Autumn Strawberries

Hello Stamplings!

I hope this brand new Monday finds you doing well! I had a busy week enjoying company as we sight-saw and shopped . . . two activities that are never boring, especially with friends!

So a quick post today with a couple more examples of the blackout technique, which is the current brief at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge, where I'm delighted to be the October Guest Designer. The technique also happily correspondence to the E = Embossing week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar!

Onefer

For this fall/autumn card, I used Simon Says 3D gingko leaf e/f. After running it through the machine, I blended autumnal colors into the shapes on the debossed side, ran it through again, and then applied black ink over the whole panel using my brayer. 

To make the design CAS (clean and simple), I cut down the full panel using my Stitched Dome Frames from MFT. (The inner dome is popped up on 3D foam.) I hope you have time to give this cool technique a try and join the linky party at the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge! Don't forget to include stamping.

The sediment is from PTI. I love that I can use this card for birthday or thinking of you, anniversary, etc.

I'm playing in CAS Colours & Sketches (Colours); Crafty Calendar Challenge (Autumn/Halloween); and The Paper Players (Happy Autumn).

Twofer

Now, let me say first that this is not CAS per the CAS Mix Up rules. When trying out this fun technique, this was one of the first embossing folders I used. It is from Gina K's Sunny Days kit and I fell in love with how it looked as a full panel, so I left it. 

I'm showing it, however, to let you see another example of the blackout embossing technique and how gorgeous the results are. I plan to use this e/f and do it again ~ cutting it down to get at least two summer cards made. I want to see how it turns out making the strawberries red and using a different color for the braying. That's another thing, you don't need to use black ink for the blackout technique. You can use any dark color for the background contrast!

I'm playing in Addicted to Stamps and More (Birthdays); Freshly Made Sketches (Sketch); and 613 Avenue Create (A/G with option of pink).

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Enjoy your week! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!* As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse!

The past coupla weeks the lads have been having a blast "volunteering" at the local pet pumpkin patch in the mall! (EEK! It looks like that pumpkin is trying to chomp down on Stanley!)😄

*Life is too short!

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!

CASlicious Seasons

Hello Stamplings!

Thank you for stopping by today! Last week went by very slowly, which is something you rarely hear me say. I think it is the changing of the seasons that does me in. I'm an early riser and I have a hard time getting up when it's dark outside. 

While I adjust, I'm thankful I can use this wonderful hobby to combat the darkness by making light and bright cards to lift my spirits. This is A = Anything Goes week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar and I went uber CAS = clean and super.🤭Ha, that was a slip of the ginfers, but I might be onto something. Very few cards we make are really simple, are they? Even if they don't have a lot of elements, they can take time or be difficult. So how about CAS = Clean and Super?!

Onefer

For my Onefer, I used Donna's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and brought out one of my favorite fall stamp sets. This rake and the autumn sediment are from the "Fall" set (2012) by Technique Tuesday. I stamped the autumn using a Kaleidoscope ink pad. The rake was stamped, clear heat-embossed, painted, and fussy cut. Oh, and, of course, winked by Hammy and Stanley! I add some rusticity by lightly inking the border. The circle sediment is from Memory Box.

Playing in: Allsorts (Anything Autumn); CAS on Friday (Autumn/Fall); Freshly Made Sketches; and Seize the Birthday (Use Fall Colors).

Twofer

For my Twofer, I was inspired by the September challenge at Pinkfresh Studio. Both the beautiful wreath and the gold-embossed sediment are from my NBUS Pinkfresh Studio set called, "Seasonal Sprigs." I painted the wreath using my Ziggies and, as with my Onefer, the lads were delighted to have lots of tiny areas to wink!

The Pinkfresh Monthly Challenge also has a theme and you are welcome to link your design using just the theme, or just the colors, or either/neither. They just want to see you have fun and link your new creations using their products. I used just the colors and I loved painting these hues on a Christmas wreath where you might not expect to see them!

Playing in Addicted to CAS (Circles); Pinkfresh Studio; Rudolph Days; and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday (Christmas in September).

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

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

*Life is too short!

Sunshine and Snowtime

Hello Stamplings!

I hope you've had a wonderful two weeks! It's been busy here, but a very productive and fun kind of busy.

I missed die cut week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar, so today is all about E = Embossing. But, of course, die cuts and ink like to be included whenever possible.

Onefer

I went with another sunflower this week. I have several of them, but this one is NBUS from Scrapbook.com called, "Sunflowers."  I'm actually using it pretty quickly after buying it on sale. (I'm afraid if I turn around, I'll see all the old virginal items on Mt. NBUS glaring at me!)

The background embossed flowers aren't sunflowers. I could tell because Altenew put "Daisy Bed" on the 3D folder. But what the heck, I think they do a fairly good job of impersonating sunflowers. A simple sediment, a black frame, and, of course, lots of winking by the lads finished it off. 

Playing in Krafty Chicks (CAS); Seize the Birthday (Add a Sediment Strip); and The Card Concept (Sunflower Delight; I was inspired by the sunflowers for my CAS design style.).

Twofer

This delightfully sketchy Christmas tree is NBUS from the Tim Holtz's set, "Season of Magic," in collab with Simon Says STAMPtember. Something about the set really grabbed me and I starting using it right away. It's versatile and so far I've made some cards in simple black and white, some gold heat-embossed, and some watercolored with the Distress Stains. 

Tim is having a video demo on Saturday, which I can certainly use, but I couldn't wait to have a play.

For the tree background panel, I used a snowy e/f and then backed that with a v.o. piece of bumpy green paper I found. To make the texture even bumpier, I embossed it with a pebbly Sizzix 3D e/f (662825). That was a bit much for the thin pp, so some of the bumps popped, showing the white core. That was a happy accident because now it looks like colored bubble wrap. 

I think you can just make out that Hammy and Stanley sprinkled the tree with some snowflakes that came with the kit. This was their first time flaking together, so it was a bit of a blizzard. You don't know until you try and now they will be finding snowflakes in their cornflakes for months to come!

I'm delivering my card to the Snippets Playground, along with a thermos of hot toddies and a blankie now that the evenings are drawing in and getting cooler. I used snippets for all three layers. (Not the sediment, which is premade from Memory Box.)

Getaway

It was perfect! And that handsome man you see is celebrating his 77th birthday today by heading off on a motorcycle tour in Europe, one year since his bad accident. I'm so proud of him for all his hard work to make it happen and I thank you for all your prayers this past year. (We would appreciate a few more to keep him safe until he is home again.❤️)

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Enjoy your week! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!* As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse! Mwah!

*Life is too short

Majestic Sunflower and Stag

Hello Stamplings!

I hope you had a great week and you are doing well! This week begins with Labor Day here in America, so cheers to all those who labor and to those who are retired from laboring! [The holiday was rushed into law and signed by President Grover Cleveland in 1894 to mend relations with workers.] Cheers also to those of you who labor unpaid keeping house and family together, clean, and feed. In fact, triple 🍷🍷🍷 to you!

On a sad note, the week ends with our remembrance of 9/11. This year is the 25th anniversary of this horrific event. It is a time to remember those lost and how we came together as a nation to grieve and to support the heroic first responders.

It is fitting that I start today with a sunflower. Sunflowers always turn their faces to the sun and they symbolize love, loyalty, and resilience.

Onefer

It is I = Ink Week on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar. This sunflower is an old-timer from Technique Tuesday. I'm not sure when the stamp came out, but I first blogged a card using it in 2017. This design represents a rare hybrid sunflower which has a rainbow center that you can only see once the seeds have fallen. 

The sediment is from GKW, simply matted and attached to a textured card base. I watercolored the image with my Ziggies and Hammy and Stanley, who love sunflower seeds, patiently took turns winking their favorite flower, one petal at a time!

Playing in Beautiful Blossoms (Anything Floral Goes); CAS Mix Up (Sunflower); and Freshly Made Sketches.

Twofer

Here we have another QACAS design. This reindeer is also an old-timer. It's from Stampin' Up and I painted it direct-to-stamp using SU markers. More winking from the lads and this time you can see a few of the schparkles. Maybe. The sediment is from Simon Says Stamp. The dusty blue textured border is cut from a Papertrey Ink die set called, "Reflections: November Dies."

Playing in: CAS Christmas (Woodland Critters); Christmas Kickstart (Reindeer Games); and Color Hues (Dusty Blue and Brown).

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😡Blogger has been buggering with commenting, so I haven't been able to leave comments on NBUS or return comments. Someone told me it is working again, but the format is odd. I hope I'm able to catch up soon and I thank you for your patience!

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Chris Dring FB

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

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse! Just FYI, I'm not sure if I'll be able to post next Monday. We have someone house-sitting and taking care of Nellie and the lads while we take a few days off to spend time at the coast!

p.s. Don't go googling hybrid rainbow sunflower seeds. I just made that bit up.🙃

*Life is too short!

So long, August!

Hello Stamplings!

Well, that's summer. I hope you closed the door behind you because a lot of folks don't want to see any more of 2026 summer! I know it's not official for another few weeks, but I am hoping Lady September puts on her fall hat right from the first!

When I think of fall I think of leaves, and since it is a rare 5th Monday of the month, that means this is S = Stencils on the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar. After that opening, I know you were expecting a card done in fall colors, but, no, I copied the example on the leafy stencil packaging because I love these spring and summer colors. I'm just trying to keep your brains confused. I don't want to be the only one confused around here!

Onefer

I actually have two Onefers. The NBUS stencil I used is "Leafy Background" from Pinkfresh Studio, designed by Inna Moreva. The sediment is NBUS from Gina K. 

Then I saw the AAA Colourful challenge which had similar colors, but with the addition of blues, so I had another play:

The die-cut sediment is from Simon Says Stamp, attached to a panel to which I stenciled random leaves and added score lines and pop bling that was popular a few years back. Hammy has gotten quite adept as picking colors to match the cards. My collection of dots are so old, the gluey backing is failing, so I remove it and glue them on, rather than have them fall off during mailing. 

I tried the Nuvo drops and still have (cough) little bottles of them, mostly brand new because I could never get them to perform for me. Not even Hammy could make them work. I suppose it's like making pancakes ~ you'd think, in time, you'd get good at forming them, but not us. Does anyone want several bottles of Nuvo drops?

But I digest. I have a feeling I will be using this pretty stencil a lot, next in fall colors, and perhaps even for Christmas cards?!

Playing in AAA Colourful (Colourboard #31); Just Us Girls (Stencil Week); and Seize the Birthday (A/G).

Twofer

For this week's Christmas card, I started with the sketch from the talented Michele F. for Freshly Made Sketches. Some of you might recognize the background striped paper as being from PTI back in the last century. I love the linen look and feel and how the bright colors make me happy. 

I used a rounded corner stitched die from MFT as the angled element of the sketch and for the middle focus pocus I used a peppermint candy stencil from SSS. After masking and blending the two shades of pink, I die-cut the candy using a circle stitched die from MFT. The Ho Ho Ho sediment is from Impression Obsession. A few silver sequints were picked out by Stanley for the finishing touché.

Playing in Freshly Made Sketches; The Paper Players (Tic Tac Toe: diagonally top right to bottom left); and Rudolph Days (AG Christmas).

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

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

*Life is too short!