Baby Blue..............

Good morning dear blogging chums. Hope you are all well and "itis" free. Sadly, I still have mine but I'm my own worst enemy, as I should rest but I still try and battle through, dosed up on painkillers and anti inflammatories.

Fortunately, I have a few days off in a row this week so had a nice long lunch with Nesta today as she is back from her Andalusian travels and then I have some jobs to catch up on (slowly lol!)

Also, have to sort a new cooker as the oven has finally given up the ghost on ours. Will wait until Black Friday to see if there's any bargains to be had.

Thank you for your comments on my autumnal card. It was one that I have a soft spot for.

Now, today's offering is a card I made for my friend's daughter, who has made my friend Penny a Nanny again after an 18 year gap. Little Cameron arrived safe and sound so I had to go blue for a boy. For some reason, the next pic looks teal-ish but it was definitely blue like the top pic.

Ingredients

White card

Blue card

Crafts Too embossing folder

Presscut large rectangle dies

SB Classic Oval dies

Hobbycraft baby stamps

Blue Distress and Memento inks

For the aperture, I cut an oval to one side then cut another, overlapping to give a, hopefully, interesting aperture shape.

Simple but cute, I hope.

Anyhoo, time to drink my hot chocolate, lovingly prepared by Mr Duck before going to bed (yes, this is scheduled lol!!!)

Lovely to see Ita back in blogland and some new ladies commenting too. Happy holidays to those on their travels.......I'm very jealous lol!!!

Till next time, be good (try Darnell, you never know, you might like it lol!!!)

TTFN

Ang x

Seasons Change. . . . . . . . . .

Good morning blogging chums. Hope you are all as well as you can be and that you haven't been affected by these bad winds (no vindaloo jokes please lol!!!)

Its been great for drying the washing but there's always that element of worry that my smalls are going to end up in a different postal code.

Thank you for your kind comments on my raindrops on roses. It seems a popular theme at the challenge so hope you will join in.

Now, today's card is CAS for me and one I made for Nesta (still sunning herself near Malaga at last contact) a few weeks ago as I hadn't seen her for a while due to work............boy, does it interfere with your social life something terrible hahaha!

I used the leaves that I had cut for the aperture on the base rather than just inking the base card as I wanted the texture from the embossing on the leaves.

Ingredients

Cream card

Lime green card

SB Foliage die

Hougie for the embossed lines (just in an "L" shape rather than all around)

John Lockwood Rosebud Elements stamp set (for the beautiful sentiment)

Variety of orange, green and brown distress inks and Mementos

Teeny bling

For the sentiment, I decided to go a bit off piste (I know folk will be doing a double take with that word like I did with Nattyboots "itis" last time lol!!!) and used some green and brown shades of Mementos to dab at random on the stamp to give a graduated look, if that makes sense?

As for my "itis", its still in evidence as it usually takes a couple of weeks to shift to a comfortable level. I know its been due to stretching at work as the set up for stock storage is different at the new store...........and yes, I am chasing getting it changed lol!!!

Well, that's me done for now. Busy times at work again on the run up to the festive season so please bear with my random visits at silly times at night lol!!!

Enjoy the rest of the week folks and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps......Don't forget to comment here, if you're a follower to go into the paddle prize draw.

MAWTT November Challenge............

Good morning everyone. Hope all is well with you and yours. I'm back at work following a few days off but today is a non working day so I shall be watching to see what Mr Lockwood has up his sleeve.

Got a touch of costochondritis again so riding the storm on the crest of Ibruprofen lol!!! It flairs up every 6 months or so but hey ho!

Thank you for your comments on Nesta's florals. She is currently sunning herself in Spain so I'm very jealous.

Lovely to see a few ladies back from travels and busy lives.....Lesley, you sound as though you have had an interesting time. 

Now, today's offering is my DT creation for MAWTT and I picked the theme for this challenge which is...................

My Favourite Things,

 as in the song from The Sound of Music, one of my favourite films.

Please pop over and see what the other girlies have come up with and the words from the song are on the blog if you would like to join in and enter the challenge or just have a sing song.................go on, you know you want to lol!!!

I've gone for a BOGOF.........the raindrops on roses and the brown paper package tied up with string

Ingredients

Cream card

Green card

Pink pearlised card (thought the raindrops would show up better on it)

Brown paper

Patterned paper from First Edition Bird Song 8x8 pad

Embossalicious Tumbling Leaves embossing folder

SB Bitty Blossoms dies

SW Laurel Leaves dies

John Lockwood Flower Heart Elements stamps (sentiment)

Anita's 3D Gloss (raindrops)

Bundled Sage and Victorian Velvet DI

Rhubarb Stalk Memento Dew Drop ink

String

Bling

I wanted it to look like a gift of flowers in an unfussy package. I stuck the brown paper to some card and then bowed it out from the card to give it a more 3D look.

In hindsight, I'm wishing I made the "package" smaller as it does look a lot of brown but you live and learn.

Sooooo, over you go to MAWTT to join in the fun. See, even Aldi have jumped on the bandwagon and are using the song for their Christmas advert hahaha!!!

Also, don't forget to comment on this post here to go into the 300 posts paddle prize draw.

Elaine, its very kind of you to offer to not be part of the draw.

Jan, I'm surprised that John had any chocolate left 24 hours later lol. Sorry I missed Anne.

Maureen, the more the merrier chuck.

That's me for now so be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Nesta's Birthday. . . . . . . and 300 not out!!!

Good morning dear paddlers and my goodness isn't it paddling weather?

Thank you for your ever lovely comments on my last creation and for your kind words about little Cid. We're none the wiser as to what happened to her. She was found in a neighbours garden but with no visible signs of injury. Still bringing tears to my eyes so will move on to happier words. 

Had a wonderful day at the NEC Thursday with Nesta. She enjoyed looking around the gift stalls and also bought some sequins to embellish some tops she has (I'll make a crafter of her yet lol!)

Met up with the lovely Christine Harrop and also this time the equally lovely Anne Oliver and her sister in law. We all had a fab chat over coffee/tea.............thank you Anne for my coffee. Next year its my treat, no arguments lol!!! Did look out for Ann from Northampton but didn't spot you chuck.

It was strange not seeing the Scottish girls but had a lovely long chat with Kate on Tuesday to try and stave off the withdrawal symptoms lol!

Now, it was during our chat at the NEC, that I remembered that I hadn't yet posted the card I made for Nesta's birthday, which was back in August.

So here it is but apologies for the quality of the first photo........or it may, hopefully just be my screen not doing it justice. Its 8x8 in size. 

Ingredients

Cream card

Lilac card

Sissix Square dies

HC Delicate Asters dies

SB Foliage dies

Tonic and Papermania flower punches

Crafters Companion sentiment stamp

Card-io dragonfly stamp

White gel pen

Selection of distress inks to colour the flowers and foliage

Pearlage and blingage

I used the white gel pen to highlight the centres of some of the lilac flowers to give them some definition.

Nesta did love her card and, bless her, she keeps them too. I did enjoy making this one as I love my florals.

Not much was purchased by me on Thursday. Mr L was busy demoing on my local craft shop's stand (Daisy's Jewels and Crafts stand D30) and one of my purchases was a bar of chocolate for John lol!!! He is demoing on their stand again on Sunday if anyone is going then (Think Jan from Northampton is?)

I will pop on a snap of the purchases next time but its quite minimal for me. Nowhere seemed to be selling Spellbinders, which seemed rather odd to me and to be honest, not much in the way of dies in general.

Lastly, I have reached the dizzy heights of 300 posts now, hurrah!!! I shall be offering a little pressie to a commenter/follower. So anyone who is a follower and leaves a comment on this post between now and 21st November will go into a draw for a thank you gift.

I am enjoying a few days off so hope everyone has a great weekend.

TTFN and be good.

Ang x

House of Cards November Challenge....................

Good afternoon everyone. Hope you are all well.

Firstly, I must apologise for my absence from blogging/commenting. Its partly due to having to work extra days (7 days out of 9 so far) in a new store with longer opening hours and sadly, little Cid the kitten I mentioned in my last posts, has died.
She lived over the road but invited herself into our house every time the door or window was open and always enjoyed a tid bit and, mainly, lots of cuddles and fuss.
She was just about a year old and was lovely so although she wasn't ours, I have been so upset as it reminded me of when we lost our own beautiful feline girlie, Sam.

Now, onto nice things. Its a new month so its time for a new challenge over at House of Cards and this month its called Stamped Punch Window which is essentially, a stamped card with an aperture/s cut out of it.
So come on lads and lasses, lets see you enter with some super creations or at least pop over to see what the rest of the DT have created to inspire you.

I decided to try the triple stamping technique that Sue Wilson and John use but with a twist. Instead of building the layers upwards, I inverted them so that the layers for the aperture go into the centre.

Ingredients

White card

Purple card

Stampin Up Morning Meadow stamp (flowers) a blog gift from the lovely Donna Nuce

John Lockwood Cherry Blossom stamps (sentiment)

Presscut Extra Large Square die set

Memento Dew Drop in Sweet Plum as first and second generation colour

Lots of foam pads

It turned out just as I wanted it to, which doesn't always happen lol! Isn't it great when you see something your minds eye and it translates into card.
It doesn't have much in ingredients but it can be tricksy to assemble as you have to work from the centre outwards.

Hope you like it and it inspires you to enter the House of Cards Challenge.

Well, at work today and Tuesday and then I'm off for a few days..........thank goodness!!!
It will involve a visit to the NEC on Thursday with Nesta and meeting up with Christine and also Ann this year (Not sure that the poor girl knows what she is letting herself in for lol!!!)
If anyone else is going on the Thursday, just let us know.

Its sad that the Scottish Posse aren't coming down this year (I think Patricia said that she and Hazel are doing something nearer Christmas? and Kate has just come back from a trip) as it won't be the same for me and Mrs H not pootling up to the Arden Oak for dinner and frivolity.

Well, that's me for now. Hope you can forgive my absence of late. I hope that life is going to be a bit calmer work wise and emotionally from now on.

TTFN
Ang x

                                                                          Cid

R.I.P my little furry friend..................x