Coloring With Water

Hey! How's it going?

Today I'm joining in the Watercolor Hop being hosted by Paulina on her Pretty Pink Posh website. There are pro watercolor card artists appearing as guests (which means oodles of inspiration) and lots of prizes being offered.

The hop runs from June 5-8, 2015. I hope to see you there!

For my first card, I honored Dad's Day again. This time I used a stamp of a delicious martini, complete with fishies and a fishing pole stir stick! I heat embossed the stamp image in black to give it more interest and teschure. (Sorry, I had to drink it after removing the hathards. I wasnit gonna let it go to wathp.)

The stamp is from Impression Obsession (E2295). I watercolored it with Distress Inks by smooshing the sunset-colored ink pads onto my acrylic block and painting with my water brush. These colors were chosen because of a phrase we often use around here, which we first heard spoken by a gas station attendant while we were on a camping vacation thirty years ago.

"Yes, sir," he said to the Mister, "when the hills are pink, it's time for a drink."

The sediment is from Imaginations. The border was made by die-cutting a Simon Says Stamp "Grid Border" and using it as a stencil to watercolor inside the boxes.

Challenges

• AAA Cards: For the Guys.
• Pretty Pink Posh: Watercolors.
• Stamplorations: Sketch for June.
• Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps: Let's Here It for the Boys Blog Hop.
• The Paper Players: Bingo (die-cut, embossing, sequins.)

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My second card:

The roses are from a v.o. and long-neglected SU stamp. I first applied Distress Ink markers directly to the stamp and then I spritzed and stamped it onto watercolor paper. I added more color and detail by scribbling Distress Ink markers onto my craft mat and using a water brush. The stitched dies are from Lil' Inkers.

To give the card dimension, I inked all around the sides of the inner panel with my Versafine black ink pad before placing it back inside the frame. After holding my breath for that risky maneuver, I wasn't taking any more changes, so I used a pretty SRM sticker for my sediment. 

Challenges

• Addicted to Stamps and More: Use Your Mark.
• CAS(E) This Sketch.
• Color Throwdown
• Pretty Pink Posh.

All the links provided will take you to the challenges where you will find details on rules, sponsors, prizes and lots of inspiration!

~~~

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!

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Sparklies

Well, hi, there you are!

I have been having the dreaded intermittent computer cable interruptus this week and I've missed you! Worse, I wasn't able to catch up with most of you as I had planned because the crazy arrow just stuck there trying to find you, going round and round and round. I actually did most of this post a day ago, but I'm only now able to publish (I hope).

This has happened to all of us, I imagine, and it's sobering to realize how attached we are to the umbilical computer cord, wireless or not. The worst situation I know of is a friend in the UK who has been without reliable connectivity for SEVEN WEEKS. I shudder to think!

Okay, let's do this before I lose you. Sparkle is the theme of my cards today. First up is a Christmas card.

I actually made this fun card at the FISA with the BABES last October, but it's never been posted. I used SU silver sparkle paper for the base and the tinsel was cut from the same paper using my die from Memory Box called "Tinsel Ropes." 

I'm sorry I don't remember who belonged to the stamp or e/p, or from whence they came. What I do remember now is that I meant to buy that sediment and never did. It goes so perfectly with my die.

Challenges

• Christmas Card Challenges: Anything Goes.
• Merry Monday Christmas Challenge: Sparkle, Bling, and Shine.

~~~

Now let's come back to the future and look towards this month's holiday of Father's Day.

  

All daddy folk like to go zoom zoom in cars (at least in their heads) so this QACAS card speaks to that. The steeply sloped hill was made with a Spellbinders die, "Curved Borders One." The sediment is from Imaginations, surgically cut and rearranged to better fit the design.

The fancy red shiny sports car is a Stickopotamus sticker. This closeup shows a tiny bit of the brilliant glittery shine.

Challenges

• AAA Cards: For The Guys
• CASology: Cue Card: Vintage (car).
• Color Throwdown: #345.
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Make It Masculine.
• Words 2 Scrap By: It's a Man's World.

The links will take you to the challenges to find details on rules, sponsors, and prizes. I hope you can join in the fun!

~~~

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 the pop-up box opens.
Click Jump to Comment Form; 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!

Happy Dad's Day, Dan! ~ NBUS #137

Happy Sunday Funday to all! Happy Father's Day to those celebrating today! A special hug for you if this is a bittersweet day for you.

I mentioned a couple of days ago that we have our twin grandsons for a few days over this weekend. Their dad (our son, Dan) is unfortunately out of town on business, so the boys and I made a card for him to share this morning via Bama's blog!

Happy Dad's Day!
With love from Adam and Henry 

This photo was captured quickly just after the basics were finished. They were very becited with their accomplishment! Afterwards they did a bit of coloring and then I took over to finish it. The sediment is ancient from Inspirations H3538.

Why a butterfly for a Father's Day card? For some reason, I've had NBUS on my mind a lot (bwahaha) and when we were searching through the stamp cabinet, I spied this NBUS SU swallowtail stamp that I HAD to have back {cough} months ago and then never inked! More importantly, Dan loves butterflies and large exotic moths. I asked the boys what they thought of the idea and they gave it a thumb's up!

(In case you are wondering, their mom Rachel flew across country to join Dan for a long weekend getaway!)

~~~

Here is Dan's card with the coloring and (unseen) winking completed:

I'm entering these challenges:

• Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge where the theme is a "Butterfly Bingo."

I have a butterfly, of course, and gems and then inside is a design using an SU gear punch (also NBUS!):

• Tuesday Throwdown where the theme is "Special Man." We all agree Dan is a very special man! This is my first time playing in this wonderful challenge!

• The Male Room where (besides the obvious) the theme is "Father's Day." This is also my first time playing in this fun challenge!

Just click on the links provided to get to the individual challenges for all the details on rules, sponsors, and prizes! You will also find lots of Design Team and Guest Designer inspiration!!

~~~

New Friends Corner

I'm delighted to introduce you to the next group of five new friends, some of whom have ridden over to the Playhouse on the NBUS!

Theresa Pollack of Theresa's Studio. Theresa is a prolific card artist who has been blogging since 2009! You are going to want to create a Pinterest board devoted to cards of hers you want to save for inspiration and when you visit, bring an entire bottle of your favorite beverage and have your meals brought in!

Diane of 1 Card Creator. Diane has also been blogging since 2009! Again, seriously, you won't believe the works of art, and years of them, that await you here! Diane is well-published and award-winning and she has served on many design teams. This is the home of a pro!

Sarah Gray of Funky Fossil Designs. Sarah is a newcomer to blogging, starting this past March, but she has already made a name for herself with her beautiful cards through challenges and awards. Please make a special effort to visit Sarah and leave her a comment! It is a scary thing, starting a blog, and it's the support and encouragement of commenting visitors that keeps us putting one blog in front of another!

Nancy Penir of Artful Notions. Nancy has been blogging a little over a year (Happy Blogaversary!!) and she makes the most amazing layered creations with every detail looking like it is meant to be there! I love following her works of art in the various PTI challenges and as a member of the Paper Sweeties Design Team!

Sandy John of Adventures of a Stamping Writer. Sandy has also been blogging since 2009! She is a freelance writer and a long-time crafter. Her cards are always a treat for the eyes and she is another card artist who loves challenges and has won many awards!

Thank you so much for joining, ladies, and welcome to the Playhouse!

~~~

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 leave a comment and/or 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 the pop-up box opens.
Click Jump to Comment Form; no more car pool tunnel!
Mwah!

June 6, 2014 - June 27, 2014
Thank you for your overwhelming support and enthusiasm!
Here

CQ #192, FMS #89 ~ You're My Whole World Daddy

Hey!  How's it going?

I've been having lots of fun in the garden and playing with Dukerson, the granddog, and I've lots of pictures below if you're inner rested.

But first.  I saw my friends playing in the currect ColourQ challenge and since I lurve these colors, I had to play along.  Check this amazing bed set in the inspirational photo:

I know, right?  I don't know if I'd start seeing spots (squares? can you see squares instead of spots?) which would lead to my grains, but I just want to dive in there!

For my sketch, I went to play with Freshly Made Sketches, where there is a super cute sketch by Rita:

I used one of the sheets from the BoBunny "Key Lime" collection:

Since yellows, reds, and oranges weren't in the scheme of colors, I cut the paper into strips and just used the colors that were in the scheme, and I flipped the sketch and made this:

The flippy flags are all the rage and I'd love to have hooked this up with Nicole's Make It Monday challenge, too, but I didn't use any PTI goodies on this card.  Still, the video on her blog was great and it's a fun look. 

I have been dying to use that little "daddy" charm that's been in my stash for over a year, so this was a perfect operatunity.  I'm pretty sure it's from Doodlebug Designs.  The rest of the ingredients are waaaay down at the end of this post.  And that's the end of card talk if you want to scoot.  Thanks, though, for stopping by!

~~~

Oh, hold up.  Before we get to Miss Elaine E. Us, I'd like you to meet Ros, otherwise known on her blog as Mikey's Mom.  Ros has been sharing her astounding creations for a few years now, so you are definitely in for inspiration and astonishment when you go and visit her!  Welcome, Ros, and thank you for joining our friendly group!

~~~

The Garden

First, what is that sweet flower from?  Why a radish gone to flower.  I found this old pack of radish seeds a few weeks ago and decided to sow them to see what would happen.  Turns out that twenty-year-old radish seeds make some pretty disgusting radishes, according to Mister, who we all know will eat anything, so if he said they were bad, well, ew. 

There are three more of them still in the vegie box and I've decided to leave them and see how big they get to show the twins.  I'll keep you posted.

~~~

On a more pleasant note we have these awesome returning flowers:

and our butterfly bushes coming into bloom: 

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The Granddog

You see, kids, I really do play with Duke until he works himself into a lather and flops out that big ol' tongue to sweat it off!  Genetically, the beloved Duke is a mixture of a lot of breeds and like a lot of dogs, he is also part Somekina cat.  If you've never seen a small pony use its paws, you're in for a treat!

~~~

I'll be back in a few with a card for a challenge that is closing fast.  Eek!

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

Thank you so much for stopping by the Playhouse.  Special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment or join as a follower!

*Life Is Too Short! 

Paper:  PTI white; BoBunny DSP

Stamp:  The Alley Way Stamps, "Words

  to Live By"

Ink:  SU! Island Indigo

Doodle Twine and Doodlebug Designs charm

Bling by My Mind's Eye and Heidi Grace

Corner Chomper Angle