Mint is the colour for today!

This is the latest card I made, I wanted the colour mint to be the focal point of a fresh and quite clean looking card, and it IS soft shades of mint not turquoise (camera lies yet again):

I used:

- 4" x 6" white linen card blank (these date back to my really early card making days)

- first of all stamped four butterflies using Memento 'London Fog' ink and all four stamps from the Inkylicious 'Flutters 2' set onto a snippet of white card stock

- then selected three shades of mint from my Pro markers and coloured the butterflies in before fussy cutting round them

- hunted for suitable papers to match the butterfly colours - would normally do this the other way round but wanted to be sure the butterflies were a true mint green and was prepared to compromise if I couldn't find any mint papers to match

- success though, the background papers are from a Kaisercraft paper pad called 'Blue Bay' - and a lot of the papers are mint green rather than blue or turquoise, yay! I cut a piece of the distressed looking beige paperfrom the pad and added just a margin of mint from one of the papers which is actually a design of planks of weather worn wood

- taped the edge of the beige paper to overlap the margin of mint and only then did I trim the paper top and bottom - that way you aren't trying to avoid one piece being a sliver too big or small

- the pad also includes sentiments and I chose a round one - love the words!

- then it was just a matter of gluing everything on place

A quick and easy card - love the paper pad I used. Interestingly it's six and a half inches by six and a half inches in size rather than the usual six by six.

A lifesaver was my latest toy, the Misti stamp positioner - which I'd dithered over for absolutely ages. Bought it from Dies to Die for last week and was really lucky as Tracey had just had a new shipment, the next shipment isn't due until May. Sure, it's going to be great for batch baking cards as I tend to do a fair bit of that - but, the real bonus I think is being able to re-ink and stamp so precisely over a poorly stamped image. Love it!

Di
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Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - 'Monochrome'

Time for another fortnightly challenge over at Cuttlebug Mania - and this time the theme is 'Monochrome'. Having discussed this, it isn't just shades of black/white/grey - it can be colours with a little bit of white/black if you wish. I went for the colours option - any excuse to use some pink snippets :)

You do have to use a manual die cutting/embossing machine for Cuttlebug Mania entries (it doesn't need to be a Cuttlebug but it must be manual, not electronic). And, you can't mix the two, it must be all manual please. Then make your entry, link into the challenge, link to the challenge in your own blog post and and make sure that you also say what products you used for any die cutting/embossing.

Our sponsor is Crafty Sentiments Designs (more details about the prize over on the Cuttlebug Challenge blog) and this is the card I made:

I used:

- 4.75" x 4.75" square white card blank

- snippets of pink card for the 'quilting'

- first I cut the outline piece from pearlescent pink card using the MFT 'Quilt Square Cover-up' die and backed it with double sided adhesive sheet, leaving the backing on but each of the patchwork slots then had a nice sticky surface just waiting for the patchwork pieces

- die cut a further three pieces of pink card in different shades and popped the pieces in place where I wanted them to go

- peeled off the backing behind the completed patchwork to reveal the self adhesive sticky sheet and mounted that onto a piece of pink card, which I then trimmed down to size

- wrapped some natural twine around the patchwork panel  and stuck it onto the card front

- stamped the word 'Hi!' using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and a stamp from the Stampendous 'Happy Messages' set 

- die cut the sentiment using an X-cut 'mini die - gift tag die and left the tag in the die while I outlined it with little faux stitches using a Stabilo Fine Liner

- hot glued the label in place

- slotted a piece of doubled natural twine through a pink button and tied a bow

- hot glued the button onto the label

I think the secret of working with this die is to use the adhesive sheet as I did and also to try to keep the patchwork pieces together within the die cut shapes to be sure to pick the right ones for the framework you already cut - some of the pieces do vary!

The photo (OCD strikes again) has slightly picked up the white inner core of the patchwork frame, making it look a bit as if there are gaps - in fact the pieces fit really snuggly, sigh :( One to remember here in future, use card stock without a white core!

I got the design idea from this blog, by Barbara Anders. She's on the MFT DT and has some wonderful cards to see - looks as if the card I CASE'd has had its image deleted from her blog though. Thankfully it was still on the MFT site and it's still worth hopping over to see her work!

Why not make a snippets entry using some of those monochrome snippets you must have lurking - making sure you do some manual machine embossing/die cutting of course - then you can enter both at the same time :)

Di
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Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 222

Happy Easter everyone - and I do hope that those of you who should have changed your clocks overnight remembered to do so. We had glorious weather here on Good Friday - and since then it's been rain all the way, and predicted to remain that way over the whole holiday weekend. Such a shame :(

Meanwhile, I want to know who set fire to the tree house whilst toasting hot cross buns! This was quickly followed by a Vesuvius-like eruption of hot melted chocolate - which I'm still scrubbing off the walls and also off Parsnip. I just knew that making Easter eggs using those old moulds I had from years ago was a silly idea :(

Once things calmed down and Parsnip stopped screaming like a very silly little white (snigger) mottled brown bear of no intelligence at all - I set to and made my snippets card for this week:

I used:

- 5" x 7" white card blank, tent style

- next I used a Frantic Stamper 'Thanks Card Band' die to cut out the word 'Thanks'. What's great about this die is that the word mostly is cut away but the card remains attached at the top and bottom of the letters - really neat

- then covered the top and bottom sections of the card blank with a snippet of what I think is one of SU's designer papers. I'd used part of the reverse of the paper and was left with the snippet and a large design that really I'd even thought about throwing away - wash my mouth out with soap! I deliberately left a white border round both the pieces of DP

- then I backed the cutaway 'Thanks' with a snippet of (according to my SU swatch) 'Blackberry Bliss' card stock - just glued at the top and bottom behind the word. I suspect that 'Rich Razzleberry' was the plain card meant to go with the DP, but I'm fresh out of that

- and to finish off (neat freak) I backed the inside of the card front with a full sized panel of white card to hide the band of 'Blackberry Bliss'

Have to admit, I'm quite tickled with the result and it's a great way to use up quite bold papers.

I chose to back my plain white 'Thanks' using the coloured card stock immediately behind the word. Other options would be to just leave the word as it is (it's quite sturdy enough) and perhaps colour it with Pro markers if you don't intend doing anything extra inside the card to make it show up more, use coloured card of course, add a contrasting strip to the inside (back half) of the card lined up with the word or perhaps back the word with acetate - the list goes on :) It's a really fun die!

Onto the weekly 'peek at the picks' as usual - let's have some Easter/Spring ones first:

Not only did Chris bring this card to the Playground, she also sent it to me as a thank you for her recent prize win (and managed to use a die, an image and also a sheet of the paper from the win). It's absolutely gorgeous and really beautifully made - I love it! And the branches and , flowers and leaves are all snippets too.

Carole brought this really fresh looking Easter card to share with us , such pretty colours and a really sweet image too - as well as a recent photo of baby Thomas:

Hasn't he grown in just six weeks? And what a darling little chap he is!

This is such a clever design, brought to show by Krisha. I love how the stamped, coloured then fussy cut tulips sit within the white frame on the beautifully toning background paper snippet, which then extends to form the outer frame. Brilliant!

Alison had been playing with snippets and circle dies - this is one of three great ideas over at her blog - go HERE to find out more. I love this idea and will be having a play as soon as possible. The beauty of these designs is that you can make them for male or female recipients, just by changing the papers you use. Strong and bold for a chap - pretty and soft for a lady :) That's the traditional theory anyhow - these days it's often the other way round in real life!

Sonia always brings really lovely work to share with us, and this is no exception is it?!

My final pick of the week is this card, made by Jane W. It just cracked me up - the sentiment goes perfectly with the look on the penguin's face - it looks as if it's on the 'lemons diet'. That's the one where you have fourteen lemons for breakfast and, by the time your mouth unpuckers, it's time for breakfast the following day :)

We had five new Playmates this week as well as a total of 66 entries - no doubt sneaking hot cross buns and choklit into the Playground at the same time! Let's say 'Hi' to our new Playmates:

Francesca brought this fabulous Magnolia card to share - so much beautiful detail!

I love the sheer joy that truly does spill out of these journal pages - fabulous colours! Brought to us by Rachel.

Tanvi made three gorgeous letter racks and this is the one she entered into the Playground this week, do go and take a closer look at the side views on her blog HERE. Really great!

I love this 'vintage' Christmas card, brought to share with us by Marianne. It appeals to my 'neat freak' side - yet still has a vintage look!

And finally, Margaret M hopped into the Playground with this really pretty snippets card to share with us -and a clever way to use the ribbon and bow too!

Hope to see you again really soon! 

There's also some news to share - I think a lot of you will already know about this but just in case you don't. The lady who made this fabulous card ......

...... is headed over to England in July! It's our fun-loving Playmate Darnell of course (ha, I wonder if England is actually ready for her?!). She will be moving around the country a bit and one purpose of her visit is to spend a weekend at the 'Happy Little Stampers' Retreat in Swindon (which was fully booked up some while ago) - as well as meeting as many of us bloggers/Playmates as possible. I think Darnell's itinerary is pretty much set now, so it's safe to let you know that she would love to meet any of us on her travels:

Darnell's first port of call (that's appropriate!) is Southampton (Grand Harbour Hotel) and there is a get together (aka soirée - snigger) planned for Tuesday 19th July. I'll be there, aided and abetted by Parsnip (if the choklit is all cleaned up from his fur), along with a few other notorious Playmates/bloggers.

After that, Darnell plans to spend time in various parts of the UK (Salisbury, Somerset, Bristol, Manchester area (Knutsford I think), then the Swindon Retreat itself with lovely folk such as the Less is More gals, Kathy K and others - followed by a short time in London (Pimlico area) before she heads back home on Wednesday 3rd August.

If you want more details I think it's best for you to contact Darnell directly (her email link is in her blog profile). If you get stuck (I can never get those email links to work on my Linux operating system!) then feel free to contact me and I'll forward any emails onto Darnell. Even if you're unsure about arriving on your own - don't be! You're a lovely little band of crafters and will soon find that everyone will be welcomed with open arms. Exciting (and probably slightly scatty) times ahead!

Time now for the prize draw for the Woodware stamps 'Boxed Daisies Trio' and Cone Flower'. And our winner is:

Diane H

Ha! It was actually around last Easter when Diane won, so this is certainly due! I still have your address from then Diane and will post the stamps off to you this coming week - well done. 

Now here's this coming week's prize(s):

Of course, it's a die the same as the one I used for my snippets card today - a Frantic Stamper 'Thanks Card Band' die. Not a massive prize but hopefully it's a little bit unusual and something you'd like to win.

The Snippets Challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 2nd April. The gates will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

A maximum of ONE entry and please say in a comment if you wish to play and be a possible winner of the prize.Please also link back to the Playground in your blog post to be eligible for the draw.

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 :)

Di and, of course, Parsnip!
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A final Easter card

I almost forgot to blog this Easter card:

I used:

- 4" x 5.75" white card blank, with a teeny bit trimmed off the bottom so that the fancy die cut sits at the very edge

- image from LOTV's 'Bunnies' paper pad, die cut using a Spellbinders 'Labels Eight' die. Leaving the die cut still in the die I then ran a ball ended tool round to create the 'lipped edge'

- the sentiment stamp I used is an old favourite by Pink Gem Designs, stamped using SU's 'Certainly Celery' ink

- piece of white card stock, die cut using a Spellbinders 'Labels Eight Decorative' die

- glued the layers onto the card front and called it done

Di
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Rudolph Days - March 2016

And it's time for Rudolph Days once again over at Scrappy Mo's. You have from today until the end of the month to enter - so what are you waiting for? As always, Mo has a lovely prize on offer - and this is what I made as my entry this month:

I used:

- 5.75" x 5.75" square slightly off-white card blank (the white in the image panel is also slightly off-white, hence the choice of card blank

- a piece of Christmas green plain paper, which came free with a magazine years ago, it just happened to go with the greens in the image pretty well

- I found the sweet House Mouse image in a hidden Really Useful Box, already decoupaged some years ago when I had time to fiddle on snipping and layering decoupage, originally bought from Joanna Sheen - can't recall which set it was but would expect it's on the CD she stocks

- layered the image onto the piece of plain green paper and trimmed it to just slightly bigger than the image panel before sticking it onto the card front

- in the cello bag where the decoupaged image was carefully stored I also found the matching sentiment, already cut ready just to stick in place. I popped it across the top of the card, mostly to hide a little bit of a crinkle in the glossy paper that the decoupage was printed on

- then just added a few red self-adhesive pearls on top of the printed holly berries

Job done, in double quick time! So glad I opened that Really Useful Box to see what was lurking within.

This card is also for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #273 (Cute or Anything Goes this week) as well as Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for March 2016 (always Anything Goes).

That's 40 cards in the box for Christmas - but I'm lagging a bit behind as my target was 12 per month beginning in December, eight more to make before the end of March. It's all down to time lost at the desk when I couldn't sit for very long - and to be honest, a bit of apathy on my part :( I can see some 'batch baking' ahead!

Di
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Hooked on die cutting

Although I still get a lot of pleasure out of stamping and colouring, lately I've been playing with more and more dies and very recently made a card using a die from the utterly fabulous Memory Box Open Studio 'Baptisia Distressed Collage' die set. I know that Liz (see this card!) has been playing with this lovely set of dies recently (and I just fell in love with it!) - and am sure I've seen it being used elsewhere in the Playground. This is my first play ......... as I did wait a little while before giving in to temptation:

I used:

- 4" x 5.75" white card blank, tent style

- slightly smaller piece of white card stock, with opposing corners die cut using a die from the Memory Box Open Studio 'Baptisia Distressed Collage' die set

- worked out where I wanted the sentiment to go and stamped it using Memento 'London Fog' ink and a stamp from the 'SU 'Sincere Salutations' set (discontinued) 

- used a Memory Box 'Geneva Vine' die to cut out the central die cut, then inlaid it with green and pink die cuts, from snippets

- backed the whole piece with double sided adhesive sheet and layered it onto a piece of pink card

- the corner die cuts now had exposed sticky (as intended!) so I then sprinkled Crystal Glamour Dust over and gave it a good brush over with a soft brush to remove the excess. I use a long handled Avon blusher brush for this - bought specially for the purpose

- finally, added tickles of clear Wink of Stella to the pink flower heads. In real life I like that the corners really twinkle and it's when you turn the card for the light to catch it that the more subtle shimmer shows on the flowers

Edit: Thanks to Andrea for pointing this out to me - this card fits in with the current Memory Box # 10 challenge which is blossoms and/or bunnies. Where have I been all this time, what a great challenge - especially if you adore Memory Box products as much as I do!

And, thanks to Sarn's encouragement HERE, I hopped out into the sunshine yesterday and bought some Cadbury's Creme Eggs. Did a few bits of shopping elsewhere (including buying the bunnies in Hobbycraft) and then came home and quickly made these:

We have a lovely young neighbour who usually calls by with a small Easter egg for us. So there are three of these little 'eggs on thrones' waiting for Hemma - one for her, and one each  for Gerry and Nina, her Mum and Dad. Ha! And there's two left over in the box of five to be scoffed too :) Well I never!

Thanks Sarn for the idea - nice one :) 

And slap my wrist, due to going out to play in the sunshine I neglected the Playground today - will catch up ASAP! 

Di
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Less is More - #268 - What's outside your window

The current challenge over at Less is More has the theme of 'What's outside your window' this current week. Either real life or in your imagination. I went for real life as we get hours of pleasure from watching the antics of a variety of birds in the garden, not least when they all queue up for a bath. The Stampin' Up stamp I used for my card sums it up really - they flick the water everywhere (some of the cleverer birds just sit underneath the bird bath and take a shower) and it's a constant job to keep topping up the water level for them.

Plus, over the past two weeks, we've spotted that our resident male robin has been joined by a 'wifelet' - so Spring must be in the air if he's let her onto his territory!

Bird bath plus robins - that's the focus of my Less is More entry this week:

I used:

- 4" x 5.75" white card blank

- a slightly smaller piece of white card stock, embossed using SU's 'Square Lattice' folder   and glued onto the card front

- a stamp from SU's 'For the Birds' set, stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and coloured in using Whispers Markers (they really do have the finest small tip on one end, ideal for colouring in little images)

- die cut the image using a die from the Lil' Inkers 'Stitched Rectangles' set

- attached the image panel to the card front using thin sticky pads

I just looked back through the blog and it's just over three years since I posted about a really unusual phenomenon which occurred in said bird bath:

I know a good few of you were already visiting the blog/Playground back then - but for those who weren't and might want to see the original post about the 'ice spike' which appeared overnight - it's HERE. And it also appears on Wikipedia - fame for the Playground!

Di
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Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 221

OK, who stole this past week then? I can't believe how fast it flew by! The weather has been up and down - Parsnip is switching between a body warmer and his sunshades!

This week I have two snippets cards of mine to share - I was on a roll the other afternoon and spent a couple of hours stamping and colouring. This is the first card I made:

I used:

- white DL sized card blank

- stamped the image onto a snippet of white card using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and the fabulous Woodware 'Boxed Daisies Trio' stamp

- also stamped the image onto a snippet of spotty mauve paper from the Wild Rose Studio 'Wintry Christmas' paper pack - you'll see why in a minute

- coloured the image on the white card using Pro Markers and then trimmed round the inner edge, cutting carefully around the leaves and petals which flow out of the frame

- next I trimmed the outer edge of the spotty mauve stamped image, leaving the black edge showing

- that formed a mauve spotty frame so it was just a case of gluing the coloured image in place

- stamped the sentiment using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and a stamp from the Stampendous 'Happy Messages' set - directly onto the card front - ha, before doing anything else!

- glued the image panel in place on the card front and added a tickle of clear Wink of Stella' to the daisy centres

- confession - I'd done a little bit of wonky cutting on the right hand side of the image and needed to cover up the mistake so I die cut three butterflies from a deeper mauve snippet of the same spotty paper and stuck two on the image and one just fluttering inside the sentiment. Really I'd have preferred not to have added the butterflies - but needs must when the Devil drives :(

- added little mauve sparkly gems to the butterflies

This is the second snippets card I made - told you I was on a roll:

I used:

- white DL sized card blank, again

- stamped the image onto a snippet of white card using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and another fabulous Woodware stamp called 'Cone Flower'

- coloured the image on the white card using Pro Markers and Whispers Marker pens for the fine detail such as flicking the little hairs onto the flower centres

- added clear Wink of Stella to the flower petals and the leaves

- then trimmed round the inner edge of the frame leaving a white band right round the frame

- mounted the image onto a snippet of black card stock, trimmed to just a teensy bit bigger than the image panel it was just a case of gluing the coloured image in place

- stamped the sentiment using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and a stamp from the Stampendous 'Happy Messages' set - directly onto the card front - again, before doing anything else! The words 'Thank You' were in one line, so with heart in mouth I carefully snipped them apart - much more versatile now

- glued the image panel in place on the card front

I love both of these stamps, they're quite fresh and funky looking and there's also scope to paper piece.

Onto the weekly 'peek at the picks', which gets tougher all the time. I know we don't have a theme each week, other than use snippets, but I decided to make the first three of this week's picks all Easter related:

Love this sweet little Easter basket, brought to share with us by Tiziana. Such a cute little bunny as well :)

How clever is this mug, holding Easter treats, made by Carol L. A really great idea and the traditional Easter colours are fabulous too.

I really smiled at this sweet bunnies card - made by Sam (Whisper). They do look as if they're celebrating :)

Onto a few other entries with some clever ideas for you to think about:

Such a pretty card, made by Heather. I love the design but what really adds even more to the card are those layers on the little lady's dress - they're vellum which has been inked in different colours and the effect is just fabulous!

And here's a totally amazing card, made by Janis of Her Peaceful Garden. I love the finished card in any case but (although some of you have already hopped over to comment) - I wonder if you can guess how those beautiful background roses were stamped? Think lettuce and you'd be getting warmer. Go and see - you won't regret it!

And last, but by no means least, how about this glorious card - made by Diane H? I just adore it and how clever to have all those beautiful flowers peeping out of the turned down corner. Amazing - and a delight to look at.

We had no new Playmates this week, although with 57 entries the Playground was still busy of course.

Time for the prize draw for the House Mouse stamp, and those lovely dies donated by Barb. And our winner is:

Meg

Well done Meg, your last win was August 2015 so it's good to see your name first out of the hat this week. I still have your address and will post the prize off to you this week.

I'm a bit conscious that those of you who opt for just one part of a prize might feel that your name never seems to come up as a winner. Please rest assured that I'm very happy to split prizes even though it would cost extra postage - so don't feel it lessens your chances! It's just the luck of the draw, everyone has an equal chance now and it's far better that you don't win something you don't really want. So please still feel free to opt for just part of a prize, Mr Random will pick you sooner or later I'm sure.

Now here's this coming week's prize(s):

Linked to today's snippets cards - it's two of the same Woodware stamps that I used on my cards today ('Boxed Daisies Trio' and Cone Flower').

The Snippets Challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 26th March. The gates will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

A maximum of ONE entry and please say in a comment if you wish to play and be a possible winner of the prize. If you only want to play for one or other of the stamps then just say so in a comment - if your number comes up then I'll do a further draw for the remaining part(s) of the prize. But, both stamps are up as one complete prize if you so wish of course. Please also link back to the Playground in your blog post to be eligible for the draw.

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 :)

Di and, of course, Parsnip!
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Pink poppies thank you

Looking through my Penny Black Stickeroos the other day, I came across a lovely sheet of 'totally unused as yet' images and so this is what I made:

I used:

- 5.5" x 5.5" creamy white card blank

- snippets of baby pink card stock, one as the main backing which was trimmed down and glued to the card front

- a patterned sheet from Pink Paislee's 'Butterfly Garden' collection, trimmed down to size and glued in place

- popped the Stickeroo onto a snippet of baby pink card stock and then trimmed it down to leave a narrow border of pink showing - the Stickeroo is from the Penny Black  'Promise of Spring' sheet

- glued the image panel onto the card front

- added the 'Thank you' sentiment which was die cut twice from baby pink card snippets and stuck together (used double sided adhesive sheet) then added to the card. The die I used is a freebie which came with 'Papercraft Essentials' magazine
not that long ago

- three baby pink self-adhesive pearls to finish off

As I said, the die was free with 'Papercraft Essentials' magazine not so long ago and, unlike the other free Christmas die I recently had such a disaster with, it cuts beautifully, releases the die cut without a fight and is really robust. It's one of my favourite dies and up there with the Penny Black 'Hooray' set in terms of quality, which is praise indeed!

Some you win and some you lose I guess - this was a win :)

Di
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Hello - welcome baby

Recently I spotted THIS card in the Playground made by Helen (it was also one of my weekly picks), and I just had to have the wonderful swirly sentiments stamp set she'd used as stems with the Tim Holtz 'Tattered Florals' die cut flowers. The other day I was browsing through a craft magazine and spotted a similar idea, this time using swirly sentiments as strings hanging from balloons. And this is what I made - one for a baby girl and one for a baby boy:

I used:

- 4" x 5.75" white card blanks

- snippets of matt pale pink and pearlescent baby blue card stock

- cut one layer of the pastel colours for each card as a backing 'frame' - just slightly smaller than the card itself, then glued it to the front of the card blank. I ran a clear Wink of Stella brush around the edge of the matt pink card just to give it a little bit of shimmer beforehand

- cut a further layer of card, this time using Centura Pearl white card stock

- die cut two blue and two pink heart shaped balloons (used a Marianne Creatables 'Heart Balloon' die with their strings snipped off afterwards) then embossed them using a tan mat and also covered the pink balloons with clear Wink of Stella

- then it was just a case of positioning where I wanted things to line up and lightly marking the positions with a soft pencil before first stamping the two Simon Says Stamp 'Handwritten Borders' sentiments using Ranger Archival Jet Black Ink onto the white pearlescent card pieces I'd cut earlier

- next glued the hearts in place

- finally added some iridescent sequins

 Called it a day :) Now I just need some new babies on the scene!

Di
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Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - Happy Easter

It's time for a new challenge over at Cuttlebug Mania - and this time it's 'Happy Easter' (make an Easter project). I opted to make a pretty simple card card but there are lots of lovely things you can make to contain Easter eggs or chocolates :) The choice is yours!

You do have to use a manual die cutting/embossing machine (it doesn't need to be a Cuttlebug but it must be manual, not electronic). And, you can't mix the two, it must be all manual please. Then make your entry, link into the challenge, link to the challenge in your own blog post and and make sure that you also say what products you used for any die cutting/embossing.

Our sponsor this fortnight is 'A Day for Daisies' - more details of the prize are over on the challenge.

Here's the Easter card I made:

I used:

- 4" x 5.75" white card blank

- snippet of SU's 'So Saffron' card stock, embossed using a Quickutz 'Flowers' embossing folder - one of the very first ones I ever bought - and trimmed to just slightly a smaller than the card front

- wrapped milk and dark chocolate coloured ribbon across the embossed panel and adhered it to the card front, then added just a knot of the dark chocolate coloured ribbon

- the image was stamped onto white card using Memento 'London Fog' ink and a Crafty impressions stamp set called 'Eggstra'

- die cut the image using a Spellbinders 'Floral Ovals' die and fixed it to the card using thin sticky pads

- tickled the chick with clear Wink of Stella just to add a bit of shimmer

- stuck three pearls at the bottom of the image panel just to finish off

I didn't have a true egg shaped die but thought this pretty oval die would look fine. It reminded me of the most wonderful Easter egg I was ever given as a child - made of sparkly white sugar paste and so intricately iced. It was bought for me by a lovely couple who had no children of their own and maybe liked to spoil other people's kiddies. It had a tiny little scene from Cinderella inside which you could peek at through an oval 'window' and it was  absolutely exquisite. I never sampled it and kept it for ages. I think it eventually went yellowed and sticky with age!

I hope you join in with the challenge, remember it runs for a fortnight so plenty of time to play!

Di
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Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 220

Yay, and another week just whizzed past! Really mixed weather here in the Playground too, everything from high winds, rain, hailstones, snow (just a few flakes) and then misty mornings followed by a good bit of sunshine.

Here's my snippets card for this week, based on a design I saw on the internet, although I can't trace who originally made it:

I used:

- 4" x 5.75" white card blank, opening on the short side for a change

- snippet of mossy green Core'dinations card stock for the backing layer, I used the non-textured side for the front

- snippet of SU's 'Real Red' card stock, topped with a snippet of Echo Park's 'Hello Summer' spotted paper

- the image is by House Mouse called 'Jelly Bean Nap', stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured in using Pro Markers

- die cut the image with a Spellbinders 'Labels Eight' die and backed it with a snippet of SU's 'Marina Mist' (created by drawing round the outer edge of the die and fussy cutting round the shape)

- wrapped a snippet of brownish ribbon round the layers of coloured/patterned card before gluing them to the card front

- topped it off with the layered image then added a bow, using the glue gun

The image was such fun to colour, I chose the snippet of spotty paper before touching the Pro Markers in order to pick out the same colours. The card was originally made as a 6" x 6" size but the end result had way too much of the mossy green card above and below the right hand end of the image panel. Went over various ideas to fill the space, none of which would have been right. So, in the end I lopped off the top and bottom of the card instead :)

Onto the weekly 'peek at the picks':

I love this card, made by Chris. Such a wonderful background topped with the trellis - and those butterflies are just fabulous!

Love, love this card - made by Maura. Wonderful background here too topped with the lovely blossom and that sweet bird, it just oozes Springtime to me.

Carol brought this card to show, and it uses several snippets of course. The little touches which really caught my eye are that wonderful strip of embossed hearts (one to remember!) - plus how clever to pick out the three hearts on the little snail in that cute image and then echo them in the hearts strip. It's all in the detail! :)

This fabulous card was brought to show by Brenda - just prior to a little trip to the theatre for a date with a surgeon :( Hope you're recovering well Brenda! LOVE the bronze, butterfly and buttons on this beautifully made card and of course one of Brenda's trademark bows - everything about it is just so perfect.

As you know, I'm trying to keep time spent at the desk down a bit so will be trying to stick with three or so picks - this week it's actually five picks and this final one just rocked me on my heels!

A few of you have already been over to Cara's blog to comment and it would be just fabulous if more of you went to have a peek. Of course you can then enlarge the image for a closer look as well - and then you'll see that every single element in this row of flowers has been individually paper pieced! A huge double-wow from me for patience Cara - it's gorgeous!

We had no new Playmates this week, although with 63 entries the Playground was still busy of course. I heard more chinking of glasses so goodness knows what Sarn's celebrating now!

Time for the prize draw here now. We had the LOTV 'Heartfelt' paper pad, LOTV 'Bunnies' Art Pad and a set of Spellbinders Labels Eighteen dies as the prize(s) if you recall. And our winner is also, purely by coincidence, one of of my picks this week:

Craftychris

I've checked back in my little black book and also this blog Chris, and am sure this is your first prize win in the Playground - yay! Can you please drop me an email with your postal address and I'll send your prize off as soon as possible this coming week. My email address is on the right hand sidebar BTW.

Now here's this coming week's prize(s) - a two-parter.

Linked to today's snippets card - it's a House Mouse 'Jelly Bean Nap' stamp, just like I used today. Plus, a lovely set of dies kindly donated by Barb, called 'Frames and Tags - Refined Rectangular Frame' - Sizes: 102mm x 64mm (Frame) & 59mm x 23mm (Tag) - made by Creative Expressions and designed by Sue Wilson. Thanks so much Barb - someone is going to love these really pretty dies!

The Snippets Challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 19th March. The gates will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

A maximum of ONE entry (just to remind you!) and please say in a comment if you wish to play and be a possible winner of the prize. If you only want to play for either the House Mouse stamp or the really great die set then just say so in a comment - if your number comes up then I'll do a further draw for the remaining part(s) of the prize. But, both items are up as one complete prize if you so wish of course. Please also link back to the Playground in your blog post to be eligible for the draw.

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 :)

Di and, of course, Parsnip!
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