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!

August 31, 2013

Book of Composition ~ CASology #59; MUSE #32; NBUS #47

How Dee!

I imagine a lot of American stampers and crafters are off on a three-day weekend for Labor Day end-of-summer happiness.  Then again, a lot of American stampers will be staying home and having a wonderful three-day weekend getting crafty!  That'll be me.  We usually lay low and stay off the roads which are overcrowded with peeps rushing to and fro.
 
And why is it, do you suppose, that we don't actually use the word "fro" in our everyday lexicube?  It certainly fits the modern convention of abbreviated words.  Hmm?  Nah.  Me neither.  It just sounds too odd.  "I've just come fro the store ..."; I've gotten a letter fro Jane ... ."  It looks too much like one of my typos where I meant to say for and mistyped it fro.  Never mind.  A bit more of that nonsense and we'll all be froing at the mouth.

So then what happened was I wasn't going to play in this week's CASology challenge where the cue card is "Book."
Sometimes the word is too broad for me to narrow down to one card, you know?  There were endless possibilities, but Hilda the hamster in my head wouldn't settle on one.  (You should check out the gallery!  It's very obvious that many artists didn't have a bit of trouble making genius cards with the word!)

Then I saw the current MUSE Card Club Guest Designer's card. 
The Guest Designer is the brilliant Lori Techler of Inkling Aloud.  As you know, sometimes when I look at an inspiration photo or sketch, Hilda helps me imagine what it would look like flipped.  When I envisioned Lori's card upside down, like this:  (stick with me)
I immediately thought of one of those black and white spotted composition books.  Like this:
So I made this:
Composition:   2 a work of music, literature, or art.
I took an artsy shot of my card fro the top of the washing machine in the garage with the DS's (now twins') chalkboard in the background.  The card base is made from this awesome shiny faux leather paper that is magical for making little purses for cards.  And, today, for making a faux composition book to CASE Lori's design!
 
The Washi tape and the little conversation bubble stickers are today's NBUS.   I'm not sure what I'll use my card for, perhaps for my niece in college, or perhaps I'll turn it into a gradulations card in the spring. 
 
~~~
 
Enjoy your weekend!  No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!*  It's supposed to cool off here so I'm hoping to do some overdue gardening, being careful not to overdo.  Oh, that reminds me. 
 
Last week when we were heading out to an appointment, I mentioned to Mister that we had somehow lost all trace of three plants that used to be in these rocks:
Only one week later, when I went out to my lunch with the girls, look what had sprouted like hope eternal!
It's a bit bed raggled because we've had lots of heat and wind, but it's almost unbearably sweet, don't you think?
 
~~~
 
As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower!   


*Life Is Too Short!  
 
Paper:  Unknown PP
Stamps:  None
Ink:  Markers
Punch:  SU! label
Stickers:  Mrs. Grossman
Washi Tape:  Freckled Fawn

44 comments:

Happy Dance said...

Love your little hamster! She came up with one A+ idea!! Darn, darn clever and wow, that faux leather is awesome and absolutely perfect here!! Your sweet little flower is so brave. Hope does spring up all over the place doesn't it?! My nice neighbors moved in June, only they left a couple of tomato plants that are coming up...again...from last year!!! And they're huge!!!! Wanna come and get some?! : ) Great card my friend. Bev

Kim Heggins said...

You are so funny! Funny that you have a hamster in your head, my hamster hangs out in my tummy, I always have have stomach issues and have always said that my "tummy is doing the hamster dance". So fun right?
On to your card, so creative and fun, and your embellishments are perfect too. I love using these books and covering them with patterned paper and adding an elastic piece on the back to pull forward to hold all the pages in place, so fun. See you real soon!

Anonymous said...

GREAT MINDS think alike!!! I have a composition book card going up on my blog tonight @2am for my new DT!!! :) :) :)

Your card is fun with great embellies and I loved your story about the verbage "fro" ~~ my girls always ask me about that when I use it and the word "amuck" I always say... "why are you to running amuck?" ~~just makes me laugh thinking about it!!

So glad to see you recovering & taking your time cleaning the playhouse ~~ Rome wasn't built in a day... at least that's what I say whenever my hubby complains about my little "work in progress" piles in my office !! LOL

Have a GREAT long holiday weekend!! :) :) :)
I'll be around celebrating the little one's 6th bday and crafting my brains out! Hee hee!!
xo

Carol L said...

Your take on the book challenge is so much fun! I love that alligatah-like paper! And that lonely sprout that appeared through the rocks! What a show of strength eh!?
Happy Labor Day!

Bobby said...

I finally got crafty today but I'm not playing in the book challenge because, like you, I couldn't think of a thing to do. I do have that same paper you used for your darling composition book. Wish I'd thought of it first.

Lisa Elton said...

Wow that paper is pretty nifty and I'll bet it does make cute purses! great project and i LOVE that you photographed in in front of the chalkboard!!

Yes the tiny lonely bloom is as sweet as can be!! A cyclamen I think!?!

Joyce said...

I love your composition book, and what a fabulous idea for a card. I'm hosting some of those folks who were brave enough to travel on this weekend, so no crafting for me. But, it is nice to see family from the east coast, too.

Michelle said...

What a fabulously creative card, Darnell! I love it! Great idea. :-) I love it when little plants appear out of nowhere when we think they've disappeared forever, LOL! That little plant definitely is sweet.

Tenia Nelson said...

So so cool, Miss Lady!! :)

alexandra s.m. said...

Yeah! Too funny Miss Darnell ;-)
Love your card, your photos and that cyclamen...magical indeed!

Anonymous said...

What a great idea Darnell-Good old Hilda did you proud!Fabulous card,and what a perfect picture against the chalkboard-very neat!
Enjoy your long weekend :)
Nessa xxxxx

wienerhoneymooners said...

WOW, That looks exactly like a composition book, thought it was ---so I zoomed on in for a closer peek!

Cool beans, love it! love the little notes doodled on it, just like in school!

Thanks for playing CASology Darnell, your cards are always a joy to see!

Sue said...

Just fabulous Darnell. I love the design, the faux leather paper looks so effective.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Sue xx

Anonymous said...

That little hamster's been sooo creative and busy, Darnell ... what a fun card! The textured paper's amazing (just want to run my fingers over it!) and those little stickers are so perfect fro a composition book! Oh look my fingers went to and fro on that one! Isn't that little cyclamen coming up among the rocks adorable ... they're such hardy little things. Anita :)

Dianne said...

A lovely card, I like the faux leather effect. I love your journals, what a wonderful collection. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such lovely comments and thank you for following me. I am now following you.

Dianne.

Karen M said...

Your card looks so cool Darnell and such a fabulous idea:) Hugs xx

Cathy said...

What a fun card Darnell! Very clever take on the challenge, Cathy x

shirley-bee said...

Clever take on the challenge, Darnell! I'd forgotten all about composition books - and the obligatory graffiti :)

What a trooper of a cyclamen - hope its friends fight back too!

cm said...

What a fabulous post! Love how your little hamster gets that wheel of creativity whirling, with results that are ever so clever! Composition book cover - brilliant! The wee flower emerging from the seemingly barren rocks: gorgeous and inspiring! Hope, along with its friends - joy and beauty - always finds a way (and if we look, we'll always find it!). Thanks for making my Aunty C day even brighter!
c

Vicki Dutcher said...

It is so fun to pop over and read your humor! You made me laugh on this Sunday am -- thanks! :)

jimlynn said...

It looks exactly like a little composition book!!! So creative and cute too. Clever and so creative! VERY NICE!!!
Hope you're having a good weekend!
Lynn

OH Babs said...

Morning! When I looked at the small card photo I could not figure out what was on your card. Behold another creative masterpiece. How clever.

Kelly Griglione said...

Well hi there, Darnell! Yes, it's been way too long since I've stopped by. Actually now that school has started things will start to settle down and I'll be having more time to myself. We just pack too much stuff into the summer, that it ends up getting really crazy. So I was on bloggy break : )

It's good to be back at the playhouse! Love how you showed the progression for us to all follow on how you arrived at your creation. That paper you used s pretty awesome! Very fun project. Hope the twinks settled back into school smoothly.

Kristie Goulet said...

What a very creative card, Darnell. Love coming to your blog to read what you have for us. So fun! Hope you are enjoying your relaxing weekend. :)

Geri said...

Of course, I am amused and amazed with your thought process....but you're right on! The second the card was flipped...ka-pow....agenda book is obvious as ever! That hamster is sure doing his job well.

The faux leather is awesome! Great job capturing the gleam of the paper in your photo.

Nice to see that the wee little posie sprang forth before it was crushed my more stones :)

Anonymous said...

This is so cool! very creative!

Hettie said...

Lovely card there Darnell> That flower sure looks pwetty too.
Well done for spotting my new look blog. I managed to sort my tablet out (took it back and they gave me a shiny new one after the Manager said she would have smashed my original one longbefore now), and I am trying to use it. My old look blog played havoc and kept flashing so I hd to change it. It is more suited to the change inweather anyhoo!
Thanks for our lovely comments too.
Hugs
xx

Kim S said...

I use "to and fro" but not just "fro". I know that I use it because my teenage sons look at me every single time and ask where "fro" is. It's not that archaic a phrase, is it?? I like your flipped inspiration - it truly is a composition book!! (Didja think about linking to Curtain Call's Back to School challenge?)

Lori said...

This is fabulous! Love how you flipped the layout to come up with your faux composition book!

Nan G said...

What a wonderful way to start a Sunday morning! Love your sense of humor, Darnell. Take care of that hamster, she has some good ideas. :) Love the book with its awesome cover! And yes it's the wee hours of Monday as I write this so I'm ending Sunday giggling with you. :) But I did read this in the early morn .....

Shannon J said...

Oh Darnell how us it that I get so behind on my commenting sometimes?!! Almost midnight but wanted to stop in for a little visit before the sandman pays me a visit! Oh that Miss Hilda was sure working her magic on this card! Love how it came about and love how it turned out. Enjoy staying put and steering clear of the rat race this long weekend! I can't imagine Miss Hilda enjoys the rat race much either!!

Dianne said...

A hamster dancing you your head, what a hoot, well she is a brilliant little hamster, you card is fantastic, I love it,I wouldn't have had any idea on this challenge either.Oh I forgot to tell you in my last comment how much I loved the photo of all you lovely Ladies, and I love you how you always generously gives us link to visit, the fabulous card makers, thanks so much for that, hope you have a wonderful day..

Marybeth said...

Love how you ended up with this creative card! Great idea ,and even better the way you too the picture .....love it!
Hope is good and the flower is beautiful ...and in this heat!

Ardyth said...

This is a fun interpretation! Love your upside-down, flipped-over take on this week's cue card and Muse - thanks for playing along!

Greta said...

Wowzer--never would have gotten this from Lori's card! You're a genius, Darnell! Such a sweet plant in the rock border & how fun that it came back just as you noticed it was gone. Happy Holiday weekend to you--we stay home, too.

Hannelie said...

i saw your name on the wall of fame Darnell... where it belongs!
Congratulations!
This card looks awesome... great use of all the elements!

Bonnie said...

Is that a cyclamen growing in those pebbles? How beautiful! Love how you think! The composition book is perfect! Love the subject matter too. I'll take those classes! Congratulations on the Wall of Fame! I was as excited when I saw your name and others of our crafty friends, as when I saw my own! Isn't it fun to be in good company?!

Aileen said...

Superb take on the cue word. Well done on your thinking! x

Colleen said...

Congrats on being in the Hall of Fame for the Addicted to CAS! And love your stories, Darnell, keep them coming!! ...not to mention your delightful cards!

Joni Andaya said...

That is one COOL composition book there lady! So Amazing... you have captured it beautifully! Oh..thank you so much for the sweet note you left on my blog. You are always so sweet! Have a great week :)

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Great little book (like the background) and teeny tiny flower:) I popped over to say a big congratulations on earning the Wall of Fame award ATCAS! I was so happy to see your name listed as it's well-deserved. Love your CAS style and your awesome blog :) Have a great day, Shirleyx

Unknown said...

Hi Dippy - well my lexicube definitely has "fro" within its definition.....I'm always going to and fro in my daily life! P'raps that's my problem.....?! Love your composition book - gorgeous, specially with that alli-gat-or paper! Many congrats on being chosen as one of our first inductee's on the Wall of Fame over at Addicted to CAS - so well deserved.

Hugs.

Karendipity xxx

maria f. said...

Like how those squirrels and hamsters in your head work their wonders. And how amazing Mother Nature is...

Unknown said...


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