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!

January 22, 2013

DD#36; CFC#86: PCS#56; LIM#103 ~ The Long and the Short of It: You Are My Valentine Friend!

Happy Tuesday!

Well, apparently all the peeps in my head didn't like that I complained about them, so they decided to play nicely yesterday in a LOT (for me) of challenges!  I know!  Shocked my biscuit, too, believe me!  I've decided it's because I heart doing heart cards for VD and I particularly heart white and red and black.  Let's get right to it.

Dynamic Duos #36.  Use real red and basic black with a Valentine option.  If you use fake red and advanced black, you will be delineated.
Here are two cards I made using the Stampin' Up! cards called "Designer Cuts."  Please note that this picture is a good example of the fact that cards have feelings, too.  Although these are card twins, the one on the right is much more of a camera hog, swelling up her little heart to appear more volumptuous and more starlettish!

Here's a close-up of the intricate cut-out:

~~~
Then I made another card for Dynamic Duos, which fits these additional challenges:
CAS-ual Friday #86.  No A2 (4.25 x 5.5) cards this week.  That's the long and the short of it.  Oh, and there is a Design Team Call if you're interested!


Pixie's Crafty Snippets #56.  Use up your crap snippets and link up.  (Di, you need a little logo!)  For the long card I used ancient spinnerts of polkie-dot paper.

Less Is More #103 is a Theme week. 
We'd love you to display our banner

Chrissie and Jen want us to make FRIEND-related cards. This is a good time to send Valentine cards to our friends so they know we don't take them for granite!

And here is mine for you:


For this 4x8 card, I used the tree trunks image from the CAS-ual Friday Stamps set "Calm and Gentle" (below) to make the trunks for my forest of Heart Trees.  The ribbon is SU! real red.  Frankenstein is the author of the quote.

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I now have a blog address for you to visit for follower, Kristie Goulet.  It is Kreative Kristie.  Kristie is very new to blogging, so I know she will appreciate it if you stop in to see her!  Thanks again for joining the party, Kristie!

~~~ 

Finally, here's a cartoon you can copy and put in with your Mister's Valentine!


Category:  I'm just saying.
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Enjoy your day!   No, seriously, enjoy your day.   LITS*!
As always, thank you so much for stopping by to visit the Playhouse.  Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Calm and Gentle





49 comments:

donna mikasa said...

Love your forest, Darnell--so very clever! And your die cut hearts look so elegant in black and red!

Susan said...

Your heart forest is adorable! Very creative thinking! And...I might just borrow that cartoon...too cute! BTW, those designer cuts from SU are awesome looking!

Redanne said...

Wow Darnell, loving those cut out hearts - interesting how the red looks larger..... Also love the forest hearts too - great idea on your part. As for the cartoon, well - someone intelligent did that one! Hugs, Annie x

Gillian R said...

Wow, both cards are amazing & well done on combining so many challenges, never an easy thing to do.

Jessi Fogan said...

I would really like to make a card with fake red & advanced black. And OMG, those are CUTOUTS? Look at the DETAIL on those! (sorry for shouting, I get loud when I get excited!) How funny that the red looks bigger!
"Friend. Good." is quite possibly the best sentiment I have seen lately!
And that comic? I would show it to my husband, but he'd probably say I was nagging. What do I know? lol

Anonymous said...

(giggles) - LOVE that funny cartoon! ;-) Your cards are fantastic. Beautiful job with the DD colors. Thank you for joining us at Dynamic Duos. ;-)

Tracey McNeely said...

Darnell your cards (all of them) are so fantastic! Those die cut heart are unlike anything I have ever seen and they are just beautiful. Love them in black and 'swelled' red! ;) Your tall card with the heart forest is totally creative my friend. A happy post for sure.

Unknown said...

Gorgeous cards Darnell.

Maarit at Violets Corner said...

Super cards, they are very inspiring! Love the cartoon too.

Warm hugs
Maarit

Ustvarjalni utrinki Tamara P. said...

Hi,
Valentine cards are gorgeous. Love the black and white combination. Bravo.
Hugs Tamara

Virginia L. said...

Beautiful cards! I love the layering and color combo for the long card! Your craftsmanship is SUPERB, Darnell! So glad that you join the fun with us at CAS-ual Fridays!Your SWEET comment made me smile :)

Ardyth said...

Great use of those intricate die cut cards - they're so pretty! And I love the heart-trees in your long card! And please don't call Valentine's Day VD. Just sayin'! Lol!

Lunch Lady Jan said...

I can't decide which card is my favourite! Probably the tall thin one, it's lika tree of hearts...that's the one I'd buy for my true love!!
Hugs, LLJ xxxx

Danni said...

These are all such wonderful cards!! and I must say, I really enjoyed reading your post...made me smile!

Carole said...

Be still my lollipop polka dot obsession. Your cards are super cute. Do your new followers report a jump in visits and comments? You so generously acknowledge them.

Bobby said...

No doubt about what your post is about. huh? Anyway if the title gets any longer it will be as long as the post. ;) Great cards and cartoon.

Rosemary said...

fabby set of cards, darnell!! i got a good chuckle out of your "fake red and advanced black" comment... too funny!

Jenni's Jems said...

I see you are feeling the love this week and showing it beautifully with these gorgeous set of cards! x

Sue said...

WOW!! Stunning cards Darnell. I LOVE those die cut hearts and your heart heart trees look equally wonderful.
Thanks for making me smile again!
Sue xx

Anonymous said...

OM Goodness, Darnell, you've excelled even yourselves on these! LOVE those intricate hearts and the wonderful hearty trees, especially the perfect sentiment! Anita :)

Kristie Goulet said...

Darnell you have rocked all of the challenges! I love all of your cards and THANK YOU so much for the shout out! I have had quite a visitors from your blog post! I really appreciate it! Thanks for sharing your creativity! :)

Carol L said...

You're just Sayin.......OMG, that's so funny (and we KNOW that's the truth, the whole truth, and nuttin' but the truth!)
Love all your cards today, especially the tall one! Way to use those stamps and hearts!!

Di said...

Perfect Darnell!! Smiling at the cartoon too :) Hugs, Di xx

Bonnie said...

Look at you, girl, rocking all these challenges! Love that cartoon!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful cut out..wow. Love all of your cards..as usual. So glad you joined us this week at Dynamic Duos.

Emily Keaton said...

Gosh, Darnell, these heart cards are so striking! I loved that cartoon, too.;)

Kristen said...

So fun! Love all the cards and variations!

Unknown said...

Your die cut cards are amazing! So elegant and eye-catching. I love your creative use of the trees to make a forest of hearts. What a lovely way to honor a friend for Valentine's Day!

The-crafty-corner said...

Love those little heart trees Darnell-they are soooo pretty :)Nessa xx

kingstonmama said...

Gorgeous cards. Those first two are just amazing with the intricate hearts. I like them backed with both red and black. Also love the hearts on the branches. ann

Debbie Rock said...

Just LOVE your black and red heart cards Darnell ... you have given me inspiration for all my anniversary cards this year!
Am trying to add you to the list of blogs I follow on my own blog but am a bit of a techno-numpty and can't quite figure out how to do so ... I shall persevere!!! Debbie xXx

Sarn said...

Lovely heart creations Darnell.

And I think the cartoon is just brilliant.

Hugs
Sarn xxx

Anonymous said...

Lovely heart creations Darnell, never been much into making VD (as you call it, we all know what that means to me!!) cards. Oh I can soooooooo relate to that cartoon!

Hugs
Brenda

Hettie said...

Aw! Vewy pwetty and sweeeet!
Love the cartoon too! As is said by me in our house, "do it the wrong way or my way"!!
If we venture to go his way we usually end up doing a u-ey and going my way!
xx

shirley-bee said...

Fabulous cards, Darnell! The intricate cut-out hearts are beautiful, and I'm in love with the forest of heart trees card, it's so striking. Will have to case.

shirley-bee said...

Fabulous cards, Darnell! The intricate cut-out hearts are beautiful, and I'm in love with the forest of heart trees card, it's so striking. Will have to case.

Lynne said...

Fabulous cards Darnell. Love the cut out hearts and your forest of hearts card is wonderful.
Lynne xxx

Claudia said...

Hi Darnell, great card for LIM, those hearts, the sentiment, great. Do you have a cutting machine? I just saw some things....

Thanks for all your lovely comments and for the time you invested for it and sorry for my late commenting, but business is eating me up at the moment. So time is rare for crafting and commenting is getting lost, sorry!

Hugs Claudia

Jen Nelson said...

i love them all!!!! i found kristie too!!!

Thanks for joining us
Jen xx
"Less Is More"

Linda said...

Lovely cards Darnell. I heart hearts too, and I love red, black and white - stunning!
Great cartoon, and thanks for the link to Kirstie's blog. Take care xx

Kathyk said...

What a "hearty" selection of fabbylicious cards, Darnell

Kathyk

Irene said...

Fabulous cards Darnell, the cut out hearts are stunning, and what vibrant colours - perfect.
luv
irene
xxxx

Amanda said...

Gorgeous cards, such perfect colours for valentines too. I love the cartoon and so perfectly tru as well. Hugs, Amanda x

Jean said...

Love all of them ~ I won't say which one is my fave, since I don't want to hurt the other cards' feelings ;). Great use of the tree trunks to add the hearts. Absolutely love the cartoon ~ not only should it be put in a Valentine ~ it should be put on the 'fridge and bathroom mirror!

Unknown said...

They are all gorgeous Darnell, the die cut is just stunning, and the forrest of hearts is just too cute. Thanks for playing along with us this week at Dynamic Duos.

JD/ Jill said...

Great cards, and I really like that cartoon...tfs...

Karen B. said...

Amazing cards, but kudos on the second one and its clever factor. Thanks for playing at CAS-ual Fridays!

Marybeth said...

Gorgeous St. Valentines cards…. love the detail of the hearts. The second one it way cute too.! I see you are on a very creative rolll……. Love them.

Kelly Griglione said...

Darnell, a forest of love?! Seriously that is SO COOL!! I love, LOVE love that idea! And the die cut twinkie cards are so FAB.