Aqua Noel. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. How is everyone doing?

Its been lovely driving again and I was almost in ecstasy being able to hang the washing out yesterday........that's what passes for excitement in this household at the moment,

Sadly Jackie, whenever I mention "having a drink" its not the alcoholic variety. Since the A/Fib diagnosis, I have been off the pop as it can be a trigger and also because of the tablets I take. Now with the kidney issues too, its a definite no no...........the irony being, when you keep getting bad news, a couple of bottles of prosecco would go down very nicely lol!!!

Hence the excitement being found in the pegging out of my smalls (Maureen won't know what they are).

On that note, I would like to advise WART that their Mr B drone has been identified and neutralised............the one time I have been grateful to find a deposit from a neighbourhood cat!!!

Barbara has gone into a Wisteria Protection Programme to thwart any kidnap attempt and is now a man called Dennis living in a kibbutz in Scunthorpe...........oooops, shouldn't have said that, we'll have to move her again now.

The knitted duck has also been moved to a place of safety.

And Littlelamb, it wasn't just a card its a calendar card so I'm happy to show everyone ....Maureen is just jealous as she doesn't have one.

Now, back to today's card. I was going to show another sample from John's last shows but can I find the other photos, can I eck!!! So, on my travels amongst my photo folders, I found some Christmas cards from 2016 I don't believe I have blogged (I'm not putting money on it though). This was one of my favourites that I made.

INGREDIENTS

White and aqua card

Silver mirror card

CE Frosty Swirls embossing folder

SW Snowflake Borders and Tags die

SW Snowflake Gemini

John Lockwood Holly Tree Elements sentiment stamp

Memento Dewdrop London Fog ink (Its quite silvery)

Aqua pearlage

Its still relatively flat, even with the layers.

Well, that's me for now but for those of you coming to or thinking of coming to the workshop on Sunday (there are a few spaces left) the venue has changed as per the poster on my sidebar.

Hope this week treats you all kindly.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps.......One of my lovely pals sent me a Foamiran kit for my convalescence, which I didn't use at the time due to not being able to lift my GC (but then discovered you can hand cut the blooms - doh!!!). I didn't photograph the kit for the last blog post as sheets of foam don't really look very interesting lol!!!

Here's a couple of snaps of my first attempts at flowers with the Foamiran. Still getting used to the new camera.

Wisty Envy Again?.................

Hello everyone. Hope all is good in your part of The Pond and if not, I send good wishes.

I have been released from house arrest as someone put it lol!!! Oh, how I have missed the simple joys of driving and grocery shopping.

Had my nuclear medicine scan appointment come through for next week. I won't say what day so that I don't alert WART to my absence or when they are at risk of being irradiated.

Now, just to tease the WART members further, I am showing the beautifully amazing miniature wisteria that the incredibly talented (and patient) Barbara made for me. You may remember the fantastic mini orchids that Barbara sent me here.

Well, this lovely lady made this for me too. I've had it a while but hadn't managed to get it photographed in a decent light. I am still playing with my new camera so the depth of field could be better but I've taken a few photos so apologies for the picture heavy post.

Every part is hand made from card/paper.

Having a play with my extension tubes (That isn't anything rude Maureen lol!!!).

Even the soil and bricks are so detailed.

To give you a sense of scale, I placed a AAA battery at the side. Gives you an idea how intricate the piece is.

Now I know that will probably have driven WART into a frenzy but hopefully it won't trigger a snap ram raid.

I have also been lucky enough to receive these lovely gifts and flowers during the last 2 weeks so I thank you for your kindness and also for the lovely cards and well wishes.

I have been cheered up no end and the kindness I have been shown does restore your faith in human nature.

On that note, I shall tootle off now for a drink.

I will be back with one of my own creations next time.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps,,,,,,,,,a thank you to Littlelamb. Sorry I didn't have your email to send you a personal thank you.x

Gratitude. . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope this finds all well with you and yours.

Thank you again for your visits and comments and also for the cards, presents and beautiful flowers I have received. You are a special bunch of kind hearted folk.

I have had one set of biopsy results through so far. There is kidney damage but the consultant thinks that there is nothing urgent to try and tackle as yet, which is good but they still can't find the cause of the issue so are unable to treat it. It's likely that there will be no treatment so we'll just have to hope that the decline will be a slow one.

There are further tests being done and I have to have a nuclear medicine scan which will give them a more precise picture of how both kidneys are functioning rather than relying on a calculation from blood tests which can be 5% out either way.

Still worried but not much I can do so if I had a pecker, I would try and keep it up.

Now today's card is one I made for Mr D to send to his bosses from us both, probably a year ago as a thank you for the emergency time off he had to have whenever I ended up hospital.

Ingredients

Cream and powder blue card

CE Tartan Trellis embossing folder (embossed and debossed used on the different layers)

Lindsey Mason (for Personal Impressions) sentiment stamp

Teeny blue pearlage

I thought that simple, but hopefully classy, was the way to go.

As I am on enforced "take it easy" time, I have been organising my photos on the laptop and there are quite a few cards that I haven't blogged as yet so, as I can't lift my Grand Calibur at the moment, it's just as well.

Still bruised and getting the odd twinge but can't wait until Friday when I can drive again. My friend Davey has just returned from a break in Madrid (I think he had cold casternets for a few days) so hopefully meeting him with Nesta in the week.

I am shocked to hear that my lovely Mr B May actually be a cunningly disguised drone fashioned and deployed by WART.

I have supplied all sorts of birdie treats for his delectation over the years so it's very concerning to think he may be an imposter........mind you, I suspect that Mrs B may be even more concerned.

At least being stuck at home, I can keep an eye on things!

No action on the neighbour front from Flash but a house whose back garden backs onto the bottom of our road had its lightweight metal shed lifted in the winds and hanging over their wall.......that's what has passed for entertainment in these parts this past week.

I shall now wish you all a happy Sunday and happy week ahead.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 63. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everybody. Hope you're all fine and dandy.

Thank you again for your lovely comments. Any positive vibes are always appreciated.

Its time for the latest challenge over at MAWTT and this time round, the lovely Amy is hosting and has chosen the theme.........................

                                                              CAS

Now, sorry if I confused the couple of folk that had dropped by first thing as I had featured a card that I had forgotten I had already blogged and thankfully, Bridget had spotted it. Blame the fact I had forgotten to put the pics in my "Blogged Cards" folder or stress or just general doolallyness lol!!!

Needless to say, I have now changed the card to this one, which I know I haven't shown before.I don't do a lot in the CAS line but sometimes less can be more............except with butter.

Ingredients

White and red card

Nelly Snellen holly die

Crafters Companion sentiment stamp

Variety of green inks

Clear bling coloured with red marker

Hougie board for score lines

I cut the holly as an aperture and popped some card I had shaded with different green inks underneath. Its a 6x6 card.

Hope you can all pop over to MAWTT to see what everyone else has done and why not enter a card too?

I am trying to follow the advice of a few of you who have said to keep my chin up................trouble with that is deciding which chin lol!!!

On that note, have a great Thursday.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps........ Here's a cheeky snap of Mr B I managed to get on my new camera.

Pity he was hiding in the Wisteria..........hopefully it won't set WART off lol!!!

Gold on Gold. . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all ok.

Thank you so much for all of your lovely supportive comments, especially those who look but don't usually comment. I would say I am touched but I fear that will draw a comment from a certain Mrs Killen lol!!!

But, I do deeply appreciate your kind words and just goes to show, it can be a mean World out there but there are still some caring and lovely folk in it.

Krafty Runner, thank you for your visit and I sincerely hope that your hubby gets some good news regarding his kidney issues. Hopefully he won't need a biopsy.

Now, I'm back to the samples I made for John's box die shows but I used the dies to make a card.

Ingredients

Cream. black and vintage gold card

Gold mirror card

John Next Door Sandwich Box dies - panel die

John Next Door sentiment

Teeny gold bling

I cut the panel out of gold mirror card as well so I could paper piece the centres of the pattern.

A  simple card but I do love the black and gold as a combination.

Well, I'm a bit battered, sore and bruised and its a pain not being able to bend lift or drive for 2 weeks.......... Oh, the things we take for granted eh? 

I thought it was an in, out, cup of tea then off you go so when they said I had to lay still for 6 hours, I thought that would drive me potty but they saved telling me about the no driving until Friday morning.

I had the joy of using a bed pan as I wasn't allowed to get up,,,,,,,,,,,,,another procedure I wouldn't want to repeat. At the mention of bedpan, Mr D shifted quicker than Usain Bolt out of the blocks!!!

Hopefully get the results this week and that fills me with more dread than the biopsy. Trying to be positive but its difficult. As I said to someone, I'm still smiling.......... but it could be wind lol!!!

I'm scheduling my next post for MAWTT now for Thursday so that its sorted in case I'm not in the mood on the day.

Thanks again for all your hugs and support.

TTFN

Ang x

Hope. . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope all is well with you and yours but to those I know are struggling at the moment, I want to share this card with you.

Now, I made this card for my dear friend Nesta after her Dad became ill in the Summer. Although things didn't look good (he passed away in November) I saw this stamp and bought the set as I thought it a lovely sentiment, with her in mind. 

I'm not usually given to to displays of flussiness but I just thought it was quite uplifting.

Nesta did appreciate it, bless her.

Its a different post post today as I am going in to hospital this morning for a kidney biopsy.

I did debate whether to tell you all but as I have bored shared with you all my other health adventures, I thought I should bore share this one too as you have always been lovely, supportive and encouraging.

I have been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease but they don't know the cause (scan and blood tests were clear) hence the biopsy to see if they can establish the cause, what the extent of the damage is and if its reversible but currently, my kidney function is half of what it should be for a lass of my tender years. 

I'm beginning to think, if I were a horse, I would be in a tin with gravy by now.

Its all been a bit fraught and finding out a week before Christmas was a bit of a shock, especially when the consultant suggested some ways of helping myself, one of which was lose some weight.

Lose weight over Christmas..............eeeeek! Kick a gal when she's down why don't you!!!

Well the Thornton's Viennese Truffle diet does work as I'd lost a kilo (goodness knows how) when I went for my pre op check last Friday.

To be honest, I'm more worried about the results than the procedure, along with having to lie still afterwards for about 6 hours. I don't think I have ever lay still for 6 hours, even when I am in bed. I could fidget for England so that should be interesting, especially as I'm full of cold and laying flat sets me off coughing like a navvy on Woodbines.

Still, I know that there are lots of folk going through or have loved ones going through worse so its chin up (well, chins plural lol!!!) and hope for the best, hence my sharing this particular card today. 

I want to advise members of the Wisteria Action Relocation Team (WART) that it will not be left unguarded during my sojourn. My neighbours CCTV is on 24 hour watch and I have stepped up security patrols.

Wish me luck and hope you enjoy the card.

TTFN

Ang x

John's One Day Special. . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all well.

Sorry I've been missing from blogging or commenting but had a few things going on here healthwise (I will explain later in the week) and doing some samples for John's first One Day Special on Hochanda with Crafts Too. 

Some of the products will be available on my website later today and there is a link on my sidebar to the website.

Now, the new products are embossing and cutting folders so they emboss around the edge at the same time as cutting an aperture from the centre.I use a Grand Calibur and have found that a combo of the white cutting plate and raspberry plate work best on my machine.

You know I like to do something different so I decided to go with a box,

Ingredients

Cream and aqua card

Acetate

Crafts Too Mariposa embossing and cutting folder

SB Medallion die

Hobbycraft corner punches.

Cream ribbon

Aqua Spectrum Noir

I used a sheet of A4 to do the sides. I cut the sheet in half across the width and used the folder twice alongside each other on each half. I then scored down the middle of each to form the sides.

I then made a separate base to fit and a lid.......the inner piece fits the aperture, whilst the top piece over hangs slightly. 2 x depth of foam pads holds them together and holds the lid onto the box.

A basic box that could be zhushed up with other bits and bobs but something different to do with the folders.

Hope you enjoy John's shows. He is on at 6pm and 8pm today.

Don't forget to check the website later as there are some special offers on there too. Also, I am ordering some of John's box dies for some customers so if anyone would like them ordering, please e-mail me at theducksdoodahs@gmail.com. The Sandwich Box will be £19.99 and the Opera Box will be £24.99 and I'm only ordering them to order (if that makes sense). I will also be replenishing the Star Flower and Mini Tags dies too.

Hope you have a good week.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps.....I had a new camera from Mr D for Christmas so this is the first blog outing with it and my new photo tent. Hope it looks ok.

The Matching Card. . . . . . . . .

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope that this finds you all relaxed and happy after the festive break. We are all turkeyed out and if I see another chocolate I will pop!

Mr D could quite happily eat the EU chocolate mountain several times over and still isn't overweight............although he has had two visits to the dentist in two weeks to have fillings repaired after munching on a Mars Bar and a Crunchie respectively (other bars of fat and sugar are available lol!!!)

Now, here is the card sample I made for John to match the box from my previous blog post.

I know its a bit blingy but I was partially in festive mode at the time surrounded by mirror card and gems.

Ingredients

Aqua card

Silver mirror card

JND Sandwich Box dies

JND Star Flower Leaves dies

JND Gerbera die

JND MiniTags dies

JND Sentiment stamps

Izink Silver pigment ink

Bling on a roll

Teeny weeny bling

Jelly Tot gem

I cut the Gerbera die 3 times and then cut 2 of the die cuts again with the circle tag dies to graduate the layers on the flower.

I know its seriously over the top but sometimes the inner embellisher bubbles to the surface lol!!!

That's me for today folks. Got a busy couple of weeks ahead (I'll explain soon but involves the hospital rather than anything nice or exciting unfortunately) so need to get on top of a few things on the home front.

Don't forget, my 20% off sale runs to Friday on the website and we still have some spaces  left on the Ansty workshop with John on 4th February..........see the poster on the side bar for details.

Once again, Happy New Year to everyone and I hope that it will be kind to you and yours.

TTFN

Ang x