What are snowflakes?

Unassembled snowmen of course :) I love that sentiment and when I spotted that the theme this week is snowmen (or women) over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge, this Penny Black Stickeroo was my immediate choice:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- Penny Black Stickeroo from the 'Snowflakes Falling' sheet with an icicle border along the top made by covering a snippet of card with double sided sticky sheet, die cutting the icicles using Marianne Creatable LR0135 die, removed top layer of sticky and then covered with sparkly stuff. I keep a little box of these strips ready made, very handy too

- turquoise Core'dinations card for the main backing, behind the image and also the punched strip down the left hand side (I used Martha Stewarts 'Daisy Dot' punch down each edge). So funny, it's only just as am typing and looking to check the name of the punch used I realise I meant to pick 'Aspen Snowflake' out of the MS punches box - what a Dumbo, but waaaay too late to change it now! They are pretty similar and I didn't have me specs on at the time - if you squint perhaps you'll see how I made the mistake :)

- the snowflakes backing card is a snippet, make unknown, and at least THAT isn't daisies ............... I just double checked

- the white iridescent ribbon came from my ribbon box, then I added a little Christmas Tree charm using iridescent and silver cord

And this card, daisy edging and all (duh), is also for the following challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for July - Anything Goes

Ooooer, and I can just squeak into Penny Black's Saturday Challenge where the theme is Christmas in July.

Di

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A Birthday Recipe

Last week it was a special bloggy friend's Birthday - and she loves to bake, and does it very well too! So, I faced up to colouring one of those NBUS stamps by LOTV - the detail in the image had worried me I confess:

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card stock

- image is LOTV's 'Mix it and make it', coloured with Pro Markers and die cut using a Nesties Labels Eight die then tickled with Glossy Accents on the cherry, egg, bun/muffin tin ...  and a little trickle down the bowl as those meece seem to be very messy workers :)

- pink backing card from the snippets folder, both behind the patterned paper and to die cut a doily using Cheery Lynn's 'French Pastry' doily die. I used some of the waxed paper I recently bought online from Joanna Sheen here (having been advised by my trusted 'personal shopper' Mrs A at Newbury that it was overpriced there - too right, I think it was almost double in price compared to Joanna Sheen's shop) - and the cut card fell out of the die like a dream! Hopefully no more struggling with fancy dies here - it's great stuff

- patterned papers are 'name unknown' from a selection sent to me by the lovely Dee, I added a little striped strip at either side to fit the card and also to make a cleaner line behind the ribbon

- sentiment is also LOTV - one of their 'Recipe' sentiments

- organza ribbon came from my ribbon box, it was wired but that was easy peasy to remove. A little 'spoon' charm (thank you Jules!) was added with iridescent cord, tied into a bow

Hope you had a fabulous day sweet friend!

Di
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Great minds think alike

On Saturday morning, as soon as the new 'Less is More' challenge was announced, I knew what I wanted to do. This was such a change for me as, lately, I haven't really 'clicked' with the chosen LIM themes - but I got my comeuppance 'cos someone beat me to it with the self same image anyhow :)

The LIM challenge inspiration was this photo - and I opted for the super-high black stiletto heel, plus the stamp was lying on the desk here hot from the post!

 

I used:

- 6" x 6" white square card stock

- stamp made by Creative Expressions 'Heart and Soul - UMS028', stamped with Black Archival Ink and coloured with TH Distress pens plus some touches of silver, and Cherry Ice stickles on the largest hearts

- black card from the snippets folder

- sentiment is by Whimsical Designs 'Whimsical Fun - Vol. 1' - it looks badly aligned in the photo but the card also looks barrel shaped in the photo, sigh

Crumbs, I remember tottering round in heels like these, but not quite so high. At just over 5'2" tall they were essential (so I thought) when working as the only female equal with a load of power hungry chaps - if only so they didn't pat me on the head!

But, the morning I got a stiletto heel stuck in an escalator coming out of a London Tube Station on my way to the office certainly cured me of commuting in anything other than flat shoes................ with my 'power shoes' safely tucked inside briefcase!


Edit: After initially writing here that I wouldn't enter, then being seriously threatened with a long spell on the naughty step by Mrs A, I've linked into Less is More anyhow! 

Di
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Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 83

Tell me what you see on my snippets card for this week - yup, another Ryn Tanaka stamp, this one is 'Raindrops':

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- snippets of pink and lemon card from the snippets folder, snippets of patterned paper (flowered and spotted) plus a 6" square whole sheet of flowered paper for the background

- the image is a Gorjuss clear stamp from a set called called 'Puddles of Love', coloured with Pro Markers. I've had it unused for absolutely ages! Then I paper pieced the umbrella, mackintosh and little wellies - oh, and the little piece of her dress peeking from underneath the mackintosh, die cut the image and popped it onto a backing of pink card before stamping some raindrops with Ryn's 'Raindrops' stamp. I know, the raindrops are quite big compared to her - but she's just a little Gorjuss girl :),

- sentiment is Craftwork Cards, popped ont an oval punched using SU's 'Oval' punch

- corners were die cut from spotty paper using Whimsy's 'Shapeology Collection - Corner Set' and then I added Josy Rose black nail heads

- foliage was die cut from little snippets using Cheery Lynn Designs 'Mini Fanciful Flourish - B1175'

- flowers were die cut from teeny tiny snippets using Joy!'s 'Flowers set - 6002.0024', two or three layers depending on the flower size, which were then flicked up and the centre stamen added. That was punched using Floral Punch Craft Leone Em's 'Small Stamen II punch'. It's a quite small and detailed punch so I just coloured some paper using a black Pro Marker and after it had dried properly the stamens punched out fine - it won't work on card though, ask me how I know :)

The picks for this week were as difficult as ever, I hope you like my choices and the reasons why:

This card, made by Kim, just HAD to be included - serious attack of the giggles here when I spotted it! After a week of petitions about 'saving the tree house' because I'd proposed that the trampoline would have to go there it seems so appropriate. Love the goat trying it out - and the tree house is quite safe, I filled in the duck pond and put the trampoline there instead :)

I love this card, made by Glennis - bright, eye catching and such a great way to use up snippets. It really does sum up Summer perfectly.

Amanda brought this brilliant 'exploding box' to show - so much work (and snippets!) must have gone into it, terrific idea and so well thought out.

How about this then? A fabulous folded shirt, made from a single piece of paper is the perfect topper for this great card - love the background too. Our Carol hopped into the Playground waving this - so clever. I've made the little shirts in the past and it's all done with clever folding - here's a link to a YouTube tutorial if you want to try. Perfect for those oh so difficult male cards.

And here's a totally stunning card, made by Viv! It's a real beauty and the pram is made using die cut circles - another one to try. I love how the pink lace and little rosebuds finishes it off so well.

A big welcome to a new Playmate as well - that's Sue J of 'Olliesmam'. Be kind to Sue girls, hopping over to say 'Hi' would be nice too.

Remember, you can still go to last week's links here and have a hop around.

OK, so who won last week's prize of the Penny Black stamp 'Strawberry Jam'? Chosen by the Random Number thingy it's:

Liz

Can you please send me your snail mail address (di_wray@hotmail.com) Liz - and very well done!

So, this coming week's prize:

It's two Simply Gorjuss stamps, as shown plus a little stamen punch the same as the one I used on my card. Linby sent me the 'Girl on a Swing' (only been inked once) absolutely ages ago for the Playground and I've added a new stamp called 'The Fawn'. I'll be perfectly honest and say that it's the colouring of the fawn that scares me so that's why I'm giving it away, I know me limitations! But can't you see the little girl dressed in red and then the image used with a snowy background for a Christmas card?

That reminds me, many of you have been sweet enough to send prizes for the Playground, for which I do thank you very much. Please don't fret if I don't offer them straight away - they are safely tucked in the Playground toy box and listed in a notebook so they will appear for sure. But, you must never, ever, feel that you ought to send anything, the toy box is very full and there are enough prizes there to take us into 2014! If you just carry on playing and enjoying yourselves that's enough to make me happy.

But, someone else decided to send us a Playground prize - when I was ordering something for the future from the lovely Ryn Tanaka, she noticed that I hadn't ordered two of the Raindrop stamps and (bless) included one for you girls as a prize! How totally sweet is that then?

So, this is one of those two week things like last time. All you have to do to be 'in it to win it' is to make a total of THREE snippets entries over this week and next - so that might be three in one week, two one week plus one in the other, it's up to you. Of course you can still make a maximum of three entries in one week which would also count. Then, it'll be the sunhat draw and I DO only have one stamp to give away, courtesy of Ryn.

The Playground will run as usual this week with the gates closing at 11am UK time on Saturday 3rd August. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be a winner of this week's prize which is the Gorjuss girls stamps and the stamens punch, shown above. Mr Linky is below - do please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Enjoy your week and hope to see you in the Playground!

Di
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More washi tape

Staring at the washi tape and a die cut butterfly still out on the crapalanche waiting to happen desk here I had a five minute play:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- strips of washi tape

- a black sparkly flower by Petaloo

- butterfly was already die cut using a snippet of pink card with Joy! Crafts 'Vintage Flourishes Butterfly' die 6003/0023. Black pearls added down the body

- sentiment is SU's from the 'Wonderful Words' set - am sure it's discontinued, I bought it 'pre-loved'. Am also sure it's stamped a bit 'wonky' but for a five minute dash I guess it'll do

Tomorrow is Snippets Playground weekly round up - and, as a little teaser, I have another Ryn Tanaka stamp for you to win.

Di
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Little legs like 'spelks'

For those who might wonder what on earth a 'spelk' is, it's a splinter of wood in Geordie dialect. And my Step Mum always says that robins have legs like 'little spelks' :) Loooooooong spelks in this case:

I used:

- patterned card stock, one is called 'Holly Craft' by Kanban but I don't have the name of the other 'stitched effect' one - cut and folded to DL size (approx 8" x 4")

- plain backing card behind the image, from the snippets folder

- image is a House of Zandra stamp called 'Robin' - which sadly is very disappointing when stamped as the lines have 'feathering' on. Such a shame, I tried all inks and papers but it's the stamp that's just not right. Coloured with Pro Markers with the top hat and wing stamped again, coloured and then decoupaged

- sentiment is from Personal Impressions 'Many Greetings' set, stamped using SU 'Real Red' onto cream card, punched with SU's 'Word Window' punch then layered onto matching card snippets which were punched using SU's 'Modern Label' punch

Cutting out the 'spelky legged' robin was really the only option to get rid of the feathering outside of the image, and of course I had to cut along the lines - leaving a white border wasn't going to do the trick, although I do always cut along lines anyhow. A tip I picked up from Debby is to run a grey marker round the outside of cut out images, it hides any white edges  - mine is a Faber Castell Indian Ink one in 'Cold Grey' and it certainly helps, plus it doesn't bleed like a Pro Marker probably would. Sigh, but I missed a few bits :(

Have contacted House of Zandra, I bought this stamp at Newbury so they'll have to take my word for it, in the hopes that it was perhaps a faulty batch. I have a horrible suspicion though that I could be wrong as my 'partner in crime for the day - Mrs A' has also detected similar issues with her stamps, another sigh :( Watch this space.

Edit: I had an email from House of Zandra and they will be sending me a replacement - apparently this is the only stamp they 'outsource'. But watch this space anyhow! 

This is my entry for Rudolph Day, over at Sarn's. She has a lovely Penny Black stamp as a prize this month - hurry up, you have until Wednesday 31st July to be in with a chance!

Am entering the 'stitched' card into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge (unless Hazel thinks I've bent the 'stitching' rules a bit too much) and both of them as one entry into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for July which is always 'anything goes'.

Di
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Health warning - get your sunglasses ready

As is so often the case, I procrastinate about trying something new for ages - and then wonder why I didn't take the plunge sooner. This time it's washi tape:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock, with the opposite corners rounded

- a piece of approx. 4" x 4" square card from the snippets folder and a few lines of washi tape (you didn't for one minute expect me not to buy pink did you!) - just placed diagonally across the piece of card and then the opposite corners rounded

- sentiment is by Craftwork Cards

- butterfly die cut using a snippet of purple card, Joy! crafts 'Vintage Flourishes Butterfly' die 6003/0023. Black pearls added down the body

And that was it, a very quick little play and job done. Oooh, I can think of tons of other ways to use washi tape - ha, just watch, it'll go out of style now!

Di
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Hunky Dory card in a frame

Playing some more with the 'Shimmering Watercolours' Hunky Dory win from QCME here - and once again l almost lost the will to live. It's a really lovely prize but they didn't include any instructions on making the box part that sits behind the scalloped frame - almost made a big boo-boo but thankfully realised what I was about to do wrong just in time.The kit came with four of these cards which stand up on little easels at the back - first two:

The name of this design is 'Poppies in Bloom', to be honest they look like anemones to me.

 Creamy white roses and probably delphiniums

And a (blurred) close up view to show the layers.

Even avoiding my potential boo-boo, I had trouble with the first one, the box front 'lip' which the die cut foiled front sticks onto is a gnat's whisker larger than the widest cut out on the filed front - no matter how much you juggle it around. I learned from that and trimmed a sliver from each side of the next 'box' before assembling it!

I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth but wouldn't you think that the measurements would be fit for purpose when things are sold in kit form?

Oooer, I'm such a big kid too - and our eagle eyed Darnell spotted it on Monday. Finally got round to adding a watermark to piccies - and now spend ages moving it round the photo in 'Gimp' before making my mind up. I got the watermarks from Karen Giron and they're $2 per design - a snip I thought - go and peek here. Super fast service - I think Karen must have done them within just a few hours, and that's with a time difference too!

Di
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Under pressure

I was asked, very last minute on Thursday, to make a Birthday card for a friend's daughter. So far so good - and then, like Topsy, it sort of grew. Could I use a photo of the recipient's beloved horse, could I include her name, could I include the horse's name - and so on. With only 24 hours in hand I had a few wobbly moments, especially as (I bet you all know this) working with coloured photos on cards/layouts takes a lot of colour co-ordination or at least avoiding clashes - and frankly stresses me out. Anyhow, this was the end result:

And, as the card is being smuggled on holiday by the recipient's daughter 'cos they will be sunning themselves abroad for the celebrations, I thought a sturdier envelope than usual was a good idea :)

I used:

- 6" x 6" square cream card stock

- a photo of 'Teddy' which was hurriedly emailed to me. Cropped a bit, re sized and then a canvas effect applied. At this point my printer started to play up, sigh, so I had to use Len's printer (thankfully using wi-fi) but of course there was a bit of trotting to and fro to collect the printing :(

- Core'dinations card for the backings and the strip of card underneath the ribbon, punched using Martha Stewart's 'Lace Heart' edge punch

- a snippet of ribbon across the punched strip, little tie of ribbon then a brown cord bow to fasten a butterfly charm in place

- sentiment banner is probably a Lakeland Limited one from the days when they did a range of craft stuff

- peel offs to spell out 'Michela' (and it's the correct spelling!) and 'Teddy' - isn't he a splendid chap too?!

- at that point the card looked a bit bare but I'd kept the punched out hearts from the lace edging (Mrs A would be proud of me!) so just popped some of those here and there as well as at either end of the sentiment banner

- the envelope was made using a 12" x 12" sheet of card/thick paper - a lucky find really, topped with two ovals for Michela's name when her Mum writes the card

When I'd finally finished Len said 'Now I think you ought to brush your hair and come and have a glass of wine in the garden'. What a fright I looked, in the heat I'd been running my hands distractedly through my hair as I fretted and worked - it looked just as if a couple of birds had been trying to build a nest!

Di
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Playing with Distress Markers

Tim Holtz Distress Markers have been on my wish list for quite a while now and the other day I spotted over at Kate's blog that there's a new 'Seasonal' set of 12 lush colours, perfect for a first purchase and little play. They arrived in under 24 hours from Craft Obsessions, along with a 'Picket Fence' marker (white) which I added to the order 'cos I think it'll be very useful. The colours really are ideal for a starter set too. So, yesterday I had a really super fast little play:

It's a Sympathy card, as others have said, they are the one card that you often feel too saddened to make when the time comes so here's one to keep on standby.

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card stock

- deep purple/aubergine Core'dinations card stock for the main backing and to layer the image onto

- embossing folder is 'Bon Jour' by Couture Creations - one of these is coming up in the Playground shortly :) It's a lovely folder with a plain panel down the centre - would look good either way round too depending on the image or even just a nice sentiment. What doesn't show up well in the photo is that I layered the image onto a square of the deep purple/aubergine card before adding it onto the plain panel

- the stamp is Penny Black's 'Irises', coloured with 'Mowed Lawn' and 'Seedless Preserves' Distress Markers - then 'huffed' on and stamped

- sentiment is LOTV ''General Greetings - Small', coloured with 'Seedless Preserves' marker again

I adore these markers and can see lots of fun ways to play with them.

Edit: On my way to bed last night I spotted a comment from Kim (Kimbo), one of our Playmates. So I hopped over to look at her snippets make here and am still laughing - do go and take a peek!! Flipping hilarious :)

Di
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Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 82

Sorry about the Playground gates catching some of you out yet agaaaain :( I'm going to close the gates at 11am in future on Saturdays to avoid the way I seem to be mixing up Friday midnight and Saturday noon. Mr Linky is a tad confusing on that issue - in my defence - although I'm typing this whilst sitting in the shade on the naughty step.

Despite the raging heat in the Playground, we had 40 entries this week - wahoo! It's so lovely to see you all playing and also supporting one another - we do have a lovely little band of playmates I'm sure you'll agree. Even if I stoooopidly mentioned trampoline and within half an hour it almost went viral - sigh, OK, so long as you don't lift the goat onto it just to see how high he can jump :)

Then it got silly yesterday afternoon and Mrs A decided that she could leap up and down waving her water gun and spot anyone not on 'her Team A' who might be hiding in the bushes and zap them! That led to visions of Team A, taking over the trampoline as 'Team A HQ' and then leaping up and down in pairs so that as one pair hit the trampoline another pair would be shot skywards to zap the enemy :) Sort of synchronised water attack ......... I was laughing so hard here I had to run away from the laptop at that point, for fear of an accident requiring a swift change of knickers!

Anyhow, enough frivolity - although hopefully my snippets card for this week will raise a smile:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white scalloped card, from Craftwork Cards

- Penny Black stamp called 'Strawberry Jam', coloured with Pro Markers and the sky is coloured with chalk - plus some Glossy Accents on the strawberries. Die cut with Nesties Labels Eight and mounted onto a green backing

- the plain green card is SU's 'Gumball Green' from the snippets folder

- patterned backing papers are snippets from a pack that came free with Quick Cards Made Easy magazine last Summer - by Raspberry Road Designs and called' Summer Goodness'. I like the way the checked paper looks a bit like it belongs on top of a jar of strawberry jam and of course the strawberry design paper seemed perfick :) Raspberry Road do still have this set of designs to download here BTW

- the corners (Whimsy Shapeology Collection - Corner Set) and bits of foliage (Cheery Lynn Designs - Bird on a Branch) came from more green snippets

- the cloud was die cut from a white snippet using MFT 'Cloud Trio - the smallest cloud in the set). I initially used Pinflair silicon glue and the cloud turned all greasy looking. Thankfully spotted it in time, whipped it off, die cut another one, shaped it a bit, ran a grey marker round the edge and used sticky pads instead - disaster averted!

- sentiment (from Whimsical Designs, Whimsical Fun - Vol. 1)was stamped using SU's 'Real Red' onto a snippet of white card, die cut using the smallest Nesties Labels Eight die - I think this is almost my very favourite die set for cutting out images - and it was also popped onto a hand cut backing

- a snippet of white satin ribbon, wrapped round the whole backing before adhering it to the card, a bow tied on top and then a delicious enamelled strawberry charm added with red and green cord tied in a bow


- a couple of white Josy Rose nail heads on top of the corner dies

Bit of a marathon make for me! I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Penny Black and More - July - dies and punches

OK, so this weeks little 'picks' spot:

  

I picked this card, made by Liz, because of the simplicity and great use of snippets - it's a gorgeous Baby card.

 

Sam took the prize for flowers this week - stunning! And that's our little imp looking stunning in the wedding dress, bet she had jeans on underneath though!

And how about this fabulous card, made by Bonnie? I love it all but it's the straw boater (hat to our USA friends) plus the handbag (purse to our USA friends) that are both so, so clever. An idea to pinch dontcha think?

Mary H brought this fabulous card - do go and read how it was made. I was having the vapours at the thought of Creme Brulee heat guns being the next 'weapon of choice' in the Playground - we've had enough trouble with water gun fights this past week.

And last, but by no means least - Darnell bounced in with one of those cards that makes you gasp and think, why didn't I think of that? It's based on a delicious pair of shoes - I kid you not!

As ever, I wish I could show you all the beautiful things people made this past week - if you haven't already done so then do look at the thumbnail links in last Sunday's post - there really are some stunners to be seen! I think you're all so talented and a source of so much inspiration - thank you for playing so nicely.

OK, drum roll now - here's the winner of last week's prize, the mask and Lavinia Fairy stamp. This is live as I always get to this point and then run away to use the Random Number thingy so it's a surprise to me as well.

OMG, OMG!! This almost made me fall off my chair, first out was Carol L who had declined the prize, then our lovely Sarn who already has the stamp...........and just guess who popped up next?! It's someone who totally adores Lavinia stamps, is one of the Playground imps and I just KNOW she'll be almost wetting herself with excitement at winning. Sheesh, I'm almost crying with excitement here too - I do so love it when someone who really desperately would love to win a particular prize hits lucky. It's:

SAM!!

 

Crumbs, I think I can hear squeals in the distance :)

And this coming week's prize is not surprisingly this:

Yup, it's that oh so sweet Penny Black stamp called 'Strawberry Jam', same as the one I used today.

The Playground will run as usual this week with the gates closing at 11am UK time on Saturday 27th July. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be a winner of this week's prize, shown above. Mr Linky is below - do please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Have a fun filled week - and watch out for unexpected jets of water!

Di
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Playground problems AGAIN!

So sorry, the Playground gates slammed shut 12 hours early :( And to make it worse, I was out partying and didn't do a last minute peek before I went to bed.

BUT, the gates are open again until noon UK time today.

As this is the second time recently I've made the same mistake - in future weeks the gates will close at 11am on a Saturday, so it's just an hour earlier but at least there won't be any mistakes I hope. It's the ams and pms and twelve o'clocks wot's causing the problems!

And, as I write the snippets post on a Saturday morning it would also mean I won't be sitting waiting until noon before doing the prize draw. Whoopee, means I get to begin doing household things an hour earlier - oh deep, deep joy :(

'Goodbye Saturday noon - hellooooooooooo Saturday 11am!'

Di
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Little red car

Well, it's more like a deep pink really:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- SU backing card - 'Primrose Petals'

- image is LOTV, bought in April at Ally Pally, it's ready coloured and is from their 'Vintage Boys' Art Pad, die cut using a Nesties Eight die and I did the usual trick with the 'Primrose Petals' layer behind the image

- backing paper is from Paper Cellar's 'Mens' paper pad. I spotted Sandra H using a different sheet from the pad on Monday and realised just how perfect the papers are for 'chaps cards' so thank you for the inspiration Sandra! Crumbs, ordered from Top Toppers and it arrived in double quick time, beautifully packed with DO NOT BEND written clearly on. They will certainly have my business anytime! I stuck the image on at an angle so that the cars on the backing paper wouldn't be totally hidden :)

- sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, backed with a Primrose Petals oval, punched with SU's 'Large Oval' punch

- a white Josy Rose nail head in each corner to finish off

The jury is still out here - I can't decide whether or not to add a tickle of glossy accents to the headlights and perhaps the windscreen. My in-house critic says it's fine as it is - so I've left it for now :)

Edit: I ought to have said something else about the pink card stock I used on Wednesday - despite being such a massive bargain, the thickness and quality is second to none. I honestly reckon they're the thickest cards I have - and believe me there's enough card stock here to open a shop myself!

I just checked the Craft Show leaflet we got at Newbury and the company was Anna Marie Designs - prices are higher online as we were sure they wanted to sell off their stock as the Sunday wore on. But if you do buy from them I think you'll be really pleased with the weight of the card they use and the quality of them as well! And I'm not on commission either.

Di
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Mad dogs and Englishwomen......

don't go out in the midday sun, instead they sit in a craft room with a fan blowing hot air round the room, making Christmas cards:

But, I didn't want to miss my weekly entry for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge, which is 'Trees'. I did then have to trot round the house to find a spot to take the photo - who would have thought that a holographic image and some embossing would be so darn 'ornery' to photograph! And of course this card is also for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for July, where it's always 'Anything Goes'.

I used:

- A6 cream card stock

- the same cream card to emboss a backing using a Quickutz folder - bought before I had the sense to write the names on in permanent marker :(

- image is by Kanban - another bargain from Newbury - from their 'Golden Christmas Trees' set. I made two card the same (yay!) and found that one was badly die cut with one side a bit 'off' so I just used a circular die to create a properly positioned circle from both toppers to keep them the same (bit of OCD there)

- that also meant I could then draw round the outside of the die onto the reverse of the red backing card to then cut a slightly larger circle, and the same backing card was also used behind the embossed layer. Shame to cover it all up really as it's 'red satin mirri card' and has a lovely soft sheen rather than 'in your face' brightness. Also made by Kanban and rare as hen's teeth I'm afraid

- four brushed gold Josy Rose nail heads to finish off

And that's a total of 49 Christmas cards all finished and packed away. Plus, the topper sheet has enough of those gold die cuts left to make a further four cards - two with matching sentiments - which will be done ASAP. Bargain! And yes Mrs A, I have kept the little bits from in between the toppers for future use :)

Di
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Just chill!

The other day I had reason to go right through my House Mouse stamps and, shame on me, I found a few I've never ever threatened with an ink pad before :( This particular one I used in the card below always scared me a bit but once I got going it was great fun to colour:

And a closer view to see if the sparkle and glossy accents shows up:

Harrumph, not really :(

I used:

- 6" x 6" (almost) square card stock in primrose pink. It came from a pack that Mrs A found on a bargain stand at Newbury - £2 for 25 cards. So I pushed the boat out and used two cards in total to make an easel card plus the backing for the image and the little strips across the card

- image is from the House Mouse 'Chill out' unmounted rubber set, along with the sentiment and the extra lemons - there's another image in the set too, available from Joanna Sheen. Image coloured with Pro Markers and tickled with 'Cotton Candy' (pink on the flower) and 'Crystal Ice' Stickles on the glass. The flesh of the lemons and also parts of the glass were tickled with Glossy Accents. Image was die cut using a Nesties 'Wonky Square' die and, as usual, the primrose pink backing was made by drawing round the outside of the die and hand cutting it

- the lemon patterned paper is by 'Back to Basics'

- yellow sparkly 'domes' have been here for years - I think they came from QVC ages ago

- sentiment was stamped and then coloured over with a 'Lemon' Pro Marker before being die cut using a Spellbinders pennant die, little flower on the pennant was punched from a snippet of primrose pink using one of SU's 'Itty Bitty' punches

- by that point I was so hot and tired my brain was frying and I stuck the sentiment - sadly very firmly - in the wrong place, leaving a big gap above it :( Tried allsorts of ideas but ended up tying a bow using some pretty pink edged lace - which originally came from the local haberdashery store

Then I shouted 'Move over' at the mouse and jumped into the glass as well!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

House Mouse and Friends, Challenge 149 - add some sparkle

Joanna Sheen - Citrus Colours - that would be the lemon then :)

Cuttlebug Mania - Fun in the Sun - I hope this qualifies OK with a bit of poetic licence 'cos it's just how many of us in the UK would love to be right now. Having fun and chilling out in the sun - in something lovely and cool.

And there are celebrations over at Cuttlebug Mania - in fact I counted seven comments already left by your Snippets Playmates congratulating the team on reaching 100 followers :) It's almost like a Playground outing over there!

I think this challenge will grow and grow so why not take a peek? It isn't limited just to Cuttlebugs by the way - you can use any manual die cutting/embossing machine.

Di
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Supporting the Playground

I wanted to make some little cards to include with the 'Lattice' Embossing Folders when I sent them to the Playground winners - but they had to be quick. Then I thought of the image I used today - which says it all really 'cos without you Playmates being so supportive of one another and coming regularly to play, there just wouldn't even be a Playground:

It's just a small card size - just over 3.5" x 2.5". I chopped down some DL cards which arrived here with one corner crumpled (dontcha just love it when things are badly packaged) and got two little ones out of each DL card.

I recently had to return a big package of 12" x 12" Core'dinations card stock - it arrived just in a big padded envelope (a box would have been much more suitable) with no additional heavy weight card to protect it, and not even the words 'Please do not bend' written on the flipping thing. Our own postman (who knows I buy a lot of craft goodies and is always careful) was on his hols so his enterprising replacement only folded the very fat package in half to squeeze it through the letter box here! To be honest I suspect it hadn't travelled well anyhow, but that sure was the last straw for it - he must have really forced the thing through the letterbox too :(

Anyhow, back to the card.

I used:

- white card stock already folded

- a die from the 'Rounded Banner' set by MFT Die-namics, placed so it didn't cut off the folded edge. These are super dies - and once again it was my bad influence Amanda who 'forced' me to buy them :)

- stamp from SU's 'For the Birds' set, coloured with Whispers pens so there was no bleeding through the card

Those little SU birdie stamps are super fast to use as well 'cos the sentiment is part of the same stamp.

I'm entering this into the current Less Is More challenge where you have to use a shape other than a square or rectangle - plus it's 'one layer'.

Di
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I've been away......

....but didn't tell you in case anarchy broke out in the Playground :)

Is anarchy a spotty and itchy disease, freckles or wot then?

Just to say I'll catch up on emails and commenting in the already busy Playground once I catch my breath.............but part of the little trip did involve me finally handing over the school newsletter printing and distribution job at long last! Yay, Happy Dance :)

Di
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Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 81

Bit of a change for me with this week's snippets card:

I used:

- 6" x 6" cream card stock

- pale green card background, a snippet, which has washed out in the bright light here when I took the photo! Trust me, it really is a pretty pistachio green

- Creative Expressions 5.5" square mask for the 'grasses' - snigger, looking white and not pale green :), daubed all over using Adirondack 'Cloudy Blue'. I did debate about using a spray or two rather than 'daubing' but bottled out in the end. Perhaps next time

- I masked off the 'sun' whilst doing the 'sky' and then used the piece of card left from die cutting the disc for the sun to cover the rest of the card whilst sponging the sun through the circle with Adirondack 'Salmon' ink

- all stamps used are by Lavinia - the fairy is called 'Flower Fairy'. I guess the others are called something like 'Toadstools' and 'Stardust' :) - all stamped using Memento 'Gray Flannel' ink pad

- peach card from the snippets folder for the backing layer

- butterflies die cut from another peach snippet using SU's 'Beautiful Wings' Embosslit

- sentiment is SU from the 'A Word for You' set, stamped onto a snippet of pale green card using Memento 'Gray Flannel' ink pad and punched with SU's 'Modern Label' punch

- little diamantes here and there

- tickles of Stickles on the fairy wings 'Frosted Lace' and on the stardust ... appropriately enough called 'Stardust'

Despite the current heatwave the Playground has been very busy this week - lots of freckled little girls running to and fro in wet swimsuits :)

So here are just a few 'picks':

This gorgeous, and very grownup card was made by our youngest playmate - Little Miss C who is 7 in October, Didn't she make a lovely job of the cutting? Just don't trim your fringe like I did once Little Miss C! Hope you can come back and play again with us and show us more of your very clever card making.

Darnell made this stunning card, using Ryn's Water Droplets stamp - it's simply brilliant!

We had a few other really beautiful Droplets cards too - so I do hope you take the time to look at last week's Mr Linky and pay some visits to your playmates.

This brilliant poppy card was made by Linby. I particularly love the way the poppies have been set into the main die - very clever idea and one to try for sure!

Sam brought some fantastic mini books along to show - do check her post out and there's so much beautiful detail to drool over. Mind you don't dribble your ice cream over them though :)

And Kimbo brought this card to show - with some good instructions on how to make those stunning flowers. I love it - they look just like delicate glass!

That's just a quick run through as it's so hot here today (Saturday as I type) I need to run and wash all the floors so they dry in double quick time before Len returns from archery.

OK, prizes now - first of all there's the usual weekly prize, the Little Claire stamp plus those Twinkling H2Os. And the winner is:

Kim

Well done Kim - can you please drop me an email reminding me of your address, ta!

And now onto those 'Lattice' embossing folders, the nearest thing to 'Tied Together' in my 'umble opinion.

We had quite a flurry and over the two weeks there were 11 playmates who entered a total of three times or more. Out came the sun hat (once I rescued it from the parrot who was using it as a sunshade) but it had chewed a big hole in it so I numbered the eligible names and used the Random number generator thingy again, and the winners are:

Amanda, Liz and Sarah

Well done girls, can you also please drop me an email with your address in - it makes life easier for me even if you've been a previous winner. di_wray@hotmail.com

Crumbs, I think that might be all UK winners this time. Purely the luck of the draw I hasten to add. And I only wish I'd had 11 to give away :(

And yet again, this coming week's prize is connected to my snippets card for today:

It's that Creative Expressions 'Grass' mask like wot I used - kindly donated by Kimbo (Kim) (such a bad influence 'cos of course I went and bought one for myself to play with). Plus there's a Lavinia 'Flower Fairy' stamp, bought specially at Newbury to go with the mask. No toadstools and stardust stamps though I'm afraid :(

One snippet of nice news is that Maggie C hopes to be coming back to play with us soon - yay - that'll be great! I think it's just as soon as she manages to eject the workmen from the house :)

The Playground will run as usual this week with the gates closing at noon UK time on Saturday 20th July. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be a winner of this week's prize, shown above. Mr Linky is below - do please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Di
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