Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 131

It's been a busy week with one thing and another - so my card is covering Sarn's Rudolph Day as well as Merry Monday #114 (sparkle, shimmer or shine) - and of course it's my own snippets make for the week:

And just to prove for Sarn that I made two cards:

It's a shame you can't really see the sparkle and shimmer though :( 

I used:

- A6 cream card blank

- snippets of cream card for the embossing and also the stamped image, plus snippets of red satin mirri card

- first the image was stamped onto a snippet of cream card using VersaMark and Penny Black's 'Tree treasure' stamp. Then it was embossed using WOW 'Gold Sparkle' EP before being cut with a Spellbinders oval die

- the oval was then popped onto a red satin mirri card backing, die cut with a Spellbinders 'Beaded Oval' die. I love satin mirri card, it adds a softer shine than the really reflective stuff (although I've got loads of that to use up of course!)

- once the 'topper' was made, a piece of cream card stock was embossed using Crafts-Too's 'Snowflake Banner' EF and trimmed to just within the width and height of the card blank

- a snippet of organza and gold ribbon was added to the embossed layer before sticking it to the card blank

- finally the 'topper' was popped on

Two more for the box, yay!

Onto this week's picks now:

 

I just love the delicate, almost filigree, look to this beautiful card - made by Val.

I have to admit, quite apart from the absolutely fabulous layers of snippets, no way could I not include this card made by Ileana. The image totally cracks me up! Plink, plink, plonk :)

Judy joined in with this fabulous froggy card - and a great tip. I bet loads of us have done embroidery or cross stitch at some point or another so this is a great way to use up some threads/floss :)

Darnell is one of our Queens of Inventiveness, and just look at the fabulous card she brought this week! What a veritable rainbow - and such a lot of patience to place all those coloured pieces into the white 'master' die cut, brilliant! And here's a little heads up - it's Darnell's Birthday on 2nd July!! Hope you have a great day honey!

Having recently bought the Spellbinders Labels Eight Decorative Rectangles die set, it was lovely to see Jenny H bring us this easel card to see. Love it!

Sam made not just one but three of these gorgeous Christmas cards. Tons of snippets used and what a beautiful result too. Of course, the cards were also entered into Sarn's Rudolph Day Challenge - which is open until 7pm UK time on Monday, so you can still join in and get a head start on those Christmas cards :)

Bonnie brought this absolutely stunning and very elegant card to the Playground yesterday. I love it and I also love the two really clever tips Bonnie wrote about in her post - one is how to treat crochet cotton so you can shape it into such as this fabulous bow and the other one is how to emboss leaving a plain panel across the centre of a piece of card. Both really useful things to know!

Finally - I just had to include this card, made by Sue J:

Such a sunny and happy card - and so reminiscent of a 'playmates' day trip to the seaside :)

Which reminds me, if you didn't catch my post yesterday - here - this was what four of us from the Playground were up to on Saturday down in Southampton, which is almost the seaside isn't it! If you forget the docks and huge cruise liners anyhow :)

 

Left to right - Sam and Fergus, yours truly and Parsnip, Debs and Sarn. We had a really great time - and were so busy chatting we totally forgot to go and check out the duck pond! A good excuse to return I think :)

So funny, I just found this comment from Kath, one of our more Northerly agents Playmates, saying this:  'Surprise, surprise that is me in the background, yes just had a fabulous spa treatment and yes couldn't be bothered to get dressed. I always go to Southampton for my Spa treatments - no-one knows me there.' Tee, hee - very funny Kath :)

So that's this week's picks - gets harder every time! We had no new little playmates last week - I think that in the UK lots of people were enjoying some decent weather. Having said that it absolutely bucketed down with rain yesterday here (cats and dogs!!) - but of course, Glastonbury and Wimbledon are on so it could almost be predicted :(

Onto the draw for last week's prize of two sets of stamps, and the winner is:

Jenny H

Congratulations Jenny! Your prize will be on its way to you just as soon as you let me have your address (di_wray@hotmail.com).

And here's this coming week's prize:

But of course, it's a Penny Black 'Tree Treasure' stamp like the one I used today.

As usual, the snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 5th July and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize.

Mr Linky is below - please let me know if you have any problems linking, it's easy for me to sort out so don't struggle on alone :)

Have a great week! Keep those water wings handy :(

Di (and a wave from Parsnip)
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Snippets Playground outing

What a fun day with Debs, Sam and Sarn down in Southampton yesterday:

The lovely barman took this for us - I'm sure you already know that from left to right it's Sam and Fergus, yours truly and Parsnip our fluffy Playground friend, Debs and Sarn.

The ladies looking a bit askance in the background were fresh from the Spa (or as Sam later pointed out perhaps too lazy to get dressed, snort!).

A lovely day, which just flew by sadly. Guess what, we got so engrossed we totally forgot about going for a quick paddle in the duck pond, sigh :( But it's an excuse to do it again next Summer.

Oh, and Parsnip was out of his bed at least four times during the night asking where his new friend Fergus was - and when can we go out for another playtime please!

Di
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Upcycled robin

The current challenge over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge is to include a building on your card - if you look closely at the card, there's a church tucked away in the background:

I used:

- A6 white card blank

- an upcycled Christmas card from last year's saved ones. It started out as quite a large square card but I just selected a die which would contain the church and robin and cut it down - that dictated the size and shape of the base card of course

- the plain Core'dinations card is a mustard-ish colour to pick up a colour in the robin's breast and the dark green holly patterned paper is from Wild Rose Studio's 'Annabelle's Christmas' paper pack

- sentiment is gold on white, made by Craftwork Cards and mounted onto an oval of the mustard card, punched using SU's 'Large Oval' punch

And of course this card is also for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, where it's always 'anything goes'.

Today four of us from the Playground are out and about down in Southampton. There's a duck pond where we're meeting up for lunch (sigh) - just one inkling of a swimming cossie and there's gonna be some stern words! :)

Di
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Less is More - watercolour

The current challenge over at Less is More is 'Watercolour' - you can use Distress Inks, pencils etc. so long as you use some water in its production. I hate to miss LIM, unless the challenge really stumps me, so I had a little break from other stuff going on here, nipped into the craft room and it took about fifteen minutes to whip up this card - almost 'record quick time' for me:

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white linen card blank

- Penny Black 'Poppy Poem' stamp, stamped using black Archival ink and coloured with Tim Holtz Distress inks. I just touched the markers quite lightly on the petals, buds and leaves then dragged the colour out using a water brush

- the sentiment was stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and stamps from a lovely set by Winnie and Walter called 'the big, the bold and the happy - WW002'. It's thanks to my lovely friend Sarn that I found this great set of stamps - mwah!

- then just rounded the bottom left corner

In case you missed the post, this is the poppy in our garden three weeks ago that inspired the colouring:

AND, because it was the very first outing of the sentiment stamp set, I'd like to go and play again over at Darnell's playhouse with this as a third entry where she's not far from closing her NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) celebration.

Well done Darnell on making your blog such fun and so successful :) Here's to your next 500 followers - and this card was made very much with friends like you in mind - mwah!

Di
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Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 130 - Part 2

Hi again, sorry I had to split the Playground post in two but life outside of blogging got in the way. So today it's the Playground Picks and of course the draw for this stamp. I saw two ducks exactly the same as this at the village carnival (apart from the holly!) but they wouldn't pose nicely for a photo call:

First the Playground Picks:

I picked this card, made by Anne, because it epitomises what striking use of just a few small snippets - and so perfectly balanced.

 

I love this card, made by Lynne, so elegant and restful.There were a few feathers ruffled in the Playground last week when Lynne had duck on the menu - but I did a quick count and the duck pond still has the usual number of residents - phew :)

I know this beautiful card made by Jean also features a centre panel with sentiment and flowers at the edge but it really is one of my favourite designs at the moment.

This last week I stumbled across a little tute on how to use up some of those umpteen 'fat daisy' shaped flowers we probably all have (the Prima style ones). If I get a chance I'll have a play this week and show you how to reduce the pile!

I'm a big fan of making banners to use up snippets and just love this idea - brought to the Playground by Carol L. Strips of different coloured card laid side by side in an embossing folder produced this brilliant card - very clever!

I love Sandy's ivory and gold Christmas card, complete with fabulous gold edging, which was inspired by a Playground pick made by Greta the other week. Isn't is heartwarming to know that sharing our snippets makes like this is also such a great way to pick up ideas and inspiration.

Flora called by after being absent for a while, with this brilliant hat all 'dollied up' ready for the Glastonbury Festival. It made me really smile, (Flora is a delightful scallywag with a wicked sense of humour!) and it's a great way to be spotted in the crowds! 

For our USA playmates, Glastonbury is an annual five day outdoor music festival, held down in Somerset. This year 140,000 tickets have been sold so it does get kinda busy - and of course the weather can't always be relied on - when it rains the place can quickly turn into a sea of mud. Take a peek at this photo of Flora there in 2011:

Go Flora, hope you have a great time and I'll be watching the TV news for a jazzy blue hat bobbing along :)

Cathy turned an empty perfume bottle into this thing of beauty - it's lovely and the flowers pick up the altered bottle (alcohol inks and blending solution) colours perfectly!

Guess what, not one single pink card in the picks this week - that must be a first!

As ever, I had to limit the picks to time available to do this write-up - each and every make was brilliant girls so do please check out last week's links if you haven't already done so.

And we have two new playmates:

Sharon G scampered into the Playground with a few cards, this is one of them. Banners - and you know how I love those!

 And Em arrived for her first visit with this lovely stepper card - fabulous!

Welcome to both of you and do please come back and play soon. 

Finally, the draw for last week's Penny Black 'Overdressed Duck' stamp - and the winner is:

Lynne

Oh my giddy Aunt! I had to almost pick myself from the floor laughing when Mr Random picked Lynne's name - after the debacle over the roast duck this really does seem like karma :) I just checked back Lynne and it's been a while since you last had a win (March last year in fact). Can you please confirm your address, I'm pretty sure the one I have here is yours but just want to confirm (di_wray@hotmail.com) - and the stamp will be 'quacking' its way to you this week.

Oh my, the Playground is already getting busy - I'll be commenting as fast as I can but some of you may have noticed I'm not spending as much time blogging or crafting right now. It's purely because things are busy here and also I thought you might like a rest from a daily blog post popping up :)

Di

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Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 130

As I said last Sunday, this weekend is/was the village carnival and so the Playground post is split in two as I was out playing on Saturday. Edit - it was a brilliant day, wall to wall sunshine, good friends, a lot of laughs and we came home tired and a little bit sunkissed - photos may follow but I haven't checked them out yet :) Here we go with my snippets card, this week's prize and a new Mr Linky - tomorrow I'll post the weekly picks and the result of the prize draw.

First, my snippets card - made very quickly on Friday:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- Unity Stamps Itty Bitty 'Family is Forever' stamp set, Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink pad and a snippet of blue card. Die cut the image and matching sentiment with an oval Nesites die and then layered it onto a snippet of SU's 'Real Red' card stock, die cut with a shallow scallops oval Nesties die

- the multi-coloured spotty paper is a whole sheet (slap my wrists!) and the other patterned papers were snippets, all from the 'Quilting Bee' paper pad made by My Mind's Eye - and another snippet of 'Real Red' sneaked in to frame the 'patchwork' panel

Told you it was quick - and easy! Those little birds remind me of the sparrows who inhabit one of the big Playground bushes here, chattering away to one another :)

Next up is the prize on offer this week:

Of course, part of the prize is linked to my own snippets card and it's a Unity Stamps Itty Bitty 'Family is Forever' stamp duo/set - the same as the one I used today. This was kindly donated ages ago by Shaz in Oz. Plus, a Kanban football stamp set, very topical right now with the World Cup  going on (and on, and on, and on - sigh - thankfully Len and Parsnip aren't footie fans either) - and the set was kindly donated by Karen P.

So there you have it for today.

As usual, the snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 28th June and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. We'll be back to a full post of course.

Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize. Remember too, if you only want one or other of the stamp sets just say and if your name pops out I'll do a second draw for the other set.

Mr Linky is below - please let me know if you have any problems linking, it's easy for me to sort out so don't struggle on alone :)

Have a great week!

Di (and a wave from Parsnip)
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Quick and easy - in a hurry

Things are busy here right now, so I'm possibly late commenting if you came to play in the Playground - and I'm certainly not spending very much time in the craft room. But, I did sneak in yesterday for a quick play:

I used:

- 4" x 4" square white linen card blank

- a square snippet of plain pink card topped with a square snippet of white linen card

- an uncoloured topper (sadly cut a bit off centre during manufacture - in fact the whole set was a bit like that which is perhaps why they lay forgotten for so long) and a pink oval scallop, both from Craftwork Cards, bought ages ago - I coloured the flowers and leaves using TH Distress Ink markers

- the topper had space for words of your own choosing so I stamped 'Just for You' in Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink using a stamp from the 'Everyday Words Happy Birthday' set by Personal Impressions

Isn't it funny, I thought the uncoloured topper was very ordinary (even allowing for it being die cut off centre) and only picked it out for speed - but in fact do quite like the end result.

Many thanks to those of you who kindly left your thoughts, and some links, regarding the white tool storage 'carousel' I asked about the other day. I should have said at the time - Samuel Taylor's in the UK stocks them - the jury is still out here though. So many really valid pros and cons were put forward - still more thought needed. As Len keeps saying about me, I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!

Di
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Merry Monday - pink, white and silver

I love the combination that Merry Monday #113 are asking for  on this week's challenge - pink, white and silver - this is the inspiration photograph from the challenge:

And this is what I came up with - which I suddenly realised also qualifies for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #181 (include gold/silver or both) - plus of course Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for June, where it's always 'Anything goes':

I used:

- A5 white card blank

- silver textured card stock, snippets of pink card stock and some white pearlescent Centura card stock

- first of all I used the Memory Box 'Glowing Candles' die to cut the same die cut from silver and pink card

- next I die cut an oval from white pearlescent Centura card using a Spellbinders 'Floral Oval' die

- the trickiest part was putting the silver part of the candles die cut onto the oval background and then putting the little pink pieces in place without losing any of them :)

- Kate came up with a great trick last week on her Playground Pick Briar Rose card, which I pinched. I drew round the outside of the Floral Ovals die and cut it by hand using scissors to make a mat behind the white lacy edges oval. I do love the effect, many thanks Kate!

- all that was left was to add a snippet of matt silver ribbon, patterned with shiny silver scroll work, down one side when layering up the card then add a Craftwork Cards sentiment which was popped onto oval snippets of pink and silver card (punched using SU plain and scalloped oval punches)
  
Di
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Less is More - off the page

..........and one layer at that! Eeek, bright butterflies and big bold flowers sprang to mind right away - but both the DT and quite a few entries already had gone down that route. Mutter, mutter, scratch, scratch here. Then I looked up and noticed a stamp sitting quietly on a shelf right in front of me - and this was born:

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white card blank

- SU's 'Smoky Slate' ink pad and Penny Black's 'letters and flowers' stamp - angled off the card edge and positioned using SU's Stamp-a-ma-jig

- a 'Thinking of You' sentiment stamp, made by Hobbycraft, and SU's 'Perfect Plum' ink pad

Deciding what to use/make probably took ten times as long as actually doing the card in the end and I do wonder if it ended up too Less is More and not inspired enough. It was one of those days, sigh :(

As I said, this card is for Less is More's current challenge.

When Len saw it, his comment was 'I'd pick that one in a shop' - which I think is his way of saying it's OK.

Now for a question - ignore if not applicable.

I have loads of upright desk containers and mugs/pots of craft 'implements' such as brushes, pens, pencils, hammer (don't ask!), markers, pricking tools etc. etc. on the desk here. All the scissors are in a brilliant wooden carousel which originally held fancy edging scissors. But the other stuff is driving me nuts - the neat freak in me has been looking at a hexagonal storage carousel, the same as this one:

It seems to be very similar to the original Memory Keepers carousel. I've worked out that there would be space for one on the desk here but would really love to know if anyone has one and has any opinions/pros/cons to offer please. I've done loads of research but always value what you lovely folk have to say.

Di
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Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 129

Wahoo, it's been hot and sunny in the Playground for the last few days - maybe Summer is finally here. Spike the hedgehog comes to feed each night, in fact we think there might even be two of them - but despite all my efforts I haven't managed to take a decent photo as yet. Having said all that about hot weather, we had a massive downpour on Friday night, complete with thunder and lightning, it went round in circles for hours here :(

My snippets card this week is a really quick and easy one:

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white card blank

- Penny Black's 'Overdressed Duck' stamp, stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and coloured using Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, Derwent blending stumps and Sansodor blending solution - then die cut using Nesties Labels Eighteen die

- a snippet of SU's 'Rich Razzleberry' card stock - so small I couldn't even cut a shaped mat to back the image with - but I kinda like the rectangle touch for a change :)

- snippets of patterned paper from LOTV's 'Woodland Wishes' paper pad, which were tucked inside a pocket (a sealed envelope cut in half makes two pockets, one each for two pads) inside the back cover

- sentiment is by Craftwork Cards, just popped onto a snippet of 'Rich Razzleberry' which was punched using SU's 'Curly Label' punch

OK, swiftly onto this weeks' picks:

Kanda (Andrea) made this adorable card, just look at the little girl hiding behind that huge bunch of flowers :) And how well the colouring picks up the colours in the snippets of paper.

Mo is one of our most prolific card makers, even whilst away from home, and I just love this snippets card. The blues certainly do it for me!

Now how clever is this 'double zig-zag' card, made by Debs? Absolutely stunning (apparently it all slots together) - only for the brave to try I suspect.

This 'dogwood' card, made by Mary H, is just fabulous.Tons of work went into making this card, and Mary even dyed the ribbon using a re-inker on one of the colours she used to colour the flowers. I call that real dedication!

Eve brought something a bit different to show, a pair of really lovely tissue holders! Made for a Craft Fayre - and I just bet they sold in double quick time. Eve kindly put a link to a tutorial on her blog post if you fancy having a try :)

I love this Wedding card, made by Hazel - such a happy image, even though the knife looks a tad lethal :) I've noticed a few people using vellum lately, and I'm a sucker for luscious ribbon of course!

And almost right at the last minute, Kate nipped into the Playground with a card that just couldn't be left out of the picks (picked two weeks running Kate!). Isn't it absolutely beautiful? The attention to detail is just amazing, you can read all about it on Kate's blog post - love it!

Apologies if we seem to have a lot of pink and flowers this week - purely coincidental I assure you! And each and every single snippets make was lovely as ever, you truly are such a sweet and very talented bunch.

We have one new playmate this week:

Cara hopped by, all the way from Arizona (where our lovely Princess Judy lives of course) - a beautiful snippets card Cara and do please come and play regularly!

And the draw for last week's prize (paper pad, sentiments and 'Happy Birthday' stamps) - our winner is:

Pat

Well done Pat, can you please remind me of your snail mail address (di_wray@hotmail.com) and the goodies will be on their way to you ASAP.

Now a drum roll for the winner of the Spellbinders 'Shell Beauty' embossing folder. 12 of you submitted (and flagged up) three or more entries during the past couple of weeks so I just numbered all the qualifiers and then ran the Random Number selection thingy again - and the winner is:

 Sarah (Sazzle Dazzle)

I've found your address Sarah and will post the folder off to you ASAP. And before you squeak anxiously, it's actually 38 weeks since your last win :)


And of course, this coming week's prize is:

A Penny Black 'Overdressed Duck' stamp, the same as I used on today's card. This is one of my all-time favourite PB stamps :)

As usual, the snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 21st June and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize.

BUT, I'll be out playing on Saturday 21st June at the local village carnival with Len and the archery club. That means a small change to my posts 'cos I won't be able to do the prize draw as I would normally do on the Saturday.

On the Sunday I'll post my snippets card and a new Mr Linky as usual - then on Monday 22nd, I'll publish the weekly picks and the Random number draw for last week's prize.That gives everyone a fair chance right up to when the gates close.

Mind you, last year's carnival was pretty wet and miserable with little shelter and we were drenched right through soaked a few times. So I've said that I'll go and help on condition the weather is dry - getting wet through at a village fayre is exactly how my back problem originally kicked off a few Summers ago! I might look daft but am not totally stooopid, rain remotely expected and I'll be here at home keeping warm and dry!

Mr Linky is below - 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 great week!

Di (and a wave from Parsnip)
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