Babies, Orchids & Men With Shopping Lists! . . . . . . . . .

Good morning guys and gals. Hope this finds you in fine fettle (what is a fettle anyway?)

Thank you so much for your best wishes. The calf pain has eased with resting but sadly the ankle is still not behaving. Hopefully, it will improve this week. Maureen, I really don't see the NHS recommending Flash as a tonic for anyone lol!!!

Well, silly me I gave in to Mr D's insistence that he was more than capable of doing the shopping, if provided with a detailed list.......he has a degree, yada yada!

However, intelligence and common sense do not always walk hand in hand...................

I was kind to him and decided to make full use of stuff that was in the cupboards and things in the frosty depths of the freezers (so frosty and deep, Ranulf Fiennes would have struggled) so the list only actually had 10 items on it.

I put pack sizes, price and even colour of the item on the list.........everything bar a photo!!!

He tootled off, pen in hand so he could tick things off (including me lol!!!) and returned with 2 items that were wrong (misread the list apparently) 4 items that weren't even on the list and 1 item completely missing, even though it had a tick next to it!!!...................................heavens to murgatroyd, what's a girl to do???

Now, back to the card. Following on from my last card, I made this for the same lady to send to the new baby himself, to let him know how precious he was (just thought he could keep it in his baby box when he's older) and she happily agreed.

Ingredients

White card

Blue card, various shades

Forever Friends New Arrival snippets

Presscut squares dies

Docrafts alphabet die

Baby stamps 

Funky Foam (on the letters to give them depth)

White gel pen (faux stitching)

As you can see, it folded flat for posting. I'm sure there is a technical name for this type of card but I liked the thought of the 3D aspect for a baby's nursery.

Just before I go (I can hear the odd snore and yawn lol!!!) I've included a couple of snaps of my beautiful orchids. Several of them are in flower at the moment so they are a pretty sight.

I've had this one about 10 years, fished out of a B&Q bargain bin, half dead for 80p and it flowers faithfully every year (the other buds are now open, so it looks more fab).

This one is another that cost me less than a quid from a bargain bin.

More to follow next time, if that's ok.

Meantime, Hope this new week treats you all kindly.

TTFN

Ang x

Tuesday's Child. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are well and been enjoying some glorious weather. It's been beautiful here for the past few days.

Well, the latest news is, the doctor thinks I've damaged my Achilles Tendon and has ordered me to rest it for 2 weeks. The pain had spread into my calf as I was compensating for the ankle so it wasn't good.

I can't take anti-inflammatories due to other medication I have to take so it's rest and heat for 2 weeks. Felt a bit mortified as I've never had a sick note (well, fit note as they are now) before but Mr D has got tough & said I'm to do as I am told for a change (don't they get brave when they can move quicker!!!)

The doctor also seemed to suggest that rest may not resolve the issue and I may need an injection but that's not compatible with my tablets either so he may need to re-jig those!!!

I get pain whether I move it or keep still so we'll just have to see how it goes. I guess I'm as popular as a bacon sandwich at a vegetarian picnic with work at the moment but it was probably carrying on for the past couple of weeks when it was a mere niggle that got worse, that's made it how it is now.

Now, on to happier things..........a card. I was asked to make this for a lady I know as her sister had a long awaited baby. He arrived a few weeks early in February but is now home and doing well.

Ingredients

White card

Blue card (different shades)

Tatty Teddy decoupage

Crafts Too Baby embossing folder

CE Linen embossing folder

John Lockwood Monday's Child stamps

SB Labels 4

Sissix Heart die

Hobbycraft corner punch

Hobbycraft baby stamps

Teal Zeal and Bahama Blue Memento Dewdrop inks

I don't normally fuss to much with the insides (through laziness, so apologies Jenny L, the queen of inards lol!!!) but I wanted to feature John's poem stamp too as it's such a lovely set so the above is the inside of the card.

Tatty was originally carrying a pink balloon so I snipped it off and replaced it with the blue heart one instead.

The card had to be relatively flat as it was being posted. I also made the lady a card to send to her nephew to say how precious he is so I shall show that next time.

Thank you for you for your kind wishes and comments. Rest is not really in my nature so its going to be difficult. Watching Mr D hang out the washing Tuesday made me cringe but I had to bite my lip and sit still lol!!! He has mentioned giving him a list and he will do the shopping but I fear that could be a step too far..................It's taken me about 5 years to get over the last time I let him go solo with a shopping list..............perhaps a Tesco on line order instead lol!!!

Think its supposed to get a bit nippy at the end of the week so hope you keep warm and well.

Hoping for a visit from Nesta today to cheer me up and for a bit of company (Mr D had a couple of days off to look after me but now back at work)

You all take care and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Hong Kong & An Egg. . . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all well. I bet that title made you look twice lol!!!

As it stands (or not as you will see) I am not at work as I have problems with my right Achilles and calf.

The ankle started playing up a couple of weeks ago and has gradually got worse to a point on Friday, when I could barely put any weight on it and my calf muscle feels like its seized up)

Have been advised to rest it and see my GP (hopefully can get in today). Had hoped resting on my day off on Saturday might ease things but as I struggled to get into the car to go to work yesterday, I was frogmarched back into the house by Mr Duck. 

Will have to see what damage I've done but hopefully nothing serious. Nancy, I hope that your knee is better after your op?

Now, back to nicer things, today, I give you a BOGOF. The first card is one requested by my mate Davey. I had made him the card shown here for his birthday last year so he asked me to make one for another friend of ours for his birthday. This friend was born in the slightly more exotic location of Hong Kong (Coventry does have its moments but exotic it ain't, even with Flash's more Carmen Miranda outfits)

Ingredients

White card

Blue card

Map of Hong Kong

CE Linen embossing folder

Woodware sentiment

CE Black PVA Pearls

And a freebie peek at the Easter card I made for Mr D. Bless him, he knew how stretched my time was so said not to do anything fancy that took ages to make so I did this simple egg shaped representation of his favourite chocolate brand (All three layers were embossed together so that the pattern matches layer to layer)

Thank you all, as always, for your kind and fab comments. I shall keep you updated on the leg. Hopefully it just needs a rest....................I know how it feels lol!!!

Take care all.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT April 2016 Challenge. . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone and welcome to my creation for the DT for MAWTT.

This month's challenge has been chosen by Gail and is to use Spring Flowers.

Now, that immediately led me back to daffodils, I'm afraid and as they are beginning to look past their best in my garden, I thought I'd make the most of using them on my cards. Hope you don't mind another daffodil shot.

On the above picture, the background paper looks more green than yellow but I photographed it about 10 times standing up as this was as good as it got. The other couple of photos are more representative of the true colour of John Lockwood's gorgeous paper.

Ingredients

Cream Card

Lemon yellow card from John Lockwood's Spring Shades 8x8 pad

Embossalicious Floral Vine A4 embossing folder

SB Lonely Hearts die (cut twice and joined in a cross in the centre)

SB Captivating Squares

HC Sunkissed Fleur (Daffodils)

Presscut Squares

Sentiment from John Lockwoods Cherry Blossom stamp set

Pistachio Memento Dew Drop ink

Pearlage

This snap shows how I double padded the centre of the crossed Lonely Heart die cuts to raise the focal point. The ends of these were then glued flat where they emerged from under the frame (hope that makes sense lol???)

Please pop over to MAWTT to see what the other gals have created and hope you can enter the challenge................go on, get those daffs and tulips out .

Will probably see you all the other side of the weekend noe, so have a good one.

TTFN

Ang x

Last of the Christmas Sparkle. . . . . . . . .

Good morning lovely bloggy folk. Hope you're all well but if not, I send best wishes to you for a speedy recovery.

My last day off before working straight through to Saturday, then Sunday and Monday (I can see Kate and Maureen folding their arms as I type)............. .............Well, I just have to accept, in life, sometimes you're the dog and sometimes you're the lamp post lol!!!

Welcome to Karen and Ginny. Lovely to have you aboard girls and I hope you can visit often.

Before I forget, Maria, the flower border on my last card is a Hobbycraft border punch and Wendy (Yorkshire Butterfly) the flower and leaf dies are Heartfelt Creations Delicate Aster.

Now, I'm fairly sure that this is the last of my Christmas cards from this last Christmas. This one went to our next door neighbours.

Ingredients

Cream card

Red card

CE Frosty Swirls embossing folder

SW Christmas Tree Greetings die

SB Grand Ovals dies

Red funky foam

Red glitter

Teeny red bling

Same as the previous Christmas card, I have cut the Christmas Tree die out of funky foam a couple of times to add depth without having to struggle with teeny bits of foam pad. Plus, I think it adds a more solid depth, if that makes sense.

Once again, I covered the top layer in glue and dunked it (sorry, no biscuits involved again  Elaine) in red glitter.

Simple but stylish, I hope, and very good for batch making.

Better late than never, here's a snap of my NEC purchases last month.........................

Very restrained, wouldn't you say? In fact, I think I spent more on the ticket, *parking and my lunch hahaha!!!

The Justrite background stamps were the big bargain at £2.50 each in Samuel Taylors bargain bin. Not something I was hankering after but at that price, it would have been rude not to.

The floral strip along the bottom, held down with the scissors and quilling tool is actually ribbon.

I saw it on a card on the Mei Flower stall and thought it was a die cut border but then discovered its ribbon. Its going to be a beggar to glue down, no doubt, but I couldn't resist it.

Sorry, that's as exciting as my purchases got. The highlight was my thrice yearly catch up with Mrs H (Christine).

Looks like everyone had a good time at Ally Pally so I'm sorry to have missed a catch up with Karenlotty and meeting some more of you lovely gals.

Val, Wendywoo will have many a tale to tell you when she gets home and John said she was a star.

Anyhoo, this won't get the lady a baby as my dear Mum used to say, so I shall bid you adieu until Thursday when I'm back with my latest MAWTT DT card.

Hope you can join me then.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps.........yes Kate, I know I'm working too hard but until you agree to minimum wage and my own room, I'm not becoming Teallach's groomer lol!!!

Oldie for Friday. . . . . . . .

Good morning one and all. Hope this finds you all fine and dandy.

Thank goodness, a day off for me after being at work since Sunday. Mind you, I say day off, I've got shopping and housework to tackle but you can't have it all eh?

To those of you who asked, sadly I won't be working at Ally Pally this weekend. I was invited but as my manager is on holiday, hence my extra days this week and next, it was not to be.

Wendy (Spanish Crafter) will be there giving a hand on Creative Expressions stand so do pop and say hello to her as she's a lovely lass.

Now, this oldie is one of my favourite makes, so much so, I still have it as I haven't been able to part with it yet, but maybe this year lol!!!

I think I made it for a House of Cards DT piece a couple of years ago.

Well, that's me off for my hot chocolate and an early night (I'm scheduling),

Have a wonderful weekend folks and those who are going to Ally Pally, I'm very jealous but hope you have a great time.

Will be blog visiting today to catch up on my comments to you all.

Be good.

TTFN

Ang x

A Little Christmas Sparkle. . . . . . . . .

Good morning lovely blogging buddies. Hope you are all well?

Its a short and sweet visit today I'm afraid as working full time this week so not much free time.

Now, I discovered a few Christmas cards that I hadn't popped on the blog so I hope you don't mind a bit of festive sparkle in April lol!!! These are ones I made and sent last year rather than advance prep for this year........I'm not that organised lol!

Ingredients

White card

Holographic card

White funky foam

SB 2013 Snowflake Pendant die

Presscut Square dies

A circle die

Docrafts A4  Snowflake embossing folder

Holographic glitter

Iridescent glitter

CE sentiment

I cut the the snowflake out of white funky foam a couple of times and glued them together to give it depth, rather than try and foam pad one cut from card. I covered the top in glue and dunked in the glitter.

I think you can pick up some of the sparkle from the photos.

Flying visit, as I said. I promise I will catch up with blog visits on my next day off.

Take care all and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Oldie for Friday. . . . . . More Daffs

Good morning lovely blogging folk. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Got a busy time at work coming up after a few days off so thought I would squeeze in an oldie for Friday as some of the other gals do as I haven't shown one for a while.

As you were all so lovely about Nesta's Easter card and it daffodils, I had a look through my files and found the one I made for her a couple of years ago...................to be honest, I like this old one better lol!!!

Ingredients (that I can remember)

Cream card 

Yellow card

Orange card

Green card

HC Sunkissed Fleur die

SB Carnation Creations (leaves)

SB Scalloped Oval 

Card-io daffodil stamps

Variety of inks

Thank you, as always for your kind comments and its lovely to see some new names and also some old friends commenting (Lesley, have you been unwell chuck?)

I know how time can be very scarce and precious so your visits are very much appreciated.

Over to Birmingham with Nesta for lunch with some friends today.............always nice to catch up with chums over a tasty morsel or two..........talking of which (the morsel, rather than tasty) Flash was mowing his front lawn (that's not a euphemism for anything, it was his actual grass lawn in front of his house lol!!!) in Mrs Flash's dressing gown (Elaine, calm yourself, next door still isn't for sale as yet).

I'm guessing, now that the weather has warmed up, we will be seeing more of him out and about (but hopefully not too much of him that's out and about, if you catch my drift)

Always reminds me of when Nesta says "its nippy out" and I reply "well put it back in or you'll get arrested"

On that note, have a great weekend and be good!

TTFN

Ang x

ps.........none of this is an April Fool.