...further Progress

Yesterday I downloaded the next instalment of the carousel blanket - a series of sixteen multi-coloured pentagons to surround the work done so far.  These are joined as you go along (with the final round of each pentagon) - a method with which I could be quite adept by the end of this project even though at the moment it is completely new to me.  There are actually sixteen colours in all in this project and I've chosen to go along with the ones chosen by the designer but there are so many variations appearing from bright to vintage to pastel and everything in between - brilliant.

Progress on the Carousel Blanket

The second section of this blanket is now completed, all sixteen sections crocheted and joined together with the section one motif in the centre.  I'm very much looking forward to the third set of instructions which are available today to continue extending this blanket outwards.  As far as I know it will be around 60 inches across when completed and obviously each section is larger than the last so will probably take longer to make than the ones already done.  That said, the red and cream section seemed to be taking me forever but I was determined to get it done before starting the next part.

Butterfly Challenge

An interlude in the Christmas card making today with something for the current Butterfly Challenge
where the theme is WHITE ON WHITE with the added extra of wire (for the letter 'W').  I've just gone for the white on white this time and have used mostly die cuts with some embossing.  I was reminded that I had this die set by seeing a beautiful card made by a friend HERE - thanks Anne, it is so easy to forget what die sets are in the drawer!!  I've not added any words on the front at this point and probably won't because I can always put a message on the insert.

White on White isn't the easiest to reproduce in a good picture as I'm sure you know

Embossing Folder in Background - Sue Wilson Pin Point design
White Square - Noble Pierced Squares dies, Sue Wilson
Smaller Squares - Plain and fancy from Sue Wilson New York die set
Butterfly - Sizzix dies

As Promised...

...here is one of the cards I've made using the dies which came as freebies with my second magazine purchase and because these only need quite small scraps of card they are very apt for the Snippets challenge.  There are seemingly lots of possibilities for making a variety of 'critters' of one sort or another, mostly suitable for Christmas but I'm sure with a bit of imagination they will come in for other occasions too.  I sat down one evening with my lap tray, my little Sapphire machine and some of my 'bits' boxes and cut out quite a lot of pieces in various colours which I then built up into some seasonal characters including penguin, robin, gingerbread man, reindeer and a Santa which I wasn't happy with so will have to try again with him.

I've chosen to show you a penguin today and he has been popped onto an oval of white card which was just lying around waiting to be embossed with a snowy effect.  Background paper came from my seasonal stash and the wavy die cut was a stray left over from a previous project.  Another small snippet was used to die cut the greeting.

As usual there is another great card showcasing this week's prize on the challenge blog so why not take a look HERE and maybe make something to use up some of your snippets.

Penguin - using die set which came free with magazine
Snowy Oval - Stampin' Up embossing folder
Wavy Lines - Swirly Scribbles die set Stampin' Up
Sentiment - Britannia dies