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2024 Holiday

March 23, 2026

Forward! Spring!

Hello Stamplings!

I hope this finds you well as we enter our first full week of spring in this part of the world! It is also "Happy National Puppy Day!," but more on that later.

This week is A = Anything Goes on the I.D.E.A.S. calendar, which is everyone's idea of a good time! Let's start with springtime in the meadow . . .

Onefer
And how about two joyful bunnies from MFT (liberally winked by Hammy) to welcome you? I found the banner in my Easter/Spring stash ~ it looks like it might be from Paper Smooches. I blended the background and then stamped rocks and grass and made the rocks look like tiny dyed eggs or maybe jelly beans. The pointy frame is from Poppystamps.

Twofer

Next up are painted tulips using a NBUS trio of tulips embossing folder from Penny Black. I forgot to use a piece of watercolor paper, so it's not my best painting, but hey ho. I usually biff it when I try to paint over a 3D embossed image, so that part makes me happy and Hammy's expert winking polished it off nicely. I diecut it with a stitched oval from MFT. 

Threefer ~ in celebration of National Puppy Day!
I think this is one of my favoritest cards. The very definition of QACAS, yet bursting with emotion. I used a NBUS die from Cottage Cutz. (It comes with a cat, too, which I'll save for National Kitty Day.) I didn't want to disturb the image with a sediment, especially since this sweet card can be used for so many occasions.

It's brilliant in person when it comes to the texture. On a whim, I used a piece of this thick black handmade paper with nurbles on it, which I've had in my stash since the last century:
When I ran it through the die-cutter it flattened the nurbles, but in just-the-right-kind-of-way because it left a wonderful thick head of hair on the wee pup.



~~~

Some of you may remember we had a black lab once. We actually started out with a yellow lab named Salty. When Salty was eight years old and slowing down, we thought it would be a good idea to get a second lab and we happened to get a black one. Because of the circumstances, the only choice for his name was Blackie ... no, just kidding! Of course, we called him Shadow!

Shadow remained Salty's shadow for the next seven years! Yes, that's right, it turned out that Shadow gave Salty a new lease on life! He lived until he was 16 and Shadow lived to be 15. And everyone said smoking and martinis would be bad for them! 

I managed to dig up a windy picture of me with them (cough) years ago on one of our Sunday hike/picnics:
~~~

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! 
*Life is too short!

37 comments:

  1. Oh My! What a fab collection of cards today, a feast for the eyes. Love your tale of Salty and Shadow too (great pic btw)
    Hope the Mister continues on the road to full recovery
    All the best
    Kathyk

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  2. Happy Spring, my friend! So good to see you each week. I enjoy your posts a lot. You made some wonderful cards this week, bursting with life and sweetness. I enjoyed learning about your past puppies. They were so handsome. Thank you so much for sharing a wee bit more about you! Have a happy week!

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  3. A beautiful trio... and I don't just mean the cards! xoxo

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  4. Starting the week with you is always a positive! Love your cards! The blending on the first is fabulous, the tulips are beautiful, and I agree, the CAS card is first-rate! Thanks for the close-up of the textured paper. It must be fabulous IRL. Love the photo of you as well. Have a great week!

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  5. As delightful as your cards are, it's the photo of sweet you and your pups that has me smiling this morning!

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  6. Such an adorable Easter card. Love the bunnies. Pretty daffodils too 😀

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  7. Perfect spring cards! But, the dog card is just amazing! We had friends who always had labs and they are great dog. Sounds like Shadow and Salty had a wonderful life.

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  8. Sweet bunnies on card one & the scene you created with the egg rocks and grass, Darnell! Gorgeous tulips on card two and I love the texture on your black lab on Shadow! Fun trip down memory lane with you, Salty & Shadow too!!

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  9. Sweet things come in threes! Three adorable cards and a great memory of three, what could be better in either case? Happy Monday, Darnell

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  10. Adorable bunnies, Dolly! I love that Hammy inked them but hopefully they won't be mistaken for sugary candy! Your tulips are bright and beautiful! That's amazing watercoloring on regular cardstock! I need 2 doggy sympathy cards. It's too late for this time, but I think you have enabled me to hunt for these doggy (& kitty) dies. Love that nurbley paper!

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  11. Painting the stones to look like eggs was a genius idea, Darnell. That card really screams Spring. Your tulips are beautiful with the paper matching the leaves and then "be still my heart". The dog waiting for his master is as sweet as it can be.

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  12. So beautiully sweet this 1st one! And love the real Spring colors on your 2nd! And the dog is superbe in this silhouet! Never had a dog; not enough time or one and that is not good for a dog... sadly... Hugs, Gerrina

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  13. D, as cute as the bunnies are you had me at tulips - what a beautiful bouquet for your card design!
    I'm wondering - why wasn't the black lab called Pepper? But it happily turns out Shadow was quite apropos! love that photo!
    =] M

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  14. Three fabulous cards, Darnell. I especially love the last one, so perfectly CAS and the textured paper looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing the photo of you and your fur babies.... you haven't changed a bit! Hope Kevin recovery is going well.
    Liz xx

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  15. Fabulous cards Darnell, the bunnies and your scene are adorable, your tulip card is fabulous, beautiful painting, and your puppy with that textured paper is darling too!

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  16. Very cool CAS card and he looks just like your pup ;-) Thank you for playing at the AAA Cards Challenges

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  17. Your spring bunnies are adorable. Love your blended background with the tiny eggs/jelly beans. Those beautiful tulips are so pretty and framed beautifully. Cute clean and simple dog card for National Puppy Day.

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  18. All your cards today are wonderful, but the pup card is perfection! We had a black lab years ago. His name was Midnight and he was the gentlest, most loving creature. I was heartbroken when he died at age 11, and I think I had a little empty space in my heart that has now been filled by Mickey's presence. Mickey is nearly as black as Midnight was and just as gentle and loving. I feel so blessed to have been able to adopt two such wonderful dogs.

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  19. Yeah, can I hear clapping.... Darnell, can you believe I've made cards 2 weeks in a row ... it's always fun to pop over to your blog and see your marvelous creations - you must have the biggest stash of NBUS -- two lovely Spring cards and do hope your weather is Springish, we're still dealing with the rain causing the humidity. I do love you pop card just by himself says it all... and your windy family pic... have a wonderful week, hugs Robyn

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  20. Perfect cards to welcome spring, the bunnies are adorable, tulips are brand the puppy is cute (love the texture, think I have some similar 😂). What lovely photos too, lovely memories for you, and you haven’t changed a bit! xxx

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  21. A beautiful trio of cards. Your background blending is amazing. Thanks for sharing the pics of your pups and your adventure with them. They brought a smile to my face. Iʻm so pleased youʻve shared your card with us over at Little Red Wagon Challenge this week!

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  22. Hi Darnell, lovely cards, love the tulips celebrating spring arriving in your neck of the woods. My uncle's first guide dog was a yellow Labrador called Sunshine, here in Aus, each litter of puppies has a first letter of the alphabet, one litter had Zuri, Zorro, Zane, Zach, Zeb, and Ziggy. Thanks for the inspiration... Megan

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  23. What a perfect CAS card Darnell. The dog die is fantastic and I love the textured card you used. Gorgeous pick of your pups too. Thanks for sharing with us at Krafty Chicks challenge. Hugs, Denise x

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  24. Love those sweet bunnies and your coloring on the tulips is so pretty. You made those tulips look so real. That pup card tugs at my heart and seeing you with your dogs is a fun picture. I'm off to get Daisy a cigarette and fix her a martini so she can have a long life too.

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  25. Awesome cards, Darnell, and such a fun picture of you with Salty and Shadow.

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  26. Darnell what a lovely array of cards those bunnies are so cute and your Tulips so colourful also the silhouette dog is amazing l’d love to see the cat version xx

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  27. Darnell, your cards are all fabulous. The bunnies are so cute and refreshing just like spring. I concur that the sentiment is paper smooches. Your tulips are gorge for sure. Brilliant use of the paper for the pup. SO happy stopping by today. Thanks too for the photo. <3

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  28. Your sweet and simple black dog card just makes me smile, my first dog was a black lab and will never be forgotten! Thanks for sharing with us at the Alphabet Challenge!

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  29. Well, naturally it's the last picture and story that stayed with me and I'm sure you know I'm sitting here thinking of Wally and LuLu right now, while simultaneously feeling so happy for Sophie and Ridley. Salty and Shadow were two beautiful dogs. Those years are never enough. I have that same Cottage Cutz die, still NBUS, but it's the sweetest thing! You're right about the many uses for that card. Back to the spring cards -- those bunnies are so cute and you've given them such a pretty scene, gently blended. What a brilliant idea to color the rocks like Easter eggs! Not many things say spring as beautifully as tulips, and I have to say you managed to color them up so pretty despite it not being watercolor paper. I love anything embossed, and with pretty paper surrounding them to boot! Happy spring!

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  30. Super spring cards but the doggie one is adorable. Look forward to seeing the kitty in due course as I’m more a cat lady than a dog person. Although we did have a black Labrador/ Alsatian cross called Lucy when the boys were young.xx

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  31. Your spring card is so fun with the pastel colours that how sweet, sweet bunnies. :) LOVE the tulips ... your colouring is wonderful over the embossed image. It's not easy to do. But your pup stole the show. I love the texture of the paper you've used. It just adds something special. The pup is just waiting for someone to walk through the door. I can feel the excitement! :) What a great photo of your with Salty and Shadow. How wonderful that Shadow not only made your life better, but extended Salty's life too. xx

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  32. Oh my goodness--what a wonderful picture with your beautiful labs! 15 and 16 years is amazing! I love the bunny card, Darnell--so sweet. Your painting of the embossed tulips looks absolutely perfect. Can just imagine how wonderful that puppydog is cut from the special paper--love the card. Wishing you a lovely Easter.

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  33. Oh those bunnies are adorable. All great cards. Thanks for taking the time.

    We once had a black lab to....before that we had a border collie, now we have a lab/kelpie cross which is brown!

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  34. My goodness - a lab that lived to 16, and another to 15. What great ages! Love the photo of the two of them (and the younger you as well!). Great spring cards - such happy colours. And the one with the lab is complete CAS perfection!

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  35. Adorable spring cards! Loving the CAS black & white card with the textured puppy! Thanks for sharing with us @ the Alphabet Challenge.

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  36. Happy Spring!! Thanks for playing along with our clean and simple SRPING challenge over at CAS on Friday!! Deb Horst, DT #330

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Thank you for commenting on my blog post! I read and appreciate every one! Mwah! (Sorry I've had to set comments to moderate because of excessive spam.) Darnell