A sketch and two words

Managed to combine Less is More's Week 230 Sketch...........

 

.........with Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge, where this week you just need to use two words:

I used:

- DL white card blank

- a piece of white card, embossed using Cuttlebug's 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder. To do this I needed to emboss from the top and bottom of the long piece of card, just making sure the dots lined up and taking care not to run right to the edge of the folder as this would create a line (hope that makes sense!). Trimmed the embossed piece of card down and stuck it to the front of the card blank using Collall All Purpose glue

- the image is by Hobby Art called 'Ski Bear', stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink. I then did just a teeny bit of colouring using Whispers markers. I know I mention these Whispers 'Strokes' markers fairly often, they come with a 'brush tip' at one end and a very fine tip at the other (much like those 'click on' Pro Marker Ultra Fine Tips). I do use them quite often and the caddy of 36 markers sits permanently on the desk here - they aren't as blendable as Pro Markers/Copics - but are great for adding quick touches of colour to an image. The little penguin never stamps very solidly but was easy to 'tickle up' with a black Whispers marker - I swear I heard him quietly giggling as I tickled :)

- then die cut the image using a Lil' Inkers 'Stitched Rectangle' die before using a Stampendous Cling 'Snow Swirl' stamp and a silver ink pad to stamp above the bear's head :)

- the sentiment is by Woodware 'FRH003 Merry Christmas, stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and die cut with a smaller Lil' Inkers 'Stitched Rectangle' die

- both panels were added to the card using thin sticky pads

And whilst at it, I made another two cards, exactly the same - tee, hee. So, that means I just managed to squeak in before the very end of June to reach my target of 72 cards to date (12 per month throughout the year).

Ahem, bit of halo polishing going on here right now :)

Oh, and of course I'd like to add this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for June.

Di
x

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 183

So that was another two week session in the Playground. We're back to one week this time round though.

This is my snippets card for this week, sorry it's Christmas in June (oy, oy, oy already? So soon?!)

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- snippet of red satin finish mirri card as the backing layer

- snippet of white linen card, die cut at each corner using an All Occasions die called 'Trellis Corner'. Tip, to place the die properly on each of the four corners I drew lines about a quarter of an inch in around each side of the card stock using a soft pencil so I could tape the die in place perfectly lined up each time and then rubbed the lines out afterwards. One thing I did and would not do again with this die was to back the white card with 'Stick-It' adhesive sheet before cutting the corners. It then took forever to get all of the little squares out of the trellis - and I'm still finding the little perishers everywhere!

- the sentiment was die cut from a snippet of red stain mirri card using a Crafts-Too 'Merry Christmas' die. In this case I used Stick-It adhesive sheet and it worked perfectly

- final touch, a couple of Craft Buddy 'Self-adhesive 25mm Aurora Borealis Snowflake Flowers'

And straight onto the picks from this past fortnight - it gets more difficult each time as we have so much talent and so many great ideas in the Playground! This week I've gone for a couple of slightly more unusual snippets makes in the picks:

This truly must be the star pick of the week! Kim made the most amazing shoe from cling film and Sellotape as a base (using a real shoe as a mould) and then decorated it with loads of snippety flowers. Do go and take a peek - there's also a bit of a step by step (ha, pun totally intended!) guide as well as tips on where to find on line tutorials. Wonderful work Kim!

I just love this A4 sized card, made by Jackie T. Beautiful colours and again, a load of snippets here!

I just had to include this Z-fold card, made by Sarah M (Craft Nerd). Squeal, have you seen all those little green snippets for the foliage? It's a really fabulous card and Sarah has kindly popped step by step photos on her blog post. Do go and see, and maybe a few of you will also follow Sarah - right now she only has five followers :( Surely we can do better than that girls?

What a darling card, made by Diane H. Everything about it is just so 'right' - lots of snippets used and isn't that bow delicious?! And how about the chubby and happy looking birdie with the perfect sentiment too?

I have to stop there, even though I could include dozens more of your wonderful snippets makes.

And we have three new Playmates joining us as well:

Valerija came back to play more than once, and this was her first entry - a beautiful WOW Wedding card.

Karen Ladd's little Grand daughter Remi made a really cute card for her Grandpa - this is the LINK if you want to take a peek. It's on Flickr and I can't/haven't worked out how to copy the image to here sadly :(

Pam skipped into the Playground waving this lovely card, I do love the 'spotlight' technique.

Welcome to you all, and I hope you come back to play with us often!

Next onto the draw for the House Mouse stamp sets (remember, there were two of these to win) - and the winners are:

Jane

 and:

Eve

And would you believe it - Eve's winning entry was actually a House Mouse decoupage card - spooky or what huh?

Well done ladies, I do have your addresses and will post off your stamp sets this coming week.

And onto the runner up prizes donated by Darnell:

First of all the really popular Ryn Tanaka 'School of Fish' stamp set:

Mo

 

The 'School of Fish' was Mo's preferred choice - it will be swimming across the Atlantic to you this coming week Mo :) And I'd be happy if you could just confirm your new address to me as I have a feeling that the address I have isn't up to date :) di_wray@hotmail.com

Do remember girls, Mo is running Rudolph Day at the moment over on her blog and you still have time to enter before the end of the month :)

And next the Gina K 'Flower Border' stamp set:

 Jackie T

 

I'm almost sure this is your very first Playground win Jackie, can you please email me your address and your prize will be posted off to you this coming week. di_wray@hotmail.com

The prize this coming week is a double one, both items make up the prize:

It's two dies - the first one is the same as the one I used today, All Occasion Dies 'Trellis Corner', and the other one is a Marianne Creatables Christmas Tree die (LR0136).

As always, if you want to try for just one of the prizes then please say so in a comment and then I could do a second draw for the other die if you win. But, both dies are on offer together as one prize of course.

The Snippets Challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 4th July. The gates will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

Maximum of three entries and please say in a comment if you wish to play and be a possible winner of all or part of the prize. Do remember that you should also link back to the Playground in your blog post to be eligible for the draw.

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

Di and of course, Parsnip!
x

Fabulous Festive Fashion

I bought a couple of great 'House of Zandra - Fabulous Festive Fashion' stamp sets a little while ago but always fretted about the amount of colouring/detail on them. However, over at Merry Monday #164 the current theme is 'Gettin' Funky - create a card with a funky hat on it', so out came one of those NBUS stamp sets - yay!

It's also Rudolph Day over at ScrappyMo's - where it's always anything goes. And you have until the end of the month to enter.

Plus, it's 'Merry and Bright' over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #234 - and, over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, it's always 'anything goes'.

So this card is going to play in four challenges:

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white card blank

- patterned backing paper from Dovecraft's 'Back to Basics Christmas - Modern' paper pack

- the image was stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink onto a snippet of white card. I used a couple of stamps (one image and a sentiment) from the House of Zandra 'Fabulous Festive Fashion' set- if you look closely there's even a little robin perched :)

- the image was coloured using Pro Markers and Letraset Ultra Fine Tips - I sure wouldn't like to attempt using Pro Markers without those add on tips for such a detailed image

- then the image was die cut using a Spellbinders square die, mounted onto a square snippet of SU 'Real Red' card stock and adhered in the centre of the card using Collall All Purpose Glue

That brings my total number of Christmas cards made to 68. Am almost on track for the target of 12 per month, five days left to make another four :) I can see some batch work going on here!

Di
x

A couple of challenges with one card

This card fits in with a couple of challenges, yay! First of all, the current Less is More challenge for week 229 is 'Stencilling'. Tick!

And also, there's a new monthly challenge which promises to be great fun - so this card is also for the Memory Box challenge #1 - Butterflies. To enter you just have to use a Memory Box product - not difficult here for sure! Tick!

I used:

- A6 white card blank

- a snippet of white card

- a Memory Box die called 'Wild Blooms' which I die cut, then used the negative as a stencil with a makeup sponge and SU inks ('Old Olive' and 'Melon Mambo')

- then die cut the rectangle using a Lil' Inkers 'Stitched Rectangle' die

- the sentiment is from a Stampendous set called 'Happy Messages', stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink

- final touch, two butterflies die cut from a pale blue snippet using SU's 'Beautiful Wings' Embosslit

I think this will be an OK card to enclose with a Snippets Playground prize too :)

Di
x

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - Let's Take a Sentimental Journey

The challenge over at Cuttlebug Mania this fortnight is to use a sentiment on your card. We're sponsored by Crafty Sentiments Designs and the DT have all used some of their great digital sentiments on their cards. This is what I came up with:

I used:

- A6 white card blank

- SU's 'Real Red' card stock for the first layer

- white card stock, embossed using SU's 'Happy Heart' embossing folder

- a snippet of patterned paper from LOTV's 'Country Lady' paper pad, and I covered the join with a snippet from the same pad adhered to card and just cut into a straight strip

- the hearts are die cut from a snippet of SU's 'Real Red' card stock using a Cuttlebug 'Concentric Hearts' die set and then the two heart were looped together just by cutting a little slit across one and making sure the slit was underneath the whole heart. I got this clever idea from Kath a good while back BTW

- the sentiment is by Crafty Sentiments Designs, printed onto white card and then backed with a 'Real Red' scalloped circle - both were punched out using SU punches. Then they were stuck together and attached to the card with thin sticky pads

Why not come along and join in, all you have to do is use a manual die cutting/embossing machine, let us know in your blog post which products you used  and of course include a sentiment. Easy peasy :)

Di 
x

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 181/182 update

Just a quick update to add in a couple of Snippets Playground runner up prizes, kindly donated by Darnell.

On the left is a 2 piece stamp set by the very talented Ryn Tanaka (called School of Fish), and on the right is a 2 piece Gina K stamp set called 'Flower Border'.

Two lovely stamps and all you need to do is to have entered at least one card/snippets make into the Snippets Playgound - and also leave me a comment on this post, saying you'd like to be in with a chance for a runner-up prize.

I'm offering them separately to spread out the chances, so in fact it's two prizes. If you only specifically fancy one or the other (Fish or Flowers) then please say so as well. Otherwise I'll assume that either one would be fine.

Thanks again Darnell! Mwah :)

Remember the Playground is open until 11am on Saturday 27th June so you still have time to play.

Di
x

Little gift cards

As said before, I always try to include a card with Snippets Playground prizes - and recently whipped up these three:

I used:

- 4" x 4" square white linen card blanks

- a Penny Black stamp called 'Love Blush', stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and coloured with Pro Markers

- the sentiment is from a Hero Arts set called 'Truly Appreciated', stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink

- final touch was to back the inside of the fronts with card stock to hide the Pro Marker 'bleed through'

Di
x

Skimming along the waves

We recently needed a 16th Birthday card for one of Len's great-nephews but I'm not really into making male cards for that age group, and know little about his hobbies - although they live close to the sea. So I opted for a generic male card:

I used:

- A5 white card blank

- plain navy backing paper and a piece of striped paper from a Papermania 'Capsule Collection' paper pad

- the image is an Anita's ready coloured topper from the 'Sailing' die cut toppers set

- sentiment is from the same set, with a white Josy Rose nail head at either end

Super-fast card, once I found all the bits to make it with of course!

Tip for today - pre-made die cuts with dark backgrounds such as the sentiment on this card can sometimes end up with little white 'pips' where they've been attached to the (usually white or a light colour) main sheet of toppers. These can be trimmed off easily with small scissors, but sometimes there will be a little bit of white left visible so I just run a matching marker pen round the edge of the whole die cut. I use Whispers markers for this as Pro Markers just might bleed a bit. Failing that, a medium grey marker pen run right round the edge would probably work well either - just to take away any patchy white bits.

Di
x

Less is More - Week 228 - Home

The current challenge over at Less is More is 'one layer' with the theme of 'Home'. I turned to a NBUS Stampin' Up set of stamps I bought a while ago and made this:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- all stamps came from the SU 'Holiday Home' set. First I drew a pencil line for placement and then stamped the three houses plus street lamps using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink

- then I drew a black line right across the card to 'ground' the street

- next came the two hearts coming out of the chimney topped with the sentiment, both stamped using SU's 'Real Red' ink

- and then, my hand went to some markers to colour in the houses - but I bottled out. Even considered colouring just the doors red but again, I bottled out

So now it's a very simple row of purely stamped houses with just the pops of red above the centre house - and you know what? I'm happy to leave it just like that :)

Di
x

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 181 and 182

Well over two years ago, Bonnie brought a really terrific Spiderman 'punch art' card to the Snippets Playground. We have a little neighbour who is a huge fan of Spiderman (copyrighted to Marvel), so this card (almost a pure CASE of Bonnie's card) was a must for his Birthday recently:

I used:

- 5" x 7" white card blank

- loads of snippets of white, dark blue, royal blue and red card

- first I made the background by adding dark blue card to the card front and drawing a web using a fine white 'Signo' pen

- then I embossed a piece of curved white card using a Tim Holtz 'Cobwebs' embossing folder and added that to the lower half of the card

- to find out how Spiderman himself is made/punched I suggest you check out Bonnie's link which she kindly added to her blog post, the instructions are very detailed and easy to follow. Basically it was an assortment of SU punches to create our hero, although I had to wing it a bit and do a bit of freehand cutting as I don't have every punch that was used. Used the same Tim Holtz 'Cobwebs' embossing folder to emboss the red pieces of card once they'd been punched/cut

- the sentiment was computer produced and punched using SU's 'Modern Label' punch

- then die cut the number 6 from red card using a Memory Box 'Classic Numbers' die and mounted it onto a series of offset circles and punched a little hole in one edge for the line of web, which is just a length of iridescent cord

Thanks for the inspiration Bonnie! And, bless him, Taylor loved his card. In fact he was wearing his Spiderman T-shirt (minus his mask) when Len popped round to give him the card :)

Straight onto this week's picks now:

My first pick this week was brought to the Playground by Annie, such a brilliant and economical idea for unmounted stamp storage - and great for using up those white snippets we all seem to accumulate!

I just love this beautiful layered card, made by Andrea - it's so pretty and the background papers are just perfect with the dual coloured roses.

Isn't this a great card?! Perfect for a guitar lover or player, I know Len would be tickled pink if I made him a card like this one, which was made by Pat.

Mary Anne skipped in with this wonderful card, showing such a great scene - and I do love the sentiment :)
I'm calling a halt there, even though there are so many makes I'd love to show.  But, I would like to introduce a new Playmate to you:

Maura came to play more than once this week and this was her first entry - just beautiful isn't it!

Welcome Maura and I hope you'll come back to play with us often!

And now it's time to choose a winner of the Die-namics MFT 'Quilt Square Cover-Up' die. Once again, a prize where I truly wished I had more than one to offer:

Pippa

Well done Pippa, it's ages since you last won in the Playground so this was well due! I don't have your address so could you please let me have it and I'll post your prize off ASAP this week. di_wray@hotmail.com

And here's this coming week's prize, not remotely connected to my own snippets make:

It's a Joanna Sheen set of three unmounted House Mouse stamps called 'Love Chocolate Heart'. Cute or what? And, I have two of these on offer - both exactly the same.

This time, the Snippets Challenge will once again run for two weeks and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 27th June. The gates will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

I'm sorry to mess folk about but I can't see me managing to do the Playground write-up on Saturday so feel it's best to let it run for a couple of weeks, which does seem to have worked fine recently. I hope this won't be a regular event though.

Maximum of three entries (over the two week period) and please say 'Yes please' (or similar) in a comment if you wish to play and be a possible winner of the prize.

I'll add some runner up prizes next Sunday (21st June) too. All prizes will be available to win with entries made over the coming two weeks.

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

Di, and of course, Parsnip!
x