Monday 1 January 2024

Anything but Christmas


 Happy New Year everyone!

I hope it's peaceful and happy with plenty of time to do what you love. 


I've had a bit of time for crafting so here is my first Snippets card for this year. 

The challenge at the Snippets Playground this time is 'Anything but Christmas' and to use snippets, of course. I'm very happy to leave wintry cards behind for a bit and I've purposely gone spring/summery with these flowers. 


I'm sure I've seen this sort of idea on a card before but I don't remember where and I didn't look up any inspiration. I just started with half an idea, as usual!


The flowers are Julie Hickey, leaves assorted from an old set all coloured with watercolour pencils. The envelope is also made from a snippets. Everything is cut out and arranged on top.

I wanted to add a greeting popping up out of the flowers but wherever I put it, it was covering something so I'm still thinking on that one. Perhaps I should have started with that and gone from there?

I'm hopping over to the Snippets Playground where we are basking in the success of our Nativity play. Don't let anyone tell you it wasn't, there are bound to be a few hiccups!

The flowers are made from white snippets, the envelope from DP snippets and the backing was a new sheet but very old so I count that as a win!
Do join in for a play as there is a very special prize on offer this time. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x



Sunday 10 December 2023

Last minute catch up

 Hello lovely crafters



Feeling smug! I found myself needing quite a few last minute Christmas cards due to lack of motivation and inspiration over the last few months. 

I looked through one of my folders and found these very old card bases which are a funny size. Then I  had the genius idea of cutting them in half. I really like small Christmas cards so that was perfect. Quick to make and easier when short of ideas. 








Here are three I made. Bad photos, taken in a hurry!




Finally, made with a scrap square and a small card base found in the folder. It's about 10cm square:


This one was inspired by a stamp I saw whilst browsing new stamp sets on the internet! I realised I had a similar one (never used) and found I could stamp a wreath by using it 5 times. I did draw a circle to start for help with placement. Then an simple greeting stamp for the centre. Both from magazine sets.

My greatest discovery is that Wink of Stella over watercolour pen is BRILLIANT! Do try it. Probably thanks to Jo Rice on You Tube for that one, though she used it over pen. There is lots of glitteryness on these cards. 

Also as they were odd sizes I had to make envelopes. I used single sided DP with the pattern on the inside of the envelope so I could write on the outside. 

So all the cards are made from snippets and leftovers. The envelopes were new sheets of uninspiring paper left here by my daughter. Using up my stash!

Homework in hand, I am running over to the Snippets Playground where I hear plans for a nativity play are underway. Sounds chaotic to me. I'll start practising my singing. Fa la la la la la la la la...


Also as I have never used the leafy stamp before or actually, the heart stamp:




Thanks for visiting and reading all my waffle. Have a good day x




Tuesday 7 November 2023

Lavinia berries two ways

 Hello lovely crafters

Two cards made entirely from snippets:

Number one is a mini card. 10.5 x 10.5 cm. Made from a snippet of card, stamped with Lavinia Berries and Cardio Ivy, with a die cut bow. A white gel pen for the shine. The red mat and the base card are also snippets. 


You might be able to see the metallic water colour splatters. 


Number two - a gel print, Lavinia berries and a greeting from a gifted magazine set. It is straight, though it doesn't look it here 😁 The base card also found in my stash from a previously started and abandoned card. 




Again shiny watercolour splashes and gel pen shine!

So two more for my Christmas stash. I'm getting there. 
So I'll be hopping over to the Snippets Playground with these two. Time to kick around in the fallen leaves and collect conkers. 



Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x

Thursday 19 October 2023

Red and Brown for Christmas

 Hello lovely crafters

My sort out continues and I have now confronted the exact number of snippets which have accumulated in my crafty corner. It's too many, even accounting for the ones I have ruthlessly thrown, I still have enough white scraps to last a lifetime. Several lifetimes... 

On the positive, I have sorted them, stored them and I know what I have and where! Best get on and make something with them now. 


Here is a card I made using a Kraft snippet discovered in the sort out and also a red snippet to frame. 

I used a Lavinia branch and birds and a Little Claire stamp for the centre. 

Coloured with a mix of pencils, a red glittery pen and a gel pen. 


I'd like to enter the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge:



Also skipping over to the Snippets Playground


Snippets used as above and I hope extra brownie points for sorting them out! Lol.


Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. 


Thursday 5 October 2023

Hedgehog Christmas

 Hello lovely crafters

I've had two weeks to make a card for the current challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown but still I'm running in at the last minute!

Well I've got quite a few stencils so I whipped some out and made some gel press backgrounds. 
The technique is to brayer ink on to the gel press. Lay on a stencil, press gently over it, I use a piece of paper, and then lift the stencil off, which takes some of the ink too. The take the print with your card/paper. 

This was nearly two weeks ago and I finished this card today using:

Plus a Card-io branch and very old Kanban grass stamp. 
The baubles are coloured with a glittery pen and then liquid pearls added to the branch. 

I hope you like this slightly different Christmas card. And yes, I know Hedgehogs shouldn't be out in December, they should be fast asleep in a cosy nest. 

Also it makes sense to pop over to Double D challenge who are celebrating all things PINK this month. 



Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x


Sunday 17 September 2023

Christmas Mice


 Hello lovely crafters

No sooner said than done. Sometimes a card just works and this one did. 



I'm way behind with my Christmas cards so I went looking for a Christmas challenge. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown has a challenge this week of:


It seems a long time since I was making a card every week as part of their design team!

I stamped the wreath (mostly Card-io stamps), adding the lights and mice early on and then filling in around them. Then brushed on a little yellow ink to add a glow. 
Following on from my last card, I inked another plaid background using a stencil and stamps as shown. 



Finally a few drops of Liquid Pearls for some berries. Another one for the pile. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. 

Friday 15 September 2023

Autumn Vibes

Hello lovely crafters!

I'm back with a card at last. I'm not sure what I've been doing. I have half made a few cards and also reorganised my crafty space. That was certainly long overdue and, though I haven't quite finished, I can find things I want and have, of course, discovered some lost treasures. 



 I made this birthday card partly for the Double D challenge. Fall plaids. 


Here is what I used:

I used the stencil to with green and orange in two directions to make the checks for the background paper, and then added the plaid effect and the stitching round the edge. These Inky Doodles stamps are much neglected so I was pleased to get them out. 


The flowers are all coloured in late summer colours in inks with a little pencil detail. Then I added the bees, dithering about where to put them as usual but they are stuck down now and staying!


As I used a stencil I can also enter Stencil Fun challenge with the optional theme of Fall. 


I think I've just got time to sneak into the Snippets Playground for a paddle and a go on the swings as I've done my homework. Snippets of white and black, 1 large and several small, were used on this card. 





Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x