White Christmas

Evening Everyone

I hope you've all had a happy Monday. It's not been a bad old day here, lots of lovely autumnal sunshine for most of it, but along came the rain at tea-time.

I've been carrying the idea for this card around in my head for quite a long time now. Why it has taken so long to transfer from the little grey cells to craft desk is one of life's mysteries :)

An all-white Christmas card that was so simple to make. A piece of white card, embossed with seasonal phrases and a poinsettia cut from felt - quick and easy!

However, it wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of sparkle so I heat embossed snowflakes stamped around the edge with a crystal powder. The pearls are the finishing touch.

And, of course, the front and back got the snowflake treatment too.

Materials used:

• white A6 size card base
• a piece of smooth white card for embossing with QuickKutz A2 Phrases embossing folder
• white felt and Spellbinders Poinsettia die set
• Anita's Magical Christmas stamp set, VersaMark and Stamp n Stuff Crystal embossing powder
• white pearls for embellishment

I'm submitting this card to the following:

Pixie's Crafty Snippet Playground Week 89 - where, as ever, all that is required for entry to the playground is that we use some snippets on our creations ... the snippet is the white card used for the embossed topper.

And, hoping that Hazel is still sitting down, CHNC 141. Two days in a row! The remit is to layer it up, with at least three layers. This time the poinsettia is made up of four layers.

And also Hazel's other challenge - CHNC Challenge Extra for September - where, as always, the challenge is for anything as long as it's Christmas.

The Glory of Christmas challenge 15: 'anything goes' - where Hazel is currently a member of the design team providing lots of wonderful inspiration.

Right, if I'm going to watch Doc Martin I'd better get a wriggle on ... so nice to have Martin Clunes back playing the irascible doctor. He reminds me of a doctor I was PA to back in the day ... he had such a bad temper but he certainly new his stuff :)

Hope you have an enjoyable evening, whatever you have planned.

Sunday Snippet Card

Afternoon Everyone

Hope you are all having a fabulous day and that the weekend has gone well for you. It's been a bright and sunny day here, although there is definitely an autumnal dip in temperature ... we've even had to put the central heating on in the evenings, a sure indicator that winter is in the offing :(

I've been closeted in the craft room today, pottering away and generally enjoying myself and I now have this wee card to share with you.

Most of the materials in this card are snippets. The base is made from leftover Kraft card and the red background is a snippet from the last CHNC/Snippet challenge card. The leaf embossed cream card yet another snippet ... I just lightly sponged it with some sepia coloured ink and wrapped a length of caramel seam binding round it. The cute little teds are recycled and die-cut and then matted on to yet another snippet, this time red mirror card - cut by tracing round the outer edge of the circle die and cut out - very carefully!

The flower was also die cut from snippets of card, edges inked in red, layered together and finished off with a yellow enamel dot. The leaves cut with the teensiest snippet of all, green Co'redination card, and rubbed with an emery board to reveal the lighter inner core. More enamel dots were used to decorate two of the corners.

It's Sunday so, in what is becoming a Jules inspired tradition, I'm going to be lazy and not list the materials. However, if you would like to know more, just drop me a line/comment and I'll be happy to wrack my elderly grey cells for any answers therein :)

I'm submitting it to the usual challenges:

Firstly, to Pixie's Crafty Snippet Playground Week 89 - where, as ever, all that is required by Di is that we use some snippets on our creations. So if you have a mountain of snippets piling up and taking up valuable space in your crafty stash, then why not pop over to Pixie's Crafty Workshop and see what fellow snippeteers have been creating this with their leftovers, scraps and snippets ... you'll be impressed I'm sure and find tons of fabulous inspiration :)

And, probably to her amazement, I'm also submitting this to Hazel's challenge, CHNC 141. on a Sunday! The remit is to layer it up, with at least three layers. The poinsettia alone is made up of three layers, four if you count the leaves, so I think this card qualifies.

And also Hazel's other challenge - CHNC Challenge Extra for September - where, as always, the challenge is for anything as long as it's Christmas.

Edit Note: Once again Hazel has suggested that I share this card on The Glory of Christmas challenge 15: 'anything goes' challenge, and of course I'm happy to do that.

Almost done, but before I go, just a wee follow up from yesterday's Friday Smile post which featured this photo taken of the annuals growing in this border:

I mentioned that although I could name most of the flowers, I was having trouble remembering what the little red one is called. A bit of Google research and the RHS provided the answer, it's red flax, or to give it it's Sunday name, linum grandiflorum var rubrum ... such a long name for such a tiny flower :)) 

Take care everyone and enjoy what's left of the weekend.

Friday Smile on Saturday

Hi Everyone and happy Saturday to you all.

Trust me to be late with this post for Annie's Friday Smile but as I got the ever-patient EM to make a special trip to take these photos, I just have to share these with you because they definitely made me smile.

It's been some time since we drove up this particular road and the last time we did I recall that all this border had was a few damaged and sad looking plants. It was crying out for some TLC and it would seem that South Ayrshire Council's gardeners had the same idea. The sad plants have been removed and in their place are hundreds of colourful annuals.

A veritable host of  ... Californian poppies, cornflowers, pot marigolds and sweet alyssum. I should know the name of the red flower but I can't remember it.

As I trotted over with my camera the perfume from all those flowers became so intense - I wish you could smell it ... a real treat for the senses. The bees and butterflies must surely have appreciated this 'green corridor' in the middle of our town.

I hope whoever is responsible for the sowing has it in mind to do it again next year.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.