John Next Door Christmas Launch . . . . . . . . .

Good morning mon petit pois'. Hope that you are all fine and dandy.

Its been busy here at The Pond with my return to tending the hooves of Coventry and also making samples for Mr L. Been a mixed bag with health but trying to keep on top of things (said the bishop to the actress) and walking with Nesta and Davey.

Mr D was back to work yesterday.................he looked sad and tearful, I think its because he missed me.

Now, Mr L is launching his latest Christmas collection on Hochanda on Sunday and I have been lucky enough to get to use some of the dies.

You know me and how I like to be different? Well, I did make a few none Christmas cards and this was my favourite.

Ingredients

White card

Platinum card

Pink Craft Artist glitter card

JND Sam's Circles dies

JND Christmas Sentiments die 

JND Twig die

JND Blossom die

SW Orange Blossom Leaves dies

JND birthday stamp

Arteza watercolour pencils

Distress inks

Stamens

I'm not usually a glitter kinda gal but I have to concede, this glitter card is nice and is also on the show.

Well, time for me to get myself sorted and off to bed (I'm scheduling this post) as I'm off for a stroll in the morning with the dynamic duo, making the most of some decent weather before the rain kicks in again..........i check the calendar most days, just to check it is actually July.

Have a great day and don't forget your face coverings going shopping now.

TTFN

Ang x

John Next Door New Box Set. . . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone. Hope this finds you all well.

Hopefully you are all equipped with your masks for your supermarket shop from Friday. I'm keeping fingers crossed that folk don't think that its a licence to come closer as that has been my experience in supermarkets previously and I have had to remind people to stay 2m away.........I did think about taking a 2m long pole with me to to brandish at offenders but I would probably get done for assault.

I am back to work and would normally wear a mask when using my drill but now I am wearing it throughout the entire appointment.and have a new found empathy with NHS staff who have been having to wear them all day.

Now, back to all matters crafty. I was very surprised and honoured to be approached by the magazine, who produced John's last box set, asking if I could make some samples for them for John's latest set. I was thrilled to be on the cover of the last one, when I had made samples for John but it was lovely to be asked by the magazine directly.

John will be featuring the set on Hochanda today and it is an autumnal theme, with dies, stamps and embossing folder.

Ingredients

Black card

Copper ridged card

Copper engraving art board

Stamp and embossing folder from the kit

Fine grade sand paper

Picket Fence distress ink

You all know I like a bit of scratching so with part of the remit I was given being use dark cardstock, I thought of the scrape rboard straightaway.

I embossed some of it with the folder and gently sanded the raised areas to reveal the copper foil below. I also used one of the stamps as the focal point for the centre, stamping the scraper board with Picket Fence ink and then using a scraper tool to go over the image.

I was really pleased with how this turned out and the editor was too.

Hope that you can tune in to John's shows as there are more of my samples and also those of other contributors too.

As always, be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps......we sent the harbour scene card to my brother-in-law for his birthday and he was very taken with it, wanting to know where it was, so many thanks again Littlelamb for letting me know.x

Everything's Coming Up Rosie. . . . . . . . . .

Good morning mon petit pois', hope that you are keeping well.

Just when you thought I was gone for another few weeks, here I am back again.

Plodding along at the moment. I have started seeing patients again last week but starting off steady as some nights, I am not getting much sleep.

Anyhoo, onwards and upwards.

Now, I have been rummaging through my annals again (a painful process at times 😀) as I've been trying to get my pics in some sort of order. I had uploaded some photos of a card I had made for our neighbour's daughter and realised that I had not popped this on on the blog from a couple of years ago. Time for it to have its moment.

I love an eclipse card.

Ingredients

White and dark pink card

First Edition Floral Pavilion paper

Large alphabet dies

Small numeral dies

She is a lovely little girl and her Mum said that Rosie has kept all the cards that I have made for her, awwwww!!!!

Well, more patients booked in for this week but hoping to meet a friend for a socially distanced coffee tomorrow. I'm hoping that the weather improves as as it would be nice for the weather to actually match the month we are in.

Thank you for your comment Loraine. Good to know that you like to stop by.

Thank you to Littlelamb for letting me know where the scene was from. I too, like Jackie D, thought it was Cornwall. Would never have guessed Tenby. Sound like lots of special memories for you there chuck.

I have actually bought some Arteza watercolour pencils now so you may see some more colouring at some point.

That's all for now folks.

Hope that you all have a wonderful week ahead and thank you for popping by and your lovely comments.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT challenge 120

Good morning everyone. Hope that you are all well and easing yourselves gently out of lockdown.

Its been a funny few weeks, At first, it was this feeling of dread and fear but now, I think a part of me will miss the quiet time, the cleaner air, hearing birds instead of traffic........and possibly even Mr D when he returns to work.

Sadly, heart issues have reared their ugly head again so a couple of hospital visits during all this mularky was not what I wanted but it is what it is. Back on nasty meds and on list for procedures but I'm trying to be positive about things rather than causing myself more issues by stressing. 

Anyhoo, here we again ready with another challenge at MAWTT and the theme this month is ....................BEACH.

Now, I was scratching my head a bit as I didn't think I had anything in my stash but then I remembered this Michael Powell stamp I had in my box.

Ingredients

White and blue card

Michael Powell stamp

JND sentiment stamp

Watercolour pencils

Hougie Board

I am not a colourist by any stretch of the imagination but I was quite pleased at how this turned out so I may dabble again soon.

My lovely wee chum Kate, is a super colourist and has been encouraging me.

Well, get yourselves over to MAWTT and enter in our challenge. It may be the nearest you get to a beach this year!!!

Thanks for popping by again and bearing with my gaps in blogging. If its not been one thing its another but I appreciate you coming to have a peek. 

I do have a few sample projects in the background too for Mr L and I've done a few for a magazine too..

Hopefully be back soon but meantime, take care and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 119............................................

Good morning folks. Hope that you are all fine and well and coping with life as it is at the moment.
We have kind of settled into a new norm............I'm not sure that things will get back to how they were and some things I don't want to get back to how they were, like traffic and pollution.

Now, its time for another challenge at MAWTT and this month, the theme is.....................

Things With Wings

A while back, I heat embossed some slate bits and bobs, you may remember the coasters and table mat I did for John a couple of years ago.

I also, did some hearts the same way...........stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed using white embossing powder.

Ingredients

Slate heart

Versamark

White detail embossing powder

Obviously, my things with wings are butterflies and dragonflies.

You have to be very careful doing this as the slate gets extremely hot and can crack if you overheat it due to the high water content. Always best to heat in stages, allowing the slate to cool in between.

Hope that you can pop over to the MAWTT blog and enter the challenge.

That's me for now. Doing samples for John and other bits and bobs so will be back when I can.

Take care folks, be good and stay safe.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 118

Good morning everyone. Hope that you are all still healthy and well.

We are ok so far. Mr D has taken to sitting around, doing b%&&er all like the proverbial duck to water and I have shown remarkable restraint and fortitude by not strangling him........as yet!!!

I had hoped to do a bit more blogging but other things have a habit of getting in the way.

Sadly, a very dear friend of ours passed away in the middle of April. Although she had been ill for a few months, with cancer, she had been relatively ok but then took a sudden turn for the worse and after a few worrying days, she sadly passed away.

It has been devastating for all of her friends as we had not been able to see her for a few weeks, due to her shielding and now, we are also not able to attend her funeral.

She died on the anniversary of my Mum's passing, so I was already sad not being able to visit the cemetery.and her funeral is on the anniversary of my Dad's passing so I'm set for another extremely emotional day.

This week, another dear friend sadly lost his Mum and so that was another sympathy card to be made. 

This is the grim reality of the situation that we find ourselves in at the moment, jokes about loo rolls and pasta aside.

Anyhoo, on a lighter note, I am back with my DT card for the new challenge at MAWTT and the theme for this month is ...................................... 

FLOWERS

Well, I certainly didn't have to look too far through the files for cards with flowers lol!!!

As you may have a little extra time on your hands, why not join in and enter a card into our challenge.

Ingredients

White and yellow card

JND Camellia die

JND Swirl Leaves

JND Swirl Sentiments

Crafts Too Flower Lattice embossing folder

Crafts Too stamens

Distress Inks

This is made from an A4 sheet of card, folded into thirds for something different. I embossed the outer thirds only to give a decorative effect to the sides. It obviously still folds flat.

I must get myself back in the craft room. I had been busy making lots of samples for John's last show and for his next one but have lacked a bit of mojo this past couple of weeks.

I have still been doing plenty of walking, though not the past couple of days as its been too cold and too wet. Here's hoping for some warmer and drier days again as it had been lovely basking in some sunshine. Having been taken off some tablets 6 months ago, which made my skin photosensitive, its been fab to be able to spend more than 10 minutes in the Sun and not having itchy and sore skin if I did without factor 50 sun block.

Its the first time I've had a tan in 3 years lol!!!

I'm trying to encourage Mr D to get out for a bit of exercise too. He normally does a fair bit of walking as part of his job but for the past few weeks, he has only been walking between his chair and the fridge lol!!!

Just before I go, Karen, I don't glaze any of my flowers at all. I occasionally glaze leaves, if they are naturally shiny ones......... and thank you for helping keep the NHS wheels turning chuck.

Donna, thank you for dropping by. Hope that all is well in Colorado.

And, hello to my new followers. Thank you for clicking that button.

Hope to see you soon. Keep well and safe my friends.

TTFN

Ang x

Floral Frame . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning chaps and chapesses. Hope you are all safe and well.

Well, here I am again...........twice in one week eh? Just when you thought it was safe to switch on your laptops again.

Testing times at The Pond as it is everywhere at the moment.

It's been a pain in the derriere as my fledgling foot care business has come to a halt. Everything was going well and the patient list was building nicely but all stopped for now.

I'm taking it on the chin (Well, one of them 😁) as there are folk who are far worse off. Fortunately, Mr D should be getting 80% of his salary when they have sorted out the finer points of the furlough scheme. Due to this, there is nothing I am able to claim but it is what it is and as I say, it could be worse.

I'm just wondering what state people's feet are going to be in after 3 - 6 months 😱😱😱.

I am going for walks of 2-3 miles most days but keeping my distance from people as best as I can.

I have also been doing the Jo Wicks workouts and fortunately now remember not to do them bra less after the first day, having not long got up. Wasn't sure which was going to bruise first, my eyes or my knees lol!!!

Mr D has only been off work for one week and has already broken my favourite vase, lost 2 of my earrings and also broken our new loo seat lid !!! He did offer to do the shopping on Monday but I braved it instead as sending him shopping on his own never ends well, even with a list and printed photographs of products.

Most folk were sensible but there are still those who have a problem with keeping 2m apart. 

Fortunately, a few muttered expletives seems to jog their memories along with the thought of having to have a cucumber surgically removed if they don't move.

Now, back to crafty things. I decorated this frame last year as a sample for Mr L with a plethora (love that word) of is floral dies. The frame is a padded card one from Docrafts, which my lovely friend Joy had given me. I painted it white and went from there.

Ingredients

Docrafts frame

White card

JND Camellia die

JND Blousy Poppy die and stamp

JND Hydrangea die

JND Leafy Flourish dies

JND Rose Leaves dies

JND Fern dies

JND Large Butterfly dies

Various inks

Bling

I would love to have gotten some more of these frames but alas, I don't think they are available anymore.

Well, I hope that you are all keeping well in these terrible times. I don't know if everyone who used to pop by still does. Thank you to those of you who are still commenting as its lovely to know that there are still folk looking in on me. If you are still there, please leave a comment just so that I know that you are all ok.

I shall say ta ta for now but with some extra time on my hands now, I shall be back soon.

TTFN and stay safe.

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 117. . . . . . . . .

Good morning everyone........I'm back and what strange times we find ourselves in since my last post.

I hope that you and yours are all safe and have had no health issues with this devastating and evil virus. So sad to see the rising number of deaths. Its also sad, when on my daily walk, seeing teenagers flouting the social distancing rules, probably thinking that they are invincible but as we see from the new, they most certainly are not.

Anyhoo, onto a lighter subject, its time for another challenge over at MAWTT and this month, its my choice of theme which is.................................................

Use diamante embellishment

Now, this can be a single feature diamante piece or several bits of sparkle.

My card was one I gave to Nesta for a special birthday last year (I won't say which one as she will give me a virtual slap - due to social distancing). 

Ingredients

White and gold linen card

SB Tribal Borders dies

JND sentiment die

Diamante and pearl brooch

Bling on a string

This is an 8x8 card and I appreciate that it will be a bit too glizty for some but Nesta is a bit of a magpie so I blinged it up. The brooch is detachable so its the gift that keeps on giving.

Nesta did love it so all's good.

I'm sure that you are all spending a bit more time in the craft room at the moment so make something schparkly and come and join in at MAWTT or at least pop over and see what we have come up with to inspire you in the bling department.

I will be back in a couple of days with an update about life at The Pond..................don't groan, I will try and make it interesting 😀😀😀.

Meantime, keep well, stay safe and take care.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 116. . . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning one and all. Hope this finds you all hunkydory. 

What a whirlwind few weeks. Feet, samples, more feet, more samples............phew!!!

I am trying to pace myself as health issues are still lurking (in the background thankfully at the moment) and there have been a couple of late finishes but I am really enjoying it. 

I'm not prone to moments of mushyness, usually, but I have to say that it is an extremely rewarding job. It gives you a warm feeling to know that someone who was in pain, is now happy and able to walk without issues.

Anyhoo, back to the important stuff. Its another challenge at MAWTT and this month's is....

Anything but a card

Now, as you know, I am fond of a floral or two and this was a sample I made for John last year but had been hidden in my files.

Ingredients

Plywood heart (painted with white acrylic paint)

JND Camellia die

JND Swirl Ivy Leaves

JND Typography stamp

Small flower punch

Stamens

Inks

Pearlage

For the "MILE" lettering, I made a stencil using large letter dies and then inked through it.

Hope that you can pop over to MAWTT see what the rest of the DT have come up with and it would be fab if you can join in the challenge.

Hope that you have a super Sunday and see you all soon.

TTFN

Ang x

MAWTT Challenge 115. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Howdy folks, hope that you are all well.

Things have, as always, been busy at The Pond. I have been busy with more samples for Mr L and am thrilled to say that some samples are featuring in the magazine John has on Hochanda tomorrow................and one is on the front cover 😲. So chuffed. 

I also had to supply a photo for the magazine so that's blown my cover in the Duck Protection Program.

Things have also gotten a bit busier with the feet too. A few weeks ago, I had some leaflets printed and gave them to a company to deliver in the 2 areas where I rent clinic space.

Despite the leaflets having the individual clinic addresses on, my packing them in separate boxes, labelled with the areas and also a map, they still managed to mix them up and delivered in the opposing areas, which are at opposite sides of the city.

Consequently, I did not get that many calls from these.

To say I was not a happy ducky when it came to light, would be an understatement of epic proportions.

Needless to say, they have had them re-printed and re-delivered at their expense and the phone has been ringing and a dinging.

Hopefully, this is the start of things to come.

Now, to get back to the matter in hand, its time for another challenge at MAWTT and this month's challenge, chosen by my lovely mate Nursey Harrop, is......................

No Image 

Our Nursey loves a good sentiment or quotation and often offers her own words of wisdom. so she wanted the focus to be on that.

This was a card made for a friend of a friend who likes Art Deco. 

Ingredients

Silver mirror card

Black card

Papermania Roaring Twenties Art Deco paper

Embossalicious Art Deco Frame 8x8 embossing folder

JND Snowflower Frame cut and emboss folder

JND sentiment

Cosmic Shimmer Midnight Sparkle Texture Paste

Apologies for the glare from the mirror card. It is notoriously difficult to photograph.

I used the sparkle paste to paper grout into the embossed frame around the centre.

Hope that you can pop over to MAWTT and even join in with any of your creations.

That's me for now but will be back soon.

Happy Sunday!

TTFN

Ang x