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!

July 14, 2012

Colourq #145; Freshly Made Sketches #43

A Super Saturday Hello,

I'm sorry if yesterday you missed your "daily dose of vitamin D" as one follower called me.  I first had trouble with the spitter at my cable connection, the nice young man said.  Then he added that the juice from the street to the house was low so he put a call in for that.  This morning they shut everything down while the intertube was hooked up to an IV for a long infusion of more juice.  Hoo Ray.

While my system was up interspittingly, rather than doing a post of my own, I decided to spend the time visiting other blogs and leaving comments.  I didn't get a chance to do as much of that as I had hoped.  It takes a lot of time, but I figure if I like to receive visits and comments, then it's only fair that I visit and leave comments.  Right?  Over time, friendships are being made and styles are becoming known.  It can be tough, however, to "express" properly with a written comment where there is no infection or eye twinkle to accompany a remark.  Infection?  No.  Infliction?  That's a whole different post.  Inflection?  Inspection. Stop it.

Soooo, I have seen a lot of cards in Cyber City that use Memory Box dies and I found them to be quite appealing.  I ordered a few (dozen) and they came yesterday.  Let's get started.

I am playing in this week's ColourQ challenge.  The colors are summery sweet lemonade, deep yellow mustard, roll-around-on-the-grass-eating-fresh-baked-cookies colors:


I am also playing in this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  It is a great sketch by Tui Nathan:

Sketch and colors in hand, along with new Memory Box dies, I did this:



Just FYI, those eyeballs are shiny bling and not little globs of black ink.

So by now you know I like the "less is more" style of card designing, also known as CAS (clean and simple).  I do like texture and I do like simple layers such as what's around the main white cardstock.  But adding poofed out grass like that is something I am trying to feel easy with.  I think, in addition to being OCD with my neatness and organization, I'm also practical to a fault.  I like to make cards with the intent of mailing them.  In regular envelopes with one stamp. 

But with the blog and the challenges, I am becoming more adventurous and making cards just for the sake of Art.  Art lives down the street three doors.  He's more elderly than me, and way more sweeter.  He beams from one side of his mouth to the other when I come bearing cards too fluffy and too fat for mailing in regular envelopes with one stamp.  He holds them in his hands like a lemon meringue pie.  I beam back.

Just for him, I took my card to a new, but parallel, universe:



Which do you like better?

~~~

I was going to show you the tomato plants and assorted gardening stuff, but I stopped the presses for a second to go put the clothes in the dryer and I'm sharing what I found instead.

I have a very cute pair of white shorts.  Very white.  With cute little ebroidered back pockets.  Like this:


I pulled them out of the wash and was horrified to find this:


The color is quite a lot brighter IRL.  I couldn't imagine what caused it, because I was only washing whites.  I peeked in the pocket and found the culprit:


A tiny little piece of lime green tissue paper from a sweet little gift a sweet little friend presented to me at a birthday lunch last week.  I checked the pockets for nose tissues, but I entirely missed this little piece of gift tissue.  [Insert naughty word.]  Do they still make Ritz for dying articles in the washing machine, or just crackers?

You've been here long enough today.  Scoot.  We'll look around the yard tomorrow.

Enjoy!   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!

Paper:  SU white, daffodil delight,
  chocolate chip, more mustard,
  and pear pizzaz
Stamp:  Mostly Animals, "Geri" 397-S5
Ink:  SU more mustard
Cuttlebug emblossing folder
Memory Box dies, grass and tree

22 comments:

Redanne said...

A few 'dozen' dies!! Wow - I am impressed, they are some of the best dies in my humble opinion. Well since you ask, I do like the parallel universe but I love your cards because they are LIM so I am opting for the first one, without the tree. Like the tree die though....A x

Victoria said...

Hmmm tough decision. I do love that tree die but my little brain is calculating how on earth you're going to fit that into an envelope without squishing it! So I'd probably go for the first too.
Anyway, what do you mean about it being tough to communicate properly in written form? I like to think that my eye can twinkle all the way over the Atlantic right into your Playhouse! Hubby regularly has to wear sunglasses when I'm visiting your blog because my eye (singular) is twinkling so much. (I do write some waffle when I visit you, don't I? Enough now!)

Bernie said...

Hum pick a card, can’t, I love them both. I, like you try to get cards to fit in an envelop so I can get away with just one stamp. Don’t know how you’ll get that second card in a standard envelop so for that reason alone I’d go with the first. I love the way you did the sun, and that giraffe is just to darn cute. Love the way you did the grass. Be careful, dies are addictive.

Don’t know if they still do and don’t know if it works but at one time Ritz made a product that pulled dies out of fabric. If not you might try bleaching it. Good luck.
“Daily dose of Vitamin D” that’s fabulous and so appropriate.
Hugs
Bernie

Kara Lynne said...

Since you're stretching out with the grass, why not the tree? Although, I do think it throws off the focal image, so I choose the first one. Have you ever tried "Zout"? It's my favorite for getting just about every stain out.

Bonnie said...

As long as it has that darling giraffe, it's a go for me. I keep looking at more Memory Box dies and so far have talked myself out of ordering. My resolve is weakening though. I don't know how much longer I can hold off.

Tracey McNeely said...

Darnell both of your cards are so so cute. I just think that giraffe is the cutest thing. I can't pick. Did you try Oxi Clean, soak for 24 hours, it is amazing. I get green grass stains off my sons WHITE rugby shorts, yes I said white, with it twice a week!

scrappymo! said...

I like the second one but it will probably cost more for postage:(

There is something called Ritz dye remover...maybe that would work.

Allisa said...

Hope you have everything worked out on your internet connection. So frustrating for the internet to be down. Who would think we would have gotten so dependent! Love both cards! Leaning towards the tree....but the one without the tree really leaves the focal point on your way cute giraffe. Thanks so much playing with us at Freshly Made Sketches! Best of luck on getting your white shorts white again!

Kim Heggins said...

So sorry to hear about your adorable white shorts...bummer about the green tissue paper. I too have done that with other things. Your card is just too cute! I took my summer school class to the zoo on Wednesday and this little guy reminds of the ones we got to see.

Sylvia said...

Love your card, Darnell, love your post as always! that is one cute giraffe! Thanks for joining in the fun at the ColourQ this week and sharing your card and your humor! Hang in there.

Vicky Hayes said...

Being a CAS kind of a girl I should like the first best but in fact I think the scene is more effective with the tree... but what do I know?! How annoying about the shorts but perhaps it's the opportunity to tie die them you've been waiting for! Vicky x

shirley-bee said...

I like the first card best. That giraffe must be a boy, with those long long lashes.

Suze Bain said...

I'm a bit of a CAS girl Darnell and although the first card is fabulous I do think the addition of the 'poofed' out tree adds that certain je nais se quoi! Well done for 'poofing' out of your comfort zone! xx

Jen Mitchell said...

I second the motion about the Oxy Clean. That stuff is downright amazing! Now on to the card. I think I prefer the one with the tree. I'm sure Art will love it! Thanks for joining us at Freshly Made Sketches and colourQ!

Kara said...

So cute. Love the one with the tree! So glad you shared your card with us at the ColourQ!!

Ardyth said...

I love both these cards - he's such a cute image!
I'm sorry about your shorts. Shorts rank up there with jeans, bras and bathing suits for me (as in I hate buying them because it's hard to find ones that fit and feel good and look good!), so to lose a pair of shorts really hurts. Since they're white, could you bleach them?

Unknown said...

Darnell I do hope your spitter and juice issues are now sorted out - how frustrating but at least you had the benefit of a nice young man to sort out your intertube thingy.......! Can you ask Art to come visit me - I could definitely do with his beam.......mine's getting a bit worn out. I'm so glad we MB officionardo's have persuaded you to join the gang - wasn't it worth it when your mailman popped them through your letterbox? Just love your giraffe with the blingy eyes - looks like he's fluttering them just at me! Looks like your shorts decided to join the ColourQ challenge........could you put them through the wash again with the lime green tissue paper in the other pocket and make a feature of your great new designer shorts??? BTW love your card both with and without the tree but think you may have to make Art beam again when you give it to him.......lol!

Karen x

Jean said...

I love your giraffe! I also love the tree die, but I do prefer the card with only the giraffe, since there is greater focus on the very cute baby giraffe. If everyone else's suggestions don't work for your shorts, you could try "Totally Toddler," I've had good luck with this.

Ann Schach said...

What an adorable card! It's a tough call, but I think I like the one without the tree best :) Thanks for playing at Freshly Made Sketches!

kingstonmama said...

I thought I liked the first card best, but I keep going back and forth and now I can't decide. I have just a couple of the Memory Box dies and I love them. Ann Y.

Kim S said...

I have to tell you that I read everything on Google Reader which means that I never see the stuff on blog's sidebars. For some reason, I was in your actual blog and saw your playhouse. OMGosh - I want to be you and live in your playhouse!!! What a happy place that is!! Personally, I play in a corner of our family room with my men/boys constantly wandering by and givening me very unwelcome advice!

Jen Timko said...

I just love them both. Can't choose. Either way, it is sure to be loved! Glad you joined us this week at FMS!