Cheers! Joy!

Hello Stamplings!

Quick! Come in! Welcome inside from the triple digit temps we are having for a week! I'm not complaining because I know many of my European and American friends suffered with extreme heat for a lot longer this past summer.🫠And we are blessed to have air conditioning.

And, hey, it's October! We've made our way through ten cars on this twelve-car train called 2026! As it's the first Monday of this month's journey, the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar is I=Ink, so I revisited a couple of my favorite inky techniques.

Onefer

The leafy panel was made by smooching a NBUS Watercolor Resist Paper from Spellbinders into a pool of fall colored Lindy Magicals watercolor powders. Hammy and Stanley took turns manning (?) the spritzer pump to create just the right pool consistency for smooching the leafy resist paper. 

Then the fun continued when they donned their fluffy slippers and polished the panel after it was dry, which made the glossy leaves shine. You can see in the upper portion where it looks like the ink didn't cover well, but that's actually the schparkle magic that happens when you use Lindy's Magicals! 

I added die-cut leaves from SSS ("Lush Leaves") cut from glossy paper to keep the shine going and the die-cut sediment is from The Ton ("Easy Expressions Birthday").

Playing in: Color Hues (Amber and Burnt Red [two Clairol colors I tried out back in the '70s!👱🦰]); AAA Birthday (Big and Bold); and Little Red Wagon (Autumn Colors).

Twofer

I'm panicking a bit realizing that I have to mail my overseas Christmas cards in November and this train isn't stopping because I'm way behind. Gulp. But you do what you can and everyone is in the same boat. Erm, train. (I can't keep up with my own Ana Logies.)

The pretty pine cone image is from a NBUS red rubber stamp from Prickly Pear ("Pinecone ATC"). I colored it direct-to-stamp with markers, spritzed, and then stamped it on watercolor paper. There is a lined rectangle frame that's part of the image, but it didn't ink well. Then I biffed it further when I tried to draw it with my ruler and a marker, so I covered all that mess with a dark green pierced frame from Papertrey Ink. Then I added a mat of corduroy dusty coral paper to add even more dementia and interest. After flipping a carrot, Stanley had the pleasure of adding the heart punctuation.

Playing in: Addicted to Stamps and More (Christmas); and Snippets Playground (all snippets were used for the image, frame, and mat).

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

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

I'm sorry I haven't been around to visit and comment very often. I've been dealing with pain down my left leg since March. First, we checked the hip, next we checked the knee, and next I also developed something unpleasant called 'drop foot' on my right side. (At least now I list to both sides evenly, lol!) It turns out to be a compressed nerve in my back and I'm waiting for a date to start physical therapy, so hopefully things can decompress soon. 

I'm thankful I can still manage to make a couple of cards and a post once a week and I'm thankful for your kind visits to me even when I don't reciprocate as often as I'd like.❤️

Mwah!

*Life is too short!

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).

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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!

Floral Display and Santa's Sleigh

Hello Stamplings!

I hope that you are doing well! Welcome to the 2nd Monday of September ... haha, just seeing if you were paying attention! 

It's bad enough it's already August 10th! Which is D=Die Cut week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar and in an attempt to recognize the days are getting shorter, I put a little fall color in my Onefer.

This is a NBUS Hero Arts stamp and die set aptly called, "Flowers in Vase Bundle." I stamped the image in black and heat-embossed it in clear onto watercolor paper. I used my Ziggies to color everything and Hammy and Stanley softly blended the corners. I die-cut the image a second time to give it some lift and finished it off with a frame and sediment.

Playing in: A Cut Above (Die-cut with the Fall Flowers twist); AAA Birthday Flowers; and Addicted to Stamps and More! (Birthday).

Twofer

T'was the night before Christmas and the toys were all made.

Santa waved goodbye to his dear elf brigade.

The sky was all twinkly with bright stars overhead   

As Rudolph pranced forward, his nose oh so red.

All of a sudden there arose such a clatter!

Santa pulled on the reins to see what was the matter.

As the sleigh landed softly, masked men did appear!

Santa declared, "Now what have we here?"

One of them yelled, "Our horses are lame and we need your rig!

Get down from that sleigh now and don't flip your wig!"

Santa cried, "You must see that's not right!

The sleigh's filled with toys for delivery tonight!"

The robbers cared not and tossed Santa aside. 

Seeing them do this chaffed poor Rudolph's hide!

He broke free of the bridle and ran to his master.

Sitting beside him, the world seemed so much vaster.

Santa puffed on his pipe, as the wind tickled his beard.

"Well, Rudy," he mused, "That was certainly weird."

"It will all work out," he added, still jolly,

"But before we start walking, I've a message for Lolly.

I'm sorry CAS Christmas that I cannot play!

I was robbed very rudely of my beautiful sleigh!"

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.

This is just in fun. You know Santa could conjure up

 a replacement sleigh so the children get their toys!

Supplies: NBUS Cottage Cutz, "Santa & Reindeer Resting." Poppystamps, "Stitched Landscape." Night sky schplattered by Hammy and Stanley.

Playing in: Snippets Playground Challenge 538 (Die was cut five times using red, white, black, brown, and gray snippets.); Just Us Girls (Die week); and Christmas Kickstart (Friendship).

I still can't believe I don't have a sleigh in all my schtuff, but if you do, CAS Christmas is a challenge for you!

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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!

Take A Hike! Eat Some Cake!

Hello Stamplings!

For all who celebrated yesterday, I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day whether you spent the day with family, friends, or memories.🫶💐

In addition to Mother's Day with the family, I had a great time with my dear friend last week! Now it is good to be back with you during D=Die week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar!

Onefer

"Take a Hike" is truly an official holiday, but it isn't until November 17th. That date happens to be son Dan's birthday and he grew up to be a big hiker, but this card is not for him. Instead ...

... I'm borrowing the holiday for grandson Adam who is studying for finals. College is very stressful, so when he can, Adam gets out in nature to hike and fish. When I saw these hiking boots ("Wander Boots" from Spellbinders), I immediately got them to surprise Adam with a card! 

The boots die was a bit fiddly for me, but I love how realistic and detailed they are. (Next time I'm going to scruff them up a bit!) The white heat-embossed sediment is from PTI and the e/f is, "Textured Impressions Square Lattice" from SU. 

I'm playing in Allsorts (Monochromatic or A/G), Snippets Playground (A/G with snippets ~ I used snippets for all the boot and sediment bits), and 613 Avenue Create (A/G w/ option of May flowers).

Twofer

AAA Birthday is celebrating their 7th blog birthday, so naturally, I made a cake! 

I decided to make a blue velvet cake, topped with a thin blueberry glaze, which I lined with my Wilton Tip No. 26 [fine-line]. I framed the border using my NBUS "Double Frames" from PB, but I only added one frame. The scalloped edge and score lines give the fondant visual interest, which Hammy elevated by bringing out the schprayer! The light dusting of spring colored baking ink was perfect against the deep blue-violet glaze.

But then! Poor thing! Just as he was finishing up, Hammy's foot caught in the tubing and down he went schplat on his face! Oh, my, how we laughed and laughed! (He is still on a sugar high from cleaning himself!) Wiping up the mess and the tears that were running down my leg, I suddenly realized that the client was on her way over to pick up the cake, so I quickly added a second frame layer, which nicely covered the schplat. Phew!

Next, I pulled the whipped cream greeting from the fridge, so glad I had made it earlier! To create the layers of solid and fine lines, I used my NBUS die from poppystamps, called, "Birthday Wishes Moonlight Script," using an off-set spatula and Wilton Tip No. 103 [ultra].

Happy Birthday and many, many more!

I'm playing in: AAA Birthday (A/G 7th birthday!🎂), Just Us Girls (Die Week: Sentiments), and Krafty Chicks (Birthday).

~~~

Enjoy your week! 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!

Go Fly a Kite! And Have a Birthday Burger!

Hello Stamplings!

I mean that title in the best way, of course! Yesterday was Go Fly A Kite Day! I know many of you weren't flying kites, however, and I hope your property wasn't damaged by the nasty line of storms and tornadoes over the last several days.🤞 

I brought a little friend of Hammy's to brighten your Monday . . . 

Onefer

As it turns out, I gave my kite dies and stamps away (or they're in the wrong cupboard🤪), so this beloved Stampingbella stamp is standing in with his heart balloon kite! His name is Milton. I think you can see why Hammy loves him!

It's E = Embossing week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar. I stamped Milton with Versamark and then heat-embossed him in copper e/p. Hammy waited on board with his winker while I painted Milton with my Ziggies. 

After wards, I used my SU Subtle e/f to emboss him and the yellow background panel. Someone might have mistookenly stamped Milton crooked, so I cut down the panel and placed it an angle, so his left foot is level now. And then what happened was, we loved painting, winking, and embossing Milton so much, we did it again:

It's especially easy making two when you use the same colored brushes. I wish I would remember to do doubles (or more) of all my cards every time. Slap! I stamped this guy level, but a little too far to the right, so I used metallic stickers on the left to balance him.

I'm playing in the Alphabert Challenge (Z is for Zoology - any animal) and Krafty Chicks (CAS).

Twofer

I noticed a couple of challenges which reminded me I have this excellent NBUS Washi tape from Alexandra Renke for making easy manly birthday cards. For the sketch challenge, I used a circle die to cut out the bbq kettles and then backed them with black circles, so they would stand out against the texture of this SU e/f.

I used the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches, flipping it horizontally, and AAA Birthday wants us to use Washi Tape.

Here you can see the Washi tape uncut:

Alexandra Renke's papers and Washi tapes are incredibly artistic and detailed. And beautiful. For this roll, there are actually seven different paintings of grills and a set of grilling tongs before the images repeat! If you've got a griller (male or female) in your family, it's a great design! 

Or, if you don't plan to make 1500 cards, I'd be happy to share my roll with you. They peel on and off paper easily, so I can stick a few pulls on a coupla card panels and pop them in the mail to you. Just let me know.

~~~

If I had the energy and if I knew 20 years ago what I know now, I would have started a Clearinghouse for our hobby. You could send in the NBUS or gently-used products which you don't want any more and get a credit, which you could then spend on other people's discards.

Wouldn't that be a great idea? Especially more so now with the cost of everything being so high. I'm sure all the famous designers and companies read my blog🤣, so maybe someone will take the idea and run with it! Or maybe someone has and I've never heard of it?

~~~

Enjoy your week! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!* Go fly a kite!

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! 

p.s. I just realized it is Earth Day on Wednesday this week! Give the earth a hug!!

*Life is too short!

Happy Say What?

Hello Stamplings!

When I was checking out what happy thing we should celebrate this week, what with wars and all, I came across something that made me laugh so hard, tears were running down my leg. I startled Hammy and he fell off the rim of the wastebasket where he had been practicing his schplattering. He fell straight onto a wad of masking tape (now covered with schplatters), which, of course, stuck to his fur. He's fine, but I've got the jiggles all over again!

Here you go. This is what the Interwebs told me we should celebrate on March 9th: The first site said, "Panic Day!" and then immediately below, the second site said, "Get Over It Day!" Okee-doekey.

Let's talk cards and forget everything else. This is the second Monday of March and my I.D.E.A.S. Calendar is D = Dies and there are a few challenges where the prompt is also dies/die cuts. Plus, I was inspired by the 12th Birthday celebration at the TIMEOUT Challenges. The talented Stef Perry of Perry Papercrafts is the Muse with a beautiful card for us to CASE. 

Stef's card is on the TO prompt below and this is my CASE:

Thank you, Stef, for the inspiration and thank you Nonni and Sandie for starting this wonderful challenge all those years ago!

I started with a piece of schplattered pp and layered that with a piece of embossed paper which I inked using a brayer. 

I'm trying to use some of the thousands of sheets of gorgeous pp I've got, so I used some of it to cut this NBUS die from Alexandra Renke. And then what happened was, I got into a die-cutting fugue and cut about 22 of them! I wish I was kidding, considering I'm trying to use my schtuff, not add to it, but they looked so pretty cut from pp. The gold-embossed sediment was in my stash.

Also playing in AAA Birthday - Die Cuts and Just Us Girls - Die Week.

Morefers

Ahem, speaking of die-cutting fugues! I didn't even count the dozens of butterflies I made. It gets rather addictive! I'm happy to say that I made three of each color before I stopped, which was good for my stash because I was out of birthday cards. And now it occurs to me that I can tuck one or two butterflies in the cards when I send them out. I used a Tim Holtz plaid stencil and the charming sediment is from HLS.

I was inspired by the current sketch by Karren at Freshly Made Sketches and the "Anything With Wings" challenge at Seize the Birthday and 613 Avenue Create Also: Inkspirational - Use stencils (option plaid) and Krafty Chicks - Birthday and Just Add Ink (Stencils-Dies or Both).

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

And remember, go ahead and panic, but only for a little bit, and then get over 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!

*Life is too short!