One of Those Cards. . . . . . . . . .

Good morning dear blogging chums. Hope everyone is well.

Apologies for being AWOL for a few days but extra days at work and Mr D having a hospital appointment for a consultation about some involved dental surgery has zapped my time.

Hasn't helped with the dreaded "software conflict" still playing up between laptop and camera.

Now, sadly a few weeks ago, I had to make one of those cards. My friend Julie's Mum passed away, in a bit of a blur as the poor lady was fine on minute, then suddenly got rushed into hospital, diagnosed with cancer and passed away within a week. All a bit of a shock for poor Julie and family.

Ingredients

Cream card 

Pale pink pearlised card

CE Tapestry embossing folder

TST Elegance border mask

Presscut Square dies

John Lockwood Rosebud Elements stamp

John Lockwood sentiment stamp

Victorian Velvet DI

Versamark

Dusky pink mica powder

I like to keep these cards relatively unfussy (if that's a word lol!). I cut the aperture inside and around the roses with a craft knife, a wing and a prayer.

Right, off to get a slice of cake before Mr D eats it all (I haven't had any tea so that's my excuse) as I'm scheduling this.

Will hopefully get this camera business sorted in my time off at Easter so I can show you my tiny pile of purchases from the NEC...................it was lovely catching up with Christine but I was done by 3pm as it was not very busy.

Meantime, hope the rest of the week is kind to you all.

TTFN

Ang x

Another Hotjohnda Sample................

Good morning friends, Romans, crafters. Hope that you're not snowed in, flooded out or blown into another post code.

What weather eh?

Sorry for my absence but extra days at work and the funeral have occupied my time of late.

Thank you for your kind wishes. The friend who had passed was a lovely lady called Emma who had reached the grand age of 91 and was but a few days short of 92. Her husband is bereft, bless him as he was absolutely devoted to her............and I mean absolutely devoted.

She had been suffering for the past few years so whatever your personal take on things, I hope that she is now in a better and happier place.

Now, back to happier things. Today's card is another I made for John's last shows to showcase the Bevelled Glass Striplet.

I cut it across the bottom of a 6x6 card blank I made and sponged some Dusty Concord DI over it. I then I cut another panel in cream to pop over over the top, slightly offset to give a shadow effect. Centre panel cut out of both to create the aperture for the roses.

Ingredients

Cream card

Lilac paper (Lidl 135gsm)

SW Bevelled Glass Striplet

SB Bitty Blossoms

Presscut Rectangle dies

John Lockwood sentiment

Dusty Concord DI

Lilac bling

It was one of those happy occasions when a card turns out how you wanted it.

I had a go at a tissue box cover last week as Nesta had come down with something nasty with a hacking cough (I think she had been at the St Bruno) and a nose that would give Rudolph a run for his money. I had a new cube box of tissues so I made her a cover for it to match her bedding and took that round with a pot chrysanthemum and some Tadka Dal (spiced lentils) for her tea. I knocked the door and retreated to a safe distance for her to pick them up off the doorstep. Gawd bless her, she did look as rough as a bears behind so I stepped back a few more paces and declined the offer to pop inside.

I'll show you the cover shortly and don't worry, there's no photos of Nesta clutching it.

Sandra you are more than welcome and thank you for visiting again. Lovely to see Sam back too and thank you for your kind comments, and to all of you lovely folk that spend your precious time popping by.

Val, I saw your comment on John's about the op and hope you are recovering well.

Well that's me for today folks. At work again, then a couple of days off, hurrah!.........to do shopping and housework boo hiss!

Be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Seasons Change. . . . . . . . . .

Good morning blogging chums. Hope you are all as well as you can be and that you haven't been affected by these bad winds (no vindaloo jokes please lol!!!)

Its been great for drying the washing but there's always that element of worry that my smalls are going to end up in a different postal code.

Thank you for your kind comments on my raindrops on roses. It seems a popular theme at the challenge so hope you will join in.

Now, today's card is CAS for me and one I made for Nesta (still sunning herself near Malaga at last contact) a few weeks ago as I hadn't seen her for a while due to work............boy, does it interfere with your social life something terrible hahaha!

I used the leaves that I had cut for the aperture on the base rather than just inking the base card as I wanted the texture from the embossing on the leaves.

Ingredients

Cream card

Lime green card

SB Foliage die

Hougie for the embossed lines (just in an "L" shape rather than all around)

John Lockwood Rosebud Elements stamp set (for the beautiful sentiment)

Variety of orange, green and brown distress inks and Mementos

Teeny bling

For the sentiment, I decided to go a bit off piste (I know folk will be doing a double take with that word like I did with Nattyboots "itis" last time lol!!!) and used some green and brown shades of Mementos to dab at random on the stamp to give a graduated look, if that makes sense?

As for my "itis", its still in evidence as it usually takes a couple of weeks to shift to a comfortable level. I know its been due to stretching at work as the set up for stock storage is different at the new store...........and yes, I am chasing getting it changed lol!!!

Well, that's me done for now. Busy times at work again on the run up to the festive season so please bear with my random visits at silly times at night lol!!!

Enjoy the rest of the week folks and be good.

TTFN

Ang x

Ps......Don't forget to comment here, if you're a follower to go into the paddle prize draw.

My New Motto. . . . . . . . .

Good morning all you lovely folk. Hope you are well

The wrist is much better but still not quite right so still having to be careful. This has made doing a few tasks rather interesting. Mr D has tried to help as much as possible but there are certain things you just have to do yourself hahaha!!!

I do apologise for delays in commenting on your blogs. This is down to Blogger being a bit of a pain (some of you it will only let me comment from my phone at the moment, which has been a bit tricksy at times with the wrist situation) and obviously trying to hold a tablet and type.

I'm at work today and tomorrow but then have 3 days off, hurrah, so what I don't catch up in the next couple of days, I will when I'm off so I will be with you soon.

Its lucky that I had made these samples for John's shows or I would have probably run out of things to show you by now.

I've had a wedding card to do by this week and was worried that it may result in yet another shop bought card as trying to crank my GC with my other hand was not great. Mr D kindly stepped in and I did the lining up and taping and he did the cranking.

I'm about 95% happy with it so it will do.

Now, today's card is another that was featured on John's C&C stamping show, launching his brilliant new stamps. I love the sentiment on this and I believe it was purloined from Dean Wilson.

Ingredients 

Soft gold card

Black card

John Lockwood Rosebud Elements Stamps

Sissix Square die

Black Archival ink

Cosmic Shimmer clear embossing powder

Black satin ribbon

Black pearls

Score line embossing done on the Hougie Board

I only heat embossed the centre panel; the leaves are just stamped to provide a contrast.

There is only a couple more of the C&C samples left to show now but I had made a couple of other cards with these fabulous stamps and I will carry on using them.

Meeting Nesta on Thursday for lunch as she has returned from her holiday in sunny and very hot Spain. I hope she hasn't sunburnt her castanets because I'm not rubbing calamine on them lol!!!

Hope you all have a great week.

TTFN

Ang x

John's Stamps Part IV. . . . . . . .and MAWTT Challenge

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all in fine fettle?

Thank you for your comments and concern about my wrist. It just kinda buckled when I leaned on it so I think I strained something. Its still not 100% but its better than it was. I'm still trying to rest it when I can and have been careful at work (it certainly would have been more difficult in my old job).

Unfortunately, this has meant I have not been able to do my DT card for MAWTT this week so Hazel(Didos) has kindly given me a sicknote.

I hope that you will still pop over and join in with the challenge as they are getting fruity. . . . . . see, that's got your attention now lol!!!

Please click on the above after 9am to see what my teamies have been up to and to join in the fruity fun.

Now today's creation is card number 4 card from John's stamp shows. Don't worry, I only did 72 samples. . . . . . just joshing folks lol!!!

Of course, I had to try and get my favourite Striplet in on the act so I cut it around the edge of some lilac card but only half the die.

The centrepiece of John's glorious stamps was recessed into the centre of this 8x8 card.

Ingredients 

Ivory Card

Purple card

Lilac card

John Lockwood's Rosebud Elements stamps (frame and sentiment)

Sue Wilson's Embroidered Striplet

Versamark

Purple mica

Memento Dew Drop Sweet Plum ink

I'm hoping to do something similar for a wedding card due a week on Saturday. Hopefully the wrist will improve by this weekend so I can get it done.

I had a sympathy card to send to a friend this week and had to, shamefully . . . . . . . . buy a card (ooooh, that hurt to say). I bought it from work so at least it benefits a charity but apologies to the lady concerned and for my writing which looked like an epileptic spider had done the foxtrot across the card.

Well, thhhhhats all folks, except to say, thank you to some new names for kindly leaving comments. Hope you can visit again soon.

Take care all and be good.

TTFN

Ang x