Snippets Playground # 523

 Time to visit the Snippets Playground to hand in  my homework for the current challenge and I've chosen to make a card featuring dragonflies.  I found a snippet of white card which, with a little trimming was just the right size to fit my card blank.  Next I had a rummage amongst my collection of inky and embossed snippets where luckily I came across a nice embossed piece and some inky background left over from a 'play' session and used this to die cut the dragonflies.  I also added a touch of sparkle to the wings using a Wink of Stella pen.  The sentiment was produced on the computer to complete this CAS card.

Embossing - EF I've had for a long time (not marked so no idea of the make, sorry)
Dragonflies - die set from Craft Addiction UK
Sentiment - produced using Microsoft Word

Allsorts Challenge # 840

 The theme for the Allsorts challenge #840 is **Winter Animals** or the usual *anything goes* option is available.  Prizes are from Visible Image and you can see details on the Allsorts blog post.  For my Design Team card this time I'm sharing one of the Christmas cards which I have made in readiness for the end of the year - always good to be a few steps ahead if possible.  I cut a square of white card using a torn edge die and stamped some snowflakes to use as a background for the penguin which was printed using a download and then fussy cut.  The sentiment came with the snowflake stamp set.  I then found a piece of snowflake patterned paper in my oddments box to finish off the card.

Torn edge dies - a set from Amazon unbranded
Snowflakes - stamp set from Crafty Roo (no longer trading)
Penguin - designed and drawn by Louise Dunne, a download from Craft Addiction UK 

Christmas Post

 This post is to send  very best wishes to my followers and bloggy friends and to say a big thank you for your regular visits and for taking the time to leave me some lovely comments.  All of this is so very much appreciated.

Merry Christmas and All the Best for a Happy and Healthy New Year

Briefly, this card has a background made using inks, stamps and stencils with some touches of gold - just kept going until I was pleased with the result.  The sentiment and larger die cut layer are both dome with some quite subtle gold pearlised card which has a lovely sheen but sadly it looks more like dull kraft card on the monitor.  🙄🙄

Snippets Playground Challenge # 522

 If you pop along to the Snippets Playground you will see that there are details of the second special Christmas challenge with some extra prizes to be won.  For my card this time I've chosen to make yet another Christmas card, this time with a die cut wreath.  I made my own card blank for this one which always leaves me with a useful Snippets strip and everything else was produced using bits and pieces from my vast Snippets collections.  The wreath was die cut twice using two shades of green; robins were die cut from small Snippets of kraft and coloured using alcohol pens and a touch of coloured pencil; the bow from a tiny scrap of red, as were the berries on the sprigs.  The final touch was a sticker from a well used set which I've had for a couple of years at least.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I'd used a slatted die to cut the circle into the white square and backed it with a Snippet of blue printed paper, adding a cute little tag to the bow.  Gosh that took me nearly as long to write as it did to make the card 🤪

Wreath, Robins, Sprigs, Slatted Circle and Tag - all dies from Craft Addiction UK
Little Bow - die from Gummiapan
Sentiment Sticker - from a set by Clarity

Allsorts Challenge #839

 The theme for the current Allsorts Challenge has been chosen by Lynn who has asked us to **Create a Scene** or there is always the *Anything Goes* option. Prizes this time are from Lavinia Stamps - full details on the Allsorts blog post.

For my card I've chosen to use some of my Lavinia stamps to create the scene which is a reminder of warmer days in the garden.  I started by die cutting a square and then lightly stencilled some blue and green ink as a background before stamping the tree, to which I added some leaves.  The little elf with his watering can was added next with a couple of second generation mushrooms and some foliage.  

White Square - Stained Glass Die Creative Expressions
Tree - Sacred Tree, Lavinia
Leaves on Tree - Mini Leafe Stamp 1 Lavinia
Elf - Herbalum Bob
Foliage - Small Shroom and other small foliage stamps by Lavinia

Christmas Wreath

 I have another of my Christmas cards to share today - this time a wreath which was stamped with the aid of a card template which I made as a less expensive way rather than buying one of the available pieces of equipment.  Can't way I've not been tempted to purchase one but have managed to resist thus far 😉.The robin was die cut and is sitting on a simple sentiment.  The background is a piece from my larger Christmas Snippets and the red layer cut using a tattered edge die.

Holly Stamp - from Lavinia Stamps using Versafine Clair Shady Lane
Berries - coloured with red Gel pen
Robin - die from Craft Addiction UK set

Snippets Playground Challenge #521

 Time to dash across to the Snippets Playground with my card for the latest challenge which is one of two December ones with extra prizes to be won.  I'm taking another of my scenic Christmas cards which has used quite a lot of snippets.  I even made the card blank which, although it involved a whole sheet of white card, I do get a very handy 'snippet' strip left over each time.  The white and green squares were trimmed from a couple of my larger snippets and then a slatted circle was die cut into the white layer.  Trees were cut from dark green snippets, fence panels from some kraft snippets and then white snippets were used for the snow people and details, coloured as necessary.  The sentiment was stamped, then die cut, finally adding a tiny sprig of holly for extra interest.  The snow people set is a new one this year - just couldn't resist when I spotted it - the other items I've had for longer.

Slatted Circle - die from Craft Addiction UK
Trees - die set by Globeland (Amazon)
Snow People and Fence - die set from Amazon 
Torn Edge Square Dies - set from Amazon
Holly Sprig - from a very old magazine gift seasonal set which comes out each year
Sentiment - stamp from Stampin' Up (long retired) Contempo Christmas
Green Square - trimmed from a snippet of printed paper (download from Buddly7 Crafts)
Label - Stitched Rectangles die set also SU (retired)