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!

May 3, 2019

A Rose Bud and a Bunny in a Birch Tree

Hello Stamplings!

How are you? I hope you had a great week! It not only whooshed by, it brought May with it! Remember a time in the last century when May was way more sedentary and if she walked at all, it was more of a saunter? Then she joined the same gym March and April belong to (the one with the giant blow-up monkey in the sign) and the three of them now literally RACE through here like someone at the end of the year is giving away free stamps! It's too much! Slow down!

I've been really busy preparing for May company and travel, but I needed to participate in a coupla challenges.

Onefer
I hope you feel the intended quiet hush I envisioned when you look at this one-layer card. I watercolored an old rose bud stamp from a favorite company which is sadly out-of-business. The NBUS sediment is from the "Anemone" set by Flourishes. I used an e/f called "Stately" to provide an embossed frame.

The little guy wanted to help, of course, so he warmed up Stella and schparkled the bud and leaves.
Challenges
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Twofer
From serene to silly, here we have a 3D glittery bunny from a pack of baby stickers serenading us with his star castanets! He is lounging high up in a beautiful stand of stamped birch trees over an embossed birch background. The NBUS sediment is from "Full of Merriment" by Penny Black.

Yes, since you asked, he has just come from the office Christmas party. I know we've all been there, or at least I have, but fortunately it happened before the days of tweets and twitters, snappy chats, clap backs, and fanny packs. No, no, wait. Not fanny packs. Thank goodness they stayed back in the ol' days.

Challenges
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Aside: The Mister is beside himself to find out that E.L. James (author of Fifty Shades of Gray) has come out with a new novel called "The Mister." Also, will he get a cut of the profits?

~~~

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!

I also want to let all of you in the Midwest and Eastern Canadian know that I am thinking of you and praying for you with all the rain and devastating flooding that's happening there.

*Life is too short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrollingClick 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 a pop-up box opens. Click "Jump to Comment Form" and wallah, no more car pool tunnel! Mwah! (p.s. If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave me your email address so I can respond. Thank you!)

80 comments:

Janet a.k.a. swanlady21 said...

Beautiful rose and sentiment ... and so peaceful. I'm so sorry to see that Flourish Stamps no longer exist (I've been googling for a while and can't find them). And love the EF too.

Gerrina said...

So beautiful that serene rosebud and the text! Beautiful colours and perfect CAS.
And what a contrast your 2nd one! Love the stamped and embossed trees!
Hop the weekend gives you a feel of relax-time! Hugs, Gerrina

Marcia Hill said...

Your rosebud is BEAUTIFUL Darnell...love your coloring on it and really love the font of your sentiment too! And yes, the bunny in the tree totally gave me my morning chuckle...only you Darnell, only you!! Bahahaha!!! Absolutely adorable card though and the sentiment is perfect!! Have a great weekend my friend! Hugs. :0)

kiwimeskreations said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lisa said...

Wow, that rose looks so amazing, Darnell!! The colors are just gorgeous!! And ha!! I love the sparkly bunny with his castanets sitting in a tree!! It's so fun!! Totally agree with you about the months speeding by on a bullet train!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)

Lisa
A Mermaid's Crafts

kiwimeskreations said...

What an exquisite card your rosebud one is Darnell - and I am glad to hear you trusted Hammy to Wink it! He must have been behaving himself?
As for your twofer.... that brings back memories I would rather not remember, but oh how I smiled when I saw it!!
Blessings
Maxine

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

Two beautiful cards Darnell, I really love the gorgeous rosebud stamp that you've use on the top card and the great sentiment too.

Sue xx

sandie said...

I adore that frame on your first card-what a super touch.
And well your Time Out card sure is 'playful'. Works well with the embossed panel background and love he is popped up. Thanks for joining Time Out

Sue said...

Hi Darnell, Well your The Mister should most definitely get a share of the [profits:) LOL

Lovely cards.

Hope you have a fab Friday. Sue

Marilyn said...

Your rose card is so adorable and love the adorable bunny on our second card!
Have a great day!
Marilyn❤

HJ said...

Love the beautiful rose and the EF is perfect. The bunny is so cleverly in the birches. Yes, it's hard to believe one-third of this year is gone. How did that happen!! Enjoy your day!

Mary Anne / MA54K said...

You can wipe a tear and give giggles in the same post. Both are amazing cards.

Claire Broadwater said...

You always make me smile, Darnell! Love that little bunny hanging out in the birch trees! Embossed backgrounds always add so much texture! And, YES, I have been at that party in the past! So happy you joined my sketch challenge at The Paper Players this week! XX

LeAnne said...

LOL, I love your Christmas bunny up a tree...very cute! That CHristmas Kick Start challenge is a new one to me, I am thrilled that you shared it!! All your creations are always gems! Thanks for sharing this with us at the Paper Players this wekk!

ionabunny said...

Oh crap, that bunny is ckracking me up. He's a bit of a whoo!! after your serene rose but I absolutely love that he's perched up that tree waving those stars. Makes me think he might have had a dumbo moment. Thanks for joining the Chrismas Kickstart challenge and making my day that bit more bunnilicious. Hugz

Carol L said...

Ahh, what a wonderful rose, perfectly framed with scoring, and that hilarious bunny up in the tree - I needed a good chuckle, so thanks! Yes indeedy, the Mister should get a cut of those profits since they used his "name" in the title! Good luck with that :)

Em Louise Fairley said...

Great cards as always, Darnell xoxo

Sarah said...

Well, I nearly spat my stilton and broccolli soup out reading this post!! A bunny in a tree...whatever next? That would be just about right for an office Christmas party!! love his star castanets!! If the royalties come The Mister's way you can increase the size of the playhouse with the proceeds!! xx

Brenda in IN said...

The rose that you and Hammy did is lovely. That embossing folder is wonderful. It's a great way to frame so easy and gives dimension to the card. Then I had to laugh at the bunny in the tree. You always share so much informative information for us. I didn't realize bunnies could climb trees. They only run in my back yard but since I don't have a tree back there I didn't know that. His red star castanets are perfect for the office party. i bet he was a big hit. Enjoy your trip and please share pictures. Hugs.

desperatehousewifecraft said...

Beautiful rose and I love your 2nd card too. Here in Germany they "tanz in den Mai" meaning they dance into May, its a spin off from the May Pole tradition with bands playing all over at night, then om the 1st of May, everyone goes hiking...but with loads of alcohol!! Have a great weekend. Hugs, Gwendolyn

OH Babs said...

Your rosebud card is simply elegant. Off to the desert with the kiddoes - they will swim and I will stay indoors and watercolor. Have a good one. Barb

jimlynn said...

A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose......whatever.....but this one is beautiful!!! LOVE!!!! Love the fun card too but that rose takes the prize.
Lynn

conil said...

Ah, the single rose...perfect for your sympathy card and so beautifully colored. And, can we talk about the inebriated bunny...in a birch tree. So fun, and yes, it does remind me of a few office parties. I thank the good Lord every day that social media wasn't alive then.

Carole said...

You always make me smile Darnell and your monkey in the trees did just that! I do however love that rose, so suitable for all sorts of occasions. Over here the months seem to spend a lot of their time in the 'changing' rooms and 'showers!'..lol...but yes speeding past way to quickly. Hugs xx

designbydonna said...

Your rosebud card is truly calming. I could just feel the tension drain from my body. The bunny in the tree is a hoot.

Verna Angerhofer said...

Gorgeous rosebud design and I bet it really sparkles in real life. I love the simplicity of the card. And, the second one had me smiling. That bunny looks so laid back and enjoying his star castanets. LOL Thanks for brightening my day again!

Stamps and Paper said...

Two great cards Darnell your rosebud card is beautiful and your bunny card made me smile your posts always make me smile

Have a great weekend

Anne

HilaryJane said...

Love these cards. The embossed frame finishes off the rose bud card beautifully xx

Redanne said...

The rose is just gorgeous and Hammy certainly did a 'Stella-r' job with the winking. It is a beautiful sentiment too.

The bunny is just adorable, he really does look like he is having a great time at the party!

Oh, how wonderful for The Mister, I wonder if it is along the same lines as the others.... Hope you have a good weekend. Hugs, Annie xxx

Fikreta said...

these are so lovely cards!
hugs

Faith A at Daffodil Cards said...

OH! I'm in love with your first card, I love the frame, the rose, the sentiment and the sparkle - Everything. Your second card is such fun and I would never have thought of stamping and embossing together, I have SO much to learn.
Faith
PS Thank you for your visit. I am honoured.

Pat said...

The rose is gorgeous Darnell and love the way you have 'winked' it up, and the bunny up the tree and your little story as to why he might be there made me laugh no end. I am not even going to ask what a 'fanny pack' is..lol. x

Lisa Babitz said...

Your bunny card is adorable! And I love your rose card; that frame is perfect around your beautiful image.

Dotty Jo said...

Two very beautiful cards! Love them both, Darnell, but that bunny up a tree is brrrrrrrrrilliant! Thanks goodness I wasn't drinking a coffee at the time or else I'd have been mopping up again! Thanks so much for playing at The Christmas Kickstart Challenge, Jo x

Cat Craig said...

Your rose is lovingly stamped and it shines through in the beauty of this card, Darnell. YOur bunny is irreverent and hilarious. I love this one. Oh those holiday work parties. (shakes head) HOpe you enjoy your visitors and that your travels come off without a hitch. Hugs.

Sandra H said...

Simply gorgeous cards as always love the layouts l just love your bunny and the rose looks so realistic too enjoy your weekend x

Mia said...

Both cards are amazing, Darnell. I love your CAS rose card and the second one with the bunny is really funny. Kisses, my friend.

Kathleen said...

Well now you are really going to find out about The Misters other life and what he has been up to while you have been in the craft den with Hammy.
Sorry back to why I called in, two super cards and love that rose and the frame you have made. A really great tree and a cute fun image, the touch of red is brilliant.
Have a great weekend.

Kath x

Darlene said...

Oh Darnell both cards are just awesome but that rose card is AMAZING! LOVE the simple yet elegant appearance ... GREAT JOB! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Double D ‘Kentucky Derby Inspiration’ challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back often.

Darlene
DOUBLE D Challenge Blog
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS Please stop in for a visit!

Judy Woodland said...

Haha - LOVE your little commentary on our spring months. And oh, so TRUE. I don't suppose it has anything to do with aging, does it? I think your beautiful, simple rose is just stunning. I think I need to pin!!! Great take on the Mood Board, thanks so much for playing along with us over at the Double D Off to the Races Challenge. Hope we see you back again soon!!
Judy~ DD DT
{Judy's Happy Place} Stop by and see me!!!!

Christine Alexander said...

Beautiful Rose bud Darnell. And I hope you have your bags packed for the craft retreat. It's going to be a blast :)

Greta said...

The rose card is so gorgeous, Darnell! I just love that embossing folder--a lot easier than scoring--need to get that one! The bunny card is a kick! Hoping The Mister gets his cut--haha!

Bonnie said...

I love the simplicity and elegance of the single rose and the fonts in the sentiment are a perfect elegant match!

The bunny looks like he's really having fun celebrating! He does look full of merriment! Do you suppose he read the book about the Mister?

Leslie Miller said...

From pretty to funny, these are two stupendous cards with so much to love about them. I've always admired the embossing folder you used on your first card. It's very dignified and makes the perfect frame for your single rose on a OLC. Then I love your bunny in the birch tree so much I could just freak out! He's so cute! It's not just the bunny that grabs me, though. The very cool birch tree stamp is quite striking on white and double cool with the embossing. I just finished watching the national news. The weather east of us just goes from bad to worse. I'm so sorry for everyone affected by it.

Sharyn Polesel said...

Your onefer is quite lovely. The water colored rose is beautifully colored and I love the way you have framed it. Your funny little bunny is adorable! How did he get in that tree? Thanks so much for the beautiful birthday card. I love it! The sentiment font "from me to you" is so delicate. Enjoy your weekend! Hugs, Sharyn

Cheryl W. said...

Well, now--I may just have to get a copy of "The Mister." I am a long-standing member of a book club, and we're currently all suggesting titles to read during the coming year. I've now got "The Mister" on my list of suggestions. Great cards today. The rose is stunning and, yes, it's definitely serene. The pudgy bunny is a hoot. Would love to see him dance while playing those castanets.

TK said...

That rose is just stunning! So love your watercoloring, but I can't fathom how! That bunny? What can I say.... so adorable, and making himself quite at home in the birch!

Julie B said...

Your rose bud is so stylish and elegant Darnell. The bunny is such a cheeky character too.
Enjoy your visitors and hope you are off somewhere nice on your travels. :)

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Two wonderful inspirations, darnell!! Love the sweet and sparkling rose on your CAS card and that bunny on the birches really makes me smile, how cute and fun scene!! :)
Hugs!

Heidi MyLittleStampingBlog said...

Both cards are lovely, but the rose is timeless!

KandA said...

Wonderful rosebud card, so beautiful and elegant. And I love your glittery bunny, he looks like he's having so much fun perched up there in the trees. Hope you don't blink to often and miss what's left of May! xx

cuilliesocks said...

Beautiful rose card Darnell, and such a lovely sentiment. Your second card is such a fun one, super design.
Never read the book,or seen the film, might be the only woman on the planet there, have a lovely weekend, Kate x

Nora Noll said...

This is so cute!! I LOVE the simple rose sympathy card. So elegant!! The second card is DARLING with that little critter!! Have a FUN weekend!!

Linby said...

Such a beautiful and elegant card. Your second card is such fun, I like the way you used the EF with stamp it looks great.

Michelle W said...

Hi Darnell, stunning bud card and Stella has made an impressive appearance! Know what you mean about the days before tweets and twitters, aren't we lucky, haha. He looks like he had fun at the Christmas party. Thanks so much for joining us at Less is More.

nwilliams6 said...

Gorgeous rose! Pretty glittered up as well. The bunny is adorable! There should be a stamp like it - it is sooo cute. Great cards, Darnell. Mister should get a cut for sure! Hugz

Heather said...

Oooo . . . that rose card is so gorgeous!!! The water coloring looks stunning and that embossed frame is A-maz-ing!! It really sets off the rose and definitely makes it super elegant! And the bunny card is super cute. Thanks for playing with The House That Stamps Built.

Laurie Unger said...

Really like your onefer, beautiful one layer card and that border is awesome!!

Birgit said...

I love the simple card with just the rose and saying on it. It just shows what one can do to achieve calm which your card displays. Your second card is very funny with the bunny in the tree.

Izzy Scrap said...

Striking rose bud, Darnell ! Your watercoloring is amazing and I love the delicate shimmery on top of it. Gorgeous dry embossed frame too. You made me laugh with your bunny in the tree ! So fun. Thanks so much for sharing and for playing along at Less is More.

Donna said...

Fabulous cards Darnell, the rose card is elegant, I have that same rose, too beautiful to part with! Your second card is cute, like the dry embossing for an extra touch!

Bobby said...

I adore your rose card, Darnell. The sentiment is one I would love to have but can't find. The same is true with the Stately embossing folder. Why oh why is it discontinued?

That bunny is a hoot and a half. And so is the new novel about The Mister. Ooh la la. ;)

Nikki Spencer said...

Your sympathy card for Our Just Add Ink challenge is so elegantly beautiful Darnell. Thank you for joining us this week.

Linda said...

The stunning rose card is just beautiful ..... shame about the stamp company no longer being around.
Love the bunny in the tree too ..... so funny!!
Oooh err ..... a book about The Mister. If it's anything like the last ones .... well!!! x

Sue said...

Stunning rose card Darnell and love the cheeky bunny LOL huggles Sue x

Mac Mable said...

Yep May sure is going to the same gym as March and April x
What a classy and the most beautiful CAS rose card and very stately too and of course the best bit is Stella x Well done Hammy x
The glittery bunny on your second card sure looked like he had fun at the party and such a fabulous card Darnell x
Yay to the new book x

Pia S said...

Two completely different cards and I love them both! The first one is peaceful, serene and very stylish. The ef is now put on my wishlist. The bunny, too cute sitting high up in the tree. Great mix of stamped and embossed trees.

Chris said...

The rose card is beautiful, CAS and very elegant ...oh my goodness that bunny card is amazing...love it!!!
xx

Esther Asbury said...

Such a gorgeous rose card! I'm so happy you linked it up to the "One Layer" challenge over on The House That Stamps Built!

Ruth said...

I hate to think what that novel will contain..... your rose card is so beautifully simple. I adore all the added schparkle. I'm now humming the tune to that sentiment. We always sang it at Christenings and I always loved it from a young age as it contained the phrase 'the Lord lift up his countenance upon you' Who doesn't love the word 'countenance'? As for Mr Bunny. Tsk tsk. Been reading too many E L James.... xx

nancy littrell said...

Up and down emotions..Serene and Silliness..kind of like the world we live in, except your world is much more fun, Dolly. TFS your Serene rose card and your Silly rabbit up in a tree. I had no idea rabbits climbed trees or maybe yours is a magical rabbit? TFS and making me smile my friend. In 9 days we will be laughing and hugging IRL:-) Love and Hugs..Nancy

Lisa Elton said...

The bunny in the tree...I'm all smiles!! Two terrific cards Darnell!

Patrice said...

Divine - both cards, Darnell. Your rose bud is stunning, & that bunny in a tree - too cute! Thank you for joining the challenge fun at Just Add Ink. x

Chantell Randall said...

Lovely Sympathy Card Darnell. I really love the way the bud has been coloured. Great to see the simplicity of the one layer. Chantell Just Add Ink

Ros Crawford said...

What a splendid rose... So pretty and perfect. I tell you, I nearly peed my pants when I read about the bunny at the office party... What a fun and fabulous card. I also have to mention that I love your post... Always guaranteed a belly laugh!

Anita in France said...

What a beautiful winked single bud, Darnell ... so perfect with that lovely flourishy sentiment ... I always love to see that elegant frame! Adore the Christmas bunny ... most definitely playful and so fun! Novel ... hmmmm!! Thanks so much for playing along with us at Time Out! LYAMYLALMA ... BVAHT! Big hugs and bisous, Anita :)

Suzanne H said...

I think fanny packs are making a comeback. I've seen them out in the stores for summer. So you're bunny is right on trend! Both lovely cards.

Craftychris said...

Sparkly bunny up a tree! Love this my friend and its soooo you! Definitely made me smile lots. Love your gorgeous delicate rose card too. Yay! The Mister is famous at last! Hugs xxxxxx

Glittered Paws said...

Beautiful rose - your watercoloring is stunning and the sentiment is perfect. Thank you for entering our challenge this week over at The ouse that Stamps Built. Shirley H. DT

Nonni said...

Your shimmery rose is beautiful -I love the serene, calm look of this card! You are using my favorite embossing folder again! I still have the links you sent me for buying it but haven't been able to purchase it -the postage to Finland was insane. I hope to be able to grab it some day! Thanks for joining us at Less Is More!