Take Heart Bokeh. . . . . . .

Good morning guys and gals. Hope you have had some of the glorious sunshine that we have had during the past couple of days.

I know that I've said it before but its very satisfying seeing a line full of washing drying in the Sun. . . . . . .What an interesting life I lead eh lol?

Now, I thought I'd give you a rest from John's samples today. This is a card that I made last year for a dear blog chum's son who was/is going through some serious health issues and just wanted to pass on my best wishes and positive vibes to him. I hope that she won't mind my showing it as its about 12 months ago I sent it.

Ingredients

White and blue card

Home made Bokeh mask (circles cut out of acetate)

Lindsay Mason Personal Impressions sentiment stamp

Distress inks for the Bokeh background

Memento Dewdrop Teal Zeal ink for the sentiment.

Teeny blue bling

Very CAS but there are some occasions that you don't need the whistles and bells.

Getting used to the new lappy now. Thankfully, it made friends with the printer without any downloading of anything so the expense and trauma Suzzie had, was averted.

Looks like I'm going to have to fend off a pincer movement by the Terrible Trio who are now on Tart Watch as well as Wisty Watch!!!

Anyhoo, time to have a schnack (I'm scheduling so not nibbling at 6am lol!!!)

See you all soon.

TTFN

Ang x

Next Door Again. . . . . . . .

Good morning everybody. Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Thank you so much for your kind comments about my new venture. I'm itching to "go live" but I'm still waiting for the majority of my stock order to arrive (Yes, I am waiting on media plates Jan and Anne lol!!!

I've got some stock but I'm sure that it will be the naffest shop ever if I went live with a few dies and some ribbon lol!!!

Building the site has been a real labour of love, the amount of time it has taken. I don't think I have spent so much time on a computer since I was in the Civil Service lol!!!

Now, as no one owned up to being fed up with seeing the samples I made for John, I'm showing another one of the many I have left to show. . . . . . I have the EEC sample mountain hahaha!!!

Ingredients

White and pink card

John Next Door Butterfly Corners stamps

Memento Dewdrop inks

Teeny bling

Pearlage

Once again, I did a bit of dib dabbage on the stamp and stamped it to form a circle.

I had to laugh when I told John I loved this rose stamp and he told me it was pine cones, hahaha!!! I should have gone to Specsavers lol!!

That's why I did the "flowers" in pink and peach. He must have thought I'd gone nuts but I think you can get away with it looking rose-ish. . . . . . .sort of. . . . .

Now, onto tarts.

Sorry if Kate got you salivating, though I'm not sure its salivating or just general dribbling with Maureen, at the mention of a tart in her last comment.

I had emailed Kate a photo of a tomato and feta tart I had made and I think she would have liked a slice. We had a glut of cherry tomatoes, red and yellow so I had to come up with a plan for them. I had frozen puff and a block of feta so off I went and this was the result. . . 

Apologies for the un-Nigella photo but I snapped it on my phone. It wasn't very low carb but it was very tasty. I roasted the tomatoes first, sprinkled with garlic powder and Italian herbs, then popped them on the pastry sheet with the feta. No other seasoning as feta is quite salty. 

Anyhoo, I shall sign off for now. I will have custody of the remote control this afternoon for the GP so all's right with the world.

Enjoy your Sunday.

TTFN

Ang x

P.s. . . . . . There are still 2 places available on this weeks Ansty Coventry workshop as, sadly, two ladies may not be able to go due to family illness. Please contact myself or John if you would like to fill the spots.

Butterflies, Dragonflies & Exciting News . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope all is fine and dandy with you and yours.

I have been pacing myself with the housework and Suzzie that's a good idea about the sliders. I've tried to look at it as free exercise lol!!!
Thank you for your comments on my losing weight. I've had to put a belt on my jeans but Maureen I can assure you I am anything but skinny, See that total eclipse in America the other day, It wasn't the moon, I bent over to put my trainers on hahaha!!!

I have some exciting news that I will share at the end of the post..........Well, exciting for me anyway, but don't be naughty and scroll down there without looking at the prurrrrty card first lol!!!

Now, I've still got a few samples I made for John to show so I hope you're not getting fed up with them.......speak if you are, I'm thick skinned (not in a medical sense, unless there's something else wrong with me lol!!!)

This one was actually one of John's favourites and is another that can be used for any occasion.

Ingredients
Cream, black and orange card
CE Jacobean Floral embossing folder
John Next Door Butterfly Frames stamps
Memento Dewdrop inks

As I don't have a stamping platform, I used the dib dab technique to get the graduated colours on the insects but if you have a stamping platform, you can layer up the colours easily.

It reminded me of on of those pinned insect displays in frames but without having to touch a dead insect lol!!!

Nowwwwwwwww, onto the news...........

Having been stuck at home for over a year, with not much hope of anyone wanting to give me a job with my verruca, glass eye, wooden leg and other ailments, I have been thinking for sometime about what I can do to start earning an income in a self employed capacity that I could do from home (I want no rude suggestions on that front, thank you ll!!!)

So, I have decided to take the plunge and build a website to sell craft products on line. I'm just starting small to see how it goes but hope that it do well as I intend to have very competitive pricing.

Its pretty much ready to go but I am waiting for a stock delivery and then I shall launch. I'm hoping it will be in the next couple of weeks.

I shall be mainly stocking John Next Door products to start with as I know they are popular and they are products I would use myself.

I am doing this by myself but John has kindly designed my logo for me (so if you don't like it, blame him lol!!!). Its surprising how much work is involved in creating a website and loading it with products.

So, I apologise for any tardiness in visiting anyone's blogs. 

Phew, its out............. I hope you don't all thinking I'm barking mad but I just want to be a productive working person again and have some sort of normality.

Some of you may know that I have been in charge of John's diary/bookings for the past 10 months so that has kept me reasonably busy but I wanted to do something for me.

I will keep you posted of developments and the go live date. 

Meantime, enjoy your weekend...........myself, Jackie and Wendy will as its live F1 from Belgium after a month Summer break. I've been getting withdrawal symptoms lol!!!

TTFN

Ang x

Back Next Door. . . . . . . .

Good Morning folks. How ya doin? Well, I hope.

Before I get stuck in, there are 2 spare spaces on John's Ansty, Coventry workshop as sadly 2 ladies may not be able to come due to family illness. If you are interested in joining us for fun, food and crafty capers, please drop me a line on lockerscrafts@gmail.com.

I'm keeping myself occupied with a bit more housework as its only been surface stuff that's been done in the last 12 months but I like to move furniture, book shelves and dressers etc periodically to clean more thoroughly. Mr D will be doing the shifting but, although he does offer to do the cleaning, its never with any enthusiasm or expectation that I will say "yes" lol!!! I do let him loose with the vac occasionally as we have a particularly heavy one but usually just the hall, stairs and landing.

He actually rang me at work a few years ago to ask me how to turn the vac on....... I jest not!!!

I hadn't had any symptoms, that I'm aware of, with the reduced Vitamin B12, it was just picked up on a blood test. Jackie, the Folic Acid is apparently given alongside the B12 ......... pregnant??? Heaven's to Murgatroyd, I bloomin hope not. More poking (steady!!!) and prodding followed by months of sleepless nights, followed by years of expense...... Noooooooooo!!!

Now, we have another sample from John's latest release. These stamps have proved to be very versatile.

Ingredients

Cream textured card

Green pearlised card (Lime Tree)

John Next Door Butterfly Corners stamps

John Next Door Circle Leaves stamps

John Next Door Flower Circle stamps (sentiment)

Memento Dew Drop inks (Pistachio, Olive Garden and New Sprout)

Green Ribbon

A simple but, hopefully effective card that would suit an occasion where a bit of subtlety is required.

Time to scoot as its time for a bite to eat and a fresh decaff. Have been following a low carb diet for the past couple of weeks or so and have lost a stone so it seems to be working.

Be good.

TTFN

Ang x

More From Next Door. . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all enjoying the odd snippets of sunshine we have had.

I have been busy with computer things and getting out and about with friends too.

A warm welcome to Angela, who has kindly clicked the "follow" button.....very much appreciated.

Thank you for your kind comments on my buddlejas (said the actress to the bishop.....).

I should explain that I am on The MAWTT design team so when I post about their challenges, its as a DT member, not as an entrant to the challenges. However, its very kind of you to think I would be in with a chance of winning, if I were.

Karen, I don't think its a petal pairs punch I used as I have a couple of those and they are bigger.

Now today, I'm back to the samples I made for John's first release of JND stamps.

Ingredients

Cream, purple and lilac card

John Next Door Spring Flowers stamps

John Next Door Autumn Flowers stamps

SB Carnation Creations dies

SW Trailing Ivy dies

Memento Dew drop inks (Grape Jelly, and Sweet Plum)

This is a stepped triple stamping card. I stamped the bottom of the cream layer, chopped the bottom into 2 equal strips and mounted them on to purple card.

I then layered them up with foam pads, 2 deep on the bottom strip, then stepping down to 1 deep on the next strip. . . . . . . hope that makes sense?

Methinks its another busy week ahead with bits and bobs and back at the doctors. He's now picked up a Vit B12 deficiency so I'm on that and Folic Acid now too. Thank goodness we don't have to have an MOT certificate to go out and about or I would have failure stickers on my bumpers (oooh, errrr Mrs!!!).

Hopefully see you back here in a couple of days.

Have a great week.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 52. . . . . .

Good morning guys and gals. Hope all is well with you.

I'm back today with a card for MAWTT  and this challenge, chosen by Diane Louise is.........

Things beginning with the letter B

So hope you can pop over to the challenge and see what the rest of the gals have come up with and, why not have a bit of fun and enter yourself.

Now, not being one to do things in half measures, I went for 3 Bs.........Buddlejas, Butterflies and Blue.

Ingredients

White, navy, purple and green card

Lilac paper

John Next Door butterfly stamps

Crafters Companion sentiment

SB Carnation Creation dies (leaves)

Tonic flower punch (punched many, many times lol!!!)

Tumbled Glass Distress ink

Grape Jelly and Lulu Lavender Memento Dew Drop inks

Yellow felt tip

I haven't done one of these cards for a long time so I thought that punch was due another workout.

That's me for now as its been a busy week at The Pond.

Don't for get check out the rest of the DT's inspiration over at MAWTT.

TTFN

Ang x

John Lockwood Workshop......Two More Spaces

Good morning all.

Just to let you all know, there are now two full day spaces available for John's workshop at Ansty near Coventry.

Please contact me on the above email if you are interested in a day of fun, food and Jelly Babies!!!

Pop Up shop also available.

Back at 9am with MAWTT Challenge card so please come back later.

TTFN

Ang x

John Next Door Butterfly Frames. . . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning friends, Romans, crafters ........ lend me your beers ears.

Hope you had a lovely weekend, sunshine, hurrah!!!

I thought I'd give you all a couple of days rest and myself time to make friends with Windows !0. We have passed the first date stage but no kissing as yet.

Its a strange beast that will take some getting used too but I thought the same about Mr D at first and now, I quite like him lol!!!

Apologies Myra if I worried you being awol.

Welcome Lisa, thank you for your comment.

Now, I'm back with another of John's show samples. This one did get an airing and is such an quick and easy card, especially for batch making or if you want a nice set of note cards.

Ingredients

White and rich plum card

John Next Door Butterfly Frames stamps

Presscut Square dies

Sissix Heart die

Memento Dew Drop inks 

Pearlage

I did the dib dab technique with the points of the ink pads again, stamping the heart element 3 times and the flowers a couple of times with a lighter colour than the first stamping. Butterflies added for good measure.

The card is fractionally under 6x6......... I always make them a little under as sometimes envelopes are a bit under too and its a bu@@£r when you make a card, only for it not to fit the envelope.

Busy week ahead. Seeing Mr L at some point and a rather late Spring clean. Now I'm feeling up to it, I want to get stuck in. I won't go daft though, I shall pace myself.

And now, for something completely different. Freshly picked from the garden........you can't beat it eh? Next time........... the cucumber...........steady ladies, steady lol!!!

Hope that this week treats you kindly and dryly, see you all soon.

TTFN

Ang x

John Next Door Continues. . . . . . . .

Good morning blogging chums. Hope that all is hunkydory with you.

Its Day 3 of the John Next Door Fest and as the weather has bounced between Sun and persisting down, what better than a rainbow to brighten proceedings.

Now, this one did get a moment in the spotlight but I did wonder if the raindrop mask was a step too far..........is it too much?

Ingredients

8 x 8 white card blank (Anna-Marie Designs)

White card

Multi colours of Lidl card

John Next Door Flower Circle stamp set (sentiment)

John Next Door Quattro Drops mask

Crafters Companion Rain embossing folder

Presscut Circle dies

Memento Dew Drop Bahama Blue and Summer Sky ink

Teeny blue bling

I may be back tomorrow with part 4. It depends on if the new laptop has decided to stop updating Windows today.

6 bloomin hours it was doing it yesterday. My head was throbbing with setting things up on there for another update to start installing and re-setting what I had done........arrrrrgh!!!

On the upside, did manage to set it up as a local user rather than giving Microsoft carte blanche to snoop.

Will gradually start shifting documents etc over and all my photos (about 5GB just photos lol!!!)

That's me for today.........maybe see you again tomorrow if I haven't been carted off in a straight jacket!!!

TTFN

Ang x

I would also like to enter this card in the JUGs challenge below. . . . . . .(it stands for Just Us Girls in case anyone thinks its something rude lol!!!)

Dib Dab Thistle. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are well.

Also hope you managed to catch John's shows yesterday. I think he will be trying to get that ink off his hands for weeks lol!!!

Now this card was at the back so I thought I would show it today as it was one of my favourite makes.

Ingredients

Cream, lilac and green card

Embossilicious Falling Leaves embossing folder

Presscut Oval die

John Next Door Butterfly Frames stamps

John Next Door Butterfly Corners stamps (sentiment)

Memento Dew drop inks 

Now in the title, I mentioned "Dib dab". This is a technique I use to colour stamps by basically, "dibbing" and "dabbing" the pointed end of Memento Dew Drop ink pads to colour different areas of a stamp all in one go. This is just using a stamping block not a stamping press. Its easier on stamps with bigger images and you do need a steady hand (so lay off the milky coffee Maureen).

I shall be back again tomorrow (Cara, get ready with that shovel again, lol!!!) so be good.

TTFN

Ang x

PS........picking up new laptop today. Wish me luck with Windows 10 or I shall have a very expensive frisbee lol!!!

John Next Door 2nd Launch. . . . . .Slate Heart

Good morning everyone. Hope all is ok with you and yours.

Thank you for your lovely comments on my cards made with John's 1st launch John Next Door products. Today, at 7am on Hochanda, John is launching his second release of products, including stamps and masks.

Now, you know I like to be different and when I saw this slate heart in Poundland, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. It is heat embossed in white.

For anyone who hasn't stamped or heat embossed slate before, I will give you a couple of tips.

Choose the flattest slate you can get for even stamping. 

You will still need to anti static it before stamping too.

Slate obviously behaves differently to paper. You heat from the top but it takes quite some time for the powder to do its thing, as that patch of slate needs to get quite hot for it to melt so be very careful where you hold it. As it also then takes a good while to set as the slate stays hot for a while, I find it easier to do it in stages, rather than all in one go. Let the slate cool in between.

Ingredients

Hanging slate from Poundland

John Next Door Summer Flowers stamps

John Next Door Spring Flowers stamps

John Next Door Butterfly Frames 

John Next Door Flower Circle stamp (sentiment)

Versamark

Stampendous white embossing powder

Hope you manage to catch some of John's shows today. I promised him that I would surface from my warm nest to watch the 7am show (if ever there was a time I needed caffeine lol!!!).

He did ask if I wanted to go with him to help set up again but with the prospect of a 4am start, I graciously declined.

Back again tomorrow with another show sample.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps.......Haemoglobin now back in the normal range, hurrah! Finally, a good test result lol!!!