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!

July 7, 2012

FMS #42 ~ CFC #60 ~ DD #10

Happy Saturday!

A mojo miracle happens to all of us once in a while where you get a brain thaw (opposite of freeze, right?) and inspiration flows and the papers line up and the ink doesn't smear and the adhesive doesn't bunch up its panties and in 15 minutes or less, you have a card you actually really like.  It's like sky-diving!  Well, not that I would know.  That's not a very good analogy because I'm trying to describe something more along the lines of organic (or a word like that) and I think sky-diving would provoke more of a feeling of terror.

The three-challenge details are:

Freshly Made Sketches challenge #42 by the incredible Jennifer T.:

CAS-ual Fridays challenge #60, which is to use "text in your clean and simple design."

and

Dynamic Duos #10 ~ Bold and Sassy Colors, which this week are:


My triple-treat creation is:


My layers are a little fatter (I beg your pardon?) than the inspiration sketch, but I love that script text and wanted to show more of it.  I hope you check out the challenges and join in!

~~~

I forgot to show you something really decadent the other day when I mentioned brownies.  Check out this brownie pan:


Have you seen these, have one?  It's designed so that every single brownie has at least two edges!  (I need to make a "Why Didn't I Think Of That" board on my Pinterest and pin this.) I'm not a paid whatchacallit, but I'm spreading the brownie-batter word near and far.  This is genius, unless you happen to only like the middle brownies out of a pan of brownies.  That's just wrong. 

Also wrong is the Mister's constant whining about how the brownies are all gone.  And how quickly I jumped up and wrote "brownie mix (6)" on the grocery list.  I mean for baking when the twins are here, of course.  Right.  Uh-huh.

When I made them for the 4th, I used a store brand brownie mix, sprayed a little non-stick spray, and the pan cleaned up like a dream.  Bakes like a dream, too, with no overdone outside pieces and/or underdone inside pieces.  It's called "Baker's Edge" and Mrs. Google can help you find one.  It's not cheap, but it's worth it.

One more thing.  You know how you can pay more and get boxed brownie mix with Hershey's syrup in it?  Well, I thought, why can't I just add my own from the bottle in my fridge?  A bottle is always in my fridge.  It's on the government's approved list of "necessary staples" to keep on hand in the event of a new clear disaster.  So I added a little less oil and a couple of glops of syrup and . . . winner!  Sorry, Betty Crocker, but I love trumping multi-billion dollar corporations. 

Enjoy!  As always, thank you for stopping by to visit.  Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Paper:  SU rich razzleberry, old olive,
  and vanilla, all textured
Stamp:  Hero Arts Manuscript Background
  H2141
Ink:  SU old olive
Ribbon:  SU rich razzleberry
Unknown embellie - K&Co?

29 comments:

Mandi said...

What a darling card!
Super colours. I rather fancy taking part in the DD this week
I've never tried a brownie, but, am guessing they're all about the edges?

Have a good day
M

Linda Suarez said...

Hi Darnell! Great take on the sketch! Thanks for playing with us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Redanne said...

Love the card Darnell, that script stamp is lovely. Brownies - yum - love that pan, I wish I had thought of that idea too! A x

scrappymo! said...

I agree, that script stamp is really lovely! Great card.

Carol L said...

You did a great job combining 3 challenges into one fabulous card! I love the script background too!

Victoria said...

I did wonder why you were mentioning double Ds in your blog post title?!

Great card, Darnell, but it is seriously overshadowed today by that amazing brownie tin. I love making brownies but I make them from scratch. I have a winner of a recipe that I was given a few months ago.... gooey deliciousness!

Kara Lynne said...

Three in one and under 15 minutes! You shall be crowned queen of cards today! That text is beautiful and so is the little framed image. I'll have to show this pan to my husband, he will definitely want it!

Di said...

Great card, and I love that Brownie pan Darnell. Laughed here at you trumping Betty Crocker :) Well done. Di xx

Laurie said...

Gorgeous card Darnell! I love the use of text! So glad you played along with us at CAS-ual Fridays!

PS...thanks for the sweet comment on my blog...and brownies? Yes please! :)

Karen M said...

Gorgeous card - love the colours you have used! I just love brownies and I have never seen a pan like that - how cool:) Hugs x x

Jen Brum said...

What a great card Darnell! Love those colours! Can't wait to try my hand at that challenge! That little frame is so sweet! Thanks for joining us this week at Freshly Made Sketches! Now I want brownies!!!!

Virginia L. said...

Love the use of text background with your window design! Beautifully done! I also love the added ribbons! Like you, I always like to make my own treats rather than getting store-bought! GREAT minds think alike :) Thanks for playing CAS-ual Fridays with us!

Marybeth said...

Lol. Beautiful card and I love the text background! How fun to have a card come together so fast and then still turn out so nice. Great job Darnell ! The brownie pan and your own recipe sounds like win win!

Kim Heggins said...

Beautiful card...and those colors just seem to go so well together. Sorry to say that brownie pan would never make it in my house, my husband and daughter only like the middles...I don't like any, not a chocolate person. I wanted to thank you too for all of your sweet comments on my blog, also the red walls are in my Disney themed craft room, you can never go wrong with walls that are part red, black and yellow.

Shoshi said...

Well, Darnell, you have to be in Blogland to learn the most amazing things lol!! What will they come up with next? I've never seen a baking tin like that before! Do you really get a nice crusty edge on each piece with that? Such a clever idea! It makes you wonder about people though, and how on earth their minds work. Do you think the person thought of it while soaking in the bath, or while sleeping... Ha ha! or perhaps they got fed up with their kids (or hubby) constantly complaining about middle pieces?

Glad you had fun on 4th July.

Nice card too!

Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog - glad you like my tags. My new Perfect Pearls are a dream - love the ones that change colour as you look at them!

Shoshi

Tui Nathan said...

Love your take on our sketch this week ... great card!
Thanks for joining us at Freshly Made Sketches!!!

Ardyth said...

3 challenges in one card AND two-edged brownies?! All in one day? You amaze me! lol! Seriously, that is a gorgeous card - that little embellishment/sentiment is so cool!

Cindy Hall said...

Really pretty card. Love the colors! Thanks for sharing with us at Freshly Made Sketches this week!

shirley-bee said...

Love how you've combined the challenges, Darnell, and it's a beautiful card. I love the colour combination (my DD card is still under construction - a glass of Pimms has distracted me... Good thing there are no brownies to distract me even more!)

Bonnie said...

You've done the DDs & FMS's proud, Darnell! I like the looks of that brownie pan! What a great idea! It'd cut the fighting for the edges in half. I usually ask DD if she wants some and give her the center pieces. Sneaky, huh!

Lisa Elton said...

Lovely card Darnell, your little framed image is sweet! Thanks for playing along with us at Dynamic Duos and for the great brownie tip. Take that Betty Crocker!!

Jean said...

What a great take on all three challenges!

Allisa said...

Love the script background! I have been toying with the idea of one of those brownie pans....holding off, cause at the moment, I only eat the corner brownies....with that pan I might eat the whole pan of brownies! Thanks for playing with us at Freshly Made Sketches!

kingstonmama said...

This is lovely. Such pretty colors. I love the text background and the ribbon. The focal point is lovely, too.

I've seen those brownie pans before but never tried them. I'm not particular about the edge or the middle. I take my brownies any way I can get them! :)

Susan Joyce said...

Love your little window with the cute image Darnell. Thanks for Playing at Dynamic Duos this week.

Jenny said...

Super card Darnell, those colours are magic together and I love the little popped up frame :0)
The brownie pan is genius, never baked them but I can see why that tin is perfect :0)
Thanks for linking up to CASual Fridays :0)
Jenny x

Suzanne said...

What a great window design, Darnell! I love the vintage image in the window. So pretty. And thanks for the thoughts on the pan - I've always wondered about those! I love brownies! Thanks for playing along at CAS-ual Fridays!

Jen W. said...

Love the sweet little frame on your card and that text is really gorgeous.

Definitely going to look for this brownie pan. What a genius idea!! Another winner I've discovered... get devils food cake mix and add a can of pumpkin to it (don't add the eggs or oil or anything else). The consistency is halfway between cake and brownie and is divine!

Anonymous said...

Sweet card! Love the color combo and the framed image :) Thanks for playing this week at CAS-ual Fridays!