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!

September 29, 2014

QACAS Mocha Latte Coffee Madness!

Well, hello!

I didn't expect to be here today. There I was just enjoying my morning coffee, basking in the glow of a warm and well-received NBUS Challenge when I received a deluge of blog post notices regarding a Coffee Lovers Bloghop taking place today on National Coffee Lovers Day! Perhaps the tea lovers have their own day? I hope so!

Well, shucks, I sputtered. I had totally forgotten that a friend had sent me an invitation to join this hop several days ago via Facebook. I woke up the hamster, which is always risky. I won't go into it, but it's not pretty, especially after he was up late two nights in a row working with the Randoms. Talk about coffee drinkers, those two people must have it running through their veins!!

In any revent, me and Hammy are never ones to shrink from a challenge, so we quickly made this:
And I mean quickly! I took a fresh piece of linen PTI paper from the hall linen cabinet and made a card base. I took a fresh piece of vellum from the curtain cabinet and embossed it with a NBUS Sizzix e/f after inking it with SU "close to cocoa" ink. The inking didn't really work so I then colored the vellum on the back with a Memento "desert sand" marker. I added a NBUS sediment from PTI "Scentimentals" and the coffee beans stamp is from Stamps by Judith.

Okay, kids, it's a hop, so hop along. Here don't forget to take a biscuit . . . ! 
CoffeeLoversBloghopBadge
There are lots of prizes so run and make your own QACAS card!!
~~~

I think my card quantifies for the current Less Is More challenge of "Mostly Words."

And thanks to a kindly whisper in my ear from a friend, I'm also entering this in the Inkspirational challenge where the theme is "Beverages/Drinks."

~~~

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!* 

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! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!
  
 
*Life Is Too Short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:
Click CTL + Home. 
Click the Home tab under my blog banner which resets the post.
Click Page Down to reach the end of the post.
Click Comments and the pop-up box opens.
Click Jump to Comment Form; no more car pool tunnel!
Mwah!

September 28, 2014

NBUS Challenge #2 Winners!

Hi Everyone!

Here is the posting of winners for my second NBUS Challenge! The response was even more over-whelming than the wild participation in the first NBUS Challenge! There were a total of THREE HUNNERT AND EIGHT (308!) entries!! Reach around and pat yourself on whatever you can reach without pulling a wing out of its socket!

You guys are the best for supporting my movement to bring love and attention and scissors and ink to the neglected Never-Before-Used-Schtuff languishing in craft rooms all over the world! Younger, prettier, more modern products appear and tempt us constantly, pushing the older models to the back of the shelf before they've ever been used. Some even drop down behind.

But no longer! In a world going green and fighting against bullying and waste, we ... oh, never mind. I'm preaching to the choir!!

Congratulations to all the winners chosen by Hammy, in colladoration with Dr. and Mrs. Random Org. While not setting any presidents, with over 300 entries, how could I not award FIFTEEN prizes?!

Let's give the winners a huge round of applause!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!




Sheila H. Lala Crafts

Joyce of Cards-by-the-Sea

sunflower
Taunya of Daisies Girl

Lindsey of Occasional Crafting
Chriss of Botanical Cafe

Sindu of Trapped in Craft

Shona of Twine Around


Jenny L. of Cardsarus

Karen of Stamping in Pink

Harriet of Ally Cat Cards

Karen of Made by Meadie

~~~

*Winners, you have the choice of a $25 gift certificate to either

 Inspiration Emporium
or
 Simon Says Stamp!!   

Please email me at darnell dot knauss at gmail dot com to let me know your choice.

~~~

Thank you, again, and enjoy your day, every body! No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!**

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! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

Thank you, again!!
  
 
**Life Is Too Short!

September 25, 2014

PTI September 2014 Blog Hop and Rudolph Day

Happy Day to you!

Lots going on today, so I'll get right t'wit! It is the 25th of the month so two of my favorite blogs have featured events happening!

First up is the September 2014 Blog Hop Challenge {capture the moment} hosted by Nichole to showcase Papertrey Ink (PTI) products. This week we had wonderful inspirations to guide us. I used the colors and came up with this:

The paper is PTI enchanted evening and soft stone. The inks are enchanted evening and autumn rose. The sediment is from the PTI set "Cutting Garden." The watering can is from an unknown SU set, and the cool pussy willow stamp is from an out-of-business company. After I masked the watering can, we held up the local liquor store. Then I stamped the single stalk three times and colored them with markers. I took some creative license with the coloring.

You'll find lots of wonderful creations in this hop!! Here is the gorgeous photo that inspired the hop today:
Inspiration photoBlog-hop-logoSimon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog


I am also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge of "Stencils and Stamps."

~~~

I feel in love with the blackberry and raspberry tones in the photo so I made these two Christmas cards to enter into Sarn's "Rudolph Day" challenge on her blog, Stamping for Pleasure:
The papers are PTI white, enchanted evening, and autumn rose. (The mitten colors became darker and brighter after I glossed them with Dimensional Magic.) The dies are from PTI. The e/f is Sizzix Textured Impressions (Dots #5). The mittens are from WPlus9 "Winter Wishes."

I'm also entering my Christmas cards in:

GRAB OUR BADGE!Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog
You can find all the rules, sponsors, and prize information by clicking on the challenge links.

~~~

New Friends Corner

Here are five more talented card artists waiting patiently to be introduced to all of you! I've ordered extra chairs and another case of the Pinot Grigio. Go ahead and kick off your shoes!

WG Burgoyne of No Blank Space. I can't tell you any details about William, like how long he has been blogging or any of the other facts we so often share, because he keeps his blog clean and minimalist in order for all the focus to be on his incredible works of card art. It's a joy to visit him!

Beebeebabs of Beebeebabs. Like William, Beebeebabs doesn't put personal information on her side bars, but I looked back far enough to know she has been blogging for at least a year which means you'll find a lot of inspiration. She loves to enter her wonderful CAS cards in challenges and her coloring skills are exceptional!

Stella Schenkel of A Little Bit of the Things I Enjoy. Stella is from the Netherlands and she has been blogging since 2010. In addition to making cards, Stella enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, sewing, and quilting. Please allow plenty of time for your visit as you'll find post after post of impeccably-made and award-winning CAS card art!

Karen Ladd. Karen does not have a blog, but she does post her gorgeous cards on Flickr. If that link doesn't take you to her photostream, then just go to Flickr.com and do a search under her name to locate all the inspiration she shares!

Pink Unicorn of Invisible Pink Cards. Pink has only had her dedicated card blog since January of this year. Prior to that, she commingled her beautiful cards with her other major interest of food and cooking. You can find those cards and lots of yummy recipes on Invisible Pink Food which she started in 2012. Pink is a scientist who is obviously well in touch with her artistic side! Her other interests are shoes and, as you might have guessed, anything pink! Please welcome Pink to this wonderful community of card artists!

Thank you all for joining and welcome to the Playhouse!!

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff (Stamps, Dies, EFs, etc.)~~~

The NBUS Challenge ends TODAY, in just a few hours! It looks like the entries will be close to 300, if not over 300! I am filled with appreciation for your support and participation!! Thank you to all who have entered!! I will post the winners at noon PDT on Sunday, September 28th! Good luck!

~~~

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!* 

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!

Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

 
*Life Is Too Short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:
Click CTL + Home. 
Click the Home tab under my blog banner which resets the post.
Click Page Down to reach the end of the post.
Click Comments and the pop-up box opens.
Click Jump to Comment Form; no more car pool tunnel!
Mwah!