Pixies Playground Challenge #366

Time again to post a card for the Playground challenge and this time it is a baby card which I made using up a selection of 'girly' snippets..  I started with a white card blank and added a fairly large snippet of pink patterned paper.  Snippets of two shades of pink were used to die cut the bunting, oval layers, elephant and the tiny hearts and flowers.  Some small alphabet stamps were used to add the word to the bunting.   Do pop along to see the cute and colourful card which Di has given us to showcase the current prize if your name is lucky enough to be drawn.

Ovals - Spellbinders dies
Elephant - Sweet Dixie die
Baby - Sizzix alphabet dies
Bunting - unbranded die
Flowers - punch from Stampin' Up

Another Crochet CAL Project

The last couple of weeks seem to have disappeared far too quickly and worst of all I'm not sure I've achieved a huge amount but that does happen from time to time and I try not to stress about it. Having completed my previous CAL project and made a couple of 'virus' shawls I decided to get going on another CAL (crochet along) and hopefully this one won't take me as long to finish as the first one.  However having made the first square - and there are two more of these to make - I'm not holding my breath!  The circular centre section of each of these is very attractive but proved a bit of a task to make and I struggled with the quadruple and sextuple trebles required on the outer rounds.  I know how to do them but found it very difficult to get them neat because the top of each of these stitches ends up very loose with a large loop so if anyone has any hints or tips on how to avoid this I'd be grateful.  I did the usual and watched a YouTube video and tried to do exactly as shown but was unable to achieve the neat finish shown in this video.  I imagine practice makes perfect but each of these was made and remade several times and they are far from perfect.  The 'blurb' about this CAL said it was suitable for an intermediate crocheter or an enthusiastic beginner and while I'm not exactly a beginner I thought 'enthusiastic' should cover it - now I'm not so sure so this piece might end up as a cushion cover and the yarn will be used to make something else although I don't really like to beaten so will persevere for a while.

Here is a photo of the first square - it hasn't been blocked yet and I've just realised I've not measured it to see if it is the recommended size. If it isn't to size I guess the final blanket might not go together when the various sections are made.  It is good to take on a challenge though ... or is it??

CAL pattern and yarn from Deramores - Mediterranean CAL project

Seasonal Snippets

Time to visit the Playground once again and this time I'm taking along a Christmas card on which I've used a selection of snippets.  I started by die cutting the tree and its backing from snippets of silver and blue card, followed by a  lighter blue circle with a slightly larger dark blue one - snippets again.  I used up the remaining snippets of silver and light blue to cut leaves and flowers to assemble into a little posy.  Background paper was an off cut from a paper pad from several years ago.  The poinsettias were brushed oiver swith Wink of Stella but I doubt that shows up in the picture as well as it does for real.  There is a clever guest designer in the Playground this time as well as a cute card from Di with the usual opportunity to go into a prize draw.  If you visit you will be able to see this and find a link to the guest designer so why not pop along.

Tree - die set from Tonic
Poinsettias - dies from Marianne - had them 'forever'
Foliage - from set of dies given free with recent magazine
Background - paper from Papermania I think

Seasonal Cards

I'm still ploughing on with a selection of Christmas cards and have come to realise what a lot of seasonal stamps and dies I actually have in my stash although I am quite short on suitable card and papers.  Luckily I have at least one very good CD with a wide selection of lovely designs but I think I need to go shopping for some green card because although I have heaps of snippets many of them are too small for some of the things I want to cut out.  I did manage to find a couple of shades of green for the die cut tree on this card and the background was printed onto some photo paper.  The white square was lying around just waiting to be used but I did run it through a snowy embossing folder., then added a slightly larger blue layer to tone with the background.  The tree decorations were die cut from tiny scraps of silver card.  Not much space for any wording on the front but this design speaks for itself really.

Tree and Decorations - die set from Tonic, freebie with recent magazine
Background - printed from Artylicious Seasons Greetings CD
Snowy Effect - Sizzix snow is falling embossing folder from Stampin' Up.

Another Crochet Project

I like to have some knitting and crochet on the go so that I can pick it up while watching TV - I have to admit this is so that I can hopefully stay awake to watch a whole programme!!  Trawling around the internet - as you do - I found this pattern for the oddly-named 'Virus' shawl which is triangular and there is also a square version to make a blanket. A shawl is really handy to wear around the shoulders to keep warm and nicer than a cardigan I think.  I chose a variegated yarn to make my shawl and here it is draped over my office chair.  I enjoyed  making this, mainly because there are four rows to the pattern which gives a bit more variety when working rather than repeating the same stitch and row ad infinitum.  I'm planning on making another one in a different colourway as a Christmas present so I will have to get a move on with that in between making cards and all the other things I like to do.

On a Roll

I'm on a roll with Christmas cards at the moment and this one is being taken along to the Playground for the latest Snippets challenge because I've used up some snippets and also made more snippets by cutting into a new sheet of card.  I was reminded that I have a set of dog dies when I saw the card posted by my friend Anne and I've done something similar in using my little Scottie dog to make a Christmas card.  I die cut the dog using a scrap of black card with a TINY piece of red for the bow around his neck and he is joined on his snowflake background by a small stamped and die cut tree.  I cut the main background to size from a new sheet of printed card which left me with enough to cut the oval and I also have more snippets for another card.  The red and white layers, sentiment and snowflake were all cut from oddments. 

It is well worth a visit to the Playground to see the fabulous butterfly card made by the lovely Di - what patience she must have!  As usual the prize for one lucky person will be the dies she used to produce her card.

Oval and square dies - Toni
Banner - Sizzix die from Stampin' Up
Snowflake - die from Docraft
Sentiment - Gemini die
Scottie - unbranded die set
Tree - stamp and die set from Studio Light

Pointy Bauble

When I was at the show last weekend and bought some stamps I also spotted some masks produced by the same company but unfortunately they had sold out of them by the time I decided to buy so I had to order the one I wanted.  It arrived today in the post so I've used it to make a CAS card and it is indeed very CAS - I'm still debating whether to add a seasonal sentiment although I think I probably won't put one on this card as the design speaks for itself.  I started by using the mask to emboss the shape onto a piece of white card and then lightly brushed over the aperture with some light brown ink before masking off the lower portion and repeat stamping some Christmas trees to set the scene.  I then selected stamps from a couple of different sets.

It is a really horrid day here with lots of strong wind and rain so ideal for staying indoors and making some cards.

Bauble Mask - from Cardi-o
Trees - Tiny trees stamp set from Clarity Stamps
Deer and Rabbit - from two different Cardi-o stamp sets