Succulent Evergreen and Naughty Bunny

Hello Stamplings!

How are you? I hope you are doing well and I'm here for hugs if you're not. 

I had to hustle my bustle to get this loaded up after I realized a coupla challenges are about to close. That happens when you get your days of the week missed up. 

So here we go ~

Is it just me or are more of us keepin' on keepin' on with making Christmas cards as 2021 drops her pages like a loose girl dropping her hanky? Haha, how many of you have even heard the expression "loose girl" or remember what a "hanky" is? Sometimes I love being old and speaking a secret language known only to my peers.

Anywaffle, I recently purchased a gorgeous stamp called Glorious Gatherings from the Tim Collection at Stampers Anonymous. When it arrived in the mail, I was surprised to find out it's as big as a dinner plate. I normally make cards the size of appetizer napkins, so I was a bit stumped what to do with it until I remembered last year's technique of making four cards from one stamp. (Split Four Technique) 

Here is the whole stamp on a single sheet of 8.5 x 11 kraft paper before I cut it into fours. Isn't it a cool Christmas centerpiece image using succulents instead of the usual poinsettias?

I'm linking to:

• CAS Christmas Card Challenge where the host is Loll and they are celebrating their 3rd birthday! Congratulations! The theme is kraft, red, and white.
  
• HLS Christmas: Anything goes.
  
• Jingle Belles: Festive foliage.

Just FYI, I also stamped the image on white paper and made four cards. Sorry for the bad photo.

They were stamped totally in red, uber QACAS, and this time the sediment was heat-embossed in clear.

Twofer

Another QACAS design, this time an OLC. This funny bunny has long been a favorite. Sadly, it's from an OOB company. Usually I stamp a jar of jelly beans (nearly empty) next to him. As you can see from his tummy, he clearly over-indulged! Or sometimes I stamp him with a drinkie poo, but I used a drinkie poo last post, so this time I used a fun sediment that stuck me as a perfect fit. (It's unmarked, but it might be from River City Rubber Stamps.) Both stamps were heat-embossed in white.

I'm linking this to:

• Color Hues: Black and white.
  
• Little Red Wagon: One layer.
  
• Stinkin' Inkers: Hop to it.
  

~~~

😄😄😄 My friend Mamie sent me a list of funnies to share with you. I'll just leave you with a couple three today:

• Having plans sounds like a good idea until you have to put on clothes and leave the house. 
• It’s weird being the same age as old people.
• Life is like a helicopter. I don’t know how to operate a helicopter.

~~~

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! (Hammy says HI! He is still resting from the last post when he got too much of a head rush from all that glossifying!)

As for me, I'm still having ups and downs as the meds do their thing, but during the ups I'm grabbing crafty time. Thank you for your patience and your beautiful and thoughtful cards!

*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!)

More Flutterbies

Hello Stamplings!

Surprise! Feast or famine with me. But what happened was, I let all my butterflies out of the drawer when I was making my Twofer cards and it seemed a shame to just choose a couple of them and put the rest back in the drawer without playing with them. 

Onefer

In the last post I used a sediment from PTI's, "A Bit More: Butterfly Blooms." This butterfly and the little circle blingies are also part of that set. I masked the section where the sediment would go and then used Catherine Pooler inks in fun summer colors to stamp the butterflies. 

I don't know if you can see them, but in order to delineate the sediment area, I added score lines. To make the matching die cut, I vertically blended the same colors onto a piece of scratch paper and then die cut the NBUS Thanks Folksy Script from Poppystamps.

Challenges

• NBUS #16: Any never-before-used-schtuff.
• Stinkin' Inkers: I see spots.
• Sunday Stamps: Bright and beautiful.

Twofer 

For this card design, I used a NBUS stencil from Darkoom Door. I sprayed the stencil with Pixie Spray after first spending ten minutes patiently trying to explain to Hammy that the light tack glue was NOT, in fact, made from pixies. 😲 He was quite distraught until I assured him that pixies had formed a union (UPAG = United Pixies and Gnomes) in 1963 which protected them from such mistreatment.

With the stencil in place, I used my makeup brushes to color the butterfly with CP inks. After wards, I used my Pilot Precise ink pen to trace the stencil in black. Thank you, Nancy, for this great idea! It was uber easy and gives a really cool effect!

The sediment is from MFT. As another design feature, I planned to add score lines or a piece of Washi tape to the area between the image and the sediment. The score line was meh, I didn't have a Washi tape that worked, and since the technique I used for the die cut on the first card worked so well, I did it again. I simply blended the inks onto a snippet of paper and then cut a narrow strip to add to the card. 

Challenges

• Butterfly Challenge: Alphabet letter A. (Butterfly and apricot color.)
• CAS Mix Up: Stencil tracing.
• Inkspirational: Painting or coloring.

~~~

I've got to run. I opened a can of worms mentioning UPAG. Hammy's been on the computer and discovered there is no mention anywhere of any union representing hamsters.

What have I done?!!

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!* Keep safe and well and wear your mask!

This is so true, especially if yours are 44 x-long like mine!

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!)

It's Purple Day! And Puppy Day!

Hello Stamplings!

Saying I hope you are feeling well takes on new meaning these days. 😷 But I do hope you are feeling well. If not, I made a card for you further down and I send you prayers and best wishes that you will feel better soon. 

But first today, I'm happy to be a part of the Purple Day Blog Hop in support of Epilepsy Awareness!

My pastel purple card features NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) stamps from the fun "Addicted to Rubber Stamps" set by Whimsy Stamps. I added the wee daffodil from Pink Fresh's set, "Always Flowers." The background stencil is "Nested Circles" from ARTplorations. It probably goes without saying, but I will be sending this to a stampling friend for her birthday!

Challenges

• Shopping Our Stash: Happy Birthday!
• Stinkin' Inkers: Pastels.
• Watercooler Wednesday: Helen's All About Occasions.
• ETA: I have just found out from Sandie that her challenge blog TIME OUT is having a special challenge for this cause and there is a prize, so please check it out!

Today's Purple Day Hop was organized by my friend Fikreta to raise awareness for epilepsy. Fiki has a very informative post (and a giveaway) on her blog detailing the history of Purple Day and many of the myths surrounding epilepsy.

I hope you will have the opportunity to check out Fiki's blog and the blogs of the other ladies in the Hop. Most of us know someone who struggles with this disease which does not get the attention and funding it needs. In addition to Fiki and myself, here is a list of the other card artists participating in this Hop:

Annabel

Hetty 

Janis

Ike

Kitty

Karen 

Lori 

Lisa

Mia

Olga 

Vicki

To thank you for taking the time to check out today's Hop, I also have a giveaway: a $25 gift to Whimsy Stamps! Whoot! If you're a follower (and not just here for the candy), please let me know in your comment that you are interested in being in the draw. For every name entered in the drawing, I will personally donate $2 to the Epilepsy Foundation.

Twofer

The gals over at the Day of the Month Card Challenge are celebrating their first birthday with a "National Puppy Day" challenge. In order to be "ah curraunt," I am featuring a poor sick puppy made from an ancient SU stamp. The sediment and dog are all on one stamp, which is very cornvenient. Hammy added the ellipses so we could put, "... please get well soon!" on the inside. 

I colored the image with pencils and added a strip of Washi tape because I thought it needed a little sumpin sumpin. I feel like I've been given a gift when I open my Washi tape drawer and find a roll that perfickly matches the colors I used on an image! It doesn't take much to tickle the heck out of me.😂

Challenges

• The Cat's Pajamas: Furry Animal.
• Krafty Chicks: Clean and simple.
• The Paper Players: Sketch by Claire, of which I took liberties.

~~~

Enjoy your day and be safe! No, seriously! LITS!*

Thank you to everyone who gave me names and addresses of folks who could use a card during this crisis. It occurs to me that I would like to ask you the same flavor, if you have any extra thinking of you or hello cards in your stash. 

Many of you may remember me talking about my friend Verna. She has had a tough time the last five years since she had an accident with her walker and broke her neck. This week the care home she has been living in since the accident, kicked out the residents, saying they were going to sell the house. So now Verna is in a new care home and except for her son and daughter, no one can go visit her due to the pandemic, not even her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

She's 95 and still sharp as a tack, but she's feeling blue. If you can send her a card (tell her you are a friend of mine), you will lift her spirits immensely ~ and your own! 

Verna Garibaldi
3536 Murphy Street
Livermore, CA 94550

Thank you so much! Virtual hugs,

*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!)

Hello, Hugs, and Joy!

Hello Stamplings!

We are running headlong through February as if our pants were on fire and here in California, we have temperatures to reflect that. With a roly-poly stature and a tendency to heat up at a moment's notice, I wish winter could have stayed around a bit longer. 

Bless you, please don't hate me if you're freezing where you are, wishing winter was long gone. It's always the way, isn't it? But, hey ho, weather's gonna do what weather's gonna do, so we might as well get comfy by stripping down or layering up and getting on with it!

Thus, I have the simpliest possible designs to share with you.

To start with, a twofer I made a while back to use up some pretty pp.

1.

The little square NBUS flowers for both cards are part of a set of dies called "Floral Squares" by Pinkfresh. I'm not sure who makes the hello. The stitched frame is from MFT. For this card, I added glossy accents to the petals for a stained glass effect, which Hammy loves to ice skate on.

Challenges

• Double D: Saying Hello.
• Simon Says Monday: Frame it.
• UnstampaBelles: Who am I? Someone who likes things to be neat and organized, who loves bright colors,  and who's always ready with a friendly smile and a welcoming hello.

2.

I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for this design and I cut the MFT sediment from the same pp. QACAS at its finest.

Challenges

• CAS on Friday: Color challenge.
• Krafty Chicks: Clean and Simple.
• The Male Room: Use embossing. Men need hugs, too. Especially if they have booboos.
• Stinkin' Inkers: Make an impression.

       

    

 

Threefer

On a light gray card base I stamped a star galaxy and then heat-embossed it in clear. Can you make out that I masked an area with a star shape before stamping the galaxy? In the center of the empty star space, I white heat-embossed the "Joy" portion of a Christmas Joy stamp from Stampendous. In the corner, I stamped the remainder of the greeting. 

Here is a closeup where hopefully you can see that even the gray card base is embedded with tiny glitter. Not by me, by the manufacturer. 

Challenges

• AAA Cards: One corner with option of using older supplies.
• CAS Christmas Card: Joy.
• CAS(E) This Sketch!
• Simon Says Wednesday: Add a sentiment.

    

~~~

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 whenever my nursing duties allow it.

A head's up. Sadly, the shady spammers have figured out a way to send their crap via the Contact Form some of us use on our side bars as a safe way to get in touch with each other.😠I've taken the form off my side bar here and off the Twofer Card Challenge side bar. If you need to get in touch with me, please see the information on my profile page. 

*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!)

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Rudolph Days, Too

Hello Stamplings!

Greetings on this day before Thanksgiving! I'm wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so very thankful for YOU and to show you how much I prechiate you, I broke out in NBUS and made you two gratitude cards!

Onefer

Last year I received a card from my dear friend Harriet using this beautiful Gentle Leaf Collage die from Poppystamps. I loved it so much I immediately bought it. Then I put it away. Once again, I wish I had a second story on the Playhouse. That way I could leave all my NBUS out in the open until it's used. Santa, are you listening?! 

But, no matter, as long as it gets used eventually. The sediment is also NBUS from the Choose Joy set by PTI. I heat-embossed it in copper as befits autumn. The stitched border is from MFT and the background is a piece of pp. The schplatters are by Hamself, back from his travels just in time to play with the Thanksgiving turkey wishbone!

Challenges

• Poppystamps: Fall frolic.
• Shopping Our Stash: So thankful.
• Work It Wednesday (SSS): Autumn/Gratitude.

Twofer

This second card of thankfulness features one of my favorite therapeutic activities: inlaid die piecing. The NBUS Feather Tree Frame is from Poppystamps. It was cut from and backed with two shades of light-weight glossy paper. It's almost like wrapping paper and I have no idea where it came from. I have several sheets of it in different colors which have been around for donkey's ears. The NBUS "Perky Thank You" die is from Memory Box. It was cut from a red and gold-embossed snippet in my stash.

Challenges

• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets!
• Stinkin' Inkers: Die-lirious and punchy.
• Words 2 Crafty By: Thankful to have a cup.

Threefer

I have to toss in a Christmas card ...

... because this is the marvelous Maureen's last Rudolph Days challenge of the year. Thank you, Mo, for reminding us each month throughout the year to work on our Christmas cards stash! This lovely NBUS wreath called "Homespun" is from Penny Black. I purchased it on my recent fun retreat in Nashville, Indiana. The sentiment is from GKW and the little berries were made with Nuvo crystal drops. It's hard to see, but the pine cones are dotted with snow and glossified.

Challenges

• ABC Christmas: W is for Wreath or X is for fauX.
• Penny Black and More: November challenge is Christmas.
• Rudolph Days: Anything Christmas goes!

~~~

We had a great time with the grandtwins over the weekend! They did a fantastic job decorating the tree! Even Nellie got into the Christmas spirit!

Nellie's Santa outfit was a hand-me-down and it was a tad too tight for her, so it didn't stay on long. I hope someday she'll forgive us for laughing so hard when the hat slipped down over one eye making her look like a Christmas pirate!!

~~~

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

I'll see you next month! 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!)