Friday 28 February 2014

Take just one sheet of card

Whilst poking round in a box here I found some sheets of beautifully embossed and foiled A4 card that had been included as a freebie with an order sometime last year. This is one of them,  I'd already been trimming and folding when I thought to take a photo so I kinda pushed the cut off piece against the left hand side of the folded 'card':
I'd measured and trimmed the card down to 8" x 8" and scored down the middle where you can see to make a DL sized card.

And this was the result end after I played a bit:
 I used:

 - the patterned piece of card I first showed, trimmed, scored and folded to DL size

- from the leftover piece of pale turquoise card I die cut a butterfly using a Joy! 'Vintage Flourishes 6003/0023' die and attached it just down its centre to the card

- the finishing touch was to cover the butterfly's body and a teeny touch on the tips of the antennae of the butterfly with a mixture of Stickles. TIP - if I can't find exactly the colour I want, I mix two (or more!) little dollops of Stickles on a small scrap of paper, stir it together and apply it with a very fine stiff bristled paint brush. To get the right mix here I used Stickles 'Turquoise' and 'Arctic Ice'

The card almost made itself due to the lovely design already printed and foiled on one end of the card - and I still have a snippet of the pale turquoise card left to play with :)

A quick reminder to make sure that if you're playing for the Playground 'Mr & Mrs die' - please do mark your third entry with a 3 or similar. OR do let me know in a comment. I won't be trawling through entries over the two weeks to cross check.

Can you tell, me been to dentist yesterday and am suffering like a donkey kicked my jaw - feel like the Grinch right now :) Grump, grump.

Plus - today is my friend Sue's funeral, never a happy occasion. She had only a few friends so I think it will be a quiet affair, will be glad when this week is over really :(

Di
x

Thursday 27 February 2014

Playing with shaving foam

Over at Technique Time Tuesday the current challenge is to make your own coloured card using the shaving foam technique (basically a shallow tray of the stuff, colours swirled through and then card pressed down to pick up the swirls). I had a little play yesterday and found it great fun - if a bit messy. I used Tim Holtz re-inkers for the colouring as I'd completely forgotten I had some really vibrant Dylusions which would have given a much brighter result - next time though :)

This is what I made using some of the 'shaving foam treated' card, we actually had sunshine here when I took the photo, so the colours look a bit washed out I'm afraid:
 I used:

- 7" x 5" white card blank

- top half of the card is the shaving foam treated card

- the bottom half is paper from a Pink Petticoat pad called 'Vintage Rose Collection, had it for ages and it came free with Quick Cards Made Easy magazine

- pink spotted ribbon to hide the join

- big pink button with a turquoise embroidery thread bow

- butterflies are actually cut from pink spotted paper from the Pink Petticoat pad, using SU's 'Beautiful Wings' embosslits, topped with turquoise pearls

- sentiment is stamped with SU stamp from the 'Sincere Salutations' set, using SU 'Baja Breeze' ink pad and punched with SU scalloped oval punch

Di
x

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Less is More - use metal

Yikes! That sure set me thinking - I have charms 'aplenty' but didn't want to go down that route :(

Woke up the other morning with an idea and scampered into the kitchen for the Lakeland heavy duty greaseproof backed aluminium foil roll:
I used:

- 6" x 5.5" card blank

- aubergine backing card from the snippets folder

- a strip of heavy duty greaseproof backed foil, run through the Cuttlebug with the really pretty embossing strip which comes with the Anna Griffin 'Rosa' embossing folder. I then very carefully double folded the edges under right across the centre back so I could stick foil to foil and then onto the white piece of card at a jaunty angle

- the sentiment is by SU from the 'Wonderful Words' set, stamped using Memento 'Morocco' ink pad

The result reminds me so much of Far Eastern hammered pewter, in fact I think I've got a very similar bookmark lurking somewhere here!

I'm entering this into Less is More 'cos aluminium foil is metal, right?

Work is due to start on replacing the Playground fence today girls, so no flirting with the 'chaps'! :)

I had a really lovely day out with my pal and it did my soul good, will catch up on commenting while the guys are ripping down what's left of the old fence - bonfire anyone? : ) Jacket potatoes behind the bike shed? I'll have grated cheese on mine please.

Di
x

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Batch baking Christmas cards

A few challenges were in my sights when I sat down to think about making this card.

1. Rudolph Day where you have to make at least two Christmas cards for Miss Sarn - so for me that meant thinking of something I'd be happy to 'batch bake' as I don't mind making a few cards the same, although different ones would be fine too so long as they're in the one post.

2. Then, over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge, Hazel wants us to use a sentiment so I found three identical LOTV Art Pad images really asking to have a sentiment stamped onto them - without the aid of a safety net stamp positioner even 'cos I chose a clear one (me not totally stoooopid).

3. Hmm, so what to do with the image? I know, let's go and check out the current Sketch Saturday Challenge. Perfect, then I was on a roll here:

This is one card.

And 'the trio' photo to show Sarn that I made at least two cards.

And this is the Saturday Sketch - I know, I probably followed it slavishly by using stars and exactly the same layout - but it was just so right for the image and patterned paper/card I wanted to use, so why tinker? Plus I really didn't feel up to doing handstands on the desk to look at the sketch upside down :)

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- LOTV pre-coloured image from the 'Christmas Angels' Art Pad, trimmed and mounted onto silver mirri card

- sentiment by Personal Impressions' 'Many Greetings' set - I do so love this set and often turn to it - stamped using Memento 'Paris Dusk' ink pad

- the main dark blue patterned backing card is by Kanban, called 'Twinkling Stars', and the paler blue snowy paper is by LOTV from their 'Frosty Christmas' pad

- all that was left was to die cut three stars per card using a snippet of leftover silver mirri card and a couple of MFT Die-namics 'star' dies

As I made three cards the same, I reached my target of 12 Christmas cards per month - with a few days and one card to spare :) Whoop, whoop!

I'd also like to enter into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for February where it's always anything goes.

And, the current theme over at 'Winter Wonderland' is 'The most wonderful time of the year' which is nice and open as well.

Caramba, all this linking took me ages!

I said above that 'me not totally stooopid'. Len would dispute that, I was all set to go to the dentist a week early last week and then on Sunday I was rabbiting on about plans to be out for most of yesterday with a pal. Duh, thankfully he reminded me that it's today we go out to play and not yesterday else I'd have been knocking on her door a day early! Sigh.

If I owe you a little Playground visit, I will be there ASAP to comment but today I'm out playing with a friend - hope that's OK huh?! Right now they seem to be dropping like flies :(

Di
x

Monday 24 February 2014

Butterflies and flowers

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card blank

- pre-coloured image from LOTV's fabulous 'Cute Cottage Garden' Art Pad, die cut with a Nestie 'Labels Eight' die and layered onto SU's 'Primrose Petals' backing 

- the sentiment is a discontinued Elzybells one, stamped directly onto the image using VersaMagic 'Pink Petunia' ink pad

- white card, embossed using Anna Griffin 'Rosa' embossing folder with the corners rounded

- a snippet of SU's 'Primrose Petals' card stock, punched round using Martha Stewart's 'Vintage Lace' Punch Around The Page (PATP for short!) set

Finished!

Di
x

Sunday 23 February 2014

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 113

I made this card for a friend's husband. His wife, Sue, lost a long battle in our local Hospice last Sunday - and I lost a special friend:
 I used:

- 6" x 6" square cream card blank

- Penny Black 'Hello Sunshine' stamp, stamped using VersaFine 'Vintage Sepia', partially coloured with Whispers pens then mounted onto a snippet of brown card. The butterfly was die cut/embossed from a snippet of brown card using SU's Framelits 'Beautiful Wings' and three little amber coloured gems added down the body

- sentiment stamped using a stamp from SU's 'Sincere Salutations' set and VersaFine 'Vintage Sepia'

- to 'balance' the card I scored lines along one side and the bottom using the Hougie board. All I did was measure on the front where I wanted the lines to end to one side and above the sentiment then drew pencil lines to those measurements on the back as a guide to where to finish the score lines

Let's move onto this week's picks. As ever, tricky to decide :(

I picked this card, made by Sue J (Olliesmam) because it just screamed STUNNING at me. A beautiful example of white on white.

Here's another creation that brought me up with a real start - made by Sarn. Fabulous 'dangling' and I just love this really artistic card.

Again, I just went 'Wow' when I saw this card, made by Kate P!  Amazing use of lots of snippets - I totally LOVE it!

This card, made by Bonnie is soooo clever - it really does look like a patchwork quilt.This is definitely on my list to try!

I adore this fun card, made by Sam! It just made me feel very happy - so funny too! Some wag even asked how the chicken rode the bike when its legs wouldn't be long enough to reach the pedals :) Snigger.

Our Elizabeth has been missing in action lately due to a virus - but she managed to come and play with this beautiful creation. It's the dragonfly that used a snippet - but the detailed description of how Elizabeth made the fabulous background is sooooo worth reading!

And last, but not least, I picked this really eye catching card, made by Liz W. Such a clever way to use hearts and wonderfully effective don't you think girls?

And this week we also had two new playmates come and join us - please say hello too:
Jackie - who brought not one but three snippets cards in the same post!

And Shazsilverwolf who had been playing with gilding flakes - look, there are still some on her cutting mat below the easel :)

Lovely work ladies, and I do hope you will come back to play with us again!

OK, so now for the winner of last week's prize of the two 'Wild Rose Studio' stamps:
Jenny L
Well done Jenny! I do still have your address and will post to you ASAP.

And this week's prize is a stamp the same as the Penny Black 'Hello Sunshine' one I used today:
Please don't think this stamp is just suitable for Sympathy cards - it looks fabulous and very cheerful paired with sunshine yellow background papers or whatever floats your ark boat.

As usual, the snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 1st March and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize.

Please NEVER be afraid to say you're just playing for fun - it doesn't offend me at all, and the Playground is first and foremost for us to have fun, the prizes are just a thank you for playing :)

Mr Linky is below - please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Also, the two-week Mr & Mrs die draw still runs during this coming week so if you haven't already qualified by entering three times you can make your total up to three and be in with an equal chance. Do please remember to add a 3 after your name when you link your third entry!

And finally (will she never shut up) - do remember that it's Sarn's Rudolph Day Challenge this coming week as well, beginning on Tuesday and running to the end of the month. It's a short month so you might want to start thinking - already so soon :)

That little lot will keep you out of mischief!

Di (and a wave from Parsnip)
x

Saturday 22 February 2014

'For you from me' cards

I always try to enclose a card with Snippets Playground prizes and just rustled up a couple of these:
I used:

- 4" x 4" square white card blank

- SU 'Certainly Celery' card stock

- vase and flower are from SU's 'Bright Blossoms' stamp set, stamped in 'Certainly Celery' and 'Melon Mambo'

- the sentiment is from SU's 'A Word for You' stamp set, stamped in 'Melon Mambo' - at a jaunty angle for a change :)

Confession time here - I've had a SU Stamp-a-ma-jig for ages, and use it regularly. Having seen Vicky's super little video the other day on her blog, I realised that putting the T-piece at the bottom of the clear sheet to use that as a guide and working a bit blind which was why sometimes I had 'wibble-wobble problems' when placing my stamp onto the card. I guess that either way would theoretically work but  it sure is better and much easier now I changed to how Vicky does it. Sometimes I really shouldn't be allowed out :(

To illustrate - I only went and got all ready for the dentist on Thursday afternoon and, at the very last moment before putting my coat on to leave home, I picked up the appointment card. Duh, I was a week early - it's next Thursday!!

Di
x

Friday 21 February 2014

Less is More - Masculine

The current challenge over at Less is More is to make a 'Masculine' card:
I used:

- white DL card blank

- SU 'Pacific Point' card stock

- SU 'Sail Away' stamp and 'Pacific Point' ink pad

- Kaisercraft 'Grunge' stamp and SU 'Smoky Grey' ink pad

- sentiment from SU's 'Sincere Salutations' set and 'Pacific Point' ink pad

Watching 'Creat and Craft' TV lately I've noticed that a few crafters on there use 'Collall' glue so I decided to give it a whirl rather than using a tape runner or double sided tape. Now I wonder WHY it took me so long to cotton on, it's very forgiving and allows some manoeuvring when (if you're like me) you have problems lining up layers accurately. And it comes with a built in spreader too. Great stuff!

Di
x

Thursday 20 February 2014

Singles advertisement

 
This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed. It is reported to have been listed in the Cornish (UK) Guardian newspaper.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire.
 Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me...Call 01272-6420 and ask for Annie, I'll be waiting.....















 Over 150 men found themselves talking to the UK Truro RSPCA

 
 (which, for overseas pals, is  our main UK animal rescue organisation  - don'tcha just love it - snort - serves the dirty little devils right!)

Di
x

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Christmas Love

This week's theme over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas challenge is 'Christmas Love' and I knew just the stamp I wanted to use:
This poor little stamp hasn't been used since before I started off this blog - shame on me!

I wanted to follow a sketch and found this great one over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp, so I'm also entering my card into that challenge.
 
I used:

- 6" x 6" white scalloped edge card blank

- House Mouse 'Mistletoe Moment' stamped using SU's 'Smoky Slate' and coloured with Polychromos Pencils and Sansodor blending solution. The colours are much stronger IRL - dratted camera again! I added a couple of little self adhesive pearls to the mistletoe

- all papers are from LOTV's 'Woodland Wishes' Christmas paper pad

- the sentiment is an Elzybells one (no longer trading sadly), stamped using SU's 'Rich Razzleberry' then die cut using a Spellbinders banner die. I just did the green backing layer by using the die as a guide and drawing round the outside before hand cutting it

- white Josy Rose nail heads

I'd also like to enter this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, where it's always 'anything goes'. 

And, the current challenge over at House-Mouse and Friends is to use amethyst, white plus one other colour - green in my case. I know that some beige has crept into the main backing paper  (but the meeces are browns too aren't they) so hopefully the amethyst and green are strong enough. If not then do please tell me, ladies over at HM, and feel free to delete my entry - leaving me squeaking with embarrassment :)

Reminds me - did I ever tell you the tale of Fudge the field mouse? He lived with us one Winter, no kidding!

Di
x

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Snippets Playground Celebration

It's a while since we had a 'two week' chance to win a prize in the Playground and I just noticed that the blog view counter has passed 200,000 page views - plus last week we had 70 entries. Sooooooooo, it's time for a little extra prize and a chance to win a pretty special die as a thank you for all your support:
I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- clear sparkly self adhesive film to cover the whole card front

- a snippet of white Centura pearlescent card, embossed using an Anna Griffin embossing folder called 'Rosa' - a gift from ScrappyMo when she was over in the UK last year. Sadly only a little bit of it shows in the end but it's a beautiful folder - thank you Mo!

- the main image was done like this, first of all I die cut the panel from white Centura pearl card using the most fabulous die by Taylored Expressions called 'Mr and Mrs'. I'd expected it to be really tricky-woo so had bought a metal shim plate as suggested but I didn't need it, nor did I use waxed paper - it popped out of the die perfectly. To adhere the die to the snippet of pale blue backing card I did ponder awhile and instead of using a Quickie glue pen plumped for covering the whole piece of blue card with double sided adhesive film, peeling off the front protection and then fixing the white die cut before sprinkling with Cosmic Shimmer's Glitter Jewels 'Diamond Sprinkles'. I then added some self-adhesive pearls in assorted sizes.

- the finishing touch is a tie made using a band of white organza ribbon which has silver heart outlines on and then a piece of the same ribbon just tied across the centre. Then I added a heart charm tied on with a bow made using the last snippet from a reel of iridescent cord

This is the die that's on offer for one lucky winner:


Some of you already know the 'drill' - but here it is anyhow.

1. All you have to do is to enter a total of at least THREE snippets makes over this current week and next week - into the normal snippets playground Mr Linkies which are posted on Sundays. It's just a total, so you can add three in one week or spread them over two weeks. Of course you can still enter up to three snippets cards per week for the normal prizes.

2. There's one thing I'm going to ask you to do to make it easier for me please. If you are entering three cards over the two weeks for a chance to win this lovely die, can you please add *3* after your name in Mr Linky when you add your third card.

Please shout if this isn't clear :)

I can see so many uses for this die, for example, imagine it cut out in gold and set on a cream or even a chocolate background, for a Golden Wedding Anniversary!

Di
x

Monday 17 February 2014

For baby

As I said in yesterday's Sunday snippets post, our playmate Victoria just had a baby girl. I made this card from all of us in the Playground, assisted by Parsnip of course:
I kept it simple and stuck to a Stampin' Up image as Victoria was my SU demonstrator, before the pitter patter of tiny feet became imminent.

I used:

- 4" x 4" square white card blank

- stamp from SU's 'Easy Events' set, stamped using SU's 'Smoky Grey' and coloured with Whispers pens before die cutting using a Nesties circle die

- popped the image onto a Nesties scalloped circle, die cut from a snippet of SU's 'Rose Red' card stock

Easy peasy lemon squeezy - those little SU stamps are really lovely to use!

Di
x

Sunday 16 February 2014

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 112

And another bumper crop of 70 entries this last week - perhaps all checking up on the progress of the ark :) I think it's been a case of rain has hampered progress, with no sign of it abating either. We were awake most of Friday night and I'm sure I could hear trees falling in the nearby park.

Anyhow, here's my snippets card for today:
I used:

- 5.5" x 5.5" square white card blank

- all papers are from the 'Me to You' 'Spring Chic' paper pad - a great pad as it's double sided and I did sneak in almost a full sheet of lemon as the main backing frame but all the rest were snippets tucked into the pad using my new storage system - shown here

- the image is by Wild Rose Studio called 'Birthday Girl', a gift from Sam when we met up with ScrappyMo last Summer. (More of that later in this post!!) Stamped with SU 'Smoky Grey', coloured with Pro Markers and the little girl's top and the tablecloth were paper pieced 

- the lace 'belly band' (that always makes me giggle!) was punched using Martha' Stewart's 'Vintage Lace' edge punch and topped with a piece of pink ribbon

- sentiment is a pre-loved SU one, stamped with SU 'Smoky Slate' and then punched with SU's 'Label - Curly' punch

- the flowers were die cut with one of the very first die sets I ever bought, and still a great favourite - made by Joy!, ref. 6002/024 - and topped with self-adhesive pearls. Funny though, the pink gingham paper I used is a perfect match to the other pinks in the card, yet it looks mauve in the photo :)

And straight onto this week's picks:

 
Given all the comments flying round about us building an ark in the Playground, this card made by Kim did make me laugh :) Have you SEEN the sentiment?! Snort!

Gosh I do so hope none of you girls have been affected by the awful floods down this way - not to mention the frightening gale force winds plus the heavy snow over 'the pond' and bad weather elsewhere. Mother Nature is sure going through a bad bout of PMT right now:(

I asked Cornelia to link up her sour cream containers, not only did she use up some snippets but there's also a great tutorial as well on how to make these little beauties.

Some weeks one of you comes up with two great snippets ideas and I can't choose between them - so this is Cornelia again. Brilliant heart card, and again you can check out how it was made.

And here's another great use of snippets, also with a link to show how it's done - brought to share with us by Jenny L. Oh I adore those flowers and apparently BIG flowers are supposed to be the latest thing (a return visit) for card making and scrapping.

Pippa brought us this card - made from (rather posh Earl Grey) teabag packaging. It's yet another ingenious idea - although I can't think that 'Yorkshire Tea for hard water' packaging that we generally have here is likely to be inspiring :(

Isn't this a fabulous card, made by Scrappy Mo? Lots of snippets used and even sparkle - which I know gives Mo the heebie jeebies 'cos it does tend to get everywhere!

So that was a quick scamper this week - as always you all made such beautiful stuff it was very hard to choose.

And we also have a new Playmate - please will you welcome Janeen who brought this lovely card to show - and also hopped back again later in the week so I guess we didn't scare her off too much!
IMG_3741

And now the winner of last week's prize of the sentiments set and the rose stamp:
Eve
Well done Eve, can you drop me an email  to di_wray@hotmail.com with your address please and the stamps will be posted off to you just as soon I find the paddle for the canoe - it floated away overnight :(

This coming week's prize is, as almost always, linked to today's snippets card.
Yup, it's the same image stamp - Wild Rose Studio's 'Birthday Girl'. Kindly donated to the toy box by Sam.
AND we have a second Wild Rose Studio stamp called 'Bunny on Scooter', which was donated at the very same time by Scrappy Mo. It was the day we three playmates met up last year and went to Flutterbys Craft Store - and both the little scallywags sneaked off and bought these for prizes :) Thank you girls!

The snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 22nd February and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize.

Both items are one prize but can you please say if you aren't playing for either of the items in this week's prize 'cos then I could do a second draw for whatever it is the first prize winner doesn't want.

Please NEVER be afraid to say you're just playing for fun - it doesn't offend me at all, and the Playground is first and foremost for us to have fun, the prizes are just a thank you for playing :)

Mr Linky is below - please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Have a great week and hope to see you in the Playground - bring your wellies (if it wasn't so very sad that might have been a funny).

STOP PRESS! Our little Playmate Victoria became a first time Mummy to a darling little baby girl - for more info. please look HERE. No name as yet, but what a little sweetie, can't you just smell the baby powder - many congratulations and she is absolutely adorable!! Love and hugs from us all in the Playground :)

SECOND STOP PRESS: If you check this more recent post, you'll see that I have one of the 'two weeks' thingies running. What you can win and how to be in with a chance is all there. 

Di (and a wave from Parsnip)
x

Friday 14 February 2014

A card for 'Mister Len'

It's a bit of a standing joke here about how much time Len lavishes on caring for the 'Playground' wildlife. The birds take up a lot of time (and money!) and of course Spike the hedgehog visits during the Summer. So it was only fitting that they should send their own Valentine's Day card to 'Mister Len' :)
I used:

- A6 white card blank

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'Embrace' sheet. I did recently buy this stamp 'pre-loved' but time to spend colouring wasn't around - so I used the Stickeroo

- plain orange and yellow card from the snippets folder

- the green spotty paper is by Raspberry Road from a pad called 'Summer Goodness - free with Quick Cards Made Easy magazine a good while back

- the border across the card was punched using Martha Stewart's 'Zigzag' edge punch and topped with a a snippet of orange ribbon

- the sentiment is by Craftwork Cards, popped onto a punched oval

Ha, I bet he guesses I had a little paw in the making though, if he doesn't then I'll begin to worry! :)

Di
x

Thursday 13 February 2014

Noel Hedgie

The current challenge over at Merry Monday is to use an animal on your card. Browsing through my Christmas stamps I spotted a little Penny Black hedgehog stamp peeking out of a box at me and an idea was born - so out came the hedgie, along with Clarity Stamp's 'Noel Frame' and we were away:
Sorry, the light here was dreadful when I took this photo and the embossing looks very flat - it's really shiny in real life :(

I used:

- A6 white card blank

- Clarity Stamps 'Noel Frame', stamped with clear VersaColor and embossed with Personal Impressions 'Mirror Gold'. Then Penny Black 'Little Angel' hedgie was stamped in SU 'Smoky Slate', coloured with Polychromos pencils and blended with Sansodor and the little halo coloured with a gold pen

- SU 'Real Red' card stock used for the border round the image

- the white embossed layer was made using SU's 'Square Lattice' folder, stuck onto the card base and the image popped on using thin sticky pads

As I had a 'reet ole selection' of stuff out to make this, I went for broke and made four the same :)

Di
x

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Well I never!

Having sorted out the paper pads, I pulled out a LOTV pre-coloured Art Pad the other day, flicked through the 'now sorted and easy accessible' patterned paper pads and blow me - what a match I found from a totally different manufacturer:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank with one edge already laser cut into pretty butterflies - from Hobbycraft

- image is LOTV from their pre coloured 'Cute Cottage Garden' Art Pad, die cut with a Nesties circle

- the papers are from Wild Rose Studio's 'Annabelle's Meadow' paper pack - one of my all time favourites and what a match for the image!

- a snippet of SU's 'Certainly Celery'

- rows of tiny pearls down the butterfly bodies

I thought the card was busy enough without adding a sentiment or anything else.

If, like me, you love the 'Annabelle's Meadow' papers here's a little heads up. I decided to replenish the pad as it's getting very low and I had quite a long search online to find another pad. Many places are sold out, so if (as I do) you already have the Annabelle's Meadow toppers you might want to check how much matching paper you have :)

I just spotted Stamping Sensations challenge for February which is 'Wings, Fantasy and Fiction' - my butterflies have wings so I'm going to play over there too :)

Di
x

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Laughing in the rain

This little duck stamp has been sitting forlornly on my desk for a few days, waiting for inspiration. When I saw the great sketch that Kathy K followed with her snippets card here, inspiration did indeed arrive. Err, plus we do still have the weather to go with it, sigh:
I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- stamped image by Funstamps called 'Puddle Duck', coloured with Pro Markers and then the umbrella paper pieced with dotty paper and the image corners rounded

- plain peach card backings are snippets

- patterned papers are from a paper stack which came free with Quick Cards Made Easy magazine a while ago, called 'Let's Fly Away!'

- sentiment is by Hero Arts from their 'Live Life' set, stamped using SU's 'Pumpkin Pie'

This is the sketch over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp and I'd like to enter this card, thanks for leading me there Kathy.
I'm really enjoying following sketches, so helpful when you need a KITA (little push in the right direction - also known as a Kick In The A*se rear end). Can't think why I didn't do it before now :(

Progress on the Playground ark continues, and Parsnip has appointed this little duck as Foreman (or Foreduck maybe). Snort.

Di
x

Sunday 9 February 2014

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 111

Welcome to another roundup in the Snippets Playground. It's been wet yet again here - just let the Water Authorities announce a drought come Summer and I'll totally flip! Am thinking perhaps we ought to start building an ark? Wash my mouth out - can you imagine the mayhem with hammers and nails flying round the Playground?! :(

Here's my snippets card for today:
 I used:

- 6" x 6" square cream card blank

- snippets of plain pink and cream card

- Martha Stewart 'Daisy' edge punch

- snippets of LOTV's 'Country Lady' paper pad

- stamps from the Inky Doodles set called 'In my Heart'. I stamped the frame onto a cream snippet using VersaMagic's 'Pink Petunia' and the sentiment using Memento's 'Toffee Crunch' then fussy cut round the outline of the 'frame' There's also a sweet little heart stamp in the set so I stamped one of those to pop just above the tied ribbon

- cappuccino coloured ribbon from the ribbon box

- Josy Rose matt green nail heads just to finish off

Let's move onto this week's picks - the usual tricky decisions to make:
I adore this little cutie, made by Sue P, so much lovely detail, dimension and use of snippets!

This is an amazing way to use up your snippets, by making a sunburst. Kim showed us this and there's also a link to a tutorial on how to do it - one to try for sure!

And here's another great use of snippets, made by Elizabeth, So lovely and Elizabeth used snippets,  a Stamps Away Patchwork Template - err, and a craft knife. One I'd love to try but craft knives terrify me :(

This adorable card, made by Carol L really tickled me. And look, even the little snippety stars from cutting the die border didn't go to waste :)

Isn't this butterfly canvas absolutely brilliant? Karen P brought it to show and I really love it.

I just adore this baby card, made by Sue J. What really struck me, apart from it being such a beautiful card, is the idea of cutting letters from gingham paper - great idea!


Pat brought us this amazing card - wow, I love the embossed background and every single detail - including the beautiful dress - is just perfect!

Ooops, my allocated time at the laptop is almost up so it's time to welcome two new playmates:
What a fabulous rainbow of buildings, made by Caroline.

And another really bright and beautiful card, made by Carol S.

Hope you come back and play often girls - you're both off to a flying start!

And now for the winner of the 'Poppy Patch' die:


 

Well done Mo! I have your address but can you email me to say if you'd like the pack of waxed paper to try out with the die cutting.

And this coming week's prize is:


Yup, it's an Inky Doodles stamp set the same as the one I used on my snippets card today.

Plus:

As we're on the theme of romance and roses, I'm including this lovely pre-loved 'Artistic Rose' stamp by Hero Arts, which was kindly donated to the toy box by Karen P (along with quite a few other goodies which will appear over the coming weeks).

The snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 15th February January and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize.

Both items are one prize but can you please say if you aren't playing for either of the items in this week's prize 'cos then I could do a second draw for whatever it is the first prize winner doesn't want.

Please NEVER be afraid to say you're just playing for fun - it doesn't offend me at all, and the Playground is first and foremost for us to have fun, the prizes are just a thank you for playing :)

Mr Linky is below - please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Have a great week and hope to see you in the Playground.

 
Di (and a very wet and soggy wave from Parsnip)
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