Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #382

AO delivered the new microwave and took our old one away, exactly as planned, on Monday. I thoroughly recommend them if you're UK based. Let's hope that's the last appliance to be replaced for a little while - she says, eyeing up the iron and waiting for it to be next.

Then, I suddenly realised I'd missed a few Birthdays during this lock down, which really upset me. One was Len's great nephew who recently turned 21 - and despite it being very late, I couldn't let that pass without a card (and the usual cheque).

So, here's my snippets card for this fortnight:

I used:

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

- assorted snippets of blue card - all from a partly used Hobbycraft pack

- added a full layer of medium blue card to the card front, covering it completely - the blue card wasn't heavy enough to dive into a fresh sheet and make the whole card blank blue

- then topped the card front with a slightly smaller layer of dark blue card

- next, time to play with a NBUS set of four dies by Spellbinders called 'Optical Illusion Kaleidoscope'

- first of all I drew around the outside of the large die, using a white card snippet and pencil, to make a 'frame' for the next step and hand cut it

- die cut the large die using a snippet of dark blue card and glued it on top of the white hexagon using a Zig glue pen

- die cut six small hexagons from a snippet of white card, and glued them in place using a Zip glue pen

- die cut six small diamonds and six small triangles from snippets of the medium blue card and also glued those in place using a Zig glue pen

- then, using my rarely used Woodware rotary trimmer, carefully sliced the large made up hexagon in two across the centre

- glued the two halves of the hexagon at the top and the bottom of the card front

- stamped the sentiment using a snippet of white card, a selection of stamps from the Hero Arts 'Whimsical Numbers' and the word 'happy' from Winnie and Walter's The Big, the Bold and the Happy' stamp set - plus my mini Misti and Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink pad

- then die cut the sentiment using a Tonic Studio's 'Circle Layering' die

- drew around the outside of that same circle die onto a snippets of the medium blue card and fussy cut it before gluing behind the sentiment as a 'frame'

- finally, glued the sentiment circle in place

Despite feeling the pressure, I did enjoy making this card and it's interesting how it looks quite 3D, depending on which part of the pattern you focus on. I confess to finding a card to CASE on Spellbinder's own website - which seemed just right for a chap. Leaving the hexagon whole produces a more feminine feel, IMHO. I also liked how a sample card on the site used just the central star 'skeleton' to build up snowflakes. And you can also leave the whole frame unfilled for a real optical illusion effect. Some ideas to try next I think.

And needless to say, here's the prize for this fortnight:

It's a Spellbinders 'Optical Illusion Kaleidoscope' set of dies - absolutely perfect for using up snippets!

As always, the Snippets Challenge will run for two weeks and the Playground gates will close at 11am UK time on Saturday 25th July. The gates will open again at midnight UK time on the same day.

It's a maximum of ONE entry, please say in a comment if you wish to play and be a possible winner of the prize. Please also link back to the Playground in your blog post to be eligible for the draw.

Remember, if you link into the Playground and don't say clearly that you want to be in the draw in a comment on here, then you will be bypassed if your name comes out of Mr Linky. I'm sure you all know I ask for a positive 'yes' on the blog post itself - just in case you're only playing for fun - otherwise I don't add you to my little list.

I had a lot of trouble this week when trying to link an entry from a new Playmate's Instagram account. Got it to work in a fashion eventually, but I know others of you use Instagram to link here and wonder if you ever hit 'unable to find' image error message issues? I worked round it by saving the whole IG post to my own laptop then picking the image up from there - but obviously I can't do that each time for our new Playmate. And I think she only works using her phone. Surely, one should be able to use Instagram and do an entry directly from your phone? I've raised a ticket with Mr Linky - and we're in discussion. One thing that makes me wonder is - do any of you set tight security settings which may invoke https rather than http? Darnell already gave me some info. about the one she uses - thanks for that chick!

It doesn't seem as if anyone has had any luck tracking down a new toy for Bella:

Not to worry - it always was a long shot anyhow. A lovely friend has offered to make one, but that really is one heck of a thing to take on.

Speaking of dog's toys, Dudley finally chewed through one cheek of his Monkey toy - so he's now onto 'Stinky Monkey the Fifth'. I don't mind snipping an ear off a toy if it's coming loose and can't be repaired but as soon as any inside stuffing is visible and can't be repaired, sadly it has to go to the great toy box in the sky. I promise you, I did not fancy sewing up a soggy wet monkey's face! I did the swop whilst Dudley was out for a walk with Len the other morning and hid the old monkey well out of his way, leaving the new one exactly where he left its predecessor. We acted really casually, and after a few suspicious sniffs - Dudley accepted the replacement, picked it up and wandered off to get to know it better. Ha, he must know I'm writing about him - he just came and slipped past my legs to curl up under the desk ☺

As I used the set of dies for the very first time, it means I can join in with Darnell's NBUS #16 challenge HERE!

Thanks also for your feedback about the no-line colouring. I'm going to try various ideas as soon as I find time - much appreciated!

Stay safe my lovely friends.

Lots of love from us all - Parsnip, Dudley and of course me,

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #380 - results

 

Still having a mixture of heat and also rain here - quite a nice balance really. Len is signed up to an on line weather radar system and can time Dudley's walks almost to the very minute, in between showers. Very useful when the weather is so changeable.

Now our microwave is playing up - so we have a new one arriving on Monday. Thank goodness for on line ordering plus companies who take your old appliance away for recycling/disposal.

Let's move straight into this fortnight's picks:

What a great card this is, made by Janice - such a perfect way to use up snippets strips and a very clever secret to the technique. It's one I want to try for sure - and if you hop over to Janice's blog HERE, she has a link for you to see just how it's done. It's a YouTube video and you need to skip to about 20 minutes from the start, and although it's quite a long section of the video it's well worth watching. Thanks for this Janice - I rather think we might have a few similar cards popping up in the Playground as the black lines are such a great twist!

Sue, of Zouave Cards, brought this card to share with us. Two very similar ones in fact - for twin boys. I have a feeling that I may have had a 'pick' a good while ago using this idea and Sue herself acknowledged that it's been around for a while as an idea - but it's such a super one to be reminded of - and of course a smashing way to use up some brightly coloured snippets! Love those dear little feet as well.

I love this card, made by Kitty. All the snippets used for this fabulous rainbow of butterflies are die cut from saved scraps of alcohol ink backgrounds. What a stunning result against the crisp white panel and the embossed background. Absolutely lovely work Kitty!

And last, but by no means least, I had to share a fourth card with you - made by Jane W. I think Jane always comes up with some really fun ideas for her cards, and this is no exception - certainly raised a smile here. UK gals will recognise a good old Jammy Dodger biscuit - there's been many a fight over tins of mixed sweet biscuits at Christmas time as it's often one of the sought after favourites! This looks so realistic - right down to the glistening 'jam' centre - not to mention a bite missing. So realistic and very clever work Jane!

So, that's my picks and I do hope they've given you some inspiration for ways in which you can use up some of your own snippets. 

We had 52 entries in total, and no new Playmates this time.

Now for the prize draw, which is for a Clearly Besotted 'Best Balloons' set of stamps and a matching 'Best Balloons' set of dies.  And the winner is:

Suzanne H

Congratulations Suzanne! I'm practically sure that this is your first win in the Playground - so double congratulations! Please send me your address, with your full name at the top as well so I can copy and paste for speed and ease. It's also confirmation that you still would like the prize of course and I'll do my best to post your prize later this coming week. Please put Playground Winner or similar in the subject line of your email in case it drops into my junk mail. Email address is on RH sidebar as always.

Remember folks, there's still almost another week to run on Challenge #381 - you can find it HERE. The prize is a 'Deco Roses' image stamp and a set of 'Deco Sentiments' - both by Woodware.

AND, there's been a load of interest in this particular Woodware prize, so I hunted around, found the same stamps on another on line website ..... and snapped up two more of each one. Which means you now have a total of three chances to be a winner - but you're still only allowed to enter one snippets make in the challenge of course!

Managed to post off the Shammy prizes this past week, two UK (which might well have arrived by now) and Janis's one to the USA. And have also got my head round Royal Mail's 'Click  and Drop' service for overseas - and may even use it for UK prizes if the need arises. As Kath says, it's so easy ......... when you know how - plus, during the current crisis, you actually get a week's grace to post your letter/package. Normally it's by close of business the following working day. How good to see some common sense and recognition that folk  may still want to limit their outings.

UK restrictions are being eased once again, and this one is quite a big step forward with the opening of pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants amongst the list. I think this is potentially a 'tipping point' if folk don't adhere to the social distancing rules - but of course we have to move forward in order to return to some form of 'new normality'. Needless to say - we won't be rushing to join in. The scenes on our, South Coast in particular, beaches were so irresponsible during the recent hot weather. I really felt for the people who live in these places and only hope the sun worshippers didn't take the virus with them to share it out. We'll know more as time passes and things are gradually eased. I most certainly won't be contemplating travelling in a germ ridden tube with wings on it for the foreseeable future - masks or no masks! Nor, as a friend so rightly said, in a 'floating petri dish' :)

Our hairdressers will be opening up again, as of yesterday (Saturday) I think, but to be honest I'm not unduly worried about booking an appointment there either. Having Dudley groomed was the most important thing on our list and so long as I trim my fringe every now and then, the rest is doing OK. Mostly as I don't have my hair coloured or layered I suspect. That would probably be a whole different ball game. Something to be said for having a dead straight bob - even if I end up looking like Cousin IT eventually!

Love from Parsnip, a happy wave and woof from Dudley - and of course hugs as always from me. Stay safe - and keep on crafting.

Hope & Chances charity kit - June 2020

I loved June's 'Hope and Chances' charity kit on first sight - partly for the design, but also as it's sold for profits to go to Hedgehog Rescue! Sorry folks, it's sold out - but here's my very slightly tweaked version:

I followed the instructions almost to the letter. Although the 'window box' can be 3-D, I did chop the sides, which made it stand proud, right down - as a given option, to lie flat for posting. Perhaps it should have been left folded and the recipient could have opened it out - duh! My Ziggy green on the ivy die cut might be brighter than Christine's .......... and I also ended up with an additional flower in my kit (waste not, want not). Oh, and I 'Stella Winked' the ivy as well as the flowers. Apart from all that, it's the same - snigger.

Many thanks to all who left comments about the no-line 'fade out' ink. It's clear that I need to be patient, use softer watercolours (which I had sort of concluded) and also concentrate more on shading. Don't hold your breath though - it sometimes takes me a while to get over a disappointment and have another try!