Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - Embossing

The current challenge over at Cuttlebug Mania is 'Embossing', a nice open theme this fortnight so the World is your oyster really!

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 Fabrika Fantasy, a lovely on line store with a great selection of digital stamps (and they come coloured as well as black and white!). This fortnight the DT have each used at least one of the digital images - I opted to use the 'Happy Chipmunk' on my card:

I used:

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

- beige backing card from the snippets folder, trimmed to size and glued onto the card front

- a snippet of white card stock, embossed using the Couture Creations 'Bon Jour' embossing folder, trimmed slightly smaller than the backing beige card and glued in place - I love the leafy look of this folder

- the sentiment is by LOTV from their 'General Greetings - Small' set, stamped using Brilliance 'Coffee Bean' ink

- a 'Happy Chipmunk' image (already coloured - yay!!) by our sponsor Fabrika Fantasy, printed and then fussy cut leaving a narrow white  border before being glued in place

- lots of little brown/beige snippets, die cut using dies from the Spellbinders 'Fall Foliage' die set then glued in place on the card front so that it looks as if the chipmunk is inviting you to take your pick :)

Your turn now - and of course if you use even just one snippet then you can come and play in the Snippets Playground.

The 'trotter' update: results aren't in from the hospital yet, my doc wasn't in yesterday but has been left a plea from me via the practice reception to go into the hospitals online system tomorrow to check out the x-ray results.

Di
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Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 107

Coo, a real flurry of 65 entries this week now that the festivities are over - lovely to see you all.

My snippets card for this week was made for Len's great-nephew and I just wanted to make something that was fun:

After rootling through my stamps I then went on the hunt for a digital stamp and found this - it made me smile :)

All the more so since I found this comment from Viv on last week's Snippets Playground post  where I'd mentioned someone 'letting off New Year fireworks in the Playground and damaging the tree house roof':  MISS!! MISS!! Can tell you it wasn't Darn Sarn who made the hole in the roof BUT... she put a small goldfish bowl on Parsnip's head and tied a rocket to his back to see if the hole was big enough for poor bear to fit through.... 

Yup, I got the giggles, especially as this card was made before Viv commented, just the vision of Parsnip being rocketed into space. He's not a happy bear I can tell you 'cos I found him up in a tree in the nearby woodlands :(

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- the image is called 'Bot - Fire Away' from Funky Hand - here - great image for a boy I think. I coloured him with Pro Markers and just added a couple of 'googly eyes'

- the sentiment is a LOTV one from their 'Small General Greetings' set, stamped with SU 'Real Red'. It was then die cut using an XCut die from their 'Speech Bubbles' set 

- all the backing papers and card came from the snippets folder

And onto this week's picks - not an easy job I can tell you! I don't do weekly 'themes' as you know - but this week I've looked for clever ways of using lots of snippets when doing my picks - mostly as it's so hard to pick from 65 entries! We'll be back to normal next week :)

I chose Sarn's fabulous batch of gift tags as, not only are they beautiful, they're such a brilliant way to use up snippets.

Such a lovely card, again using lots of snippets, made by Mo of ScrappyMo - and the parchment background and the butterflies were part of a Playground prize a while back.

I absolutely had to include this card made by Kanda (Andrea), it's so beautiful and shows that even the smallest of snippets make the most lovely flowers. I know that Jules for example will sit and punch a ton of flowers from snippets to always have some to hand.

This card made by Sue J really caught my eye - I adore the primary colours and there's no shortage of snippets!

I included this really elegant CAS card, made by Kath, to show just how cleverly shades/snippets of the same colour can work together - if you're brave enough of course :)

I just adore this beautiful card, made by Christine, lots of plain and patterned snippets used too - love it!

And we have two new playmates this week:

Shona brought this lovely card to show, using the leftover piece of an oval die she'd cut previously. Help, I don't always think to keep those, yet they make fabulous apertures!

Pippa brought this fabulous, and very clever easel card for her first visit. It obviously uses snippets but each of them is in seasonal colours as well as embossed to show the four seasons - how clever.

Welcome girls, hope you came back and play again really soon!

The winner of the LOTV 'Babies' Art Pad and the sweet little bunting die from last week is:

Irene

Well done Irene! I already have your address so the prize will be in the post to you ASAP.

And this week's prize, which I doubt you will have guessed although mine is in the photo of today's card, is this sweet little brass easel:

I totally love the Yankee Candle jar lid that Mo gave me when she was over here in the Summer, and it will always be my favourite when taking photos of cards. I've been looking for something similar as a Playground prize for ages with no success but then I spotted this over at Hope and Chances :) It's a sturdy little thing (approx. 2.5" wide and 4" tall) and does the job very well - as well as being something a bit different as a prize.

The snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 18th January and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. Maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize.

Mr Linky is below - please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Di - and of course Parsnip
x

Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 85

And another busy week in the Playground, it's great to see so many people coming to play - and thank you so much for the lovely things you say in comments and on your blog posts. The main aim of the Playground is for you to want to come and play, make friends and perhaps pick up inspiration from your playmates on how to use up those pesky snippets :) It seems to be working folks!

Here's my snippets card for this week - I stumbled across the digi image called 'Sassy Sally is Just Hanging Around', goodness know who or what led me there but it was a must to buy. I only have a handful of digi images but this little rascal really touched a little piece of my heart.......I wonder what she reminds me of, and WHO?! Snigger.

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card stock

- digi image by Sassy Cheryl called 'Sassy Cheryl Is Just Hanging Around'. Coloured with Pro Markers, chosen to try and pick out the colours in the snippets I'd sorted out for the background papers. Once the image was coloured I realised some sky would be useful (always after the event here!) so out came TH 'Tumbled Glass' ink pad, clouds template I made myself and a mini duster brush. Found those little duster brushes at Newbury - they're so cute and great for small areas especially if you're like me and suffer from hindsight syndrome. Wish I'd bought more for the Playground toy box :( Poor little sausage though, she really must be swinging from a very tall tree

- snippets of SU's 'Daffodil Yellow' card to mat the image onto and also as the main backing on the card

- the patterned snippets were tucked inside the original pad so I can tell you they're from Echo Park's 'Hello Summer' paper pad. Mostly, if possible, I keep patterned snippets with the original pads/packs. Partly so I know the name but mostly because there's generally another full sheet which would go with the snippets if needed. But these were all little snippets - 'honest injun, spit on my hand and turn round three times'

- there's 'no show without Punch' so out came the ribbon snippets box and I found some bright pink organza and made a bow

- the sentiment was computer generated and then die cut with an XCut die from the brilliant 'Speech Bubbles' set then layered onto a snippet of 'Daffodil Yellow', cut in the usual way by drawing round the outside of the die and fussy cutting. I dithered over the die set having seen that Penny Black also have a set of these dies out on the market - but XCut won in the end. There are some 'Thoughts' bubbles plus 'double' speech dies so it's a very versatile set

That's my snippets card for today, complete with ribbon as is almost always the case!

Onto this week's picks, and it's been sooooo difficult. Every single snippets make is lovely - you gals are really so talented.

Sarah of 'Sazzle Dazzle' made this brilliant card - what a fabulous little sailing boat! To see just how this was so cleverly made with snippets do go and take a peek. I'm surprised to see that Sarah doesn't have as many followers as I'd expected - you're missing things and some great ideas girls!

Lots of lovely snippets too on this card made by Sue (Olliesmam) - I totally adore it Sue! Look out, Maureen is on her way to meet you soon - you're bound to have a super time!

And Maureen (ScrappyMo) made this beauty, again with loads of detail, clever girl Mo! And how much Sam and I enjoyed meeting up with you during the week.

Elizabeth has been playing making Gelli Plate backgrounds and brought us a snippets card to show - amazing - I truly had no idea that Gelli Plates could be such fun, and the snippets go perfectly!

I have to stop now, time is marching on and there are a million and one things to do today (Saturday as I type) - but do please check out all the lovely things your playmates have made here.

We do have a new playmate so will you please welcome Fiona (Flossbite Crafts).  Hope you come back and play with us regularly Fiona!

So, first of all the draw for the two sets of stamps, kindly donated by Sandra H. That took a few goes as lots of you already are snowed under with un-used stamps:

 Elizabeth

Well done Elizabeth, I wonder if the stamps would be good on your Gelli Plate? They're big and bold so could work well maybe? 

Next the draw for the 'Raindrops' stamp, kindly donated by Ryn Tanaka. I numbered the 19 qualifying entries and used the random number thingy:

Mary H

I do know that Mary really longed to win the stamp so I do hope you'll all be delighted for her - sometimes I squeak in shock when I realise who a winner is.  I know that Sam did wonder if she was a bit favoured the week she won the Lavinia Flower Fairy stamp - but that's absolutely not the case. The only time I do a second run of the random number thingy is if it comes up with someone who has declined a prize. I'd be cheating on myself, not just you girlies!

And don't be despondent girls, I have yet a different and equally brilliant Ryn stamp up my sleeve in a week or two. You're gonna love it!

And what's the prize for this coming week huh? Guessed yet?

Yessssss, it's a set of those lovely 'Speech Bubble' dies and they come with a magnetic sheet too. The same shaped die as the one I used today is hidden under the sticker. There are some quite quirky shapes too :) I know I'm gonna love playing with my own set.

Crumbs, I almost forgot - we have a Playground Mascot, courtesy of Sam :) After throwing her teddy into the Playground when the gates were closed the other week and me confiscating it - she decided that perhaps I needed a teddy for the Playground :) Here he/she is complete with such sweet bunting made by Sam:

Cute huh? BUT, Teddy has no name so if you'd like to leave suggestions (clean ones!) I'd be very grateful. No prize, just the fun of helping to pick a name :)

The Playground will run as usual this week with the gates closing at 11am UK time on Saturday 17th August. Maximum of three entries (I do check!) and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be a winner of the 'Speech Bubble' die set shown above. Mr Linky is below - do please let me know if you have any problems linking, I can sort it out for you quite quickly and am always happy to do so.

Di
x

Fa La La La Laaaa

La La La Laaa
'Tis the Season to be Jolly
Fa La La La Laaaa
La La La Laaa

Oh boy, now I just can't get that Christmas song out of my mind :(

The current challenge over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge is 'Festive Food and/or Drink'. I didn't have any festive food/drink stamps or images to hand - then 'Ping', on went a light bulb and I remembered the lovely Bugaboo Digital stamps I won not so long ago - from Hazel herself. Now here's a confession, I'm not normally keen on digital stamps - can't really say why but perhaps it's that I like my stamps to be tactile, but I was delighted with my win and this challenge spurred me on to pick an image I'd chosen from Bugaboo, re size it and have a play. I hope it qualifies as Festive 'Drink' - or should that be 'Festive Drunk':

I used:

- A6 white card stock

- Bugaboo's terrific image called 'JJ Christmas - cheers', coloured with Pro Markers and a gold fine pen. Some Glossy Accents added and then die cut with a Nesties Wonky Squares die

- SU's 'Riding Hood Red' card stock, one layer for the main part of the card and another behind the wonky die - again just by drawing round the outside of the image die then hand cutting

- white card embossed using Cuttlebug's 'Holly with Berries' folder

- sentiment is from the 'Many Greetings' set by Personal Impressions - stamped using Memento 'Northern Pine' onto white card then backed with a strip of 'Riding Hood Red' card

- red and green pearls either side of the sentiment, which I'd really dithered about until my 'in-house critic' returned from playing at being Robin Hood archery with his opinion. The green pearls were coloured with a Pro Marker 'cos despite a mahoosive box of gems and pearls there wasn't a dark green one in sight :(

I know quite a few people this card would be great for - one prime candidate is my hairdresser - this gal looks so much like her! Not that I've ever seen Jane the worse for wear, it's the features and her specs :)

And I'd also like to enter this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra as well.

I think I'm a bit converted to digi stamps - they can be really useful. But no worries - I won't be selling my umpty-million 'ink and press' stamps for a long while yet :)

Di
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