Ahoy! Oceans Abound!

Hello Dear Stamplings!

I'm finally feeling like I know what day it is now that I've been home a while. Does that happen to you after a holiday? You think every day is Monday or you're a day off? Being a day off can be either really awesome or really bad. Much better just not to know what day it is.

But then your friend calls from the restaurant and wants to know where you are. I'm not saying that happened, but it did. Oops. To the waiter's credit, he didn't even look at me funny when I showed up with toothpaste in my hair.

Whaddya say we just go float around on some ocean waves!

A simple embossing folder made the backwater waves and Simon's "border waves" made the forewater waves. The Ziggie-watercolored sailboat is from Poppystamps. After assemblage, I felt it needed a little somethin' somethin' so I drew the white stitching on the waves. 

Challenges

• CAS Watercolour Card Challenge: Ocean.
• Cards in Envy: Let's hear it for the boys.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets.
• Stinkin' Inkers: The guys have it.
• The Daily Marker: 30-day coloring challenge.

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More ESCR

Speaking of ocean, I had to share a little more from my amazing time in Vancouver with Lolly, Nancy, Susan, Christine, and Trina. 

While together, one of the many techniques we played with was something called "dirty pour." It was sooooo cool watching the paints co-mingle to create cells and magical artistic panels. I personally think it should be called "pretty pour!" You can find videos at Loll's site if you'd like to know more. 

I have several pieces from this fun technique to share as I use them on card designs, but today I wanted to share this oceanic canvas I poured:

I love how the colors moved about on the canvas. Can you see the sea lion / seal? White body, two eyes, and a nose? What a fun surprise to have develop right before our eyes!

And here are a few more photos of our special time together. These photos were all taken by Loll's talented SIL Alex while we happily crafted away!

And a few more from my camera:

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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!* If you ever get the chance to meet your wonderful Blogland friends, take it!

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!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling: Click 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!

Just Chickens Having Fun!

Hello Stamplings!

It seems like ages since I've seen you and I've missed you! May has been a month of jet-setting fun for me and I hope you've enjoyed yourself, too, whatever you've been doing! Between Mother's Day and graduations, I know a lot of you have been busy with family celebrations.

Before I share some photos, I wanted to share a goofy birthday card I made for my chicken-loving friend from Wales:

The chickens are from Whipper Snapper Designs. I tried to design them so it looks like Goldie is giving Whitey a ride on a swing in the ol' barnyard. I colored the chickens and flowers directly with my Ziggies and then did a watercolor wash for the yard and sky. I touched up some areas with colored pencils. The clouds are from Lolly, the fence is from Susanne, the sediment is from GKW, and the little flowers are from my container full of little teeny stamps. 

Challenges

• Just Us Girls: Word Week: Outside.
• The Paper Players: Animals.
• The Daily Marker: 30-Day Coloring Challenge.
• Watercooler Wednesday: Anything goes.

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Meeting More Crafty Friends

After my exciting adventure with my Eat Sleep Craft Repeated BC friends, I was home for a week and then I flew north again to spend a few days with these sweet ladies:

Left of me is Colleen (One Smile Lifts a Spirit) and 

right of me is Linda (Lin's Craft Corner) 

We were delighted to be joined part of the time by another special friend Marybeth (Marybeth's Time for Paper)! We all felt as if we'd known each other all our lives!

We stopped at a stamping store on the way from the airport (of course!) and the nice lady working there took a photo of the four of us. In the photo on the right we are standing behind a display of Poppystamp dies for crafting with felt which showcase Marybeth's own creations! 

Later we stopped to eat and the nice waiter took this photo of us:

He didn't believe us when we told him that some of us were strangers and we had just met each other at the airport for the first time. However, he did believe me when I told him that Colleen and Linda were twins and we were celebrating their birthday! We thought he knew I was joking until he showed up minutes later with free dessert pie and ice cream and two lit candles! Too funny! And very yummy!

As it happens, it IS Linda's birthday later in June, so we surprised her with a birthday party the next day:

That afternoon we were joined by Marybeth's sister, Marylou (far left):

Marylou felt right at home with the group, too! And the drinkie-poos were deleeshus!

Here's a collage of our fun time in Lin's Craft Corner!

Such happy memories were made! We have been trying to get together for a few years and one thing or another has always gotten in the way, so we were thrilled that it finally happened! Hammy and I thank you, Linda and Colleen, for making it possible with a special thanks to you, Lin, for opening your beautiful home to us!

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

I still have more photos of earlier in the month, but I'll share those another time. With all my travels I am several hundred emails and comments and blog visits behind; the kind of behind where you just have to clear the slate and start over. I know you understand, but if you wanted me to see something, please email me because I wouldn't want to miss it! Mwah!

*Life is too short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling: Click 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!)

My Pretty New Truck!

Hello, Stamplings!

Thank you for all your good wishes and Queries about my second cataract surgery. Everything went well! My vision will be a bit blurry for the next few weeks until I can get my new glasses so be prepared for a few new typos Darnellphemisms. Also, I've been warned that when I do get my new glasses, I will see even MORE "laugh lines" on my face and dust in my foyer!

Doesn't that sound posh? I always wanted a foyer. And it doesn't seem right to have a foyer and not have a butler, right? Golly, as far as that goes, being a butler is lonely business, so it would be heartless not to have a maid and a housekeeper. You know, so he has a choice. But, hold on, it's 2018, so my imaginary butler is a woman and the housekeeper and maid are men. Don't tell the Mister.

I can feel a whole novel starting, so I'd better get to my cards!

Here we have a cute OLC featuring my pretty new truck colored with my Ziggies. This NBUS stamp is from Taylored Expressions (artist Doug Applegate). Isn't it fine?! It comes with hearts, a rising sun, and a cupcake. Oh, and it comes with dies, but for this one-layer card the truck is stamped. The potholes in the road are heart-shaped from a heart embossing folder (debossed). I added the tree of friendship stamp from Hero Arts set "Hello Tree and Friends," so I can use this card for a number of occasions.

Here's a closeup of the usual schparkle:

Challenges

• Addicted to Stamps and More: Anything Goes.
• HLS January CAS: Friendship
• Less Is More: OLC "Cute." (Thank you for changing to a two-week format!)

Twofer.

In keeping with my efforts to make at least two cards every time I make one, and to build my Christmas card stash all year long, I made this second card. To start, a snowy e/f ran over a linen card base. City workers came by and added a snippet of blue and green plaid pavement for my pretty pickup to park on. This time I used the die that came with the set. Everything is, of course, winked and glossed.

The little reindeer is also NBUS. I saw this set used a lot by you folks over the holidays and I finally crossed it off my wish list. It's from Mama Elephant's "Christmas Reindeer" set. This little guy was colored with my Ziggies. (Mind you, Hammy thinks that's a hamster wearing an antler headband!) I think the sediment is PTI. 

Challenges

• Merry Monday Christmas Challenge: Let It Snow!
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use those snippets!
• Rudolph Days: Anything Goes Christmas.
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Layer It Up.
• The Daily Marker: 30-Day Coloring Challenge.

 

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

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and a 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 to return the favor!

*Life is too short!

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

Every Day is a NEW Sunrise!

Hello, Stamplings!

Happy Happy Hum Day! I've decided to call it hum day rather than hump day. Wouldn't it be lovely if we all went around humming all day on Wednesdays?! I hope you'll join me!

Now keep in mind some people might not be in the mood for it until it catches on. Don't be surprised if the guy in front of you at the grocery checkout whips around and hisses, "Waderu so happy 'bout. eh?!" The first time it happened to me, I withered like a petunia in the desert heat. Now I just smile sweetly and say, "Cuz I'm irritating you!" No. Stop it. That's not what I say! That would defeat the whole porpoise.

In that spirit of cheerfulness I have two hopeful cards today:

Both of these cards were made with my NBUS STAMPloration stamps from the "New Beginning" set designed by my talented artist friend, Deepti Malik. I'm so glad I found this forgotten set as it stamps and colors like a dream and the messages are all uplifting!

I painted the top kraft card using my Wink of Stella colored brushes and the bottom card was colored with my Ziggies and then winked. There are five sediment verses with the two sun stamps, all of them beautiful and encouraging!

Challenges

• Moving Along With the Times: Clean and Simple. (CAS)
• TIME OUT Challenges: Inspired By Words.
• The Daily Marker: 30-Day Coloring Challenge.
• Words 2 Craft By: The Magic of Beginnings.

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As the first challenge comes to a close today over on the Twofer blog, I would like to thank all of you who have entered with your awesome feather cards! The participation and response have far surpassed even my wildest hopes and I appreciate your support so very much!! I also want to thank my wonderful Design Team: Anita, Bev, Carol, Kara, Loll, and Susanne, all of whom are a huge part of the success of our first challenge! The Winners will be announced on the 30th!

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

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and a 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 to return the favor!

*Life is too short!

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

 

Unconventional Valentine and Pillowy Pussy Willow Hello

Hello, Stamplings!

Welcome to the weekend already!! Most of us just slid on in, but I did notice a few of you had your heels dug in and sparks were flying out the back. It's a shame it didn't work and now you've ruined those shoes!

Did you know that St. Marher coined the phrase, "time nor tide wait for no man" in 1225? Think about that! 1225! And still we fight against it! (I sort of love that undying optimism!)

I've got another twofer for you today. Not a Twofer Card Challenge twofer, just two cards. I had planned to have a threefer for you, but a certain little varmint went to sleep on top of his wheel, fell off into his water bowl, which splashed water all over the card I was working on. That could be a good thing, but the water bowl itself tipped on its side and crashed into an open bottle of black ink refill. Not a good thing.

My onefer today is an unconventional Valentine!

Can Valentines be blue and green? Well, why not?  The pretty stained-glassish panel was made with Brushos and cling wrap. I love this technique! If you want to try it, you can find several videos on Loll's CAS Mix Up Challenge site. The cool NBUS heart die is one of three "Highlight Frames" from Simon Says Stamp. The sediment is from "Oh Happy Day" by Avery Elle.

Challenges

• CAS Mix Up Challenge: Cling wrap, stamping, Brushos, and die-cutting.
• CAS on Friday: Love/Valentine's Day.
• Calling All Sistahs: Clean and Simple.
• CAS(E) this Sketch!
• Stamping Sensations: Cold and frosty colours.

 

Twofer.

This card is inspiration for you for the current Inspired By All the Little Things challenge where I am hostess and my friend Linda is joining me again as Guest Designer. Thank you, Lin! Here is the photo inspiration:

Isn't that a delicious photo?! I hope I haven't made you go off the new year diet wagon! I was inspired by the quatrefoil 3D frosting, the colors, and the wee bird. The 3D embossing folder I used is from We R Memory Keepers. Of course I had to do some winking:

Challenges

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Birds of a feather.
• The Daily Marker: 30-day coloring challenge.

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

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse! I'm having my second cataract surgery this coming Tuesday. Thank you for your patience with me as I neglect your blogs because I'm not able to spend as much time on the computer. Mwah!

*Life is too short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling: Click 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 the 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!