Holly and Joy, Two Girls From School

Hello Stamplings!

I'm in a rush. Yesterday I was in a tizzy. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be in volved. You feel me, right?

I'm popping in to share a coupla cards while my sugar cookies are baking in someone else's oven, she says hopefully.

This is Holly. She's from Stampin' Up. Her base color is platinum (natural) and her green and red accents are by Zigfield Ziggies. Just before she walked down the red carpet paneled runway, she was lightly winked by Hammy. She schparkled when the floodlights hit her as she walked with Grace. Grace was there to steady Holly because Holly is getting up there in years, yet somehow she never gets old.

Challenges

• Back to Basics: Resist technique.
• CAS Mix Up Card: Emboss resist, plus stamping, plus watercoloring.
• CAS Watercolour Card: Thank you.

Twofer.

And here we have Joy. Joy prefers to lie horizontal along a card for photos. She's a rather large-boned die and unlike the other girls in her family, she can't quite fit in the vertical position. I can relate. But, goodness, isn't she a beauty with her O turned into a filigreed fresh-fallen snowflake? Her full name is Seed Snowflake Joy and she came to me from Poppystamps. I dressed her in a cream bolero over a gold-infused coral* watercolor paper. 

Challenges

• Poppystamps: Merry & Bright.
• SSS Wednesday: Christmas.
• Watercooler Wednesday: All about occasions. Congrats on your 200th challenge!!!

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*Coral is the color of the new year declared Pantone. I'm not sure who Pantone is, but it's their job to tell us. I decorated my home in corals and blues back in the late 70s. The new color makes sense because have you noticed that lately you're seeing your old clothes (or your mom's) everywhere on the telly? Suddenly actresses aren't wearing the form-fitting gorgeous sheath dresses. Instead, they're wearing dresses with elastic waists (like old Simplicity patterns I used to make!) or long halter dresses that I used to love. Pants are high-waisted and flowery blouses have flowing sleeves. 

At first I thought I was having flashbacks that no one else could see (don't judge, I'm on a lot of meds), but then my friend told me at lunch yesterday she noticed the same thing. I mean, even wallpaper is making a comeback. What can be next? Pant suits, blue eye shadow, and headbands?

I love the memories it all brings back and the fact that I've lived long enough to see it cycle back! For proof, yes, that's little ol' me in a grainy photo taken August 1970. I'm looking adoringly at the Mister from atop the ferris wheel at Asbury Park, NJ. Aaaah.

~~~

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! 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!)

Stencil Monoprint Tipple

Hello Stamplings!

Happy Toozday! Thank you all for your kind support and prayers for our little Adam. And for me, too. We are both doing fine, considering. Now hows about you? How are you doing? I am keeping up with all your wonderful comments, which are so appreciated, but it seems like ages since I've visited and I hope to get back with everyone soon. I especially wonder how you are doing if you are in PA and points east due to the rain and flooding.

As the title suggests, ... wait. What? That title is definitely not right! It should say Stencil Monoprint TRIple which is what I achieved when I tried my hand at stencil monoprinting for the current CAS Mix Up Card Challenge. I first tried this technique at the Retreat in Vancouver and if you want to learn more about how it works, there is a list of great videos on the current CAS Mix Up blog. I didn't have a lot of success with multiple inkings at the Retreat, but this time I was able to extract three monoprints!

Here is my onefer stencil print:

For my stencil, I used a NBUS MFT Mix-Ables stencil. I inked it in the colors shown using Distress Oxides and once dry I embellished the panel with an Impression Obsession 6-n-1 scalloped frame and a NBUS Thinking of You die from Concord & 9th. Remember "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" story from your toddlerhood? Well, this monoprint is too busy to be CAS, so it's no good for the CAS Mix Up Challenge. Also, there is no stamping on it, but it is good for these fun challenges:

• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use those snippets.
• Where Creativity Meets C9: Anything goes.

Let's look at my twofer stencil printing:

To design a card with my second printing and to compliment the background, I used my NBUS Altenew "Dearest Friend" stamps and die, a NBUS MFT hello die, and a NBUS "there" stamp from WPlus9. The flowers were colored in pastel shades with my Ziggies and popped up in your face.

There is stamping on this card, and die-cutting, and it is less busy, but is it less busy enough to be properly CAS? Nope. But it is good for these challenges:

• AAA Cards: Friendship.
• Cards in Envy: Something new (NBUS).

And, lastly, here is my threefer printing:

To showcase this subtle background, I used a stamped and clear-embossed cone flower silhouette stamp from SU. The black is very schparkly in real life. A little love note border of Washi tape balances the design and stands in as a sediment.

There is quite a bit of white space and simplicity with this design because, remember, black or colored space can be "white," too. As long as it is free or uncluttered space, it can be any color. So, yes, this is Clean And Simple. And there is stamping. And I have a third required element of heat embossing. So this card is just right! Thank you, Goldilocks © 2018.

Here are my three printings together with the stencil.

This was truly fun! I don't often get all inky and, of course, you know Hammy loves it when I do. He will take any opportunity to color his fur, especially since the Oxies came out. The softer shades really go with his natural coloring and if I don't remember to clean him off before he goes back in his cage, he has the prettiest bedding in Hamsterdam!

Challenges:

• CAS Mix Up Card Challenge: Stencil monoprint.
• Shopping Our Stash: Silhouettes.
• The Flower Challenge: One-layer card.

~~~

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! 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!)

Reminder TCC #7 ~ Hammy and the Teacup

Hello Stamplings!

JUWelcomeLY!

I hope you had a great weekend! The Mister and I went to beautiful Monterey for a destination wedding and had a super time. The wedding couple have known each other for six years and yet they were literally jumping up and down and giggling with happiness! Well, the bride was, but we could tell the groom was giddy on the inside! We've known him since he was a baby, so it was a very special celebration.

I came home and got busy with the hamster making reminder cards for you for the July Twofer Card Challenge. The prompt is "Beverage" and, of course, these cards HAD to happen! He was very good about sitting in the teacup for me to take many photographs until late in the afternoon.

Just look how chuffed he is to be the center of attention again!

Onefer

The background is an embossed glossy paper which I made into a shaker card. I bought some glittery tulle (cough) months ago when everyone else was using it to make their shaker card fronts and I finally got around to using it. I love the look. I'm sorry I didn't get a good angled shot showing the schparkle in the tulle and the little bits of jewels.

This sweet Hammy is stamped using a Your Next Stamp stamp and die set called "Hammie - Coffee and Tea." (The name is misspelled, but that's okay.🐹) The stamped sediment is from MFT.

Challenges

• Just Add Ink: Just add "T" = Teacup.
• Lost Coast Portal to Creativity: No human body.
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Add a little sparkle.

 

Twofer

Using the same hamster teacup, I made this birthday design. Because I colored the teacups in rainbow hues, I left the hamsters uncolored. I'm questioning that choice now as they do look a bit like the albino hamster family you find in the very back of the pet store!

The background is a piece of specialty paper from GKW that I've had in my stash forever. The flagged "Happy" die is from PTI. I layered it a few times for more dementia. Hammy thinks if you squint your eyes, it looks like it says "Hammy!"

I don't often say when I really like one of my own cards because, you know, I'd rather hear it from you, but I have to say it this time. With all that winking and glossing on those teacups, the sheen and design of the background, that silly smiling hamster, and the thick special shelf for the teacups, I'm crazy in love with this one!

Challenges

• CAS Mix Up Challenge: Colour your die cuts, stamping, and die-cutting.
• Inkspirational: Birthday.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets!

~~~

Thank you if you've already played in this month's Twofer Card Challenge!

If you haven't played, won't you give it a try? Many of you say the thought of making two different designs with the same stamp or die is intimidating. It might help if you think of it as making two cards for two different sketches. Make them two days apart, if that helps, but don't forget to capture them both in one photo for linking. A lot of us make several different coffee-related card designs throughout the year, so I know you can do this beverage thing!💕

~~~

Surprise Give Away!

Since I showcased Hammy in the teacup as my "beverage" cards today, he wanted to offer a special prize to one lucky commenter. No matter where you are in the world, if you would like to be in a draw for your own "Hammie - Coffee and Tea" set, please say so in your comment! I will announce the winner in my next post in a few days.

 Your Next Stamp

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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! 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!)

Flying Gnats and a Coupla Cards

Hello Stamplings! I hope this finds you feeling terrific!

I'm dealing with a bad case of random thinking. I've told you before that at my age, I'm finding my thoughts have become word gnats. They flit in and out of my consciousness in such a way that I can't form a complete sentence, find the right words, or remember what it was I was going to tell you.

When I compare my thoughts to gnats, do you know the bug I'm talking about, or is gnat a regional word? You might call them chiggers, or midges, or fruit flies, or no-see-ums. They are pesky minuscule flying critters that sometimes fly around your left eyebrow, your ear, or the base of your nostrils. The phrase that something "bugs you" comes from being harassed by one or more of these guys!

You start by just waving your hand in front of your face. That doesn't work. You do it a few times anyway.

Now you're getting slightly agitated so you try to kill the dang thing by clapping your hands. As an external optimist, each time you clap, you are positive you caught it and you open your hands expectantly, only to find them empty. Before you can even go back to typing or coloring, it's back again!

By the fourth or fifth time, you completely lose your mind and just start clapping the air all around your face like a woman possessed, elbows flying, until you get too close to your own fool face and knock your glasses off your nose which sends them flying across the desk and onto the floor where they skid to a halt under the legs of your (dog)(hamster)(cat). Because, you know, by now you've woke the critter, who stands there ears up and eyes wide, ready to save you. He's not sure from what, because he can't see anything and, by the way, is that you? He isn't sure, given your disheveled hair and clothes, your red face, and that wild and crazy look in your eyes. And why are you panting? Play ball?

Well, there you go. I was telling you all this to explain how I was having trouble corralling my thoughts to open my post today and now you've prolly clicked off because the opening is too long!

Tomorrow's word of the day will be "irony."

~~~

If you stayed (or scrolled) through all that, real quick here are my cards:

An uber QACAS card, this sweet thing was made with PB Stickeroos. I matted the image to a colored card base and added a simple sediment punctuated by a trio of flat sequints.

Challenges

• Always Fun Challenges: Anything goes.
• Less Is More: Olive and Tangerine.

Twofer

It's Christmas in July throughout Blogland and I used a "Stitched Poinsettia" die from Poppystamps to make this bright red and juicy card. I cut the image from the card base and left the cut in the opening. Then I cut it twice more, once again in red, and once in green for the leaves, which I plumped with my stylist. The "merry" die is also from Poppystamps, cut from white foam.

Challenges

• AAA Cards: Christmas in July.
• CAS Mix Up July Challenge: Coloured die cut, stamping, and more die-cutting. (Oops. I went to link my card and I misread the brief. Please note YOU are to color your die cuts, not cut your dies from color paper!) Alternatively, I will enter this in the CAS Christmas Challenge as my second entry for "Poinsettia."
• Stamp Ink Paper: Christmas in July.

~~~

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! 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!)

Encrusted Embellies

Hello Stamplings!

If you aren't into mixed media, you might be thinking, "Oh, dear, that is too bad. She's left her embellishments out in the rain and now they've all become encrusted." Or you might think I have some new medical condition and you're hoping it's not contagious!

I'm good, thank you, and I'm tickled to share some playthings with you from my recent holiday adventures:

Onefer

I should have taken a photo of my beautiful encrusted birds from the side so you can see the stunning texture and dementia from another angle. The colors and schparkle are really bedazzling IRL. This is a cool technique I played with during the ESCR get-together. It's not the kind of card you can send in the mail unless you want to ship it like a teacup made of the finest china and pay a small six figure ransom. Instead, my little friend Verna is sadly back in the hospital again so I will give it to her when I visit tomorrow.

Making encrusted embellies for your cards involves lots of layers of embossing powders and glitters and flakes of anything ranging from red pepper to snow. I mean, if you want. There are no limitations and if you can't get the pancake griddle out of your husband's sight, you can use your heat gun. For more information, Mr. U. Tube can help you or, better yet, you can visit Lolly and she'll explain it better than I can. 

Challenges

• CAS Mix Up: Layered embossing powders, stamping, and die-cutting.
• CAS(E) This Sketch.
• Less Is More: Friendship

Twofer

Here's a birthday card with an encrusted butterfly I made using the same technique:

And here's a closeup so you can see all the spectacular marbling:

Challenges

• Butterfly Challenge: The letter M. I have a butterfly, mint green, and marble effect.
• CAS on Friday: Embossing.
• Watercooler Wednesday: Gail's All About Occasions NOTE: They are having a DT call!

Finally, here is a photo of all the beautiful encrusted embellies we made at the retreat:

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Editorial: Well That's a Fine Kettle of Fish

By now we all know about the Blogger issues with comment notifications no longer appearing in our inboxes, but has anyone noticed that we all now seem to be "no reply bloggers?" A "no-reply blogger" is a blogger who hasn't entered his/her email information in settings and that means their readers are unable to click on their underlined names in a comment to send an email reply in response to any questions.

I noticed this week that all of you who have left comments are now classified as "no reply bloggers" when I know some of you weren't before. I'm assuming this is another protection we have been given by Blogger thanks to GDPR even if we didn't request it. I know I shouldn't complain because it's a free service, but it would be so easy for them to send out a mass mailing to let us know when changes are made, why, and if we can override them.

Having said all that, my research is not scientific and I could be wrong. To test whether my suspicions are right or wrong, I would like to know what happens when you click on my name in any comment I leave on your blog. I'm way behind in my visits, so the next time I leave you a comment, when you click on my name a normal email box should open. I have set up my settings so that my email address should appear in the top line. Does it? Or on the address line does it say my name, followed by "noreply-comment@blogger.com" for my address?

I hope I'm wrong and my email address appears as it should. I'll feel like a silly old fool, but I'm okay with that. If it doesn't appear, then my (and your) settings have been circumvented!

Sorry for the rant, but I enjoy the social aspects of blogging as much as I do sharing my cards and I'll be very sad if the new rules impact us innocents and reduce or prevent us from being able to easily connect with each other as we've been able to do for many years.

~~~

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! 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!)