Pixies Snippets Playground - Weeks 103 and 104

Still busy in the Playground this week, despite most folk working flat out trying to get ready for Christmas :)

Here's my snippets make:

I used:

- A6 white card blank

- a snippet of SU's 'Bashful Blue' card to stamp the image and sentiment onto, using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink

- the stamp is by Woodware and is called 'Bethlehem'. Although it also lends itself to colouring, I had a plan - which is why I created some more snippets earlier in the week from LOTV's 'Krafty Christmas' paper pad, to do some paper piecing!

- just added a few touches of white in the sky using a white Signo pen and then mounted it onto a snippet of toning Core'dinations card before popping it onto the card blank

It looks a quick and simple card, it was the paper piecing that took forever the time of course. Afraid the stamping isn't perfick, do you KNOW how hard it is to stamp when it hurts to press down? I do believe there's a gizmo you can buy for such times - I might look into that one :)

Onto this week's picks:

I love this card made by Brenda - and the 'schparkle' is amaaaaazing. To check out what Brenda used, do go and see her blog.

Such beautiful elegance, made by Mary H.

A beautiful pillow shaped gift box made by Sarn - love the stamped feather tag!

A fabulous WOW creation, made by Viv. With the super tip of gently inking the edges  and other areas for slight contrast using Versamagic 'Narcissus'. Works beautifully!

A lovely Spring-like card, made by Carol - just to remind us that Winter will be over ........ in a few months.

As always, I could pick every single one of your entries, but time is marching on.

So onto the winner of the Penny Black 'Duckie and Hedgies' stamp:

Sandra H

I have your new address Sandra so will pop this in the post to you ASAP this coming week - can you just confirm that it's a stamp you want, I checked your blog and can see PB stamps being used but not this one so hopefully it's a new one to you!

And, as Christmas is almost here, I'm trying to ensure that in the New Year we revert to non-Christmas goodies as prizes. So over the coming two weeks we have three Woodware Christmas stamps on offer, all as one prize - even if you don't manage to use them for this Christmas I think they'd make a good start for next year's cards:

Of course there's the 'Bethlehem' stamp the same as I used today, then 'Christmas Hoot' (love that owl!) and last but not least 'Little Christmas Bird'. I hope Jules won't mind, this is the fabulous snippets card she made a while back using the same stamp and paper piecing:

Beautiful isn't it?!

NB. The snippets challenge will run for two weeks and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 28th December and will open again at midnight UK time on the same day. Maximum of six entries over the two weeks and please say 'No thank you' in a comment if you wish to still play but not be the winner of the prize. Now, some of you might already have one or more of the stamps (like Jules for example), or perhaps you might only fancy one of them - if so please do say and if you win I can do a second draw with whatever is left.

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.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Gotta go, I can hear somone shouting something about the chestnut brazier being in danger of setting fire to the Playground bike shed - our Scallywag Sam is just giggling and trying to text me the news whilst Sarn is at least rushing round with her fire warden hat on shouting for fire buckets and a relay team to use up the duck pond water! The ducks have scarpered!!  I despair, really I do.

Di - and of course Parsnip
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The glow worm

Recently I've scarpering up to bed, at a ridiculously early hour (7 to 8pm or so!!) as I was always such a night owl, to read my 'very basic but I LOVE it!' Kindle before sleep, with it own clip on light, and to rest me aching back by lying flat (getting better I think though - sssshhh).

Len trots up to bed, not much later than me after clearing away the evening meal wot I made, or directed with his help, setting the dishwasher etc. and he always asks me to remind him of the words of one of my favourite little ditty as he walks into the bedroom.  He's sort of sniggering as it's usually aglow with a little light - unless am fast asleep whereupon he recovers said Kindle and light, usually from floor and gently takes my reading glasses off me - aaaaaaaw:

I wish I was a glow worm,
A glow worm's never glum.
'Cos how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum!

Thank goodness for a sense of humour - it makes me giggle every time!

Di
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A Scottish Fairy

 

Snigger :)

I've linked this into Annie's Friday Funny/this week's smiles.

Di

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Wishes for kisses

I do love this Penny Black stamp, unused since October 2011 :(

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- stamped Penny Black image called 'Wishes for kisses', coloured with a mix of Pro Markers and Polychromos pencils - blended using Sansodor mineral blending solution and Derwent blending stumps. A little tip, if you use Sansodor, and it does make such a difference to both Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils, pop a small piece of sponge into a teeny little screw top jar (I used one that had contained embossing powder after cleaning it thoroughly) then just add a small amount of the blending fluid. I just snipped a small piece of makeup sponge to fit the bottom of the jar. That way you just dab the blending stump onto the sponge and don't soak your stump and then the image when blending

- patterned backing paper is by Magnolia called Lingonberry Christmas 'Sweet Christmas Dreams'. Hands up who likes Lingonberry preserve from Ikea - I love it! Not too sweet and sickly - just like a taste of fresh forest fruit

- dark green snippet, die cut using a Nesties 'Floral Oval' die, red snippet hand cut after drawing round a plain oval and then the image die cut with the same oval

- sentiment is by Craftwork Cards, layered onto a SU punched circle - another red snippet

- a tickle of 'Icicle' Stickles on the 'ground' plus a little dot of 'White Opal' Liquid Pearls. for the mistletoe berry

- white Josy Rose nail heads

Still battling on here, in a lot of pain a bit of discomfort (sob, sniff) so am trying to comment on the Playground as entries come in - but might be a day or two or even more behind! Now to make a couple of personalised family Christmas cards - always tricky ones to do :( sigh.

Di
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Making snippets

Bad girl that I am - I chopped up some LOTV papers today with the prime reason of helping me out with this coming week's snippets make. OK,  I made a few snippets but I NEEEDED BROWNS for Sunday and the prize is lovely :)

Now, to me, these are certainly NOT traditional Christmas colours :( But, I had browns in my mind for the papers as you already know and this image has brown in - but YELLOWS?!?!?! I plodded on and at least ended up with some snippets I wanted - not a really Christmas colour scheme huh?!!!

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card blank

- SU's 'Summer Starfruit' card to match the LOTV  'Navitity Play' pre-coloured image -which I chose to match those flipping papers I need snippets of - sigh

- all newly chopped papers and even a few already cut snippets are from the LOTV 'Krafty Christmas ' paper pad

- the star was cut using a die by Memory Box, cut from SU 'Summer Starfruit' again ..... just 'cos I thought there was too much 'white' over the Baby Jesus

- ribbons and cord from the ribbon box

- sentiment is Personal Impressions 'Many Greetings , stamped in Brilliance 'Pearlescent Chocolate' and layered onto SU punches

That's me for today, still not running on all four cylinders but off to brave Costco - someone' s gotta do it! And at least almost all cards are done and en route :) DEEP BREATH!! :)

Di
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Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 102

Straight in this week, no messin' - here's my snippets card:

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white card blank

- a snippet of white card, also 5" square, to layer the background on just in case I got it wrong and had to do a bit of trimming down - which for once I didn't have to do :)

- snippets of plain red card and also patterned papers that were tucked inside the LOTV 'Classic Christmas' paper pad - if possible I store patterned snippets this way. I just used some leftover strips of the paper to create a sort of patchwork effect by putting the tartan paper at top and bottom and then holly patterned strips across, left to right and up to down - simple and it makes a little paper go a long way

- the image is Penny Black's 'Duckie and Hedgies' stamp, stamped in Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Polychromos pencils. An early Christmas present to me from me and a first play, yay! I love them and can't wait to use them to add shading to images coloured with Pro Markers (the main reason I bought them). Die cut using a Spellbinders Nesties hexagon die

- 'Icicle' Stickles added to snowflakes and snow on the finished image, which was mounted onto a red backing

- sentiment is by Craftwork Cards, popped onto an oval of red card

- white Josy Rose nail heads in each corner

One super-fast snippets card :)

This week picks are as follows:

I adore this ATC, so many lovely details, made by Ike (Suzy).

And Sam (Hettie) made this beautiful  album for her Mum - with so many lovely embellishments. I can't begin to think how much work went into it.

Karen P brought us this 'fantabulous' Christmas card, made for her Mum.  What a great way to use flowers for a very special card.

I adore this red and white Christmas card, made by Sandra H, really lovely.

Such a beautiful selection of boxes, made by Andrea (Kanda). A great way to use up those odds and ends of papers I bet we all have from magazine freebies.

And Viv made this absolutely divine card, with every frond on the wreath punched out from snippets. Brilliant idea Viv, although I truly can't see why you only made the one instead of the batch you'd planned :)

And last but not least, 'cos it really intrigues me:

A Christmas star, made by Andrea (Kanda) from just one piece of 6" x 3" paper and some glue. Isn't it beautiful?

I've been through the entries several times and didn't find any new playmates - so I do hope I didn't skip past and miss anyone out.

As always, there are so many beautiful and clever snippets makes I'd love to show - but looking at the clock here I'm over my allowed time at the laptop so best to move on!

Here's the winner of the prize draw for the bumper bundle of stamps, die set and embossing folder:

Bonnie

Oh well done Bonnie. After many weeks of playing in the Playground I'm almost sure this is the very first time Mr Random picked you as winner of our normal weekly prize draw, yay! Looking at the goodies, and your lovely blog with such a distinctive style I think you'll love them. Can you just please drop me an email letting me know if your address is the same please and the goodies will be posted to you ASAP.

Its taken me forever to work out who entered a total of three times over the past couple of weeks to be in with a chance of our 100 Weeks Joanna Sheen prize. In the end we had 29 qualifying playmates so I grouped and numbered everyone (by that time the numbering was random too!!) and used the random thingie again to do the draw. The winner is:

Pat

And well done to you Pat, one of our more recent 'new girls' - and very talented as well. Can you just please drop me an email letting me know your address (di_wray@hotmail.com) and the goodies will be posted to you ASAP.

As always, I do wish everyone could win something each week so I hope you come back and play again girls. I know that lots of you play just for the fun anyway :)

This coming week's prize is smaller than we've had recently, but very cute no? It's a stamp, the same as the one I used on my snippets card today - Penny Black's 'Duckie and Hedgies'. Although I only recently bought the stamp(s) I see that the date it was first introduced was 2004 - almost a collector's item :)

We're still operating as usual and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 14th December 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 this week, as shown above.

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.

Hope you have a lovely week! Remember, the Playground Nativity Play rehearsals start soon.

Di - and of course Parsnip
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Santa's Grotto in panic mode

It had to happen sooner or later, although I'll be keeping a close eye on the Playground - am going to have to reduce my daily posts for now ..... otherwise we won't be ready for the fat man in the red suit!

Please keep joining in the Playground, and I'll visit you in return, that will continue as normal. Huh, whatever normal is of course! Closing and opening of the Playground gates will be at the usual times, and of course I'll hopefully do my snippets card, the weekly picks, draw etc. for Sundays.

My wish is to post every other day or so just until things are more organised here, and my back is 100%. I think it'll just be for a week or so - it's amazing how much can be done when there's time to really focus :)

Di

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Good luck in your new home

....and not a Christmas card! I missed out on sending a few friends New Home cards and felt really bad about it - so this one is for any of you who moved recently, and it's also going into my box of standby cards. Who knows when things can take a turn so that you don't manage to crawl to the craft room at short notice:

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- turquoise Core'dinations backing card

- paper from the Teresa Collins 'Sweet Afternoon' paper pad - I love that these are double sided

- the pre-coloured image is by Little Claire from sheet LCD09

- ribbon from the ribbon box

- sentiment is an Elzybells one, stamped in SU 'Baja Breeze' and punched out with SU's Large Oval punch then popped onto a scalloped oval

Short and sweet today, I finished off all the Christmas card inserts and boxes just gotta write them now - anyone fancy nipping round to help? Thought not :(

Di
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Merry and bright candles

I do love red candles, and white ones too, especially at Christmas. Since we had a gel candle suddenly go up like a rocket a few years ago I have to settle for battery operated ones - admittedly some are very realistic but isn't there just something about a real candle:

What a job I had taking this photo, no light box/booth here and it was dusk yesterday when I remembered :( But, with the aid of my daylight lamp and some jiggery-pokey with pink backing card laid on the laptop keyboard and also against the laptop screen this was the result - and also managed to pick up the sparkle and glossy accents.

It's a tent card with the main image sticking above the top for a change - grin, so that it'll fit nicely into a ready made 7" x 5" envelope.

I used:

- white card blank trimmed to 6" tall and 5" wide

- common sense prevailed and I stamped the sentiment first using SU 'Real Red' and a stamp by Hero Arts called 'Merry and Bright'

- SU 'Real Red' card stock for matting and also the candles. Snippets of yellow, orange and green card from the snippets folder for the other die cutting

- the candles were die cut using Dee's Distinctively 'Candle Set', added Stickles to the flames and Glossy Accents to the dripping wax

- holly leaves were die cut using Dee' Distinctively 'Wreath Builder' set with a few red pearls added for the berries

Really I'd planned to spend the whole day doing Christmas card inserts but Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge was niggling at me, plus I truly think that doing huge numbers of inserts in one go is mind numbing, when will I learn to do them all, and not just some, as I go along! Hazel's theme this week is 'Light it up'. And it's also for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for December, where it's always 'Anything goes'.

Edit: I DO have some wax burners for Yankee candles, with tea lights in - can't beat the spicy smell over the festivities!

Di
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The dancing duckling

A guy (let's call him Fred) goes into his local pub and tells the landlord he has a sure fire way of drawing in more custom with a little cabaret act.

Dubiously the landlord agreed to 'audition' this new act, whereupon Fred whipped a little duckling from one pocket and a metal cigar tin from the other pocket. He turned away, rustled around a bit and hey presto, there on the bar was the cigar tin with a cute little duckling dancing away on top like there was no tomorrow - tappitty, tap, tap, tap:

'WOW - you're booked!' exclaimed the landlord. So each evening Fred, the duckling and his little metal 'stage' arrived at the pub, collected their percentage of the previous night's takings and set up for that night's performance.

People came from far and wide to see the little ball of fluff tap dancing like there was no tomorrow - until Fred had to go away for an overnight trip. He left the duckling and his little metal cigar tin stage in the care of the pub landlord.

The following evening, after he returned home, just before closing time he dropped into the pub to collect his duckling and little metal stage. But, he found that the landlord was not at all happy. 'You and your duckling are FIRED' he shouted 'I was a laughing stock, that duckling just sat on its bum on top of the cigar box and smirked at everyone all evening - not one single tap, tap at all'.

Fred sighed and replied ............................... wait for it .....................................
 
'I know, my fault. I forgot to tell you to light the tea light inside the tin just before the duckling was due to perform'.

I told Len this one the other evening when we were trying to outdo one another with silly tales - and he said it was cruel :( That guy takes life a bit seriously sometimes - tap, tap, tappitty, tap - snort.

Di
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Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 101

Wow, wow and double wow! How did you girls DO that?! We had a total of 101 entries last week. AMAZING, thank you all so very much for all the support and good wishes on our 100 Week milestone - which is ALL down to you, your wonderful spirit, sense of fun and amazing efforts at using up those pesky snippets.

As time crept towards 11am yesterday, the closing time, we were sitting at 98 entries and then suddenly someone with the 'handle' Roolz Breaker added a card! Despite knowing that there were two cards I could see already published on my dashboard here which used snippets and were for the Playground, it didn't seem right to link them in as the girlies were probably still fast asleep 'over the pond'. Sooooooooooooo, I thought that, as I make up the Roolz,  I too could break them - and that's where we got our 100th entry. That WAS however quickly followed by another entry from Roolz Breaker - who quite fairly deserves the accolade of making all of this fun and mayhem happen - please give a HUGE round of applause to our SARN!! Yay!! I'm sure it's largely down to Sarn that we got anywhere close to 100 entries - she can be very persuasive :) And I mustn't forget Jules, who managed three entries despite being so busy and also really kindly encouraged peeps to join in! Thank you!

So here's my snippets make for today:

 And a closer peek:

I used:

- 6" x 6" cream card blank, used 'tent-fold' style which I trimmed down to 6" x 5" to balance it more (thereby needing a custom made envelope of course, dopey Di strikes again!)

- snippets of cream card stock and copper satin/matt mirri card for the layers, flower and leaves

- the cream background was embossed using Cuttlebug's 'Scrollwork' embossing folder

- the sentiment was stamped and then embossed with Heat It Up! Copper embossing powder

- the cream part of the poinsettia was die cut using one layer from a Spellbinders poinsettia die set for the largest layer and also the All Occasions 'Small Poinsettia' die set - same as I gave away the other week

- the lacy background flower and leaves were die cut from copper satin/matt mirri card using   a Marianne Creatables die set number LR0156 - I've seen these dies used in so many ways lately and LOVE them - they would look fabulous behind ANY flower, die cut, punched, rolled and even mulberry roses for example

- the final touch is a pearl gem, coloured with a Pro Marker to match

Onto this week's 'picks' - and there has to be one outstanding card that totally cracked me up. It used no less than 100 snippets - so please come and take a bow Kath for this wonderful creation, just brilliant!!

I do love this basket of flowers, made by Cathy - so tactile and great use of snippets.

This is such a beautiful card, made by Greta. Quite apart from the lovely wreath of snippets - I adore the three little gold dots just beside the sentiment. A really clever touch and it just pulls the whole card together so well!

What a clever card made by Kimbo, how perfect the diamond paper is, great paper piecing and even the golf ball has been embossed - and such a great sentiment too! :)

Oh wow and double wow - Sharon brought this gorgeous card to share. So much beautiful detail and amazing colouring!

Wipso (aka Annie) came back to play with this fantastic Advent tree - to see what hangs on those buttons you have to go and check out her post :) Brilliant idea!

And this divine card was made by Bonnie, I think she inspired my snippets card for today :)

I have to stop there although I really could sit here for hours linking so many more picks in - but, as is tradition, can you please welcome the amazing total of 8 new playmates! This will be a very quick scamper but so please click onto their names and go and say 'Hello' if you can:

 Claire - and while you're there, do please check out her lovely digi images for sale. A small but totally lovely collection - the right hand sidebar takes to to her other blog!

 

Sarah-J W

Genny

 

Twiglet (aka Jo)

 

Anesha

 Annie

Ethan (Kath's Grandson)

Stacyl

You know I normally write a little bit about each new playmate but truly, it's still tough/bally uncomfortable sitting here typing so I really need to move on. However, you are all SO welcome to the Playground, do please come back soon!!

As some wag remarked this week - we're fine for the crowd scenes in the Playground Nativity play this year :)

Right, the draw for last week's prize of the 'Winter Cabin Landscape' and Santa's Magic Sleigh' dies - I'm only counting 98 entries as Sarn and I got a bit silly at the end - here goes:

Viv

Well done Viv! You didn't say one way or another (that I can find) if you'd like this prize or not. But, having checked your blog, I see that you do make some lovely white on white scenes so am hoping you do want them. Can you please drop me an email (di_wray@hotmail.com) with your snail mail address. Ta!

And this coming week's prize is, as I said yesterday when I showed a card using some of the prize, a bit of a bumper one to continue the celebrations and also now to mark 100 entries - OK, the final three were a bit dubious :)

All of these goodies do make up one prize, you'll see more details if you look at my snippets cards for yesterday and of course today.

We're back to normal (well as normal as we ever are here!) and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 7th December 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 this week, as shown above. In fact, you might want to play but already have or don't want something that's in the prize 'cos there's more than usual I must agree - just say in a comment and I'd just draw again for any unwanted items as well. BUT, if you'd like to win it all - go for it!

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.

AND, do remember it's week 2 of being able to qualify for the Joanna Sheen special prize which was kindly donated to celebrate 100 weeks since I took over the Playground from Jules. All you have to do to be included for a chance to win that is to enter a total of three snippets makes over last week and this week (100 and 101) - not three per week, unless you want to - just three spread over the two weeks.So, if you didn't play last week you can still qualify for the 100th Week prize by making three snippets entries this week. Unless of course you're lying there exhausted by all your lovely efforts for week 100 :)

Hope you have a lovely week! Am still smiling here - thank you again :)

Di - and of course Parsnip
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