Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #385 - results

And here we go once again, heading backwards with COVID restrictions due to the selfishness of others. Until we have a vaccine I have a horrible feeling that this show will run and run - sigh. We even have an outbreak in our local Sainsbury's supermarket, apparently the staff there have almost been waiting for it to happen.

Len and I are scheduled to have our annual 'normal' flu jabs this coming week. The surgery team seem very organised but it remains to be seen how well the arrangements (a 'marquee/tent' in the staff car park of our local GPs surgery!) are adhered to. I went to collect a repeat prescription from our local chemist the other day and almost had to tell someone waiting outside, behind me, to keep further away. They weren't wearing a mask either - I despair.

And now here are my picks for the previous challenge.

And let's begin with a *Gold Star* pick. I think, having seen all the detail in close-up, that this is really worthy of a *Gold Star* - please feel free to help yourself to the badge from the RH sidebar Diane:

 

What a wonderful bouquet in a teacup this is! It's a while since Diane H came to play and I'm so happy she brought this to share with us. If you hop over to Diane's blog post you'll find a photo which illustrates just how intricate the flowers are - absolutely lovely!

No apologies from me for the fact that Jules is a pick again, her work is always so lovely and she uses snippets so well to layer up her cards. Of course, Jules was the original Snippets Queen and holder of the Playground keys - a lot of years ago now. Needless to say I adore this card - pink is my absolute favourite colour too!

And more pink - this time from Pat who teamed it with lilac. Such a pretty card and I love how the snippety hearts look so much like a flower - very pretty. Some very delicate brayer work as well - mine often looks as if I've been rolling out tough pastry with a heavy pair of hands!

Childhood memory coming up! When we lived in Malta (army brat here) there were odd occasions when my Dad would be on duty on a Saturday evening to allow the younger and more junior guys to go out for some fun in Valletta. Saturday afternoon was Mum's designated weekly baking day and she used to like to walk down to the barracks and take him some of her freshly baked goodies. I was just four years old when we came back to England but from a very early age loved to help Mum with her baking sessions - so I started to always bake a 'special jam tart for Daddy'. I promise you, that pastry took a right hammering, sometimes it ended up on the floor in between being rolled and squashed about for ages. I always went with Mum to take deliver Dad's freshly baked goodies for his evening snack - and needless to say that 'special jam tart' was carried very carefully in the 'boot' of my much loved tricycle.  Apparently, I used to stand beside him and watch closely as he struggled to eat every single morsel of baked, dry, grey pastry with a filling of jam - apparently trying to keep a smile on his face! At the same time I repeatedly asked him if it was nice ☺ when in fact it tasted almost as bad as it looked.

I adore this cute card, made by Katrina. James Bear is such a sweetie and I love how Katrina has matched colouring James so perfectly with the snippets of patterned paper. I actually thought it was paper piecing before reading what Katrina had written in her blog post.

We had 50 entries, and no new Playmates - so lovely to see numbers looking healthier again. Still a bit low in the current challenge (#386) but I know that many folk are struggling with the new blogger interface. I'm no expert but if you have any queries about the interface then please feel free to drop me an email.

Now for the prize draw, which is a Memory Box 'Cream Puff Heart' die and a set of Avery Elle 'And then' sentiment stamps. 

And the winner is:

Rebecca (Yahrling)

Congratulations Becca!! Delighted to see your name pop out - good ole Mr Random was rooting for you! Please send me your address, even if you know that I know it already, with your full name at the top as well so I can copy and paste for speed and ease. It's also confirmation that you still would like the prize of course and I'll do my best to post your prize ASAP this coming week. Please put Playground Winner or similar in the subject line of your email in case it drops into my junk mail. Email address is on RH sidebar as always.

Remember folks, there's still another week to run on Challenge #386 HERE. The prize is a Clarity Stamp 'Word sticker collection'.

Yesterday was my Birthday - very low key but enjoyable. Huge thanks for all your lovely cards and Birthday wishes. I've already thanked a lot of you but need a day or so to get round to everyone. Len (and Dudley) made a fuss of me and a lovely friend surprised me by arriving with a card and beautiful planter filled with deep pink cyclamen plants for our patio table. Dudley fell totally in love with her, to the point he would have happily gone home with her - the little traitor!

However, he'd already redeemed himself with this special Birthday card:

In fact, it's Dudley's Doppelgänger - one of Dudley's tricks is to stick his head between the bannisters and at first I truly was fooled and thought it was him. It always amazes me how Len comes up trumps - next time I'll share his own Birthday card to me - it's the most perfectly detailed 3D Shepherd's hut card!

Love from Parsnip, a happy 'high-five' and woof from Dudley - and of course hugs as always from me. Stay safe, wear those masks - and keep on crafting.