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!

October 30, 2012

DD #26 Mono Chrome Manic; Mojo Monday #265; Pixie's Crafty Snipperts #44

Best Wishes
 
First of all, I have to say that my thoughts and prayers are with everyone up and down the eastern coast of the United States and inland as far as the Great Lakes who have been devastated by this terrible storm.  I hope the waters recede, the power is restored, and the cleanup and restoration happens quickly and smoothly for you.
 
Happy Halloween
 
It won't be Halloween here until tomorrow, but tomorrow is WOYWW in Blogland and tomorrow I will show you my costume I'm wearing to work, so today we have the last of my Halloween cards for 2012.
 
We all have our favorite challenges and you know I have mine and that several of them just happen to be newish challenges.  So it became (or did for me) another sort of challenge to make sure I didn't miss a week.  Well, baboons and bladders, I did miss a few, but it's fun to be back today with three faves.
 
First, this week's Dynamic Duos Color Challenge #26, features "More Mustard" and "So Saffron."  (You know it's hard for me not to make a hot dog card every time the mustard color is used in a challenge!)
 
 
Second, this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #265, gives you the choice:  do you want to be a circle or a square.  Up to you!
 
 
Third, this is week 44 over at Di's Pixie's Crafty Workshop and since I used scraps and snipperts and This N. That, I get to play in the playground!
 
In honor of Halloween, which is not my favorite holiday, I made one last set of cards.  I made them because I received the Memory Box spider die (die, spider, die!) as a gift, and I couldn't let the only time of year I would use it pass by without using it.  You know?
 
So here is a circulating Halloween spider card for MM:
 
 
 
And since I hate to waste the negative, here is a card for DD:
 
 
~~~
 
Before you get back to making last minute touches on your costume and baking eyeballs for treats, let me introduce you to two new friends!  Please welcome Tilly of Tilly's Crafty Corner and Ginny C, who seems to have a blog profile, but no blog.  Is that right, Ginny?  We are happy to have you, either way.  My thanks to both of you!!
 
End of card talk.  TFL!  Mwah!  Stay high and dry.
 
 
~~~
 
A Mystery Sol Ved
 
First of all, this has been the sappiest Fall we have ever experienced in our 36 years on this street.  We have a beautiful huge maple tree in the front yard, as do all the houses on this street, which makes for a stunning long view in the colored Fall and in the brilliant greens of Spring.  All up and down the street this year, however, the houses, plants, sidewalks and cars (oh, the cars are a wretched mess!) are constantly covered in an ununusally heavy layer of maple sap. 
 
A couple of weeks ago, funny new bugs began to appear all over the front of the house and the door to the garage.  Given the sap, Mister and I determined they must be some kind of Sap-Suckers.  (We pride ourselves on our incredible ability to come up with unique bug names.)

Here they are on the wall of the garage.  There used to be dozens more.


They are tiny, which is good, because they aren't actually very cute bugs.  They don't fly, we have no idea how they suddenly just "appeared" overnight, and they move really slowly, if at all.  The only notable thing about them is that they are orange and black which happens to be Halloween colors.

 
 
So on Sunday, while I was at work, Mister and DS and the twins went on a Guys' Adventure, visiting a train museum, eating lunch at a restaurant that has gross big game animal heads mounted on the walls (from the early 1900s when, unbelievably, such things were all the rage), and taking a train, trolly, and ferry ride!
 
 
 
 
Henry, Dan, Adam

Are you still with me? 
 
Back to the bugs, when they returned to our house Sunday afternoon, Papa (Mister) stopped to show the twins the bugs on the house/garage door that were feasting on the maple tree sap.
 
"Aren't they strange?" asked Papa.
 
Adam shrugged his shoulders and said, matter-of-factly, "They're ladybug larvae."
 
 
Okay, yeah, whatever, Adam.  Like a 7-year-old is even going to know that or know the word "larvae" for that matter, which the Mister and I figured we heard for the first time maybe in 8th grade.  
 
But curious, Mister decided to look it up and he found this ladybug web site.  Needless to say, we were dazzlepated to find out the little twin was absolutely right!
 
I took a few more pictures today that actually show the process happening.
 
 

 
Carcusi on the sidewalk.

It's cool, huh?  We still don't know why we've never seen this happen before, but it's been a strange weather year everywhere, with resulting new discoveries.  Have you noticed oddities around your place? I mean besides your Uncle Jethbert.
 

 
One found its way onto the center of my spectacular flowering Camellia.
 
~~~
 
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:  PTI white; unknown black
  handmade mulberry paper; SU more
  mustard and so saffron
Stamp:  SU, unknown set
Ink:  PTI true black
Die:  Memory Box; Circle and
  Scalloped Circle Nesties

 

20 comments:

Dangina Martinez said...

That round card is just gorgeous! Love your take on the sketch.
Hugs, Dangina #70

Suze Bain said...

Well I never, I've never seen a ladybird larvae, what clever little grand kiddies you've got. Great halloween cards, that's a super spider die. xx

Bonnie said...

I like paper spiders since they don't do much moving! Cut Halloween cards. Very interesting about the ladybugs. I didn't know they started out like that. What would we do without the kids?

MaryH said...

Well, this post I only got a chuckle, some new words, but a bit of science info along with the really cute card. THANKS! Loved both your cards. Have this die, couldn't locate it when I was being creative. Nearly bought it once again, but checked my spreadsheet first to see did I really have it. Yep, got it listed (the smaller one) - now where it be? Great use of the negative section. Your Mr. will enjoy it. Congrats on having some smart kids...I think they are smarter now than our generation at this age!! :-)

Lisa Elton said...

Great way to use the negative for your fun card! Thanks for playing along at Dynamic Duos!

Interesting lady bug discovery too ;)

Tracey McNeely said...

Fabulous cards Darnell, they are both so unique! Thank you for the lesson on ladybug larvae. Makes sense and isn't in fantastic what kids know these days so much younger. They are sponges and retain it all too!

Ardyth said...

Love that the spider is equally effective in black and white - love both of these cards for their graphic feel!

Ardyth said...

PS - can't wait to see your costume. I'm going as a witch. Just the usual, my kids would tell you! lol!

Anonymous said...

Hi Darnell ... thank you for your comments! These cards are great, love that you used the negative for a different look ... he seems more grim and scary even than googly eyes, who looks almost friendly! The bugs ... most creatures have babies that are much cuter when they're little than when they're adult ... wonder why it's the other way round with ladybirds?? Something to think on! Anita

scrappymo! said...

Great idea to get the 2 cards made and use both parts of the die cut image.

Thanks for the cience lesson...I would never have know that!!! I will share it with Little Miss C as she loves science and has a science book to write about really intereting scientific things! It is her favourite notembook!

Sarn said...

Hee hee . . . besides my Uncle Jethbert? NO!

But I do know a ladybird (UK word for your ladybugs) larvae when I see one. Had loads of the little critters on my Runner Beans. You would NEVER think that THAT bug would turn into a ladybird in a million years would you? I'm in my mid 40's but only discovered this for myself a couple of years ago, so well done to your Twink. xxx

Di said...

SUPER cards Darnell! I learned something new today and I'm a little bit older than Sandra :) Ladybug hunting next Summer :))
Hugs, Di xx

Allisa said...

I will take ladybugs over spiders anyday! Your googlie eyed spider is pretty cute though! Thanks for playing with us at Dynamic Duos!

kingstonmama said...

I love your spider cards, especially the one using the negative die cut! Fabulous pictures, too, of the ladybugs and that amazing camellia. ann

Marybeth said...

Fun post about the ladybug larva learned something new. Love your cards with the black widow die,great way to use the colors . Love what you did with the negiative. Thanks for sharing Darnell.

Kim S said...

No oddities around my place - except perhaps the hubby and maybe the teenager and most definitely the tween. My kids used to watch the show Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader and hubby and I were NEVER smarter. We think we learned and promptly forgot everything in elementary school - perhaps we all did learn about ladybug larvae??!!

Love the spider with the colors!!

Anni said...

Both cards are amazing! Love the positive and the negative die cut!
So glad you joined the fun over at Dynamic Duos!
Anni

Anonymous said...

Cute, cute cards and I like that you used up the offal too! Ladybug larvae, I could have told you that! They have a voracious appetite for pests like greenfly, so are fantastic in the organic garden. They do bite though, so don't try to move them to a plant with lots of dinner waiting unless you're wearing gloves! Ask me how I know!

Hugs
Brenda

Michelle said...

OMG, Darnell, where have I been this week? You've been firing off awesome posts all week! I love your spider cards, they're fantastic.

I NEVER knew that ladybugs HAD larvae. I just imagined they appeared fully-formed as bugs! Your twink is a clever little guy! I'm off to check out that lady-bug website!

Mrs A. said...

Love your spooky wooky spider and those pics of the labybugs are fantastic to have caught them emerging. Hugs Mrs A.