Hello Stamplings,
This morning I set my glass of wodka water down on my desk, but the desk wasn't quite as far away as I thought, so it went down with a bang and splashed everywhere. How many times ...?! More on that later. Glad it was just a glass and not my foot. My sister-in-law AND my brother-in-law both did that when coming down a flight of stairs (not at the same time). She shattered an ankle and he crunched a knee. Both needed surgery. Darn diminished depth perception. Watch out for it.
I recently won a challenge at the Day of the Month Card Club, which means I have the honor of being the Guest Designer for the current challenge! You know how there are several "Day of" events happening every day around the world, many of which are obscure and funny? Well, the talented ladies of the Day of the Month challenge want us to celebrate those occasions. So what are we celebrating for the current challenge?
Why it's "Hug Your Cat Day!"
I don't have many cat stamps because we are a family owned by dogs, but when I found this ancient image, this card design sprang to mind. The stamp is called Play Time Kitty (by Rubber Stampede), but to me that little face looked more wistful than playful.
I started with a linen card which I scored in an attempt to make it look like the siding on a house. The window is from Poppystamps. I put a very old slip of textured paper inside the window to look like wallpaper behind the cat, who was Ziggified. The NBUS sediment is from Altenew and the shrubbery is from Pink Fresh Studio.
Won't you corral your kitty cat and come and play with us at the Day of the Month Card Club? We'd love to see what you make! You'll find more fabulous inspiration by Gundi, Rosi, and Cornelia over on the challenge blog!
~~~
Now I know you know that I know you know that I can't let you go without showing you a Twofer. And what better way to balance out a kitty cat card than with a birdie card?
Using distress inks and my makeup brushes, I blended two ombre strips in green onto my card front, one wide and one narrow. Remember that spill I talked about when you first came in? Well, most of the spill landed on the wide blended strip. Now, normally, a few water spots on an inky panel are a good thing, but not one big glop right in the middle that ruins your ombre, hombre. So I blended another panel and attached it over the ruined one. Never a dull momo in the Playhouse.
After all that and a large restorative gulp of my wodka water, I diecut the birdie (thank you, Col and Lin!) from a smooched Lindy-Magicals-on-Yupo snippet and perched her on the top ombre strip. The NBUS sediment is from The Ton. Hammy applied a black glass eye and I added the heart punch-outs.
Here's a better view of how glimmery the Magicals are on Yupo:
Challenges
- CAS Mix Up: Ombre + stamping + masking + blending + die-cutting.
- CAS on Friday: Birds.
- Fusion Card: Rainbow birds.
- Watercooler Wednesday: Karen's feminine anything goes.
~~~
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!
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! (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!)
69 comments:
What a waste of good *ahem* water - but as you say, better a drink than a body part. Your kitty at the window is adorable and I love the perennial border below that really finishes the card off beautifully. And that Yupo birdy is stunning.
I love both your cards. The little cat does look wistful as he peeks out of the window, "is anyone coming out to play" springs to mind. Loe the effect you got on the card by the scoring, true inspiration.
The little bird die is just adorable, made even more so by the way you have coloured it. Those Magicals work so well on Yupo I must give them a try.
Hugs, Neet xx
Fabulous cards Darnell - I love the cute kitty card and the bird is beautiful and shimmery.
Kath x
Two super cards, I love the cute kitty.
Had the same problem hanging out the washing, who moved that line! ;)
Gorgeous cards .... love the little kitty, and your die cut bird looks beautiful with the shimmer xx
Pretty shimmery birdie - and kitty deffo planning an escape outside to play....
Look after that precious "water", just in case there's a drought and the still runs out! x
Hi Darnell, I have trouble with depth perception, down to me only seeing out of one eye (my right is an artificial eye). I lost my eye when I was very little.
Loving the cards, especially the bird one.
Hope you have a fab Friday. Sue
Two fabulous cards Darnell, I love them both especially the gorgeous little bird die.
Sue xx
Congratulation for guest designer on Day of the Month Challenge. You're card is awesome. I like the idea of cat looking thru the window. Wonderful design. I also like your interpretation of the ombre effect. Inovative as always and super nice with colourful bird. :-)
Have a nice weekend!
Hugs, Sonja
They're both so beautiful!! The kitty in the window is so sweet!! Love the gorgeous birdie, too!! Congrats on winning the challenge and GD spot!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)
Lisa
A Mermaid's Crafts
Two cute cards Darnell! Sorry about the water mishap, but glad you were able to salvage your sweet card.
Congrats on being a guest designer on the Day of the Month Challenge! Love the cat peeking out of the window on your first card and love that adorable bird on your second card.
Have a great day!
Marilyn❤
Fabulous cards Darnell, the kitty looking out the window is adorable and your card is beautifully designed-perfect for your guest design spot and your sparkly bird card is darling too! Have a wonderful weekend!
Congratuations on your GD spot Darnell, and I love your sweet wistful looking cat staring out of the window and also the shape of the window and the clapboard you have made using that textured card, and the greenery looks great and finishes the card perfectly. Spilling wod/water can be catastrophic but in this case it is a happy accident and you fixed it without any problem and the ombre effect strips work beautifully as a perching place for your wonderfully coloured little bird, and sweet little hearts around that lovely sentiment. x
Good that you put the card with the bird far away from the cat card with the cat... ;-)
Love both cards, so cute. Thank you again for being our guest designer.
Hugs Gundi
Oh, the cat card is just grand and I do love that birdie card. Need (teehee) that die!
Hate when that happens! Cute cards!
Super cute cards and both are so clever and creative!! I have a ton of cat stamps/dies so guess I might have to join in...dilemma is which one do I use LOL....oh yes the water issue, yep have done that myself many times (that's when you see the blue streak across the sky) ahem!! Have a wonderful day in your playhouse!!
Congratulations on the win and the cute card you made. I think Kitty looks forlorn because someone left him. The siding looks great and the grass and leaves are perfect outside the window. You know I know you wouldn't leave us with just one card! The shiny birdy is very sweet. Perhaps you should stay away from stairs "just in case". Sometimes those things run in families.
The little cat peeking out of the window is so cute! And I love the sparkly bird.
Fun post as always :) and congrats for your winning and GD position! The cat card looks so cute and modern with those leaves and well done on the birdie one, your ombre is perfect and the shining on the bird looks great!
Hugs
Your "siding" looks amazing! Love the greenery in front of the window as well. Great colors on your bird die cut also.
So cute xoxo
Thanks for being our GDT with that cute cat card! Such an adorable little scene! I wonder if the cat is at the look out for Hammy ;) Thanks for all the advertising - we sure need that, LOL!
I seem to have lots of those momo's lately. Ha ha....Instead of posting, I keep creating. Nope my new shed is not going to be a "she shed".... if I did that, we would never use the garage. It is a nice thought as this new craft room is half the size. Anyway.... I always love to stop and see what you are up to. Whether it be peeking kitties or sweet birds, you always bring a smile.
Reading your posts is a nice start of any day. The cards are both charming. Falling is my biggest fear at this advanced age. Grab bars are essential especially when one has bad knees. For me I always use the handicap stall the thought of grabbing onto the tissue holder and it comes off the wall is a nightmare. Hugs, Barb Roe
darling cards Darnell...that bird might work at FUSION too.
Love your sweet kitty peeping out the window (though of course it would be better if it was a puppy - darn those challenge restraints!). And your Twofer bird is beautiful - gorgeous blend of colours!
Hi Darnell... Firstly thank you for your kind words on the loss of my friend... Our trip to Cornwall really has helped even though the weather was not favourable.
Congrats on you win! Every day is hug my cat day here! fabulous cards and I love what you did with the ombre birdie. Have a lovely day!
Congratulations on your win! Shame about the drink but glad you were not hurt! The kitty does look a little wistful but still adorable peeking out of the window and the way you did the wood exterior is brilliant. The birdie is just so sweet too. Love your cards. Hugs, Annie xxx
Congratulations on your win, Darnell! That's a fun theme for a challenge, though you may have trouble with those two cards in the same page... :). Love the glimmer on the birdie!
Please be safe!
Hugs,
Cris
Dolly, Birds and Cats do go together, but usually not peacefully..lol! I thought your cat had snuk under the blind to peek out of the window at the pretty Magicals birdie...TFS both your cards and stories my friend. Hugs....miss you!
As always, a fun jaunt through your cards and your life. Each one another creative delight. I have to continually check your blog to see whats going on in blogland and I always find some challenge I've missed.
The cat balanced by the bird is an excellent idea. I couldn't tell that the cat was ancient because I was so distracted by all the detail on your first card. Also struck by the CAS vibe on the second with that shimmery bird.
Lack of depth perception is no joke...believe me, I've missed a few counters when laying down a cup...and ended up on my hands and knees cleaning up the mess.
Thanks for the tip about the vodka, now I know how you create such great cards, such as these. I gotta go buy some. I hope your glass wasn't broken and you were able to refill, ah! you must have 'cause you made these fab cards later!
Have a great weekend.
Faith x
You nailed the look of siding for your sweet little cat's home. I love this card! The little birdie is a cute follow up. Ouch, sounds like some not so fun times for your sister and brother-in-law. It's tough getting older, the aches, the pains, oh my!!
Lovely cards, especially that twinkly bird xx
Adorable cards, Darnell! Glad you didn't hurt yourself this morning, Jo x
Great save on your second adorable CAS card with such a pretty smooshed little bird and gorgeous ombre technique....loving the bling from the magicals too x. Such a fabulous first card with great scene making.
Glad you didn't injure yourself Darnell....you take very good care of yourself x
Thank you for joining in The CAS Mix Up Challenge with the beautiful Ombre card x.
If it isn't faulty depth perception it's faulty self perception of how much space I take up. I'm glad you didn't break anything! Hammy would be so sad if you did. Love that sweet kitty and the expression on her face. She looks like she sees that bird out the window and is ready to pounce! The bird is adorable and looks like he loves the kitty and feels pretty safe on his ombre ledge! Awesome ombre colors, my friend. Thanks so much for sharing with us at CAS Mix Up!
Two fabulous creations, both with brilliant layouts and super colours, especially love the little bird one.
Kath x
Ugh, I know all about diminished depth perception, in walking and in placing my glass, plate, Hostess twinkie...(you name it)...down on a surface. I guess I should be ever grateful that I haven't gone the way of your SIL and BIL and damaged myself beyond the odd sprained finger.
We are also a dog house (hmmm, that doesn't sound quite right but I'll let it stand!), but we used to have cats as well so I have plenty of stamps of each. Great idea to use the window die to allow your kitty a nice view of the neighborhood. I'm going to have to lift your design and give this a try soon. That round little bird on the Yupo is just so darn adorable!
Darling pair of cards, Darnell - card one is perfect for Hug Your Cat Day! Just love sweet kitty in the window and your bird card looks great too! Luckily I can hug a kitty today - I have my brother's cat staying with me and she's enjoying the visit!!
I don't currently have a cat, but I do have a bunch of cat stamps. Birds, too. I think both of your cards are darling with these two sweet critters that I've always been so fond of. Too bad they're so frequently at odds. Sorry about your water mishap. Sometimes it does good things in stamping, sometimes not.
Two fabulous cards Darnell. Love the kitty peeking out the window and the shimmer on your little birdie is so pretty.
Thanks for entering it into our challenge at Watercooler Wednesday this week. Good luck
Dawn ~ DT
Those are a couple of sweet critter cards. I had not heard of Lindy Magicals before, so now I need to do a little googling. Sheesh! Sometimes I wish the craftmasters of this world would take a little hiatus from inventing new craft tools and supplies until I use the ones I've got!!!
Love both these cards. On the first the expression of the cat is just great and I really like the leaf border under the window. I think I might have that bird die, must get it out and use it, the little hearts from the tail and body are so sweet xx
Congratulations on the win! I love the kitty peeking out of the window with the little garden card! So adorable! And great save on the birds card! Love the shimmer! Hugs!
Well done on your win and guest spot Darnell.
I love the kitty card, the expression on the kitty's face is wonderful. Love your beautiful coloured birdie too, super CAS card. Hope your weekend is going well, Kate x
Is it really depth perception or are your arms getting shorter? LOL As my spine compresses, I know one day I'm going to make a great end table because I'm much shorter and wider now ROFL!!
These cards are both good ones, but I love that playful kitty looking out the window! He's probably wishing he was outdoors to try to catch that cute bird on the 2nd card! Take care now!
Oh those are two fabulous cards my friend! that kitty is so sweet looking out the window...is she afraid of the birdies? And your bird card...you are so clever. And you are most welcome! Love what you did with the bird to make it so colorful and unique! Have a terrific weekend!! Heart Hugs!
Wonderful card designs and I am glad it was just a broken glass and not a broken Darnell. That would never do. And, I have to be more careful myself these days with the depth perception.
They're both great but I do love your cat looking out the window! Two great cards Darnell.
Lynn
How much is that kitty in the window? That just doesn't sing as well as "How much is that doggie in the window", does it?
But it's still so cute and so is the birdie.
People don't realize that your depth perception changes as we (some of us) age. Dang it! It's not fair! [Bunny]`
Two fabulous cards Darnell! I love the fun scene you created with the cat...it's awesome!
I'm so glad you weren't injured during your mishap, Darnell...what would we do without you? Your little kitty is so sweet and I love how you added dimension with your scoring on the background of this card...so much great texture, too! I'm also loving your ombre panels on the 2nd card and how you added shimmer to your darling bird! You sure know how to create some fabulous cards, my friend...and I'm so glad you played along with us at Fusion this week! Barb xx
The burning question is When is it Hug your Hampster Day! Having said that I love your cute kitty cat card. He does look a bit pensive. Maybe wondering if it's going to rain or not or maybe where the heck is next doors dog hiding! Hugs Mrs A.
Two super cards as always - didn't know there was a hug your cat day. Should have guessed though because there seems to be a 'day' for pretty much everything nowadays!!
I’m a cat person and I love what you’ve created with this cutie. The scored paper looks just like a wooden panel on a house. Nice texture on that ‘wallpaper’ too.
A fun cat-card, but I am in awe of the bird card; love the colours and little glimmer! (Not a cat-person myself :) ) Hugs, Gerrina
I love your sweet little kitty, peeking out of the window - such a beautiful scene with the plants in front! The twinkling bird card is very beautiful too!
Thank you so much Darnell, for being our guest designer at DotMCC!
Hugs, Rosi
Oh how gorgeous Darnell - both the cat and the bird cards - I am owned by a cat, one Tinker by name, and by nature!!
Glad to see Hammy is being useful - pity he didn't slurp up the wodka/water before it spoilt your panel! But then again that may have had unexpected side effects too.... ;-)
Blessings
Maxine
Gorgeous kitty card! Congrats on your guest DT possie.
I must say I hope you saved some of your water! (wodka!) :)
Darnell, this is card is darling! Love the ombre stripe and the cute little die cut bird!
Love your sweet kitty and your fabulous design with that lush greenery! He looks so sad though. Maybe you and Hammy should invite him over! Sorry about your mishap--the challenges of card makers--ugh! Thankfully it was an easy fix. Your bird is adorable too.
Super-cute cards! That bird is just gorgeous. So happy to see you at Fusion.
First of all, Darnell ... congratulations on your GD spot with DOTM! Your little kitty is adorable ... you're right, he does look wistful ... think that's to do with your brilliant scene building and colouring ... perfect with the sentiment! Gorgeous, shimmery bird ... bummer about the glop of wodka on the ombré, though you did recover it beautifully! He looks a very happy little chirper!! LYAMYHAHMA! Big hugs and bisous, Anita :)
That bird is truly spectacular, he stole the ombre show just below him. Great nuances of green and the cute little die cut is superb.
Thanks for joining us at CAS Mix Up! xx
Wonderful cards!
Never a dull momo is right ... and not just in the playhouse, right Dolly??!! :) Great save with the new blended panel over top. Aren't those brushes awesome?? And I love your sweet bird die-cut from gorgeous colours and sparkles of magicals. Sweet!
Your cat is so adorable looking out the window. He does look lonely and hoping for someone to play with. Sweet scene you've created! Love, Lolly
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