Sunday Snippet - Winter Boughs

Although I've submitted one card to Pixie's Snippets Playground already for this fortnight, and therefore cannot submit another, I decided to share another snippet make today.

The topper is a leftover scrap from some experimenting I did with embossing folders, moldable foam and distress inks a very long time ago - way back in February 2014, you can see the how-to post here. Two years is too long to remember everything I did at the time - heck, at my age I'm happy if I can remember what I did yesterday! - but I'll do my best.

To make this card I did the following:

• I used one sheet of light aqua cardstock (Papermill Direct) and trimmed it to form a 5" square tent fold card base
• For the topper I trimmed the leftover scrap of stamped and inked card to a usable size and matted it on to teal card to frame it. I think I may have used a mix of Evergreen Bough and Shaded Lilac distress inks for this piece and the embossing folder used is Sizzix Winter Botanicals.
• Next, I trimmed more of the teal card and some silver embossed pattern card I found tucked away - I think it's very old Kanban - to fit the front of the card. 
• Finally, aqua dew drops were glued to two corners and I decorated the leaves and flowers on the topper with Stickles Baby Blue - that doesn't show up well in the photo but it is there. 

I like that it's a winter theme but not necessarily a Christmas one - it's a card that would suit a winter birthday or it could fit a number of occasions - thanks, sympathy or even just a very nice notecard to send to someone.

I will be submitting this card to the following challenge:

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper January 2018 - A challenge that is always about using Patterned Papers

I have decided that for the foreseeable future, all cards I'll be making and sharing will have a snippet or two, or three or four, in the design somewhere. The reason for this is that, during operation clear up,  I have unearthed a lifetime's worth of leftovers - okay I could be accused of exaggerating just a little - but it's easily ten years worth. It's too difficult to throw them away so I've set myself a target to use up the majority in the next few weeks. Only three made today and given that I'm easily distracted I could be some time!

Hope you have had a wonderful weekend.

Happy Crafting,

Friday Smiles

Morning Fellow Smilers,

And because I've been missing for a wee while I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

There's been a lot of flu in the family recently and, because I've had pneumonia in the past, I'm banned from visiting them. Happily, I'm pleased to say they are all on the mend and I should be able to see them again soon. That does mean I have no photos of my dear ones this week so I'll share just a few taken in the garden and when we've been out an about instead.

These two photos were taken in Ayr's Carneigie Library.It's a beautiful old building and these windows are on the stairway to the Local History floor.  The central pane at the top says 'Let There Be Light - very apposite for such a wonderful place of learning. We'd gone there to search into the history of the area, and the house, we live in. We began by going back to the 13th century to discover, as suspected, that it was farmland with a mill. What was a surprise was that there had been a curling pond nearby proving it wasn't all work and no play even in the 13th century. There was also, very briefly, a priory for the Order of St Gilbert - an order founded in the village of Sempringham, Lincolnshire. Instigated by Walter Fitzalan II, First High Steward of Scotland, a few abbots came up, stayed for a while, and went back south again. No explanation but I do wonder if our climate was to blame. We'll never know as there doesn't seem to be any further details.

This is our little nursery box full of hellebores, primroses and snowdrops just waiting to be planted up in a more permanent home ... once the ground has defrosted!

Isn't this lovely? One of the ladies at the Cake and Crafting club I go to on Thursday afternoons made one for each member. She used up her scraps to make them. I just have to decide what I'm going to keep in it now.

Finally, some funnies prompted by all the scarves I knitted as Christmas presents last year.

Mine is European Worsted Yarn - what's yours?

For more smiley posts like this pop over to Annie's A Stitch In Time. And if you have had something to smile about this week then do share it ... it's nice to spread the joy.

In the meantime, I wish you a week that brings much to smile about.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 449

Morning Everyone,

Another Wednesday another WOYWW and, as you can see, the desk is a shocker today.

For reasons of transparency - now there's a trendy term for today - I'm sharing the messiest shot as I continue to work my way through the STUFF! Right now I'm clearing out the drawers that, up to now, I've been stashing holiday ephemera. Intended to include in scrap layouts one day. Well, I don't scrap enough layouts to justify keeping two drawers full of this stuff. I need the space. It's got to go. Or, at least, most of it has and the EM has found room in his writing desk for the teeny weeny amount of very important stuff we couldn't bear to part with entirely. It's been decisions, decisions, decisions for days. I'm exhausted!

It's not all been sort out stuff. I've managed to make a few cards - see previous two posts - and a little sewing project.

Found this little felt kit during the sort out. Sweet, isn't it. I can't remember where it came from but I suspect it was a freebie with a magazine bought eons ago. It took less than half an hour to make. Easily made whilst watching an episode of Little Women - thoroughly enjoyed the whole series.

This card was just a bit of craft therapy when I got too fed-up filling black bags. The sweet little mouse topper is recycled from a card received several years ago. I've teamed it up with scraps of leftover card. The butterfly (Dovecraft's mini die, Layering Butterfly) was cut from the centre of the green layer ... the wee mouse is now hiding where it came from. I also got to use one of the dies from a set from The Works - this one features a heart design.

This week's audio book is Simon Dawson's Pigs In Clover read by Ben Allen. I'm missing Monty Don's dulcet tones but this book is very funny and I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to it too.












Well, that's me for the week. I hope you have a wonderful WOYWW and a happy crafty week ahead.