Purple Pleaser. . . . . . . . .

Good morning lovely blogging chums. Hope this finds you well.

Another busy few days at The Pond. Lunch with Mr L, another friend and Wooster (as I call Wendy - Spanish Crafter) on Monday. Had a fabulous Indian meal and the company was equally as fab!!!

Then website orders, stock deliveries, shopping, washing and a cemetery visit. Good job I'm feeling quite well at the moment. Back at the doctors today to get blood test results to check iron, B12, Vit D, Thyroid and kidneys. Fingers crossed everything is settling now.

Now, its back to one another one of John's show samples. This is an 8x8 card, so quite a biggy.

Ingredients

White and dark purple card

John Next Door Butterfly Corners stamp (available on my website)

SB Adorning Squares die

SW Ara Mini Gemini die

Hobbycraft corner punch

Memento Dew Drop inks

Teeny bling

To get the white filigree layer, I simply cut the Ara die out of the card in a square pattern and the outside edge for it too. Creates quite a pretty layer.

I did my dib dabbing with the point of the Dew Drops again to get the shading on the flowers and leaves. I have no idea why that white band has appeared on the bottom of the photo. I think it may have been when I added the blog strip. Me and technology.......who would have thought I managed to build a website lol!!! And thank you all for keeping me busy with it.

Hopefully, I should be going to Stoneleigh craft show on Saturday, after GP qualifying naturally lol!!! Its the Malaysian GP so I can't miss that, especially as it won't be held there from next year.

Enjoy whatever you are doing at the weekend and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Butterfly Corners and Workshop With John News. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well.

Its been a busy couple of days here at The Pond with the first orders coming through to the website and all the packing.

You can probably imagine how popular I was with the fella who came and stood behind me as I plonked my bagful of parcels on the desk......... with one cashier on duty lol!!!

Thank you to everyone who has popped by the website and thank you to Sandra K and Jean for joining my merry band of followers.

Now, today's card is one of the favourites I made for John's samples. I know its simple but it appealed to me.

Ingredients

Cream and purple card

John Next Door Butterfly Corners stamps (available on my website)

SW Twinkle Edger die

SB Classic Diamond dies

Memento Dew Drop inks in Sweet Plum, Grape Jelly and Lulu Lilac

Teeny bling

I liked this edger die as, although its part of the festive range, it doesn't scream (or even shout slightly) of Christmas.

I have workshop news. 

Following the success of the Ansty workshop last week, John and I have decided to run another one at the end of next month as I know some people couldn't make last weeks'.

Here are the details. . . . . . . 

Spaces tend to get booked very quickly so if you would like to come, please contact me on the email address shown on the poster.

I shall be back on Thursday with my DT card for MAWTT so hopefully see you then.

Be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Flower Circle & Sneak Peek. . . . . . . . .

Good morning blogging chums. Hope you are well.

Sorry its been a few days but I've been busy sorting stock out and loading it onto the website and also getting sorted for yesterday's workshop with John as I was in charge of the buffet.

The workshop went fantastically well and it was lovely to see some familiar faces and to meet some new ladies too. Everyone was lovely and it was a great atmosphere, so thank you to those of you that came along.

There will be another one in October so details will follow later this week.

Now, its back to John's stamps and this fantastic wreath.

Ingredients

White card

Green pearlised card (Lime Tree)

John Next Door Flower Circle stamp

John Next Door Butterfly Corners stamp (sentiment)

Presscut Squares and circles dies

Memento Dew Drops in greens, lilacs and dark pinks

I stamped the green layer to give the impression of leaves.

Such a quick and easy card but sometimes, simple is good (that's what I keep telling Mr D lol!!!).

And, now a sneak peek of what's coming on the website.............

These are just some of the lovely items I have bought for the web store, with more stock coming this week.

Hoping to go live during this coming week but have to get the red carpet cleaned as Kate (cuilliesocks) and Milk Tray Man are coming south for a visit to Coventry for a few days from tomorrow. I've had to make room for the gin supplies and a hookah.......that's a pipe and not an interactive gift for Alistair lol!!!

Really looking forward to it as I haven't seen Kate for a couple of years. Have some activities planned, including meeting up with Nursey Harrop and Mr Lockwood for lunch on Tuesday. With everything going on, I may not get time to visit your blogs but wlll catch up asap.

Well, scheduling this so its time for bed now as its been a long but very enjoyable day.

Italian GP today but only highlights so will spend the afternoon avoiding the news so I don't see the result.

Have a good Sunday.

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.

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