Sunday Snippets - 'Hello Spring!

We've finally had a few days of lovely sunshine here - and Spring is in the air! Fingers crossed it lasts. Meanwhile it set me off making a bright and cheerful card as my snippets make:

I used: 

- 4" x 4" sunshine yellow card blank, made using a snippet of HunkyDory card - side opening. The camera lied and changed the bright yellow card base to lemon, whilst leaving the other colours as they are in real life!

- the image is a Penny Black Stickeroo, from their 'Gentle Blooms' sheet

- backed the image with a black square - trimmed down from a snippet

- glued the image panel onto the card front 

- added a simple sentiment from a Clarity Assorted Sentiments set of stickers

- quick and easy! 

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

- Allsorts Challenge #845 HERE  - under 'Anything Goes'

Dudley Pupdate: It's been a week of bouncing about doing zoomies for Dudley - amazing what a tonic some sunshine is! Mind you, he's awake with the larks with the earlier sunrises but tends to quietly occupy himself by grooming Honka Duck like a fastidious Mother!

The results from Sarn's Challenge #527 are now published in the Snippets Playground HERE.  

It's way too soon for the paddling pool but Dudley has been earning some pocket money washing down the swings and see-saw!

Love from Dudley and yours truly

Sunday Snippets - Out of my comfort zone!

I decided to use some Aall & Create goodies for my snippets card today and ended up well away from my love of CAS cards, to say the least:

I used:

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

- a snippet of mustard coloured card. trimmed to 5.25" x 4", glued to the card front

- an A6 Aall & Create ready printed background from set #7

- trimmed the background card to 5" x 3.75" 

- stamped a further image onto the printed A&C, using stamp #981 and a 'Coffee Bean' Dewdrop Brilliance ink pad

- used the same stamp and inkpad to stamp again, this time onto a snippet of the same cream card as the card blank

- the central piece of the design is a really lovely leaf, which I then fussy cut, possibly that took the longest to be honest!

- coloured the butterflies' wings using mustard and also teal Prismacolor pencils - to pick up colours in the background and also the base mustard card 'frame'

- glued/paper pieced the finished leaf on top of the leaf design I'd stamped onto the card front 

- finally, glued the completed patterned layer onto the mustard card layer on the card front - and called it done!

I'd like to enter the following challenges: 

Allsorts Challenge #844 - HERE.  Under 'Anything Goes'

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #84 - HERE. It's the Aall & Create 'leaf' stamp

Dudley Pupdate: I tend to write Dudley's Pupdate on the day before the post goes live, and sure enough he obliged me with a couple of insights into his day. First of all, I woke up at 5am on Saturday needing a quick trip to the loo. Trying to quietly slip out of bed I was bounced on by an ecstatic Dudley who'd been lying between Len and I. He jumped around giving me licks and doggie cuddles as I struggled to get out of bed without  making too much noise. Len woke up anyhow - 'cos I got the giggles! All I could see was an imaginary  'speech bubble' above Dudley's head saying this: 'Mum, oh Mum, I'm so happy to see you! Lick, lick. You've been asleep and I missed you soooo very much when you were on a 'dream safari'!! Good grief - I was right next to him!

Then, later on in the day it poured down with rain and what happened makes me wonder if he reads my blog! Remember Len holding an umbrella over him in the rain a few weeks ago? Not so this time - he strolled out a bit like John Wayne. And then, unlike John Wayne I expect, slowly proceeded to carry out his mission(s) - totally ignoring the downpour! Naturally he came in like a drowned rat and needed a brisk towel rubbing down - who knows, perhaps he's well into the joy of a brisk towel down!

This next bit is a bit 'apropos of nothing' really, but it does have a Dudley link. Late into the evening I often just browse around various platforms on the internet, as well as YouTube of course. It beats the real world events right now! And something popped up on Instagram! It's AI but is based on a real little dog in Japan and I immediately thought of Dudley ....... after a few dancing classes. If you do click on the link, you don't need an IG account, it's perfectly safe and might make you smile - I cried with laughter watching it the first time the other evening - it's the cheeky little knee bend towards the end that really cracks me up!  

You should turn the sound up - usually bottom right in the video box, and also ignore the dubbed cackles - not mine:Teddy Dancing.

I hope it makes you smile - we all need that right now! x

The results of Challenge #526 are now published HERE. 

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, who is busy practising the 'knee bend' from that video clip! 😏

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 - Woodland Critters

My snippets card today was inspired by the current challenge over at Allsorts - which is 'Woodland Critters'. I needed something that could be made quickly as it's been a busy week here - and this is the very simple result:

I used:

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

- a couple of snippets of white Mixed Media card by Strathmore - I keep every single scrap of that stuff as it's not cheap

- then washed over the bigger snippet in blue and green watercolours as well as the smaller snippet in a mix of watercolours to create 'bunny brown' and put them to one side to completely dry whilst I trotted off to do other things elsewhere

- once back to the craft desk I trimmed a 5.5" x 5.5" Core-dinations orange card layer using an unbranded 'Tree Circle Frame' die. Because of the intricate design, I popped a piece of waxed paper in between the die and the card when doing the die cutting for easy release and, as always, it worked a treat! 

- then die cut the 'woodland critters' using a pair of Gummiapan 'hare' dies and just dotted their eyes using a black fine line pen

- I worked out where the hares/bunnies should be placed on the blue and green backing card I'd watercoloured earlier and glued them in place

- then ran very narrow already cut strips of foam tape around the aperture and popped the cut to size backing in place

- used the same narrow strips to then go around each side of the back of the orange panel before adhering it to the card front 

- left the card without a sentiment for now, it could be used next Easter even

The very narrow tape strips I use are another find on Amazon UK and I use them a lot and they are so flexible. The beauty of the narrowness is that you don't need to faff around snipping little cuts to go round a curve - shout if you would like the link.

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

- Allsorts Challenge #833 HERE - the current challenge is ' Woodland Critters' and if my card doesn't qualify then  it's 'Anything goes'!

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #79 HERE. The dies were all having a first outing

Whilst Darnell is in our minds, many of you will already know that Kevin, her rather gorgeous husband who possibly keeps a portrait in his attic, was in a very serious motorcycle accident at the beginning of September. To be honest, it's miracle he survived and his recovery will take some while. If you wish to know Darnell's email or snail mail address then just drop me an email - right now our love and support is so important to one of our most loved, and talented, blogging buddies!

More on health issues, for me, just a couple of fingers and a thumb are still taking time to recover so long as I don't do anything to overstretch things, else I pay for it for a few days then have to pick up and carry on where I left off. I expect that Pat our playmate will totally understand this.

Len's hernia surgery went well and he's back home, same day too! It's a relief for it to be sorted out and now he can move on - and perhaps even take up the pommel horse again. I think not, as the 15th of this month sees a milestone Birthday for him and he's already hung up his fetching gymnastic leotards! He gets very few Birthday cards at the best of times, like many men so Dudley and I are cooking up a way to send him extras! Ha, I am SO tempted to download an image of someone on a pommel horse and a witty comment! Suggestions welcome!!

Dudley Pupdate: It's been a tough week for Dudley as he always knows when things are 'due' or different - especially on Thursday when Len was away from early morning until 5pm having surgery and then recovering from the anaesthetic etc. before escaping for home. Dudley wouldn't even touch his brekkies so I had to hand feed him. He hunted the house and garden frequently looking for his 'bestie' and meanwhile either cuddled up to me or just lay at the top of the staircase, miserably watching the front door. That's a Havanese for you, apparently he's exactly the same when I go out - but this was a longer than usual excursion in a little dog's mind!

On a bright note, just a couple of days before Len went for his op. he clipped a couple of long shot CCTV images of Dudley - surveying the area of the garden where 'Willow the Killer' cat can be found!

I added both photos as is shows Dudley on the 'move' - looking towards the far side of the house. Probably at a pigeon on the far fence - 'How very DARE they - have they no respect for my Havanese Homestead boundaries?'. Nope Dudley, pigeons don't care much at all what you think little one! x

Remember, the results from Sarn's Challenge #515 are now published in the Snippets Playground HERE.

All I hope for here is a peaceful week and plenty of healing time for Len. And, loads of cuddles for Dudders of course.

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - Autumn Leaves

This card was totally made from scratch - despite my sore paw - which does mean that there is steady albeit slow progress, yay! Hence my choice of sentiment on this card:

I used:

- 5" x 5" brown card blank, side opening

- snippet of Tonic 'Ivory White Weave Textured' card, die cut using an unbranded square 'torn edge' die. BTW, it's very cream in real life and nicely textured. At 216gsm it's too lightweight for a card blank really but perfect for backgrounds and so on  

- die cut a couple of unbranded 'Fragmented Leaves' from a snippet of shaded card found in my snippets basket

- tied the leaves together using a little scrap of twine that was peeking at me from a little pot on my desk and then adhered to the torn edge panel. The knot tying bit was the trickiest part of all!

- added a Clarity sentiment sticker 

- finally, adhered the completed panel to the card front using thin sticky foam strips - done!

The card I used for the card blank is from a Hunkydory pack of card called 'Garden Treasures'. It's  white backed and perfect for card blanks - I managed the scoring fine and also cutting it and that made me extra happy.

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

Allsorts Challenge #832 - HERE. The theme is 'Trees, Leaves and Plants - chosen by our Val

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #76 - HERE. The 'torn edge' frame die was having its first outing!

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley is super-alert at the moment whenever I move an inch - even to the point that if I so much as even just cough, he squeals, grabs Honka Duck ............ and races off to tell Len if he's elsewhere! Len now knows that the arrival at speed of Dudley with Honks means I might even have blown my nose!

Very importantly, the results of Challenge #514 are now published HERE. 

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 - '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 'Amazing'

One of the great joys of crafting is to share ideas, swop stuff - and sometimes there's 'Extra Happy Mail' as well! I was recently gifted a Craft Addiction set of square slatted dies by a lovely friend and this is my first result - love them!

I used:

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

- snippet of the same card stock, die cut with three nested slatted square dies in one go, from Craft Addiction

- a snippet of pink card, die cut using the outer die from the nested cut used above to form an equally sized outer square

- glued the pink square and the white slatted square together using Collall All Purpose Glue 

- glued the slatted square panel just above the centre of the card - to make the sentiment look more 'balanced'

- then added the decoupaged grey and silver rose (Kan Ban and I've had it sitting here ready assembled for ages) using snipped up thin foam pads

- finally - added the sentiment using more snipped up thin foam pads and a Pinkfresh ready foiled sentiment 

Managed to capture some of the lovely silver foil shine on the sentiment although the rose decoupage fine foiling doesn't show too well, sigh. I have future and more ambitious plans for the slatted squares - watch this space!

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

- Allsorts Challenge # 825 HERE - under 'What makes you happy' - flowers in my case!

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #75 HERE - the beautiful set of slatted square dies was having a first outing 

Dudley Pupdate: It's hot here and Dudley is very restless, moving from one cool place to another. Houses in the UK don't come with air con. so we rely on umpteen fans around the house - which do help somewhat but aren't a patch on a proper cooling system. Shame he doesn't like water as I would love to treat him to a doggie paddling pool! Plus a little stripey Edwardian style knitted bathing suit - complete with shoulder straps - and perhaps a straw boater hat to complete the look! 😀

Remember, the results from Sarn's Challenge #507 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 HOT here right - now as I already said!

Love as always, Dudley and yours truly,

Sunday Snippets - 'Butterflies'

On Day 7 of the Gummiapan Easter Calendar, one of the lovely dies in the packet was a very pretty butterfly - and so I made this card:

I used:

- 4.75" x 4.75"  white card blank, side opening

- a snippet of the same white card stock, which I die cut using a 4.5" square die from a 'Stitched Squares' set of dies from 'The Works'. I don't think they sell dies any longer - which is a shame as they were great value for money

- then die cut the circular shape into the panel using Altenew's 'Window Sphere' die 

- next, glued a snippet of 'shades of mauve' paper from Lawn Fawn's 'Watercolor Wishes' ombre paper pad behind the 'Eclipse aperture - using a glue pen right around the circle

- time for the Gummiapan butterflies, which I die cut from a snippet of paper from the Honey Bee 'Team Tie Dye' paper pad and coloured the body with a black Tombow pen

- gently curved the wings a bit and then added the butterflies to the 'Eclipse window' using small pieces of thin foam sticky pads

- the silver foiled sentiment was just added using a glue pen - the ready made sentiment is from a pack by Pinkfresh Studio

 

- final touch was to add the whole front panel onto the card blank, using narrow foam tape to 'lift' the whole thing

Hooray, I took a photo of my snippets - and a TIP, you'll see the butterfly cut into a snippet of white card. It's an invaluable way of positioning solid dies onto most stamped images things,as well as patterned paper where you want to pick out particular areas.

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

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #74 - HERE. The butterfly die was out for its first flutter!

Allsorts Challenge #822 - HERE. The current challenge is 'Inspired by a Song' - and my song is 'Love is Like a Butterfly' sung by Dolly Parton 

Dudley Pupdate: It's been quite a week here and after several sleepless nights all round I finally got Len to agree that he should see a GP. On Wednesday I was sitting at 8am ready for the surgery to open, phone in hand as he could barely speak by then. After being triaged 'remotely by my description of his symptoms' he actually had a face to face appointment at the surgery at 11:30am - and came home with a course of antibiotics - but with no clear diagnosis. He took just two of the 20 doses in the full course and by 10pm we had the beginnings of a miracle as the excruciating pain had almost gone - incredible!  Progress is slower than that immediate improvement but so far it's going in the right direction. Still days to go on the course of pills and I do have a contact for my own needs at the surgery who would raise a repeat prescription request  for Len if needed. Just five days of treatment is a bit optimistic IMHO - particularly as the usual course is 7 or 10 days.

Thank you all for your well wishes last week - so very kind. Dudley has barely left Len's side during all of this needless to say. 

Very importantly, the results of Challenge #502 are now published HERE.

Do please come and play in Sarn's current challenge over in the Snippets Playground - we've had glorious weather for a few days now and of course she's been up to no good. Nothing new there then - once a scamp always a scamp, meant in the nicest possible way! To think that I thought a prefect's badge and finally being my partner in crime sharing the Playground would calm things down. 😰 

Love from myself and Dudley, xxx

Sunday Snippets - 'Eclipse Heart' card

It's time for a new challenge over in the Snippets Playground - my turn to run the show. 

I absolutely love using cutting dies where the design is strips of card cut out from a basic shape, which forms more or less the focal point of a card - be it heart, circle, square, hexagon and so on. Perfect for the Eclipse Technique as well as a background shape - and here is my card: 

I used:

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

- snippet of the same white linen card, die cut using a Presscut 3.75" square die 

- then die cut the heart into the white square (using a NBUS heart die by Craft Addiction) and backed it with a snippet of white softly sparkled card, so pretty in real life,  - sent to me by a lovely friend - then set it aside

- next I die cut the butterfly using Memory box dies and snippets of Tonic 'Inca Gold' card and the same white linen card as used for the rest of the card. The solid gold butterfly layer and the butterfly's body were cut using an 'Isabella' die and the white top portion was cut using a 'Pippi' die   

- stuck the butterfly parts together and set it aside

- then die cut the sentiment using a Heffy Doodle 'Hello Shadow' die, just the actual sentiment without the matching shadow die, a snippet of 'Inca Gold' card plus more of the white card as a backing to double layer it  

- glued the sentiment layers together

- at that point I had enough of the card pieces to see how it would look assembled and immediately felt that it needed a 'frame' around the front panel so I grabbed another snippet of 'Inca Gold' card and die cut it with a 4" x 4" square die by Presscut - from the same set

- time for the final assembly, glued the heart panel onto the gold panel 'frame' then added it to the card front using narrow foam tape

- popped the butterfly onto the heart using very narrow red line tape and then added the sentiment, using a glue pen

- finished!

I really enjoyed making this card, looks like Mr Mojo might even be loitering here after his holiday! I mentioned 'Craft Addiction', a UK company, who make and sell some lovely dies and Christine Stokes (aka Chrissie of YouTube) sent loads of us in a flurry to snap up their expanding range of 'Eclipse' dies. THIS is the link to their website. A lot are out of stock but they do have a pre-order (pay up front) option. And they're working as fast as they can so your wait shouldn't be long. When I last looked, the pre-order drop down payment gizmo wasn't working on all die sets but they are aware and some 'tweaking' needs to be done. They deserve a chance girls - great dies AND their prices are very fair as well.

Do hop over to the new Snippets challenge, link below, I have a duplicate of my Craft Addiction heart dies set as part of the prize!

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

- Allsorts Challenge #821  'Anything goes' HERE 

- Darnell's NBUS Challenge #73 HERE - the Craft Addiction heart die was having a first outing 

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley is certainly a ladies man and not just other pooches it seems. We had a young lady Amazon driver deliver something earlier in the week and Dudley was all set to kick off - until he heard her sweet voice as Len opened the front door. Dudley screeched to a halt, dropped Honka Duck and went all 'gooey eyed'. 💓 Of course he was made a fuss off - and it was mutual. He was almost asking to become an Amazon driver after she drove off! During this warm spell Len has just left the back door open if he's out in the garden so that Dudley can come and go as he likes. And, as I guessed, he managed to get Honka outside before he was spotted. In fact he dropped Honks and went hunting around the garden doing his usual  checks that nothing is out of place! Then, once satisfied, he gently picked up Honks in his mouth and brought him indoors. Duty done!

Remember, I've just kicked off a new challenge over in the Snippets Playground HERE. There's also information about an important change to where we will ship prizes to from now on. 

Hope to see you on the swings - come and play with us, it's always fun!

Love as always, Dudley Dog and me

Sunday Snippets - 'Beautiful!'

I wish I could say that I spent a few hours stencilling and stamping ......... using a variety of my languishing Distress inks to produce the background for my snippets card - but then I would grow a nose just like Pinnochio! Read further down to find out  more:

I used:

- A6 linen 'Pale Ivory' card blank, side opening

- the 'cheats' layer is actually a sheet from an A & C pack of A6 double sided design papers! They do several sets, and some of the backs have ATC sized 'grungy' stamping. I chose Set #7 'Papyrus' for a first play as the colours are more muted than some other sets.Trimmed slightly to measure quarter of an inch less than the card blank on all sides

- then stamped the flower onto the front panel using VersaFine Clair 'Morning Mist' ink and a stamp from Crafty Roo - bought in a clearance sale a little while ago for the massive sum of £1, sadly there's no name or reference number on the packet but I imagine that's a moot point as Kym' s stock absolutely flew out of the door in the clearance!

- at the same time, I also stamped another flower exactly the same, as well as one of the sentiments which also came in the pack, using the same ink - onto snippets of linen 'Pale Ivory' card

- I had already selected a piece of card for the plain backing layer and so went with Zig Brush pens to colour in the flower head and centre, plus the leaves - stamped onto the linen effect card - all ready for some fussy cutting

- glued the fussy cut parts of the flower and leaves onto the image panel

- glued the image panel onto the plain 'beige' piece of card and then added the 'framed' panel to the card front using very narrow foam tape for a bit of a 'lift'

- finally, trimmed the stamped sentiment and backed it with a snippet of card left over from backing the image - and then glued it in place. finished!

I found the designs to be pretty similar in the pack but well worth playing with if you would like to dip a toe into 'grungy backgrounds'. 

I've just ordered a warm grey TomBow brush pen from Amazon, hindsight tells me that black for any touching up arounf the fussy cut edges doesn't cut it if you actually stamped in grey! To be fair, in real life it's much less obvious - how fickle is the camera eh? The colours are less washed out in real life, but I'm fiddling around with my desk lamp and its many angles and functions here.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #816 HERE - under the Anything Goes' Option. I LOVE the main theme which is 'Romance and/or Music. Perhaps I can make another card to join in - ANY help with kick starting inspiration here is alwaays welcome, right now I'm in a real 'slump'

Darnell's NBUS Challenge # 71 HERE

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley had a trim during the week - one hour session only but Len did a lot in that time and he looks good. Mind you, they were both exhausted from the 'fisticuffs' session that Dudley put Len through! My turn later today as he needs a thorough brush and comb, I did mention to Dudley that a b.a.t.h was in the offing before long. He totally ignored my hint and tapped me with his paw for a tummy rub! His annual vet's appointment is due very soon so I think we'll save that for sometime a few days beforehand.

We have a new Challenge #499 being run by our lovely Sarn over HERE. As always, Sarn has a lovely selection of items in the prize bundle to be won. AND, news of our' 500 Challenges' Anniversary as well! However did that happen?

Love from myself and Dudley, 

Sunday Snippets - 'You are unique'

My snippets card this time was triggered by the arrival of a surprise package from a lovely friend. Amongst the delicious hand crafted goodies, templates and ideas she had included the offcuts from some Gelli plate pulling she used when making up the package contents. It called out to me, so I made this to share with you:

I used:

- 4.75" x 3.5" silkweave pale ivory linen card blank, side opening - odd size due to being left over from making A2 cards from the same card pack. Therefore a snippet!

- the gelli pull paper snippet wasn't huge but so very lovely and I knew fairly quickly exactly what to do with it - first of all I mounted it onto a snippet of white card using double sided sticky sheet 

- worked out the positioning and size of the main stamp and trimmed the gelli snippet to the size I wanted, then backed it with a slightly larger black frame using a snippet of Tonic 'Black Velvet' Satin effect mirror card - used Collall glue for that step. Sort of working backwards at this point - with the trimming to fit the card size

- then stamped the image, using a stamp from the AALL & Create 'Long-Eared Mammal' set of stamps and a VersaFine Clair 'Nocturne' ink pad

- then picked out a 'You are unique' sentiment strip from the Clarity 'Words Sticker Collection' and popped it into position on the lower left- hand side of the little panel (cheating but quick!)

- finally, added the completed panel to the card front, using thin sticky strips - and called it 'done'!

I loved making this card, wanting to do the background piece of paper worked by a friend some proper justice. Quietly rewarding I think.

I'd like to enter this card into:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge#67 - the AALL & Create 'Long-Eared Mammal' set of stamps was having a first outing

Also Allsorts #802 - under the anything goes option

Dudley Pupdate: During this previous week, Len and I went together to have our Covid and flu vaccinations. A saga ............... of which I'll spare you all the details - be grateful! However, whilst waiting for me outside the Chemist's shop with Len, a defensive Dudley barked at anyone who walked past the door where he last saw his Mum - naughty boy! Then, not content with that - up came the rear end and he did a full squat to leave his little trademark 💩. WHAT? He already did that earlier on home territory - did he keep it in reserve? Thank goodness for always having emergency poop bags on hand! Smiling here - I think that Len returned home rather traumatised and ready for a lie down in a darkened room! I think we've moved from StroppyTeenager to Antagonistic Adult overnight!

Very importantly, we have a new Challenge #491 being run by our lovely Sarn over HERE! Do please come and play - no doubt there will be goodies for cooler days to be had in the tree house!

Love from myself and Dudley, 

Sunday Snippets - 'for you'

I wanted to make a few 'for you' cards to enclose with Playground prizes - this is one of them:

I used:

- 4.75" x 4.75" square pale ivory linen card blank, side opening

- the plain reverse of a whole sheet of paper from a K & Company pad of  'photo matting' papers (the papers are 4.75" x 6.75" for quick photo mounting) - probably the very first paper pad I ever bought many, many years ago - trimmed to 4.5" square 

- a whole sheet of patterned paper from the same paper pad, die cut to just over 4" square, using a die from a set of dies by The Works (now discontinued)

- I then glued the plain 'frame' and the patterned paper square onto the card front

- the reverse plain side of the paper left from die cutting the front toned well with the patterned paper so I die cut the sentiment words using a die called 'for you' by Alex Syberia and then used the 'shadow part of the die to cut the background for the words from snippets of vellum

- glued the parts together then glued the assembled sentiment panel onto the card front - finished!

I made three cards in the same design using different papers - and that was the end of the paper pad, after all this time!

I'd like to enter this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge#66 - the Alex Syberia 'for you' sentiment die was having a first outing

Dudley Pupdate: Thursday was a fun day for Dudley as it was my Birthday and he absolutely loves to be involved in the opening of cards and presents. Each card was closely inspected then given his 'nose dab' of approval!

Earlier in the week he was certainly NOT so overjoyed as it was time for a grooming session and the application of 'nasties' repellent down his back. He ran and hid but Len hunted him out and the little monkey was insistent on bringing Honka Duck to the grooming table! No way was he letting go of his best pal:

It was nigh on impossible not to practically cry with laughter - he really is such a little pickle!

Very importantly, we have a new Challenge #489 being run by our lovely Sarn over HERE! Do please come and play - no doubt there will be cake in the tree house!

Love from myself and Dudley, xxx

Sunday Snippets - 'Storyboard'

There's been a bit of a craze recently for die cut frames to form either a 'storyboard' or 'a collection of pseudo postage stamps'. They are such fun to play with, so when Heffy Doodle had their closing down sale fairly recently, I bought a set of 'storyboard' dies  and this is my first play with them:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank, side opening - the set of dies is Imperial and perfect for USA A2 sized cards which is a size I really like for the balanced proportions

- then used a piece of the same white card used for the card blank to die cut the 'frame' using the main die from Heffy Doodle's 'Imperial Storyboard' set of dies

- had already picked out the paper pad I wanted to use - one of the earlier ones dating back 14 years called 'Born to Shop - Bubbles'. Aha, closer inspection says it's by Docrafts! 

- in the back of the pad I found everything I used as a paper snippet on this card. First of all I trimmed the piece of plain mauve to sit behind the framework of panels, glued it to the back of the framework and then added the completed frame to the card front - all done using glue pens

- then die cut the little five patterned inserts from snippets and glued them in place

- die cut two sentiments from pale mustard coloured paper (the beauty of the paper pad is that the reverse of each sheet is plain, using colours from the patterned side) and layered them together. The shadow die set I used is by Memory Box, called 'Big Hugs Posh Script'

- die cut the shadow from a snippet of vellum and glued the die cut words on top

- then just glued the sentiment 'panel' onto the card front - finished!

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

- Darnell's NBUS challenge #65 HERE - both the 'Storyboard and the 'Big Hugs' dies were having a first outing 

Dudley Pupdate: poor little guy really has been feeling this heatwave we're having. We've lost him a few times as he silently roams around the house during the night, looking for the coolest places to lie. Wedged between a tiled wall and a toilet pan is his top choice of place right now - cool on both sides as well as his nose! If only he knew that water would cool him down - but, as he hates to even get his tippy toes wet, it's a non-starter to think about a paddling pool for him!

Remember, I've just kicked off a new challenge over in the Snippets Playground HERE. And, if you like the 'Storyboard' die set I used - there's one exactly the same included in the prize bundle!

Hope to see you on the swings - the sight of Sarn trundling a huge freezer into the Playground did stop me in my tracks the other day. No doubt she has plans laid for cold drinks, lollies and ice creams! 

Love as always, Dudley Dog and me