Sunday Snippets - Nativity Christmas card

My snippets card for today is a Christmas card. Last year I was woefully short of cards depicting The Nativity etc., so I decided that this year I'll make sure they are made really early:

My leftovers

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" cream card blank, side opening

- piece of Tonic Pearlescent 'Majestic Gold' card, die cut using the largest die from the Taylored Expressions 'Petite Scallop Rectangle Stacklets' set of dies then glued onto the card front 

- whole sheet of Crafters Companion 'O Holy Night' paper*, trimmed to 0.25 inch smaller than the scalloped layer, corners rounded using X-Cut's small corner rounder punch then glued onto the gold scalloped layer

- then dug out several snippets from the pack of Tonic Pearlescent 'Majestic Gold' card and used the Altenew mini die cutting machine** to cut out two each of the figures in the Crafters Companion 'O Holy Night' set of dies before layering them together - using a 2mm Zig glue pen

- glued the nativity scene pieces in place

- I'd gone right through my Star of Bethlehem dies cutting different ones early in the process and kept coming back to this one I used - again, double layered - which I glued in place above Baby Jesus in the Manger. The die is from the Memory Box 'Star of Wonder' set of two dies, the one I used and also a smaller version

- no sentiment needed as the scene says it all really

* The 'O Holy Night' paper pad is absolutely gorgeous - the front of each sheet bears scenes relating to the Nativity and could easily be trimmed for some really quick and easy cards. All really sumptuous colours too. The reverse of each paper is equally rich but much plainer and great for backgrounds. I used a reverse for today's card.

** I know I keep mentioning my sweet little Altenew 'Blossom' die cutting machine, but it's one piece of kit I would now hate to be without. Brilliant for sentiments and smaller dies, without digging out plates for the larger machines I have. I don't have a dedicated cutting station for the Cuttlebug, although I do for the Gemini Junior. Just planting a seed there folks! Not cheap but worth every penny!

I'd like to enter this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #58 HERE - the paper pad and the Nativity figures were new-ish - I take ages to use things for the first time!

And, Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82 - The Midas Touch HERE.

Also, Scrappy Mo's Rudolph Days Challenge HERE. This is the final Rudolph Days challenge that Mo will run - thank you so much to you and the DT, and good luck to you and Al with your house move and future plans!

Dudley Pupdate: Sarn and I were having a telephone 'team meeting' and Dudley needed to be in on the act of course. Eventually, he went into the garden to play with Len and, just as Sarn and I were wrapping things up - then in shot Dudley, totally in 'party time mode' fresh from garden 'zoomies'. Jumping, trying to get up onto my lap and also frantically calling 'Hello' to his Aunty Sarn in 'dog speak yelps'. I could imagine her rushing off off to scribble in her diary - 'that dog is loopy, rather like his Mum'!

Very importantly, the results of Challenge #471 are now published HERE.

Do please come and play in in the second week of my current challenge over in the Snippets Playground!

Love from both Dudley and myself,

Decoupage donkeys!

I made another Katy Sue image 2023 Christmas card which was hand delivered to a friend who loves horses. I thought these donkeys were really cute, even though they aren't exactly show jumpers:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank

- a backing piece of Tonic 'Firestone Red' mirror card 

- then the decoupaged image - the dark line above the robin shows the shadow from one of the umpteen layers 

- the double layered sentiment in 'Firestone Red' mirror card was made using a Tonic Studios 'Mini Moments Merry Christmas' die

- final touch was a 'stamp' on the envelope, from the same Katy Sue decoupage set

I'm posting these on here for the record - this next Christmas I may do it all again and just make sure that different friends receive different cards. Me not totally daft! 

Sunday Snippets - Eclipse technique

Wow, what a cold week we've had, down in the minus temperatures a lot of the time. Little Dudley has slept right through every night ............ on the fleece bed cover between Len and I, and has barely stirred!

Here's my snippets card for this week:

I used:

- 4.75" x 4.75" square white linen card - side opening ( let me know if you want the supplier)

- two pieces of the same white linen card, cut to 4.5" x 4.5" square - I used a die from the Presscut 'Nesting Square Die' set - which has 32 dies in!

- then used the Misti to stamp the same image onto both pieces of card, in the exact same position several times, using a VersaFine Clair 'Monarch' ink pad and an orchid stamp from the Marianne 'Floral beauty' set of silhouette stamps (not the best of solid stamps I have to say) 

- next step was to take one of the identical square panels and use a die to cut the Altenew 'Window Sphere' cut, centralised into the orchid image

- grabbed a little snippet of white linen card and stamped the sentiment - using the same 'Monarch' ink pad and Clearly Besotted's 'Speaking Out' set of sentiment stamps

- then trimmed it and glued it to another small snippet - of Tonic's 'Majestic Gold' card and trimmed that to fit behind the stamped part of the sentiment

- added the sentiment piece directly onto the die cut part of the front panel using a glue pen - very carefully with a glass mat underneath - then whisked it up pronto!

- next, I used very narrow double sided foam tape to stick around all four sides and also right around the central 'aperture' of the die cut image

- used a old glue stick to allow some movement room and then adhered the top die cut layer onto the identical bottom layer

- then added the whole front panel onto the card blank - using Collal glue as I so often use - finished!

I LOVED making this card, such a fabulous technique and certainly one I'll repeat for sure. I did first spot it on Christine Stokes' YouTube Channel, ask if you want the link - although Chrissie didn't add foam tape underneath the die cut layer and for me that extra bit of lift is what absolutely makes this card so special. Despite additional postage I guess!

I forgot to enter this into a couple of challenges! So here goes:

- Darnell's NBUS challenge #58 - HERE - the stamp set and the die I used are both NBUS

- We Love Stamping January 2024 challenge - 'Something new' - HERE (the stamp set and the eclipse die are both new) 

Dudley Pupdate: Apart from sleeping on our bed during the night, Dudley has decided that it's his current general lookout place! Underneath the desk is now forgotten, sigh, and I miss my boy. From the end of our bed he can see me in my craft room, see Len coming and going, me travelling downstairs and back up on the 'ski lift' - and also be within easy reach of the top of the stairs, his warning post for any callers who could be intent on running away with Honka Duck! 

We've battened down the hatches here in readiness for the forecast high winds due on Sunday. Fingers crossed it isn't as wild as they say it will be.

Remember, there's a new challenge over in the Snippets Playground - hope to see you there!

Love as always, Dudley and me,

Sunday snippets and a Birthday Celebration card

During a slightly busy week I made a last minute snippets card for today - and this is the result, sorry no snippets piccies this time - I emptied my waste bin earlier, sigh:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" cream card blank, side opening

- snippet of Tonic Pearlescent 'Majestic Gold' card trimmed to 0.25 inch smaller than the card blank and set aside for now

- snippet of green mottled paper from my snippets basket, which I die cut using the Simon Says Stamp 'Circle of Leaves' die

- then die cut a circle, using a Tonic Studio's circle set,  from a snippet of cream hammered card I'd trimmed to 5" x 3.75" to form the main top layer. I really loved that there was a smidgen of difference between both circles as it forms just the whisper of a green inner edge 

- next I trimmed and glued the die cut leaves panel behind the circular die cut cream panel - rather 'tricky woo' to centre it I admit

- then glued the cream layer onto the gold one, which was already on the card

- then die cut the sentiment using a die with no name, but so like Poe script, using snippets of snippets of cream and 'Majestic Gold' card 

- glued the gold layer on top of the cream layer to form a more robust sentiment

- added the sentiment using a glue pen 

- topped the main image off with a few sprinkles of small clear self adhesive  clear gemstones - finished!

I'd like to enter this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #58 HERE - the 'Circle of Leaves' die was having its first outing.

Dudley Pupdate: A friend and I went out for a trip on Thursday morning and when we came home and were trying to relax with teas and coffees, Dudley was anxious beyond belief. We think that in his mind that I was just calling in to say 'Hello' and would be off out again! He settled down more as less as soon as my lovely friend, who he does bond with, set off for home. WAY to shame your Pawrents Dudley Dog! 

We bought a new throw for our bed - it's very soft and velvety and Dudley absolutely loves it! I lost him on Friday evening and found him curled up on our bed, in the dark, having forty winks on the throw!

Very importantly, the results of Challenge #470 are now published HERE. 

Do please come and play in Sarn's current 'Celebration' challenge over in the Snippets Playground!

Love from both of us,

Di and Dudley xxx

Sunday Snippets and Celebrating 12 years of the Playground!

There's a new Challenge being run by Sarn, over in the Snippets Playground HERE. We're celebrating 12 years since I took over running the Snippets Playground from our lovely Jules. And there are two bumper prizes to be won - the theme for the two week long challenge is still snippets of course, along with 'Celebration'. Of course we'll revert to our usual 'just need to use and say which snippets' afterwards but it's such a lovely couple of prizes I'm sure you'll want to join in!

It's also two years since this 'New Snippets Playground' blog opened with the lovely design created for us by Loll. AND, most importantly, after Sarn worked for some time behind the scenes it was a delight to officially welcomed her as my partner in crime in March of 2022! I can't begin to thank her enough for her unwavering support every single step of the way and I couldn't wish for a better co-owner of our Playground - thank you my lovely friend!

 

OK, enough of the 'soppy stuff' although every single word came from my heart. Let's move onto my snippets card -  I actually made a set of four - to include when sending out prizes to celebrating winners of the challenges run by me:

The snippets, left from stamping then fussy cutting, the paper piecing elements

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank, side opening

- I used some almost full sheets of patterned paper - details below - to add a layer measuring 5.25" x 4" onto the card front as a background for the image panel and glued it in place

- used a selection of snippets pulled out of the halved envelopes I glue into the back of paper pads and packs so I can keep patterned snippets fairly easily with the original designs. The packs are both made by Dovecraft called 'Back to Basics' and 'Back to Basics II' and are ancient!

- then used some smooth white card to stamp the image and bubble sentiment, using VersaFine Clair 'Nocturne' ink. The snail image and actual speech bubble surround stamps are from Woodware's 'Happy Snail' stamp set - and the 'huge congrats' sentiment is from a Clearly Besotted sentiments set called 'Speaking out' - bought not too long ago on clearance 

- used the Misti to stamp the snail image onto a small snippet of white paper - held in place using a sticky sheet and then, one at a time I placed snippets of the desired papers over the relevant pieces of the image and then stamped the image onto the snippet - by far the best way I know to position stamps for paper piecing images 

- fussy cut the different pieces, edged them using a black Tombow brush marker and used a glue pen to adhere them onto the main snail image images. I always try to add the glue to the main image and then lay the fussy cut patterned paper on top as I find there's less chance of spoilage

- die cut the image panel using a much loved Lil'Inkers 'Stitched Rectangles' die

- then added two 'goggly eyes' - which I very recently bought from Amazon. They're self-adhesive, come in a huge selection of sizes in a divided plastic case - AND, even include some eyes with coloured 'lids' and also some with coloured lids and the sweetest eye lashes. Bargain really!

- added thin strips of sticky foam tape around the back edges of the image panel, swiped them with a glue stick for a bit of wiggle room - then stuck the panel onto the card front

- final touch, used a glue pen to add a leftover green snippet strip across the envelope flap , trimmed either side - and called it a wrap!

I'd like to add this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #58 HERE. The two stamp sets - and the googly eyes were all having their first outing.

I showed Len the little batch of cards and he said 'Just perfect for kids, although how many do you know?'.  Once Dudley and I stopped holding one another up to control our hysteria, I managed to blurt out 'Only the Snippets Playground, full of them!'. 

Dudley Pupdate:  With perfect timing, our hot water side of the central heater boiler went 'kaput' the other day - and it's driven Dudley almost crazy! He hates unexpected visitors at the best of times, but engineers three days running almost had him climbing up the walls - we weren't far behind him I admit! We're convinced he thinks they're out to murder us or, even worse, steal Honka Duck! 

He has his annual vet check up due in February and I'll be asking for advice about his anxiety. We don't want a 'doped up' dog but something that can safely and gently calm him down would be a help. Mind you - that was sort of spooky - my mobile phone had a stream of messages coming in and on Thursday morning, when another came in, he retreated to the other end of the room and just stared at the phone. Almost as if he just knew it was the reminder from our vet to book him an appointment! 😰 I admit, we did chuckle at the timing!

With love from Dudley and myself, 

Baby deer decoupage

I really had such a lovely time making up a bunch of Katy Sue decoupage images, for cards to be hand delivered to some of our neighbours. This card was given to a lovely couple - partly as the gentle deer reminds me somewhat of Yvonne. My nickname for her equally nice husband is 'Billy the Fish'. He's a keen fisherman - sea trips mostly (barf!) and he often trots around giving away his 'catch'. I've made a umpteen potato topped fish pies, courtesy of his generosity. I learnt to always have some frozen prawns in the freezer, in expectation of a delivery!

So, here's Yvonne and Billy's card:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank

- a backing piece of Tonic's mirror card in 'Rose Platinum' - cut to just a little bigger than the image itself. It looks silver, but is the prettiest shade of pale pink in real life

- the image had been assembled by 'moi' using thin sticky pads, glossed over with glue stick for a little bit of wiggle room - and then I just added it to the card, using Collall All Purpose glue

- the double layered sentiment in 'Rose Platinum' mirror card was made using my cherished Tonic Studios 'Mini Moments Merry Christmas' die

- final touch was a 'stamp' on the envelope, from the same Katy Sue decoupage set

I would like to enter this card into the current Allsorts Challenge #760/1 HERE. The theme is 'cold and ice' - or anything goes.  I think that a snow scene is cold enough? Brrrrrrrrr!

Speaking of cold, a lot of the central South of the UK has had power cuts today (Tuesday 2nd January) due to Storm Henk and Hampshire was hard hit. We were in the midst of it and at one point there were 181 areas affected - including us. Thank goodness for engineers who were obviously out in the thick of it, switching supplies to try and provide a continuous service, whilst they repaired the faults.

Hope you all had a good beginning to 2024 - and that it's a brilliant year for all of you.  Dudley seconds that too!