Playground apologies - and for Sue

I've already seen so many fabulous creations my dear little Playmates!

As yet I just haven't been round to comment and the reason is that I had the most beautiful email from my friend Sue's husband Jim after her funeral. It shook me to the core and I've cried a lot on Sunday, how can I ever feel I made a difference - but apparently Jim thought I did. Here's just part:

I know you were a great help in supporting Susan through her recovery from the throat cancer.  Not just by taking her out and about but also allowing her to feel feminine again.  For which I am grateful.  I am not so sure about encouraging the interest in handicrafts as Susan was never one to do things by half and so the place began to fill up with every piece of equipment and stock, ready for her retirement.  Of course, I have to admit to aiding and abetting as we didn’t know retirement would be so short and painful.

We sure did work hard on the recovery and also the feminine bit quite a few years (10 or so) ago.  One day I took Sue to the hairdresser to have her waist length hair trimmed ('only slightly Di she cried') and then her hair, which hadn't been touched for weeks due to radiation therapy, was gently and so carefully washed by my hairdresser. Sue was swathed in bandages around her throat at the time and I sat holding her hand making sure the bandages didn't get damp. I don't want praise, it's just what happened. It happens girls.

As Sue grew stronger the next stage was to take her out and about to build her confidence, swathed in floaty scarves and we did get into some mischief for sure! One day I'll reveal all :)

Then as Sue was back to work and much stronger we used to meet up one evening a week every Wednesday, as I'd stopped the dreadful commute to London cycle and so we didn't see each other every evening on the train. We met in a well known local department store for 'tea and cakes'. Snigger, and then, with Sue still wearing floaty scarves to hide the vicious scars ...... we used to try all their new hats and fascinators on and clown around :) Ha, am amazed we didn't get asked to leave really!
 

I did smile about the abundance of handicraft goodies Jim spoke about - Sue would walk into a store, look around, grin and then say 'I'll take one of everything please' ! Never did things by half :)

Oh my little friend Sue, they were such bitter-sweet days. Sleep well - you fought bravely for so many years. And I guess now you're getting God to try fancy hats on huh?

Love always from

Di

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Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 114

Wahoo, another lovely lot of playmates in the Playground this week, 68 entries! The fence has been totally replaced and we're all tickity-boo once again. There's also a new gate but I made sure they used the same lock so that your Playground keys would still fit. Aw, and they even fixed the gate so that there would still be room for Spike the hedgehog to get underneath on his nightly travels :)

Whilst musing about my snippets card, and also that the Playground is such a happy place, I remembered a sweet little stamp I bought ages ago, and from that, this card took shape:

I used:

- 5.75 x 5.75 square pink card blank

- stamp by Flonzcraft called 'Kindergarten, Children Swinging', stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink pad

- I then stamped the sentiment using a stamp from Kaisercraft's 'Life Sentiments' set and Memento 'Tuxedo Black ink pad

- one whole pink backing sheet and various snippets from First Edition's 'Bird Song' paper pad. To create the 'sunburst' effect I followed this great tutorial - perfect for 'snippets busting' :)

- snippets of SU's 'Certainly Celery' card from the snippets folder

OK, onto this week's picks:

Lynn (Linby) made this absolutely gorgeous white on white card. A great way to use up those white snippets - I seem to have more white and cream snippets than any other colour in the snippets folder!

Sally brought us this beautiful mauve card - I just so admire the way Sally uses her ink duster brushes and that butterfly is amazing.

Sue J really cheered the Playground up with this adorable Easter card - love the fresh and zingy Spring colours.

This card used Ryn's amazing water droplets stamp and is so realistic, Cornelia did a fabulous job and has also explained really well in her blog post how she achieved the end result - do go and see.

Caroline made this stunning and very clever snippets card also for a challenge where the cue word was 'Paint'. What a brilliant idea to use a paint swatch - love it!

And we also have some new playmates:


Lisa brought us this lovely card to see - I'd seen the sketch Lisa followed and ran away in horror but she really cracked it!

I was delighted this week to see a little blogging pal suddenly reappear, and after some nudging Gail joined in with the Playground fun. This beautiful album is the first of three entries and features her lovely grandparents - to see more do hop over to Gail's blog.

A huge welcome to the Playground girls and hope you both come back again to play soon.

There are two draws this week of course. First of all the weekly prize of the Penny Black 'Hello Sunshine' stamp was won by:

Hettie (Sam)

 

Well done Sam, I have your address and will post the stamp to you ASAP :)

And now for the Taylored Expressions 'Mr & Mrs' die plate.

19 of you entered at least three times in total over the two weeks so I numbered the qualifiers and ran the Random Number thingy. I did try to check that you hadn't forgotten to add a 3 after your third entry. And the winner is:

Ann

Congratulations Ann, your first Playground win too! I do hope you have lots of fun using that beautiful die. Can you please drop me an email with your snail mail address (di_wray@hotmail.com). Sigh, I only wish I had another 18 to give away!

This coming week's prize is of course linked to my snippets card.

It's a Flonzcraft stamp the same as the one I used today (isn't it strange, their clear stamps are produced on orange coloured polymer), a Kaisercraft set of sentiments - again just like the one I used today. These are lovely sentiments, some are quite small but I do love the words. Plus, as I found it in the Playground toybox and it's a silhouette like the Flonzcraft one, there's a set of two little stamps by cArt-Us (sic) called 'birds on branch' which would be lovely on ATCs for example. I do have another little set of perched birdies that Shaz in Oz. kindly sent me a while ago but those will appear another week :)

As usual, the snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 8th March 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. Do also say if you're only interested in part of the prize as I can then do a further draw for the remainder.

Please NEVER be afraid to say you're just playing for fun - it doesn't offend me at all, and the Playground is first and foremost for us to have fun, the prizes are just a thank you for playing :)

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 a wave from Parsnip)

A twisted easel

It's ages since I made a twisted easel card and I was reminded when sorting out a box of semi-forgotten goodies:

 Looking from the front

 

And from the side

I used:

- everything came from a QVC Kanban kit, designed by Dawn Bibby, a looooong time ago

- the card is patterned on both sides, which was a great help. I just cut it to 5.5" x 11", scored and creased it in half and then scored and creased diagonally on what I wanted to use as the front

- the topper is layered, using ready cut dies which came in the kit

- popped a little sentiment on the base, using sticky pads, to hold the card upright when it's open

Super fast card today! Do remember to let me know if you entered three times for the 'Mr & Mrs' die and forgot to put the number 3 after your name. I've tried to add them where you have already told me :)

Di

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Take just one sheet of card

Whilst poking round in a box here I found some sheets of beautifully embossed and foiled A4 card that had been included as a freebie with an order sometime last year. This is one of them,  I'd already been trimming and folding when I thought to take a photo so I kinda pushed the cut off piece against the left hand side of the folded 'card':

I'd measured and trimmed the card down to 8" x 8" and scored down the middle where you can see to make a DL sized card.

And this was the result end after I played a bit:

 I used:

 - the patterned piece of card I first showed, trimmed, scored and folded to DL size

- from the leftover piece of pale turquoise card I die cut a butterfly using a Joy! 'Vintage Flourishes 6003/0023' die and attached it just down its centre to the card

- the finishing touch was to cover the butterfly's body and a teeny touch on the tips of the antennae of the butterfly with a mixture of Stickles. TIP - if I can't find exactly the colour I want, I mix two (or more!) little dollops of Stickles on a small scrap of paper, stir it together and apply it with a very fine stiff bristled paint brush. To get the right mix here I used Stickles 'Turquoise' and 'Arctic Ice'

The card almost made itself due to the lovely design already printed and foiled on one end of the card - and I still have a snippet of the pale turquoise card left to play with :)

A quick reminder to make sure that if you're playing for the Playground 'Mr & Mrs die' - please do mark your third entry with a 3 or similar. OR do let me know in a comment. I won't be trawling through entries over the two weeks to cross check.

Can you tell, me been to dentist yesterday and am suffering like a donkey kicked my jaw - feel like the Grinch right now :) Grump, grump.

Plus - today is my friend Sue's funeral, never a happy occasion. She had only a few friends so I think it will be a quiet affair, will be glad when this week is over really :(

Di
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Playing with shaving foam

Over at Technique Time Tuesday the current challenge is to make your own coloured card using the shaving foam technique (basically a shallow tray of the stuff, colours swirled through and then card pressed down to pick up the swirls). I had a little play yesterday and found it great fun - if a bit messy. I used Tim Holtz re-inkers for the colouring as I'd completely forgotten I had some really vibrant Dylusions which would have given a much brighter result - next time though :)

This is what I made using some of the 'shaving foam treated' card, we actually had sunshine here when I took the photo, so the colours look a bit washed out I'm afraid:

 I used:

- 7" x 5" white card blank

- top half of the card is the shaving foam treated card

- the bottom half is paper from a Pink Petticoat pad called 'Vintage Rose Collection, had it for ages and it came free with Quick Cards Made Easy magazine

- pink spotted ribbon to hide the join

- big pink button with a turquoise embroidery thread bow

- butterflies are actually cut from pink spotted paper from the Pink Petticoat pad, using SU's 'Beautiful Wings' embosslits, topped with turquoise pearls

- sentiment is stamped with SU stamp from the 'Sincere Salutations' set, using SU 'Baja Breeze' ink pad and punched with SU scalloped oval punch

Di
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Less is More - use metal

Yikes! That sure set me thinking - I have charms 'aplenty' but didn't want to go down that route :(

Woke up the other morning with an idea and scampered into the kitchen for the Lakeland heavy duty greaseproof backed aluminium foil roll:

I used:

- 6" x 5.5" card blank

- aubergine backing card from the snippets folder

- a strip of heavy duty greaseproof backed foil, run through the Cuttlebug with the really pretty embossing strip which comes with the Anna Griffin 'Rosa' embossing folder. I then very carefully double folded the edges under right across the centre back so I could stick foil to foil and then onto the white piece of card at a jaunty angle

- the sentiment is by SU from the 'Wonderful Words' set, stamped using Memento 'Morocco' ink pad

The result reminds me so much of Far Eastern hammered pewter, in fact I think I've got a very similar bookmark lurking somewhere here!

I'm entering this into Less is More 'cos aluminium foil is metal, right?

Work is due to start on replacing the Playground fence today girls, so no flirting with the 'chaps'! :)

I had a really lovely day out with my pal and it did my soul good, will catch up on commenting while the guys are ripping down what's left of the old fence - bonfire anyone? : ) Jacket potatoes behind the bike shed? I'll have grated cheese on mine please.

Di
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Batch baking Christmas cards

A few challenges were in my sights when I sat down to think about making this card.

1. Rudolph Day where you have to make at least two Christmas cards for Miss Sarn - so for me that meant thinking of something I'd be happy to 'batch bake' as I don't mind making a few cards the same, although different ones would be fine too so long as they're in the one post.

2. Then, over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge, Hazel wants us to use a sentiment so I found three identical LOTV Art Pad images really asking to have a sentiment stamped onto them - without the aid of a safety net stamp positioner even 'cos I chose a clear one (me not totally stoooopid).

3. Hmm, so what to do with the image? I know, let's go and check out the current Sketch Saturday Challenge. Perfect, then I was on a roll here:

This is one card.

And 'the trio' photo to show Sarn that I made at least two cards.

And this is the Saturday Sketch - I know, I probably followed it slavishly by using stars and exactly the same layout - but it was just so right for the image and patterned paper/card I wanted to use, so why tinker? Plus I really didn't feel up to doing handstands on the desk to look at the sketch upside down :)

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- LOTV pre-coloured image from the 'Christmas Angels' Art Pad, trimmed and mounted onto silver mirri card

- sentiment by Personal Impressions' 'Many Greetings' set - I do so love this set and often turn to it - stamped using Memento 'Paris Dusk' ink pad

- the main dark blue patterned backing card is by Kanban, called 'Twinkling Stars', and the paler blue snowy paper is by LOTV from their 'Frosty Christmas' pad

- all that was left was to die cut three stars per card using a snippet of leftover silver mirri card and a couple of MFT Die-namics 'star' dies

As I made three cards the same, I reached my target of 12 Christmas cards per month - with a few days and one card to spare :) Whoop, whoop!

I'd also like to enter into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for February where it's always anything goes.

And, the current theme over at 'Winter Wonderland' is 'The most wonderful time of the year' which is nice and open as well.

Caramba, all this linking took me ages!

I said above that 'me not totally stooopid'. Len would dispute that, I was all set to go to the dentist a week early last week and then on Sunday I was rabbiting on about plans to be out for most of yesterday with a pal. Duh, thankfully he reminded me that it's today we go out to play and not yesterday else I'd have been knocking on her door a day early! Sigh.

If I owe you a little Playground visit, I will be there ASAP to comment but today I'm out playing with a friend - hope that's OK huh?! Right now they seem to be dropping like flies :(

Di
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Butterflies and flowers

I used:

- 7" x 5" white card blank

- pre-coloured image from LOTV's fabulous 'Cute Cottage Garden' Art Pad, die cut with a Nestie 'Labels Eight' die and layered onto SU's 'Primrose Petals' backing 

- the sentiment is a discontinued Elzybells one, stamped directly onto the image using VersaMagic 'Pink Petunia' ink pad

- white card, embossed using Anna Griffin 'Rosa' embossing folder with the corners rounded

- a snippet of SU's 'Primrose Petals' card stock, punched round using Martha Stewart's 'Vintage Lace' Punch Around The Page (PATP for short!) set

Finished!

Di
x

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 113

I made this card for a friend's husband. His wife, Sue, lost a long battle in our local Hospice last Sunday - and I lost a special friend:

 I used:

- 6" x 6" square cream card blank

- Penny Black 'Hello Sunshine' stamp, stamped using VersaFine 'Vintage Sepia', partially coloured with Whispers pens then mounted onto a snippet of brown card. The butterfly was die cut/embossed from a snippet of brown card using SU's Framelits 'Beautiful Wings' and three little amber coloured gems added down the body

- sentiment stamped using a stamp from SU's 'Sincere Salutations' set and VersaFine 'Vintage Sepia'

- to 'balance' the card I scored lines along one side and the bottom using the Hougie board. All I did was measure on the front where I wanted the lines to end to one side and above the sentiment then drew pencil lines to those measurements on the back as a guide to where to finish the score lines

Let's move onto this week's picks. As ever, tricky to decide :(

I picked this card, made by Sue J (Olliesmam) because it just screamed STUNNING at me. A beautiful example of white on white.

Here's another creation that brought me up with a real start - made by Sarn. Fabulous 'dangling' and I just love this really artistic card.

Again, I just went 'Wow' when I saw this card, made by Kate P!  Amazing use of lots of snippets - I totally LOVE it!

This card, made by Bonnie is soooo clever - it really does look like a patchwork quilt.This is definitely on my list to try!

I adore this fun card, made by Sam! It just made me feel very happy - so funny too! Some wag even asked how the chicken rode the bike when its legs wouldn't be long enough to reach the pedals :) Snigger.

Our Elizabeth has been missing in action lately due to a virus - but she managed to come and play with this beautiful creation. It's the dragonfly that used a snippet - but the detailed description of how Elizabeth made the fabulous background is sooooo worth reading!

And last, but not least, I picked this really eye catching card, made by Liz W. Such a clever way to use hearts and wonderfully effective don't you think girls?

And this week we also had two new playmates come and join us - please say hello too:

Jackie - who brought not one but three snippets cards in the same post!

And Shazsilverwolf who had been playing with gilding flakes - look, there are still some on her cutting mat below the easel :)

Lovely work ladies, and I do hope you will come back to play with us again!

OK, so now for the winner of last week's prize of the two 'Wild Rose Studio' stamps:

Jenny L

Well done Jenny! I do still have your address and will post to you ASAP.

And this week's prize is a stamp the same as the Penny Black 'Hello Sunshine' one I used today:

Please don't think this stamp is just suitable for Sympathy cards - it looks fabulous and very cheerful paired with sunshine yellow background papers or whatever floats your ark boat.

As usual, the snippets challenge will run for one week and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 1st March 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.

Please NEVER be afraid to say you're just playing for fun - it doesn't offend me at all, and the Playground is first and foremost for us to have fun, the prizes are just a thank you for playing :)

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.

Also, the two-week Mr & Mrs die draw still runs during this coming week so if you haven't already qualified by entering three times you can make your total up to three and be in with an equal chance. Do please remember to add a 3 after your name when you link your third entry!

And finally (will she never shut up) - do remember that it's Sarn's Rudolph Day Challenge this coming week as well, beginning on Tuesday and running to the end of the month. It's a short month so you might want to start thinking - already so soon :)

That little lot will keep you out of mischief!

Di (and a wave from Parsnip)
x

'For you from me' cards

I always try to enclose a card with Snippets Playground prizes and just rustled up a couple of these:

I used:

- 4" x 4" square white card blank

- SU 'Certainly Celery' card stock

- vase and flower are from SU's 'Bright Blossoms' stamp set, stamped in 'Certainly Celery' and 'Melon Mambo'

- the sentiment is from SU's 'A Word for You' stamp set, stamped in 'Melon Mambo' - at a jaunty angle for a change :)

Confession time here - I've had a SU Stamp-a-ma-jig for ages, and use it regularly. Having seen Vicky's super little video the other day on her blog, I realised that putting the T-piece at the bottom of the clear sheet to use that as a guide and working a bit blind which was why sometimes I had 'wibble-wobble problems' when placing my stamp onto the card. I guess that either way would theoretically work but  it sure is better and much easier now I changed to how Vicky does it. Sometimes I really shouldn't be allowed out :(

To illustrate - I only went and got all ready for the dentist on Thursday afternoon and, at the very last moment before putting my coat on to leave home, I picked up the appointment card. Duh, I was a week early - it's next Thursday!!

Di
x

Less is More - Masculine

The current challenge over at Less is More is to make a 'Masculine' card:

I used:

- white DL card blank

- SU 'Pacific Point' card stock

- SU 'Sail Away' stamp and 'Pacific Point' ink pad

- Kaisercraft 'Grunge' stamp and SU 'Smoky Grey' ink pad

- sentiment from SU's 'Sincere Salutations' set and 'Pacific Point' ink pad

Watching 'Creat and Craft' TV lately I've noticed that a few crafters on there use 'Collall' glue so I decided to give it a whirl rather than using a tape runner or double sided tape. Now I wonder WHY it took me so long to cotton on, it's very forgiving and allows some manoeuvring when (if you're like me) you have problems lining up layers accurately. And it comes with a built in spreader too. Great stuff!

Di
x

Singles advertisement

 

This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed. It is reported to have been listed in the Cornish (UK) Guardian newspaper.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me...Call 01272-6420 and ask for Annie, I'll be waiting.....














 Over 150 men found themselves talking to the UK Truro RSPCA
 
 (which, for overseas pals, is  our main UK animal rescue organisation  - don'tcha just love it - snort - serves the dirty little devils right!)

Di
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Christmas Love

This week's theme over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas challenge is 'Christmas Love' and I knew just the stamp I wanted to use:

This poor little stamp hasn't been used since before I started off this blog - shame on me!

I wanted to follow a sketch and found this great one over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp, so I'm also entering my card into that challenge.

 

I used:

- 6" x 6" white scalloped edge card blank

- House Mouse 'Mistletoe Moment' stamped using SU's 'Smoky Slate' and coloured with Polychromos Pencils and Sansodor blending solution. The colours are much stronger IRL - dratted camera again! I added a couple of little self adhesive pearls to the mistletoe

- all papers are from LOTV's 'Woodland Wishes' Christmas paper pad

- the sentiment is an Elzybells one (no longer trading sadly), stamped using SU's 'Rich Razzleberry' then die cut using a Spellbinders banner die. I just did the green backing layer by using the die as a guide and drawing round the outside before hand cutting it

- white Josy Rose nail heads

I'd also like to enter this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, where it's always 'anything goes'. 

And, the current challenge over at House-Mouse and Friends is to use amethyst, white plus one other colour - green in my case. I know that some beige has crept into the main backing paper  (but the meeces are browns too aren't they) so hopefully the amethyst and green are strong enough. If not then do please tell me, ladies over at HM, and feel free to delete my entry - leaving me squeaking with embarrassment :)

Reminds me - did I ever tell you the tale of Fudge the field mouse? He lived with us one Winter, no kidding!

Di

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