Happy New Year!!

Hello, Stamplings!

As we close out the last day of 2017, I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year! May you reap the blessings in 2018 that you so richly deserve!

My little friend Opal the Optometrist Optimist is here to help me ring in the new year in style!

Ms. Opal is colored with Ziggies. The sediment is from Happy Little Stampers and the NBUS Balloon Bouquet die is from Simon Says Stamp. I cut it out of fun foam and didn't notice until I saw it on the monitor that one of the balloons is missing a string. That's gonna be airborne soon.

You see it, right? Or have I already had too much schtipply for a tart my age? Speaking of schtipply, look how schparkly Opal is when you walk right up to her and say hello!

My apologies to the artist. I had to give Opal a nose and a mouth. I'm sorry, but how else was she going to enjoy that expensive champagne?!

Challenges

• AAA Cards: Sparkle.
• HLS December CAS: New Year.
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything goes.

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Wait. I nearly forgot! Someone else wants to wish you a Happy New Year!

Thanks to my friend Ruth for taking this photo and making it into a poster for the door to the Playhouse! Hammy apologizes for the holiday weight gain, but, you know, it's rude to turn down Christmas chocs!

I must dash as we are fortunate to have the grandtwins for the weekend and I'm sure you're busy with your own traditions for sweeping out the old and ringing in the new! Don't forget to sweep out all those old grievances, grudges, and pettinesses and start the new year with a blank slate lined with love!

MWAH!!

Kontinuing Kindness

Hello, Stamplings!

How were your holiday celebrations? We had a great time! We'll have a relaxing week going into the new year and then ... the whooshing will start all over again!

And wouldn't it be wonderful if all the kindness we spread around and received over the holiday season could whoosh along with us into the new year, long after the holidays are over? That makes a lovely resolution.

This card was definitely inspired by the awesome challenges below. The heartstrings die is NBUS from Concord & 9th and the sediment is NBUS from PTI's "Choose Joy" stamp set.

Challenges

• CASology: Kindness.
• Less Is More: Sketch. I took liberties using the sediment as the upper left element.
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use snippets.
• Shopping Our Stash: GAH! Pink! (RIP, Leslie! I miss you still and I'm sure you're gahhing over all the pink in the gallery!)

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Here are a few holiday photos to share with you. 

First up, Papa (the Mister) thanking the boys for a gift. I love the love!

After a delish dinner at their house, the boys helped me whip up a Crazy Cake. It's a depression-era cake that has no eggs and needs no bowls. You just mix everything right in the pan which makes it fun for kids of all ages! 

And, finally ...

... just for you ladies, here's the Mister again showing off a t-shirt the boys gave him. I couldn't have said it better myself!

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

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and a 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 to return the favor!

*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" 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!

Merry Christmas!

Welcome, Stamplings!

Hammy and I and the Mister want to wish everyone
the Merriest of Christmases
and the Happiest of Hannukahs
and the Cheeriest of any other Celebrations!

And if this is a sad holiday for you,
we send you the warmest of hugs!

Christmas Collage and New Challenge News!

Hello, Stamplings!

Counting down now! Did all the packages you ordered arrive? Have you got extra batteries? Please do be careful on the icy sidewalk when you run out to the store for something you forgot!! It turns out I need more nuts, but I've got family coming over so that'll take care of that. Stop it.

This is a special non-Christmas celebration day here as the grandtwins become teenagers! You'll pardon Papa and I as we shed a tear remembering how we held their little hands just "yesterday!" Hug any kids you see today because they just grow up too darn fast! Well, okay, maybe don't hug kids you don't know.

But that's not why you called. Tis the Season for making cards and save one, these are the final designs I have to share with you this year:

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New Year News!!

You'll never guess! Hammy and I thought it would be fun to start a new challenge in Blogland!!!

Coming January 10, 2018

You can read all the details by clicking here: Twofer Card Challenge.

I hope you'll be intrigued, join us on this adventure, and play along!! I can't wait to see your Twofer creations next month!!

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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!

*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! If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave me your email address so I can respond. Thank you!

More Sharing Time

Good Day, Stamplings!

While I have candied nuts roasting (making the house smell amazing), I wanted to share a few more Christmas makes and support many of the challenges and the designers who work very hard for us. I'll put a lid on the chatter box and just get goin'.

Onefer.

I tried to channel my inner Kay Miller! Here is a closeup of the winking. Can you tell I used a new Stella?!

Challenges (badges below)

• CAS on Friday: Christmas.
• CAS Watercolour: Anything goes.

Twofer.

I really overworked the Zigsters with this one. Peace on earth looks like there might be some storm clouds brewing! (Obviously, my inner Kay went on lunch break.) 

You know how you keep going and going some times like you're having an out-of-body experience? You can see yourself watching your hand continue of its own volition and you're thinking, "Why is my hand acting on it's own without any communication from my brain which is yelling, "STOP!"? 

I'm sharing it anyway because I feel like I saved it a bit with the framing and bow. It's prettierer in real life when you see the shiny leaves and Nuvo berries on the holly.

Challenges (badges below)

• Addicted to Stamps and More: Make your mark.
• Simon Says Stamp Monday: Christmas / Winter holidays.

Threefer.

This super-QACAS number is a repeat of a design I made last year, but never posted. A minimal effort at stamping and embossing and a maximum effort at using up some ribbon.

Challenges (badges below)

• Curtain Call: Inspiration graphic. Please note: This is the last challenge for the Curtain Call. I hope you will be able to join in to show your appreciation for all that the current and past teams have done to inspire you! Thank you, CC!
• Stinkin' Inkers: Celebrating the holidays.

Fourfer.

Here is another card with more of my Brusho background. The NBUS Reindeer Window is from Memory Box. I hope you can see the beautiful texture on the card base. I've been hoarding these ancient yummy pieces of colored and textured card stock forever. I decided that makes no sense, so I'm setting them free.

Challenges (badges below)

• Moving Along With the Times: Twas the night before Christmas (reindeer).
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use those snippets!
• TIME OUT: Photo inspiration below (reindeer).

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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 to 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" and wallah, no more car pool tunnel! P.S. If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave me your email address so I can respond. Mwah! 

Did Someone Say Schparkle?

Hello, Stamplings!

I hope this finds you well! I know you are busy, busy, busy, so I won't waffle, pancake, and rabbit on.

I see there are a few Schparkle / Christmas challenges happening in Blogland right now and a few of my designs fit the bill:

If you have any questions about the products or process used in any of today's Fourfers, please let me know via the contact form on the side bar.

I'm off to have a Christmas lunch today with my old friend Verna who is still hanging in there at 93 in spite of several more bone fractures and concussions since I last mentioned her. I finally stole her roller skates the last time I went to see her! Just kidding, of course, but I did make you gasp. Sorry if you were eating and some crumbs went up your nose.

Challenges:

• AAA Cards: Sparkle.
• Addicted to CAS: Sparkle.
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Christmas / Winter Holidays.

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Happy Hanukkah! 

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 to 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" and, wallah, you're at the end! 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!

Got 'er Done!

Hello, Stamplings!

Did you think I got kidnapped by the Grinch Who Stole Christmas?! Well, yes, I did! I apologize for my appalling lack of visits, but that should change soonish.

I'll be popping in quickly between baking, shopping, and lunches in the next couple of weeks to share some inspiration from my Christmas card-making marathon. Like these:

If you share my love of Penny Black Stickeroos, you'll recognize the images above. I've been collecting them since Time Began and this year I was resolute in using them ALL. It was fun coming up with different designs!

Then I found this pad of SU paper tags from a couple three years ago, so I gussied them up and turned them into cards:

And for the cards below, I used even more of the pp you've seen before and that sweet little deer from Simon Says Stamp:

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Finally, here's Hammy showing off the 253 Christmas cards we prepared to help keep the Unites States Post Office in business and spread joy throughout the world! We are so blessed to have so many friends!

Phew!

~~~

I wanted to let you know that we are not near the fires raging in Southern California, but I have several friends and family in the area. My heart goes out to all the families who have lost their homes and I pray the firemen are able to get the upper hand soon.

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!  

*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" and wallah, no more car pool tunnel! P.S. If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave me your email address so I can respond. Mwah! 

Cocktails and Christmas Apertures

Hello, Stamplings!

I've got a fourfer forya and a photo to share, so without further a dew, please pour a Cranberry Appletini and grab an aperture. Hammy will be around later with refills. I'm sorry they will be tiny refills, but you know, tiny paws.

Onefer.

I used my NBUS Memory Box "Stitched Snowflake Circle Frame" and more of my ancient pp. I have several of these metal Christmas verses from (I think) Tim Holtz and I have found them difficult to add to my CAS cards because of the weight. But with this circle design and a pretty ribbon, wallah, it's a perfect way to use them.

Linking to: Jingle Belles: Heavy Metal Holiday; Memory Box Challenge: Holiday Greetings.

Twofer.

Using the circle that was cut out from the pp for the first card, I made this double vanilla textured cone with snowflake toppings. This time I used one of my favorite word Christmas dies from Winnie & Walter.

Linking to: SSS Wed. Challenge: AG; SSS Mon. Challenge: Icy Inspiration.

Threefer.

Next I tried out my NBUS Christmas tree aperture die called "Sloping Hillside" from poppystamps. I added snow-embossed acetate behind the window, but before adhering it, I slipped one of the trees behind the window and placed the other on the card front. The trees are NBUS dies from Taylored Expressions. 

Linking to: Die-Cut Divas: Winter Time; Less Is More: Red and Green.

Fourfer.

Here's another rendition using the same die. The red panel is embossed with a dotted die from Avery Elle. The background is another Brusho snippet. I'm not sure it is the right choice now that I see it on the screen. It looks too much like a forest fire, but if you can tear that visual off your retinas and replace it with one of the northern lights around the North Pole, it looks a lot better.

Linking to: Uniko: Christmas; CAS Watercolour December Challenge: AG.

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We were delighted to have the twins back for another visit over the weekend. They are as tall as me now, so they "get" to decorate the tree, haha! I think they do a fine job of it!

I have to tell you that we enjoyed a hysterical car ride with the boys trying to explain the origin of many of the common idioms and phrases that Papa and I grew up with. It started with Papa exclaiming that someone was living the "life of Riley." Henry asked, "Who's Riley?" After we explained, they wanted to hear more such phrases, even though each one was declared to be "cheesy!" 

~~~

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 to 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" and wallah, no more car pool tunnel! P.S. If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave me your email address so I can respond. Mwah!