An April Fool's Day Surprise!

Hello Stamplings!

Happy April Fool's Day! Normally, a cause for prankish behavior from me, but today I've something else up my sleeve. 

First, though, thank you for coming by! With this pandemic, our days are odd, off-kilter, and abnormal, which means routine things like having your last cup of morning coffee (or last sip of evening cocktail) while reading friends' blogs might not be happening. So thank you for taking the time/finding the time to visit me!

I still had the little fawn on my desk from the March Twofer challenge and I really wanted to use that snippet of tulip pp. Those two things were my jumping off point for this card. The wee fawn looks a little wan (is that a song?), but that's only the result of overexposure when sunlight meets copper embossing powder. He is quite dark and coppery in real life.

The tulips in the foreground are NBUS. I've removed the packaging, alas, but they have the sketchy look of being from Penny Black? I did the direct-to-stamp technique to color them, Hammy added winking, and then I added the bee punctuation!

Challenges

• Just Us Girls: Photo week, specifically tulips.
• Paper Players: A tic-tac-toe challenge from Joanne. (Top right to bottom left.)
• SSS Monday: Spring mood board, specifically tulips.

~~~

As you know, I recently ended my relationship with the unfinished cards in my Box O' Bits (BOB). I planned to turn next to the mountains and mountains of NBUS I still own.

[In case you're visiting here for the first time, NBUS stands for "Never-Before-Used-Schtuff." You know, all those virginal new stamps, stencils, and dies you just HAD to have! And in these turbulent times, people tend to de-stress by online shopping so you may have, erm, slightly more NBUS than you did a month ago!]

From reading your blogs, I know a lot of us are in the same boat in terms of feeling unsettled, antsy, directionless. Our Mojo is under the desk and if you look at him, he puts his head inside his armpit. Generally, we are all discompooperated. Considering this is a hobby that should be bringing us solace right now, that's not a good thing.

That got me thinking, why not do something proactive to hopefully give all of us some direction? Why not resurrect my NBUS challenge?! So with the help of my friend Lolly, that's what I've done! 

There is now a dedicated website where you can share your NBUS creations!!!

So now, if you need a spark to ignite your creativity, turn to those things you've never gotten around to using, no matter how old or how new ~ and simply make using them your goal! You can challenge yourself to use just one NBUS item on a creation, or challenge yourself to make a creation with nothing but NBUS.

Whatever you decide, you have a place to share any creation you make for any purpose which contains at least one NBUS item! And you can share as many times as you like. Have fun with it and imagine the satisfaction you'll feel from being creative AND using your Never-Before-Used-Schtuff!

So what d'ya say? Wanna play? You can find all the details on the NBUS site! See you there!💜

~~~

Please take care, be safe, and enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

*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!)

Hollies and a Rainbow

Hello, Stamplings!

We had an unexpected but very pleasurable weekend with the grandsons. There's never a dull moment when they are around and even the Dukester joined the party this time; photo follows. I hope you enjoyed your weekend, too, whomsoever you had under your feets!

We are leaving this morning for a few days of are and are and a belated celebration of our anniversary in January. After not being crafty all weekend and, going forward, not being crafty this week, yesterday I sat down to make a coupla cards for a new Christmas challenge in Blogland started by my friends Loll and Bonnie. (CAS Christmas)

[I know a lot of you purse your lips when you see Christmas cards this early in the year. I understand it's not for everyone, so you can scroll quickly down to a non-Christmas card I added just for you!]

Onefer

The holly (from a vo wooden Stampin' Up stamp) was heat-embossed in platinum and colored with markers. The cross-stitch die border is from Memory Box and the sediment is from Technique Tuesday. Here is a closeup of the platinum schparkle.

Challenges

• CAS Christmas: Holly.
• Retro Rubber: Sketch. I've had the holly stamp since the very early two thousands; it might have been made in the late nineteen hundreds!
• Use Your Stuff: Anything goes.

Twofer

Fancy cards are all fine and dandy, but Hammy loves it when fun and critters are featured!

This positively giggle-inducing snowman from Purple Onion is super becited to stand under an archway of holly from Avery Elle! He was heat-embossed in black before being painted with Ziggies and fussy-cut. The holly was heat-embossed in green and die cut. The photo below shows the gloshiness a teeny bit better. 

Challenges

• CAS Christmas: Holly.
• Cardz 4 Galz: Furry friends. Wait. What? I mean, you have to wonder about this cute snowman. Check out those hairy arms! Is it a man in a snowman suit? Or a Yeti? Or a golden retriever?
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything goes.

Threefer

And just for fun, a rainbow of paint drips and a rainbow washi tape border surround a bold sediment from Simon. I made this card a while back and was happy to find it in my unposted photos. Everyone enjoys seeing a rainbow when skies are gray, literally or figuratively, and bonus, these drippy colors are also glossified. The NBUS paint drip stamp is from Darkroom Door.

Challenges

• CAS-ual Fridays: Beautiful rainbows.
• Simons Says Stamp Monday: Whatever the weather. Haha, what a dodo I am. They aren't rain drops, they're paint drips! Wonder if Simon will notice!
• Moving Along With the Times: Rainbows.
• Stinkin Inkers: Wishy Washi.
• TIME OUT: BOLD.

 

Gratuitous Duke Awwww Moment

In his dotage, Duke is now allowed on the couch at the grandparent's house, but only on top of whatever handy tablecloth or blanket are around. This is how Papa found him when he got up Sunday morning. Awww!

~~~

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 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!)

Trees and More Trees and a Blog Hop Winner!

Greetings!

I was away a bit longer than planned as we enjoyed having the boys stay on after Thanksgiving to help with decorating for Christmas. It's so much fun and so appreciated!

I don't know where the last two days went, just one thing led to another. And then yesterday there was the small matter of the kitchen sink pipe overflowing inside the wall and seeping through the baseboards into the family room, around the corner into the living room, and under the piano. Then you wish your own kid, your neighbor's kid, your nephew or niece, or anyone you know had become a plumber . . . !

So how's everyone else humpin' on this Wednesday, eh? This very last day of November. Now it is full-on the time of year when we're not-even-kidding busy! I mean, seriously, this is all-hands-on-deck for card artists who make holiday cards. And when you only have two hands and two paws, there aren't enough hours in the day!

Which means I'll stop chatting and away we go.

Onefer. (a, b, c)

I'm going to skip the ingradients, but if you are dying to know the man who factured something, just shoot me an email.

Challenges

• Christmas Card Challenges: Anything goes.
• Merry Monday Christmas Challenge: Masculine.
• Sweet Stampin' Challenge: Got the blues?

~~~

Twofer.

Silvery and simples.

Challenges

• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets. Since this was a batchmake, I used up a lot of white and silver sniplets.
• SSS Monday Challenge: 'O' Christmas tree.
• Stamp Ink Paper: Embossing.
• TIME OUT Challenge: Christmas with the option of glitter/shimmer.
• Uniko: Christmas.

~~~

Threefer.

It's very hard impossible to see that I heat-embossed the acetate with snowflakes, so I've tried to help you see them by adding red circles:

Challenges

• CAS Colours & Sketches: Sketch, which I flipped.
• Make My Monday: CAS Christmas.

~~~

Blog Hop Winner!

A coupla weeks ago, I participated in STAMPlorations Giving Thanks Blog Hop. I offered those who commented on that post a chance at my own prize of a $25 STAMPlorations gift certificate. Using the Random Number Generator, I'm pleased that the winner is Trina P. of My Crafting Closet. Congratulations, Trina! I will send you an email. Thank you to everyone who commented!

~~~

Enjoy your day playing with your crafty holiday goodies! 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!

Birthday Butter Flies

Hello! Hello!

How are you? I hope this finds you doing great!

I'm sorry I haven't posted for almost a week and thank you for your inkuiries. I did manage a coupla cards, so let's start with my onefer:

These Altenew magnolia flowers were started a while back, so all that was needed was some "finish" watercoloring (which I always overdo!) and then some fussy cutting and mounting. And, of course, winking. The sediment is from Waltzingmouse's "Compact Sentiments." 

Challenges

• Inspired by All the Little Things: Photo inspiration.
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Show us your metal.
• Time Out Challenge: Celebration with the twist of fussy-cutting.

My twofer:

This retro card was sparked by Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge, which I've been neglecting lately. The current challenge is a butterfly, of course, plus we are to include texture and/or teal. 

For texture, I heat-embossed the butterfly image (SU) in white and then I watercolored her using my Zig KGT paints in shades of teal. Next I did a watercolor wash of the background. The lace edging (SU punch) mimics the butterfly wing. The twine and butterfly charm are from my stash. The sediment, part of which is NBUS, is from Uniko's "Classic Numbers" stamp set.

Challenges

• Addicted to Stamps and More: Anything goes.
• Butterfly Challenge: T is for texture and/or teal.
• CAS on Sunday: Tic-Tac-Toe. Top row across: punch, girlie, floral.
• Creative With Stamps (CWS) Challenge: Butterfly. Their first challenge!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes.
• Uniko Challenge: Use metallics.

~~~

So, What's The Dealio?

Where have I been? I could tease you, but sad to say, I've been mostly in bed since Saturday. After much dithering about with medical tests of this sort and that, a course of action was decided to increase one of my medications in the hopes it would calm things down. That's all well and good for the basic intent of it, but I have been hit hard by one of the side effects, which is extreme fahteeg. I mean I am exhaustipated to the max, Jax.

I am hoping this will simply be a matter of a few days or a week or two during which my system will adjust to the change and I'll be back to myself. The hardest part, besides not posting and visiting you as much as I'd like, is the lack of mojo and seeing six dejected and wound-up hamsters staring at me. For all our sakes, Hammy and I have decided the time has come to adopt out the furballs. Some of you have made requests over the past several months, so I will try and remember who you are!

Thank you for understanding and being patient with me. Be well 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 and I'll return the flavor as soon as I'm able.

(Don't forget the current Giveaway ends tomorrow, April 29th! 

See the tab at the top of the blog!)

*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!