Life's a beach and then it's Christmas

Hello Stamplings!

I'm sorry I'm so late. I've been down to Police Headquarters filing a Missing Week Report. It did make me feel better seeing the long lines of people doing the same thing. I'm pretty sure I saw you, but you were in the line by the green door and it was too far to yell without seeming uncouth. That's one of those funny words that you rarely hear the other part of. Hmm, if I were couth, I wouldn't end a sentence with a dangly partisouple.

Onefer

This Beach Baby from Penny Black has been around awhile and she recently crawled into my shopping cart. You just can't help but smile at her and when I saw the little baby on the Double D "Signs of Summer" mood board, I had a blast painting this image to match with my Ziggies. I painted the red stripes on her swimsuit top and put white gel drops on her hat and Hammy painted her toenails! The image and sediment (from the same set) are heat-embossed in liquid platinum. I was going to paint on some waves, but I decided to leave well enough alone.😱

Challenges

• Double D: Signs of summer.
• Happy Little Stampers: AG Watercolor.
  
• The Card Concept: Long summer days. Style: clean and simple.
• The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers: W is for watercolor.
  

Twofer

This QACAS design was so easy, it was ridiculous. I used a panel of gold and vellum card from a paper pad to cover the front of my card and then simply die-cut and attached the tree and star from MFT called Christmas Tree Win. It really looks quite mod without a sediment considering it pretty much screams Christmas, but then when I cock my head, I think, no, it needs a sediment, so I'm sure I'll add one. Or not.

Challenges

• Christmas 24: Trees and ornaments.
  
• Jingle Belles: Leave it in neutral (in this case metallic neutral).
  
• Rudolph Days: June. Anything Christmas goes.

Family Time

We had a wonderful Dad's Day celebration and I did remember to get a photo:

Adam, Dan, Henry, The Mister (aka Papa, aka Kevin)

And then we spent a busy week dog-sitting little Cisco. He has appeared here before, so you may remember he owns my sister-in-law. It was a hoot!

~~~

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy, and keep safe! 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!)

Colorful Thursday!

Hello Stamplings!

How was your week? Did you see the Super Flower Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse? Easy for me to say. It was awe-mazing! 

In this country, we are whooshing headlong into a holiday weekend. I hope you stay safe out there on the roads if you go out adventuring. No matter what, enjoy this last weekend in May because that's June standing over there on the Tuesday calendar square!

I've missed a few of my favorite challenges recently, so I'm pickled tink to be able to join today with these cards.

Onefer

It all started with the current Color Hues challenge where the colors are purple and teal. Teal is one of my all-time favorite colors. Purple not so much, but they do look cool together, especially with a touch of green. This card features a NBUS stamp from Cottage Cutz called, "Chrysanthemum Flower November" which I colored with Ziggies and Hammy winked. The scalloped die is from PTI.

The above card has too much green for the Color Hues challenge so I am entering this card instead:

For this QACAS design, I used ancient Bissell paper for the card base and the inset panel is a scrap of Brusho background in purple and teal, with a hint of lemon, which I hope is okay. The die is "Garden Poppy Stitched Frame" from poppystamps and the sediment is from SSS. 

Challenges

• Addicted to Stamps and More: Make your mark. #1
  
• Color Hues: Purple and teal. #2
• Double D: Flower of the month of November: Chrysanthemum. #1

Twofer

And this card started out being for the Rudolph Days challenge which runs from the 25th to the last day of the month. It's a wonderful way to build your stash throughout the year. The design spark came from a scrap of rainbow foil I wanted to use up. I paired it with the black framed evergreen trees ("Sloping Hillside" from poppystamps) and I love the nighttime Northern Lights feel that happened.  

The Joy sediment die is from Winnie & Walter and although the photo doesn't show it, even the bling gems are rainbow-colored.

Challenges

• Christmas 24: Christmas night #034.
  
• Jingle Belles: Bling on the holidays.
  
• Rudolph Days: Anything Christmas goes.
  
• Simon Says Stamp Monday: Frame it.
  
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything goes.

~~~

The Hamster Wheel of Life

My friend Susan shared this quote with me and I wanted to share it with you. It was written by her friend Gerry Trentham:

"June last year was pushed to this year, this year it's pushed to next year, next year may never come, what never comes might show up tomorrow, and tomorrow is, of course, only an idea and never a reality until it is today and then it's too late to do anything about it other than that which you are already doing."

I couldn't have said it better!

~~~

So live in the moment and 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. I'm still having pain when I type, so it will be slow-going on the return visits for a while longer. It means a lot that you keep coming by and leaving me love even when I can't make it by your place. 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!)

Texture and Goofballs

Hello Stamplings!

I feel guilty sitting here typing this on a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies when so many people are suffering from terrible weather and power outages. I continue to pray that the conditions improve soon. It sure feels a lot like 2020 is still with us and I'm continuing to be on the lookout for locusts.😱

We crafters carry on no matter what and even when we can't craft, we love seeing what our friends are creating, which keeps the circle going. I wish I could be on the computer longer to leave more comments, but know that I am seeing all your blogs and marveling at your creations!

Onefer

I wanted to use a jar of my NBUS Nuvo Embossing Mousse and the challenge at the February CAS Mix Up Card Challenge was the perfect opportunity. Nancy is the host and the prompt this month is Stencil Heat Embossing. 

To make this birthday card, I die-cut my own stencil using my NBUS "Prism Triangle Collage" from Birch Press Design and spatulated the mousse through it onto a charcoal gray card panel. Then I shot my heat gun at the moose, er, mousse and watched it plump up and expand. It looks cool in person, but I had to get a nose-close photo to really show it:

After that I ran the whole shebang through my Gemini using a Darice e/p to give the card even more textured personality. Then I popped up a simple sediment from GKW and attached the panel to a shiny silver card base. The texture and shine IRL are terrific. 

Challenges: CAS Mix Up (stamping, stenciling, embossing), SSS Monday Challenge (add some texture), and Watercooler Wednesday (A/G with a masculine twist).

Twofer

This little number karacks me up. It was fun to make. I used the dog and cat from the Paper Smooches "Chubby Chums" set. Then I went through several Penny Black Christmas stamp sets to find the perfect Santa hat that would fit their chubby heads and I stamped and colored and cotton-balled it times two. 

I think the sediment (which I had the critters hold up for me) is from Technique Tuesday. I used the Stately e/f to frame this unlikely couple of kooks, then masked the edges and let Hammy schplatter snow everywhere ... in addition, of course, to winking the Santa hats.

Challenges: CAS February Christmas Card Challenge (hosted by Susan with a theme of dogs and/or cats), Christmas 24 Challenge (cute animals), Christmas Cards All Year 'Round (beginning with C or D [cats/dogs], and Pixie's Snippets Playground - Ruby's Memory (snippets were used for the critters, hats, and sediment).

Reminder re Twofer

Thank you for all your wonderful 🎈BALLOON🎈 entries so far in this month's Twofer Card Challenge! The challenge ends on February 24th at 11:55 p.m. PST. On the blog, Designer Sonja has a fun Twofer to remind and inspire you! I hope you can join in the fun!

~~~

😢I hate to leave you on a sad note, but I want to let you know that I've lost two members of my bloggie family this week. Both crafty women had been bravely fighting cancer; one for a very long time and the other for a very short time. Both of these talented and wonderful women died too young and will be greatly missed. It reminds me again to tell you how much I appreciate you.💛

I hope you enjoy your day ... fully, totally, and truly enjoy your day. LITS* Take care and keep safe.

*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!)

Paper Hugs and Poinsettias

Hello Stamplins!

I guess I'm feeling very southern today. How y'all doin'? A lot of Americans went hog wild over Memorial Day weekend and time will tell if that was a dumb idea. I can't take any chances, so it was just three more days in paradise for us. Not really, because we are having unseasonably boiling hot temps up to a hunnert and five degrees this week.😳Thankfully, it's spose to cool off by the weekend.

So my non-crafty item I'm grateful for is not a little one today: it's air conditioning! And my crafty item I'm grateful for is glitter paper!

My friend Trina sent me a thank you card recently which I blatantly copied CASEd for this card. The beautiful NBUS glitter paper, which I had to immediately purchase, is from Memory Box and the NBUS paper hug sediment is from The Stamp Market. I'm not sure where the sweet stem is from because I borrowed a die at the last Lake House retreat.

Challenges

• HLS Anything Goes With Dies.
• Mix It Up: Anything goes. (Optional twist: masking.)
• The House That Stamps Built

Twofer

This is a study in smooching with broken china. Ouch! The wreath is from PTI, the fussy-cut poinsettias are from Waltzingmouse. The border frame is Pointed Rectangle from Poppystamps. You can't see it, but Hammy winked the poinsettias and a schparkly gem was placed in the centers. The sediment is from GKW. It was stamped in black and clear-embossed.

Challenges 

• Christmas 24: Christmas flowers.
• Christmas Kickstart: Wreathed in smiles.
• Retro Rubber Tic Tac Toe. Diagonal bottom left to upper right: flowers, embossing, die cut or punch. Wreath 2017, poinsettias, 2010, and border 2017.
• Rudolph Days: Anything Christmas goes.
• The Flower Challenge: Monochrome.

~~~

Nellie

I promised you more photos:

Here she is all unkempt, but still lovable. Nellie looks pretty cute, too! (We were having a pensive moment. If you look close, you can see my gray hair starting to show!)

And here she is bright white and shorn and looking alternately like a lamb or a puppy. Not bad considering she will be nine in July!

Dancing for a treat! (I need a Pull-It Surprise for taking that photo while dangling a treat!) According to the AKC regarding the Coton de Tulear breed: "... Amusing traits of these long-lived jesters include unique vocalizations and a knack for walking on their hind legs." We are so blessed to have rescued her. I have about eleventeen more photos and a recording the Mister made of her "talking" to him, but I'll spare you!

~~~

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!* Please continue to stay in if possible and take care when you have to be out and about.

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!)

Creativity During Corona

Hello Stamplings!

I hope you're doing okay, my friends.

I don't know why no one has thought of this yet, but why aren't we all doing Isolation Isometrics? (Should I © that?) Remember isometrics? It's an excellent type of exercise one can do all alone and without equipment. Just the thing for the current times when the gyms are closed. Isometrics still exists as far as I know, but it fell out of popularity after Jack LaLanne died, if not before. (I can only imagine the number of you reading that name and cocking your head to the side in the international symbol for, "WHO?")

Anyway, just a thought. If you try it, let me know how you like it. I would try it myself, but I can no longer hold a thought longer than ten seconds, let alone a mussel. 

Here's a Twofer to take your mind off everything.

Onefer

I noticed there are a coupla challenges with food and splats briefs. I beg your pardon. That didn't sound right, but this is what I came up with. 

I thought of this birthday card design because millions of families are experiencing togetherness like never before, which is a positive result of the pandemic. It's wonderful that parents and children are getting the opportunity to play board games, or put puzzles together, or cook and bake together. 

So I took a whisk and splat from Technique Tuesday, as one does, and came up with a visual of what I think a child would consider the coolest frosting EVER for a birthday cake. Of course, that would be rainbow frosting, especially if it's been glossified by a certain hamster. And because kids love to sign their work, I used an ancient wooden stamp from Rubberstamp Ave, dated 2002, to make the wonderful declaration of pride.

Everything was floating around, however, so I used narrow dotted Washi tape to grind everything to the center of the card. 

Challenges

• Less Is More: Scribbles, Drips, and/or Splats.
• Retro Rubber: Anything Goes.
• Seize the Birthday: Food and/or Drink.

 

Twofer

And then what happened was I checked my challenge links for ideas and I saw a sketch challenge I liked, so I made this:

I used the MFT Home Sweet Home die and cut it down to fit the sketch. The sediment and boots are from a Stampendous set. I colored the boots with my Ziggies and Hammy used Nuvo schparkly glimmer paste for the fur. Part of a rectangle scallop die and Washi tape were used for the horizontal bit.

Using Tim Holtz stencils, the chimney was blended with Fired Brick (of course) and the smoke was made with a white gel pen. There isn't a smoke stencil, as such. It's a sort of filigree stencil that I noticed had a swirly bit that looked like smoke so that's what I used. I added longer smoke lines by hand to make the bigger wisps work. Easy for you to say.

Challenges

• Christmas 24: Make it sparkle.
• Christmas Craft Creations: Use a stamp.
• HLS Christmas: Anything Christmas goes.
• Jingle Belles: Oh Christmas sketch, Oh Christmas sketch.
• Rudolph Days: Anything Christmas goes.

~~~

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

• If there's a baby boom nine months from now, what will happen in 2033? There will be a whole bunch of quaranteens.
• So many coronavirus jokes out there, it's a pundemic.
• What's the best way to avoid touching your face? A glass of wine in each hand!
• Feeling guilty about letting the kids watch too much TV? Just mute it and put the subtitles on. BOOM. Now they're reading!

My heartfelt sympathies to those who have lost loved ones to this terrible virus. I mean no disrespect when I share pandemic funnies. Laughter is more important than ever in times of uncertainty and anxiety.

Please take care, keep your distance, and keep safe!

*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!)