ATCAS #2; CASology #21 ~ Time in a Bauble

I hope you're having a great Sunday! 

I enjoyed my few days making calendars, but, man, am I ever glad to be back making challenge cards!

 

I begin today with the cue word from this week's CASology challenge.  The word is "time."

 

 

There is another card challenge now, which also uses cue, or code, words.  The hostess for the second challenge at Addicted to CAS is Marie of baileyrosy.com.  Marie, a card-maker and a jeweler, chose the code word "bauble."

 

 

In the UK (and perhaps other areas of the world) Christmas tree ornaments are called baubles.  In America, we call them balls. 

 

I'm not saying I endorse the following, but it was interesting to read on the Intertube that the term "ball," as used with regard to Christmas tree ornaments came from ancient reincarnationist religions, where it was believed that the soul starts its journey around the zodiac reincarnating many times and, as it evolved, less incarnations were needed, until it finally reached the human ideal.  So, the Christmas tree and the decorative balls represent the planets revolving around the zodiac towards the top of the tree, where the soul reaches perfection, symbolized by the Christmas star.

 

(Honesly, I didn't make that up although it sounds like something I would make up.)

 

I couldn't find the historical background on using the word bauble for Christmas tree ornaments in the UK, but I believe that the Brits preferred to use the word "bauble" because the word  "balls" was already well-established with a completely different meaning.

 

Back to the challenge.  On Marie's blog, she threw out a separate challenge to us to try and make a card using a "trinket" to represent the word bauble, rather than using a bauble on a Christmas tree.  As a matter of fact, the dictionary describes "bauble" as: 

 

A small, showy trinket or decoration

 

Even though I should be working on Christmas cards, I couldn't resist making a card which I'm calling, "Time in a Bauble" because it covers both "Time" and "Bauble" for these challenges.

 

 

It is supposed to represent a Victorian lady's dress, but I think the collar is wrong for that.  Let's pretend that maybe the lady is a teacher with a white blouse and skirt?  Or a lady doctor?  Does it qualify as a "trinket," Marie, even if it has a practical purpose?

 

That was fun. 

 

New Followers!

 

How wonderful, on this gloomy rainy day, to have new followers knock on the Playhouse door!!  With pleasure, I'd like to introduce you to "dmarcoux1."  I'm happy to have you!  I couldn't find a blog for you to send everyone to, or visit myself, so if you do have one, please let me know so I can share that information.  If you don't have one, no worries, you are very welcome any time!

 

Next, please welcome Ellen of In a World of Craft!  Ellen has lots of talent and wonderful cards for your viewing pleasure and inspiration, so do check her out!

 

Happy Mail!

 

Yesterday was another gloomy rainy day and so it was especially fun to find happy mail in my mailbox.  My friend, Redanne of bollyanne.blogspot.com sent me this sensational wall hanging:

 

 

It is SO lovely.  If you look closely, you can see a scissor charm hanging in the bottom right corner.  She wanted to spell out "Playhouse," but there wasn't room.  That's okay cause it is going on the wall inside the Playhouse, where the word "play" is ezactly correct!!  Thank you so much, Annie, my friend!

 

~~~

 

I've received emails from some of you asking about the rain and the flooding.  (Thank you for thinking of us!)  It has been raining buckets and blowing like a banshee.  I don't think we are in immediate danger of flooding at our house, but there are certainly many areas around us that are.  Rivers are cresting and underpasses are flooding and it's a general overall mess.

 

While we don't think we will flood, we were sad to see one of our mallow trees had fallen down during the night Friday night.

 

 

That "bush" in the middle of the picture is the downed mallow tree.  You can see a second mallow to the right, at the corner of the Playhouse.  The one that came down was quite a bit larger.  As such, we didn't think the smaller one would come down, but a lass, this morning when I went out, I saw that it, too, had fallen down in the night.  They were lovely in that area, but obviously not very deeply rooted, so they will be replaced by something sturdier. 

 

This gives you an idea of the lovely year-round beauty that those small trees provided, beauty that I enjoyed out my window while sitting at my desk inside the Playhouse:

 

 

Oh, well.  Still, nothing to complain about compared to the loss of property, injuries from resultant car accidents, leaky roofs, or power outrages.

 

I leave you with a humorous picture showing the amount of rain we got in just a couple of hours on Friday. 

 

 

That left boot is FULL to the brim with rainwater.  Don't ask me why the right boot isn't!  (I promise it's not sitting under an eave runoff!)

 

~~~

 

Enjoy your day!   No, seriously, enjoy your day.  I hope you are safe and well and warm and dry, wherever you are.

 

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! rose; PTI white

Stamp:  UM pocket watch

Gold embossing powder
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Bling and chain from stash

Corner Chomper

Pop Dots