Sunday Snippets - Aurora Snowflake

We've had quite a decent week weatherwise here. Not the silly sizzling temperatures we have known but still pretty hot!

I'm ploughing through my NBUS goodies and, as it's also the Rudolph Days Challenge, made a little run of Christmas cards - four of them, all the same:

The blue is much more vibrant in real life BTW!

A closer look at the sparkle!

I used:

- 5.75" x 4" white card blank, side opening

- Tonic Mirror card in 'Firestone Red', trimmed to exactly the same size as the card front

- glued the mirror card onto the card front using my ScorPal corner to butt up the base card and then just slipped the ready glued mirror card layer on top. pushing it into the same corner - easy peasy. I only recently spotted this idea on Chrissie Stokes' You Tunbe channel and it's a real game changer. I know, late to the party, once again!

- next, I die cut the backing layer of blue snowflake patterned paper using Whimsy 'Blurry Flurries' paper (love this particular paper pad so much that I have two of them, plus the leftovers in an original pad!) and a scalloped die from a lesser known UK branded set I bought recently on clearance. Rubbish quality, made in China for maximum profit and less robust than China made dies usually are. It's now in the bin as it distorted like a banana on the first pass - lesson leanrned there! 

- glued the backing layer onto the red mirror card layer

- then die cut the Memory Box 'Aurora Snowflake'  using a snippet of parchment paper for the back layer and a snippet of white card for the top layer. I had already covered the front of the white card snippet with Woodware double sided sheet scraps - something else I hoard!

- at that point I decided that the top snowflake layer was likely to be delicate so I immediately glued it onto the snowflake parchment backing using a glue pen rather than risk removing the protective layer and glittering it straight away

- it was a risk, but worked fine when I came to then glitter the snowflake - using something much akin to Glamour Dust but even better IMHO. I bought a huge unbranded pot many years ago from a local craft shop

- used a soft brush to whisk away any stray pieces of sparkle - still finding them on my clothes and (ahem) person days later!

- glued the finished snowflake onto the card front

- added the sentiment - ready made using snippets - from my little tub of my favourite small sized 'Merry Christmas' die cuts

- and that, was it - finished!

I'd like to enter this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #64 HERE

The Rudolph Days Challenge for July 2024 HERE 

And, into the current Allsorts Challenge, under the 'Anything Goes' rule.

Dudley Pupdate: Basically, Dudley had a wonderful Birthday on Monday - he nose dabbed each card and gift he was given (frantic to sample the edible gifts of course!) and was almost cuddled to pieces by yours truly! Huge thanks for all your Birthday wishes etc. He certainly realised that the day was special - err, and tried to carry it on for the remainder of the week! Rather like a child who has become over excited and just can't calm down.

I know that some of you will have already seen this photo of Dudley Dog in full show coat, taken in May 2019 - hard to believe he was only 10 months old. It didn't last long, being the little pickle he is - it became clear that a puppy cut was the way forward. And everyone was happier as a result!

Very importantly, the results of Challenge #484 are now published HERE. 

Do please come and play in Sarn's current challenge over in the Snippets Playground! Just scroll down from my results post - over in the Playground.

Love from myself and Dudley, xxx

Sunday Snippets - Birthday Boy!

Well, after some recent grim weather - now here we are, absolutely roasting! It's pointless planning ahead these days if 'weather' factors into the mix. 

Anyhow, we're celebrating regardless of Mother Nature and her 'moods' as Dudley has his 6th Birthday on Monday 22nd July. Here's his Birthday card from Len and myself:

And most of the leftover snippets!

I used:

- 8" x 6" deckle edged cream hammered card blank (dating back to my early crafting days when I used a postal supplier in Chesham whose name escapes me now - but I'm thrilled to have unearthed them not too long ago!) - side opening

- a piece of the same cream hammered card, cut from a matching card blank, measuring quarter of an inch less on all four sides to use as the front panel - set aside for later

- next up was the Havanese image, which I didn't want to be a true 'Dudley photo' but a near enough portrait. I downloaded it from a digital images website for a small cost - the full sized image is utterly stunning and I think this little guy does the trick

- a fair bit of fiddling around with the size took place before I was happy - then printed the image onto printer paper as I couldn't face accessing the rear feed on my printer to use card. It came out fine!

- next, I used Stick It sheet to adhere the paper printed Havanese to a snippet of white card before then covering it with a snippet of self-adhesive clear plastic laminate sheet for a glossy finish

- then, used a die from the Marianne set of stitched circles to die cut the little guy's image  - success!

- used a NBUS die from the Heffy Doodles 'Skinny Circle Frames' die set to cut the turquoise frame for the image and glued the centre fallout from that behind the doggie image for stability and a little bit of 'lift'

- final touch for the centre image panel was to die cut an outer 'frame' using a die from Tonic's huge set of plain circle dies - introducing terracotta into the mix - glued all the layers together and set it to one side

- for the 'Happy Birthday' I used more of the turquoise card and an unbranded 'Happy Birthday' die with no name, very much like Poe script - double layered then set aside

- the number 6 die is by The Works from their  'Numbered Candles' set of dies, long discontinued I think, double layered in turquoise card and then the flame was die cut from a paler terracotta card snippet, double layered and added to the flame area of the die cut

- next I dug through the lovely Funky Fossil 'Ransom Note' set of dies for letters to make up Dudley's name, used snippets of truquoise and two shades of terracotta to cut two of each and then double layered them

- and now the fun part - assembly time!

- first of all I glued the sentiment and the number 6 onto the hammered cream card panel

- then added the Havanese image panel using thin sticky fixers

- and then Dudley's name was added, using a glue pen

- final step was to adhere the finished panel onto the card front - using thin strips of foam tape in the usual way

I'd like to enter this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #64 - the Funky Fossil circle frames and also the Marianne stitched circle die sets were both NBUS. And the Funky Fossil 'Ransom Note' dies don't appear to have been used previously either! 

And, into the current Allsorts Challenge #790, under the 'Anything Goes' rule.

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley is still a delightful pickle of course - recently he's been having a whale of a time between the house and our garden log cabin. He loves it when I'm relaxing in there and comes to visit to check I haven't run away. Tthen hops around the garden doing zoomies before popping back into the house to check that Len hasn't run away. It keeps him occupied and generally out of mischief. Of course, if there's something 'icky' to roll in on the lawn during his travels then he'll find it and give it his all!! On Friday he found a wonderful pile to roll over and he ended up with a slightly clipped patch for his pains - Len keeps a pair of rounded end doggie scissors handy!

The little guy's Birthday tomorrow will be a day much like any other - but, it did give me cause for reflection and  I came across this 'progress' photo - sent to us by Cherie, the lovely breeder, It was taken after we'd chosen Dudley (or HE chose us!) ...... but he had to wait with his siblings until he was old enough to leave Dolly his Mum. He was about eight weeks old at the time and still sits in exactly the same way whenever he's hopeful for extra cuddles - or more likely treats! With that very same unwavering stare as well!

Very importantly, we have a new Challenge #485 being run by our lovely Sarn over HERE! Do please come and play - the more, the merrier!

Love from myself and Dudley, xxx

Sunday Snippets - 'Let it Snow'

To be honest, given the mixed weather here, a bit of snow wouldn't really surprise me! This afternoon (Saturday) the rain was coming down in torrents/stair rods. I was almost ready to steal/launch the Playground canoe to take us (Dudley and I) to safety ............ hoping that Len would swim along behind pushing us as we two passengers paddled, bailed and cheered him on! Visions of me in the front with Dudley huddled behind me sheltered from the wind and rain beating out the paddle timings with his paw on a little drum ......... a bit like a dragon boat race really. OK, dream on Di, sometimes I do believe I need help! 😀

So, here's my snippets card for this week:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank - side opening

- piece of white card the same size as the card front on which I would build the little scene 

- the 'snowy background' paper is quite flimsy so I added Stick It sheet to the whole of the white panel front. Then covered it with a piece of 'Night Sky Scrap Book Paper' from a NBUS book of papers. Mostly like galaxies but some do resemble falling snow if you select the area on the sheet carefully (bought from Amazon ages ago) 

- only then did I trim the panel size down to 5.25" x 4" - I don't trust my precision when using something like Stick It sheet where you only get the one chance! Then put the panel to one side for now

- grabbed the Altenew Mini die cutting machine and had a little play with red and white snippets of paper and card to die cut the snowman first, with his scarf, hat and patchwork heart. Added the pieces to the snowman and then die cut his nose and pompom for his hat. The eyes were so tiny I just used a fine marker pen for those, as well as for the four little buttons down his front. Such a cute little guy and so reminiscent of a much loved Penny Black stamp. The die set is an unbranded gift from a very kind friend, you know who you are x

- then used snippets of the white and the same red patterned paper (from inside the back of a Marianne Christmas paper pad many years old) to die cut the three word sentiment - by Creative Expressions called 'Festive Shadowed Snetiment - Let it Snow'

- glued the words and backing shadow together using a glue pen then popped them somewhere safe until the next step

- now I knew the 'lie of the land' and the spacings available I could die cut a couple of snowy 'hills' using a Spellbinders die from their 'A2 Curved Borders One' set 

- glued the hills in place (subtle but there are two of them) leaving overhangs at the sides which I then trimmed from behind flush with the trimmed down main 'snowy sky' panel

- then used the snowman to check positioning and glued the sentiment shadowed words in place

- added the snowman to the card front using thin sticky pads and a glue stick, just in case of a 'wobble'

- finally, glued the whole front panel onto the card front - using the ever faithful and forgiving Collall All Purpose glue

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

- Darnell's NBUS challenge #64 - HERE - the snowman die, sentiment dies and, shame on me, the 'Galaxy' papers were all having its first outing

- Allsorts Challenge #789 HERE - under the 'Anything goes' option

Dudley Pupdate: It's been a fairly uneventful week in Dudley's world. He's heading for his sixth Birthday very soon so I'm working on a card for him whenever he's occupied elsewhere! How sad, hiding the card you're making in case the dog sees it! 

Dudley is obviously a late developer (quiet smile here) as only recently has he actually taken the words 'Bed time' onboard! He immediately scampers off to find his chosen spot out of the few that he moves around during the night. He's quite a restless sleeper and sometimes has the 'night terrors'. Why, we have no idea, but we just calm him down - perhaps let him mooch around the garden and then he settles back down. It could be that he knows the hedgehogs are out and about - they're eating us out of house and home right now and sometimes it seems as if they're having a brawl in the feeding station! I know, or 'doing other stuff' - but we can't feed any more mouths!

Remember, the results from Challenge #483  are now published in the Snippets Playground HERE. 

Hope to see you on the swings for the current challenge as that runs for almost another week. Come ready for all weathers - sunbathing and swimming gear as well as wellies and umbrellas! And a fleece or perhaps even a pair of skis, if you're wise!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - Fractured Christmas card

Reminded by Carol L's 'pick' last week. I revisited the Fractured Card 'technique' the other day:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank, side opening

- a snippet of white card covered with a piece of patterned paper from the really lovely Honey Bee 'Make It Merry' paper pad

- trimmed the panel to measure an eighth of an inch less than the card blank on all four sides as the base and set it to one side

- die cut a snippet of the same white card using a 2" Heffy Doodles 'Stitched Squares' die ready for the sentiment

- I die cut a 4" square 'jig' with a scrap of card and die cut the centre portion out using the same 2" stitched square die turned to sit with the points facing top. bottom and the two sides 

- stamped 'MERRY and BRIGHT' using a sentiment from Penny Black's 'Yuletide Wishes' set of stamps and a VersaFine Clair 'Shady Lane' ink pad - and the mini Misti

- glued the sentiment die cut onto the front panel of patterned papera further piece of the same paper 

- cut four quarter inch wide strips of a snippet of plain green paper from the same pad as the patterned paper came from - always a good way to match colours

- then, one at a time I used a glue pen to glue them from a corner of each side of the sentiment panel, right down to the edge patterned layer

- flipped the paper covered panel over and trimmed off the 'overhanging bits'

- adhered the completed panel onto the card blank using narrow foam strips - finished! Sorry, no photo of the white and green snippets I used 

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

- Christmas Kickstart #88 - 'Festive Frames' (I hope the Fractured technique counts as forming a frame around the sentiment panel) 

- Allsorts Challenge Week 788 - under the 'Anything goes' option.

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley has been a proper little pickle this past week! We had a guy here doing some regular maintenance work and the little scamp decided that he would make a good Mum to his puppies if you get my drift. Oh the shame of it - so determined was Dudley that he even skipped away from a treat as I was trying to close him in the craft room with me! Luckily the chap could see the funny side of it. 

Then, I went to have my hair chopped and there was a sweet little dog in the salon so of course I made a fuss of him.  When I got home Dudley was very excited as always - practically breaking the front door down. But not long after my arrival he 'really' sniffed my leg and he probably picked up Teddy's whiff, froze, glared and stalked off to bury his head under Len's pillow .... showing his bottom to us - purely to demonstrate that he was in a 'strop'!!  I tell you - it's like having Kevin The Teenager living here!!

Remember, I've just kicked off a new challenge over in the Snippets Playground HERE. 

Hope to see you on the swings, the weather is up and down at the moment - so perhaps the seesaw would be a better choice? Corny, I know. 

Love as always, Dudley Dog and me