Hello Stamplings!
I hope you are doing well and you had a nice weekend! We had three days of clear air as the winds were in our favor and it was lovely. Now we are heating up again and having an Indian Summer.
It turns out there is no proven origin of the term, "Indian Summer." While I was researching it, I did find that in many European countries a warm period in the middle of autumn is called, "old women's summer." Haha. I'm not even lying. I mean, why? Too funny. If any of you can explain why it's called that, I'd love to know. (See below.) And is there an "old men's winter?"
Okay, I'd better get to it, so I can get outside and enjoy "my" summer!
Onefer
As soon as I saw this stamp on someone's blog, I had to buy it. I couldn't wait to get it and try coloring it with fall colors. The NBUS stamp and die set is called, "Harvest Love and Kindness," from Memory Box. I made this as a one-layer card in all it's 5x7 glory because I have all these 5x7 envelopes that come free with cards from charities I support. The gold heat-embossed sediment is also from the set. I used a combination of my Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints, Ziggies, and Karin watercolor brushes to paint it.
You know how some fabulous card artists have a real talent for zhuzhing their art just right? And you know how sometimes your hamster is nagging you to make something he can schplatter? Well, after finishing this card, which is very minimalist, we thought we'd try adding a little zhuzh.
To shrink my post a bit, I made a collage of the three different stages. Hopefully you can click to enlarge if you want a closer look.
First, the top photo shows the card after I added a soft ink border all around using Tim's Old Paper ink and a makeup brush. In the second photo, you can see where Hammy went to town schplattering gold paint all over it.
And the third photo shows the addition of white paint schplatters by Hammy, but to make sure they landed just on the leaves, I die-cut a second image from a piece of scratch paper and laid the negative over the entire card so that only the watercolored image was showing. Then Hammy got a little heavy-pawed for the look I was going for, but don't tell him I said that. It's growing on me.
Do you have a favorite? I like them all, but to varying degrees. By taking photos in between each enhancement, it helped me see which I prefer and gives me more confidence to get a little more artsy in the future when the image calls for it. Of course, I still like the very first CAS look, too.
Challenges
- Fun Friday: (YNS) Give thanks.
- NBUS #19: Use never-before-used-schtuff.
- Sunday Stamps: Earthy tones.
Twofer
Okay, so this design is a bit far-fetched. Think of it like you would a card with a unicorn on it. Once I thought of the design and laid it out, I just loved the Cute Factor with the way these two friends adore each other. The hummingbird is from Pretty Pink Posh. The little polar bear die cut was a gift from a friend, but I think it might be Poppystamps. The sediment is from Sunny Studio.
Here is a closeup to show you that those tiny fluttering snowflakes are each touched with a bit of Nuvo schparkle and Hammy winked the hummer and the scarf.
- CAS October Christmas Card Challenge: Christmas birds. Here in California, we are blessed to have our hummingbirds year round, even at Christmas! (On the other hand, we don't have that many polar bears.😊)
- Krafty Chicks: Christmas.
- Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Make it sparkle.
~~~
Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy, and please be careful out there! 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!
ETA: GerJanne from the Netherlands sent me this explanation:
In the old days 'woman' was the common word for woman. The term old wives summer comes from old knitting women (females) and spiders. In quiet late summer weather spiders make long threads. When dew is deposited on them during the night, beautiful drops glisten on the threads at sunrise. In ancient times it was thought that those beautiful strands were the hairs of goddesses or female water spirits, which they lost at night. Because this phenomenon occurs on quiet, sunny days in autumn, this old wives' summer is called. Something we still know today. Another name for this late summer is Indian Summer, because of the beautiful colors in the autumn that the sun brings out even more.
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69 comments:
I love all the versions - such crisp beautiful embossing too. Love the cute Christmas card too with that lovely sentiment.
Two more fabulous cards and your usual entertaining post - thanks for cheering my day
Yes that is a gorgeous foliage stamp Darnell and so is your card...I love it - great Autumn colours and also Christmas card.. great post as always, hugs Robyn
Love your foliage card Darnell and I can see why you fell in love with it..you’ve coloured it beautifully stunning Autumnal colours...I love all 3 versions but I do like the one you’ve splattered with white
Anne
You made great cards and I like them both! The fall colours are amazing and the bear is so cute.
Lia xx
Love all three ! Also love your adorable second card!
Have a great day!
Marilyn❤️
All three versions are lovely. Your watercolored leaves are simply gorgeous!
I researched the term "old women's summer". There is no definite explanation. Most of all I like "the time of women's work" - preparing food for the winter, to make yarn... Whatever the explanation is, I'm happy you have it. :-) We have rain, rain, rain...
I like your CAS harvest cards. All three versions are super nice. I can not decide, which one to like the most. :-)
Christmas card is super cute! The best couple ever: Humming bird and polar bear. There are no limits by crafting! Polar bear looks just like mine from the brand "Najlepši par".
Enjoy the late summer and take care!
Hugs, Sonja
That MB leaf and berries stamp with the is gorgeous Darnell and I love the blue for the berries and your beautiful watercolouring and gold embossed sentiment, and then the oh so cute bear and hummingbird friend with the perfect sentiment to go with it for your brilliant Christmas make and love the bits of sparkle on the stars, and the winking by Hammy. x
The first card is just gorgeous and the second one-my fav-is to cuteeeee!!!! Oh, such adorable friends!!!
Old Woman's summer probably refers to us that have hot flashes. Well, at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I love the first leaves card. Simple and beautiful.
The hummingbird/polar bear card is beautifully schparkled by the Hammy the Hamster. [Bunny]
Two great cards, Darnell xoxo
The Harvest stamp set is a gorgeous stamp. Your colors are beautiful and I love the touch of blue. I love the inked border and the gold and white splatters. You and Hammy did a great job taking it to the next level! Your twofer is incredibly sweet. I love everything about it. Happy to hear you are doing well. We are still staying home as much as possible. The COVID numbers keep going up in the midwest. Stay safe! Hugs, Sharyn
I love the last version with all the toppings, Dolly! Fabulous idea to use the left over of the die cut to mask. Beautifully colored leaves with or without the schplatters! I'm thinking that polar bear was so enchanted by the darling hummer that he followed her all the way to CA! A fun Christmas card, my friend!
Your water colored cards are gorgeous, and I love each of the subtle differences on each version. Your winter card is gorgeous as well. Enjoy your nice summer weather!
That is too funny! LOVE the first card! BEar and bird are super cute!
My fav is the one with all the enhancements. Really like the white spatters. Your holiday card is so cute. Unexpected friends are really special.
I see why you wanted this stamp, it is beautiful and you did it justice. I like the first one but it might be the light. It seems the most vibrant. Wish we had some of your heat because it is chilly here with fog. An unlikely friendship but oh, so sweet with the hummingbird and polar bear.
You are quite right. Here in the Netherlands we do have sometimes an old womens summer. It's not the explanation I read above.
This is the translation:
Old wives summer
In the old days 'woman' was the common word for woman. The term old wives summer comes from old knitting women (females) and spiders. In quiet late summer weather spiders make long threads. When dew is deposited on them during the night, beautiful drops glisten on the threads at sunrise. In ancient times it was thought that those beautiful strands were the hairs of goddesses or female water spirits, which they lost at night. Because this phenomenon occurs on quiet, sunny days in autumn, this old wives' summer is called. Something we still know today. Another name for this late summer is Indian Summer, because of the beautiful colors in the autumn that the sun brings out even more.
Your cards are fantastic! I love the first one. Beautiful colors... The second one is very cute!
I like all the versions of your first card...so hard to choose which is more appealing because they all are. Think Hammy just likes to spatter. And your your second card...can you say, SWEEEEET? That's exactly what it is.
Oh my goodness! That harvest stamp is to die for!! Wow! Love your cute little polar bear with the hummingbird too. I have a hummingbird nesting somewhere near me because I can hear it feeding it's chicks with that little "click" they make. On a brighter side, the smoke's getting better around here, how about you?
Looks like you and Hammy had so much inky fun. I clicked on your cards for a larger photo and still can not pick a favorite. I love all 3 of your beautiful Fall leaves designs. Your hummer and polar bear do look like sweet friends. As the Arctic gets warmer and continues to melt there may unfortunately be more of these encounters.
Enjoy your clear blue skies and Indian Summer days, my sweet friend. Love and Hugs...Nancy
Beautiful cards. Both are so wonderful.
Two wonderful cards Darnell, your first one is so beautifully coloured, and the second card is so darn cute, love them both, Kate x x
Of course all 3 cards are lovely but my first choice is #1 because the colors are vibrant.
Your Autumn cards are all fantastic. And love your little Polar Bear and Humming Bird. So sweet. Thanks for joining us at CAS Christmas. Glad you can get out for some more summer. We have had rain the last 3-4 days. I think we will have another streak on nice weather starting tomorrow. Yahoo...
Beautiful, Darnell!! OK - here is my honest opinion. I love the first one. I like the second and third additions, but I think my favorite would be the simplicity of the first one with just the splatters on the last one. Such a cute second card, too!
I love the cards and I like the first one for the brightness of the colours which you painted so well and blended. The polar bear and hummingbird are so cute and it has minimal colour which works plus love the glitter. I didn't know about Old Woman's summer and the definition is interesting. I wonder why mom's are compared to spiders. I was thinking it was called Old Woman's summer because we have to deal with menopause and we like it when it gets cooler outside but when it gets warmer...we are not happy.
SO pretty! Love the clean design, perfect fall colors! Thanks for joining us at Sunday Stamps, hope to see you again soon!
The Autumnal card is fabulous, fantastic colours and a really lovely CAS card. The winter scene card has two really fabulous cute images and a rally lovely background.
Kath x
Oh my, the colours on the leaves are so beautiful and I love Hammy's splatters. I can totally see why you would want that stamp, it really is gorgeous. The polar bear and the sweet hummingbird is an unusual combination but I like unusual so it really works for me!
I am grateful to you (and GerJanne) for the explanation, I have often wondered where the expression came from, thank you for sharing! Hugs, Annie xxx
Wow, Darnell, I LOVE your leaves - stunning! So playful and textured - amazing! And just the right touch of gold! Thanks so much for playing at Sunday Stamps!
All nicely done cards. I think our "Indian Summer" may be over. It was rainy and much cooler today. I had to turn on the heater.
I can see why you had to buy that stamp Darnell, love it AND the gorgeous card you made with it! Every version is fabulous, but I think I like the first one the best. Those little hummers are so fast, they could probably make it to the North Pole and back before they got too cold! Cute card!
Such gorgeous cards. Love the artsy one - I too need to take more risks in the artsy area!
The cute bear has me! Absolutely adorable.
Two great cards Darnell, those leaves are gorgeous you nailed the fall colours and your humming bird with the polar bear is such a special friendship:) Thanks for joining us at CAS Christmas
Well, I just fell in love with all the glimmer and splatter on the third iteration of your first card. You're so lucky to have an encourager like Hammy, whose motto seems to be, "Just go for it!" Your second card is over-the-top cute. It's true that a polar bear and hummingbird are unlikely to ever meet, but they certainly should!
I love all the versions. Really awesome cards.
I happen to love all the versions for different reasons. It's a beautiful image and you did a fabulous job coloring it, then accessorizing it!
As for "old woman's summer", well here's my thought: I'm old, I get a "random" heat wave every now and then, even in late summer -- sounds logical to me :o)
P.S. I got so side-tracked by the heat wave that I forgot to mention (I'm pretty sure those two things go together), that the bear and hummingbird are totally cute!
Hi Darnell, What a lovely card.
Hope you have a good day. Sue
Loving the 'process' photos - I think I like the first and second cards the best (sorry Hammy, after all your hard work on the other two). Your hummer and polar bear are super unexpected, and cute!
Stay safe
Blessings
Maxine
Lol “old women’s summer that’s a new one for me could send some over here as we are well and truly into Autumn 🍂” Darnell ooh the hummingbird and bear look so gushy together both your cards are so beautiful enjoy your day x
Gorgeous cards as always. Love the Autumn themed one ..... CAS is always a winner with me, but I think my favourite version is the one with all the extras ..... I do love a good splatter!
Love the festive hummingbird too ...... sooo cute! xx
What, no polar bears in California like this cutie, Darnell ... and there I was thinking they roam freely everywhere just as they do here! Either way, he's adorable with the little hummer ... and their sparkle is magical! I can understand why you had to have the autumn leafy set ... isn't it gorgeous ... and your colouring is just as beautiful as you must have felt while creating it! Each iteration is delicious ... though it'll come as no surprise that my favourite is the CAS-est! LYAMYSMMA ... IWAJTCWYY ... SMFTY! Big hugs and bisous, Anita :)
Both these cards are great but I specially like the first one. I am the same, in that I wish I could be more adventurous with the embellishment and I think you have done a great job with the three different elements. I actually like the last one best, with the whole works. I have never heard of an old woman's summer but I am glad you are enjoying a clear fine spell. Make the most of it xx
OH! I LOVE each of them and the progression you made, gorgeous colours and real Autumnal colours and cards.
As for the Indian Summer, you have shattered my illusions! from a child hearing the expression, I was convinced the people of The British Raj, who had lived in India and had come home, thought the warmer days would say it reminded them of India! Please forgive me it was before Google! A lesson learned today. AND, we have had a real Indian Summer day today, it's been just beautiful.
Keep safe
Faith x
What fantastic cards Darnell. I can certainly see why you had to invest in that stamp, it really is lovely and you have done a brilliant job. I wonder what the sweet hummer is saying to his adorable polar pal xx
I'd say both cards (including the altered versions) are wonderful! I love the autumn feel of the first and how you colored the image! Loving the friends in the seasonal card too, but can't picture a hummingbird surviving the polar region. Then again, anything's possible on a card, right? It's downright cute and fun :)
Oh, wow, your leaves are gorgeous! I almost went immediately and got this stamp, too, but I held back and gradually got a bazillion other stamps instead. It all depends on the day, ya know? I love all versions. Partly it's the angle, but love how the colors show more richly on the first. You know I do love splatters, though, and have been especially fond of white splatters lately. It's really a beautiful card no matter how you look at it. Hey, thanks GerJanne for the old lady summer explanation. It's actually quite nice. We do have old man winter. He's kind of a rough old guy. Super cute polar bear and hummingbird card, too. I've more or less given up on realism. Yup, like a unicorn. They're both adorable. You know, I've pined away over the hummingbird set 'cause I think it's the cutest hummingbird set ever. I adore how you colored it. We have Anna hummingbirds here all winter. They eat bugs for protein and tree sap for energy. I had to look that up a while back. ps: Got your pretty card! Thank you! Tomorrow I'll be 67. Sometimes it feels young, sometimes ancient.
Wonderful Christmas card! Thank you so much for playing along with our Christmas week over at Krafty Chicks Challenge oxoxoxoxo
Beautiful autumn colours Darnell, and that is one gorgeous stamp! Cute little polar bear with his bird buddy too, Cathy x
Two fantastic cards Darnell, I can see why you had to have that stamp, it's gorgeous.
Sue xx
Gorgeous coloring on the Harvest Love & Kindness image, Darnell - just love the blue berries!! I love all three versions, especially the one with the white splatters - Hammy did great! Awww sweet Christmas card with hummingbird meets polar bear - what not?? A big ol' bear might meander down the coast some day to visit the Playhouse :)
I can see why you "had" to have that Memory Box stamp, Darnell, it is gorgeous, especially with your exquisite coloring! And I'm with Hammy, the gold splatter is a brilliant addition. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful card with us at Sunday Stamps!
Oh, I LOVE that MB stamp as well, thanks for enabling friend! Okay, now that is so sweet of your friend to give the explanation. I loved reading about that! And your card is just the sweetest... of course I love hummers, so to have that little one be friends with a polar bear, I think it is just precious! Thank you for joining us at CAS Christmas!
I am swooning over that beautiful leaf card... So gorgeous and I can see why you had to buy the set. LOVE the colours right down to the shading on the berries! Sweet twofer card with the little hummer and bear... At least the bear has seen something I haven't... A hummingbird
Be safe and enjoy your day!
Loving that leaf card, The colors are fabulous. I like each iteration. The hummer and the polar bear are interesting bedfellows. They clearly are good friends.
Love how you zhuzhed up your card Sis - I love that image and your colored it wonderfully!! I like all three! and your hummingbird best keep those wings humming until he can get inside a warm igloo with his polar bear friend! The images do look so sweet!! thanks for sharing with us at CAS Christmas - all is fair in love and war - and in card design!! xx
Autumn is here - and love the first one with all the beautiful fall colors. And then on to the bear - love the bear - although I can't imagine a bear and a hummingbird living in the same climate. Hammy did a great job with the shine. Our hummingbirds are all gone south - but they will be back next year.
Enjoy reading all of your "extra" goodies.
Wow what a stunning first card and I extra love the third version because of the splats x. Super adorable second card x.
First, I can see why you had to buy this gorgeous leaf image. Your colours are amazing and I love the shading, especially on those little blue berries. Amazing work Dolly! I love all three versions, with the last one being my favourite. I love all the splatters that adds so much to those gorgeous leaves. Great work by Hammy!
Your sweet bird and bear are adorable together. And what a lovely Christmas card the two of them make along with the sparkly snowflakes. Thanks for sharing with us at CAS Christmas! Love, Lolly
Awesome cards, Darnell! I love the CAS version of your first card, yet the added 'zhuzh' makes your card really pop! Beautiful watercoloring, too my friend...I love all those lovely fall colors!
I also love how you paired the hummingbird with the bear on your 2nd card...so cute! Barb xx
Two amazing cards Darnell! I especially love the autumn leaf one!
The first wonderful card with all the richness of colors. I love the combination of autumn colors with blue berries and golden sentiment. I think I like the first version of the card the most, precisely because of the clarity and contrast. And the second card is so fun, the polar bear and hummingbird combination is so surprising and fun at the same time. I love these snow drifts :-)
xx
these cards are so nice!
I can see why you wanted that stamp, Darnell. It is so lovely, and your use of mixed mediums colored it beautifully. The friends card is just as sweet as it can be.
I can see why you had to have that stamp, Darnell--love it! All 3 versions are beautiful & I love splatters, but it's hard to beat the original! Cute 2nd card, too!
Gorgeous cards as always Darnell! I can see why you had to have that stamp- off for. Bit of retail therapy myself now. All the variations are great but I really love the original one.xx
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