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!

January 19, 2023

My ♥ Is a Flutter

Hello Stamplings!

How are you? We have sunshine! Everyone's disposition is going to soar after 22 days of rain and clouds! I hope Mother Nature is being kind to you, wherever you are!

Today I've got a coupla clean and simple cards.

Onefer
I've used a color challenge to inspire my Valentine. The image is called, "Bundle Girl with Falling Hearts" and it's by Stampingbella. The sediment is unmarked, but looks to be Paper Smooches. It doesn't show, but Hammy got to deploy one of his new winkers. After the coloring and winking, I ran the panel through my Gemini using the SU "Subtle" e/f. 

I know it looks like I've given her lilac hair, but the stamp package shows she has on a stocking cap to go along with her mittens and boots. It can be very cold in some parts on Valentine's Day, but a little cold never stopped romance. In fact, last Monday the Mister and I celebrated 52 years of wedded romance!🍻

Challenges

Twofer
Today's uber CAS Christmas card features a NBUS stencil from Tim Holtz called "Stampers Anonymous Woodland Stencil." I blended the ink through the stencil and then Hammy added SU Shimmery Crystal Effects to look like snow. It looks schparkly in person.

Challenges

~~~

I thought I'd share this quote as we start a new year. I'm an optimist and positive by nature, but sometimes the happenings in the world cause a lot of worry, which is stressful, which is not good. So, next to the Serenity Prayer, I love this.
Corrie Ten Boom
~~~

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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53 comments:

Cathy said...

Your valentine's card is adorable Darnell, what a sweet image and congrats on your milestone of an anniversary :) I love the effect of the sprinkles on those trees, they look beautiful, as is that quote. I need to find that and print it out as I am a worrier...have a great week, Cathy x

kiwimeskreations said...

So glad Hammy is employing, and no doubt enjoying, his new winkers :)
Love that valentines card - and how brilliant to emboss the panel after stamping and colouring - a lot easier !!
The trees are stunning, and Hammy really is a pro with those crystal effects!
Blessings
Maxine

LesleyG said...

That sentiment is so true. Love your cards, the girl is so sweet, but I’ve not heard of the hat, and the tree looks very sparkly. Congratulations on your anniversary.

Aquarius said...

Two super CAS cards and a great quote. Blue skies here but snow has replaced the rainy days and temperatures have dropped. Congratulations on 52 years with The Mister

Stamps and Paper said...

Such a sweet Valentines cards Darnell...love the crystal effect on your Christmas trees...

Anne

Sandra H said...

Both of your cards Darnell are adorable gorgeous little figure and l like her hat also the Crystal effects Hammy added is gorgeous too he’s a helpful little chap when he wants to be 😆 and congratulations on your 52 years of wedded bliss take care enjoy your day xx

Jeanne said...

Lovely to see you have survived the rains and then celebrated 52 years of wedded bliss! Congratulations!! Your cards are both charming and elegant. Thank you so much for sharing. I hope you have a gloriously sunny weekend!

Diane said...

A beautifully creative stenciled card!!
Thank you for joining our challenge at Stencil Fun!
Diane SF Co-Owner
{Nellies Nest}
{Stencil Fun}

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Big congrats for your 52 wedding anniversary, Darnell!!
Your cards are amazing as always and love very much that cute little girl with the swirl on her hat! Very sweet card! The Christmas card is amazing as well, great texture on the trees!!
Hugs

Carol L said...

Great twofer of cards today, and I'm especially fond of how you created those trees! They look AHmazing! I am trying so hard not to worry, but worry seems to be center stage for me these days regardless. LOL Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

designbydonna said...

Sweet valentine card. The colors are so pretty. I like the embossing over the colored image. I have that E/F and will give that a try. The Christmas trees you aand Hammy created are stunning. Congratulations on your anniversary. Have a great celebration.


Lisa Elton said...

Two wonderful cards today, Darnell! One as cute as a button and the other CAS elegance. Happy belated Anniversary wishes to you and the Mister!

Viv said...

Ahhhhhh Dolly! What a lovely luvvy duvvy card... and 52 years of wedded bliss means your ole heart must have done an awful lot of fluttering!
I now have to have that stencil - if I was nearer I would punish Hammy by hiding all his winkies and schparkly stuff cos I am trying to be good! x

Melanie Hungerford said...

I love your CAS trees! What a beautiful card, perfect shading and the glittery "snow" is lovely. Thanks for sharing with us at Sparkles Christmas Challenge.

Dr Sonia S V said...

Oooh those trees are gorgeous. I love the shade of green
Cheers, Dr Sonia

Karen said...

That quote is wonderful! I'm better than I used to be, but my daughter once told a friend she had no need to worry because her mother did it for everyone! I'm writing this one down.

I love your cards--especially that beautiful CAS with the gorgeous pines. The sentiment is also wonderful--love the mix of fonts.

LeAnne said...

Your wee little girl is so sweet...love the simplicity! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at the Paper Players!

Fran Wing said...

Well, Darnell, CAS cards always catch my attention, and this little Valentine warms my heart! Thank you for sharing it with us at The Paper Players. Xoxo, Fran

Pat said...

I love that sweet little lady with pretty flurry of hearts Darnell, and the sentiment goes beautifully, and the stencilled pine trees are gorgeous with the shimmery Crystal giving the effect of snow on them, and a lovely sentiment too. The quote about worry is very true as it does sap energy levels, and there are occasions when even with a positive outlook it is hard to dispel it. Crafting does help to push worries to one side for a while though. x

jimlynn said...

Fantastic cards - and a late happy anniversary too! Love the cards.
Glad you didn't wash away in all those rains. So much destruction and so sad for so many people. Stay safe always!
Lynn

Claire Broadwater said...

Such sweet cards, Darnell! I love the little Valentine girl with all those floating hearts. You certainly made my colors shine at The Paper Players this week!

cuilliesocks said...

What a sweet Valentine card, I love the little Bundle Girl, lovely design. Your tree card is gorgeous, love the texture.
I love the quote, it's difficult to be positive the way the world is, and in my opinion the uk is down the tubes. One used to measure the type of society by how it treats it's elderly and children, it makes me angry how our English government treats these vulnerable members of our society, rant over, Kate x

HilaryJane said...

Two really fabulous CAS cards and I do love that SU embossing folder. I have seen it used a lot and think I need to seek it out. Good to see you getting ahead with your Christmas cards too. thanks for sharing the quote, it is one I need to remember xx

Loll said...

Two awesome cards Dolly! LOVE that sweet little girl with her hearts all-a-flutter! :) Congrats to you and Mister on your 52 years! Doesn't time fly! And I LOVE that gorgeous tree card. Your stenciled trees are so pretty and I love all the texture and sparkle. Great work, sweet friend! Love, Lolly

Bobby said...

Congratulations on your anniversary, Darnell. Your little valentine girl is so cute. I love that tree on the other card. Two wonderful CAS cards.

Leslie Miller said...

Awwww, I love this sweet little girl! I made a Valentine with her once, too. The sentiment does look like Paper Smooches. I always really loved that font. Gee, I received a Christmas card just like that (wink wink) and it was one of my favorites. What a beautiful stencil and a most lovely CAS card. Thank you for sharing the words of wisdom. It's the truth. Keep on with the optimism.

Cheryl W. said...

Wowsers! Congratulations on 52 years! That's an amazing track record, which definitely should be celebrated. Love both your cards today. That little girl in her oversized stocking cap is so cute, and the sparkly trees look like you created a Minnesota scene (we are up to our ears in snow--literally). I was hoping our new puppy would have Hammy's artistic talent, but so far he's showing no interest in helping me in my crafting space. Do you think there are crafting classes for dogs?

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

Two gorgeous cards, I love the embossing folder you've used on the top card. Congratulations on your 52nd wedding anniversary, may you enjoy many more.

Sue xx

Carole said...

Great CAS cards Darnell. Apparently coloured hair is so on trend and maybe she had paid for an expensive rinse at the hairdresser...anyway she is cute. Love the trees too which look very 3D and sparkly. Loving the quote....so true, but it's always hard not to worry sometimes isn't it.Hugs xx

Gerrina said...

Youe first card is so sweet and beautifully CAS, but my favorite is the 2nd. Can be while we have snow here... but I love the effect! Enjoy the weekend!

Faith A at Daffodil Cards said...

Happy Anniversary and Congratulations. Your little girl and her hearts with the green sentiment is so adorable and beautiful. The trees are gorgeous, I love the texture on them, a beautiful card.
Faith x

Linda W. (ScrappinBari) said...

What a sweet little girl in her lilac cap, although lilac hair is lovely too :) Oh my, though, those trees look amazing, Darnell - in your quest to make more Christmas cards, you could probably make a zillion of those! Who wouldn't love that happy mail?? Great quote too - my grandma had a plaque saying "If we trust, we do not worry" - I always think of that when things get crazy in the world...Hugs to you and Mister on 52 years!

Lynette said...

Your first card is so cute, but that second one is beautiful!!! I love it. And your quote is great, too. Thanks for sharing it. And Happy Anniversary again.

TK said...

Wonderful CAS cards -- sweet girl, and beautiful tree of nature -- perfect! Congrats on 52 years, what a feat for "these days" and a true goal since I'm 16 behind you! So glad your weather has turned nicer... while I love all weather, too many gray days can definitely affect your mood.

Jeanne H said...

A marvelous couple of cards, Darnell! TFS and congratulations on your anniversary milestone. I've worried about you and the weather, so thanks for the update and the quote which is timely for me. Hugs and love.

Debbie said...

Ooh! I LOVE the trees!!
Thanks for playing along this month at Sparkles Christmas Challenge
Debbie - SCC DT
Debbie's Dash of This and That

Donna said...

Happy belated anniversary!! Your Valentines card is so cute and beautifully colored, and like that Christmas card, like the stenciling and lovely sentiment!

Tracy Grauer said...

I love your little bundle girl! So sweet and I like how you used the EF. It adds such a nice 'subtle' texture. Both cards are beautiful.

Heather said...

Wow, Darnell, LOVE your perfect trees with extra sparkle! Such a beautiful design, like a color fade to that fabulous sentiment, too. Perfect! Thanks so much for playing at Sparkles!

JD/ Jill said...

Lovely cards!

It seems strange hear the thing about all the rain... When for so long your state was without getting much rain! (including the time when we were visiting your state)!

I love that quote...I like all her quotes. I read her book! "The Hiding Place" It was at a time when I needed extra encouragement and the book really helped me!

Johanna said...

Firstly Happy Anniversary and secondly this is an adorable Valentines card and perfectly CAS. She is beautifully coloured and so cute. Thanks for joining us a http://cardz4galz.blogspot.com/. Johanna DT

Linby said...

My heart is a flutter over this card too. It's super sweet. Congrats on your anniversary.
Love the trees card and what a wonderful serenity prayer, I'm going to save that.

Cat Craig said...

Darnell, Beautiful cards, I didn't see her cap as hair until you mentioned it and now its card to see it again as a cap...lol. YOur trees are beautiful

Darlene said...

Oh Darnell ... both cards are simply fabulous! Hope you're staying well & having fun! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Four Seasons Challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back again soon.

Darlene
FOUR SEASONS CHALLENGE
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS

Sue - said...

Such a sweet Valentine card. Many,many belated congratulations on your wedding anniversary! xx

Maria said...

Beautiful cards, Darnell! Sweet card with the girl image and love the pretty trees! And, congrats on your 52 years of marriage, how awesome!! Happy to hear seeing sunshine after lots of rain. Many having bad weather across the country. We are due to have lots of snow today. Take care, hugs!!

Kate said...

Your onefer is adorable but your twofer is absolutely stunning! Congratulations to you and the Mister on your 52nd wedding anniversary! Hugs, Kate xx

aussie aNNie said...

Lovely cardd and very effective with the colours here, fabulously designed.. x

aussie aNNie said...

Lovely card and very effective with the colours here, fabulously designed.. x

Brenda said...

So sorry for not being by sooner Auntie! I am struggling to remember to visit blogs that I don't get notifications on. Trying to do better for this year, but not off to a great start I'm afraid. Lots of rain here, just not all at once like you guys. Usually it is snow for us, but only a tiny bit the other day before it changed over to rain and washed away the snow. Your little girl is adorable! I love the colors you used on her. Now my heart is all a flutter as she is just the cutest! Happy belated Anniversary to you and the Mister! I am so in love with your tree Christmas card, it is stunning! I also love the "worry" sentiment. So, so, so true! I am a worrier and I've been trying to let that go! I need to make me a sign with this on it for sure. It can be my reminder to let go of my worry. Hugs, Brenda

frommycraftroom said...

Two fabulous cards.

Happy Anniversary! what an achievement.

Deanne Saunders said...

Beautiful!! Thanks so much for participating in our CHRISTMAS CRAFTS ALL YEAR ROUND challenge!!! I appreciate that you play along and I enjoy visiting your blog!! Have a happy crafty day!!
Deanne at A Little Bit O’ Paper

Greta said...

Ah--Corrie Ten Boon! I actually met her & heard her speak when I was college age. Love the quote! Beautiful Christmas card with the sparkle on the trees! Very sweet first card & congrats on 52 years of marriage!