Thursday 28 February 2013

One word Christmas card

The current challenge over at Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge is to use just one word on your card - it can be repeated if you wish:
I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- LOTV pre-coloured image

- patterned papers from a lovely selection that arrived from Kay last week - thank you again Kay!

- plain red card - SU's 'Real Red' to back the patterned papers, die cut a scalloped square to pop behind the main image and also to die cut a couple of Spellbinders corners

- JOY sentiment by Personal Impressions, from their 'Many Greetings' set, designed by Kirsty Wiseman. Stamped using SU's 'Real Red' and then punched using SU's 'Petite Curly Label' punch. This punch does have matching stamps, which are lovely, but it's also really useful for any little sentiment stamp you might have

- AND, I found my bag of burlap and played with the 'Tattered Poinsettia' die by Tim Holtz, then added little yellow pearlescent gems in the centre. I think Len thought I'd lost the plot when I was doing the die cutting, but it worked. Next to try is Timmy's 'Tattered Florals' die with some lovely soft pink burlap - mind you, it does leave a load of 'sheddings' to brush carefully off those Sizzix dies, and everywhere else it seems :(

- a final 'tickle' with 'Icicle' Stickles round the edge and some of the snow on the image

Oh, and I'm also entering this into Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Extra Challenge :) 

To those of you who commented yesterday about me missing WOYWW due to having other fish to fry - let's say the fish did get well and truly fried in some very hot fat, in my favour :))

Di
x

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Less is More - paper piercing and no WOYWW

Well, that was a stroke of luck - after reading on Elizabeth's blog about her new ruler with paper piercing holes in, I'd bought one (as much for the metal edge just in CASE I ever pluck up the courage to use a craft knife here). And then, up popped this week's Less is More challenge of 'paper piercing':
I used:

- DL white card stock

- a snippet of lavender card stock, pierced round the edge

- a snippet of white card, embossed using the 'Plants' folder by Quickutz - if you press your nose against the screen the embossing might show up, the light here is dreadful for taking photos at the moment

- some self-adhesive flowers and butterflies. They're epoxy or something similar and look very realistic IRL - no idea where I bought them, and there's no make on the packet

- sentiment from a clear set by Hero Arts called 'Messages' (original huh?) - stamped using Brilliance 'Pearlescent Purple'

I'm skipping WOYWW this week - have other fish to fry today :(

Di
x

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Seize the Birthday fun

Oooooh, I am loving the 'Seize the Birthday' challenge. This is the 'feminine' card I made for this week's sketch:

And here's the sketch:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- image from the Hobby House set called 'Spring Bringer', die cut and then mounted onto apricot Core'dinations card  before slicing one edge off to follow the sketch

- backing papers by Craftwork Cards from their 'Vintage Rose' set - I must confess to gasping aloud with delight when I found such a perfect match for the image :)

- more apricot Core'dinations card

- sentiment by LOTV, stamped using SU's 'Certainly Celery', die cut and layered onto a bigger circle of apricot card

Of course, next week's challenge at Seize the Birthday uses the same sketch and has to be a masculine card. Better put my thinking cap on now as cards for 'chaps' are always tricky for me :(

Di
x

Monday 25 February 2013

Not quite white on white for Rudolph Day

......  but I did set out to try, and then bottled out in favour of using a new die and gentle colours (thank you for the lovely die Scrappymo) - I eventually tracked down the matching stamp as well after searching a few continents :)
The die and matching stamp could be being phased out by Memory Box - why, oh why do companies do this when something works so well? I totally love this set and will be using it loads.

I used:

- A6 white card stock

- pale lavender Core'dinations backing card

- white card, embossed using SU's Textured Impressions 'Holiday Frame' folder

- stamped sentiment by Funstamps, called 'Small Merry Christmas' - I use this stamp a lot, it owes me nothing!

- Memory Box 'Flurry Wreath' stamp and matching die - I stamped using Tsukineko Brilliance 'Pearlescent Lavender'

- ready made little lavender satin ribbon bow with a silver bell - found a whole pack lurking in a box when I was scrabbling for potential ribbon to use

I confess, it took a few goes to emboss the card as it was creasing at either side (which is in fact the top and the bottom of the A6 folder - and sigh, I know now that it does have a distinctive top and bottom so don't peek too closely). I learned not to take the folder right through the Cuttlebug beyond the actual embossing point and it worked.....after three failed attempts! I get a Blue Peter badge for sheer this b*gger ain't gonna beat me determination.


Ooooh, and another thing. I used the glue gun to stick the bow onto the wreath and followed the advice given by Jules to just pick a little bit of hot glue from the end of the gun with a cocktail stick. Brilliant - it worked a treat. Thank you Jules -  great tip, and no more burned pinkies here.

So, this card is for Rudolph Day over at Sarn's - and remember you only have until Thursday to submit your entries as February is a very short month.

Oooh, Hazel reminded me that I can also link this into Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra as well.

And thank you again Maureen!

Di
x

Sunday 24 February 2013

Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 61

And another busy week in the Snippets Playground - not least as I caught a few scallywags sipping 'discretely' at some wine behind the bike shed ......... I was alerted by the giggling and loud hiccups!

This is my snippets card for today:
I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- lilac backing paper by Wild Rose Studios from the 'Gorgeous Ginghams' paper pack

- snippets of smaller patterned gingham paper, which I think would have originally been from the same pack

- a stamp called 'Flower Patch' made by Inca, paper pieced with more gingham snippets. The stamp is pre-loved and I bought it from Helena last week

- a new stamp set by LOTV, a clear one called 'Little Stitches' - brilliant if you don't want to sew or don't want to drag a sewing machine out. It comes with eight different stitches which are on clear cling strips, each just under 2.5" wide. Being clear it's easy to line up lengths of stitches and at the corners you just ink a few stitches and make sure you wipe off any excess before stamping. This card was made in a hurry and with more care and time I think this little set will become one of my favourites. Stamped using a Brilliance ink pad in 'Pearlescent Beige'

- Elzybells sentiment

- SU 'Decorative Label' punch

- snippet of lilac ribbon

Made Len laugh during the week - he kept sticking his head round the craft room door asking me questions and, as always, had an uncanny knack of picking the very moments when I was doing something critical. In the end I hung this on the door:
He called me a cheeky little minx :)

Right, onto this week's 'show picks'. Hmm, totally spoilt for choice as usual - everyone made such gorgeous cards and other things, so this is just a little selection:
Darnell made this beautiful card for 'Seize the Birthday' last week - for a chap. Love it!
White on white butterflies by cathroff
Cathy made this beautiful white on white card - absolutely beautiful.

And last, but by no means least - how about this? Bonnie made this really clever Spiderman card for Seize the Birthday (of course it was a winner too) - and her blog post has the link to where she got the idea for using SU punches to construct Spiderman. Stunning huh?

Onto the winner of last week's draw now - which is the set of Echo Park 'Hello Summer' papers. I know a few of you didn't want to add to papers that you're already trying to cut down on - and this week it took me three goes to find one of you who was game to take on more paper to play with (and yes, Mary H, your name did pop out so you can do that happy dance even though you'd said no thanks!). The winner was:


Can you please drop me an email with your address Sandra and they will be on their way to you this week. It's especially nice as Sandra just celebrated her 40th Wedding Anniversary too.

This coming week's give away has already been in use on my snippets card today, well my own stamp set was used, there's a new one sealed one here up for grabs. LOTV sure do go minimal on their packaging!
AND, in addition I'm including a door hanger the same as mine, because the stamp set is just small. They do come with lots of different activities on but I chose 'Creating' again so it covers snippeting (is that a real word?), scrap booking, card making, journalling, sewing, crochet, knitting, baking in the kitchen, cake icing - and a whole host of other things :)
If you want to join in the Playground fun and frolics and be in with a chance of winning these goodies (they are one single prize, you will get both items)  - the Playground is open all of this coming week but it will close on Saturday 2nd March at noon, UK time and Mr Linky is below as usual. Just enter a snippets make into the Playground this week and I'll do a draw after the Playground closes next Saturday. But, as usual I am asking for a snippets make please, maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you DON'T want to be entered.

Our Bernie has put an update on her blog girls - here. She's obviously finding the treatment tiring and there have been ups and downs so your prayers and positive thoughts are still much needed. But there's good news that the treatment is also having a positive effect on those 'nasties'. We're still flying underneath you here Bernie - holding you up and being the wind beneath your wings. xxx

Have a lovely week - we have snow flurries in the Playground as I'm typing this on Saturday - wonderful :(

Oh, and remember it's Rudolph Day from tomorrow until the end of February over at Sarn's.  February only has 28 days this year so you'd best get cracking now!!

Di
x

Saturday 23 February 2013

A Birthday card for Anonymous

A blogging friend recently had a birthday, I found out almost by accident and promised to keep it under wraps. Couldn't let it go by without sending a card though :)


I used:

- A6 white card stock

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'Flower  Field' set

- SU 'Rose Red' card stock, embossed using Crafts Too's 'Scrollwork Frame' embossing folder

- sentiment inside the card was already printed and die cut by Craftwork Cards

- and I made the envelope using SU's patterned card in 'Rose Red' and my Crafter's Companion Enveloper Pro board

You know who you are but my lips are sealed - hope you had a lovely day!!! xxxx

Di
x

Friday 22 February 2013

Another Get Well card

This is the second Get Well card I was asked to make recently. It's for a lovely friend called Pat, she's more of a flowers person than Marge - who I made the Froggy card for a week or more ago:
As I had the Stickeroos out, plus the big flat box of SU 12" x 12" card stock - it made sense to rootle round and see what went with what:

I used:

- 5" x 7" white card stock

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'Sun-kissed' sheet

- SU's 'Pumpkin Pie' card stock

- white card, embossed using SU's 'Square Lattice' Textured Impressions folder and swiped over with a SU 'Pumpkin Pie' ink spot. This is a fabulous folder, and looks great just left white but I wanted to play :)

- orange gingham backing paper from Wild Rose Studio's 'Gorgeous Ginghams' paper pack

- sentiment from SU's 'Sincere Salutations' set, stamped with SU's 'Pumpkin Pie'. The sentiment was then punched using SU's 'Decorative Label' punch. I then punched a snippet of 'Pumpkin Pie' with the same punch, cut it in half vertically, trimmed a little bit from the centre portions and layered the sentiment on top so a little bit pokes out from either end. I think I got this idea of extending punched shapes from Elizabeth?

- white and orange bakers twine and a little flower shaped orange button from the button box

Friday again - I bet quite a few sighs of 'TGIF' are doing the rounds :)

Di
x

Thursday 21 February 2013

Let it snow again

....that's the current challenge over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge.
A quick rummage through my box of Christmas cards turned up these little cuties, already die cut and carefully peeled off the card they arrived on, ready to be upcycled.

I used:

- 5" x 7" white card stock

- red backing card - ack, I cut into a 12" x 12" sheet!!

- Kanban 'Twinkle Snow' card for the background

- the little bears and snowman 'topper', used sticky pads for dimension

- icicles  and snowflake from my little box of ready made die cut and glittered embellishments. The icicles were cut using Marianne Creatables LR036 die, the snowflake is also Marianne Creatables - LR0123. Both were die cut from white card with double sided adhesive film stuck on, then dunked into iridescent glitter

- strips of self-adhesive ribbon from a Fizzy Moon pack, with similar bears on :)

- a couple of diamante snowflakes

Am also entering this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra :)

I hate to say it with more than 10 months to go, I need to step up production if next Christmas isn't going to be a mad rush.

Di
x

Wednesday 20 February 2013

WOYWW 194 - more OCD stuff

Yay, sunshine here yesterday - and this was my desk just before I ran away and left it, and I'd even taken the coffee mug back into the kitchen:
Back to organising stamps - a job I can only do so much of in one go before the urge to scream gets a grip.

My system is 'simples', I know, a bit like me really. No fancy spreadsheets or regimented and categorised boxes of stamps here. It all hinges around a little index box of cards - I described just how it works a whole year ago on WOYWW, here, and am still nibbling away. The good news is that the (third) postcard album below is the last of the unmounted rubber stamps, they just happen to be Christmas ones but with the system I use it doesn't matter.
The wooden ones are already done, with stamps stored in 'best fit' Really Useful Boxes - no more than two layers per A4 sized box. Just all the clear ones to tackle, and then the little index box of stamped images can be sorted into categories. 

We each have our own way of doing things I know - this system works for me, and I ain't changing horses mid-stream :)

Now, off you go - over to Julia's to see what others have been up to. I bet a lot of folk are delirious about the couple of sunny days we've had here in the UK. It's been lovely.

Happy WOYWW!

Di


Tuesday 19 February 2013

Seize the Birthday - a card for a male this week

This week's challenge over at Seize the Birthday follows the same sketch as last week, which was for a female's card - this is my take on the sketch:
And this is the sketch:
 
I used:

- A6 cream card stock

- SU's 'Bashful Blue' card

- paper from the Bo Bunny 'Barefoot and Bliss' collection

- decoupaged image and sentiment - another one from The Range. No manufacturer's name but the set is called 'Male Icons' - brilliant value too

Crumbs, blogger is playing up as I'm writing/scheduling this on Sunday - jumping round all over the place and making my eyes whizz round and round like Ferris Wheels :( I feel quite car sick, excuse me - must dash :( 

Di
x

Monday 18 February 2013

Less is More - Up In The Air

I think choices for this week's Less is More challenge which is 'Up In The Air' are probably quite limited. Just couldn't think 'outside the box' so I plumped for a hot air balloon:
I used:

- 4.75" x 4.75" square cream card stock

- a strip of the same card stock, mounted onto a snippet of brown card

- the background was just tickled a bit with Versafine 'Vintage Sepia' ink using my home made cloud template and Clarity Stamps 'small birds in flight' were stamped, also using 'Vintage Sepia'

- the balloon is from one of my favourite stamps bought in Santa Fe last year - it's called 'Balloons Framed' by Stampamania, Stamped in 'Vintage Sepia onto more cream card stock, cut out and popped onto the card using sticky pads

- the Elzybells sentiment was also stamped using 'Vintage Sepia' 

Di
x

Sunday 17 February 2013

Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 60

A little bit quieter in the Playground this week - ha, bet you were all playing kiss chase with the little boys from the football field down the road!

My snippets card:
It's a bright and cheerful Birthday card, for a cute little chap who is one year old today.

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- little giraffe stamp from Hobbycraft. For those girls in the UK, it really is worth looking at their own range of small clear stamps, tons of useful images at £1 each! Coloured with Pro Markers and die cut using a Sizzix die, framed by using the same die and SU 'Marina Mist' card

- blue backing papers are all SU snippets in 'Marina Mist'

- patterned papers are from Echo Park's 'Hello Summer' paper pad. Oh my gosh, I love this paper pad - in fact it took me ages to decide which papers to use as they're all gorgeous, plus they go so well with SU colours

- die cut number 1 was cut in SU's 'Marina Mist' (another teeny snippet), and popped onto a punched SU 'Petite Curly Label' - I used a teeny snippet of 'So Saffron'

- the little kite is a Martha Stewart embellishment, bought in NM last September

- Luke's name was stamped in 'Marina Mist' using a rarely used See-D's alphabet set and the 'banner' end was punched using SU's 'Petite Pennants Builder' punch, very carefully after marking the spot I wanted as the centre of the V then sliding the card into the side of the punch to use what would normally be the top part of the pennant - betcha I lost you there!

- three green Card Candi's along the chevron band

And now a little selection from this week's snippets:

This ATC, by Ike, really made me laugh. Such a great spin on Valentine's Day - and really creepy-cute. I suspect I look like this in the mornings :(

Eliza paid us her first visit, and hopefully not her last one (so I hope you girls played nicely), with this brilliant card - a pose I thoroughly agree with. Do please go and say hello, Yoda is waiting there to say hello back :)

And Bubbles came to show us this gorgeous altered chest, to store some precious letters in - all the details of how she did the makeover are in her posting.

I've truly just scratched the surface of all your gorgeous makes - remember that Mr Linky's thumbnails  in last week's snippets post will lead you to have a closer look.

And the winner of last week's 'Springtime' stamp set is:

x

This coming week's give away has already been in use on my snippets card today, well my own paper pad was used, there's a new one sealed one here up for grabs:
And this is my pad, with a few spread out for you to see how delicious they are, and they're double sided too:

Crumbs, I sound like an Echo Park rep!!

If you want to join in the Playground fun and frolics and be in with a chance of winning this real 'splash of Summer' pad - the Playground is open all of this coming week but it will close on Saturday 23rd February at noon, UK time and Mr Linky is below as usual. Just enter a snippets make into the Playground this week and I'll do a draw after the Playground closes next Saturday. But, as usual I am asking for a snippets make please, maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you DON'T want to be entered. 

Have a lovely week - we've had sunshine here, yay!

Di
x

Saturday 16 February 2013

Alfonse Mucha style

Years ago I had a much loved set of Alfonse Mucha Art Nouveau prints, and whilst in The Range on Thursday, found some decoupage sheets that reminded me so much of those long gone prints:
Then, in another aisle I came across packets of pre-embossed cards - a perfect combination for a super-fast card.

I used:

- A6 white embossed card by Papermania

- decoupaged image - huh, absolutely no name on the sheet or packet :(

Happy Saturday!

Di
x

Friday 15 February 2013

'No snow' Christmas card

The current challenge over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge is not to use snow on your entry. I was quite taken aback earlier this week when looking through all the card fronts I'd kept to 'upcycle' - every one bar a mere handful had snow somewhere! With no time to resort to stamping etc. I used one of the card fronts to make this:
I used:

- 6" x 6" square cream card stock

- most of the front of a small square Christmas card

- green Core'dinations card for matting and layering

- 'spotty' burgundy and cream backing paper from MME's 'All is Bright' pad

- sentiment by Craftwork Cards

 - the bush had little burgundy dots on, which I just covered with some teeny little pearlised gems to add dimension

Job done!

Am also entering this card into Hazel's other Christmas challenge, Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, where it's always 'anything goes'.

Thank you so much for your lovely comments yesterday - I did have a lovely day out in the end with a crafter friend. It was lovely just to relax, the sun shone for us and I felt all the better for it. Ha, and so did Len when I produced his Valentine's Day gift on my return home - bought while I was out having fun - an 18 year-old bottle of Malt Whisky :)

Di
x

Thursday 14 February 2013

Hearts away for Valentine's Day'

First of all my dear blogging friends, please forgive me but my hopping around WOYWW had to be put on hold, we had to do a little casualty rescue mission and are still reeling a bit. Our lovely little neighbour took a turn for the worst and Len jumped into his trusty steed like a knight in shining armour and charged off to casualty whilst I sort of ran around the house here wondering what was going on.

Abi is home again but it's not the end of it and, to be honest, I managed to cook dinner and then fell asleep from sheer exhaustion :( I will hop round in slow time I promise! Please send positive thoughts for a lovely teenager going through a tough time right now.

Today I've promised to take a friend out to Reading for some retail therapy and don't want to let her down. Even though I feel I could truthfully sleep for a week - but the trip will probably be good for me : (

Anyhow, I had to rustle up a Valentine's Day card super fast yesterday for Len while he was out playing Robin Hood at archery - yesterday morning - last minute as always:
I used:

- 5" x 7" white card stock

- Penny Black stamp called 'Hearts away', another stamp I've had for ages and never used - shame on me, coloured with Pro Markers then die cut with a Nesties heart, layered onto a scalloped Nesties heart, die cut from black card

- black card from the snippets folder

- red card with white glittered hearts on, also from the snippets folder (I think it came from Hobbycraft ages ago)

- sentiment by Hero Arts, layered onto a SU punched scallop oval - using a little snippet of red Core'dinations card

- Josy Rose red heart nail heads

Phew, it was a rush in case he came home early - that'll teach me to leave things right to the end stop :(

And then yesterday evening after things had been tough, he even went and brought out the lovely bouquet he'd hidden for Valentine's Day to make me smile again - what a guy!!

I'm entering this card into the following challenge:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - where the theme is 'Love and Marriage'

Happy Valentine's Day Len - my knight in shining armour!!

Di
x

Wednesday 13 February 2013

WOYWW 193 - and some ideas

My desk when I ran away yesterday afternoon to post some letters and do a little bit of shopping:
Usual mug of cold coffee, basket of cards awaiting inserts and the mess leftovers from what I'd been doing earlier. Oooer, and at the back a packet of mini Easter eggs in a lovely box - from Sarn, and a super card from Sam as well.

I think I must have caught a virus, it's the 'sort and tidy' one that seems to be doing the rounds in a lot of craft rooms right now. After doing SU card stock swatches last week, I moved onto finish off making swatches for all the ink pads. Then sat twiddling my thumbs yesterday wondering what else I could do to make life easier/less stressful when crafting. Sometimes I'm a bit like a dog looking for a lost bone with stuff flying in all directions :(

The cataloguing of stamps is a mahoosive ongoing project that I can't stick at all the time but a comment left by Helen on my last week's WOYWW post, about something her friend did, triggered off this:
It's a sort of swatch, for punches :) Not every single one, just those used for sentiments so I can try it against the card and of course against the stamped sentiment (or even the unstamped one) to check for size and shape. I used Shrinkles shrink plastic (the frosted one) 'cos that was all I could lay my paws on in here then wrote the names of the punches on in permanent ink and rounded the corners - they were lethal sharp before that little extra step.

Another small, but to me important, discovery has been how to cope with the Tonic glass mat on the desk here. I totally, love the glass mat but found that card was slipping about so l during the week I played with this as a solution when stamping and sticking bits of card together. For me, it works brilliantly without having to put summick non-slip underneath my work:
It's a repositional tape runner, by Dovecraft. A quick swipe or two on the back of what you want to be kept totally immovable, then just turn it over and stick to the glass mat.
This is the back of a piece of embossed card that I'd just turned back over after adhering a Stickeroo topper - where there was absolutely no room for error. You can see a sort of  globule of removeable glue, I'd just started to rub it off with my finger. Yay - another solution :))

The creation that was being worked on is hidden until it arrives at its destination - so I've nuffin' more to show - why not go to Julia's where you might see more creativity and less of the OCD stuff. But hey, at least I didn't just say it's the same old mess :)

Happy WOYWW!!

Di
x

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Here's lookin' at you

At Sunday's meeting I was asked to make a couple of Get Well cards for lady Committee members. They are both lovely ladies and of course I set to straight away yesterday. The first one is for Marge, who has a wicked sense of humour. So I thought it had to be something amusing:
Marge and I often sit opposite to one another at meetings and many a time I have to look away - just a little rueful smile and a raised eyebrow from her sets me off with the giggles. Plus, her little ritual is to treat herself to a mini bottle of red wine at lunchtime to help during the afternoon when topics get turgid, sometimes I think a full bottle would be a better option :)

So, Penny Black froggies came to the rescue - and this is the Stickeroo I picked - and the sentiment inside will say 'Here's Looking At You' - I just know she'll cotton onto the meaning :))

I used:

- 5" x 7" white card stock

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'Pond-side Celebration' sheet, plain oval Nestie and a scalloped oval Nestie

- SU's 'Certainly Celery' card stock plus a matching one from a SU patterned pack bought over a year ago

- 'Dragonfly' embossing folder made by Craft Conceptions

- sentiment from SU's 'Sincere Salutations' set, stamped in 'Certainly Celery' and die cut with SU's 'Decorative Label' punch

- a snippet of pink ribbon from Hobbycraft I think, I have the last 2" long piece in a little poly bag ready to be taken to search for some more

Di
x

Monday 11 February 2013

Cupcake Birthday girl

I made this card for a very good friend, who helped me through some very dark days many years ago. It's also for a relatively new challenge called Seize the Birthday, which looks like fun - with the novel idea of using the same sketch for two challenges, first for her and then for him:)

I retied the bow after taking the above photo :) Love the huge shoes.
And, a peek at the inside, the sentiment says 'Friends Always'.

For the challenge, Seize the Birthday, this is the challenge sketch we had to follow:
I used:

- 7" x 5" tent style card stock, made by chopping an 8" square one down

- image is a pre-coloured LOTV one. Die cut into a circle, mounted onto a scalloped circle of SU's 'Wisteria' card

- backing paper is lavender with silver dots, from the snippets folder

- Craftwork cards sentiment, mounted onto a scalloped oval of SU's 'Wisteria' card

- a snippet of lavender coloured satin ribbon

- almost hidden sentiment and a band of the remaining little snippet of lavender backing paper

What a trip yesterday - no snow but torrential rain and even some floods to cope with :( And the meeting dragged on while I quietly kept peeking out of the windows to check the rain wasn't turning into snow. It sure was good to get home!

Di
x

Sunday 10 February 2013

Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 59

Gosh, this will have to be super fast today - need to get sorted out with stuff to take on my 'Sunday snow trek' after this is written on Saturday afternoon. Tons of you joined in again this week, with some SUPER makes to show. This is my speed of lightning snippets card for this week:
And a peek at the inside:
I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- snippets of 'milky/minky brown' paper (got this years ago from Craftwork Cards) plus some pearlescent pink card

- image is pre-coloured, by LOTV

- milky/minky brown ribbon

- little pearlescent pink butterflies - using SU's 'Beautiful Wings' embosslit folder (wow, I LOVE this!)

- tiny self-adhesive pearls

- and I even tickled up the inside a bit:)

OK, so who caught my eye this week - well, first of all I found this in the Playground earlier today:
Yeah right, VERY funny. When I said summick would be OK for the roof of the tree house after last week's post talking about thatched houses and little creatures on top of them - this is NOT what I meant, I meant tasteful!

Anyhow, least said about that the better. Here are some of the makes you brought this week which especially caught my eye - although every single one of you who plays should be included!

 
Annie (aka Wipso) joined in for the first time this week - using snippets of material to make quilts and bags for a very worthy cause, plus each one also has a little handmade stuffed toy - do hop over to Annie's blog to find out more. Most of you will also know Jo, Annie's sister, and they are working away like dingbats on these right now.
 
Maureen (aka Scrappy Mo) made this totally fabulous Christmas card - it's beautiful!
 
And Sarn made some adorable boxes for the mini eggs we'll all be eating before too long. Although I gather she was waving some around in the Playground during the week - almost got killed in the stampede :( Really clever idea and there's also a 'How-to' :)

I wish I could cover every one of you - but if you want to see more just go to last week's post and Mr Linky is there with little thumbnails for you to peruse and visit your playmates if you haven't had a chance to peek already. 

Next is the draw for those Penny Black Stickeroos - hang on while I go and look at the Random number site..............................................................still there? 

The first two goes with the Random number thingy came up as folk who didn't want the Stickeroos, but it was third time luck for:

SHAZ IN OZ
 
Well done Shaz, if you drop me an email with your address they will be in the post to you this coming week - have fun!

And for this week's draw, I thought  little touch of Spring might be nice:
It's a big unmounted rubber set - to give you some idea the daffodils are almost life sized, the whole set is about 5" x 8". And I'll be truthful, it's a set I've had for a while, unopened, bought as a bargain and unlikely ever to be used by yours truly. So I certainly won't be offended if you say 'No thanks'. 

If you want to join in the Playground fun and frolics and be in with a chance of winning this set of stamps - the Playground is open all of this coming week but it will close on Saturday 16th February at noon, UK time and Mr Linky is below as usual. Just enter a snippets make into the Playground this week and I'll do a draw after the Playground closes next Saturday. But, as usual I am asking for a snippets make please, maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you DON'T want to be entered. 

And YAY - I worked out how to get rid of the annoying white boxes that appear round uploaded photos if you have a coloured background - whoop, whoop!! If anyone's interested just say the word and I'll do a post later in the week pointing you in the right direction.

Di

Saturday 9 February 2013

Especially for a Kraft card loving pal

I have a blog buddy who 'says is as it is' - and she thinks that Kraft card is like wrapping paper or those old fashioned paper bags from our youth :) Good point, but I made this the other day - just to make her teeth itch, evil little monkey that I am:
A couple of people noticed the little round dots in all colours of the rainbow lying on my desk on WOYWW, left over after the holes had been punched in the SU card swatch I'd been making. Yup, they were just sitting waiting for inspiration to come calling.

I used:

- 6" x 6" square Kraft card

- a snippet of SU's 'Wild Wasabi' card stock, die cut twice with Marianne Creatables die number LR0120

- cream snippets die cut with Joy! 6002/024 daisies die. I left each flower in the die after cutting it and rubbed it over with a smidgen of Memento 'Toffee Crunch' ink using a finger dauber before removing it and then did the 'rubbing in the centre with a flower shaper' trick just to raise the petals a bit

- a selection of those little coloured circles - still lots left to ponder on :)

- my current favourite SU stamp from the 'Four Frames' set, stamped with 'Wild Wasabi' and the sentiment itself is from LOTV's 'Small General Greetings' set - and of course I used the matching SU punch

As usual, the SU paper and ink are a much better match in real life than the photo seems to infer :(

Kathleen, this one is just for you today! Snigger :)

Di
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Saturday Supper - Kedgeree

What with Len being on foods that didn't really need much chewing lately, I made this during the week:
Kedgeree


Serves 2

½ onion, finely chopped 
55g/2oz butter
300g/10½oz basmati rice
1 tsp madras curry powder
freshly grated nutmeg
200ml/7fl oz milk
110ml/4fl oz double cream
300g/10½oz naturally smoked haddock, (NOT dyed) picked over, bones removed and flesh cut into chunks
sea salt and cracked black pepper
small bunch parsley, chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and halved
good pinch cayenne and freshly ground nutmeg (optional) 

NB. The recipe omitted the fact that you should gently poach the fish first, I realised this thankfully and just gently poached it for about 5-10 minutes in half milk and half water. That way it's easy to flake the fish and check for any bones.

To serve

knob of butter
wedges of lemon

Cook the onion gently in the butter for a few minutes, then add the rice.

Continue cooking gently and stirring, adding the curry powder and nutmeg. After a few minutes, add the milk, cream and 250ml/9fl oz water.

When the mixture begins to simmer, add the fish and continue simmering, stirring occasionally until the rice is cooked. (You may need to add a little water if the mixture becomes dry.)

Season, add the parsley and stir. Add the eggs and garnish with cayenne and nutmeg if using. Serve topped with a knob of butter and wedges of lemon.

Another time I might just slightly increase the amount of curry powder, but not by much - just perhaps a heaped teaspoonful instead of a rounded one. I reckon you could also increase the amount of fish by half as much again - this is really a breakfast recipe and for a supper you might want just that bit more 'substance'.

And I forgot to add the parsley before I served it so just chucked it on top - and omitted the knob of butter at the serving stage. Needless to say this is a James Martin recipe - I love his recipes but always try to cut down on the amount of butter and cream he uses :)

The two-legged mouse loved it - we're still taking it easy but he was at the dentist on Thursday and is doing well apparently. Good job - I could murder a nice steak!!

Di
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