NBUS for Christmas

Well, hello there!

If you are looking for the info and rules about NBUS Challenge #7, 

please click HERE. 

We are halfway through the challenge, so time is flying! 

Thank you for joining in!

So I'm prolly going to have to give up on making Christmas cards for everyone this year. Life has just loomed large and interwrecked my plans for that. But I can't not make any, so I took aim today with the help of a few challenges.

The featured NBUS product on today's cards is stickers. It's a produ ~ wait. What? Did you say "stickers?" That's right. The gals at Less Is More are shaking up Blogland with their recipe for stickers, sticky labels, or peel-offs this week!

Most of us started out making cards with stickers, but as we became more experienced, we sort of looked down our honkers at stickers as being too pedestrian, elementary even. Something for the children. Well, good for LIM for shaking things up! I think we all still have some stickers languishing in our Goody Boxes for this very day!

My Onefer:

The e/f is from Tim and I just love him. The snowman I mean, although Tim is equally lovable. Even though the snowman hasn't been naughty, I grounded him anyway. The sediment sticker is from GKW and the Christmas light stickers are "Rain Dots" by Cloud 9 Design.

My Twofer:

Here are the NBUS stickers for my second card:

Which is:

The beautiful blue CS came with the embedded white snow dots. It was a gift from my friend Mamie Reese. I attached it to a silver mat. The sediment is NBUS from "Seasonal Sentiments" by My Favorite Things embossed on vellum with Liquid Platinum by Ranger.

Challenges

#Onefer:

• Less Is More: Stickers, sticky labels, and peel-offs.
• Rudolph Days: Christmas cards.

#Twofer:

• Cards in Envy: Hip to be square.
• Ike's World: A circle in a square.
• Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday challenge: Hip to be square.

~~~

New Friends Corner

Even though I can't follow other blogs right now (grrr), I'm very happy that folks seem to be able to follow me. Please join me in welcoming these new friends!

Wendy Mallas of Wendy Mallas. Wendy is an artist and illustrator, for reals, who has only just started her blog last month! Welcome to Blogland, Wendy! Please make a special effort to introduce yourself to Wendy. At the moment, Wendy is having such fun with paper, ATCs, and paints. It will be fascinating to see where she takes her blog with her extraordinary talent!

Misty Elam of Happy Ink Designs. Misty is another brand-new blogger who just started in July! Welcome to Blogland, Misty! Misty may be new, but her cards have the style and sophistication of someone who has been designing and executing cards for years. She also makes videos for you and does pictorial step-by-steps of her fabulous artistic process. You're going to be impressed!

Susan Wuthrich of Blue Fog Studio. Susan has been blogging since 2015. In that short time she has had a mercurial rise in our little corner of Blogland, now serving as a Design Team member on many of our well-loved challenge blogs. When she isn't making cards or some other form of artistry, Susan alternates between her many athletic loves and sewing dresses and blankets for children in the area. You will be instantly enchanted by Susan's talented designs!

Wendy Johnson of Pink and Dotty Wendy is from England and she started blogging in 2014. Her mother has been an avid card artist for many years, and Wendy finally gave the hobby a go about seven years ago. She has never looked back! And I love this: her husband calls her craft room her "daft room!" Wendy's happy and colorful cards will have you smiling when you visit!

Sue Tossell of Sue's Crafty Corner. Sue is also from England and she has been blogging since 2010. She has been crafty most of her life and now has a passion for papercrafting and card art. An avid snippets user, Sue will inspire you with her shaped cards, square cards, layered cards, birthday cards, and Christmas cards ~ and any occasion in between!

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

~~~

Enjoy your day! Enjoy the NBUS Challenge! 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 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!

An InLinkz Link-up

Age Is a Number and Pumpkins are Puzzles

Greetings!

Welcome to the freshness of a Monday morning, carrying you towards unknown adventures this week!

You are all doing such a fantastic job dusting off your Never-Before-Used-Schtuff and giving it some love! I know you are feverishly crafting away, so I won't keep you. I just have a coupla NBUS cards of my own to share.

My Onefer is:

How's that for a profound sediment?! It's NBUS, of course, and made by Rubber Dance Stamps. The PP is from GKW. I double-diecut my numbers so there would be a black shadow for depth. I'm not sure if you can see it, but I also added a smick of black border on the left to mimicate the number shading.

And my Twofer is:

This fun puzzle pieces die is from Spellbinders and I've only used it once before two years ago. The pumpkin stamp belonged to my late neighbor, Rae. It is from an OOB company called "Hook's Lines & Inkers." On the side it is dated 1993, which, Frank Lee, doesn't seem that long ago to me. I spose some of you weren't even born yet, eh? Cough.

Challenges

• CAS(E) This Sketch: Sketch challenge. (Both)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use snippets. (#1)
• Rubber Dance Stamps August Challenge: Black and white and one other color (yellow). (#1)
• Shopping Our Stash: Stand up and be counted. Use numbers. (#1)

~~~

NBUS Challenge #7

Thank you so much for playing along in NBUS Challenge #7!!

The response already has been AWEmazing! I'm so proud of you for using your NBUS with such relish! You all make my heart smile!!

Enjoy your day! Enjoy the Challenge! 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 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!

An InLinkz Link-up

IT'S HERE! NBUS CHALLENGE #7

Welcome to NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) Challenge #7!!

Let's get right to it! 

Anything Goes With NBUS!

August 27, 2016 through September 5, 2016

• You must use a NBUS item on your creation and share with us what it is. It doesn't matter if it is old or new ~ although that old virginal schtuff would really like some attention!
• You must be a follower via the blue "Join This Site" button on my side bar to your right where all the happy little faces are!
• Link your post back to here and cut and paste the NBUS badge into your post or on your side bar.
• You may enter a total of three times. New work only please.
• Link up your creation using the Inlinkz button at the bottom of this challenge in the usual way.
• Please enter only four other challenges in addition to this one, for a total of five.
• HAVE FUN!!

For how you enter if you don't have a blog, please click HERE. For the history of NBUS and to see prior challenges, please see the tab above or click HERE.

~~~

 

I can't wait to see the amazing creations you make using your Never-Before-Used-Schtuff!! Thank you very much for participating and for being incredible friends and followers and supporters! Your friendship and your encouraging comments keep me going! MWAH! 

Don't forget to leave encouraging comments on each other's creations, as well!

If you have any questions, please email darnell dot knauss at gmail dot com.

~~~

I'll leave you with this EZPZ QACAS card:

I did a bit of blending with Distress Inks for the background. The NBUS sediment is from Technique Tuesday's "Happyville Sunshine" set. I'm not only trying to use my NBUS, I'm trying to fit a little exercise in my daily routine, so I upcycled that sensational tree diecut from a store-bought card I received a few years ago. 

This card fits the current AAA Cards Challenge where the brief is "blending" and the Muse Challenge where Marilyn is the talented card artist to be CASEd. I was inspired by her warm sunset colors and how the white focus just popped off those colors. Here is her beautiful card:

~~~

Enjoy your day! Enjoy the challenge! 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 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!

An InLinkz Link-up

Exoticity, Simplicity, and Felicity

Greetings, Stamplings!

The critters have climbed up and over the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday hills to take over the blog today for Wednesday Hump Day.

Let's begin with this:

I made this card after seeing the CASology challenge where the cue card is "Fun" and the Less Is More challenge for something Exotic. There are wonderful examples made by the Design Teams at both challenges!

I looked up "exotic" and it basically means "not native." Well, that opens the door to a whole slew of flowers and veggies and critters. Since I had the NBUS "Panda Can't Even" stamp set to use, I went with it, because pandas are certainly not native to California. As luck would have it, I own an unmarked v.o. bamboo stamp, so wallah-wallah-ding-dong, two extatic and exotic panda bears happily chomping away! The NBUS sediment is from the Hero Arts "Live & Laugh" stamp set.

Twofer

It was Hammy's turn to pick the next challenges and he chose the CAS on Sunday challenge where the brief is "Balloons" and the Inkspirational challenge where our friend Kathy K. is the Guest Designer and where the brief, briefly, is to use PP:

What's better than a balloon? A balloon made of balloon PP!!

What's better than a boozy chicken on a swing holding the balloon? Absolutely nothing!

The PTI fine linen card base was embossed with a Darice e.f. The chicken is from Whipper Snapper Designs. The NBUS sediment, balloon, and string are from the "Smirthday" stamp set by Technique Tuesday.

And, hey, that balloon is a snippet so I'll also take this card over to Pixie's Snippets Playground.

Frog Naming Contest

Thank you all for your really clever and fun suggestions for a name for Hammy's new English frog friend. Froggie was the most obvious choice, but I couldn't call him that because I already have a beloved Froggie. A shoutout to my sister Dood who came up with the winning name! Ta da:

FRECKLES!

What do you think? It's unique and appropopo considering his delightful fabric design!

Freckles and Hammy

New Friends Corner

Due to my holiday, it's been a while since I've introduced my new friends to you, so please take a few minutes to meet:

Maria Illsley of Ivy Leaf Crafts. Maria has been blogging since September of last year so she is coming up on her first year anniversary! Maria makes the most exquisite cards, usually in a gorgeous square shape. As is often the case with so many of you, Maria's cards are gifts unto themselves and I know you will find lots of inspiration when you visit!

Elizabeth Robinson of The Crafty Robin. Elizabeth is from North Wales and she has been blogging since 2009, so you should be prepared for a long visit to her! Elizabeth's love of paper and ink developed in her mother's print studio. Elizabeth teaches art and serves on many design teams, not the least of which is Craft Stamper Take It Make Challenge. You will find Elizabeth excels at every kind of wonderful art from fabrics and felting to layouts, cards, and canvases!

Jan Appleton (LLJ) of Lunch Lady Jan's Fabric Frenzy. LLJ has been blogging since 2011. She doesn't make cards, but she works magic with fabric! LLJ and I met on "What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday" (WOYWW) where I met a lot of my long-time British friends. I've been enjoying her fun posts and drooling over admiring her sewing skills ever since. I was so delighted to meet Jan in person while I was in England!

Diane Bromilow (Morti) of Mad Ramblings. Morti has been blogging since ~ can you believe it ~ 2006! She's not prolific, but still, that's an accomplishment! Well, it it is to me, at least, since I wasn't even aware of Blogland until five years later! Morti is a self-described magpie and jack of all trades. She enjoys making jewelry, papercrafts, strawsilk, and stitchery. I had the pleasure of also meeting Morti on my visit to England!

Helen Lindfield of Stamping by H. Helen started blogging in 2009. She is also a friend who I met through WOYWW in 2012, although I sadly didn't get to meet her on my recent visit. Helen's well known over at WOYWW because she does all her beautiful works of art on the floor! Helen's journaling and her expertise with color are amazing!

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

~~~

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!

Sadly, as I mentioned the other day, something is wrong with the Blogger Follow gadget and so I am currently unable to follow my new friends back. I’ve cleared my cookies, cakes, and history. I am writing again to Blogger Help as this issue has been ongoing for at least a month, which is ridicustrating, and I hope you’ll do the same if it isn’t working for you. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!

*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!

~~~

I'll be back on Saturday for the opening day of NBUS Challenge #7!! 

See you there!

Fluffy Dreams and NBUS #7 Announcement

Hello there!

Welcome to the Weak End! I hope you have lovely plans as summer is winding down. Are you heading out on an end-of-summer vacation? Or is it over because the kidlets are already back in school?

The grandtwins started middle school earlier this week which can be very scary. All I can do is wish them all the best and hope that when they close their eyes at night they are lifted up by happy dreams.

This happy dream consists of swirling fluffy clouds surrounded by colors of exploding jellybeans flavored with bubble gum and raspberry!

In practical terms, I used a vanilla card base and behind the circulature are swirls from an embossing folder by LifeStyle Crafts. The NBUS sediment went through surgery; it's from the "Heydey" set by Hero Arts. The happy die is from Papertrey Ink.

Don't you think I did a marvelous job with my artful spray spluttering? Well, the truth is this was a super EZPZ card because I simply cut the die from the piece of paper that was lining the bottom of my spray box! I thought it was too pretty to throw out.

Challenges

• CAS Mix-Up Card Challenge: Stamping plus Sprays plus Die-Cutting and Embossing.
• CASology: My friend Coni is the featured designer and the word is: Dream.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets. Just getting in under the wire.
• The Artistic Stamper: Stamping and Anything Goes.

 

~~~

NBUS CHALLENGE #7 ANNOUNCEMENT!

Date Change

Many of you have been patiently waiting for the biannual NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) Challenge to begin on September 1st. It turns out we are having gobs of company in September, so I am moving up the challenge a bit.

The challenge will start on August 27th and run for the usual ten days, ending on September 5th. YAY!!

Prize Change

There will be one other change this time in that there will be no monetary prizes. I'm doing this for two reasons. The first reason is that I'm just off a luxury holiday to England and my pocketbook is rather empty. 

The second reason is more abstract. I've had a couple three comments made to me that the only reason so many people participate in my NBUS Challenge is because I offer prizes. Really though? 

Of course, there is truth in that. There are always going to be some who are only interested in prizes. But I've gotten the feeling over the years that you genuinely like to play in this challenge because it makes you stop and focus on using your virginal, forgotten, and set-aside schtuff. Prizes or no prizes. Right or no?

So . . .

if you have one of these:

... or at least one of these:

I hope you will play along! [BTW, if the Mister asks me about this bowl of NBUS, I'm going to have to say it was staged for the purposes of this publication. Cough.]

So mark your calendars for next Saturday August 27th when the InLinkz button will appear! If you are not familiar with Never-Before-Used Schtuff, please check the tabs at the top of the blog to see prior challenges and learn about the origin of the challenge and the rules.

Thank you, everyone!!

~~~

Enjoy your day and the Olympics! 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!