Back to Christmas. . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning lads and lasses. Hope this finds you in fine fettle.

Even though I've had a few days off, its only yesterday that I actually had no where to be or having an appointment of one kind or another. Had a couple of cards to create as a friends new nephew has put in an earlier appearance than expected (by 6 weeks) so her original request of one of my box frame creations, has rapidly changed to a card to post (her sister & brother in law are currently living in Aberdeen).

Busy again today, with an appointment this morning then lunch out with some friends so I feel I'm on more of a timetable than when I'm at work lol!!!

Thank you for your lovely comments on my fuchsia necklace. I'll have to see if I can come up with a way of making daffodils to wear this time of year lol!!!

Now, today's offering is harking back to Christmas. I did warn you that I still had some Christmas projects lurking in the ether. I was reminded of this one as I made it for the same friend who has just become an Auntie. She had asked me to make some gift wallets for her to give her family tickets and money for Christmas.

Ingredients

Cream card (Lime Tree)

Green card (CE)

Red card (CE)

SB Layered Poinsettias dies

SB Curved Border 2 die

Cheery Lynn Holly Flourish die

CE Frosty Swirls embossing folder

CS Berry PVA Pearls

CE sentiment

Gold bling

Aged Mahogany DI (Inked through the poinsettia dies)

Memento Dew Drop Northern Pine

This is DL in size and is an A4 piece of card, folded in 3 and 2 edges stuck down, so when you lift the front, there is a pouch inside. This was for friends Mum and Dad as she had bought them train tickets to use to visit the mum to be at New Year.

Sorry if its odd seeing poinsettias when the golden beauties are in full throttle outside. I do love daffodils. They're floral sunshine!

That's me for now folks. I'm hoping I've caught up visiting your blogs but forgive me if I'm a bit late as its been a strange couple of weeks.

Have a super weekend folks.

TTFN

Ang x

Fuchsia Jewellery..........Not a strange lampshade

Good morning folks. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Thank you for your visits and the comments on my sympathy card. We all know how difficult they are to make but for a fella in his 80's it was a definite less is more.

After extra days at work last week, I'm in today and tomorrow and then I have a few days off to use up some leave. I was hoping to do a bit of crafting but a few appointments have cropped up so I shall have to play things by ear........best laid plans and all that lol!!!

Now, I know that there is a lampshade in today's snap but I found it quite an effective way of displaying my necklace to photograph it...........you're all probably thinking "the girls taken a knock on the head" lol!!!

The beads were one of my presents from Nesta for Christmas. When we went to the NEC in November, The Spellbound Bead Company had some lovely sets on display and I thought this may be a nice one to make for Summer (one can but hope that we get one lol!!!) so Nesta kindly got me the gear.

It was fun to make and inspired me to do another few bits of jewellery. Nesta and I also had a trip out to Lichfield (its only about 40 mins drive) to Spellbound's shop last month so I could buy some more bits so there will be more to come in the jewellery line, if that's ok?

I'm just waiting for the nice weather so that I can wear it as I'd feel a bit of a noodle wearing a fuchsia necklace in Winter lol!!!

Please excuse the picture quality of this shot as it was taken on my phone, through our bedroom window (not at its cleanest on the outside at the moment) and before my first steadying cup of coffee, at sunrise. We are lucky to have a south facing rear (as opposed to my southward heading rear lol!!!) so this was the view to the east. We also get to see some cracking sunsets too. Our Pamellia has been showing some beautiful ones on her blog so I could'nt resist sharing this.

Have a great Sunday and hope a nice week lays ahead of you all.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps.........I hate to shatter illusions but no, Mr D did not have a romantic meal prepared for me upon my return from work last Sunday (Valentine's Day). I did have to cook myself but at least that way, we had something edible lol!!! 

I've given up trying to teach him how to cook................its like this pearl of wisdom from Judge Judy.............

"Don't try teaching a pig to sing. It doesn't work and only annoys the pig"

I may just get a stamp set made with that one lol!!! (Christine would buy it as she is the Quote Queen lol!!!)

MAWTT February 2016 Challenge...........

Good morning all. Hope everyone's ticketty is very boo.

Thank you for your kind comments on my cascading heart. It was a true labour of love, I can tell you.

Now, today's card is my DT creation for MAWTT and team A's theme this time has been set by our lovely Christine and is..................................drumroll....................

Words Only, No Image

I hope you can pop and see what the rest of the DT have come up with and it would be lovely to see some familiar names entering the challenge.

I made this card for the friend who lost his wife recently (the funeral I mentioned a couple of weeks ago). As he is in his late 80s, I just wanted to create something quite plain with the sentiment being the focal point. 

I thought the background stamp and embossing folder complimented each other and went down the subtle mica route for the backdrop.

Ingredients

Cream card

Platinum card (Lime Tree)

Just Rite Garden Gate background stamp

Embossalicious embossing folder

CE sentiment

Versamark

Cream pearl mica

London Fog Memento Dewdrop

Teeny silver bling

I tried to capture the sheen of the mica on this shot as its very subtle.

This was a 6x6 embossing folder (if anyone knows the name of it, I'd be grateful as I couldn't find the packaging) yet the card is A5. I'm a bit of a naughty gal and cut the hinges on my smaller embossing folders so I can easily extend the pattern if I need to. The grooves slot into the embossing so its not been a problem and I just use removable tape as the hinges if I want to use it normally (hope that makes sense),

So, get yourselves over to MAWTT and join in the fun.

Ooh, before I forget, Jennie the apricot card I used on the narcissus card was from the famous Lidl pack that we go nuts for when they have them in stock. Its deeper in colour than peach.

See you all soon......be good!

TTFN

Ang x

Love Is..............

Good morning everyone and a Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Sadly, I'm at work today so have had to forego the breakfast in bed that I'm sure that Mr D had planned (ever the optimist moi!).

I know that you will all have more exciting things to do today than hang around The Pond but I thought I would share my "card" I made for Mr D with you. I say "card" as I felt more like an engineer putting it together lol!

I was originally going to go quite CAS with his card this year but then I got inspired by one of our Janice's and her amazing make here.

Trust me to make more work for myself but heyho.........hope he bloomin likes it now lol!

It looks like the heart at the top is propped against the wall but it honestly isn't. I think Janice used a fork to make the cascade but mine is supported by a double layer of acetate and also a narrow acetate stand at the back. This is because it had to support that large heart which is 4 layers of card stuck together, then double sided adhesive, red micro beads and a laser cut "LOVE"

Ingredients

Red card (PMD)

Red paper (Lidl)

Sissix Hearts dies

SB Bitty Blossoms (quelle surprise and thank goodness I have 2 sets)

Hobbycutz laser cut (coloured in black marker)

Tatty Teddy Alphabet stamps

Black archival ink

Red micro beads

Acetate

Patience of Job..........optional lol!

Amazingly, this fitted into an A4 envelope, just as it folds relatively flat (the 2 hearts with the stamping on are "hinged" if that makes sense (as opposed to unhinged like me!!!)

Well, that's me for today. Hope you have a lovely day, whatever you're doing and enjoy the week ahead.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps......Elaine, I'm guessing your interest in moving in next door is to do with Flash, rather than wanting to share crafty stash, tea and cake with me, but sadly, Brad Pitt he ain't........more like Mad Gitt!

Pps.......has anyone lost blogs from their reading list? I'm sure mine seems to have shrunk.

Last of the Hotjohndas................

Good morning everyone. Hope your hatches were all battened down with this wind...........it doesn't do to have your hatches flapping about in this.................talking of which........

Flash over the road has a skip in front of his house and has taken to putting stuff in it whilst wearing the fluffy dressing gown and Crocs. Its like russian roulette as to which gust of wind may waft the dressing gown northwards.................I know, I know but I can't help but watch.

A big splashy welcome to The Pond to Amanda from Flutterbies and Heffalumps. Thank you for pressing the button.

Thank you for your kind comments on my Christmas cards. I should mention that these are ones that I made and posted for last Christmas rather than being anywhere near organised enough to have started this year's lol!!!

Now today's card is the last of the ones I made for John's last Hotjohnda shows and I decided to go down the narcissus route rather than a traditional yellow daffodil. I have some lovely ones in my garden that are similar called Salome. The Daffodil Burst striplet stamp is stamped 3 times together with Versamark then brushed with the mica.

Ingredients

Cream card

Black card

Apricot card

John Lockwood Daffodil Burst striplet stamp (and sentiment stamp is John's too)

HC Sunkissed Fleur die

SB Scalloped Oval dies 

SB Carnation Creations die (for the leaves)

Versamark 

Yellow and pearl mica (mixed to tone down the yellow)

Black teeny bling

I did enjoy making this as I love my florals. It did pop up on a couple of the shows so I was a proud Momma lol!!!

At the start of a few days off, hurrah, so lunch with Nesta yesterday, a line of washing bobbing in the sunshine today (one of life's simple pleasures lol!!!) and a bit of crafting whilst my hair dries after washing that too (for those of you who have met me, you know that's not a quick process)

Keep yourselves warm and well and see you soon.

TTFN

Ang x

Back to Christmas.............

Good morning folks. Hope everyone is ok. My, wasn't yesterday a bleak and miserable day; well it certainly was in this bit of The Pond.

I'm at work today and at time of writing this (Saturday eve) I don't think we're in for great weather today either. On the upside, I'm in again tomorrow and then off for a few days as I use up my holiday before April. I'm hoping to get in a bit of crafting as I have been time poor of late.

Now for today's offering, I'm back to my Christmas cards, if you don't mind. 

I still like to make the ones for posting, even though I am tight fisted, cheap, postage concious! So I was rooting through my stash for inspiration and came across this embossing folder and had a lightbulb moment.............emboss and bling!

Ingredients

Cream card 

Couture Creations Rudolf embossing folder

Various colours and bits of bling

Simple, but effective I hope, great for batch making and still feeling that you have put a little love into a card for someone.

A friend did ask if I could make a few for them to use this year for their postal cards so I may tackle that sooner rather than later as I can see me forgetting until the last minute lol!!!

Talking of friends, Nesta has asked me to pass on her thanks for your best wishes.

She is much better now and thinks you're all lovely.......which of course you all are!

Well, that's me for today folks.

Hope this coming week treats you all kindly.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps.....I will always get round to visiting you. It may be like buses when you get 3 visits at once, but I promise I will get there lol!!!

Another Hotjohnda Sample................

Good morning friends, Romans, crafters. Hope that you're not snowed in, flooded out or blown into another post code.

What weather eh?

Sorry for my absence but extra days at work and the funeral have occupied my time of late.

Thank you for your kind wishes. The friend who had passed was a lovely lady called Emma who had reached the grand age of 91 and was but a few days short of 92. Her husband is bereft, bless him as he was absolutely devoted to her............and I mean absolutely devoted.

She had been suffering for the past few years so whatever your personal take on things, I hope that she is now in a better and happier place.

Now, back to happier things. Today's card is another I made for John's last shows to showcase the Bevelled Glass Striplet.

I cut it across the bottom of a 6x6 card blank I made and sponged some Dusty Concord DI over it. I then I cut another panel in cream to pop over over the top, slightly offset to give a shadow effect. Centre panel cut out of both to create the aperture for the roses.

Ingredients

Cream card

Lilac paper (Lidl 135gsm)

SW Bevelled Glass Striplet

SB Bitty Blossoms

Presscut Rectangle dies

John Lockwood sentiment

Dusty Concord DI

Lilac bling

It was one of those happy occasions when a card turns out how you wanted it.

I had a go at a tissue box cover last week as Nesta had come down with something nasty with a hacking cough (I think she had been at the St Bruno) and a nose that would give Rudolph a run for his money. I had a new cube box of tissues so I made her a cover for it to match her bedding and took that round with a pot chrysanthemum and some Tadka Dal (spiced lentils) for her tea. I knocked the door and retreated to a safe distance for her to pick them up off the doorstep. Gawd bless her, she did look as rough as a bears behind so I stepped back a few more paces and declined the offer to pop inside.

I'll show you the cover shortly and don't worry, there's no photos of Nesta clutching it.

Sandra you are more than welcome and thank you for visiting again. Lovely to see Sam back too and thank you for your kind comments, and to all of you lovely folk that spend your precious time popping by.

Val, I saw your comment on John's about the op and hope you are recovering well.

Well that's me for today folks. At work again, then a couple of days off, hurrah!.........to do shopping and housework boo hiss!

Be good.

TTFN

Ang x