunkydory Christmas packs again as I don't think I have anything else featuring a hat and scarf (apart from a snap of Mr Duck last Winter).

Ingredients

White card

Red card

Hunkydory topper and snowflake paper

Docrafts snowflake embossing folder 

Mei Flower red ribbon

CE Dazzler (looks like a Jelly Tot)

Cosmic Shimmer Berry Red PVA Pearls

Now confession time. . . . . . . . . . . .they say its good for the soul.

You can see that the cute little fella is wearing a lovely hat and scarf ensemble. Well, on the original he wasn't. I thought that the stripey thing that the polar bear is holding was a scarf.

It was only when Mr D said "isn't that a sock?" that I had a closer look and heavens to murgatroyd it bloomin was !!!!!

Well, after a visit to Specsavers, I didn't have time to dig out something else so I used a bit of artistic licence (and red felt tip) to draw a scarf on the penguin. . . . . . . .well, I think its a penguin but with my eyesight, it could be a goat lol!!!

I hope you can forgive my little adjustment.

Please join us over at MAWTT. Would be lovely to see you there.

Well that's me off for a few days as, barring further incident (I did bump my head on a shelf yesterday but that's another story), I'm off to Ally Pally on Friday.

Plan is to maybe give the CE team a hand (may be more of a hinderance hahaha!!!) behind the scenes so if anyone is going, come and say "Hi". . . . . . . . . I'll be the one with long hair and a slightly bruised forehead lol!!!

So, be good and take care.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps..........I have put this on a bit early. MAWTT doesn't wake up until 9am (having a lie in lol!)

A Little More Christmas. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope all is good with you? Halfway through September already. . . . . .its frightening.

I must start by apologising for being AWOL for a few days. There was an emergency at one of the other stores in our region and my boss had to go in and help out, along with other staff. Consequently, I was holding the fort at our store and obviously had to do extra days.

Its quite a physical job so I have just been crashing out when I've got home and have ended up nodding off and dribbling in the chair most evenings lol!

Sorry that I've missed commenting too (including Sue with a die giveaway and John so no one has escaped) but although I have another mega busy week ahead, I shall be popping by your blogs at some point today.

A warm welcome to Zoe who has pressed the follow button. Thank you so much and hope you can visit often.

Now, today's card is one of my favourites that I made for John's last C & C shows. This one was displayed on the counter rather than in the sample pile.

Ingredients

White card

CE Brunswick Green card

John Lockwood's 12 Days of Christmas 8x8 paper pad

Sue Wilson Snowflake Mini Striplet

CE silver ribbon

CE sentiment stamp

Silver embossing powder

Versamark 

CE Dazzlers (large one coloured with a green marker)

CE pearls (coloured with a silver Krylon pen)

I think that there is only one more to come from the samples now so I hope I haven't done your heads in with festive overload.

Will be back on Thursday with MAWTT so once again I apologise for being missing and bid you adieu for now.

Hope this week is kind to you all.

TTFN

Ang x 

Christmas. . . . . . . . . . Part Twenty

Good morning one and all. Hope this finds you and yours well and to those who are under the weather, I send best wishes.

Thank you for your comments on my stitched card. I can't sew for toffee but can just about follow the pattern for cards lol!!!

Now today, I return to the samples I made for John's shows with his super pad and fab stamps and today's special offer is a BOGOF (or twofer as Sue Wilson calls them).

So, a few photos if you don't mind. The ingredients are basically the same, I've just used the pad in a different way.

For this card I used the images from the pad as panels around the central aperture and the hints of gold around the edges are from my trusty Krylon Gold Leaf Pen.

This is an 8x8 card to fit everything on.

For the one below, it is 6x6 with a couple of the panels glued together to give the concertina effect.

For this one, I used the stamp set for the smaller images and the final partridge in the pear tree.

Ingredients

White card

CE Brunswick Green card

CE Rich Red card

John Lockwood's 12 Days of Christmas 8x8 paper pad

John Lockwood's 12 Days of Christmas Stamp set

Rhubarb Stalk Memento Dew Drop ink pad

Krylon Gold Leaf Pen

There is still a couple more to come folks so I hope that you will be ok with that.

At work today but hopefully home in time to see the highlights of the Italian GP.

Hope you have all had a good weekend and a great week ahead.

TTFN

Ang x

House of Cards September Challenge. . . . . Stitching

Good morning paddlers. I hope this finds your boos all tickety? 

Thank you as always for your kind comments on my last card. I'm giving you a short break from Christmas today.

Firstly, I must welcome Carol to the fold. Thank you for hitting the followers button (even if you may have just dropped a Custard Cream on your keyboard by mistake hahaha!!!) and hope you will visit often.

Now today is the start of another new month (where is this year disappearing to???) so its time for a new challenge at House of Cards and September's theme is. . . . . . . . . .Stitching!

Your stitching can be real or faux so it would be lovely to see you enter (this would be right up a certain Janice's alley, methinks lol!) My stitching is real. . . . . . . .(my stamping isn't wonky, just my camera work hahaha!!!)

Ingredients

Cream card

Fuchsia pink pearl card (Lime Tree)

Free flower pattern from www.stitchingcards.com

Embossalicious Tumbling Leaves embossing folder 

SB Grand Ovals die

John Lockwood Cherry Blossom Elements sentiment stamp

Card-io Dragonfly and butterfly stamps

Cotton from a Pound shop (no expense spared on this blog lol!!!)

Dovecraft pink bling

I did find the stitching very therapeutic and it didn't take too long but hopefully you find it as pretty as I do.

Please pop over to House of Cards to see what gorgeous cards my DT mates have created and why not have a go. . . . . . you know you want to lol!!!

Well, Hochanda (bless me!) has been interesting. After the first few hours resembling a remake of Victoria Wood's Acorn Antiques, it actually was quite good. I particularly enjoyed the fact that they let the guests demo without much interruption; a refreshing change from C&C. 

John was, of course terrific (I would have said marvellous but he only gave me a fiver lol!!!)

Glad you got hold of him Wendy. He can be like the Scarlet Pimpernel at times lol!!!

Maureen, you are a hoot lol!!!

After my extra days last week, I have just had Sunday and Monday off and boy did I need it. Normal week this week, barring incident so at least I can draw breath.

Wishing you all a great week and happy days.

TTFN

Ang x