Sail Away in a Sea of Blue

Ahoy, Mateys!

I'm going nautical today and I hope you'll enjoy relaxing on the blue ocean breezes with me. 

I'm not sure why the hamster and I came up with this background watercolor design, but now that we've done it, it reminds me of an inflatable mattress used for floating in the pool. Mine, of course, would be the one that has a built-in area for my drinkie-poo.

If I had a pool. Which I don't. I'll still take the drinkie-poo, though, thank you.

Let's set sail!

The sailboat is from o.o.b. PSX, stamped onto vellum in ultramarine blue Stazon. The striped and starred paper and flip flops are from my stash. Of course, I had to Wink the clouds behind the sailboat. It's on the sweet flip flops, too, but the photo didn't capture that so much.

Challenges

• Fusion Card Challenge. Below. I am playing in both sides of the fun challenge.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground. I seem to be doing a lot of OLCs (or nearly) of late, but for this one I was finally able to use some of my bushels of snippets.
• Words 2 Scrap By: It's a Man's World.

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Looking very simpilar, here's my second card: 

I cut a circle with my Lil' Inker dies to make a hole for my shaker schtuff. The surf and wave (NBUS) and sediment were brought to you by Paper Smooches "Wicked Nauticool" stamp set. The 3D lighthouse sticker is from the Paper House.

Challenges

• CAS(E) This Sketch. Below. My focus pocus lighthouse is off to the side, but I think I captured the spirit of the sketch.
• The Paper Players: Masculine Card.
• Virginia's View Challenge: Ombre or Monochormatic.

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And here's a photo tutorial sorta:

After taping down my watercolor paper, I drew lines with my marker to guide me. FYI, I also have one of the wide aqua brushes, which was perfect for this design.

Here you can see where I added dark blue along the lines and then just pulled the color to the right. I found it was easier (for this pattern) to work from the right side of the paper to the left so that my hand would stop pulling as it got to the area that was already filled in to the right.

And Jack's your rabbit, there you go!

Isn't that fun how it adds dimensation? I'm thinking other smart peoples have already done/seen this before, but we haven't, so Hammy is quite popping his buttons over how clever he is.

Having said that, you can see in the photos that I did have some leakage (don't we all?) and warping (don't we all?) because I didn't hit them with the heat gun afters. I'm guessing that's why. I'm still new at coloring with water, so I know you'll be kind.

In Other News

Thank you for sharing all your tips about your placement of sequints on cards! I'm not sure how many of you were joshing me, but I'm planning to embrace the same plan that several of you attest to embracing, t'wit: toss a few up in the air and stick 'em down wherever they fall!

We are over the moon that the twins will be arriving early in the morning to spend a long weekend with us! It has been way too long since we've had a sleep-over, what with one thing and another. Now that they are getting older (too fast!), they are into sports and lots of after-school and weekend activities. Summer vacation is here now, yippie kiyay, so we are hoping to be able to see more of them!

~~~

I'm off to clean up the Playhouse for them in case they want to make Dad some Father's Day cards.


Enjoy your weekend! 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!

True Friends II

A Happy Monday Hello!

Aaaah, that's right, the start of a fresh new week with the aroma of new beginnings in the air!

If you hate your job, that prolly made you throw up a little bit in your mouth. Sorry. But, let's be Frank, you really do control your own attitude about the whole thing. Did you know that smiling takes less energy and burns more calories than frowning? And dentists have discovered that people who smile have stronger teeth which are more resistant to decay than the teeth of frowners, whose teeth never see the light of day!

You're welcome. I love doing Public Service Pronouncements.

On to my card which is very familiar with yesterday's card. 

This time I watercolored a scrap piece using SU reinkers and lots of water and just picking the paper up to let the drops go yither and hon. I mean hither and yon. There's a huge difference. One way involves ink drops on the floor, so I don't want to mislead you.

I think the rest is self-exploratory. The embossing folder is SU "square lattice." No NBUS on my card today! 

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I am entering this card in the Less Is More challenge where the theme is, appropriately "watercolour."

I'm also entering Simply Create To where the brief is to let the "sentiment be the highlight" of your card.

Please click on the links to find the challenge rules and information on sponsors and prizes!

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New Friends Corner

I am delighted to introduce you to five more new friends who have been patiently queuing up outside the Playhouse to meet you!

Anne of Stargroves. Anne has been blogging, serving on design teams, and winning awards in card artistry since 2008! She makes the most excellent CAS cards and I see her often in challenges that I enter. She lives in the UK and besides making cards, she enjoys quilting, and horse jump racing. You'll be happy to spend hours visiting her!

Karen Hasheck of Karen's Kreative Kards. Karen likes k letters like I do! Unlike me, Karen has been blogging since 2009 and has had hundreds of cards published! She holds cardmaking classes at her home in central Wisconsin USA and even started her own blog charity called Send a Smile 4 Kids! So there are two worthwhile sites for you to visit! On a personal note, I have to share that Karen has really made an effort to visit, follow, and comment on her fellow participants in my NBUS Challenge and she has gained over 20 followers from doing so! Thank you, Karen for being an enthusiastic sister blogger!

KT Fit Kitty of KT Designs. KT has been blogging since 2013. She is a design team member and award-winner whose card art has been published. She is the Queen of Challenges! KT makes such fun and happy cards, mostly with charming critters on them that will make you smile all over your face!  

Britt Casey. Thank you for following me, Britt! I have been unable to find a blog for you, but I think I have located you on Facebook and messaged you. If you have a blog that you would like me to mention, please let me know!

Theresa Krout of Inky Fingers. Theresa has been blogging since 2011, but only sporadically. She shares my love for organization! In addition to making wonderful cards, Theresa loves scrapbooking and her work as a home health aide keeps her busy. She is hoping to get her craft room back up and running and I know a visit and an encouraging comment from you will go a long way in making her feel welcome in this wonderful community.

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

~~~

Addendum to Yesterday's Post:

I mentioned that I wasn't that keen on the ribbons on my card yesterday. A lot of you thought it was just great as it was, but I had to experiment. I liked reader Carole Pollard's suggestion that I try a white ribbon, so I did. Which do you like better, now that you see the before and after shots?

~~~

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

You're Sweet ' July 2013 Papertrey Ink (PTI) Blog Hop; NBUS #27

How's Thursday treating you?

 

I'm popping in with a little card I made for the July 2013 Papertrey Ink Blog Hop hosted by the talented Nichole Heady on her {capture the moment} website. 

For July, we were given five incredibly fruity and delicious inspiration boards to choose from, or we could make cards using all the color scheams, I mean schemes. 

 

I chose the citrus photo which I think is quite adorable.  A lovely summer portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Citrus and their kids, Leah Mon, Lii May, and Quince LeRoy.

 

Here is my card:

Every element of my card today is NBUS  (never-before-used schtuff)!! 

 

The image is from the SU! set "Studio Sketches" that I'm embarrassed to say I've had for as long as ever.  The sentiment is from PTI's "Stamping Simply" set designed by the incredible Maile Belles. 

 

I wanted to add a juicy drop to punctuate the scene.  Since I was too nervous to mess up my card by hand-drawing it, I used the candle flame from the candle that is part of PTI's "Birthday Bash Sentiments" set.  I was quite pickled and relieved that it worked!

~~~

Don't you think it's interesting that the artist put a pair of pears next to the pitcher for the pitchur, since pear juice isn't that common?  Perhaps the pitcher contains pear vodka lemonade?  That sounds so refreshing, but am I the only one leaving here today with a craving for a green Granny Smith apple with a side of grass?

~~~

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!

 

 

*Life Is Too Short!  

Paper:  Biggie Jr. watercolor
Stamps:  see above
Ink:  PTI orange zest; SU! markers;
  Prismacolor pencils; waterbrush

Dynamic Duos #15 ~ Subtle Colors; Mojo Monday #254 ~ Sketch; Pixie's Crafty Snippets #33

Happy Tuesday!

I mosied over to Mojo Monday sketches.  I used the colors in the Dynamic Duos challenge.  I used a few scrappy snippets, which allowed me through the gates at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.  And a card was created.

This week the Dynamic Duos challenge colors are subtle, which I would like to spell sahtil, but people would click off, thinking it was a cooking blog using exotic Indian spices.  The colors are sweet together:  certainly celery and pretty in pink.

Yum

The sketch this week at Mojo Monday was designed by the talented Carole Burrage. 

Which I flipped, thusly,

and I hope that's okay with Carole.  I'm not usually a rebel with the sketches, but I clicked on the sketch while in the middle of doing my neck exercises and it just so happened that right at that moment my right ear was on my right shoulder.

So I made this:

~~~

With the temps over 100 for over a week now, we have been dutifully watering our poor little plants once a day.  Imagine more horror, then, to look out the window yesterday afternoon and see this:

I thought it was a goner for sure.  But water is a wonderful thing.  Here she is, perkier, an hour later.

Phew!  Needless to say, after that, there was some moving around of pots to the shady side of the avenue. 

I'm off to have my semi-annual ultrasound of my thyroid nodules.  I had a lobectomy years ago and am growing a crop of nine nodules in the remaining lobe, which we are keeping an eye on.  The Mister likes to say I had a lobotomy, not a lobectomy. That would explain a lot, huh?

Enjoy your day!  To all my friends in the terrible fire areas in the western U.S., I'm thinking of you.  Stay safe.  As always, thank you for stopping by to visit.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Paper:  SU pretty in pink; certainly celery;

  Strathmore calligraphy

Stamps:  Penny Black Brush Lily 2829K;

  Sentiment: SU Pretty Amazing

Ink:  Marvy markers, water brush

Ribbon:  SU certainly celery

Bead pearl bling, unknown

The Play Date Cafe PDCC 129

What day is it?  I'm a little upside down this week.  I didn't think I would get a card made today, but then I saw the colors for this week's The Play Date Cafe challenge and, by some miracle, I membered I had done a watercolor not long ago ...

Here is the challenge:

Aren't those sexilious colors?!  I hope my card complies as I can't quite tell about Dusk.  We had a kid in high school nicknamed Dusk who always wore different colored socks.  He was way ahead of his time, style-wise.  He went into the carwash business, but I think he should have gone to New York City. 

Here's my watercolor watering can:

You should play along in this challenge!  There are great prizes from a great company!

I have to give Mister a shout-out, even though he doesn't read this, I don't think?  When I came home from my procedure yesterday, he had cut a few of my favorite lilacs.  Their unique aroma makes me forget any bolts and bindings that might be rubbing me the wrong way.  He might be a nitwit, but he's a loving, thoughtful nitwit, eh what? 

I took a couple of pictures so you can enjoy them vicaristically with me.  I wish I had smell-a-blog for you!

I'm happy to welcome Emily today.  She makes the most adorable cards at her Art From The Heart blog!

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by to visit.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Paper:  Watercolor; SU Rich Razzleberry

Stamps:  Can, SU unknown set; flowers and grass,

  Rubber Stamp Tapestry and Stamps by Judith

Ink:  Marvy markers and water brush

Corner chomper