Just Chatting About Anniversaries and NBUS and New Friends and Schtuff

If you're looking for NBUS Challenge #3, please click HERE. Challenge ends at noon PST, Thursday, January 22, 2015.

~~~

Welcome to Monday!

We love Monday! She arrives fresh from the bath, innocent and unmarred by what the week will hold. She greets it with optimism and interest!

Anniversary

So the Mister says to me, "Do your Card Ladies (that's what he calls you) know that I make cards, too?" Well, if that's not permission to show you the sweet anniversary card I got from him, I don't know what is!!

Isn't that adorable? He's found a signature design that he uses year after year as the numbers roll on. I treasure them all and know that I'm a lucky girl! Does your husband shop at the xerox paper card shop, too?!

BTW, the nicknames? Yes, he does call me Toots or Tootsarino, but I don't really call him K2. He just always signs his name that way because his first and last initials both start with K and he's a science guy, so he writes K Squared. I don't call him Mister either, I call him Hon. 

It reminds me of when the twins were just learning to be conversant. We were babysitting and we were all four in the family room. The boys were playing on the floor, and we were reading. I looked up and saw that the Mister was gone. I caught Adam's eye and asked, "Where did he go?" Adam got up and toddled over to the hallway and yelled, "HON?" as loud as he could. It was so darn funny!

Thank you all very much for your sincere anniversary wishes to us! I'm sorry that because of the NBUS commenting, I didn't get a chance to visit and thank you all individually for your wonderful messages, but they mean the world to us.

THIRD BLOG BIRTHAVERSARY!

I completely forgot to tell you on Friday that I've decided to also make January 16th the anniversary of my blog. It's my blog, so I can do that, right?

Some bloggers call it the birthday of their blog; some call it the anniversary of their blog. Hence and fourtooth, mine  is a birthaversary! Feel free to use my new word if you like it!

So what happened was, I started my blog in October of 2011. Nothing happened. Ditto for November. Ditto for December. It wasn't until the middle of January 2012, after I started entering challenges and making an effort to communicate and make friends with other bloggers, that people started visiting.

The light dawned, so to speak. So now I'm just going to combine the two. From now on, January 16th will be celebrated as both our wedding anniversary and my blog birthaversary. Honestly, it's just because I need a way to make it easier to remember! As I have aged, my head has gotten pretty full of dates. Although sometimes I eat raisins just to be different.

NBUS Challenges

I want to again thank Melissa for the privilege of being Guest Designer for CASology Week 129 and for the compliment of having NBUS as the cue card word of the week! It was wonderful having CAS card artists linking to both our challenges with one card!

YouCanMakeThis.Com

I haven't quite made it around to visit everyone in the CASology gallery, so if you only linked to CASology, make sure you also link to the NBUS Challenge #3 before it closes at noon PST on Thursday, January 22, 2015. There are prizes to be won!

For those of you who are new to this blog and the NBUS Challenge, there were two reasons why I started my NBUS challenge. One reason, of course, was to encourage you to use those virginal products.

The second reason was that it provided me with a way to say thank you to all the followers of my blog by giving them a chance to win a $25 gift card. It's my uniQ and interactive way to give you blog candy. 

The prize winners will be announced at noon PST on Sunday, January 25, 2015.

I know there are a lot of you who are playing just for fun and who tell me you would play even if there weren't prizes and I really I appreciate that. It tells me that my little NBUS movement is here to stay! Give yourselves a pat on the back!!

Even though the challenge isn't over, I want you to know that I'm feeling very humbled by the enthusiasm and love and support you are all giving to my third NBUS Challenge! I truly am overwhelmed!

When the entries reached 400 over the weekend, I scooted back from my desk, tucked Hammy in my pocket so he wouldn't fly off my shoulder, and twirled around in my chair like a 10-year-old! I gotta say, that was hella fun! Seriously, I'm very, very thankful!!

CARD/CHALLENGE BREAK  ~ New Friends Corner

Now, as the entries are reaching 500 (Wait. WHAT??!) and there are still over two days left, I'm going to be taking a bit of a break from card-making and challenges this week so I can concentrate on visiting the entries and leaving thankful comments.

I do, however, want to continue to introduce you to the new friends who have arrived at the Playhouse, so when I can, I will be posting introductions for you in my New Friends Corner and I hope that you will visit them and introduce yourselves!

And just for eye candy, coz we gotta have a little eye candy, and because this is a card blog, I may include a vintage card of mine.

~~~

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!
If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave
me your email address so I can respond. Thank you!

All You Need Is Love!

Love
Love is all you need.

If you're gonna have an ear worm, that's not a bad song for it.

Or how about, "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters. That was our wedding song forty-four years ago. Can you sing the lyrics to, "Say It Isn't So," by Waredid Timego?

Happy Anniversary, Mister! I love you and I made you this card.

As a paper addict, I have to say that Stampin Up makes some pretty cool designer papers. I had some of this gorgeous fluffy paper left from a year or two ago, so I let it be the star of my card. It's just one layer of the pretty paper and a couple of stamps. That's it. QACAS.

I scored the back side every which way to give it some interest. It was bored otherwise.

Okay, that's a rightout lie. What happened was that Hammy scored it in the wrong place and my card was just too big for my design athletics. I trimmed the card down, which meant I had to move my score line, which left this runnel in the behind of my card. So then I purposely hoovered a few more  runnels every few so oftens to make it look like I meant to do that. I mean, just between us to be honest.

My man and lady stamps are from GKW. They were covered in Wink of Stella after the lady stamp went to the beauty salon to get a hair flip. The glossy heart of electricity between them comes from Stamps by Judith and the NBUS sediment is from SU.

~~~

Over at One Layer Simplicity, my friend and fellow BABE Ardyth is the hostess of the January challenge and her brief is "Opposites Attract." So I'm entering my one-layer card upon which there are two items which couldn't be more opposite: a man and a woman. 

Also celebrating an anniversary (their first) ~ and celebrating it in pink ~ is a fun challenge called The Card Concept and I'm happy to be linking there as I am wont to do. My card is "clean and simple." I think. Although it is clean, being just a piece of paper, it is busy. So maybe it's just S for simple because it doesn't get much simpler than the five minutes it took me to make this card. Okay, ten with all that extra runneling. Happy Anniversary to Lesley and the fantastic design team!!

Following a sweet reminder from Sandie, I'm also linking up to Uniko Studio's January challenge which is "Love and Friendship."

Please click on the links for details regarding rules, sponsors, and prizes.

~~~

Reminders for NBUS Card Challenges:

• For clean and simple cards, please click here to join in the CASology challenge, where I am thrilled to be the Guest Designer this week! The CASology challenge ends at noon CST on Monday 1/19/15. Please remember to link with both CASology and NBUS challenges!
• In addition to clean and simple cards, all other styles/creations can be linked to my NBUS Challenge #3, which ends at noon PST on Thursday 1/22/15. Click here to join in. Thank you for all the amazing entries so far!!

~~~

New Friends Corner

I'm delighted to introduce you to five new friends for you to visit!

Dawn of Designs by Dragonfly. Dawn has been blogging since 2013 and she is a very active blogger! I'm sure you have seen her very pretty cards around Blogland as Dawn loves to play in challenges and she has won many awards as a result. Her passion for cardmaking is contagious!

Lynn Antill of Lynn's Crafty Corner. Lynn is from the UK and she has been blogging since 2011.Our mutual friend Di of Pixie's Snippets Playground introduced Lynn to the NBUS Challenge and I often see Lynn in other challenges around Blogland.  She makes wonderful cards and is so inspirational with her use of snippets and patterned papers!

Niki of Pawsitively Creative Crafts. I love Niki's clever blog name, chosen because she is a Veterinary Technician. Niki has only been blogging since June of last year, so please make a special effort to visit Niki and welcome her to our caring community! She is an absolute wonder with her mixed media creations!

Georgie of Little Blue Craft Box. Georgie has been blogging since 2013. I met Georgie through her friendship with my MACS cofounder, Becca. Georgie is another mixed media artist whose 3D works of art literally blow the top of my head off. I learned after my first visit never to approach her blog without a chin strap and a helmet! You've been warned!

Neha Bhatt of Periwinkle Creations. Neha has only been blogging since October of last year, so again, please do make a special effort to visit her and welcome her! You won't be sorry as her talent is incredible and her card art is beautiful and flawless! I predict she will be in demand as a designer, if she chooses to do so!

~~~

Throwback Poem

When I was looking back through my blog to find my post from my first time serving as a guest designer for CASology, I found this poem that I had written. I thought the occasion of our 44th anniversary today would be a fun time to repost it for those of you who weren't here back then. I hope you enjoy!

The Poem of the Stamping Playhouse

There was an old woman who stamped just for fun,
Stuck in the garage where she never saw sun.
Ten years she collected, she stamped, and she dreamed,
Patience and longing were virtues it seemed.
Then Mister appeared through the cobwebs and grime,
His motorcycle, deftly, he stopped on a dime.
"Look out!" she did cry, as she reached out her hand,
"I'm saving those dimes to bulldoze our land."
Her Mister could see the desire in her eyes
and he wanted the garage for his own tools and dies.
"My lady," he bowed, his helmet so bright,
"I'll build you a Playhouse, t'will bring me delight."
Fairytales do happen, it's true, don't you see?
It can happen for you,  'cause it happened for me!

~~~

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!
If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave
me your email address so I can respond. Thank you!

NBUS Challenge #3! Happy New Year 2015!!

Hello, my awesome friends!

Well, for goodness sake's alive, some of us are sporting comb-overs from the speed with which 2014 whooshed through here like it was only five months long!! Since we can't stop time, let's embrace 2015 with all the gusto and gratitude worthy of being alive! I'm so happy to be here and so happy to have you here with me!

Was Santa good to you? And/or were you spending part of your holiday cleaning and purging and discovering new old schtuff that you've never used and forgot you had? 

Well, I hope so because I am starting the new year having reached my next milestone in followers, so it's time for another NBUS challenge!! For those of you who have joined recently, NBUS stands for "never-before-used schtuff." I found I was purchasing product at a faster rate than I was using it, so every time I used something new, I called it NBUS, and I told you about it. That, and the fact that you also embraced using the acronym, encouraged us all to shop our stashes and use our schtuff! 

Then I started a challenge and began to give you prizes for using your NBUS! What?! Yup. Because I don't do blog candy, that's my little way of saying thank you to all of you who follow me! Which brings us to NBUS Challenge #3. Let me help you turn your NBUS into ABUS (already-used-schtuff!)! [Thanks, Kay!] Let's get started!

Quirements:

• Use your virginal NBUS on a new creation and tell us what it is. Yes, it can be brand-spanking-new schtuff. 
• The theme is "Anything Goes" with no optionals this time because there are a lot of new challenges starting up or returning in the next few days, so when you play in those with your new schtuff, you can also link here!
• Cut and paste the NBUS button above into your post. Include a link back to the challenge post. 
• Please enter only four other challenges, in addition to this one, for a total of five.
• You may enter up to three times. New work only, please.
• Link up your creation using the InLinkz button at the bottom of this post in the usual way.
• HAVE FUN!!

If you need instructions on how to do any of the above or have any other questions, please email me at darnell dot knauss at gmail dot com. 

There are also tabs at the top of my home page for quick access to both the "Rules" and former "NBUS Challenges" galleries. If you haven't played before, please do check the Rules tab for information on commenting and about how to link if you don't have a blog.

Check out the new jogging outfit Santa brought me!

Prizes:

FIVE TEN $25 GIFT CARDS

For Challenge #3, I am featuring Stamplorations. It's a wonderful company and they have excellent flat rate shipping!

(If you win, you are welcome to choose a gift card from a different domestic company.)

Challenge End Date

NBUS Challenge #3 will close at noon Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, January 22, 2015 .

Winners will be published at noon Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday, January 25, 2015.

Wine tag and NBUS sediment
from Avery Elle "Cheers."

Enjoy your day! Enjoy the challenge!

As always, thank you for your support and friendship! Thank you for joining as a follower and for letting 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!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Doves of Christmas Past

Hi there! Happy Sunday Funday!

I hope you had a colossal Christmas and that lots of laughter is resounding throughout your house as the kids are enjoying their new toys, or from your craft room as you are enjoying your new toys! As you are mulling your wine and your thoughts about creative ideas, don't forget there will be a brand new NBUS Challenge starting here on Thursday to brrring in the new year!

Today I want to show you the fun I had with a NBUS Serendipity bird die I received in a gorgeous Christmas card from my friend Jeanne. Thank you so much, Jeanne, and thank you for sending it early because I had time to make a lot of Christmas cards with it! It's called a bird die, but it looked like a Christmas dove of peace, love, and joy to me!

Earlier this year, I made several glossy and inky backgrounds by applying Tim Holtz alcohol inks and blending solution to pieces of glossy card stock, a technique I learned from my friend Laurie. I intentionally left some of the background sheets with the inks clearly separated ala a stained glass look and I used one of those to cut out my bird die:

What I love is that even though you can clearly see I simply laid the die in the upper corner to get the maximum use of the sheet, the coloring "landed" in a perfectly beautiful way on the glossy bird!

~~~

And then, well, naturally, I needed to use up all those jewellike snippity pieces, right? So I turned to the beautiful handmade crocheted circles I purchased last year from my friend Jessi to make a few remnant cards like this:

~~~

Next I used a background sheet that I created using marbles. Papa is always telling the twins that Bama is losing her marbles. They used to look at him big-eyed with solemn concern. Now they look at him in that long-suffering way relatives look at one another and they droll, "Papa, you're a fine one to talk about losing marbles!"

The point is ... wait. What was the point? Ha. Ha. The point is, some of my marbles are in the Playhouse inside an old SU clear acrylic box. I add a few drops of various colors of reinkers to the box and then let Hammy slosh it around. Before too long, background papers are created from which I can cut beautiful things, like doves:

I do love these wine and sage Christmasish colors and the grungy design from the marbles. Raise your hand if you are dying to drop some wee dribbles of color onto that white card background to mimic the design on the bird.

I'll be honest, I felt the same way, but unfortunately, I didn't get that vision until after I'd stuck the bird on with release-defying pop-dots and I was too afraid to go off with Willy and Nilly and add splatter with the bird in place. Not to mention, I was also afraid it might end up looking like the bird had done doo-doo on the card, so I just left it alone.

Here is the LINK to the awesome Serendipity Stamps bird die.

Challenges

But, of course:

• Serendipity SSCB #38 Sparkle and Shine. My first time here I think! I hope there is enough shine on my glossy birds to qualify.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground. I've used a ton of wee tiny snippets bits.
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where "Anything Goes!"
• TIME OUT Challenges, with the brief is "Christmas is Love With all the Trimmings."

~~~

New Friends Corner

I've got several new friends who have come to call at the Playhouse! I know you'll enjoy spending some time introducing yourselves and getting to know them as much as I have!

Patricia Rodriguez of Patsy's Scrapbooking. Patry has been blogging since 2013. Her layered and textured cards, smash books, projects, and scrapbook layouts are all sensational. She enters and wins challenges and her passion and enthusiasm for this hobby are clearly evident!

Neli. I have no further information.

Donna of Inky and Quirky. Donna is a brilliant mixed media artist. She has only been blogging since April of this year, but she is a multi-award winner and designer. She draws freehand, carves her own stamps, and is just what she calls herself: inky and quirky. I think you'll love her when you stop everything and take a minute to go and welcome her to this wonderful blogging community!

Willeke of Lotus Blooms Creative Blog. (I'm not sure of the translation.) Willeke has been blogging since September 2013. She is a design team member and challenge award winner. Her clean and simple cards will melt your heart!

Melissa of Sunshine HoneyBee. Melissa has been blogging since 2010. In addition to making excellent cards and tags and scrapbooking, Melissa loves calligraphy, photography, and croquet. Sorry, crochet. I like to check and see if you're paying attention every now and then. I know you'll love visiting Sunshine Honey Bee!

Amy Ottmers of AO Creations. Amy has only been blogging since July of this year! You know I would love for you to pop in to see her as soon as possible and give her a special welcome! It's so wonderful to see young and enthusiastic crafters wanting to carry on this hobby of making handmade cards and I know you'll enjoy Amy's creations!

*Urška* of Creative Callout. Urška is from Slovenia. She has been blogging since May 2012. Her cards are so pretty and so sweet. She is an artistic soul through and through, which is evident throughout her blog. You will find uplifting inspiration when you visit her!

Holly of KopyKat Creations. Holly has been blogging since 2010. She loves challenges, is an award-winner, and has been on many design teams with her amazing talent and exuberant attitude. As you can imagine, she has lots of wonderful inspiration waiting for you!

~~~

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!
If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave
me your email address so I can respond. Thank you!

Sorry for the cloudy day photography.