Shake and Shine. . . . . . . .

Good morning mon petit champignons. Hope you are all fine and dandy.

Hope that you enjoyed John's shows last night and are watching today too.

I am typing this at silly o'clock scheduling for Friday as its been a busy day with meeting up with John for lunch and handing over samples and then sorting out my delivery of his new goodies and then the website.......So, you'll be happy to hear its short and sweet lol!!!

Now, this had to be my favourite sample I made. Its called "Shake and Shine" as its a shaker card and has a little surprise for the shine element.

Ingredients

White card

Silver mirror card

JND Holly and Ivy die (sentiment and small ivy in the shaker)

JND Swirl Ivy Leaves dies

Nellie Snellen Holly die

CE Falling Snow embossing folder

Red satin ribbon

Red gems

Diamante brooch (coming to my website shortly)

Miniature string lights

For the shaker, I used the small ivy and the larger ones with the leaves snipped off. As the mirror card has a white back, I glued the opposing leaves together, then snipped them so that they were mirror both sides..........hope that makes sense lol!!!

The brooch embelishment can be removed to actaully use as a brooch.

I will be popping them on the website in the next few days............if I can bear not to keep them for myself lol!!!

Don't know if its been shown on the show yet as I have to catch up with the 8pm show from yesterday.

And here it is with the lights switchwd on..........................

Luckily, I had more than one set of lights as the lovely Lily Puss, who had been sat quietly on my craft room window ledge, decided when I was rummaging through my dies, to chew through the string I had on the desk. She also chewed through one of my samples...............we don't call her Lily Savage for nothing lol!!!

That's me for now.

Enjoy the shows.

TTFN

Ang x

Christmas Turns Into Wedding. . . . . . . . .

Good morning mon petit pois. Hope that you are all well?

I've been busy pottering in the garden whilst I am feeling up to it as there is 2 years of cutting back shrubs to do. Mr D was not allowed to wield his chopper in my flower beds........only the lawn is his department.

Have also been busy doing more samples for Mr Lockwood ready for Thursday and also, I've had a few birthday cards this month too and I also have our anniversary card to sort out for next week and a workshop with John on Sunday...............phew!!!!!!!!

And what heat we have had. Its ok during the day but on a muggy night, I'm sweating more than a turkey in December. Goodness knows what will happen when menopause strikes.

I have been having a fan wafting over me in bed (an electric one rather than someone who likes my blog), despite Mr D's protests about "the horrendous draught". I have set it on a plug in timer so it switches off after I have, hopefully, dropped off to sleep rather than it going all night.

The poor Girls have been searching out every cool nook too. They are 10 months old now so its their first Summer and what a scorcher for them.

Now, back to the official stuff and another one of the samples I made for John's last shows, again going with the non Christmas use of a Christmas stamp set.

Ingredients

White and grey card

Paper from DCWV (I think as it was a loose scrap)

JND Media Plate Rectangle Frame dies

JND Christmas Music stamps (Man & lady)

JND Anniversary Sentiments stamps

Bling on a string (on my website)

Memento Dewdrop Grey Flannel ink

On this one, you can pick up some of the sparkle from the diamante.

I just thought that the carol singers looked like they could be a bride and groom so I stamped them without their baton and song book and used a grey fine liner to make them look like they were holding hands.

My mind works in strange ways most days but I thought I'd run with it.

I shall be back on Friday with a card from John's new collection.

Hope you enjoy the shows on Thursday and Friday.

TTFN

Ang x

Christmas From Christmas. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope that you are all ok.

Apologies for being missing for a while but have had things going on at this end that have kept me away from the laptop.

Part of being busy is prepping some more samples for John's shows next week........I'm still showing you cards from the last release and I've still got some from the one before that lol!!!

Now. this one was created using the inverted stamping technique (tutorial at the top of the page) and is actually a Christmas card............most of the cards I made used the Christmas stamps but for non Christmas themes.

Ingredients

White and green card

JND Deck The Halls stamp set

Presscut circles dies

Teeny red bling

The outer ring is double foam padded, the 2nd single padded then the 3rd is flat.

A 6x6 card that does have a lot of depth.

Its silly o'clock again so I shall skidaddle for now and hopefully stay for a longer chat next time, but Myra, I hope that you have recovered from your visit to the dark side. Did you rescue George?

You all take care, be good and thank you for your visits............always appreciated!!!

TTFN

Ang x

Ps...........Some comments have popped up as "unknown" but be assured Maureen, a special claxon goes off when you have left a comment lol!!!

Back To Samples. . . . . . . . .

Good morning all. Hope you are all well and still enjoying the clement weather.

I love the heat but not at night when you I'm trying to sleep. There was a moment yesterday when the sky turned black so I had to leg it outside to get the washing in but there were about 3 drops and that was it.

At the risk of turning into my parents, I will say that the garden needs it. Thank goodness we have in irrigation system so we don't have to stand for ages with a hosepipe. Its now primed with smart water in case there is a WART or TART raid. 

Now, thank you for your kind comments about Andy's clock but its back to John's last show samples and still running with the a stamp is not just for Christmas theme.

I managed to get a few samples done with Christmas stamps that were not Christmas cards.

When I saw the palm trees, I immediately thought "tropical beach".

Ingredients

White, black and orange card

JND While Shepherds Watched stamps

JND sentiment

Various distress inks

I created the Sunset scene with various distress inks and drew in the hammock and birds. I stamped the shepherd without his staff and and used the shack too.

Something else that's different to use your Christmas stamps for...............everyone loves a bit of value for money.

Off out with Davey, Nesta and another friend today for lunch in Birmingham (Yes Kate, I do have a voucher lol!!!).

Sadly, no Three Lions in the World Cup Final, which is a shame, as they did well until the last game. No doubt, Mr D will still want to watch the final so I will probably have a tinker in the craft room doing some more new samples for Mr L and The Girls lay on the floor chewing ribbon.

To be fair, they have been doing a splendid job protecting my radishes from any potential Forage And Radish Team (FART) attack.

Don't be fooled into think they are sleeping, They can spring into attack before you can say "Wiskas".

Have a great weekend.

TTFN

Ang x

Camper Van Clock. . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning all. Hopefully it continues to be a warm and sunny one for you all.

Its great to be finally having a Summer but my goodness, it can be stifling at night.

I can't believe that this time of year, Mr D still goes to bed in head to toe jim jams and snuggles under the duvet!!!

I am just grateful that we have a king size bed so I can keep away from the heat that he generates. I know some ladies say their man is hot stuff but mine really is lol!!!

I nearly decided to sleep in the garden the other night as it seemed the coolest place to be (and I don't mean in a "Hey dude, that's cool" kinda thing)

I could have bedded down with the tomatoes, both mutant and erotic. Stephanie, I have a clay soil too so grow my tomatoes in what we call grow bags in the UK. Most folk do grow them at home this way over here.

Now, today, I thought I should show you Andy's camper van clock that accompanied his card otherwise I would forget for another 6 months lol!!!

Ingredients

Camper Van MDF from Daisy's Jewels and Crafts

Acrylic paints 

Silver Krylon Pen

Clock mechanism from a pound shop clock (don't know where I'm getting these from anymore with them closing down)

CE "Jelly Tots" for the lights.

Acetate

I am not a messy crafter so its probably not as polished as it could have been but Andy was thrilled to bits and still has it going nearly a year on, with the odd change of battery.

I had some mini easels so I painted one blue and used that as the stand for the clock.

As I said though, I will have to find another clock supplier with Poundworld going bust.

Well, what a weekend for sport. Two happy results for this house........The 3 Lions getting through to the semis and Hamilton NOT winning at Silverstone lol!!!

Well, that's me for now but as Maureen did ask nicely recently how The Girls were doing, here's a pic..............

Yes, that is Molly tapping Lily on the nose then Lily trying to lick Molly's paw.

WART and TART members, please note Molly's glistening fangs

Be good!

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 75. . . . . . . . .

Good morning (just) chaps and chapesses. Hope all is sunny and fine with you.

Now, this is a very quick post as silly me, in the whirl of doing samples clean forgot to post my DT card for MAWTT on Thursday.

Humble apologies to my team mates and Boss Wooster for this oversight (Wendy has performed a virtual slinging over the knee and tanning my hide).

This challenge is by Jackie and is all about 

Male Themed Cards

So please pop across as its not too late to enter and to look at the teams inspiration.

This is a card that I made for my dear friend Andy who used to volunteer for me at Barnardos. We still meet up about once a month for a coffee and chat (and cake!!!) and he adores camper vans.

Ingredients

White and blue card

CE Tartan embossing folder

Hobbycraft camper van stamp

JND sentiment stamps

Various blue Memento Dewdrop inks

I think I have shown another of Andy's camper van cards before but he loved this and also the camper van clock I made as his present (to be blogged soon).

Better dash now as nearly time for Silverstone Qually, then the Three Lions doing their thing.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to pop over to MAWTT(like what I did lol!!!)

TTFN

Ang x

When is Christmas Not Christmas? . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all hunkydory.

This is a quickie post today as I am scheduling and typing this at silly o'clock due to a dicky tum which I think is due to a dodgy KFC yesterday lunchtime. . . . . . .I now realise why they call it fast food lol!!!

Now, just when I was still in the throws of showing you the other samples I made for John, another show comes along so the virtual pile is ever growing.

Hope you managed to catch last night's shows. I'm going to catch up with the 8pm one this morning.

I set myself a challenge of creating non-Christmas cards out of the Christmas stamps so that you can get more bang for your buck so this is one that I came up with using the Snowflake set, which can just pass for a pretty pattern.

Needless to say, the new stamp sets and media plates are available on my website.

Ingredients

White, black and teal card

JND Media Dies (Rectangle)

JND Snowflake stamp set

JND Star Stream embossing folder

SB Labels 4 dies

JND Sentiment

Teal Zeal Memento Dew Drop (First and second generation stamping)

Teal bling

Well, better go feed the pussy cats and try to get some sleep.

Hope this gives you some idea of how to get more out of your stamps. Stay tuned for more ideas coming to a blog near you soon.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps........Here's a quick snap of the mutant tomato plant that is now standing at 6 feet tall.

There is also a grape vine next to it and some basil in the foreground so I expect the TART members will be trying to munch bruscettas whilst trying to make their own wine lol!!!

Back To When is a Birdcage not a Birdcage. . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all ok.

I have been making the most of the good weather and getting out and about whilst I can. Also dabbling with some more samples for Mr L so its all good fun.

A very warm welcome to Caz who has joined the throng (that's Throng Maureen!!!) of merry followers. Caz is a new DT member at MAWTT so look forward to seeing your challenge makes.

Now, back to John's birdcage samples and the answer to the above question is, when its a hanging basket and planter.

Ingredients

Various colours of card

JND Birdcages dies (for hanging basket and planter)

JND Chains (on hanging basket)

SB Ivy Die D Lites

SB Fancy Lattice die

Joy! Foliage die

JND sentiment

Tonic and Hobbycraft punches (for teeny fuchsias and roses)

Crafts Too stamens 

I like to get good mileage out of dies.

I will try and get caught up with my blog visits this week as I know that I have fallen behind again but I have had to increase security patrols due to potential threats from WART and TART and I have been organising another workshop with John for the end of the month.............details on the sidebar.

Hope you all have a great week and that the Sun continues to shine.

TTFN

Ang x