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 5, 2025

Grande Dames and Paper Towels

Hello Stamplings!

How's your week starting out on this festive Cinco de Mayo? I hope it's a great one! I made it back from Las Vegas without the millions, so life is back to normal, which happily means I had a chance to make some cards over the weekend! And since it's "inky" week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar, I did just that!

Onefer
This little doll isn't too inky, but she was fun to color. The lads loved winking her tiny bits from head to toe - just the right size for their tiny paws! Around cough years ago, my friend Bobby sent me some stamped die cuts of amusing geezer birthday images and sediments. (I think from MFT.) They got buried alive on NBUS Mountain, but I managed to unearth them! Thank you again, Bobby! I have more people of a certain age that I can send them to now!😂

Twofer

I had a plan to bring out my alcoholic inks next, but then I saw a video using my NBUS Dina Wakley gloss sprays that I've also had for cough years. I'll do another post later about how that all turned out, but for today, I got squirreled by the paper towel I used to blot up the ink!
It's been a while since I saw one this pretty, so, of course, as one does, I turned it into a card:
Pretty QACAS, eh? I also found the Lil' Inker Happy Birthday frame already made up in my sediments binder, left over from some other inky day. 

Las Vegas

I know what happens in Vegas is spose to stay in Vegas, but I can tell you. Cheryl and I had a blast! We were pretty much on the go all the time. I haven't been to Las Vegas since 1973, so you can imagine my neck was permanently craned looking up at all the skycrapers! It really is beautiful on The Strip and I didn't see a speck of litter there or Downtown, which I found amazing.

I won't give you a day-by-day (yawn), but I made a few quick collages:
From our room, we could see the Belagio Fountain! And Paris! And the Sphere, but I forgot to take a picture of it. We were on the 55th floor!😮
One day we traveled from The Strip to Downtown where there are still some of the older casinos with neon lights which I recognized from the last century! Even the gorilla suit is the same! Fremont Street is now covered for pedestrians only and there is a zip line running the whole length!
We went to the Wynn Hotel just to walk around and enjoy the stunning decor there, including waterfalls and high-end stores with guards at the door! A nice lady took a photo of Cheryl and me in the floral garden entrance. Old and dear friends are the best! Wait. Long-time dear friends are the best!

And yes, that's little ol' winning me in the upper right! I sat down at my first slot machine (penny) Monday night and put in $20. I played a penny at a time and after only eight pennies, I won $130.40! Because we didn't do that much gambling, those winnings carried me through the week!🎰👏

~~~

I.D.E.A.S. Calendar: I = Ink/Color Mediums

You will find a linky tool below for you to share your creations using any type or method of coloring! Your card may help motivate others out of their creative schlumps or give someone a step-off for their own design! 

I love seeing what you create, visiting you, and 
pinning your designs! 

Thank you so much to everyone who shared their designs last week! Mwah! 
Enjoy your week! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

*Life is too short!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

30 comments:

Jeanne said...

Love your cards! I think the inked paper towel looks fabulous. I'm so happy for you to have had a wonderful trip with your dear friend. Congrats on your winning. My mom would have played the penny slots and loved it!

Em Louise Fairley said...

Beautiful cards, Darnell and I love the Vegas pix! xoxo

Bonnie said...

We certainly do have more need for these fun geezer cards these days, Dolly! A great background and I'm sure the boys gave her a good schparkle! I agree about your paper towel. Such beautiful colors. Can't wait to see what you were mopping up from! You trip sounds awesome. I'm so glad you got home safely and not in debt! Mwah!

designbydonna said...

LOL! Love the old lady--inside story would be "but I forgot where I put it". Beautiful on the ink splattering. I think 1973 might have been the last time I was in Vegas too. Hmm, we may have seen each other,

Vicki Dutcher said...

Well your trip sounds fun! There is a lot to see in Vegas! Good for you winning, that is always fun 😀. Lovely cards today too!

Lisa Elton said...

Two terrific cards, Darnell! Sorry you didn't win those millions, but it still looks like you had a grand time!

sandie said...

Super fun cards and what a fun hols you had and love you won at the casino-sending hugs xx

HilaryJane said...

What a great trip you had. I am jealous of your view of the fountains. I would love to see them in real life. I have never been there. Congrats on your win, be that was exciting. Your cards are great. Well done for putting your mop up towel on a card. I don\t think I would have been brave enough. Don't know why, it makes a great card xx

brandco2450@gmail.com said...

.
.The post is great, the cards are gorgeous and I'm glad you
had good time!

Leslie Miller said...

Oh, yes, that's one gorgeous paper towel! Gosh, it's so true about the geezer cards these days. The sentiment is perfect! You and your friend are looking gorgeous in your spectacular surroundings! My last trips to either Vegas or Reno were in the 70s as well, but Rich and I skirted them in 2019. Even from the freeway we could see the huge difference. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures!

Bobby said...

I have one of those geezers cut and colored for a friend whose birthday is coming up, Darnell. Definitely MFT, and I'm happy you remembered where they came from. If I don't make great notes, I forget everything like that. The inky background you made for her is fabulous. I haven't done a paper towel card in quite a while. I have a tendency to overuse them and ruin whatever beauty they may have held at one time. Your is a wonderful blend of colors and the large sentiment was perfect for it.

Gerrina said...

Love the backgrounds! It is so much fun to make and use them! Think the colors and cards are great! Hugs, Gerrina

Barb Finnical said...

Looks like a very fun time in Vegas! And that first card, "You've Still Got It" is so adorable!

LesleyG said...

Looks like you had a fabulous trip, thanks for sharing the photos, I can dream….who knew a paper towel could be so pretty! Hmmm I seem to be sending more certain age cards, and I shall be using your “cough” years from now on 😂 xxx

TK said...

Crazy fun cards, with the techniques and the "old" people, they're fantastic! Love your LV memories, and didja know that my youngest two were born there? Yep... we were in Vegas for 3 years, but it's been awhile now...

Donna said...

Great cards, I like how you used the lovely paper towel and the lady is fun, like that background! Looks like a wonderful trip!

Art by Zowie Dixon said...

Beautiful cards Darnell, I especially love your paper towel technique! Thank you also for the inspiration! Hugs Zowie x

Pat said...

I love both cards and the first is really fun with the cute senior and love the blue and purple in the background Darnell, then the mop up paper towel has a great mix of colours and the pretty texture of the paper towel itself shows through so well, and put on the card embellished with the die cut sentiment enamel dots which are perfect. Glad you enjoyed your few days in Vegas and some great photos, and not a bad return for your eight pennies I'm thinking. x

Loll said...

Awesome image and sentiment for your first card. Aren't crafting friends generous!! Love the background too. And I bet the boys had fun winking this ol' gal. :) Your paper towel from the sprays is BEAUTIFUL. Perfect to create a background for your card. Love using sprays and have neglected mine for eons! Thanks for the inspiration. Your trip looks like so much fun! Congrats on your win. Happy to be playing along this week with IDEAS. Love, Lolly

Lynette said...

Two beautiful cards, Darnell! I can see why the paper towel made it on to a card! Looks like you had a great time in Vegas. It's only been twenty years since we've been there. :-)

Susan said...

Well you did better than me in Vegas. I think winning $130 is pretty great! The one and only time I went there I used up $10 in slot machines and came away with nothing! But we went to see the architecture not to gamble so that was the end of our time in the casinos (not to mention the fact that people could smoke in them then and it was beyond disgusting!). Love your cards, especially the mopping up one - what a great background!

Jean said...

BEautiful cards. I have not been to Vegas in 15 years. I enjoyed your photos.

Cheryl W. said...

I like your lady "geezer" card with that pretty pastel background.

I don't understand why my used paper towels look like a couple of squirrels threw up on them; they're definitely not fit to use on a card. Yours is lovely, though. Those cool colors look fabulous together.

Vegas looks like fun. I've been there a few times and have never won anything! I did go on the New York! New York! Casino roller coaster. That was a hoot!

Linby said...

I love your first CAS card with that cute stamp and the gorgeous ombre inking. Well done on your second card, that die is by Lil Inker (no longer trading) I have it in my stash. Great photos of Vegas - wow '73 you will have noticed a lot of changes!

Tina Z. said...

such great cards and technique, wow! great trip to vegas and congratulation to your win :).

Sandra H said...

I just love both of your cards Darnell fabulous backgrounds what an effect from the paper towel just stunning, thank you for sharing your pictures absolutely amazing they are xx

Cathy said...

Great cards Darnell, who would have thought to use the paper towel! Looks like you had a fab trip too, Cathy x

Linda W. (ScrappinBari) said...

Such fun inky cards, Darnell - love your geezer lady and the fun inked paper towel too!! Thanks for sharing photos of your Vegas trips - looks amazing!!

Robyn Oliver said...

So pleased you had a wonderful time in Vegas with your 'old' friend ..... and well done with the win!! Two great cards to finish off the weekend too, must remind myself to check out that NBUS pile of stamped and die cut bits... have a fabulous weekend... Mothers' Day here in Australia, so I'm off to get ready for lunch - family are shouting.

Linda said...

Hello there my friend! I hope you're well. Gorgeous cards as always, such fun designs. Love your pics from Vegas, looks like you had a ball. It's a long time since we were there, I love it!! Great win on the slot machines too ...... lucky girl xx