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 22, 2016

Happy Mail and a Special Visit From Across the Pond

Greetings!

I hope you are well and your week is whooshing by in the best possible way.

Whatever else your day will be or has been, I am here to bring you a smile with some cyber Happy Mail in your cyber inbox! You don't even have to go outside and get rain drops on your glasses or be blinded by the sun, depending.

Heretis:
C'mon, so cute! When I decide to retire from making cards, I'm still going to make this card. That's how perfect this is for any occasion. I'm ashamed that I have already had this NBUS stamp of "Harry the Stuffie" bear from Stampingbella for (cough) months before using it.

The coloring was done with my Ziggie markers and aqua dulce. The NBUS sediment is from the same "Happy Mail" set. The cross-stitched frame border die is from Memory Box. The stamp was heat-embossed with Silhouette Black e/p and the glossy nose and heart were gussied up with my Modgepodge Dimensionals. 
Challenges:


~~~

Company!

I was super excited to have distinguished company from England visit us on Tuesday and Wednesday! It was none other than the Lady of Less is More, Christine Stokes! I had the pleasure of meeting Chrissie and her husband Phil on my recent trip to England and I was fortunate to be wined and dined at their home. Later, both Chrissie and I attended the Happy Little Stampers Retreat in Swindon.

Chrissie and Phil are now spending a few weeks in northern California and I was thrilled that the Playhouse was a stop on their tour!
Next time we will have to allow more time for actual crafting, but it was still a pleasure just to have Chrissie visit my little place. (And you'll notice that Cisco got in on the action, too!)

Even the husbands enjoyed themselves! Here we are following dinner out:
Phil Stokes, me, Chrissie Stokes, and the Mister (Kevin)
You can see that we all got along so well, we swapped spouses! I'm kidding. Settle down. Thank you Chrissie and Phil for a very fun visit! Safe travels to you as you journey onward!

~~~

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!

*Life is too short!

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89 comments:

Gerrina said...

Such a sweet and really allways usuable card! And think you had great fun with Chrissie and her dh! Good that you saw eachother already three times this year! Hugs, Gerrina

sandie said...

This little cuddly her is a delight. I adore his little glossy nose and heart! How exciting to have Chrissie come to play, looks like you had a lot of fun. Thanks for joining Ink

Sue said...

Hi Darnell, Glad you got as visit from Chrissie and her hubby.

Loving the cards.

Hope you have a nice day. Sue

brenda said...

It's a really super image and all so beautifully designed Darnell.

B x

cuilliesocks said...

Lovely card, I love the image and your design. Super photos and how lovely to meet up again on your turf. I always think how marvellous it is making blog friends, but to get to actually meet them is fantastic, Kate x

kiwimeskreations said...

Love that card Darnell - so glad you inked up the stamp!! And thanks for not making me go outside in the rain and the dark to get the happy mail :-).
Lovely to see you were able to enjoy Chrissie's company again - albeit briefly.
Blessings
Maxine

Valerija said...

This is so cute! Love the image.
Valerija xx

Marilyn said...

Cute card!! Love the image! How nice of Chrissie and her husband stop by for a visit with you!

bolletjelucky.blogspot.com said...

What a sweet looking card Darnell. Love the way you've coloured that cute image.
Greetings Miranda

Pat said...

I love your cute and beautifully coloured bear Darnell sitting on that pretty cross stitched mat, and it would certainly be happy mail to receive this card. How great to have Chrissie drop by for a visit to the playhouse on her trip to California and looks like you had an enjoyable time together and love the photos. x

Sheila H said...

What a cute card, Darnell. I like how you heat embossed the bear before coloring it. This is definitely happy mail!

Jeanne said...

Oh my gosh, that card makes me smile. Such a cutie patootie bear, colored wonderfully. I really like the happy mail sentiments that have come out recently. Who wouldn't smile after receiving this great card? So happy for you that your friends stayed with you on their visit to the US. Fun times, for sure. Great looking couples!! Thanks for sharing! Hugs! :)

Barb said...

He's an adorable little bear Darnell and it's a sweet card. Lovely photos of you and Chrissie and the hubbies too. Barbxx

Heidi MyLittleStampingBlog said...

That little pup is just adorable! And so much fun that you got to spend time with your crafting friend!

Carole said...

Lovely card Darnell and as you say suitable for any occasion! Now did I hear you say 'when I retire from card making' !! Wash your mouth out lady....that is one thing you are not allowed to retire from!! lol

Brenda in IN said...

Great pictures of all of you and I'm so happy you all had a nice visit. Even Cisco got in on the action! This is such a sweet card and brought a smile to my face. Especially since I didn't have to even walk to the mailbox. Happy mail is such a treat! Rest up so you can go again!

Nan G said...

Good thing I was sitting down or I'd of fainted upon reading "darnell retired from card making!"!! The room spun, eyes blurred, breath...breathe! Whew! Once vision had cleared and the room stood still, I could reread and discover you have not retired...breathe. I then was able to see the adorable happy mail card and read about a lovely visitor from the UK. Lesson learnt - one must be wide awake and pay attention when reading Darnell's blog! Have a wonderful day! Hugs

Ruth said...

Such a cute card! He looks so terribly pensive with his letter, like he's looking for a hug. How nice to get a visit back so soon - and lucky lady getting to visit your Playhouse. Xx

Anonymous said...

Awww...a cute card and beautifully made. I've got that stamp in a drawer somewhere and have only used it once so time to get it out again. Looks like you had a great time with your visitor from the UK. Did you sample all of those wines on the board behind you in the photo?!! x

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

A gorgeous card Darnell, a great one to send for so many occasions. How nice to have visitors.

Sue xx

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Adorable image, this critter is so lovely with his dimensional nose and the sparkling outlines! Fab cross-stitched frame border, too!

Craftychris said...

That is the cutest card ever! I just adore it! I am so glad you and Kevin had such a lovely time with Chrissie and Phil, it's a fab photo of the four of you! xxx

Redanne said...

Oh that bear is just SO adorable and you have coloured him so beautifully too. Such a lovely card!

How lovely that Chrissie and Phil were able to visit you and Kevin and it is always lovely to see photos of the adorable Cisco too! Hugs, Annie xxx

conil said...

That bear could charm the birds out of the trees. What an adorable image...and so perfectly brought to life with you coloring. Lovely that Christine and her spouse could spend time with you and the Mr. I'm sure you had a fantastic time. Did you talk about cardmaking (she said, as if she didn't know)?

Becca Cruger said...

I just want to run my hand over that adorable puppy dog's fur! Tooo cute! And I'm super jealous about your visitor!

TK said...

Holy Moly, that little guys is cute! Just love his tenderly, soft belly! Great card, and I can see why you'd make it again! Congrats on the visit, what a wonderful surprise to actually meet people you know on-line!

Krisha said...

THAT is the most ADOREABLE card Darnell!!!
Retire from stamping????? You were jesting, were you not???

Jenny L said...

Hi Darnell,
super card and such a very sweet stamped image.
So wonderful to see you haveing a fab time with your visitors from the UK.
Love and big hugs from my house to yours.
Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

Jean said...

Cute card! Such a fun visit!

Sharron said...

What an adorable, very huggable card! Love the sweet bear! I can see why you consider it so great for many occasions. Glad you were able to enjoy more time with a wonderful stamping friend!!

Linda said...

What a cute little card .... and what a lovely photo xx

JoAnn said...

Love your adorable card with that cute image.
Thanks for sharing the pics of your awesome visitors from across the pond.

Julia Dunnit said...

And then when you retire from making cards, I'll buy the stamp set and that cute bird and continue your tradition! So cute.

Cat Craig said...

How fun to have the get together with Chrissy! And you are right, when you retire from cardmaking, this one is a keeper. Or just make 45000 of them before hand and mail a few every week.

Loll said...

This is THE most perfect card and happy mail, Dolly!! LOVE that sweetie ... he's adorable and your colouring is perfection. He brings a smile and happy thoughts wherever he goes. :)

How exciting to have a visit from Chrissie and hubby. Looks like you had a great time ... and the misters look happy too. xx

Sybrina K said...

Darnell, How fun to reconnect with trip friends! And this little card.... it's CAS perfection... just adorable!

Patti said...

Darling card Darnell but don't ever try to scare us that you would ever consider retiring from cardmaking! : )

What a wonderful community of papercrafters that shrinks the world so sweetly!! So glad you got to play hostess with the mostess!!

Patti

Sharon Underwood said...

Thank you for the Happy Mail! That little bear is so sweet, and I love how he's holding the envelope. I appreciate you putting this in the Inbox, as it IS raining today & I would've gotten wet! Not that I don't love snail mail...So glad you got to meet up with your friend & switch husbands!

Verna Angerhofer said...

That card is so cute with that darling image and I love how you colored it too. And, enjoy your visitor...have fun ladies!

oldpunca said...

Super cute motif. :-) Nice CAS card.
And what a wonderful visitors! :-)))
Hugs, Sonja

Jenni's Jems said...

Wow this is such a cute wee fellow I love his shiny nose !and how nice thst you were able to meet up with Chrissie. ...I would love to meet up with blogging friends in America -just have to win the lottery first!:) x

Jenni's Jems said...

Wow this is such a cute wee fellow I love his shiny nose !and how nice thst you were able to meet up with Chrissie. ...I would love to meet up with blogging friends in America -just have to win the lottery first!:) x

Bunny said...

Oh, I do love teddy bears and this one has character. Love the card.

Susan said...

Adorable card!! And I love the fact that we stampers are able to make friends through our craft!! You've done amazingly well at that. Me, not so many people - but thrilled to have become great real life friends with Loll and Christine (calex on SCS), and good on-line friends with Bonnie Klass and Nancy Littrell.

Princess Judy Palmer said...

What a sweet teddy bear card. He looks almost plush like you could feel fur if you pet him (but I dasn't dare, I'd get a smudge on him for sure). How fun to get crafty company even if you didn't get to craft. I'm not so sure about the spouse swapping though... what if you didn't want to swap back? ;-)

Susanne Vargas said...

That is the most adorable bear stamp on earth! So very, very sweet! Love how you colored him, too!

Lisa Elton said...

This is a perfectly sweet little image and worthy of being used in your retirement!! How FUN to get a visit from across the pond!! Cute photos ;)

Cheryl W. said...

Your happy mail card is definitely a keeper...but don't actually keep it. Send it to someone and make another. It's so cute!! Loved seeing the photos of you and Chrissie. What fun!

Chrissie said...

I'm going to have to get that cute bear stamp and those cross stitched dies too... It's such a fab card Darnell...and I saw it for real too!
It was wonderful to meet up with you again!
Here's to the next time!
Chrissie xxx

alexandra s.m. said...

Your card is absolutely darling Darnell and your coloring is sensational!
I feel the same about these types of cards. If anything, I would still enjoy making these ;)
So glad you could see your Friend again!
You all look so happy!
Hugs~

Tanja said...

love the adorable little dog - so cute

maria f. said...

Why do I always have so much to say before I even get to the card. Today I start with the card. On which your coloring is outta this world amazing. The fur! The tiny hint of blue on the envie. You go, girl. Must admit though it was Cisco. When I saw your card I thought, see, the Havi takes such center stage that she's now making dog cards! And then who photo bombs your shot with Chrissie? Yep. And now back to your first spot-on-sentence... "raindrops on your glasses". Maybe my hugest pet peeve ever. K, I'm done. Happy weekend.

Kate said...

Yes he is cute and perfect for any occasion, but don't you dare retire from making cards. How fun to meet up with Chrissie!!!

Sandra H said...

This is so beautiful as always your creations are stunning and well thought out l love the image and the cross stitched edges makes the image stand out so well, hope you had lots of fun with Chrissis enjoy your day take care xx

Ros Crawford said...

What a fabulous card this is!! I love that image! And how wonderful that you were able to catch up with Chrissie again ... You all look so good on those photos!

Di said...

Wonderful card and how fabulous that the lovely Chrisie came to visit you! Gorgeous photos of you - including Cisco! I'm very envious indeed!

Hugs

Di xx

*Vicki* said...

Hey Darnell! Yes, I agree, you can't get any cuter than this pup!! Love that you've embossed him and colored him in so that it looks like I want to just pick him up and give him a big old squeeze!! :)

What a very happy time to meet up with a fellow blog friend! I bet you had all kinds of fun times with her!! Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend my NBUS friend!!

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous card. I hope when you retire from card making (a long time from now) you still write a blog! Love reading your adventures and your real life meets with other bloggy friends :) Have a fab weekend.

Geri said...

WOW! WOW! WOW! Your coloring is awesome! At first glance, I was sure this cute little critter was a sticker! Love thE glossy nose and the "x" border. Gotta say it again...your coloring ROCKS!!!

How nice that you were able to return the favor and host Chrissie and Phil for a visit!

Love Cicso's photo bombing mission!

Sarah said...

This us just sooooo cute!! Love how you have made him so very fluffy!! Lovely snaps of you all xx

Em Louise Fairley said...

Such cute card, Darnell. Great that you got to host Chrissie too.
Hugs,
Em xxx

Nonni said...

I agree, this card is perfect i all it's cuteness! Great image and wonderful Zig-coloring, I really like the embossing + the clean layout of this card. Thanks for joining us at Inkspirational!

Sue - said...

That is such a cute card Darnell, love it! How lovely that Chrissie has crossed the pond and visited you now! Great photos!

Joyce said...

Such an adorable card. Love that cute little dog. And, how fun to have a visit from stamping friends from so far away.

Jen W. said...

Oh my gosh, Harry the Stuffie is quite possibly the cutest bear EVER! I just want to squish his little belly! This card would make anyone's day. :)

Greta said...

How fun to visit Chrissie & then have her visit you all within such a short time! Totally adorable card--love how you colored that sweet bear & happy mail is on it's way to you today--I didn't forget!

Shona Chambers said...

How fabulous to be meeting up with Chrissy again and have her visit your little Playhouse. Bet she fell in love with too! Would be so nice to meet all these friends face to face. Your little bear is so cute and can see why you love him so much. Always happy to see you at ATSM!!

Linby said...

Another fab card, the red really sets off the CAS image. How wonderful to meet up so soon with Chrissie.

KT Fit Kitty said...

Very, very cute! Happy mail indeed! And how lovely to have a crafty visitor - I enjoyed the photos very much! Always a pleasure to stop here!

Pia Larsen said...

Awww and ohhhh.....this is an absolute cutie, Darnell!
Thank you for joining us at Inkspirational Challenges for our Photo Inkspiration challenge. Hope you will join us again :)
Pia xx

Karren said...

What an adorable image and a fabulous card!

Stamps and Paper said...

A really sweet card Darnell and how lovely to have Chrissie to visit you I bet your visit to the UK seems a long time ago now///

Anne

Anita in France said...

Your little bear is adorable, Darnell ... that colouring is fantastic ... seems I could just caress that fluffy fur ... and he's holding just the sweetest sweetheart envelope! How wonderful that Chrissie got to visit and enjoy the haven of peace and fun that is the Playhouse ... such gorgeous photo's! LYAMYJFALLMASYVVS! Hugs & bisous, Anita :)

Pia S said...

Super coloring and ultra cute CAS design! An image perfect for any occasion...

KandA said...

Hi Darnell, just whoooshing by to say a quick hello before I have my last week of cuddles. Love your fabulous card and that is a really super cute image. Glad you had such a lovely time with Chrissie and both Misters xx

Bobby said...

I can see why you love that bear. He's darling. So nice that Chrissie and husband visited you while they were in the states. It's never long enough is it?

MRS DUCK said...

Hi Darnell
Awww, lovely cute image, beautifully coloured.......retire from card making? You? Never!!!
How fab to get a reciprocal visit from the UK and what a lucky gal to see The Playhouse.
Best wishes.
Ang x

lilian said...

Hello Darnell,

What a super teddy, and a great card,

Thank you for your visit to my blog and your lovely comment

lilian

Kreative Kymona said...

Hey Darnell!! Super great card! I love the stitched frame border. Great coloring. Thank you so much for playing with us this week at CASology.

Hannelie said...

How lucky can you be! Thanks for making us jealous LOL!
I LOVE your card for the CASology cue this week Darnell... your coloring looks amazing on this cute guy!
Thanks for joining CASology!

Lisa Lara said...

Super cute little card Darnell!

Peanut said...

Seriously, Darnel! What an adorable card! Thanks for joining us at ATSM.
x Asha

Ksenija @Sweet Kobylkin said...

Darnell, this is an absolutely adorable card! Love your colouring and small details you added. Thank you so much for sharing your card at Addicted to CAS challenge. - Sweet Kobylkin

Cornelia (fun stamping) said...

Oh, you just wanna cuddle with that cute little Teddy! How much fun to have Chrissie visiting! Looks like you gals had a blast together!

Nora Noll said...

Oh how fun that you had company from England!! I was in Northern California this summer and I should have stopped by!! LOVE this card you created. That image is super sweet. I think I need to practice with my Ziggies some more because I am loving how you used them!

Татьяна Квардакова said...

Super cute and happy card! Awesome!

Bhavana said...

Adorable card. Thanks for joining us at ATCAS!!

Greta said...

Congrats on the Top Pick at Inkspirational!

Kajcyika said...

Congrats on TOP pick at inkspirational! :) Thank you for becoming my follower, I also have joined yours. Your cards are amazing and this little bear is such a cutie! :)