Sunday Snippets - Candy cane Christmas

Happy Snippets Sunday, from an absolutely roasting hot Hampshire. Somehow, in all the unrelenting heat, I thought about Christmas for my card today:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank, tent style

- deep blue snippet of Creative Expressions' 'Deep Blue' card, slightly trimmed to 5.25" x 4" then glued onto the card front

- snippets of white card from the snippets basket along with coloured snippets from the Papermill Swatches that I still cant bear to part with - two greens, two reds and a maroon!  Yup, maroon - not brown I promise!

- spent a happy time die cutting the pieces for the decorated candy cane using my little Altenew die cutting machine and a set of Crafter's Companion dies called 'Retro Christmas - Candy cane and foliage'. A pre-loved item bought from Facebook

- assembled the candy cane and foliage using a glue pen then added the bow using very narrow red line tape

- then, using a small unbranded NBUS stamp from a good friend, I stamped the 'Special friend' Christmas sentiment using Clair Nocturne, then die cut it using a little label die, which was another gift! 

- just stuck the label into the assembled bow using very narrow red line tape

-- final step was to add snipped pieces of thin sticky pad for dimension to the back of the assembled candy cane, bow and stamped label, then gently press it in place on the card front 

- finished!

I'm entering the following challenges: 

Allsorts #856 HERE - 'Embossing or dry heat- or 'Anything Goes' , which is where I'm entering this card. I did dry emboss a background using the Gemini originally but the embossing wasn't sharp enough to use and I was wilting in the heat  .... so cut my losses and opted for the plain deep blue!

Darnell's NBUS Challenge August 2026 - HERE  - all the dies, from two sets, plus the label stamp for the sentiment came from my stash of NBUS goodies! 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #113 - HERE - the theme is 'Friendship'

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley is such a wise little chap! He lies just inside the shower room door off our bedroom - cannily catching a nice down draft from the bedroom air-con unit. We'll be on bread and jam when the electricity bill comes in, and that's on just one appliance - so it has its down side. If you see Dudley sidling around the Playground offering to help out with any odd jobs then it's because he doesn't fancy living on jam sandwiches!

Him taking up residence in the shower room to cool off at various times of the day and night is 'fun' when I need to use the toilet. He now knows the trigger word for 'please vacate your spot for a short time' It's 'Pigeon'!! 

Born from Len's observation that, like most pigeons, when approached he always seems to move in any direction other than OUT of the way! Which is uncannily accurate! So I can be found during the night whispering 'Please move PIGEON' as I approach the shower room! And, I kid you not - it works, but he's NOW taken to very pointedly sitting outside the room, almost rolling his eyes, just waiting for me to get the heck out of his cool place so he can lie down again!  

Sarn has opened up Challenge #539 in the Snippets Playground HERE. A brilliant and fun prize bundle to be won too. See you in the paddling pool! There could be a long queue/line!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - the hum of bees ....

I used a new stamp set I've had for absolutely ages for my snippets card below - and, you can win a duplicate of the same set over in The Snippets Playground HERE: 

I used:

- an A6 white card blank, side opening 

-  snippet of white card measuring 5.5" x 3.5" for the image

- stamped the image and sentiment using a Clair 'Nocturne' ink pad and two stamps from the 'Foxglove and Bees' stamp set by Creative Expressions

- coloured the foxglove using Polychromos pencils and tickled the bees' wings with clear 'Wink of Stella'

- snippet of 'Soft Amethyst' satin mirror card measuring 5.75" x 3.75", which I glued onto the white card blank front

- then just popped a few SU gems in the bottom right hand corner to finish off

I've hesitated to use this new stamp set for ages, yet it was a breeze to colour in the end!

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

- Allsorts Challenge #851 HERE - the theme is 'Anything Goes from the Garden, just perfect! 

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #87 HERE - the foxglove and bees stamp set is my NBUS

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

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley is certainly happier now that temperatures have dropped here - but now we have rain so he's shooting out and back into the house as fast as his little paws will carry him!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - Have a Beautiful Birthday

To be fair, the Beautiful Birthday has already been and gone, but I wanted to share the card I recently made for a very special friend - and I used snippets of course:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" purple card blank, using  a sheet from the HunkyDory 'Garden Treasures' card pack, side opening

- a piece of 'white brick wall' patterned paper from the 'Brick Wall Texture' pack - brand unknown, from Amazon - trimmed to 5.25" x 4" and set aside

- a snippet of purple card, leftover from making the card blank, which I die cut using a Craft Addiction's set of dies called 'Slatted Arch'

- piece of white card, also a snippet, onto which I stamped the adorable Newton's Nook 'Dainty Daisies' using Clair 'Nocturne' ink

- then coloured the 'daisies' image using Polychromos pencils before die cutting the bunch using a co-ordinating die 

- that meant I could sit and sort of juggle the flowers and arch around a bit until I was happy where the sentiment would go with it

- stamped the sentiment onto the bottom left of the card using Clair 'Nocturne' ink again and a NBUS stamp from Penny Black's 'super day' stamp set

- then glued the brick wall panel onto the card front, along with the die cut arch

- then adhered the bunch of daisies in place using thin snippets of foam sticky pad 

- finished! 

I'd like to enter this card into:

Allsorts Challenge #848 HERE - under 'Anything Goes'

Darnell's NBUS Challenge # 85 HERE - the set of slatted arch dies are my NBUS items

Dudley Pupdate: With warmer weather the past few days, Dudley is beginning head to cool, tiled, floors to lie on. By this time, late on a Saturday evening, he's usually cuddled up on our bed. Looks like a warm night ahead as he seems to be sprawled in the tiled hallway. Clever little guy! Doubtless with Honka Duck keeping him company.

Sarn has opened up Challenge #531 in the Snippets Playground HERE . See you on the swings! I think I heard mutterings about needing a new paddling pool earlier today!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - 'BIG Hugs'

Happy 1st March folks - White Rabbits!

My snippets card for today was super fast to make, I wish I could say I made the pretty background, but then my nose would grow like Pinnochio's:

I used:

- 5.75" x 5.75" white square card blank

- glued a 5.75" x 5.75" layer of Creative Expressions' Foundation Card in 'Deep Blue' (such a gorgeous colour!) to cover the whole front of the card

- then trimmed a sheet of designer paper from a Stamps by Me 'Creative Watercolours' paper pack down to 5.5" x 5.5" and glued that onto the blue card front

- lastly the sentiment - for which I used snippets of plain vellum along with Tonic satin mirror card in 'Soft Amethyst'. The pair of dies is by Memory Box, called 'BIG Hugs' of course!

I so love this NBUS paper pad and have had it for simply ages - found it the other day languishing in a basket of snippets .... no doubt feeling like Billy No-Mates! 

I'd like to enter this card into:

Allsorts Challenge #844 HERE - under 'Anything Goes'

Darnell's NBUS Challenge # 72 HERE - the paper pack is my NBUS item

Dudley Pupdate: a couple of lovely sunny days here really have made Dudley's week. Courting pigeons are his favourite target in the garden, purely to say 'Hello, I'm Dudley. Can I play your dancing and bowing game too please?'. Of course, they're off like a shot, leaving him wondering what he said wrong!

He scared us on Thursday morning when he misjudged his flying leap onto our bed, via a low footstool placed permanently at the end of the bed as his 'springboard'. He did a perfect backflip back off the bed and landed on a heap on the floor! Thankfully totally unscathed but it was a heart-stopping sight. 

Sarn has opened up Challenge #527 in the Snippets Playground HERE .

Do come and play with us in the Playground - this last challenge was a bit thin on the ground, although it did pick up during the second week.Many thanks to those of you who commented on my post last Sunday - much appreciated!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - 2026 Valentine's Day!

My snippets card for today is a Valentine's Day card - from Dudley and myself to Len:

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white card blank - side opening

- trimmed a snippet of Tonic mirror 'Red Organza' card down to 4.5" x 4.5"

- trimmed a snippet of white card down to 4.25" x 4.25" and glued it to the front of the piece of 'Red Organza' card

- next embossed a snippet of Tonic pearlescent 'Luna Silver' card using a NBUS folder  by Arriettycraft called 'Hearts'

- trimmed the hearts embossed card down to 3.5" x 3.5" then cut across it diagonally using a guillotine

- glued the triangles to the top left and bottom right corners of the white layer of card. The card design sort of evolved as I went along, otherwise I'd have glued the triangles to the white layer before backing it with the red (easier to line up) . However, a blind man on a galloping horse wouldn't notice!

- then die cut the sentiment twice using another couple of snippets of the 'Red Organza' card and layered them together

- glued the sentiment onto the front panel and added five little hearts - die cut from teensy snippets using the same sentiment die, which is by Impression Obsession called 'Love'. I really like how the letter 'o' is depicted by a heart - another die that's on my long list of favourites!

- finally, the whole panel was adhered to the front of the card blank, using narrow foam strips - finished!

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

- Allsorts Challenge 843 HERE - under ''Embossing'

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #83 HERE - my NBUS item is the hearts embossing folder

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

Dudley Pupdate: It's been a mostly damp, but uneventful, week here for Dudley. At least he hasn't refused point blank to go into the garden in the rain - clever little guy seems to know when there's a break in the weather! Saturday, yesterday was a gloriously sunny day and Dudley was delighted - zoomies galore!

It was also Valentine's Day of course, and the card from Dudley (below) was such a lovely surprise, so sweet:

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - for someone special

I recently bought a fabulous John Next Door 'pre-loved' 'Shaded Ivy' stamp and matching die. Here it is in use below:

I used:

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

- itching to try out the John Next Door stamp and die set, I picked out a snippet of Vaessen cardstock (love their products, available on Amazon!) in 'textured green' and used the reverse side of the card as the pattern/texture is 'softer' when stamping

- then used the *JND133 'Shaded Ivy' stamp and a Misti to stamp all the leaves in one go as it's a single stamp - the ink pad I used was VerseFine Clair 'Shady Lane'

- then die cut the ivy using the matching die - and that's where the magic happened. Two of the opposite corners have a triangle built into the stamp and the die has two opposing corners cut across for alignment! Therefore, the die can be perfectly  lined up with the stamped image, EVERY time! And then - you get a perfect cut of several pieces of inked and die cut ivy, in varying sizes with tow branches of ivy and plenty of different sized leaves, all at once - sheer genius!

- then I used two Papermill Direct 'Powder Pink Pearl' card from single and double sided swatches/snippets to die cut the Daisy-like flower heads - using a very old (one of my very first!) and favourite die set by Joy! called 'Daisy die set'

- used Nuvo glue to stick the flower layers together, gave the upper petals a flick and then glued them together before adding a large white pearl - from  Amazon of course-  and setting them aside

- next came a 5" x 5" white panel of the same cardstock as I had the die cut pieces to play around with by this point

- added double embossed lines around the outer edge to take away the plainess 

- backed the white panel with a very slightly larger snippet of Tonic mirror 'Inca Gold' card 

- then glued the whole panel to the card front

- next step was to juggle the pieces of die cuts around on the top layer of the card to work out just where the embellishents AND the sentiment would go 

- and then the plan just suddenly fell into place so, I stamped the sentiment! Onto the bottom right of the card front - using a well-loved stamp from Hero Arts 'Live Life' stamp set and the Clair 'Shady Lane' ink pad once again

-- next steps were to adhere the delightful ivy to the top left corner and add the pink daisies -  used teeny pieces of  slim sticky pads for the daisies! 

- almost there. I used a few blue hued butterflies from the Katy Sue set of 'Kaleidoscope of Butterflies'. Literally hundreds of double sided and already die cut little butterfly embellishments - after I'd tickled them with clear 'Wink of Stella'. Glued them in place with Nuvo glue and added some small ivy leaves at the bottom left hand corner

- finished!

* I totally adore the 'Shaded Ivy' stamp and co-ordinating die plate but, despite massively prolonged searches on your behalf, it seems that only the stamp is available - and even then it's extremely rare. For me it's a real 'winner' as a set . 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #842- HERE.  Under 'Anything Goes'

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #83 - HERE. It's the gorgeous John Next Door 'Shaded Ivy' stamps and dies of course!

Dudley Pupdate: The weather here has been awful lately, we had one lovely sunny day this week but heavy rain the rest of the time. Mid-morning yesterday, Dudley must have been desperate for a wee so Len opened the back door for him ................ at which the little guy screeched to a halt, looked out at the downpour, rolled his eyes until you could see the whites and raced to hide in the lounge. Undeterred, Len chased him round the downstairs of the house a few times and finally back into the kitchen. He'd invoked 'Toilet Emergency Plan B' and this was what a CCTV camera in the conservatory picked up:

I almost cried laughing as Len donned body warmer and wellies, then grabbed our biggest umbrella to hold over Dudley ................... whilst he followed the call of nature. 😂 You don't have to be crazy to live here - but it helps!

The results of Challenge #524 are now published HERE. SO hard to just pick three entries.

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

Love from myself and Dudley, xxx

Sunday Snippets - 'noel'

My snippets card today was super easy to make - I let the patterned paper do much of the work:

Yay! I remembered to take a photo of my snippets!

I used: 

- 5.5" x 4" dark green card blank, side opening. I made the card blank using Hunkydory 'Garden Treasures' card which comes in a 24 sheet pack of three sheets of eight colours, white on the reverse and just perfect for making card blanks

- then I returned to my current favourite Christmas paper pack, bought from Amazon, and trimmed a piece of the patterned paper down to 5.25" x 3.75" and glued it onto the card front

- like a squirrel I keep all snippets of vellum and card wherever possible inside their original packs - so I dug out a snippet of vellum and a snippet of Tonic Pearlescent 'Red velvet' card for the very simple sentiment

- die cut the outline and the word 'noel' using vellum and red card, glued the 'noel' to the vellum outline then glued the assembled sentiment onto the card front. The die set is a Technique Tuesday one - aptly called 'Noel'

- finished!

I really love how an outline of vellum on strongly patterned paper instantly softens the background and allows a sentiment to really stand out!

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

Allsorts Challenge #836 HERE - the theme is 'Christmas cards' this time, or anything goes of course!

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #80 HERE - the sentiment dies were having a first outing

Dudley Pupdate: Len gave Dudley a really thorough grooming the other day and, for now, he looks too gorgeous to have a full trim, apart from the essential areas of course. He's been in such a fun and bouncy mood today - a bit early for Spring, young man! Mind you, we did have lovely sunshine after days of rain so that will have brought joy to his little heart for sure! He hates the rain with a passion!

We have a new Challenge #519 being run by our lovely Sarn, over HERE. I think it will be the aftermath of the Bonfire Night celebrations - pretty sure there's some mini marshmallows left over for hot chocolate drinkers!

For us in the UK it's our Annual Remembrance Service and two minutes silence at 11am today. 'Lest we forget'.

Love from myself and Dudley, 

Sunday Snippets - 'Simple Floral Bundle'

It was serendipity when I chose to make a floral card as my Sunday Snippets card - Allsorts challenge, I'm on my way!

I used: 

- 5.25" x 4.25" white card blank, side opening - odd size due to the PB die not being A2 compatible/balanced

- die cut a snippet of white card, using a die by Penny Black from the 'posted cut out' set of outline die and set it to one side

- next  used a snippet of white card and a Poppystamps die called 'Simple Floral Bundle' to die cut all the elements for the arrangement in one go - thanks to the die shapes all being on just one very neat plate. I might have spotted this being used by one of you lovely girls and rushed off to buy it not so long ago! 

- used my Zig pens to colour the die cut foliage and flowers - so quick and esy to use!

- then glued the floral bundle onto the white panel front and left it overnight to have more of a 'think'

- next day, I backed the white panel with a trimmed snippet of Tonic Matt satin effect 'Soft Amethyst' card and also set that aside

- now I knew where the sentiment needed to be stamped so I did that step using VersaFine Clair 'Morning Mist' ink and a stamp from my very elderly and much loved let of sentiment stamps by Stampendous. called 'Happy Messages'. Plus the Misti of course! I just looked at the stamps packet and it was made in 2011 - still a favourite, and I think I originally copied Sarn when she used the set

- glued the 'stamp' shaped panel onto the amethyst background 

 Finally, added the whole floral panel onto the card front, using narrow foam tape for dimension

Sorry, what few snippets were left did end up in the bin. Little tip when using a stamping platform such as the Misti to stamp something right into a corner. You can buy a set of 'corner extenders; or just use the little trick of turning your platform and the card the other way up, position your stamp (I always use a clear marked plastic grid for alignment). That  means you will be stamping in the middle of the platform and keeps you away from fighting corners!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #828 HERE - my entry is for the current challenge of 'Pretty Flowers' 

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #76 HERE- the Poppystamps 'Simple Floral Bundle' die was having a first outing

Dudley Pupdate: Once again, it was changeover time for Dudley's beloved Honka Duck - never easy to see his anxiety when he can't find the rancid old one - even when a new one is right beside him.However he is now fully settled with 'new' Honks and all is well in his little world. All the more so as he's discovered that the back garden door is generally left open in the current heat - and he can quietly play peek a boo around the door ........... before diving across the garden to 'meet and greet' one local bird killer cat in particular. Said cat is way too fast and appears to be in training for the pole vault event at the next Kitty Olympics - over a six foot high fence in one leap, from a crouching position AND without a pole. Impressive!! Dudley just sighs and comes back indoors to flop down and cool off ................. until the next inkling of Killer Kat! 

Dudley is seven years young on Tuesday - how time flies! We have small plans for the day depending on the weather. He will have some cheese and bacon flavoured treats, a card and a new Birthday Boy Bandana. Plus some cards from wondeful friends as well! He has a whole ton of toys, many of which he just ignores, so a new toy would possibly be like me giving my Mum a new tea towel on Mothering Sunday. I didn't KNOW and didn't stop to even think, OK?

We have a new Challenge #511 being run by our lovely Sarn, over HERE. We did spend ages cleaning and refilling the paddling pool to beat the hosepipe bans- only to see that rain is meant to be on the way!

Love from myself and Dudley, 

Sunday Snippets - 'Happy, Joyous & Free'

It's been like living in an oven here and my snippets card took a few goes - I wanted to stamp the background but literally, no sooner did I stamp the background, the VersaFine ink dried before I could even utter the words 'embossing powder'! And so, in the interests of my sanity, you have a background paper to the rescue:

Hooray - I remembered my snippets this time!

I used:

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

- a piece  of the same card stock, trimmed to 5.5" x 5.5" for the top layer

- then used a 'The Works' (discontinued) 'oval stitched die' to cut an oval aperture into the top layer

- added a piece of patterned paper, slightly trimmed from full size. so not a snippet, behind the oval aperture using a glue pen - it's from a lovely pack called 'Sea Wave' from Amazon

- die cut the unbranded 'sailing boat' using snippets of brown, red and white card and then glued the sailing boat and sails in place

- added three white seagulls using a Gummiapan 'Seagulls' die then a glue pen - I love this set of dies!

- next came the Clarity sentiment sticker, which I particularly love. I stuck a sliver of card underneath the part of the sticker that overlapped onto the oval aperture to keep it level

- added the whole completed scenic panel to the card base using narrow strips of foam pad - finis!

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

- Allsorts Challenge #827 HERE - under 'Anything Goes' 

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #76 HERE - the backing paper and sailboat were having a first outing

Dudley Pupdate: It's super hot here and we're all suffering. Len took on board an idea from one of you lovely playmates and sprayed Dudley with a fine mist from what was my ironing water spray bottle. We half thought he would freak out and the first time sent him back into the house like a whirling dervish! However, over time he's actually begun to enjoy his 'spritz sessions ' and still racing around for a short time before flopping with a huge smile in front of the closest fan! My new nickname for him - 'Little Pocket Rocket!! 

Remember, the results from Sarn's Challenge #509 are now published in the Snippets Playground HERE.

Do come and play with us in the Playground - plenty of cold drinks and ice lollies are available - it's meltingly HOT here right now! Don't be surprised if Dudley takes a flying leap into the paddling pool with you girls! He'll be naked as a Jay Bird! Oopsie, I didn't get time to knit his cossie!!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - 'Butterflies'

My snippets card for today was made in next to no time, plus I used three never been used (NBUS) items: 

I used: 

- 5.5" x 4.45" white card blank, side opening

- die cut and assembled the butterflies, using a snippet of paper from Altenew's 'Enchanting Washes' paper pack and some small black snippets for the bodies. The die I used is by Memory Box, called 'Exquisite Butterflies' - then set them aside for the now

- next  used a snippet of white card and Penny Black's 'Row of Stitches' cutting die to make the band to go across the card. The die doesn't cut right through the card but does add a very pretty pattern

- trimmed the upper and lower parts of the band then edged along them using a gold calligraphy pen for definition - and then trimmed the band, with heart in mouth, to fit widthways perfectly - result!

- before gluing everthing to the card front I used the die cuts to work out just where to stamp the sentiment

 - then, using a Misti, I stamped the sentiment, from a set of stamps by Hunkydory called 'Butterfly Wishes' and a Memento teardrop ink pad called 'Danube Blue'

- the final step was to glue the band and then the butterflies in place - finished! 

Sorry, what few snippets were left did end up in the bin.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #826 HERE - my entry is under the 'Anything Goes' option but the new theme for the current challenge is 'Seaside' - how appropriate, given the current heatwave! 

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #75 HERE- everything on my card was NBUS - the butterfly dies, the Penny Black stitching die (the dies have been waiting for quite a while) and the set of Hunkydory stamps!

Dudley Pupdate: As can be expected, Dudley is really feeling the heat and trails from one spot to another in the house until he then moves to a different place in the hope of being cooler. The coolest place is just inside the kitchen door leading into the garden once the sun has moved around a bit, so he's in the shade but can catch any breeze - but he just hasn't fully worked that one out yet.

We have a new Challenge #509 being run by our lovely Sarn, over HERE. I've had a chuckle at her account of our Playground Antics this past week. The slide and the paddling pool combination are a great success - you have to go and read all about it for yourself though. Have a lovely week and remember to drink plenty of water! We watched Dudley gulp almost a full bowl of fresh water down on Friday afternoon - and he'd been doing nothing out of the ordinary to create such a thirst. The pavements are too hot for his little paws during the day but he's never been a dog to get super excited about walkies at the best of times!

Love from myself and Dudley, 

Sunday Snippets - 'Bulrushes'

I wanted to make a special thank you card and it was the ideal opportunity to give a NBUS set of dies a first outing: 

I used: 

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

- snippet of unbranded black velvet effect card stock (very tactile) to die cut the main image of bulrushes within a frame plus a sideways butterfly, using a NBUS unbranded set set. For ease I backed the framed bulrushes die cut with Stick-It double sided sticky paper before cutting it

- then trimmed a whole sheet of paper from Lawn Fawn's 'Watercolor Wishes'  so that it would form a 'sunset' background - I just trimmed it so that it would sit along the middle of the frame sides 

- adhered the backing paper to the bulrushes, very slowly as it was a 'one chance only' situation - it worked fine!

- glued card front panel onto the card blank

- die cut a sideways butterfly from some of the leftover centre of the background panel and set it to one side

- die cut the 'Thank you' sentiment twice from snippets of white card and layered them together

- then added the butterfly and sentiment to the card front using a glue pen and called it 'done'

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

- Allsorts Challenge #825 HERE Making cards for friends 'makes me happy'! 

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #75 HERE The set of dies is NBUS of course

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

Dudley Pupdate: It's been an uneventful week with Dudley so far. He's done the usual 'shouting' at the post man and any delivery people of course!

Hope to see you on the swings - the weather hasn't been too kind to us lately here so be sure to at least bring dry pants if you're gonna play on the slide, seesaw and swings!

Love as always, Dudley Dog and me

xxxxx

Sunday Snippets - 'Child with goose family'

I've had this Alexandra Renke set of dies for ages, I knew it would mean a ton of die cutting and kept putting off using it: 

I used: 

- DL white card blank, tent style

- first of all I die cut and assembled all the adorable geese and the little girl, using snippets from a 'Paper Mill Direct' swatch and snippets of 'Pale Ivory' linen effect card - although I used the reverse plain side. The geese are all double layered and the little girl has several layers to add dimension- the die set is 'Child with goose family' by Alexandra Renke, fabulous detail to play around with!

- then set the die cuts aside whilst  adding the background layers to the card

- for the background layers I used part of a whole sheet of Sizzix A4 grey card trimmed to size plus a sheet of pink patterned paper from Whimsy's Slimline 'Champagne' paper pack, die cut using a Creative Craft 'DL stitched straight edge' die

- glued the pink patterned paper onto the grey backing layer then added the whole panel to the card front using very narrow foam strips

- die cut the sentiment, double layered it, using more of the grey backing card and a Poppy Stamps 'Merry Christmas - Poe Script' die - then glued it to the top right hand side of the card front

- used a glue pen to add the little girl and the 'goose family' to the card front

- final touch, popped a couple of bows onto two of the geese - finished!

I made two cards the same  and they were such a delight to work with. The set even includes a couple of hats for the geese!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #824 HERE - everyone over there is having a fun time celebrating their 16th Birthday, and there are some lovely prizes to be won! 

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #74 HERE- the 'goose family' dies were out for a first play

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #98 - HERE - the theme is 'Winter Warmers'

Rudolh Days Challenge - May 2025 - HERE

Dudley Pupdate: Earlier this week, we were visited by my new mobile hairdresser - and Dudley was thrilled to pieces! He's a real pushover for the ladies - men, not so much. When Lisa came to the front door, naturally Dudley had to poke his head out to 'woof 'Hello, my name is Dudley, may I be of assistance?' 

Not a great photo but you get the scenario I hope! We have a CCTV camera in the lounge bay window, trained onto the front doorstep area - I've cropped Lisa out as it wouldn't be right to publish her photo on here. She's a lovely lady, very bubbly - and most importantly is a very good hairdresser!

We have a new Challenge #507 being run by our lovely Sarn, over HERE. Goodness knows what weather this week will bring - it's half-term for the schools so very probably we'll have rain!

Love from myself and Dudley, 

Sunday Snippets - 'Magnolia'

A very special friend had a Birthday last month - and this is the card I made for her: 

I used:

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

- snippet of the same white card stock as well as a snippet of Tonic's mirror 'Inca Gold' card stock to die cut the outer frame using a pair of dies by Maximim Crafts HERE. I love the effect of these dies - instant elegance .......  IMHO of course 

- glued the white frame on top of the gold frame - thereby giving two narrow gold edges to the white frame and then glued it onto the card front

- then die cut the parts for the magnolia - using an unbranded die set called 'Magnolia Curved Branch' and snippets of pink and green ombre papers from Lawn Fawn's 'Watercolor Wishes' ombre paper pad - and again I used some white die cut card apertures to help to position where to die cut the pink flowers

- glued the curved branch, assembled magnolia flowers and additional leaves onto the card front

- added a few touches of gold pen to the magnolia flowers

- the sentiment is actually pre-folied in gold and already die cut - made by Pinkfresh - and I added it to the card front using a couple of pieces of thin sticky pad

- the final touch was a few Memory Box self adhesive clear 'Fairy Drops'

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

- Allsorts Challenge #823  'Anything goes' HERE 

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #74 HERE - the Magnolia Branch die set was having a first outing 

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

Dudley Pupdate: It's been a better week with Len's jaw problems this week, although I did get in touch with the surgery for an extension of the antibiotics as he's not quite out of the woods yet. I do think that just five days of treatment was a bit optimistic - particularly as the usual course is 7 or 10 days - and am hopeful that this repeat course wlll really knock it on the head. When Len went to collect them, Dudley literally put his head onto Honka Duck and cried like a baby. One day I'll take a short video of him in action - heartbreaking. I kept telling him that 'Dad' hadn't run away, but he was too busy being a drama queen to actually take any notice - bless his little paws.

However, Dudley is at least much less worried about Len's health than he was this time last week, and I find that reassuring as well. As I'm typing this he's flat on his back - on MY side of the bed well into the land of nod! Dudley of course - not Len! The 'patient'/'impatient' is sitting in bed watching the evening news on 'Tee Vee'.

Hope to see you on the swings - come and play with us, it's always fun! The weather has been less warm that it was this time last week but it heating up again - doubtless Sarn will be supplying hot/cold drinks to suit!

Love as always, Dudley Dog and me

xxxxx