A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below and you can find my NBUS Challenge online. I hope you'll join in the fun there! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

June 7, 2012

Mojo Monday 244 Contest and CR84FN 55

Happy Thursday!

I like to participate in sketch challenges because they stretch the boundaries of my comfort zone with their layers and scallops and bowfishes.  I usually like my sketch challenge cards when I'm finished with them, but you won't find original ideas for them in the Card Idea Filing Cabinet inside my brain.  Inside there it is clean and simple.  Inside the filing cabinet, I mean, the rest of my brain is dirty and crazy as a flea fiddling on a corn cob.

So my choice of stretch-a-sketch this day is this sketch from Mojo Monday:


The amazing Julee Tilman designed the sketch and this week is Contest week so click over and join in the fun!

For colors, I am using the colors in the current CR84FN Color Challenge, which are delusciously lavender, celery, and gray:



I first thought of using lilacs for this, but I reached instead for Lavender Berries.  Like so:



Aren't they pretty with their silvery dew glistening in the sun? 

Lavender berries are grown in a very small region in the Alexander Valley in northern California.  Every three years, the farm owned by cousins Yulev and Peit Burchirl open their property to the general public to observe the harvest.  There is always a long waiting list and no map is provided with your ticket so often people never find the farm.  No one ever gets annoyed by this since there are so many friendly and welcoming wineries in the surrounding area.  The Lavender Berry Harvest is a treat, especially for the toddlers who have waited since infancy, so if you ever get a chance to go, grab it. 

As a follow-up to Wednesday's post about What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday's ATC card swap, I wanted to show you this stunning Artist Trading Card I received from Redanne, just because I told her that I thought her work was beautiful.  That's what I call a generous artist!  Here is her extraordinary ATC, stamped and colored on canvas:
As long as I'm doing collages, I also wanted to show you the clever PFC pipe structure that Mister made for me to hang sheets over my beautiful hydrangeas so they don't burn up in the heat.  And, man, are these girls sensitive.  I have to put up the sheet tents if it's over 70 degrees outside even though they are only in the sun a couple of hours!  Eau La La.  But they are so precious, I put up with their southern belle ways.  (The PFC pieces screw together for easy mantling and dismantling.  In the first picture, I've already screwed together four pieces, each, to make the square tops.)
Lastly, but definitely not leastly, please welcome my new followers! (I'm so excited to have reached 90!!)  Yesterday, I welcomed "solitary_star," but I couldn't direct you to her awesomeness.  My loyal follower Kara Lynne gave me the intel, so I can properly welcome Eileen of Stars Cards!  Also, please say hello to Rita of RMG Creations! 

In addition, I'm very pleased to share that Kara Lynne also nominated me for a Liebster Blog award.  Thank you so much, Kara!




Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by to visit.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Papers:  Oh, I forgot to take a close-up of the cardstock.  It's a lovely gray with tiny lavender and purple threads running through it; maker unknown.  The other papers are SU certainly celery, Bazzill lavender, DCVW designer paper, and Biggie Jr. watercolor
Stamps:  berries, Michael's WS-032; SU sentiment, set unknown
Ink:  Memento tuxedo black, Marvy markers
Ribbons:  SU lucky limeade; Offray lavender
Cuttlebug and Nesties dies: circle and lacey circle
Butterfly: unknown, loose in a drawer

11 comments:

Wiola said...

Oh how beautiful! I love the blueberries.

Mona Pendleton said...

Lovely card Darnell! Love the Lavender Berries and textured background! Thanks for joining along with CR84FN :)

Zippy said...

What a beautiful card, such lovely colours! xxx

Victoria said...

I've never heard of lavender berries before so I've learned something new today :) Lovely combination of colours to work with your stretching sketch!

Redanne said...

Hi Darnell, your card is just stunning, I love those lavender berries, so beautifully coloured. So glad you liked the ATC too. You have a very clever Mister there, great idea for your lovely plants. Crafty hugs, Anne x

Kara Lynne said...

Are these the new Prismacolors at work? Beautiful berries, so delicate with those swiss dots behind them. Great job putting these two challenges together!

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Beautiful card, perfect with the colour inspiration. The colours are gorgeous. Have fun with your Hydrangeas and your sheet protectors ! Shirleyx

Princess Judy Palmer said...

I find card sketches so useful when my brain can't think of anything to do. However, I lost my magazine of sketches somewhere in a pile, somewhere in my house, somewhere! I collected a few off the internet until the lost magazine comes home. I like this one! I like it when people see a sketch and turn it sideways or something. WOW! My brain totally does not work like that. I love those ATCs you received--on CANVAS! How special is that. This ATC exchange is turning out to be so fun! I smile that you give your flowers shade to protect them. The things we do for our little ones! I know a lady who uses umbrellas for the same thing. She just sets them on the ground at the right angle.

Jean said...

What a fun sparkly card ~ lovely colors!

Deborah Frings said...

Great combination of challenges! I do like the sweet berries. Thanks for playing along with CR84FN!

Pauline said...

A very pretty card, those blueberries are coloured so beautifully!
Thanks for joining us at Cr84FN this week!