Happy Gal N. Tine's!

Hello Stamplings!

I hope this finds you well or you soon will be! 

I made some cards! There are so many challenges celebrating Valentine's Day, or Galentine's Day, or Hearts-n'-Love-For-No-Reason-Day that it's hard not to be inspired! It's "D = Dies/Die Cuts" week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar and I happen to have purchased a few things (cough) recently to help motivate me. 

Today's NBUS feature is the "Jar of Wishes" from Pinkfresh Studio. All the rest of the schtuffs I used today are BUS!

I cut the Jar of Wishes from a light gray cardstock and then again from vellum and used the matching stencil to add pink highlights. I cut the lid from a scrap of cork and then filled my Jar of Wishes with little pink and red heart flowers from Impression Obsession dies. The SWAK stands for "sealed with a kiss." Anyone remember writing those letters on the flap of envelopes back in the last century? SWAK is from Penny Black and it comes in a 3-pack with XOXO and I💗YOU.

For the background I used one of those O(ld)BUS narrow embossing folders, shown here with Ms. Val:

Just to be different, I alternated embossing and debossing down the length of the card front. Here's a close up of the card:

Playing with: Pinkfresh February Challenge and Little Red Wagon.

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Next I used a NBUS die that was a gift last Galentine's Day from my friend Ang, lovingly known to many of you across the pond as Mrs. Duck. Hammy calls it a quilt die because it has so many panels and there are so many designs you can make with it. My puzzle-lovin' heart had a ball!

Playing with: Color Hues.

Playing with: Just Us Girls.

Playing with: Addicted to Stamps and More and CAS on Friday

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

And enjoy the Olympics! It's impressive to see all the athletes so dedicated to their sport, but it's also emotional as they alternate between the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. It was so sad that Lindsey Vonn broke her leg, but she sure gave it her all!

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and thank you so much for the warm welcome back to Blogland last week!

I'll leave with my annual crocus photo. They are sure to bring a smile, especially if you are still snowbound and frigid! I'm sorry, what?

*Life is too short!

Panda Posies and Preggers

Greetings, Stamplings!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend! Along with all the beautiful blossoms this time of year comes all the unbeautiful allergies! I don't usually suffer from allergies, although the Mister does, but today my eyeballs were not happy about some pollen or other. God bless all your sneezey noses!

Onefer 

Speaking of sneezey noses, I hope you can see the little bouquet of posies that the sweet panda bear is smelling. His name is Razzle and he's going over Hill and under Dale to dazzle his friend Parsnip. Right now he is having a bit of a sit down to wait out the rain shower so he doesn't get his posies or his toesies wet.

I used lots of snippets and different companies for this one. The umbrella and raindrops are from Simon Says Stamp, "Umbrella Shaker." Part of the die makes raindrops so I used the negative as a stencil to lightly pounce raindrops in the background using (what else) PTI's Spring Rain ink.

The NBUS panda is from Fiskars, "Day at the Zoo." The NBUS "friend" is from "Friends Forever" by Clearly Besotted and the rest of the NBUS sediment is from Hero Arts. 

Challenges

• CAS on Sunday: Use a stencil.
• Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies: AG.
• The Heart Desires: Spring photo challenge.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Showers and/or flowers.
• Watercooler Wednesday: Spring.

~~~

Twofer

It looks like someone is having a baby!

I used my NBUS stitched frame dies from Die-Namics. The young mother-to-be is a sweet image sent to me with several others by my friend Aileen. (Thank you, Aileen!) The sediment is from Your Next Stamp, "Whatnot Sentiments Four." 

I thought this stamped image (which I colored with Ziggies and pencils) would be perfect for this week's CASology challenge which is "Grow!" I'm also entering the current Your Next Stamp color challenge and the first anniversary (congratulations CWS!) challenge at Creative With Stamps which is "Baby."

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A Bit of a Breakie Poo

I'm going to step away from the computer for a coupla weeks or so. I can't believe it's almost May. I'm either slowing way down or Father Time is on speed ~ prolly both! 

So what's happened is I feel like I'm never going to finish my big box of half-made cards or try out my long list of techniques if I don't take a break from Blogland. It really is true that we see lots more squirrels as we get older and you talented artists keep distracting me with more all the time! I need to dedicate some time for concentrating on those things you've already inspired me to create.

Not to mention that it's spring which means purging and cleaning are calling me. I've been making cards and blogging the last few years and now things in both the Bighouse and the Playhouse really need a good Purge and Polish. 

I will be checking my emails/comments from you. If you do a post that you know I'd love to see, please feel free to send me an email to let me know. Otherwise, I'll be back to visit your blogs and challenges before you know it! Hammy and I will be rejuvenated and spiffed up with a lot of cards to share!

I hope! You know what happens to the best-laid plans ... and besides, I'll miss you, so we'll see how long I can stay away!💋

~~~

Enjoy your days to come!  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!

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Glittery Butterfly Glittery Home

Greetings, Stamplings!

Happy Sun Day! It just occurred to me that clouds are only so deep, right? So that means that no matter where you are (unless it's night), even if it's cloudy and you can't see it, the sun is still shining above you! 

We've had a busy few days with What Knot and Such and Such and you're in the middle of your weekend, so let's cut to the chase.

Wait a sec. You prolly want to know where the expression "cut to the chase" comes from, doncha? Well, when the film industry switched from silent films to talkies, there was a lot of unnecessary dialogue and people got bored. When film directors saw this happening, they would yell, "Let's cut to the chase," whereupon the dialogue ceased and the action (such as a car chase) would begin!

~~~

A Glittery Butter Fly

A lot of you may recognize the card base as being from a note card set designed and sold by Concord & 9th. I thought they would come in handy for QACAS cards for my stash. For this thinking-of-you design, I used one of the Concord & 9th cards to die cut the Memory Box Darla and Vivienne butterflies. I liberally glossed and winked them. The NBUS sediment is from the Waltzingmouse set, "Say It Loud."

Challenges

• Addicted to Stamps and More: Photo inspiration: color.
• Butterfly Challenge: Use glossy accents and/or slate blue. (You can just see a bit of slate blue color in the butterfly.)
• CAS on Sunday: Critters.

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A Glittery Home

I have another new home card for you. Is 2017 the Year of the Move?

I wish you could see the schparkle and glitter on this card! The panel is an ancient paper that has speckles of glitter baked right into the paper. I have trouble using it. I usually take it out, fondle it, let Hammy rub his whiskery chin on it, and put it back. But no more hoarding, people! (That would be a funny sentence without the comma.)

The chalet roof, window, window box, and flowers are from a NBUS MFT Die-namics "Home Sweet Home" die which also has house sides and doors. The glittery ric rac zig zag paper is from DCWV. I white heat-embossed the "New" from "Everyday Sentiments" by Happy Little Stampers. The fun NBUS "home" die is from Winnie & Walter.

Challenges

• Double D Challenges: Ric Rac Zig Zag.
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes.
• TIME OUT Challenges: Photo inspiration. Whimsy colors and patterns.
• Winnie & Walter 3rd Birthday Bash: Bright Colors Challenge With Lydia.

~~~

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 to return the flavor!

*Life is too short
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If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave me
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And Now ... Back to Christmas Future

Greetings, Stamplings!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to comment on the STAMPlorations Blog Party on my last post. I'll announce the winner of the $25 GC on November 30th, so there's still time to get in on the action if you'd like!

It must seem strange to bloggers from other countries to see us American bloggers flip-flopping back and forth between Christmas posts one day and Autumn/Fall/Thanksgiving posts the next. But what can we do with the two holidays literally just four weeks and three days apart?! And, of course, we have to mail our cards, don't we, so that means ...

Oh, pother, never mind. We'll just soldier on as best we can! I have more Autumn/Fall/Thanksgiving cards in the curlieque, but today's featured cards are for Christmas:

This card was designed around a piece of Brusho art I made. Can you see the sort of "shattered" lines that look like frost on the window? They came from scrunching cling wrap on top of the Brusho paint while it's still wet. You let it sit for an hour or so and then when you lift the wrap, you get this cool effect. I hated to even cut the piece, but I do like how it looks like an icy frost through the window frame. The window frame was cut with a Poppystamps die called, "Small Madison Window." The heat-embossed MFT sediment is from "Season's Sentiments."

When your embossing powder puckers, does that mean it's old or is it just crappy powder? This one is old and I haven't used it for a while, but I don't think it ever melted smoothly. I just pretend I meant for it to do that.

ETA: I've had an inquiry about the white cardstock from someone who has not left me a way to contact them. It is from England and I first fell in love with it when I was gifted some by my friend Anita. Another friend and I went in together and purchased some from a company called Handy Hippo Crafts. You may be able to find other sources for it. If you have any other questions, please email me or leave me your email address in your comment. Thank you!

Challenges

• City Crafter: Beach colors for Christmas.
• Sweet Stampers: (Brand new, challenge #1!) Christmas.

 

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Next up is a Christmas critter you might be familiar with:

Hammy is being represented today by a stamp by Big Red. He is fussy cut and you may just be able to see that the photographer gave him a liberal coat of Perfect Pearls "Biscotti" because the spray tan that human celebrities use is too harsh for Hammy's fine fur. 

The NBUS sediment was free from Whimsy Stamps and Hammy is posing in shimmer paper holly leaves cut from a Memory Box die called, "Glowing Candles" (sans the candles). The plaid Santa hat is NBUS from Tim Holtz Bird Crazy Accessories. I told him he looked quite dashing in it, so now he refuses to take it off! Hammy, I mean, not Tim! 

Challenges

• CAS on Sunday: Pets.
• The Heart Desires: Photo Inspiration: photo and colors. (Check out the Hammy in the photo!)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets. Scrambling under the gate tonight!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Christmas critters.
• Virginia View Challenge: Stripes or plaid. Just missed it.

~~~

I leave you with a "Yule" camellia closeup from the garden.

~~~

Enjoy the weekend! 
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 walla, 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!

Enjoy Life ~ With Coffee

Greetings, drinkers!

Thanks in part to the coffee and tea industries we have whooshed around to another Friday! Do you know after today there are only TWELVE more Fridays until Christmas!

I'm sorry! Please get up slowly. I don't think your knee is meant to be bent that way, sweetie.

Here, have a cuppa:

 

A QACAS OLC full of cuteness and mischief. I don't drink a lot of coffee or have a lot of coffee stamps so I am very grateful to Hammy for coming up with this fun design! 

The NBUS grinning Cheshire is from the "Joy to the World" stamp set by Penny Black. In the set, kitty is holding a Christmas present. I surgically removed the gift and now a NBUS coffee cup from "Hot Concoctions" by Paper Smooches is teetering in his hands. The sediment is from GKW. The Washi tape was applied twice as a border and then a wee piece of it was placed on the take-out coffee cup protection band. The schmear of ink covering the sediment is a NBUS stamp from "Jumbo Abstract Art" by MFT.

(I'm sitting here chuckling at that border. I simply laid down the first border strip near the card edge and then laid down the second strip without even trying to line up the pattern so I'm pretty chuffed that that happened!)

Challenges

• 2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. Sliding in just under the wire for Amy's fun hop!
• CAS On Sunday: One-Layer Card.
• CASology: Cute.
• Make My Monday: No Patterned Paper.
• SSS Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes.
• STAMPlorations Theme and Sketch Challenge: Monochrome.

~~~

And I'm Off!

As a lot of you know, I get together with my sisters for a few days every year, so I'm flying off again to do that. This year I am traveling to the lakes of Minnesota to enjoy their company and see other relatives and friends. I'll be gone for a coupla weeks, so please let me know if you live in the MSP area and would like to meet!

Sadly this means my visits to you will not be happening again for a while. I feel like I've been such a bad bloggie friend this whole year and I'm very sorry about that. My hope is that next year I will be able to get back into my routine. I truly miss my visits and commenting. Thank you to all of you who have stayed steadfast and continue to visit me and leave me some love!

~~~

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!

*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 walla, 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!