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 30, 2015

Holiday Bells

Greetings!

Happy Hump Day Wednesday! I hope your week is going well!

Having said that, I'm about to ruin it by telling you that today is the last day of September. Gasp!

Yup, those holiday cards and tags aren't going to make themselves and you know that once you see the word October, the Time Train is speeding downhill fast towards the holidays. Which is why, even though I only had a smidge of crafty time since you came by last, I used it to make a onefer tag for Christmas. 

Actually, what happened was I went out to the Playhouse to say hello to Hammy who has been feeling abandoned. I reassured him that we would be back to regular programming soon, but he looked so sad that I skipped some chores and let him pick a few favorite challenges to play in.

And we made this:
Our friend Jeanne is the featured designer for Tag You're It!. Although autumn tags and cards are certainly in season right now, I have more need for Christmas tags so I switched out Jeanne's beautiful gold leaf die for a set of gold Christmas bells by Memory Box (Bells Are Ringing). The gold-embossed NBUS sediment is from Hero Arts (Merriest Christmas Wishes). The gold shiny paper and solid color paper and twine (lost lagoon) are from SU. I really love Jeanne's button treatment at the top of her tag, so I did a rendition of it on my own.

Challenges
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Update

I didn't intend to have a regular medical feature on my posts, but so many of you have been concerned about the Mister, I thought I would let you know that we've had another hiccup.

Monday Kevin became dizzy and nauseous so we missed the appointment with the blood specialist and instead spent almost the entire day in the ER.  We were justifiably afraid a blood clot had broken loose and went top-side to his brain so we decided not to take any chances. A CT scan of his head showed all was clear which was a huge relief! That left a diagnosis of vertigo and more pills ~ like the poor guy needed one more thing to deal with. We are hoping it is just a fluke from being bedridden and it goes away quickly. In spite of all that, we are celebrating being halfway through the six weeks with the hip brace, at which point he will be up and walking again!

BTW, don't you find "bedridden" to be a funny word? And who knew that "joyridden" is a word? As in went for a joyride. So if you're bedridden, did you go for a bedride?

It's my age, you know. I now have butterflies where my brain cells used to be. (I should put that on a plaque with my name under it.)

~~~

New Friends Corner

Here are five more talented new friends for you to meet!

Lorraine Collett of Rainey's Craft Room. Lorraine is from the UK and she has been blogging since 2013. She serves on several design teams and at first glance at her blog and her creations, you'll understand why. Her card art is always impeccable and her coloring skills are top notch!

Tracy M. of Tracy's Creative Adventures. Tracy has only been blogging since February of this year, so please make a special effort to visit her and welcome her to our fabulous and supportive community in Blogland! Tracy is rocking the challenges already and I know you will be charmed by her terrific talent and outstanding card designs!

Susan Lang of Susan Lang - One Card at a Time. Susan has been blogging since 2013. She is retired and living in Nevada. Like a lot of us, Susan started blogging to share her cards with her fellow card artists and to enter challenges. Susan doesn't post her cards often, but each card she posts is worthy of a visit!

Sasha Biyanova of Winds of Scrap. Like Tracy, Sasha is new to blogging, having just started in May of this year! Sasha is from Russia and she makes awesome CAS cards and scrapbook layouts! Unfortunately, she doesn't have a translate button yet, but I hope she will add it so we can enjoy her words as much as we do her works of art. In the meantime, I know she would love to hear from you with a comment welcoming her to Blogland!

Stephanie Severin ("SmilynStef") of Ingenious Inking. Stef started blogging in December 2014. She is a familiar face to a lot of us from her Jingle Belles Christmas card challenge blog and her many well-deserved wins as a participant in other card challenges. Stef has a real talent for nailing any sketch put in front of her and her cards are always dynamite!

Thank you for joining, ladies, and welcome to the Playhouse!

~~~

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 join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!
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89 comments:

kiwimeskreations said...

Wow - I think I am first.
So sorry to hear of Mister's ongoing issues - not nice :-(.
Love your wee tag Darnell - and of course you had to keep Hammy company!
+-*;lk - sorry about the graphics there - hope you didn't hear my squeal -I just saw (and killed) a wasp on my desk :-( too early in the season for them, it's only just spring here!!
Blessings
Maxine

Hannelie said...

You and the mister are in my thoughts Darnell. Prayers for a speedy recovery!
Your tag with shiny bells are so beautiful! Aqua and gold is one of my favorite color combinations. So elegant!
Hugs to you

Hannelie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rose said...

Your tag is stunning. So elegant & lovely. Hope the Mister continues to improve without anymore dramas.

Sue said...

Love the tag.

Glad your hubby is halfway through the hip brace time. Sorry he had Vertigo. I suffer from bout of that and it is awful. Sending positive healing thoughts to him.

Hope you have a lovely day. Sue

Sammy said...

Oh this is such a fabulous tag Darnell! LOVE it! The colours, the shape, that adorable button... Perfect!

And it's depressing to think that in my first couple of crafty years, I had all my Christmas cards done by September. This year, apart from one left over from last year and two made during the year, I've still to start! Eek!

Hope you have a fantabulous day! x

Suchi said...

Praying for speedy recovery of your Mister.. I loved your tag..and those bells are superb! :)
Suchi xx

Julie B said...

Sorry to the Mister has had a hiccup in his recovery, hopefully things will improve.
Love the die cut bells on your fab tag. :)

Gerrina said...

A stunning tag! Love the unusual colorcombi! And sending some positive energy your way; looks like you can use some... Hugs, Gerrina

Rainey's Craft Room said...

Thanks for the intro and lovely comments Darnell, you are very kind.
I love this tag and have been making some myself recently too when I realised time was ticking away. The colour combo is very refreshing for Christmas and what a lovely thing to receive a present with a handmade tag attached too.
Lorraine

rachel said...

your tag is super Darnell - so sorry to hear about your hubbie - I hope he's feeling a bit more stable and less nauseous now. Big hugs to you and yours! Rachel xx

Lizzy Hill said...

Adore the tag.....classy & sophisticated.....glad you gave up on chores to create. No brainer, really! And as for your Mr....all the very best & hopefully the tide has now TURNED and it's all about getting BETTER!!!

Marilyn said...

Sorry to hear the Mister had a setback. Sending prayers. Love your tag

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Loveeeeeeeee your tag! LOVING those bells!! And glad to hear that he got the all clear at the ER!!

Sarah said...

A tremendous tag...gorgeous colour with the gold. Wishing the Mister well xx

Barb said...

Hi Darnell, I'm sorry to hear about Mister's setback. My goodness the two of you are certainly going through it at the moment. Keeping you in my thoughts.

Your tag is so pretty and the button works so well too. Barbxx

Dr Sonia S V said...

Your tag looks fabulous and I love the way you introduce your new followers
Cheers
Dr Sonia

Happy Dance said...

First. Beautiful belle tag. You've captured the gold and blue and sequins and little button perfectly. Someone will be delighted to see this on a Christmas package! Yep, for suresies. Sorry about the Mister's latest hiccup. You know how it goes... two steps forward, one step back. Continued prayers sent your way, dear friend. Please give him my best regards, and a "don't make me come out there, young man..." Hope from now on, that there will be only steps forward. xoxo Bev

Kathyk said...

Sorry to hear about your medical crisis and glad it was nothing more serious.

LOVELY tag too btw

Kathyk

slang said...

Darnell - thank you for the nice introduction. I am sharing the link to the blog with the family! I had a spell 6 years ago and ended up with a diagnosis of vertigo. Most of the horrible symptoms went away pretty quickly and I am only left with an occasional light headed feeling, especially when I walk under a canopy. No big deal.

slang said...

Oops! Forgot to say, love the tag. The gold back tag just sets it off!

Vicki Dutcher said...

What a gorgeous tag -- simple, but so elegant! Sending prayers for both you and Mister -- its no fun we can't fix them huh? :)

Cindy H. said...

Darnell, this is such an elegant tag! Love it.

Krisha said...

Beautiful tag Darnell!
Sorry to hear Mister had an episode. Keep your chin up darl'n! You know your both in many, many prayers!!

Cat Craig said...

Good thoughts continue for the Mister. How disheartening for you both.

Your tag is just fabulous, gorgeous colors together.

Jenny L said...

Hi Darnell,
thank you so much for managing the time to update us with the Mister's progress.
So sorry to hear he has more probs to cope with.
My BIL suffers with Vertigo, and he has to take his time getting up in the morning no rushing about, and he finds that works for him.
Good job he is retired so he can use this type of routine.
Love your fab tag, and it's wonderfully created as usual.
The colours are perfect too.
Love and biggest hugs from my house to yours.
Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

Ксения Phedra Ли said...

You and your Mister are in my thoughts and prays! Hope he will get absolutely well soon!

aND YOUR CARD... I love the colors. It's always surprise me how gorgouse gold combines with other colors)

Donna said...

Hi Darnell :)
Can't remember who, but somebody referred to you in their blog the other day as 'Darnell who knows everything'. How's that for an awesome compliment?
Glad you seem to be keeping your spirits up... Hopefully the worst of it is behind you now :)
Great tag. I'm all for making what I need and getting challenges to fit :)
Take care...
Donna

Sazzle Dazzle said...

A perfect and fabulous take on the challenge Darnell ... yes we definitely need to dust down the old Christmas stamps!!! Yikes! Sorry to hear about your poor hubby and hope he's back to normal pretty soon. You do make a trip to ER sound quite fun despite all the worry. Take care and thanks for playing at LIM. Sarah x

Linda said...

Your tag is absolutely gorgeous. Love those little gold bells. Hope things start going uphill for The Mister soon. Prayers to you....

Jacee said...

Fabulous little tag Darnell
hugs Jacee
Simply Paper Card Design

OH Babs said...

Honestly Miss Darnell this is by far my most favorite of all your cards. Seeing it on the computer screen rather than my I-phone does make a difference but this lovely tag just pops off the page and I want to touch the gold which is thick and lovely. So glad you and Hammy had time to play and that Kevin is improving. Hugs, BBB

Pat said...

I love your pretty tag Darnell and the colours with the gold and the blue are gorgeous. So sorry that the Mister has had yet another problem to deal with but it must have been a relief that it wasn't anything to do with the DVT. Hopefully the symptoms will soon abate. Take care. x

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Oh Darnell, how gorgeous is this tag!!! this beauty will dress up any gift under the Christmas Tree!!
I'm so sorry to hear that your hubby is having some troubles, I hope that he will be back to his normal, (and I'm sure, adorable self) very soon.
Thinking of you both and sending lots and lots of healing ~~~~~~~~~~.

Maria Rodriguez

KT Fit Kitty said...

Absolutely beautiful! I love the gold! So sorry to hear about Kevin, as if he needed any more problems. Let's just hope the time passes quickly so he can get the brace. I've had vertigo - I don't even know how you got him to the ER - I couldn't move or I'd be vomiting. Just to get up to go to the bathroom was an ordeal and I had to carry the bucket with me. One of the worst things I've ever experienced - and I had it twice! Hope the pills take care of it for him. Sending hugs and prayers for both of you.

Jean said...

An amazing tag! Simply gorgeous! Continued best wishes for the mister!

Rubeena I. said...

I hope they figure out what's going on with him and that he gets better soon! xoxo

Em Louise Fairley said...

Gorgeous tag, Darnell! I'm so sorry that Kevin has had this setback. The poor guy needs a break, although in the literal sense! Continuing to hold both of you close in prayer.
Hugs,
Em

Jasleen Kaur said...

What an amazing tag, Darnell !! And those gold bells !! Wow! I could almost hear them jingle :)
Glad to know that your husband's CT scan reports are clear. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Chriss Blagrave said...

Love this tag, such an elegant design and colour combo! I hope to pay in Jeanne's tag challenge too!
Sorry to hear that mister Kevin experienced this hiccup and just hoping (real hard) for smooth sailing from here on in!
I, for one, really appreciate hearing the updates :)
Have a good Wednesday! Hugs xox

cuilliesocks said...

Hi Darnell, sorry to hear that Mr. has had a bit of a set back, hope he gets back on track soon.
Lovely card, the design with the tag is brilliant, lovely colours, Kate x

Birgit said...

I am, so gald he had no clot. love the tag and the colour combo. I have butterflies in my brain too:)

Greta said...

Bummer, bummer!! I was hoping things were getting better for The Mister! Your tag is a stunner, Darnell! Laurie thinks so, too!

Sharon Underwood said...

LOVE the tag(s)! So pretty with that shiny gold against the pretty blue. You did a fantastic job! I just saw that bell die yesterday but didn't buy it. Now, I want it! Isn't that the way it always works? So sorry about the Mister's hiccup of vertigo. That seems to be going around these days. I know several people with that going on right now. So sorry!!!! Hope he feels better real soon. Give Hammy a hug for me!

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

This tag with shining bells is wonderful! Love so much the colours combo! So sorry for your hubby, I hope that the pillows help him to a speedy recovery!

Kathleen said...

Gorgeous tag and glad it pleased Hammy.
Sorry about the hic-up with the Mister, hope all resolve quickly, he will be shake, rattling and rolling with all the pills he's on.

Kath x

Jean said...

A fabulous tag, I love those shiny gold bells on the pretty blue.
I'm sorry about your husband's set back, glad the scan was clear though. I do hope he soon feels better.
Jean x

stampwithsandy said...

Gorgeous tag, Darnell! Love the gold layers and that big, bold button. So glad to see your creation in the gallery this week at Stamp, Ink, Paper! Thoughts and prayers are with your Mister, too :)

Loll said...

Beautiful Christmas tag Dolly! Love all the shiny gold.

Sorry to hear about Mister having another medical issue. Poor guy. Hope things start turning around and you'll be giving us happy news updates soon. Lolly xx

Sandy said...

Your tag is really wonderful.
Sending prayers for your "Mister" - sounds like he has been through a lot.
Sandy xx

Bonnie said...

Love these golden bells! They are so pretty with the blue! So sorry Kevin is having even more problems. They'll be writing him up in the medical books soon. And you should copyright the butterflies in the brain! Ha! I'm going to remember that next time I say something flaky!

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Beautiful tag and golden bells. I love Memory Box dies and while I have been 'sorta batch making' Christmas cards I've been determined to use a lot of NBUS including quite a few beautiful MB dies. Sorry I missed your challenge as I have lots that I could have entered now. I hope your dear handsome mister heals with no more set backs. Take good care, Hugs, Shirleyxxx

Verna Angerhofer said...

Your tag is so gorgeous and I love that bells die. So beautiful in the gold.

Susanne Vargas said...

Fabulous tag in beautiful colors!
I am so sorry that Mister and you are not getting a break from all this! You would so deserve one! The silver lining is that they didn't find a loose blood clot, so I hope that the meds will work and he will start to feel better soon!

Lisa Elton said...

Oh golly what a PRETTY tag, love the gold bells!! SO SORRY that the Mister is having such bad luck in the medical department, poor guy. More prayers going up!

Mrs A. said...

Ring a ding dong that is one seriously gorgeous tag and loving that button at the top. what a spiffy idea. hugs Mrs A.

Carole Pollard said...

Just loved your classy tag and so glad that scan was good fingers crossed things are on the mend thinking of you love and hugs Carole X

HJ said...

Your tag is so beautiful. I love its simplicity and elegance at the same time. So sorry to hear about Mister. I have had vertigo off and on for several years. I went to a physical therapist who taught me some simple exercises to help avert the episodes. The medicine should make the nausea subside but for me it took longer for the dizziness to leave. Perhaps check with his doctor or a physical therapist to find out about the exercises. I hope they help. Big hugs and prayers sent your way.

JoAnn said...

Very pretty. Love those gold bells.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous tag. Love the colour combo.

Hope the Mister is all sorted soon.

Di said...

Fabulous Darnell! Love the aqua and gold combo - and adding the button is sheer genius!

Sending more hugs for Kevin - is that man trying to age you through fear and worry?! Halfway there now - I mean halfway to mobility of course!

Hugs

Di xx

Sarn said...

Beautiful snippety holiday tags.

Hugs, Sarn xxx

Ros Crawford said...

Aww! So sorry to hear that the Mister is still struggling ... At least your creativity is healthy!! This is beautiful!

Brenda in IN said...

That tag is just stunning. BUT, now I have that song in my head. Golden bells, golden bells, it's Christmas time in the city! I hope Mister is getting along better now. It's better to go to the ER and make sure everything is okay. Hopefully the time will fly and all will be well.

Linda said...

Hi Darnell, your little tag is just adorable, love those shiny bells.
Hope the Mister is feeling a little better now ..... big hugs to you both from me xx

sandie said...

Scary time in ER, p,eased it turned out not to be a clot.
This is a gorgeous tag, love the fresh look and the colour combo x

Chrissie said...

Love your tag Darnell and sorry to hear that Kevin is still having problems... has he tried the Epley manoeuvre? it worked well for me when I had vertigo!
Let's hope the prob will be shortlived and that he will continue to progress!!
Thanks so much
Chrissie
"Less is More"

shirley-bee said...

Fab colour combo for your Christmas tag, Darnell! Hope the Mister's vertigo is clearing.

Leigh Penner said...

Oh, this tag is so pretty! I love it!

Nancy Penir said...

Well, you are amazing. You and Hammy. Glad for his tag choices, cuz this one is gorgeous! Hope the hubby is doing better, and thanks for playing along at TYI!

lostinpaper said...

Oh so elegant Darnell, tags are always the last thing I think of at Christmas... maybe I need to get started right now (or should I make the cards first lol)

Bobby said...

I'm glad you and Hammy got to test your wheels again, even for a onefer. And a beautiful one it is, too. Love those golden bells. I'm sorry to hear Mister had a few complications but with you taking care of him, and all the prayers being sent his way, I'm sure he'll be better in no time.

Geri said...

I don't see a problem with butterflies in the brain! Mine sing the sweetest songs to me at randomly selected times throughout the night and day!

Thanks for the update on Mister's receovery. Poor guy - it's tough to keep a good man down...and you have a good man, and I know that he will be back on is bike, cruising the streets, looking just as fine as he did in that photo you shared with us (still need to fan my face when I think of that pic!).

Oh right...the card! Gorgeously golden. Love the softness when paired with the pretty blue!

We are off next week for a wee holiday and some R & R (our home resort timeshare) so will be MIA for a bit!

Karenladd said...

Oh my goodness, that cute little button is the BEST tag embellishment. I am going to have to snatch that idea up for my very own and use it on my Christmas gift tags. Like you, I have little use for Fall themed tags (except to put on card fronts) but I make all of my Christmas gift tags. Tags are a fun way to try out a new technique without committing too much time and energy, so I tend to make quite a few of them.
Glad to see that you're able to sneak off to your playhouse and play, even in the midst of the Mister's recuperation. I do know how awful vertigo can be and I have great sympathy for him (and for you). I keep a large bottle of Meclazine in my medicine cabinet at all time to keep those dizzies at bay. Ugh. Hope he continues to improve!

Anne said...

Gorgeous shiny tag Darnell, love it!
Best wishes to your Mister
Thank you for joining us this week
Anne
"Less is More"

Cris G. said...

Hi Darnell! I see you are already preparing things for Christmas... lovely tag in blue and gold.
Sending best wishes to your husband, I hope he will feel much better soon.
Thank you for visiting. I hope to be able to join your next NBUS challenge, as during the last one I just made one single card, all BUS :(.

conil said...

Sorry, the Mister's recovery isn't going as smoothly as it could be. I know you must be worried sick, I would be. Think about you two often and pray that healing with go better and he'll be out of pain, soon. That goes for you, too. It's so hard when a loved one is hurting and there is little you can do to relieve it. The tag though is a whole different story. Something about soft blue an gold together that makes it very elegant and refined. Truly gorgeous. Take card...need a shoulder, you know where I am.

Carolyn Lindenmayer said...

Your bell tag is adorable Darnell. Thanks so much for joining us this week at Stamp Ink Paper. Carolyn xx

Anita in France said...

I'm so sorry Kevin is having such a horrid time, Darnell ... such a scary thing to happen (for you both) on top of everything else. Know that healing and happy thoughts and (as always) my prayers, are winging their way across the miles to you both! Yummy tag, gorgeous colours ... I do love gold with aqua! Missing you, mon amie ... big hugs & bisous, bisous, Anita :)

Neets B said...

Big get well wishes to your hubby, must be a very anxious time for you both but somehow you stay forever cheerful, you're one of a kind, Darnell!
As for your tag, how scrumptious, really classy and love the bling.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Anita x
Less is More

Kara Lynne said...

This tag is so lovely! That Blue and gold is a match made in heaven, and the button and sequins are perfect! Beautiful tag, Darnell, I've got to pin it! Thanks for joining in on the fun over at Tag, You're It!

Helen F. said...

You and Hammy make such a good team, Darnell. This tag is gorgeous! Sending more prayers your way for Kevin's recovery and feel-better days!

ionabunny said...

Love the gold teal combo. Sending positive vibes for the mister. Hugz

JD/ Jill said...

Pretty tag! Your posts are bringing back memories of my Jim being out of work for 12 weeks with a broken leg! (four weeks of not being able to walk on it! I think I have somewhat of an idea of what you are going through. (They were not our favorite days...smile!)

Shona Chambers said...

Its funny, I think I have Peanut M&M's where my brain cells used to be, explains why I do the nuttiest things sometimes!! How scary for you both to go thru all that. So glad all is clear and he can get back to healing. Vertigo is such a horrible thing to deal with at any stage but he certainly doesn't need it now. Six weeks to go!!! And your tag is so gorgeous, I love the gold with that shade of blue. Jingle those golden bells!!!

Marybeth said...

That it one scary update Darnell! I am so sorry this is not going better. My daughter gets vertigo and it just not good hopefully that will pass soon. Poor guy!
I absolutely love your take on Jeanne’s tag, the bells are gorgeous!

Jeanne J. said...

Hammy has good taste playing along at Tag! As if the rich gold bells weren't enough you gave us a gold second tag too?? SWOON! So elegant Darnell! Praying Kevin is back on track soon.

Erin (Homemade Cards by Erin) said...

Way to mix up the seasons and change the leaves to holidays! Thank you for joining us at Tag You're It Challenge.

Kim Heggins said...

So sweet...love that light blue paired with those fabulous gold bells, so beautiful!