A Mini Tree! CTS #39; NBUS #32

Happy Funday!

My card today had the usual curious eVolution.  Sometimes I like to type words that start with the letter e like that.  It looks so hip and just for a second it makes you wonder, "Is it a new software company, or maybe new social media, or maybe a new hardware company, or maybe a new underwear company?  Wait.  What?  It's a whole new eLocution.

 

The squirrels have taken over the asylumnasium.

 

~~~

 

So, here's what happened. 

 

We did a lot of much-needed gardening today.  Now I walk by this particular crepe myrtle tree dozens of times a day going between the Bighouse and the Playhouse.  Today I noticed this:

I think all trees get these little volunteer saplings or suckers every spring and you're spose to dispatch with them because they just take up water and nutrients the tree needs.  I had dispatched previous suckers from this tree.  I swear this little guy popped up over night!  A bonsai crepe myrtle tree!  Isn't it adorable?!

 

You've seen the main tree itself in a recent post, but just for scale, here it is:

Hopefully if you click on the photo, you can see the wee Mini-Me tree at the base.  Naturally, I had to share with you.

 

~~~

 

Hours later I was checking out challenges and I came across this sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch, designed by the superbly talented N@ Ali:

 

 

And I considered my stamps.  I really didn't want to be too literal and use a flower image, but I checked out my flower stamps anyway.  I changed my mind when I came across an old NBUS stamp that reminded me of the crepe myrtle flower!  Doncha love it when you make a full-whoop-circle!

 

This is a picture of the stamp I used:

 

I think it's prolly a cherry blossom or some such.  I colored it with SU! markers, spritzed it, and stamped it onto watercolor paper.  I added some detail with Prismacolor pencils.

 

The sediment is also NBUS.  The reason I stamped it directly onto my card and not onto a banner, as per the sketch, is because I thought I read somewhere that this week's One Layer Wednesday (OLW) challenge was "summer" and my intention was to enter that challenge, too.  After I finished my card and starting writing this, I discovered that's not the case.  Ah, man, working has left me addle-paddled. 

 

BTW, the actual theme of the current OLW challenge is speechless and it's being hosted by Ardyth.  You should check out her genius and fun cards here and play along if you can! 

 

~~~

 

I want to thank you guys for joining me in the NBUS (never-before-used schtuff) movement!  It's so fun to see the acronym popping up around Blogland.  It's forcing me to look through my NBUS items and not reach automatically for those items that my brain is already familiar with.  I know it feels really good, so I love that you are experiencing that feeling, too! 

 

It's also making me feel like the Playhouse needs a good clean.  It'll be three years this October since I moved in and I think it's time to see what the heckarino is in the back of those cabinets that I apparently don't need!

 

~~~

 

I'm wishing you a happy day!  Enjoy it!  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 Junior Watercolor
Stamps:  "Inkadinkado" 96075 - O by Kathy Davis;
  Stem is I-143 "Stamps by Judith"
Ink:  Versafine onyx black; SU! markers
Enamel Dots:  "My Mind's Eye"