Less Is More - Sketch

It's a lovely sketch this week over at Less Is More's weekly challenge. Simply a circle or a square in this format:

 

I chose to stay right with the sketch above, as it is:

I used:

- 6" x 6" pearly cream card stock

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'From the Heart' sheet, stuck onto a piece of card and then the red border trimmed off as it just 'jarred' a bit before sticking to the card front using sticky pads

- sentiment from the 'Live Life' set by Hero Arts, stamped using SU 'Wild Wasabi' ink pad

What a wet and miserable day yesterday was - a good excuse for for some crafting I should think :) 

Little tale here - Len popped his head into the craft room and spied this card on the desk. He's a fan of Less Is More/CAS cards - so I asked him what he thought the flowers actually were on the image. 'Trumpets?' was the response! Clearly that man can't recognise a couple of hearts when he sees them :)

Di

x

Pixie's Crafty Snippets Challenge - 18

I just closed the challenge as am off to bed with painkillers for company and a buzzing head after a brilliant day. The wedding stationery was collected and much loved and I had a great late afternoon/early evening too :) So, if you're early - this is gonna be posted right now and you might be first into the playground - have an extra go on the swings, but strictly NO go-karts Sam!

Normal service has had to be curtailed a bit, and not as much of my sad humour, but I couldn't let a week pass without doing the roll call. The card I'd hoped to publish today appeared yesterday in a different post altogether (not planned!) and there just wasn't time to make another. The snippets I used were for the sentiment - for more detail, just hop back to yesterday here :)

Guess who!!? And, although it's twice published, 'the birthday' was ages ago so it's allowed :)

Err, we did meet early yesterday evening - just imagine one short quite plump mouse with cold sores (me!) against a very elegant and bubbly lady. I say no more, but we had fun in the short time we had.......and I didn't get a single Gibbs slap - probably as I'd worked out how we could leave the hotel without doing a tour of the local area :) Nightmare! A great intro. when your pal has to run to the car and direct you out of a dead end - thanks Sat Nav. - and thanks Sarn for a lovely meet! xx

Another really busy week in the playground, despite the rain - or perhaps due to the rain keeping us all producing crafty things:)

Judy hopped in first this week, with two lovely bright and cheerful snippets cards which you can see here. Lots of lovely colours and certainly what we needed, and with her usual sense of humour Judy even showed us her mess, tip, err crafty stuff on the floor and everywhere else! What tickled me was Judy saying she needs to have a word with the maid - I guess we must share the same maid then :)

Next was Sandra H - pipped to the gates this week. And what a great Penny Black Christmas card Sandra brought along to show - lots of lovely embellishments and the cutest hedgie image as well. To see what I mean, go here - isn't it super? I love the red and gold Sandra - the swirls are such a lovely finishing touch..

Carol was next with this fantastic Christmas gift bag - amazing what you can do with a plain white bag as a starting point, plus snippets of course. A whole load of work has gone into this, a gorgeous snowman image perfectly set off with fabulous embossed backing and plenty of snowflakes too. Crumbs, even lace, tinsel and a charm as well - someone is going to treasure this bag as much as the contents I suspect.

Next was Linby (Lynn) with this really beautiful card. I love the lettering and the teal goes so well with the crispness of the white. So clever to use the negatives from a previous card too - I wonder how many of use would have thought to keep those and come up with this lovely result? And the butterflies are a perfect finishing touch. Oooer, Lynn also brought rhubarb and custard sweets - amongst my favourites so I pulled rank and had 'first dibs' :)

Helen brought a super Christmas card to show - to see for yourself hop over here. I just love the die cut bauble and the gold mesh reminds me I have some hidden away somewhere too - it's such a lovely card Helen. White, red and green are always perfect partners for Christmas cards - and this works so well making a really striking card!

Next was Tammy, with this really beautiful card, predominantly pink and turquoise - colours that Tammy always uses so well together. A really pretty bow and some lovely roses too Tammy. I know a lot of us were saddened to read the rest of Tammy's post - the price of war never comes cheap sadly :( Later on in the week, Tammy hopped back - this time bringing such a pretty 'Thinking of You' card in lovely soft shades, with a perfect touch of turquoise again. I do love how Tammy uses burlap so effectively as well. If I tried that it would look as if I'd raided a sack of potatoes or something :( Brilliant cards Tammy.

Gilly found time to break off from wedding preparations and brought this super  'Card Purse' to show - complete with a link to instructions how to make it. It's really elegant and the combination of black and turquoise is fabulous Gilly. Which reminds me - talking of weddings - are you all making snippets confetti and polishing your trimmers to form a little guard of honour for Gilly's big day soon? :)

We had a lot of visits from Hazel this week, after a quiet week last week your sure have been busy Hazel! Firstly we had this great set of five Christmas cards, then some of the cutest little Easter inchies - inchies sure are popular right now - then a super set of ATCs here - there's been a little batch production line going at 'Chez Hazel' this past week. Then Hazel brought a Christmas card, using a traditional image but more contemporary papers etc. - and they work so well together too. A beautiful 'foiled' bicycle image featured on Hazel's next card, and I'm sure it's a penny farthing too? We have a very small framed picture of a similar bicycle here which was made using an old English penny and a farthing - it doesn't say 'break glass in case of emergency' though :) After that, Hazel hopped back with such a cute Baby Card - made using mulberry paper - I bet a lot of us remember wetting and tearing that at some time? Such a sweet card Hazel and I love the embellishments you used. Aha, then there was a card using an owls image - and what a stunning image too - love the blue papers and flowers, which don't detract from such a gorgeous picture. Then, one of my favourite Penny Black images - those cute little hedgies doing a crossword which you can see here. Love the way you stuck to black and white Hazel with the backing papers and ribbon snippets, brilliant! Next, told you Hazel's been busy, another owl card - but so different to the one I mentioned above - yet really great as well. I wonder how many of us QVC shoppers have some of this little cutie in our hidden supplies? I sure do, it's from a Dawn Bibby kit which came with absolutely loads of toppers, card stock, sentiments and trims. Hazel didn't use the matching card from the original pack - and showed that you can be brave :) What a haul this week Hazel - great stuff!

Jules made it to the playground last Sunday - with a male card to beat most here. Well, I bet most of you have already seen it but if not - go and peek now. I love the shirt and the clever touch of shirt buttons (bet we've all got loads of those) - plus the little ties and absolutely perfect backing papers really make this into one brilliant card. I'm so pleased that Jules still hops in as we know (only too well) that making wedding invitations is a time consuming business - thanks for starting all this off Jules :)

Next was Irene - with such a pretty 'inchies' card, absolutely perfect for using up those little snippets. I know I never throw away even the smallest snippets if I can help it and this card is a perfect example of using them just brilliantly Irene, so well balanced too. Then, Irene came back with another way of using inchies - here - plus a Penny Black Stickeroo. A really soft and very pretty card was the result - the colour combination from the Stickeroo is so perfectly echoed in the inchies Irene! Aw, and I do love the tiny gem in the sentiment :)

Carys has been very quiet lately - but she hopped into the playground with a really clever card this week, for an 18th Birthday. I think I was a bit slow on the uptake - I saw a really great guitar card, but didn't realise right away that it was formed out of a 1 and an 8. So clever Carys! Hope you come back to play again really soon as you have some brilliant ideas!

Then Rach arrived with a 'Bon Voyage' card - all red, white and blue and using a great digi image from Spyder's Corner. I love the way it all echoes the Australian flag Rach - really super make. A lot of thought has gone into making this a really perfect card and I did smile about children being taught to empty their shoes before putting them on for fear of nasty creepy crawlies, that brought back memories of life in Singapore :)

Karen hopped in twice this week, firstly with the sweetest little mini-book - plus really good instructions on how to make it! Oh, I do love little tutorials Karen, thanks so much for showing how it's done, and what a lovely result too, a perfect way to use up snippets as well. Then we had another visit from Karen, this time with a card combining both snippets and Rudolph Day and there's still time to nip over to Sarn's with a Christmas card for Rudolph Day - you have until 8pm UK time on Wednesday 2nd May :) Karen's card here is so pretty, lilacs and white with snowflakes and the cutest snowmen - just perfect for Christmas, I love it! Like so many of us, Karen's heart was in her mouth when doing the direct stamping - I know just how many cards I've ruined right at the very last stamping :(

Next was Lynne, and first of all - Ruby had her operation and is running round very happily already. Lynne's card is absolutely fabulous - a Get Well card, made for Ruby. Such gorgeous bright colours and the cutest image of a little girl with a watering can (I bet loads of us know of little ones obsessed with watering cans) - plus luscious ribbon and lots of pretty flowers. I bet this was a real hit Lynne! And great news that Ruby's operation went so well - fingers still need to be crossed for continued progress.

Mary Mac was next - with a brilliant WOYWW post. Yes, there's a terrific snippets card of course, love the red and white Mary. I'm not sure if the second card used snippets or not, but it's beautiful. Plus, lots of other lovely photos - and, a video of the blue jay Mummy feeding the nestlings! So worth a visit to see - I was enthralled Mary - and I expect they will have changed a lot when you return from your trip. Hope you had a great time!

Sam paid us two visits this week - firstly with a super layout, featuring Dobby the dog :) Great papers and embellishments Sam - and I wonder if you have to physically eject Dobby from his very comfy place when you want to sit and watch the world go by? Love the mix of colours you used too. Then, next time Sam brought no fewer than 30 Christmas gift tags to show. All using the same stamp but with different coloured card, ribbons and colouring to match. A brilliant way to use up more snippets Sam :)

Next was Lyn, with a card that really made me smile entitled 'Dancing Donkey'. Not only is it a really great card but the story is also very funny - I do see a bit of a resemblence to 'Donkey' in Shrek films. And, from the story I bet it could well be saying 'Are we there yet'. Do go and take a peek if you want a smile - thanks Lyn!!

Laura was next, in between a lot of studying and also working on her dissertation for Uni. This is what Laura had made - a really clean and crisp Christmas card - great LOTV image, super papers and an all round winner I think. The end of studies is in sight for Laura - hang in there girl :) But hope you still find time to come and play for some light relief.

Maggie was next, with a card also made for the Less Is More challenge, to use a charm on a card. And what a beautiful card Maggie made - an oriental lady with a fan shaped charm, just perfect! The image is so elegant and the fan shaped charm works perfectly Maggie - love the colours too. Not only that - using those mica powders created a fabulous effect to go with the Dufex image as well.

Next came Bernie, with a tale about Spring storms that almost sent me diving for cover under the bed! Plus, such a fabulous Thank You card - another one of Bernie's makes that you just say 'Wow' at! You really must go and see if you haven't already been - the Morning Glory scrambling up the trellis is a fabulous touch Bernie - and the colour is just perfect. A finishing touch of a beautiful butterfly just makes this so lovely. 

Elizabeth was our next playmate, with a really lovely Christmas card - and a shaped one at that. It's true I think, these aren't easy to make but you sure cracked it Elizabeth! Lots of fabulous detail and layers, making for a really vintage look - lovely papers, ribbons, flowers and pins to name but a few. I love it, and the Bo Bunny image is just beautifully set off by the rest of the card.

Next came Tara - with this fabulous card. Go on - don't tell me that some of you can't relate to it right now?! It's brilliant Tara - love the colours and that image is adorable, But, it's the sentiment that really sums it all up I think! When you hop over, make sure you look really closely at the gorgeous paper piecing Tara has done - it's really fine trimming there and just perfect. A hit Tara, especially this week :)

It was great to see Brenda back playing, fresh from holiday, and bringing a really elegant Christmas card to show. Turquoise and browns always go so well together and this is no exception - I love it Brenda! I did smile about the sentiment stamp being a 'No Name' one - shame as I bet a few of us would really love to have that one, The snowflake is a perfect addition too.

M paid us her first visit this week, with this terrific card. It's been made for a friend who is currently going through the loooong selection process of joining the RAF. Do go and take a look as M is a fairly new blogger and encouragement is really uplifting when you start out. It's very clever - he's apparently a film buff and the play on the words 'Admit One' is brilliant. Love the music background too M - hope you come back and play again :)

OK girls, that's this week's roll call - I woke yesterday morning hardly able to walk or sit down and am amazed I managed to do this posting at all. The power of painkillers eh?! I had a dream that I was fighting a polar bear and think I perhaps lost as well :(

Mr Linky is below as usual. Hope you have a great week, and that the sun finally comes out to play a bit - I'm fed up of emptying your wellies out:)

Di
x

The only conditions to playing nicely in the Snippet Playground are that your card (or anything else you wish to bring here to show) must be made by using up snippets (card, paper, lace and ribbon are all fine), and a link back to here in your own blog posting will mean that you'll be included in the Weekly Roll Call. Oh, and no nipping or hair pulling of course :) 
 

Special Birthday card

I'm forbidden to mention whose birthday this was for but trust me, getting those chickens the right colour wasn't easy and I did a LOT of lurking and going through blog photos . Not that I'm sayin' anything at ALL, on pain of a Gibbs slap - whatever one of those is, it doesn't sound too good :(

I used:

- 6" x 6" white scalloped square card

- stamped image from Sugar Nellie, designed by Elisabeth Bell and called 'Scattering Love'. Coloured with chalks and Dove blender pen - and I almost lost the will to live trying to mask the single chicken at the front and then re-stamp to have two. In the end I stamped, coloured and cut them out before sticking 'em on!!

- image then die cut and backed with pale blue paper by tracing round the outside edge of the die and hand cutting

- the patterned paper is by Wild Rose Studios, called 'Annabelle's Meadow' - some really pretty papers in this stack too

- sentiment was a digi-freebie from Karen ages ago

- blue seam binding, bakers twine and little 'Made with love' charm all came from my crafting goodies 

Edit - this is so funny, Mr Blogger published this earlier than planned! I was waiting until after I'd met up with 'the recipient' later today - however, she's not likely to see this before we meet up, I hope :) Better take a hard hat just in case - I just read what a Gibbs slap is!

Di

x

Egyptian Queen

Today is going to be a mad rush to write the roll call and try to make a snippets card for myself. The wedding stationery is also being collected and then I'm off out later this afternoon to meet up with Sandra of Stamping for Pleasure , that should be great fun (whoop, whoop!) - so meanwhile, here's a real quickie:

I found a Kanban 'Egyptian' card kit from QVC, partly used, languishing in a box the other day. At the time it was great value, and some places still stock the toppers - the one above is decoupaged so that the second image echoes the one to the right and underneath.

It's one of my favourites in the whole set - I love the reflection effect on the head dresses etc. - purely from clever colouring. A lot of foiling in the kit as well, right up my street!

Let's hope I manage to do the roll call this morning, otherwise I could be working through the night :)

Have a great weekend, whatever you have planned!

Di
x

The one that got away

This week's Less Is More Challenge is 'How Charming' - use a charm on your card - well, I have a ton of charms, but usually fling them onto really busy cards as a finishing touch. However, one particular charm was begging to be caught used:

Have to smile, imagine if the fisherman did catch a whopper like that? :) We have a great neighbour who often knocks on the door bearing fresh fish from his favourite pastime - so this is another little card that might come in handy with a bottle of wine for him soon.

I used:

- 6" x 6" white square card stock

- plain dark green card behind the image

- the topper is from an Anita's 'Fishing' set - a great set for keen fishermen, although the images are all the same, just different sizes and shapes

- charm and bakers twine from my goodies store

- sentiment by LOTV, stamped in Pearlescent Ivy

And, a lot easier than last week's LIM doodling challenge :)

Di
x

Friday Feast - Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This is a really yummy-licious soup, well worth the effort I promise!

The most work goes into skinning the peppers and the chilli, but when I made it recently the two-legged mouse was back into the kitchen for 'seconds' like greased lightning so I think it just might have been a hit :)

Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Serves 4 - but not a drop was left between two of us

3 red peppers, quartered and cored
½-1 red chilli, deseeded
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
A few sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
400g can chopped tomatoes
600ml (1 pint) hot vegetable stock
Salt and ground black pepper

Set the grill to medium. Put the peppers and chilli, skin-side up, with the onion, garlic and thyme on a sturdy baking tray. Mix in the oil and put the tray under the grill until the skin on the peppers blisters and browns, about 10-12 mins. Turn the onion wedges halfway through cooking. Cool for a few mins, then peel the skin off the peppers and chilli.The best way to do this is to put the grilled peppers and chili into a sturdy poly bag and twist or seal the top, leave for 10 minutes or even 15 minutes. This helps to soften the skin and makes peeling so easy. Don't be impatient as I was, the last ones from the bag that I peeled were so much easier to do so 15 minutes would be about right.

Tip the vegetables into a large pan, scraping in the juices as well. Add the can of tomatoes and the hot stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. Whizz with a stick blender (or use a liquidiser if you don't have a stick blender), then season. Pour into a jug and then into hot mugs or bowls.

Things I do: First of all, for anyone who doesn't like chillies, even though the roasting and skinning really mellows the chilli - just leave it out, the slight hint of chilli heat won't be there but the soup will be just as good. I couldn't find thyme (yet again) at the supermarket so I just added a little pinch of dried when everything was popped into the pan to be simmered.

This would be just fine as a 'starter' for four people, but would only serve two or possibly three of you as a supper dish. Fresh crusty bread is lovely with it of course :)

Enjoy!

Di
x

Rudolph Day - gingerbread house anyone?

Aw, I do love House Mouse images - but sometimes I also wonder if I've lost the plot with some of the 'itsy bitsy' things I tackle. Joanna Sheen does some really lovely HM decoupage sheets and this particular one is just about my favourite, but also probably one of the trickiest to cut and make up. I got a great tip from a friend though - when you have several layers on HM decoupage, where their little tails have to be snipped around - just chop the tails off the intermediate layers (ouch!) but make sure the top mouse still has its tail. That way you don't end up with a little spiral of mouse tails which are almost impossible to layer up properly:

A close-up of what I mean about the 'tail snipping' and also to prove this card has lots of layers (six in at least one part of the detail!) for Hazel's 'lots of layers' Christmas card challenge, and that's only the decoupage never mind the backing card and paper!

Of course, yesterday was the 25th and the start of Sarn's monthly Rudolph Day challenge too so I'm entering this card into:

Sandra's Rudolph Day Challenge - it runs for a week so there's still time folks!

Craft Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - a new one every Saturday

Also, as I spotted the magic word 'image' over at the House Mouse challenge, which currently is 'Anything Goes' - I'm taking the risk and entering this - even though it isn't stamped. I can only be told 'No, you can't come and play' :) 

I used:

- 6" x 6" white 'petal scalloped edge' card stock

- SU backing card from the Subtles Collection

- Christmas backing paper in blues and lilacs - free with a magazine ages ago

- House Mouse decoupage and sentiment from the 'Festive Fun' set

- card candi along the scallops - just like some of the sweeties on the HM image I thought:)

One of those cards that just fell together, helped by the fact that the decoupage was assembled ages ago!

The wedding invitations are all finished - big sigh of relief :) 

Di
x

WOYWW - 151

Another Wednesday and another opportunity to go and see what Julia is up to on her work desk and then hop over to lots of other work spaces, all over the World, to see what everyone else is up to this week.

This was my desk when I ran away to do some baking yesterday afternoon, it's just the same this morning - although the cold cup of black coffee has at least gone - and it's pitch dark in here with rain hammering against the window:(

The last of the wedding invitations all ready for assembly to the back, little diamante hearts (I had to order more when numbers changed hence the delay) are all threaded onto aubergine ribbon - amazingly fiddly too:( At the front some House Mouse decoupage - mostly ready assembled too - so I can whip up a card today for Rudolph Day/week over at Sandra's here.

A pair of scissors to be 'de-stickied' almost out of shot - has anyone ever found any non-stick scissors that don't need a good clean now and then? And, also to the right, a little box of magnet pairs ready to pack and send off to some Snippets Playground friends who liked the magnetic bookmarks I showed on Sunday's new snippets challenge here.

Oh my gosh, this is my 501st post on here! That sort of snuck up on me.

Short and sweet this week - have a super WOYWW, and happy snooping!

Di
x

Add a flower

The current challenge over at Pan Pastel is to add a flower to your entry - what, just one flower? :)

This is what I made:

I used:

- A6 white card stock

- green paper from Wild Rose Studio's 'Anabelle's Meadow' paper pack

- white card embossed using a Marianne Designables combined embossing and cutting folder

- one single organza flower with stem and leaves from a pack I won fairly recently, from Mei Flowers.

That's it - finito - and it's my first time entering into the Pan Pastel Challenge. It seems a fun challenge - why not go and take a peek? Apparently it's OK to add more than one flower but I took them literally :)

Di
x

A Tuesday Tale - Eddie the Eagle

Not sure if anyone remembers Eddie the Eagle? He was a British 'ski jumper' who made it to the 1988 Winter Olympics with no funding, not a lot of talent, thick glasses which he had to wear when jumping and the heart of a lion. He became a legend in his own time - and famously managed to come last in the events that he entered. A true British eccentric who endeared himself to many people.

But, a few years later, Eddie had competition in deepest Hampshire, from Robin Cousins the Cossack Dancing Ice Skater no less :)

We hadn't lived here very long and one night I woke up to find the landing light glaring away. Not really awake, I hopped out of bed and switched it off then returned to our cosy 'nest', not even noticing that Len was missing.

Unknown to me, he was in the bathroom - also half asleep but attending to a quick call of nature. Oh dear, the next thing I heard was the bathroom door opening followed by a strangled shout and a lot of thumping right down the stairs :(

He'd opened the bathroom door, flicked the bathroom light off and been plunged into darkness. Completely forgetting the different layout of our house, he'd then taken a couple of steps straight ahead and in true 'Eddie the Eagle style' had promptly taken off into space. Yikes, I disappeared under the duvet pronto - and had to bite the pillow pretending to still be asleep when Len staggered into the bedroom muttering to himself 'Funny, I was sure I'd put the landing light on?'!

I only confessed to my part in this last week by the way :) Bless, he had the good grace to laugh - and thankfully he wasn't badly hurt, just shaken up with a very bruised rear end! I never did that trick again, and neither has he thankfully :)

Di
x

Spring is in the air

The birds around here are all nesting and that set me thinking about a quick card using my much-loved 8" x 8" Mariposa papers:

Really quick and easy after the marathon snippets roll call yesterday :)

I used:

- 7" x 5" cream card stock

- SU Certainly Celery card and a trimmed Mariposa sheet

- bird, nest and little flowers from a lovely K and Company chipboard sticker pack - thank you again Bernie

- beige organza ribbon from the ribbon box

Where did the weekend go then? My day yesterday was spent largely away from the craft room and internet, and it was a nice change I must admit :) Bet there's some catching up to do on snippets playground visits though.

Have a nice day!

Di
x

Pixie's Crafty Snippets Challenge - 17

Not sure about anyone else, but I seem to have a ton of strips of plain card in the snippets folder - so this week I dug a few out and made these magnetic bookmarks:

The second photo shows the inside with the little self-adhesive magnet.

A great way to use up those snippets of card strips, and useful at the same time. I have shown them on here before, but that was long before so many of you hopped in to say 'Hello' :)

I used:

- strips of coloured card, these ones are cut to 18cm - 4.5 cm then scored across at 9cm point for the fold

- all stamps are by Stampin' Up - from the 'Vintage Vogue' and 'Faith In Nature' sets - and I used SU's little ink pads too

- the corners were rounded using a punch, to help to stop the corners from becoming 'tatty' over time

- then the magnets were applied. They come in pairs from Abel Magnets here, look for 'self-adhesive magnetic pairs' part way down the page in the link, and the best way is to remove the sticky backing from one of the pair and place it on inside of the front where you want it on the bookmark. Then make sure it's 'pair' is perfectly lined up on the adhered magnet before removing the backing and carefully fold the back of the bookmark over making sure the edges and the end line up properly before pressing together. The reason I place the magnet on the front first is because if you do press a bit too enthusiastically when adding the second one of the pair you're less likely to end up with a ridge at the edge of the magnet on the front of your bookmark.

The beauty of these little bookmarks is that they flip over your page and don't drop out of your book - and you can also flip them over the back cover of your book whilst you're reading, much less chance of losing them :) You can also use stickers, coloured images - whatever floats your boat really.

I sized them to fit into pretzel bags which you can buy from the internet - just needed to trim the tops of the bags a tad :) Great for charity fund raising!

Right, enough about bookmarks and onto the weekly roll call:

First off the starting blocks, again was Sandra H with this lovely Christmas card. The card is so cute Sandra, lovely LOTV teddy image and sentiment - and it's pink :) Then we had another visit with this little beauty - made for last week's Less Is More challenge where the theme was 'doodling'. Gorgeous butterflies and flowers Sandra and the soft colours are gorgeous. And pink, as you know, always hits the spot with me!

Then, Jules arrived for the first of two visits to the playground - first of all here with such a fabulous card. It features a super bluebells image (and a few of us frantically wanted to know the source) and delicious backing papers. I'm almost sure they're Laura Ashley papers, a long while ago I remember wall papering a curved ceiling with the top one of the two designs :( One of those jobs where you wonder why you ever had such a totally stooopid idea :) Absolutely gorgeous card Jules. Then Jules brought this card to show, using alcohol inks on acetate - it was mid-week and what a mid-week beauty! White, black, grey and pinks - made only as our Jules could do, really stunning. I love the host of extra detail to peer at, and the feather is a super finishing touch.

Heidi also came to play three times this week - firstly with the cutest 'strawberry girl' card. Just look at all the pretty finishing touches, I love it Heidi! Then, this was the next card Heidi brought - a Christmas card with such a sweet little angel as the central image. Fab. colouring, I struggle with colouring hair but you've cracked it Heidi for sure! Some lovely scraps of SU card and papers as well - they really do make some wonderful colour combinations. And then we have this fabulous card  - another Christmas card, with an image you will all want! Not only that, it's a twisted easel card - one of my favourite designs. Such a lovely combination of red and lime green, really quite up to the mark Heidi!

Next was Irene, huffing and puffing a bit after ditching her efforts at playing with distress inks and duster brushes (know that feeling only too well Irene). But, this card didn't use the dreaded brushes and inks - it's here and is so lovely. Pretty pinks, embossing, ribbon - and such an adorable image. If you look closely you'll see the clever little touch behind the little girl holding the newly wrapped parcel, a sellotape dispenser :) I'm not surprised you chose such a lovely image Irene - I love clever little twists like that.

Liz also visited twice this week - first of all with this card - all in blues. Such a super idea to stamp the background and then also stamp some flowers with the same stamp to use as embellishments Liz. Lovely ribbon and the darker blue is such a good contrast. Later in the week, Liz hopped back with another card, this time using an old birthday card and ending up with a great result. Fabulous sky blue and the embossed circles echo the rounded lines of the image and the scalloped circle perfectly. Love that huge bunch of flowers Liz :)

We also had two visits from Sam, the first was waving a birthday card for her hubby - and what a happy smiley card too, chooks! To see it go here - isn't it just great? Just love those cheeky chickens, and am sure one is eyeing up the delicious looking flower :) Now, this next link isn't snippets 'per se' but if you haven't already seen it then it truly is a fabulous birthday gift for Sam's husband, well worth a look and so cleverly done. Sam's next snippets make fair took my breath away, some little scamp had thrown down the gauntlet for a non-inky card from Sam and this is the result. Wow, just shows what you can do with a load of little snippets - isn't it perfect? Ah, and I did spot a little line at the end of the blog posting referring to a 'go-karting shed'..........just one word about that bright idea, NO!!! I have my work cut out without having to dodge little maniacs in go-karts whizzing round the playground :(

Carol was next with this really elegant, mostly white on white, card. Lots of embossing, die cutting and layering - plus pearls, seam binding,ribbon rose and dainty butterflies - all in white. And the central image is so perfect for such an elegant card - an upturned, flower-filled parasol - just the right balance of colour. Absolutely gorgeous Carol - every time I see white on white cards in the playground I'm really tempted to have a go, especially seeing all the lovely results you girls bring to show.

Next was Karen T - with a card to really make you smile and the sentiment 'Have an Udderley Brilliant Birthday' is absolutely perfect for the cute image. Karen never wastes a single snippet, like a lot of us I suspect, and the papers are brilliant for the image. Karen was unsure whether she should add some embellishments - the consensus of opinion from those of us who hopped over to see is 'No, it's just right as it is'. Can be used for a male or female - and of course, Great fun card Karen!

Laura was next with this super congratulations card for her Dad's promotion news - really cleverly done sentiment Laura, I bet that took some doing, love the blue paper and all those stars too! It's been a great week for Laura - she also got a job lined up for when she finishes her training to be a children's nurse in September - go girl!! And, there are also some lovely free sentiments to download from Laura here - so all round, loads happening at Chez Laura. Well done from all of us.

And another card this week which you really must go and see is one that Linby made - here. Amazing use of snippets, ending up with such a pretty 'patchwork quilt' card- complete with embossing and faux stitching. The embossing really makes the already lovely patchwork look so realistic and the colour combinations are perfect Linby. The little flower and butterfly on the sentiment are great finishing touches - I love it.

Sarn was our next playmate - with such a lovely pre-coloured LOTV image, these are sooo useful, almost as good as Stickeroos :) You can take a peek here - just love the way he's dozing and the BPs are perfect Sarn. Oh, and don't forget girlies that it's also the 25th this week - which means it's Rudolph Day over at Sarn's. That's the day (or week) we all try to make at least one Christmas card to keep a bit ahead of the game, plus there's a set of stamps to be won!

Next was Mary H with a really lovely Sympathy card, always so difficult to make and this one is beautiful Mary. To see it do hop over here, lots of pretty die cutting and the use of teal and white is gorgeous Mary. Mary also asked if anyone has any tips for attaching the embossed velum she used - something we all struggle with I think - she cleverly used some pretty lace to hide the glue/adhesive. The only thing I can suggest is to use a double sided adhesive sheet. Apply it to the back of the vellum before embossing/cutting and then peel the backing sheet off for a nice all over adhesion. Of course, that's no good if you want the vellum to just be stuck down one side so any ideas would be good please. I do as Mary did and hide the glue/adhesive with ribbon or lace :)

After a little prompt, Ali joined in for the first time this week - with this really gorgeous card. Tons of snippets used here, stamping, paper weaving, layering, all in lovely shades of green. It must have taken ages to make Ali and you should be rightly proud of the result of all your hard work. 

We had two visits from Elizabeth too this week - firstly with a really super card - very Parisian indeed. The colours truly do reflect Paris in the Spring, fresh greens and pretty blues, using such a lovely Penny Black Stickeroo perfectly. I love the brilliant match of the backing papers, oh, and Elizabeth also decorated the inside of her card as she usually does. Bangs head on desk here - another thing I really should try doing :( Then, next time Elizabeth brought a card using one of her own photos - tweaked to look as if it's a canvas print. It's a gorgeous red lily - do go here to see - the backing papers and velvet ribbon are absolutely perfect for the image aren't they? And another squeak of despair here - I'd forgotten that Elizabeth also decorated the back of her cards!   

Karen was next, with this really elegant card, which entailed a lot of hard work. Do read how Karen made the card, a lot of gold embossing went on - and the deep rich red flowers on vellum and the gold leaves are fabulous Karen!  I love the deckle edging, something I don't often think about doing, and the end result is beautiful. Lots of lovely layers building up to the flowers which do really 'pop' as they say. Love the photo of your daughter and adorable grand son as well :)

Sally then brought three cards all in one posting - and all so different too. Firstly a fun caravanning card (happy memories here) - just right for those intrepid travellers and a great working in of the other loves in the recipient's life, a dog and music :) Really clever. Then Sally used one of my favourite Penny Black stamps (the duck chums) along with lovely backing papers and some gorgeous little flowers made from parchment - followed by such an elegant card using pink, black, white and soft green. As I said, all different and all brilliant Sally! Did all those pear drops get eaten?

Our next playmate was Mary Mac, with a Sympathy card. Sadly a few of us have been making those recently :( Just beautiful colours here Mary, and the image is lovely. Brave use of Distress Inks with a great result. The combination of black, purple and orange gives a real 'sunset' feel to the card and I hope it brought comfort to your friend.

Rach was next with this terrific 'daisy, daisy' card - really fresh and Spring-like. Brilliant lettering and those daisies are just beautiful Rach - one of those cards that really stands out from the crowd. Then, we had another little visit - this time with another daisy card, but very different to the first one. Just shows how varying papers and the number of layers can make for such a change - the little banners pennants are so clever too, great idea to use the same papers Rach!

Mags B swung in next, for a play in the puddles - and we had plenty of those this week! This is Mags' card here -it's just fabulous Mags! Super image (a bit like Saturated Canary ones) and I love all the extras, including the snippets of course :) Isn't it strange how 'Saturated Canary' and similar images have really taken off lately - this little sweetie is by Sugar Nellie and has loads of beautiful detail for you to peek at.

Next was Lynne, with two really pretty cards to share. Both featuring lots of careful scoring using a scoreboard to create a 'diamonds' background and then the sweetest little daisies added to where the lines cross.

Tammy then brought a really bright and cheerful card for a one year old's birthday. Absolutely perfect colours to fascinate a little one and I bet it goes down really well. If you look closely at the card, there's a lot of detailed cutting and layering - all of which goes to make a super-fun card and a perfect combination of colours and patterns. And then, yesterday, Tammy hopped back with some great news about joining a DT - well done! And, also brought a snippets card to show - here . To find out more, hop over to Tammy's - the card is gorgeous, doily, stamping, seam binding, buttons - all the things we know Tammy uses so well.

Then, Bernie arrived with a Z swing fold card - and what a beautiful result too. To appreciate it you really must go and look but in brief it's a real taste of Spring, lovely flowers and butterflies, embossing, die cutting and such fresh and pretty colours. It's been made with a lot of love for Ludy, Bernie's daughter-in-law and the ever-thoughtful Bernie has added a Filipino greeting as Ludy is originally from the Philippines. I just bet she'll be totally delighted Bernie!

Kate was next, with this fabulous tag. It's Kate's first visit to the playground - and she certainly stormed in with such a gorgeous make. The image is  just gorgeous, and the colours on the tag are perfect. Kate added a butterfly, script then vintage lace and burlap to add texture. Plus she used a fabulous pine cone die and lots of other goodies to come up with a 'top of the class' make :) Hope we see you again Kate!

And, Hazel must have had a hectic week as she was 'missing in action' until yesterday - which is the day of the week her Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge begins. This week it's to use 'lots of layers' layers, three or more, and I love the cheerful card Hazel made - all those snippets used with vibrant splashes of red are gorgeous, and I love the poinsettias Hazel! Great card :) I'll be joining in for sure :)

I'm off to bed as it's past midnight now and just in case I turn into a pumpkin..................

Mr Linky is below as usual. Hope you have a great week, and that the sun comes out to play a bit - it's been pretty wet again in the playground! We seem to have had loads of hailstones here :(

Di
x

The only conditions to playing nicely in the Snippet Playground are that your card (or anything else you wish to bring here to show) must be made by using up snippets (card, paper, lace and ribbon are all fine), and a link back to here in your own blog posting will mean that you'll be included in the Weekly Roll Call. Oh, and no nipping or hair pulling of course :)  

When is a card not a card?

.........................when it's knitting :)

On WOYWW a couple of weeks back, I saw something on Jo's blog (Twiglet) that sent me scurrying over to Dawny P's blog here - and what I read was heartbreaking. For more detail and a couple of knitting patterns, do hop over to Dawn's blog where she basically says:

There is an appeal to knit little jumpers and hats for the 'fish and chips' babies in Africa. These are the really poor babies,  many of whom are born with Aids and that is about all these little souls come into this world with. They are so poor that they are sent home wrapped in newspaper which is why they are called fish and chip babies. 

The jumpers themselves are very easy to knit and are knitted in one complete piece. For most knitters they take an afternoon or an evening to complete. They are very important because in Africa, the nights are cold and these babies have no clothes.

The only real stipulation is that they are knitted in bright dark colours rather than the pastel shades we may use here (bright stripes look good and use up only small bits of wool)  and this is because these little garments may never be washed. 

So out came the knitting needles and, having just disposed of a ton of wool, I got some multi-coloured DK wool and set to. As my chum Elizabeth knows, arthritis in thumbs isn't very easy when it comes to knitting, so I'm very slow.  

The link to Jo's blog shows some results of her efforts - and also a link to an online wool supplier. You could also check your local charity shops out, they often have a 'rummage box' of wools.

If, like me, you hate to sit with idle hands whilst watching TV - why not have a go?

Have a super weekend - I'll be writing up the snippets playground roll call this morning ready for tomorrow.

Di

x

Friday Feast - Pasta and Pork Chop Bake

This recipe, despite the uninspiring name, caught my eye in an Italian pasta cookery book over 25 years ago - and it's still a great favourite.

If you look closely at the bottom photo, you can see the end of a pork chop to the bottom left - peeking out from under some pasta.

Pasta and Pork Chop Bake

Serves 4

Oven temp is quite vague in the recipe, it just says a 'slow oven', I set ours at 150 degrees, which would be Gas Mark 2.

1lb (454g) farfalle (butterfly or bow shaped pasta)
1 large onion
2 x 450g cans chopped tomatoes
Dried Italian herbs
4 pork chops
Half cup (112g) Parmesan cheese plus extra to sprinkle on top
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic - crushed
2 tsp. (10g) chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp (14g) fresh lemon rind (a single lemon will give this amount)

Chop onion, lightly fry in a little olive oil until soft, add two cans chopped tomatoes and a little sprinkling of dried Italian herbs. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook pasta in a large saucepan with plenty of boiling salted water, drain and return to the pot.

While the pasta and tomato sauce are cooking in their pans, take a heavy skillet/frying pan and brown the pork chops in about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove from the pan and saute the garlic in the oil until soft.

Add the parsley and grated lemon rind (I just use a lemon zester for speed) to the garlic, give a quick stir and remove from the heat.

Add the garlic mixture, tomato sauce and cheese to the drained pasta and mix well.

Gawp in horror at all the used pans etc. you've now accumulated :)

Put half the pasta mixture into a greased casserole dish and arrange the pork chops in a layer on top. Add the rest of the pasta mixture, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and bake in a slow oven for 40 minutes.

Clear those pans and utensils you've been surveying with horror!

Things I do: Remember, everything is more or less fully cooked when this dish goes into the oven - just the tomato flavour seeps into the pork chops and gives them a slow finishing off while the top gently browns. You can make any tomato sauce you like, or could even buy ready made I guess - if you do, heat it before adding to the pasta. The original recipe calls for quite a complicated tomato sauce which I don't think adds anything.

I just serve this as it is - usually using pork loin chops - and it really is worth the work. It wasn't until I typed this up I realised how many pans and utensils are used - but those 40 minutes baking time are ample opportunity to clear up, and the end result is so worth it, honestly.

Enjoy!

Di
x

Ooooh, the shame of it!

This is like handing rotten homework in and then running for cover - my Less Is More challenge entry for this week - which is 'Doodling':

As you can see, I can't draw for toffee - but the wording makes me smile a bit.

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card

- computer printed wording directly onto the card - you surely didn't expect me to write THAT free hand as well?!

- mouse (yup, it IS meant to be a mouse), cheese and little paw prints were hand drawn/doodled 

The mouse and paw prints are a throw back to my 'doodling in lessons' days at school - the wording is how my pal Helena always signs off her emails :)

I'm off to stand in the corner now!

Friday Feast will follow, again, just as soon as I find the recipe which is buried on my desk.

Di

x

May Your Wish Come True

A really fast card today, I spent hours yesterday sorting out the huge number of words needed for 'evening function' Wedding Invitations in a smallish space :( I take my hat off to you Jules, THREE times!! :)

But, as I hate not to have some 'me time', I whipped up another card. Now, I don't know about you, but I sure can see some strong similarities to Lili Of The Valley Designs yet again here! I wonder if the little girl does get her wish, I sure kissed a few toads in my time in the search for a Frog Prince :) Bleurgh :(

Ha, ha - and then I got Robin Cousins doing a Cossack Dance :)

Yup, another one from the really fabulous QVC 'Special Moments' set, using a 5" x 7" white card - the only extras I added were the coffee coloured pearls and a lemon sparkly scalloped strip, both from Hobbycraft.

Have a nice day!

Di
x

WOYWW - 150

I could bore you to death with photos of piles of wedding invitations, that were hurriedly cleared from the desk late yesterday so I could have half an hour of play time. But, instead I'll just bore you with a peek at the storage for dies that I've been sorting out in little breaks between making invitations :)

I find the organisation of crafting goodies almost as much fun as using them - and, unlike a lot of lucky people, have very little free wall space here so don't have the luxury of suspending things from hooks, shelves and magnetic knife racks :(

This is the next best thing though, instead of rattling through CD cases and packets I just flip through a file now - the A4 magnetic sheets came from First4Magnets and I already had a spare file and heavy duty plastic pockets. Of course TH and other thick dies are still in the RU Box :)

The index page to the left is just to remind me of the names of the smaller dies that were still in packets, I just snipped the relevant bit from the back of the packet before storing the dies in the folder. One packet of flower dies is too sticky to snip so I'll just die cut the three little flowers before adding them to this sheet, sticking it into a poly pocket and popping it in the front of the file.

To be much more entertained, do hop over to Julia's here where you can see what she's currently up to, along with loads of other WOYWW-ers as well :)

As a few of you know, last week was not good here and I did struggle to visit everyone who left lovely comments. Apologies for that, and I'll be hopping round as normal this week.

Have a great day! Me? In between blog hopping I'll still be working on those invitations :( Come and help if you like!

Di
x

A Tuesday Tale - Mrs Mopp strikes again

Len always knows I mean business when the big hessian bag holding all my house cleaning essentials is brought out. Not for me a bottle of white vinegar and some cotton wool as used by Anthea Turner in her 'Good Little Housewife' TV series, I have a huge assortment of bottles and sprays for every eventuality :)

Years ago I found a new product in the supermarket, cleaning foam! Coo, that was swiftly bought and I couldn't wait to try it out. Cleaning the shower room that Saturday was fun, no more crawling round cleaning the shower tray for me and I got to liberally use said new-fangled foam spray.

The very next morning, Len innocently went to have a shower - leaving me reading a book in bed. I heard the shower being turned on and in he hopped - then World War III broke out. What a commotion! At one point I truly expected him to come flying through the wall into a wardrobe - crashing, banging.....and some very rude words as well.

The shower was abruptly turned off and he charged back into the bedroom, red-faced and just a little bit cross as well :( OK, very angry then!

I peered over my specs and innocently asked whatever had been going on.

The angry response was 'WHAT have you been using on the shower tray?'. Oh dear, then I remembered that I'd sprayed, watched all the foam bubble up then closed the shower door for it to do its work - and completely forgotten to rinse the residue away. Of course it had just dried and then been turned into a slippery mess when Len went for a shower :(

But, what he said next still rings in my ears - and I giggled about it for ages afterwards, bad girl.

'Do you realise - I've just done an impression of Robin Cousins , skating totally stark naked, whilst doing a Cossack Dance round the shower cubicle?!' Apparently a lot of the banging and crashing had been an attempt save himself as Len slid down the wall, still doing a Cossack Dance, and ended up in a heap in the merrily foaming shower tray.

Needless to say, I was banned from ever using that stuff again - and he still looks into the cleaning bag now and then just to check what mischief could be brewing in there!

Di
x

With love on your special day

Head down here all day yesterday, working on the wedding invitations - it's a long job but I think there's a little chink of light at the end of the tunnel :) But, just after I finished beavering - in truth as I was getting tired and that's when mistakes happen - I had an urge to do something different and very quickly made this:

It's from a QVC kit bought ages ago - and the lovely 'pointed scallops' edged card came from Irene, who brings such elegant cards into the snippets playground each week. I think my constant drooling over them encouraged Irene to send me some to shut me up - I'm quiet now :)

I used:

- square white scalloped edged card - absolutely love these Irene! My guess is that they might be from The Glitter Pot?

- silver mirri card

- decoupaged wedding image (thankfully I'd already assembled it) by Kanban from the 'Special Moments' collection - along with the backing card, silver edged strip and sentiment. Fabulous to have on standby for quick cards

- pearls from my 'hoard'

I realised, when looking through the images, that quite a few are similar to LOTV ones, almost as if the same artist might have been involved. A couple more might appear on here while the invitations are being finished :)

A Tuesday Tale will follow ASAP.

Di
x

A partridge in a pear tree

This week's challenge over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge is to base your card on Christmas music - a carol, song or just to incorporate music into your Christmas card. I chose The Twelve Days of Christmas, and it was fascinating to read up on, the internet, the religious significance of the twelve gifts:

Once again, a recycled (or is that now going to be up cycled?) Christmas card from the 2011 little pile here caught my eye :)

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card stock

- image from a Christmas card, with the border trimmed off

- Shiny gold mirri card and Kanban 'Tartan' card as backing

- sentiment by Craftwork cards

- dark green ribbon from the ribbon box

- dark green Josy Rose nail heads

Another one for the box, but, despite what might seem a load of cards already made for Christmas - I just counted up and there are only 16 in there :(  I can see some batch card making being the order of the day at this rate!

Di
x

Pixie's Crafty Snippets Challenge - Number 16

A very quick snippets make from me - the roll call is beckoning to be done:

Another Penny Black Stickeroo to the rescue - believe me, time wasn't on my side! I just spread a couple of sheets of them out and then went rummaging in the snippets folder to see what I could find to match any of them.

I used:

- 6" x 6" white square card stock

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'Daydreams' set

- all other card and backing papers came from the snippets folder, which seems to grow rather than decrease in size :(

- sentiment is an Elzybells one, stamped with a Versamark Chalk 'Purple Hydrangea' ink pad

- ribbons are tiny scraps from the ribbon box

- Josy Rose nail heads

Well, it's been wet in the playground this week a lot of the time - I just bet a few playmates got damp trousers and knickers playing on wet swings and slides! My ex-H, as a small child, was given dire warnings about getting his clothes wet on the slide when he was playing in the local park. His Mum got distracted for a few minutes and the next time she saw him, there he was sliding down the slide in the nude! His shorts, underpants and little top had been folded neatly and left in a little pile beside her for safe keeping :)

Onto the roll call. 

Straight off from the starting blocks, Sandra H raced right into the playground with such a lovely Christmas cards, featuring two of the plumpest and fluffiest robins - it's really lovely and to see it just hop over here. Some fabulous embossing, stamping and die cutting - plus the tease of some exciting news as well. All was revealed in a following post - happy days!!

Linby was next with this really elegant card - everything about it is so 'chic' and at one time I would have killed for shoes like that! Some lovely embossing and luscious coffee coloured 'Spotty' ribbon make this such an eye catching card Linby! The note card in the same posting is gorgeous too - lovely perfume bottle!Perhaps for rainy days we should have a dressing up box in the little summerhouse I plan to have installed when I get that flipping duck pond filled in :)

Next was Irene - with two beautiful card here. I love the combination of pinks and greens, one features a beautiful sentiment and lots of pretty embellishments such as flower lace, flower spray, sparkly gems and twine. The other uses a Penny Black Stickeroo just brilliantly!  Again with some really pretty embellishments in just the right proportions - they're both absolutely lovely Irene.

Gilly then arrived with this lovely Easter card for her parents. She says it isn't a traditional Easter card, and perhaps it isn't - but it surely depicts Spring and new beginnings, which is perfect for Easter Gilly! I love the way the die cut flowers perfectly echo the main image of blossom on the card - and just bet your parents loved it too!

We had a few visits from Hazel this week - each time with something very different. First, there was this really stunning black, white and silver Christmas card - it reminded me that I too have some monochrome Christmas goodies in a box so must go hunting for those! Anyone would be delighted to be sent such an elegant and striking card Hazel. Another Christmas card was next, this time very much 'white on white' and some great embossing - and isn't Chilly The Snowman fabulous. I drooled over the stamp - err, and then tracked it down and he's sitting here right beside me, one of the cutest snowman stamps I've ever come across! Then, Hazel brought a Get Well card - and absolutely perfect for this week's weather - really bright and cheerful, I bet a few ducks would have been wishing for umbrellas this week! Next was a great card for a 'chap' - at the time I said I'm still waiting for my knight in shining armour. Think he stopped off en route for some WD40 :( Sigh. To see why 'the knight' hop over here to have a look! And another one for a 'chap' - right here - super image and great backing papers too. And, in a total switch, Hazel then brought a cupcake card, and hands up anyone who doesn't like cupcakes, yummy, and more really pretty snippets used too - so we've had a real variety this week indeed Hazel! Aha, while I was typing this up, Hazel whipped in again with this really fun Christmas card - it's really very clever and made to kick start this week's challenge that Hazel runs. The theme is to make a Christmas card with the theme of a favourite Christmas song or carol - the card Hazel made is 'Jingle Bells' and every bit of it is perfect! And, later on I also spotted a final card from Hazel, following what I think is quite a tricky sketch' plus an inspirational photo - the card is here that Hazel made and it's great! And it really sums up Hazel's week - a real busy bee - do go and take a peek, I love the colours and it's very clever too!

Jules paid us two visits - both with brilliant makes of course! The first card uses sooooo many great snippets here - amazing Jules! Then, having recovered in a darkened room, Jules hopped back again with this stunner of a card - and it was my turn to cry and go for a lie down in a darkened room. Buttonholes actually sewn onto cards, then topped with buttons - how clever is that?! The Sewing Room Sizzix dies used by Jules are just terrific - but then, it takes talent to compose such a fabulous card once the dies have been cut. Need I say more? Go and see what I mean, just terrific Jules!

Dresses, handbags and shoes have featured in the playground a bit this week, and this card by Laura follows the theme beautifully. Perhaps we're thinking about Spring wardrobes? I remember as a child always having a new outfit for Easter Sunday, often complete with a little hat or straw boater - stop sniggering you lot!! Some lovely pinks, blues and splashes of deep red go to make up a really girlie birthday card - and the clever twist is that the main image panel was from a sheet of wrapping paper. Laura's a girl after my own heart, I always browse the wrapping papers when I go shopping - it makes the supermarket run more bearable and I've found some great ones for card making in the past! Super make Laura!

Next was Mary Mac, with a 'never-ending' card - and what a stunning one too! I've made a couple of these in the past but never managed to get such a lovely combination of all the elements, red, white, black, pearls and diamantes - making such a gorgeous end result! You need 'endless' patience to make one of these I know - feel another lie down in a darkened room coming on! Then, yesterday Mary raced back in with this fabulous card. It truly is gorgeous and literally all the colours of the rainbow and so beautifully made. Anyone remember 'Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain' from schooldays - ROYGBIV - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet...some things you never forget! I love the way Mary also added dots in those colours to the beautiful butterfly - brilliant card Mary!

Then, something Mary said really made me sit up and wonder - a 'Field Trip'! So, I emailed and bless, Mary has been wondering if we'd like to take a field trip - either virtual or in real life - all the way over to where she lives in California! But, this did set a few emails to and fro between Mary and myself. Then, things took a down turn here so nothing was finally resolved. But, Mary has offered for us to have a virtual trip round her local neighbourhood and craft shop for now. Yes, please Mary! And, I hereby solemnly promise that if I have a big win on the UK Lottery we'll all go for real! OMGosh - imagine all the mad things you lot would get up to! Another lie down needed here right now!!

Elizabeth arrived next for a play - bringing such a pretty Easter Card. The image is one of Beatrix Potter's fabulous illustrations, and just perfect for Easter I think. Who doesn't love bunnies, and Beatrix Potter certainly knew how to draw and paint them. Lots of lovely pink and green snippets make for such a lovely card - with gorgeous butterflies as the perfect finishing touch - beautiful Elizabeth!

Next was Carol, in fact she visited more than once this week too. Firstly with a gorgeous black and white Christmas card which you can see here. What a lovely image too (a La Blanche cherub stamp) and a perfect balance of black and white. Lots of beautiful die cutting and punching as well! Then, Carol's next card was equally fabulous - another Christmas card, very much white on white with another great snowman as the central image. White on white always looks so stunning and this is such a beautiful card Carol! I'm going to have this a go on more cards for sure.

Aw, what a cutie Sarn brought to show us next - the most adorable baby card, using one of my favourite LOTV baby images. A lot of white here too with some terrific embossing, perfect with the background papers used Sarn! I did grin, someone had the audacity to have a baby girl, when Sarn only had cards ready for baby boys - and they sure did us a favour. Do hop over here to see the lovely result! As always, such a neat card from Sarn - well done my friend!

Tammy visited three times this week - the first time bringing this lovely card to show. Everything about it is beautiful, doily, lace, flowers, buttons (of course!) plus using a great technique which I love. Basically you ink up an embossing folder (I do this on the side which has the indentations on) and then run it through your die cutting/embossing machine. The embossed impression then picks up the ink and it looks fabulous. Next, Tammy brought a really fun cupcake card, complete with some lovely bunting as well. So pretty Tammy and a perfect reflection of the photo you followed for inspiration! Tammy's next card is here, and it's another one using the embossing technique! I always read how people make their cards really carefully when doing the roll call and it's amazing what you pick up - so a picture isn't always 'worth a thousand words'! Do go and see the lovely combination of pink, white and green that Tammy used. It really is a 'strawberries and cream' card! Beautiful Tammy - and I know what you mean about snippets/scraps multiplying a bit like laundry!! :)

Next was Liz, with a perfect Forever Friends Bear card - it's another stamp I have and love! The colour combination of brown and pale green with a splash of orange really makes for a terrific card! And the little die cut flowers are a perfect finishing touch - why do others always seem to have much nicer dies and punches than me? Or am I just a greedy little pig? Anyhow, the end result is really lovely Liz - so girls, do hop over for a look! 

My very droll chum Kath was next to arrive, with a really elegant card, made following last week's Less Is More Challenge - to use three greens or three shades of green. Wow, and what a beauty of a card too! So delicate and a winner in my eyes. Kath has an aversion to the word 'stash', it isn't a favourite word of mine either but I can't think of anything better to be honest but Kath refers to hers now as 'ancient collection'. Ha, what about 'booty' as a descriptive term - hops over to look at definition........................right, I'm baaaack......... Booty is:

1. Valuable stolen goods, esp. those seized in war.
2. A person's buttocks.

OK, let's forget that particular bright idea!!!

Then, Sally called by with a posting of two cards, only the second one is for the playground I think - but the first one is gorgeous too! The snippets card is so serene - with lovely scene featuring a beautiful swan gliding along plus a lovely dragonfly made using 'Fantasy Film' - another new one on me! The iridescence is just stunning and so realistic on the dragonfly - do go and see for yourselves! I think the main image was made using several stamps, something else I want to try sometime!

Next into the playground was Karen T, with this really pretty card . A sweet little Magnolia girl holding a flower (Tilda I think?) and such gorgeous backgrounds using snippets and lots of lovely die cutting and punching. The finishing touch is a really lovely sentiment - all so well co-ordinated Karen, I love it and the colouring is perfectly done! The pink, lemon and turquoise go so well together too. Pleased to see you coming to play and that the little horrors didn't make you run away and hide!

Lynne made me laugh, she brought a long rope for skipping with her! I wonder how many of us remember the hours spent lining up for a turn - and, if I remember rightly, when you tripped or didn't skip the rope properly it was your turn to go and grab an end of the rope until someone else made a mistake and relieved you? Happy days! Anyhow, Lynne's make is here, and it's actually a selection of cards made for fund raising. They're all beautiful, really elegant too, and feature hand rolled flowers and some gorgeous backing 'snippets'. A little update on Ruby, her operation had to be postponed as she had a low red blood count and then was running a temperature. So girls, you still have to keep those fingers crossed!

Next was Heidi, with such a bright and happy card, featuring a humming bird by Ching Chou Kuik. I love all Ching Chou Kuik's images, and hadn't seen this one before - it's lovely. Fabulous image and such lovely vibrant backing papers and elements Heidi. Some lovely punching and die cutting, ribbon and beautiful gems make this into a gorgeous card. I think I have those free papers and chipboard shapes lurking in my 'must use' basket here - they really work so well - great make Heidi.

Sam brought a really vibrant card this week - a real stunner which you can see here.  It was made for her friend Mandy who loves the colour purple, and what an eye catcher this is - beautiful shades of purple and mustard, what a lovely combination. Then chipboard butterflies to really make it pop even more plus a really pretty flower - yup, I've had a jolly good nose, and so should you as it's really is great! Did you know that Sam has the most wonderful wellies with chickens on? Well, she sure has found them useful this past week I suspect!

While I was watching TV yesterday evening and knitting for the 'Fish and Chip' babies, Maggie nipped in with two lovely cards - very clean and crisp with the floral images being the focal point - two of my favourite flowers too, cornflowers and poppies. Beautifully coloured Maggie and so glad you managed to dash in for a quick play this week :)

Mr Linky is below as usual. Hope you have a great week, and that the sun comes out to play a bit - it's been pretty wet in the playground! It's just about midnight so I'm going to hit publish and hop into bed - see you in the playground I hope!

Di
x

The only conditions to playing nicely in the Snippet Playground are that your card (or anything else you wish to bring here to show) must be made by using up snippets (card, paper, lace and ribbon are all fine), and a link back to here in your own blog posting will mean that you'll be included in the Weekly Roll Call. Oh, and no nipping or hair pulling of course :)