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2024 Holiday

August 24, 2026

Et Wallah, Anything Goes!

Hello Stamplings!

Welcome to a new week! I hope it's a great one! We've been busier than ticks on a deer with appointments and lunches and seeing long-time friends. In spite of it, I managed to tuck in some relaxing crafty time. I hope you've had some, too!

It is A=Anything Goes on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar, which is always a fan favorite here! 

Onefer
Fortunately, last week my updated Artistic License arrived by post, so I was able to take an old favorite hydrangea stamp (Mondo Hydrangea from Essentials by Ellen) and color it in unusual colors. Normally hydrangeas grow in hues of pink, blue, purple, and I think white, but I thought this beauty would be a perfect candidate for the current Color Hues challenge of yellow and orange. Besides, I haven't painted with my Ziggies in ages and I so enjoyed it! 

Then a funny thing happened, which seems to be happening every time I create, which is fine since funny things are good. I stamped the hydrangea in Versafine black onto watercolor paper. When it was dry, I stamped it again using Versamark and clear embossing powder. I already had my embossing stuff out, so the image was powdered and dried with the heat gun. 

But as the powder was heated, it started turning a sort of funny white/gray color. "Ern?," I thought, laying my right ear on my right shoulder, "what's happened to my clear powder?" I was committed at that point, but a good attorney got me out. Wait. No. Different story. I finished the embossing and then I saw that the embossing powder I had out on my desk was white, not clear. Now that I think about it, since clear e/p and white e/p are both white powder, it's a wonder I haven't done that several times before! 

After I finished painting the hydrangea, I stamped the sediment from Gina K. and blended yellow ink around the rim to frame the image, bring your eyeballs into focus, and keep the card one-layer.

Beside's Marcia's Color Hues challenge, I'm playing in AAA Birthday (Flowers); Inkspirational (Word Prompt: Garden); and We Love Stamping (Summer Blooms).
Twofer 
For this quick Christmas card, I die-cut some pretty red cardstock using a NBUS die from Scrapbook.com called, "Nested Swiss Dot Rectangles." For the center, I used one of my favorite stamps from Simon Says Stamps set called, "Holiday Greetings Mix 1." I stamped it in Versamark and heat-embossed it in white. (After checking the label!) 

Sorry you can't see the shine from the embossing or the white gel pen I used to fill in the berries and leaves, or the white acrylic paint schplattered about by Hammy. I attached the finished panel to a snowy embossed background panel.

Stanley's job for this card was to punch out the red swiss dots. Needless to say, the little darling went about it with reckless abandon!
Playing in: ABC Christmas (R is for Rectangle); Addicted to Stamps and More (Any Occasion); and Allsorts (Embossing: Heat or Dry - both used).

~~~

Enjoy your week! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse! Stay safe!

Mwah!
*Life is too short!

44 comments:

  1. Both cards are beautiful, Darnell xoxo

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  2. You sure know how to have fun, Darnell! These cards are wonderful. Hope Stanley was able to shed those red dots lest other hamsters think he had chicken pox. :D

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  3. A good thing when a “mistake” turns out! Wonderful hydrangea card!

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  4. I love this hydrangea, Dolly! I wish there were yellow hydrangeas. I would surely try to grow one! I have done the same thing with my embossing powder. They look the same in the container! Your Merry Christmas card is so festive and fun! You are brave to let Stanley take care of those little dots! A fun way to start the week!

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  5. Your Hydrangea in the yellows and oranges is BEAUTIFUL Darnell, and I too wish they came in that color!! So glad your updated artistic license arrived in time to create this yellow & orange beauty, and I love the subtle inking around the edges of the card too! And don't feel bad about the white & clear embossing powders getting mixed up...you are definitely NOT alone on that one!! Your red & white Christmas card is so pretty too, and you were quite brave to let Stanley deal with all the dots...hope he used some control when popping those out!! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Color Hues and making my color pairing SHINE my friend! Hugs. :0) Marlinda

    P.S. How's Kevin doing? Haven't heard any updates in awhile...100% healed??

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  6. Gorgeous cards Darnell! I like the colors of your hydrangea and the white embossing turned out stunning! Second card is beautiful too, nice embossing and like that die!

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  7. Your yellow-orange hydrangea is fantastic! Very surprising, yet incredibly beautiful. I love how you delicately applied the yellow ink around the edges, perfectly balancing the color.

    The red on the second card is perfect for a Christmas card. Simple and very elegant. You never cease to amaze me, my dear Darnell.
    hugs,
    BożenA xx

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  8. The hydrangea is absolutely gorgeous! And it's always a pleasure to find you in the Color Hues gallery! I love the Christmas card, too. I have that stamp and never imagined it in white on red, but it is wonderful--there's likely to be a few in my Christmas card stash. (I surely need a bunch, and there's no crafting here until mid-September! Have a great week!

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  9. I love your yellow hydrangea Darnell, and I think the white ep over the black ink has greated a wonderful anomally and it's finished brilliantly with the orange sentiment and the touch of yellow ink blended around the edges. The red card with the rectangule of dots frames the large vertical 'Merry' and the white embossed leaves and berries either side of it, and I love the white embossed falling snow on the background card, and some pretty white spattering too. Stanley has certainly very enthusiastically popped out those red dots. x

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  10. I think your yellow hydrangea is beautiful. Your Christmas card is amazing - I love it. Thanks for sharing both of these beauties. Have a great week.

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  11. I fell head over heels for BOTH of these cards! One is just as pretty as the other. Since I can't pick a favorite, I'm just going to have to share my affections with both of them. Please don't tell the authorities about my wayward ways.

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  12. Wouldn't it be a beautiful thing if there were yellow hydrangea blooms! I like your way of thinking, Darnell! Two pretty cards, my friend!

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  13. Love the yellow hydrangeas, and maybe a happy accident with the powder 😃. Your Christmas card is delightful too, and I like how you tell us the how, because it helps my frazzled brain take in all the detail. Stanley needs a good brush, just saying, 😂, looks like he’s got red dandruff 🤣xxx

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  14. I love that yellow hydrangea and the embossing looks good, the gray shade adds some outline but isnt as stark as black. Happy Accident. Your Christmas card is beautiful...I love the white embossing on teh red field.

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  15. Two fab makes, Darnell, I always enjoy your posts

    Kathyk

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  16. A beautifully bright and sunny floral card Darnell, many thanks for sharing with us at We Love Stamping challenge.

    B x

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  17. Two stunning cards Darnell they both are perfect you wouldn’t know any mistakes where made on the hydrangea and such a vibrant colour, your Christmas card and the help from Stanley is a brilliant design xx

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  18. Great that you found time for some crafting in your busy schedule and two lovely cards have resulted. Love the idea of a yellow hydrangea. Thanks for going with the embossing theme and joining us at Allsorts with your red dotty card

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  19. Hi Darnell - Glad to hear you artistic licence has arrived ;)
    The grey embossing is perfect for your yellow and orange hydrangea - so soft ,and lets the eyeball focus even better on the colours!
    Good to see that Stanley is earning his keep with his energetic hole punching.... and a stunning card you made there with the red and white - oh and the 'invisible in the photo' schparkle.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  20. Gorgeous hydrangea Darnell. There are so many new hybrids that I'm sure there's a yellow one somewhere, if not there should be! Love the dotty frame to yoiur embossing, Stanley did a great job with the frame. I've been looking enviously at one or two die sets like this but so far I've not indulged! :)

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  21. It's so pretty and vibrant and I never realised it was a hydrangea - doh! A happy mistake with the powder I think. Now you say you entered at Allsorts but it is in the gallery at We Love Stamping - I will leave that with you my friend.
    The second card is so striking. A great idea to use white on red, maybe I will try and remember that one too!

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  22. Just ignore my comment about the linking - brain not in gear lol!

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  23. I love your sunny hydrangea. I think the embossing in white is perfect! The Merry card is gorgeous! Stanley looks so very cute!

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  24. I think plant breeders should take note and create a yellow hydrangea after seeing your gorgeous card. Great shading, and I think the E/P happy accident really adds to the charm. Your red card looks so festive and Stanley thinks so too. I love the crisp white folage. It's good to hear you are keeping busy and I hope you are both well.
    Love and hugs,
    Carol x

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  25. Yellow is a beautiful color for a hydrangea, Darnell, and I love it blended with the orange. My clear and white powders are in different sized jars so I won't make that mistake but I do like the color that resulted. The white embossing on the red is striking and I could use help poking out bits now and then. So glad you have wonderful help in the Playhouse.

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  26. Your card is so pretty, Darnell and wouldn't it be lovely if Hydrangeas did come in yellowish orange? They truly are my favorite flower/bush that is for sure. If I lived up north I most certainly would have one in my yard. Your red Christmas card is very nice as well. I love red and white together. Thanks for joining us at Color Hues and I hope you have a good rest of your week.

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  27. Your mix-up on your first card does not distract but enhance! I love both cards - they're both full of beautiful colors and perfect for the occasions used

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  28. I feel like you must have named that floral stamp Mondo??!! And they are brilliant in the yellow and orange - thanks for joining us at Inkspirational: Garden with this beauty! Julia xx ( Love your Christmas card as well and all the dots that landed on Stanley! )

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  29. I'm so glad your Artistic License arrived because I love how you took advantage of it! Your Ziggy coloring is always so beautiful and I'd say your embossing powder oops was a win! A gorgeous Christmas card for the box, too! Cute dotty border and gorgeous stamp. Love me some white on red, and I do see the splatter just fine! Busy days here, too. Lots of time with girlfriends, local events, outings with the dogs. All good. Our son is coming this weekend, so that will be nice, too. I still find time to craft in the quiet mornings.

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  30. Fabulous hydrangeas, Darnell - love the unusual color! The ones in my yard are pink when they bloom... Pretty Christmas card with the dotty frame - lucky you had a helper to pop out those dots!!

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  31. WOW - both cards are stunners Darnell. I LOVE how you painted the Hydrangea and how your happy accident turned out. The Artistic Licence was well worth applying for.
    Look at the mess Stanley is in with his dots! You can’t trust a hamster to do anything neatly! xxx

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  32. What a cool accidental effect - looks great! And I love the red and white card, too. You are so lucky to have helpers in your playhouse.

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  33. Two super cards, Darnell. Stanley did a great job punching out the Swiss red dots.
    Liz xx

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  34. Striking design for the Christmas card in red and white! Thanks for sharing with us at Allsorts.

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  35. I love the bright yellow.

    I must say Stanley did a fabulous job with the holes.

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  36. Darnell I have never seen those EH hydrangeas is these colours but it looks so fantastic! That SSS set is a,so a favourite of mine too! Two wonderful cards! Thanks so much for sharing with us at the Color Hues!

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  37. Fantastic twofer! I love how the pretty leaf-and-berry design looks in white against that bold red. It's simply wonderful! Thank you so much for joining us at Addicted to Stamps & More challenge!

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  38. Oh wow Darnell! Absolutely stunning card. Thanks for playing at AAA Birthday, hope to see you join in with future challenges too. Stay safe & keep crafting!

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  39. If hydrangeas came in yellow and were as gorgeous as the one on your card, I'd definitely buy one!! I love the Christmas card with the strong contrast of the red and white. Hammy did a great job splattering it, and Stanley was a super helper punching out all the little dots (wish I had a helper to do that but when I asked Pippin to try it, he just chewed up the card stock).

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  40. My hydrangea were white this year but boy I would love them in that gorgeous colour! Your card is beautiful!!
    Thanks for playing along with us at We Love Stamping.
    Pinky

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  41. Beautiful cards! Love how your hydrangea card incorporates the colors perfectly. Thank you so much for playing along with us over at the Color Hues Challenge! 💛🧡

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  42. Wow, this is gorgeous! What a happy mistake you made, together with the beautiful yellow and orange of your hydrangea it really makes the card pop. I love it! Thank you for sharing and playing along with us at AAA Birthday, hope you'll join us again! Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

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  43. Love both of these cards, Darnell! What a fun idea to use yellows for your hydrangea stamp. AND that red and white Christmas card!! Eye-poppingly gorgeous! A favorite! Thanks for playing along with Addicted to Stamps & More! Cathy ATS&M DT

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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