A card for a rather dapper man

Not a very imaginative title for a blog post, but it's too hot here to really think very deeply:

I used:

- 6.5" x 6.5" square black card stock

- Core'dinations stone coloured plain card

- top hat patterned papers from Paper Cellar's 'Mens' pad, and the swirls paper is from First Edition's 'Noir et Chic' paper pad - I thought the colours matched well and the swirls echo the border round the top hat paper

- to cover the join I punched a strip of plain stone card using Martha Stewart's 'Double Loops' punch and just topped it with a strip of the patterned swirls paper

- Elzybells sentiment was stamped onto a strip of stone card using Brilliance 'Graphite Black' and the very dapper moustache is from a sweet set of moustache stamps by Studio G, given to me by our Brenda on her trip to the UK - mwah!

That's it for me - typing this on Thursday afternoon and you could fry eggs on the pavement here!

The House of Zandra 'Robin' stamp I used the other day that wasn't 100% has been replaced, the new one is stamping perfectly, not a fuzzy line to be seen. Bless them, they even tried the new stamp out first and enclosed the crisp image :) Also enclosed a SAE so I could send the faulty one back and they will be taking it up with the manufacturer. That proves, at least with House of Zandra, if you aren't happy with something it's always at least approaching the retailer to see if they can rectify things.

Di
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Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 62

Well, it's been another busy week in the Playground - with 40 little visits to 'show and tell', and some new playmates joining us too. Welcome to you - and I hope the girls played nicely!

This is my super fast 'show and tell' for the week - aka my snippets card:

It's also for Seize the Birthday's current challenge, which is to make a masculine card using this sketch:

 

And also for Penny Black and More @Allsorts Challenge - where the them is 'One for the boys' :)
 
I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- SU's 'Sail Away' stamp, stamped onto a white snippet of card using SU's 'Pacific Point' ink pad. Before stamping, I tickled the background using Tim Holtz 'Tumbled Glass' DI, a duster brush and a template which is just a die cut scalloped circle which you move about when 'tickling' to create the effect of clouds :) Then, I stamped directly onto the background before also stamping again onto a snippet of white paper, cutting the sails out and paper piecing them on top of the image. The result was then die cut with a Nestie circle die - the choice of circles was deliberate (bit like portholes) - the alignment of the curve of the sail with the curve of the circle was one of those happy strokes of luck!

- all backing card is a mix of some snippets and a bigger piece of card, also in SU's 'Pacific Point'

- the papers were in the snippets folder - I'm almost sure they're from a Papermania Capsule Collection pad - the main backing paper reminds me of the sea - barf!

- a snippet of 'tickled' background was left after the circle was die cut so I used a LOTV 'Small Greetings' stamp and 'Pacific Point' ink pad to stamp Happy Birthday before punching it out and layering onto a die cut circle of more 'Pacific Point' card

- baker's twine was tied over the striped band across the card and then an anchor charm was just knotted on - grin, I did use a reef knot

- hmmmm, then I sat gawping at the result just knowing that something wasn't quite right (to my eyes anyhow). There was a big blank patch of blue in the pattern in the top right corner - so out came the small birds Clarity stamp, 'Pacific Point' ink and hey presto, a little flock of birdies to pull it all together and also fill in that annoying blank patch

Job done!

So, this week's little showtime first:

Oh my golly gosh - this is sooooo difficult. Each and every one of you brought such beautiful work to wave in the Playground, as always. So, please don't feel despondent if I don't pick your card or snippets make to show - remember that last week's post, here, has all the little thumbnails and if you can find time to go and visit it would be lovely.

These are the ones I picked this week:

 

Amy paid us her first visit with this fabulous card - I totally LOVE the idea of adhering papers to backing card before embossing, love it Amy!

I've searched back through previous weeks in the Playground to try and find who first brought a similar idea to the Playground (covering the whole background with circles) as I forgot to show you it in the weekly roundup. Please do remind me...........'cos it too was gorgeous.

Amanda brought this great card - so 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' :)

This card, made by Rach, is soooo cute - and very cleverly done using SU's owl punch and snippets, especially the little hat :)

 

Sue H brought all these cards, made to be given with LillyBo quilts - what a star you are Sue!

OK, time for Mr Random number thingy to play - and the winner of the LOTV Stitches stamp set and the door hanger is:

RACH
 

Well done Rach - I only had to run Mr Random once 'cos you certainly said in a comment you like the door hanger, and the Stitches Stamps come with it! Can you please drop me an email with your address - thanks!

Just to show how 'real time' this is - I do literally run away to Mr Random number thingy in mid flow when writing this post - so Rach gets two mentions this week!

And  for this coming week we have a PaperArtsy stamp plate:

The Playground is open all of this coming week but it will close on Saturday 9th March at noon, UK time and Mr Linky is below as usual. Just enter a snippets make into the Playground this week and I'll do a draw after the Playground closes next Saturday. But, as usual I am asking for a snippets make please, maximum of three entries and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be a winner of this funky chook set. I might even enter myself :)

Have a lovely week!

Di

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Happy Birthday Pardner

When we were in New Mexico recently, Len was going bananas over bolo ties, stetsons and the like - the cowboy side was fighting its way to the fore!

Today is his birthday so the theme for a card was a bit of a no-brainer really, in fact I'd already started planning this whilst on holiday:

I used:

- A5 white card stock

- Paper Studio 'Dark Denim' and 'Handkerchief' papers, plus toning ribbons, bought in NM whilst shopping with Kay in Hobby Lobby and then hidden in the bottom of my suitcase to bring back home

- other card used was all from SU's 'Neutrals' range

- stamp set by Personal Impressions called 'Cowboys Rule OK' - I paper pieced all the outfit and added some colouring here and there..........the only thing missing seems to be a pair of trousers/pants - don't get me giggling, I have the funniest image in my mind now :)

- sentiment by Hero Arts from their CL047 Messages set

- Josy Rose nail heads, plus a Josy Rose star on the stetson :)

Like a lot of menfolk, Len doesn't seem to get very many birthday cards. He professes not to be bothered but I did see him quietly counting up all the lovely cards I got a month ago for my Birthday - bless.

So, to prove I'm totally barking, yesterday I made a second card:

This one is from the garden birds and Spike the hedgehog (grin, written inside as if Spike roused himself from hibernation to make it too) 'cos Len is so good at making sure they are fed and watered :)

It's 4" square white linen card stock, topped with red card and then more white linen card, Good old Penny Black stickeroos again - from their 'A Bunch of Love' and 'Bouncing With Joy' sheets. Spike struggled with the stickeroos so I did give him a little hand.

Happy Birthday Len!

Di
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Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge - 24

Crumbs, so much going on here I don't know if I'm coming or going right now. Then, another birthday crept up on me - so at least that was this week's snippets card sorted out:

Must confess. the backing paper was straight from a paper stack but the other paper and the backing card came from the snippets folder.

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock

- image is one of LOTV's Cute Squares, it came already coloured

- gingham effect backing paper from Serif's 'Picnic in the Park' paper stack - one of my all time favourite stacks

- plain green card and leafy patterned green paper from the snippets folder - I know it's a piece originally from First Edition's 'Bird Song' paper pad - another gorgeous set

- sentiment by Craftwork Cards, layered onto a green oval punched with SU's oval punch

- twine, fish charm and Josy Rose nail heads all came from my store of goodies

So, my snippets offering was made in a rush and sort of 'loosely' uses snippets. But hey, that's OK, a lot or a few is just fine! Smiling here, the fish charm is (accidentally I admit) positioned right underneath the fishing line - swim away little fish!

I'm adding this into Digi Doodles Shop Current Challenge which is  a card for a male.

Right, roll call time now.

First into the playground this week was Sandra H, jumping for joy at being first, with this lovely Christmas card. It seems to sum up the wonder of children in the build up to Christmas I think, and the decoupage is such a great touch to bring the children into the foreground. Thanks for a little trip down Memory Lane Sandra :)

Next was Carol, bringing a Christmas card as well - so elegant Carol, love the holly patterned paper and the sentiment is a gorgeous focus point. I did grin, this cold and miserable weather does seem to have us thinking about Christmas already. Carol was wearing her Winter woollies and skipping - no diving into the paddling pool to swim a few laps this week :)

Sam was next, with a fabulous layout featuring hubby Simon. Love the bunting and wording Sam - one to treasure (alongside your hubby of course!). And, I omitted to include a terrific canvas when I was writing the roll call, what seems like a lifetime ago, in Spain and struggling with slow (as in crawling!) internet speeds.  So, here it is - better late than never - and it really is the most wonderful creation - fabulous flowers and such beautifully made bees. No wonder it now has pride of place in the porch Sam! And Sam nipped in, after me encouraging her, with this totally amazing project. The layout uses loads of recycled things, and is so full of delicious detail you really should go and see for yourself. I'd never have thought to make flowers from a coke can - and although not strictly snippets from the snippets drawer or folder I really thought you should see how something fantastic can be made from things we might not think twice about discarding. Yup, just amazing Sam. Excuse me while I go and rummage in our recycling bin!

Our Sarn came to play twice this week, having not managed to come and play last week. Firstly with such an amusing card, featuring - go on, guess - a chicken :) Beautiful colours and colouring Sarn, as always so fresh and clean looking - I really love it and am rapidly finding that mauves/purples come a close second to pink in my list of favourite colours. Next was this beauty, made using duster brushes for the background and lots of gorgeous SU products too. Love the way you just 'dusted' one side Sarn leaving the other plain for the sentiment.

I felt bad that I'd managed to miss Irene nipping in with this fabulous card. It's just stunning and I love the way you coloured the stamp with marker pens, it works brilliantly Irene! So elegant, and I do love the little gem above the 'i' on the sentiment - pulls it together perfectly- and the lines you embossed just add that really classy finishing touch.

Sally was next with a lovely seaside card, using a Michael Powell stamp to perfection. The finishing touch of the raffia and a shell is just so appropriate. I love these Michael Powell stamps, oh dear, more wish list additions - it's as long as my arm :( While you're over at Sally's, do take a peek at the card in the same posting, not made using snippets, but it's also fantastic! And, if you want proof that talent does indeed run in the family - nip over to Sally's daughter Meg's new blog here. Amazing!

Then, Bernie paid us a visit with not one, but three beautiful snippets makes in one go! If you want to see some real stunners, and ways to use up the tiniest of snippets as well as some fabulous SU birdies don't miss going over to Bernie's for a peek and to read her funny post. I almost spat coffee over the keyboard here - the term 'fanny' has a different meaning in the US to the UK Bernie, it means your 'buttocks' in the US, but not so in the UK :)

That reminds me of one of Mike Harding's stories about his travels in America and the differences in our use of language. To the uninitiated, he's a Yorkshire comedian who really makes me laugh with his dry, Northern humour. In one guest house in the US he was hanging round while the landlady made dinner. Wanting to help out he asked if he could 'lay the kitchen table' (in the UK and US of course it also means to 'set' the table for a meal). Apparently the landlady moaned 'Mind the knife drawer' before fainting clean away in shock. :))

Amanda hopped in next, hopefully not hopping any longer after that nasty accident? What a cute card too, as a thank you for hubby diving in to the rescue and even doing some baking as well. Do you hire him out Amanda? Anyhow, the card - little red ants working away, beautifully coloured, and some fantastic wainscoting made for the background. I love this card - really made me smile Amanda :)

Linby came to show this super card - great sentiment (which makes me about 5 in the UK, or 38 on the Continent, think I'll stick with the UK thanks). A super, fun card and I love how you used the positives and negatives - great touch Linby, and another lovely way to use up snippets. The colouring of the shoes goes perfectly with the spotty backing paper too!

Next was Elizabeth with a card beautifully matching the image, a lovely flower, card candi and papers. Love the way the cat is sort of glancing over its shoulder as if to say 'You talking to ME?'. Lots of detail to be seen so do hop over and take a peek - Elizabeth is off on holiday soon so won't be in the playground for a couple of weeks. It's OK to say this as her WOYWW posting mentions that's she's 'hitting the road' - have a great time Elizabeth!

Mary Mac hopped in next, to say 'hi' and also to mention our Queen's Jubilee celebrations - thank you Mary. We were celebrating so much I think someone stole a couple of days as I missed commenting immediately on a few snippets entries and am only finding them as I write the roll call right now - sorry girls!
Mary also brought a darling card, which you can see here, using snippets sent by Sarn. It's so good to see you girls playing nicely and also sharing your goodies. I love the punched SU bird and the flowers on the branch, which goes so well with the delicious backing papers - and the beautifully decorated inside too. Sigh.

Next was Rach, having a busy week and this is what she brought first. A brilliant card Rach, totally embracing the Jubilee and using some images from a supermarket's free magazine (very enterprising Rach), and with the inside also decorated (double sigh here). It was also Rach's first venture into the fun of WOYWW! Then, still on a roll, we had a second visit with a perfect card, also for the Less Is More challenge which was to use red, white and blue. Fabulous butterfly and sentiment Rach - you cracked it with this little beauty!

Mary H literally 'hopped' in next - with a great Father's Day card featuring such a cute Penny Black frog image. Just great Mary and I love the fabulous colouring too. The water truly does seem to shimmer and I smiled here at the way the frog seems to be eyeballing the little snail on the lily pad :) Apologies for not commenting and sorting out Mr Linky earlier Mary, the Jubilee has a lot to answer for.

Also in Jubilee mode was Hazel, fresh from her holiday on the South Coast here. It's been very quiet without Hazel hopping in regularly with her cards - but she more than made up for it with this beauty! Great stamping and of course the Portobello papers are just perfect for the Jubilee. It's great that we also have the Olympics coming up to extend the use of these super papers Hazel. Welcome back!

Next was a new little face in the playground - so make sure you share your sweets with Victoria please. And what an entrance - plus a second visit as well :) To see Victoria's first cards, yup two of them, do hop over to here. I love both of them, the hearts are great although the clever little pile of parcels, tied with twine is one that any of you without punches and dies (as IF!!) could take inspiration from. Next, and just before the gates closed at noon, Victoria returned - which I think means she likes us and no-one nipped or did any hair pulling - and yet another really clever use of snippets. Great idea to punch circles and fold them to add dimension Victoria - brilliant card and the DL base is just perfect! So girls, why not hop over to say 'Hi' to your newest playmate?

OK girls, that's this week's roll call - hands up who's been missing our Jules - me, me, me!! Come back soon please :)

As I've said previously, am off to a school reunion (steer clear of Farnborough this weekend if you're wise) and will be without internet access. Will be home briefly on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday before whizzing up to Newcastle for my step-mum's 80th birthday. It's literally a day's flying visit so I'll try to catch up a bit before I go with commenting on your blogs. If you do link wrongly into Mr Linky, don't be afraid to add a second correct link - I can always tidy up Mr Linky when I'm back online :) 

Mr Linky is below as usual and the playground will close at noon on Saturday 16th June. Hope you have a great week and please do remember to follow the conditions below.

Di
x

The only conditions to playing nicely in the Snippet Playground are that your card (or anything else you wish to bring here to show) must be made by using up snippets (card, paper, lace and ribbon are all fine), and a link back to here in your own blog posting will mean that you'll be included in the Weekly Roll Call. Oh, and no nipping or hair pulling of course :)   

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooooooou!

I can almost hear the little dog on this card howling to the music :) It's for my OH as it's his birthday on Saturday but I want to catch a couple of challenges and it's most unlikely he's going to call in here for a peek. He does play the guitar (and is pretty good at it), so as soon as I saw this stamp I just had to have it. In fact there are five of them here (guitars, not doggies!!), can you imagine the luxury of a choice of five embossing/die cutting machines?! :)

Here's the card - my first try at a stepper card in this style and kept quite simple as it's for a chap and they don't go for lace and flowers (well, most of 'em don't....if yours does, check your wardrobe!):

I used:

- deep red card stock for the stepper card

- Lili of the Valley stamp 'Playing Guitar' - coloured with Pro Markers

- deep red backing for the image from snippets

- black and silver 'music' paper - from snippets

- Lili of the Valley sentiment stamped in deep red (Dew Drops Pearlescent Red) onto a snippet of white, then layered onto a snippet of black card die cut into a scalloped circle

- shiny black Josy Rose nail heads

A succinct (ha, thought I'd forgotten the big word did you?) posting today. Now, let me back at that wedding stationery :))

Ooops, almost forgot the challenges:

As it was 'snippets to the rescue here' I just have to run to the playground and add this to Jules Crafty Snippets Challenge Week 40.

Also:
Card Makin' Mamas Challenge #30 - 'Folds'

My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge 27 - 'Remind You of a Song' - this just has to be Elvis Presley and 'You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog' :))


Di
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18th Birthday card

Latest news from Jo about Annie, M and the babies. Things are much brighter, so it looks as if each day is bringing an improvement, those positive vibes are still needed though my lovely friends! Link to Jo's latest update of yesterday is here.

Saturday was the 18th birthday of a neighbour. He recently passed his driving test but I made a congratulations card with a car on for that. Bit of head scratching here. I did think about a raunchy KennyK image but decided against it :) However, Matt does run discos for events at our local Community Centre and my in-house critic suggested that as a theme. He even found a few ClipArt images for me to think about! Man, is there no limit to that man's talents?!

I used:

- A5 white linen card stock

- ClipArt image with the computer produced sentiment underneath and printed onto white card 

- dark blue backing card

- backing paper from a free paper set by Kirsty Wiseman (Crafts Beautiful ages ago)

- music note peel offs from my stash, coloured with Black Pro Marker

- Josy Rose nail heads

- and Sarn came galloping to the rescue with the numbers. Recently she sent me a selection of die cut numbers etc. so I could check out the fonts for myself before launching into buying any dies and the 18 came from the Olivia numbers she'd sent - I didn't even need to colour them. Thanks Sarn - a lifesaver!!! I was so pleased the way the numbers echoed the swirls on the main image :)

I'm recovering from Ally Pally so it's going to be a quiet day ahead here.



Di
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Birthday card for a man - don't faint clean away!

Out of all the posts on here, only 16 are birthday cards for boys/men, and most of those are for boys rather than men - shame on me! Like so many, I struggle with card for 'chaps' but yesterday was different. I was rootling around in my stash, sighing at so much unused stuff and thinking that I really need to send a lot of my toppers to a charity for use in day centres and such where they would be easy for others to play with. Nothing wrong with a bit of picking up and sticking down - that's probably how most of use started out on this road years ago anyhow :) But, I'm digressing (yay, today's big word!).

In one of several boxes of toppers I found a little packet of shirts I'd already made up - from a kit bought about six years ago. We were on holiday in Gibraltar and came across a little (tiny really) craft shop tucked away in a quiet back street run by an English ex-pat - I think she had the shop mostly for fun rather than profit. I came away with some odds and ends, including a packet containing six 3" x 6" strips of precut paper and a little guide with a hand drawn sketch. It was all just folding with four little snips to finish off - great fun too!

This is the card I made yesterday:

The hardest part was finding the matching stripey background paper - it came from one of those double pages of free papers in the centre of a craft magazine yonks ago. You know, the ones you wonder if you'll ever really use :)

Actually, the really hardest part was not poking at the 'buttons' before the Liquid Pearls dried :))


I used:

- C6 plain white card stock

- Background striped paper, from stash

- Red and white backing card, both from snippets

- Folded shirt - from stash

- Buttons on the shirt - White Opal Liquid Pearls

- Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

I've got the rest of these little babies to use up and, since St Luke's Hospice Charity Card Challenge have listed Male Cards in their most requested cards, I know just where these will be going once I finish playing :) I hadn't realised that St. Luke's was the charity that my late (and much missed) French teacher Betty supported until just the other day - so it seems extra fitting that I've been sending cards to them for their fund raising without even making the connection. Someone up there is still giving me a little nudge now and then :) Right up until our last reunion she was teasingly threatening to give us detention - and I had enough of that at school (yeah, OK, generally for talking too much!).


I've mooched round some of the current challenges and would like to enter this offering to:

Totally Gorguss Challenge #97 - It's a Man Thing

Phindy's Place Challenge #72  - Stripes Somewhere

Hope you all have a great weekend, whatever the weather and whatever you're doing!

Di
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