Get Well Hammy!

Hello there

 

Well, that bank holiday weekend went quickly, but it was a good one for me.  Hope yours was too.

 

Saturday saw me at our monthly quilting meeting.  When I got home Mr Hettie was pottering outside so I had a sneaky hour working on my Amsterdam album!!  Well, why not?

 

Sunday was spent pottering in the garden, painting the love seat with my usual feathered supervisors on standby.  Today I put another coat of paint on the underside of the seat and started prepping my Adirondack chair ready for it to be painted.  Spent the afternoon making some Christmas cards for Rudolph Day.  I will share them later in the week.

 

Right then.  Onto today's post. 

 

A very good fellow Snippets Playmate had some lovely stamps and dies from Lawn Fawn that I fell in love with.  You see there is a family story about a hamster called Hammy that lived on the bookcase (in his cage of course!), at the bottom of our stairs.  I was too little to have anything to do with it, and he belonged to my big Sister and Brother.  Apparently they were not very good at looking after him, and he had been dead for two weeks before they noticed!!!  Hence I was never allowed to have my rabbit and had to wait until I was married!! 

 

So onto this stamp set and dies.  I knew I wanted to get hold of it, searched UK retailers but no luck.  So I went directly to Lawn Fawn and blow me, I could order it and pay using Paypal without having to set up yet another account and in super quick time it arrived!!  So I had to use it....

 

 

My poor friend was not very well, and in one of the texts she sent me, she told me that her glands were swollen and that she looked like a hamster....hence a card was born!!

 

 Here it is with the envelope.  All coloured in with Copics.  I used Snippets of card to stamp and die cut.  Rachel loved the card or was it the Carte D'or Eaton Mess ice-cream I took up, for medicinal purposes only.

 

I also wanted to show you how my package was sent...

The papers were free and that bakers twine is gorgeous.  There was even a small stamp enclosed.

I would definitely order from Lawn Fawn again...their prices are very reasonable, great quality and postage from US to UK was very good. 

 

Off to play in the Snippets Playground to see what has been occurring over the weekend.

 

Thanks for calling by.

 

Hettie 

My Valentine...

Hello there

Was it just me or was that last weekend over in a flash?  I hope you all had a great Valentine's celebration.  Mr Hettie and I celebrated ours on Friday as Mr Hettie had to work on Saturday night.  I wasn't too bothered as I had already arranged to go do a dance on the night which was fun fun fun.  

We went to our local and had a great meal and Mr Hettie surprised me with a new bit of silver for my charm bracelet and another Boofle.  I was a lucky girl!

I thought I would share the card I made for him....

Yep!  I used my Sarntangle stamp, coloured with Copics and I applied some glossy accents to the hearts and the centre of the flower.  I stamped one of the sentiments with Potting Shed Archival, then mounted this on a Snippet of paper which was from a collection of papers which I sprayed, spritzed and generally had fun with some time ago.  I just thought the colours matched very well.

I rummaged through my little die cuts drawer and found some red stars which were cut with my SSS die. 

With a plethora of Snippets on here I am just running over the Snippets Playground to show my buddies.  If you like the stamps I have used why not join in as there is a set available as this week's prize.  If you wish to buy your own then click HERE.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Birthday Greetings...Sarntangle Style!!

Hello there!  

Sorry I am late posting today...I took my camera to work today so that I could upload my photos and post lunchtime however....I forgot a vital piece of equipment!  Yep!  The lead to link camera to puter!  Doh!!

What I wanted to share with you is my first card made with stamps designed by by a very clever friend who hangs out at The Playground....

 Almost as soon as I got my stamps home I set to in my craft room, stamping with Potting Soil Archival ink and then using my Copics to colour the flower in.  I have to say they are more purpley in real life, though the camera and puter has made it look more bluey  

I used some glossy accents on the hearts and flower centre, and Wink of Stella on the inside petals.  I mounted the image onto some lilac card that was hanging around on my desk before mounting the whole thing onto a 5x5 card.  I then took my SSS stars die and Snippets of silver to add some stars.

Hopefully you can see the shimmer and shine on the flower.  The Sparkle stamp is a NBUS Stampin Up stamp.  

I then popped this into the post but not before stamping the envelope with another stamp from the set. to my Big Sister who's birthday it is tomorrow.  

Off to join the kiddies at the Snippets Playground.  If you are interested in seeing the rest of the stamp collection and purchasing them, please click HERE you won't be disappointed.

Tour de Chook II - Birthday Cards

Hello There!

Wow another weekend is coming to a close and it is back to work tomorrow.  I am sure they are getting quicker these days.  I hear a little birdie earlier telling me there is only 4 Fridays left until Christmas!  Don't worry I shot it!  We cannot have birdies spreading vicious little rumours like that now can we?

Rightio.  On to today's post.  A friend of mine who I made a Chikkin card earlier this year asked me to make some more for her as she liked them so much so here there are....

A mixture of papers used, most of which were from the Snippets drawer.  I used some leftover from my Mum's Album K&Co on the top card.  The embossed white card was leftover from some cards I made earlier in the year.  I do love this Penny Black stamp which I colour in with my Copics.

These papers I printed on my Silhouette for another project and these bits were waiting in the drawer.  

The Happy Birthday stamp is Hero Arts and the Banner and Flags are Stampin Up.  The Border punch is EK Success.  I hate to think how old the brads are - VOS indeed.

Right then, I am off over to the Snippets Playground to see what everyone has been up to this weekend, if anyone is still up that is.

Have a great week and thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Happy 1st Birthday...

Hello there

Autumn is definitely knocking on the back door of summer right now isn't it!  It was our first dance class of the season last night and one of the ladies brought damsons for anyone that wanted any.  I see a jam making session in the next day or two for yours truly.

Right onto today's offering to you.  One of my work colleagues asked me to make a 1st Birthday Card for a friend's daughter.  Now anyone who knows me will know that I am not really geared up for small person's cards but nevertheless I decided to rise to the challenge with this... 

I took my teddy stamp and kinda altered it.  I stamped the balloons section several times and cut them out, having coloured them with Copics.  The centre one I embossed with some WOW sparkly snow embossing powder as I realised the pink number wasn't going to show on the pink balloon! Doh!

I tied the balloons with some Maya Road string and twirlied them where teddy was holding them.  The background paper is some Boofle paper and I stamped it with a NBUS Stampin Up stamp and some Versamark ink.  The bunting was made out of the paper in the pack with the title and details of the Boofle pack.  Well, it seemed a shame to waste it.  Punched using a SU punch.

I had a little extra so used it inside too.

And here is the little envelope.  Another teddy stamp and coloured with watercolour pencils.  I learnt not to use Copics on the envelope the hard way once.  Never again!

The mother of the little girl who's birthday it was has told my friend that this is a "keeper" and will go in the album she is doing for her.  I feel quite chuffed at this!

Right, there are Snippets abound and NBUS of the stamp so I am taking this to the Snippets Playground and over to my Mate Darnell's.

Thanks for calling by.  Nearly the weekend!  I have a Saturday of playing and scrapbooking with my friend, so need to think about what I shall be making!

Hettie

I was made to buy this stamp...

Hello there

The weather outside is not good today.  Who has stolen our summer?  I reckon it has gone on its summer holidays!

The title to this post is true...really!  A Playground Buddy sent me an email with a link to a well known auction site and I just had to click on the "buy now" button didn't I!!

So when it arrived I moved things onto the crapalanch pile and set about stamping some images, colouring them and then raided the Snippets box.

I die cut the coloured images with Sizzix oval dies.  I raided the white and cream drawer and cut some background pieces and embossed them using my friend's embossing folder that she had kindly lent me. 

I then grabbed the VOS DCWV cards and then set about looking for some coloured cardstock in the snippets cardstock box.

Some washi tape and I pulled out my SU stamps that a very good Playground friend bought me for my birthday.

And before I knew it I had eight snippets cards made.

Some to send to a few buddies and some to go in my spares box.

I left the insides plain so I can stamp them when I need them!

And there you have it chook!  

Off to take these to the Snippets Playground as only the stamped sheet didn't start the day as a Snippet!  I am also going to join in with Penny Black Saturday Challenge as they are asking for flowers.  Well the frog is holding some isn't he ribbitt ribbitt!  And on Penny Black Allsorts Anything Goes! 

Thanks for calling by.  I hope these images have made you smile!

Hettie

Tour de Chook! ...

Hello There

Has anyone been watching all the sports of the Commonwealth or Tour de France recently?  Now as most of you may be able to tell, I am not a real sporty kinda gal, but I have been especially enjoying all the good nature and thrills of the Commonwealth Games.  Aren't the Home Nations doing so well?  And as for Erraid...isn't she just a doll?  Well done.  She is a star in the making!

I thought I would share some cycling cards with you.  You may recall that I made a pink cycling card for a friend to send to her friend recently.  Well the recipient's birthday was last week and she was thrilled by the card I made, so much so that she told the sender not to buy any more cards, but that she was just going to get this one out every year!  Awww bless!

I made some alternative versions to have in hand too...

Don't you just love the washi tape I have used?  It is a NBUS having seen it in a local branch of Wilkinson and fell in love with it.  

The papers and brads are VOs and some bits are Snippets so I off to whizz this over to the Snippets Playground.  The stamp is Penny Black of course, the stamped banners and the "ribbon" as well as the embossing folder are all SU.  All coloured in with Copics.

Thanks for calling by.  I shall give someone a push on the swings if you fancy!

Hettie  

Rudolph Day in July...Already!!!!!!

Hello there Peeps

It is 25th of July and so time for Rudolph Day with my mate Sandra.  This month seems to have come round sooo quick...or is it me?

Without further ado here are my cards...

I used a piece of stripey DCWV paper for the backround which I found loitering in the Christmas Snippets basket, some red bazzill, a little snippet of silver card and then topped with a stamping of my NBUS Penny Black stamp that a Special Friend bought me for my birthday last month!  I coloured it in with Copics..

And some more...

I stamped the image twice, once onto white card and again on the VOS background paper.  The stampings on white card I coloured in with Copics again, cut them out and then using the stamping on the background paper, I adhered them using foam pads.  The turquoise glitter card which I used to cut the MB music and Sizzix corners is the last of the K&Co paper I had.  Such a shame as it cut beautifully.  The bronze glitter is another make, but again Snippets.  The little rosettes are also K& Co which are all gone now.  A little doodling round the edge and hey presto four more cards in the tin.

So.  You know what you need to do now don't you?  Leave a comment in the box below then go and make two Christmas cards and join in with the Rudolph Day Challenge and if you use Snippets you get to join in with the Snippets Playground.  We have a virtual playground and a little smallholding with chickens.  Oh yes and a pond!

I am also going to join in with Craftyhazelnut's Anything Goes! 

One more thing...to the Special person who bought me this stamp...Thank You once again!  You know me so well that I would like a Christmas stamp for my birthday in June!

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for popping over.

Hettie

London Calling...Chickens on Guard!

Hello there

Hasn't it been a very mixed weekend weatherwise but I hope you had a good 'un. I went to my Buddy's house yesterday for a day of fun and scrapping.  I took my journal and managed to finish all the pages. Now I need to make the covers and put it all together.  Watch this space...

A Special Friend of mine had a birthday recently and now I know her card has arrived safely I can now share it with you...

My friend lives in the US but she does like all things British so when I was rummaging through my drawers looking for an idea to make her card an idea was born and this is what I came up with.

First I used an X Cut die to cut out the frame.  I then stamped my Penny Black stamp and coloured it with Copics and water colour pencils.  Underneath the sentry box I stamped the AO Look Right.  Then I stamped the AO clock and swiped over with some gold wax.  Then onto the telephone box, stamped on a separate snippet of card and then coloured with Copics. The flags were once part of some paper chain that I bought for the Diamond Jubilee

I am taking this down to the Snippets Playground as there are a few Snippety bits on here, as well as sharing it with Penny Black as they are looking for punches and die cuts.  Why not dig out some snippets and come down to the Playground?

I hope you have a great week.  Whatever you do, don't forget the sun cream!

Hettie

What? A Wedding Card with Chikkins and Cows? You are not Serious!!

Hello there!

Whoosh that is another weekend just flown by.  I am sure weekend hours  go quicker than workday hours or is it me?  I hope you all had a good one.  I managed to do a mix of crafting, housework, gardening, injuring myself and a lickle more crafting, so not a bad one for me.

Now down to business.  A friend of mine asked me to make a wedding card for a member of her family who was a farmer.  My lickle brain went working overtime trying to think of something to do that would fit the brief. 

Penny Black to the rescue...

A little bit of masking with post-its was required along with thorough cleaning of stamp in between stamps. I also had to get the stamper-ma-jiggey fing.   This was the second attempt.  The first attempt left me with two girls...not good for a straight marriage! LOL!  The image was coloured using Copics.

I cut some ivy, shaped it, attached it and then used some Distress Stickles to give it a lickle sparkle.  The border is made using some of the papers left over from my wedding album, and punched using my EK Success punch, and finished with pearls.

It is an easel card.  Been a while since I made one of these  The wedding bells were also from my Wedding Album papers.  The heart strip punched using EK Success. 

Here is some detail of the bottom layer.  Doilies cut using Tonic die.  The "Celebrate" was given to me by one of the girls in work who thought I may like to use it.  I hung on to it waiting for the right project.  Be assured the blue band is straight but the photo is slightly wonkey!

And here is the envelope.  I had to make the whole card as it is slightly too long to use standard sized cards which meant I had to make an envelope to fit.  

Ann was very pleased with my card.  She said something really nice that the reason she likes my cards is that they are nothing like the ones in the shops.  I think she got that right on this one!  Let's hope the happy couple like it too.

I am off down the Snippets Playground now to see what is occuring.  Have a great week everyone. 

I am also linking this up with Penny Black as they are looking for punches and die cuts this month!  Woo hoo!

Hettie

What? Rudolph Day again? So soon?

Hello there Peeps

After having a very busy and sociable weekend I have had to knuckle down this morning and make some Rudolph Day cards to join in with my Mate's Challenge.  So without further delay...

 This card has been made entirely from recycled cards.  The purple background is a card that was sent to me some time ago, so I cut it down to make the background for this card.  The silver card is from a Christmas card I received last year and kept it as I knew it would come in for a background this year.

The same image but this time mounted on a VOS card base and I added a Memory Box wreath cut from some glitter card and using a Snippet of white I cut out the sentiment.  I must check this as it looks slightly wonky but I am sure it didn't when I made it.  Looking closer the card itself has not exactly been photographed straight!  Oops!

And for a bonus here is Mr Wise Owl.  I just love this image.  All of today's images are Penny Black and were all very kindly stamped for me on Saturday.  Thank you.  These are now featuring on my Wish List.  Is it just me or does the Wish List get longer and not shorter?

I am liking this Owl a lot.  

Now these cards feature some Snippets too, so as well as entering them into this month's Rudolph Day challenge I am also taking them along to the Snippets Playground.  

Some of you may know that Miss and I went on a jolly on Saturday.  I can report that we were both good girls and played nicely, no tugging of pigtails of any sort.  Miss even got a photo of me...

I cannot believe how tidy I am for a change!  Can you see my camera there?  I only took one photo of the day!  I am kicking myself now!

Anyhoo, see ya over the Playground!

Hettie

Christmas Poinsettia Cards

Hello there.  Happy Sunshiney Monday to you all.

I hope you had a great weekend in all this Spring sunshine?  

On Saturday I went with my dancing teacher to Swansea for a Day School of Scottish Dancing and then a Tea Dance.  It was lovely and we ended up having to open the doors and windows. It was a great day and I learnt lots of hints and tips as well as a few new dances. 

Sunday I spent outside actually hanging washing out and letting my Girls have a good romp around in the grass. 

Today I am going to share some cards with you.  All made using die cut vellum and creating poinsettia which I moulded, scored and coloured with Copic pens. I used darker reds and greens than I did last time so that they didn't look quite so pink!  

I would hate to try and guess how old some of the brads are.  I have even used a NBUS on here.  I am always looking for small shapes on which to stamp sentiments and I saw a Spellbinders sign die going for a song so I snapped it up.  Just the right size for this and some other stamps.  Much better than wonky cuts!

One of my favourite MB die cuts here.  Love the bow and star.  I have looked at other versions but still love this one.

A change of "ribbon" below.  I used my EK Success punch and added little stickles for embellishment.

So that is all from me today.  A little bit of Christmas on a sunny day.  More to add to my box - yippee!

Have a great day.  I shall hopefully be able to call by later when I get home.  I am taking this down to the Snippets Playground as there are a plethora of snippets in these cards.

Hettie

Snippets A-Plenty...

Hello There

I don't know about where you are but we have a little unexpected sunshine today.  It is so lovely to have it streaming through my window right now, and I will NOT be complaining about the fact that I cannot see my screen very well!

Yeay!  It is getting closer to the weekend!  I hope you all have nice things to look forward to.Me, I have my quilting group and I will be taking my latest project as I only have a few short weeks in which to finish it, having lost a lot of time being poorly!

Right, on to day's little show'n'tell!  I was having a little rummage through my Tin of Shame earlier in the week, with the intention of reducing its contents, as well as that of my Snippets drawer.  So first we have this......

The stamping was sent to me by a Special Friend some time ago.  I have coloured it in using Copics, punched some flowers using a Snippet and adhered them and spotted the centres with Liquid Pearls. I used two pieces of Snippets on the card and cut some "lace" from a third.  A little TH tag and SU stamp, with some embroidery cotton and one card complete.

Well, almost complete.  I decided to add some glossy accents to two of the balloons just to give them some shine.

Card 2.......

Another stamping sent to me by the same Special Friend.  Notice a theme?  Again coloured with Copics and then I came across a little piece of MME card left from making my Cousin's mini album.  I added two buttons, recycled from a card.  Oh and some doodling sewing too.

 As I had a teeny tiny piece left, I stamped some banners on and cut them out, to place in the inside!  Can't let nice paper go to waste now can we?

Off to join in the fun and frolics of the Snippets Playground.  Hopefully it will be a little drier than it has of late and there might be some hunky men having a Diet Coke break (other canned drinks are available!)!!  In my dreams I think!

TTFN and thanks for calling by!

Hettie

PS I just learnt that the GB Girls won their bronze medal in the Curling!  Well done!!  Now then Miss, when is our curling rink being installed?  I am sure I have some old curlers somewhere! 

65th Birthday Cards - Snippets

Hello There

Here we are on Sunday evening wondering where the weekend went.  It all passed in a whooosh!  I hope yours was a good one.  

I thought tonight I would share a couple of cards which I made for one of my Work Buddies, who asked me to make a card for her male friend who was celebrating his 65th birthday just after Christmas.  Ann specifically wanted 65 on there and told me that he was a farmer who loved animals and the countryside.  

Always loving a challenge I set about making two, leaving the 65 easy to add on whichever card Ann chose, by putting some foam pads on but not affixing them.  Here is card one.......

The leaf with 65 on was left off until Ann decided whether she liked this one.

 I used my favourite stamp company Artistic Outpost set Grist Mill with lots of layers, Tonic and Sizzix die cuts, TH wax paper, ribbon, feathers, button and string.  The 65s were cut using Quickutz dies.  As soon as Ann saw this she said she wanted it.

Then she saw this one....

A Penny Black stamp, coloured with Copics, Snippets of paper layered, ribbon and a glittered 65.  Then she was stuck as she wanted both.  So she took both hoping a friend of hers would like it.  Apparently the Birthday Boy loved them both!!

I am entering the first card in the Artistic Outpost Challenge for January as all the images are from their stamps.  I am also entering both cards in the Snippets Playground as they both include Snippets.

Have a good week everyone.  Keep warm and safe.

Hettie