Hello Stamplings!
Once again I apologize for being gone so long. We were scheduled to go to the lesser-visited North Rim of the Grand Canyon this past week and that would have been a wonderful reason to have been offline for so long, but alas, we didn't go because The Mister put his back out a week ago, just at the start of the long 4th of July weekend. Why do these things always happen on long holiday weekends????
Until the doctor put him on stronger drugs, he was flat on his back for several days and I donned my Nurse Ratchet uniform once again. Little by little he has gotten better and stronger in terms of standing and walking for short periods of time. Yesterday he graduated to sitting for a few minutes, so he's getting there!
Life is a series of curve balls, eh? ⚾
Thankfully, we have a hobby that provides distractions! It's the tenth of a new month (I won't mention the name), so I have my Twofer card designs for Twofer Card Challenge #40 to share with you. This month our prompt is:
🐦BIRDS!🐦
You all know how much I love birds, hummingbirds in particular. The hummingbird my two designs have in common is actually a stencil. I don't know who makes it; it was a lovely gift from my friend, Ang, affectionately known as "Mrs. Duck."
Onefer
I laid the stencil over a smooched background. On my craft sheet, I mixed some Nuvo glimmer paste with a few different colors of Brusho powder and then spatulated the mixture through the stencil. I was surprised that it turned out as dark as it did, but the resulting schparkle in a rainbow of colors is brilliant in person. All that schparkle made this hard to photograph and to make it even more schparklier, Hammy suggested a glittery panel as a mat. The sediment is from an ancient PTI set.
Challenges
- Addicted to Stamps and More: Any occasion.
- Make My Monday: Anything airborne.
- SSS Monday: Fun and quirky.
Twofer
This uber QACAS calm design is self-exploratory. I painted the rainbow hummingbird through the stencil with my waterbrush and my Ziggies which was chance-y, but it worked. I saved that awesome piece of rainbow ribbon from something I can no longer remember, but I was tickled to find it in my stash! The sediment is from PB's "critter celebration." Hammy did his usual pro job of winking the hummer!
Challenges
- AAA Cards: Sketch, plus optional critters.
- Seize the Birthday: Anything goes.
- Watercooler Wednesday: All things feminine.
Come Play!
I hope you will pull out your favorite bird stamp, die, or stencil and make two different designs for two different occasions to join in the fun at Twofer Card Challenge #40! The two talented guest designers, Maria and Coni, and the entire Design Team have made beautiful bird designs to inspire you!
Thank you!💋
💕I have received (and continue to receive) beautiful handmade birthday cards and I thank you all so much! They were especially helpful to keep my spirits up through the long weekend and this past week. I love all your sweet and kind notes!💕
Before the calamity, I decided I should have The Mister take a new profile photo for the blog, considering I look different now that my hair is no longer colored. (It's more silver in real life; not sure why it looks so dark in the photo.) This time Hammy insisted that Nellie be given her turn in the spotlight! What a considerate guy!
Before the calamity, I decided I should have The Mister take a new profile photo for the blog, considering I look different now that my hair is no longer colored. (It's more silver in real life; not sure why it looks so dark in the photo.) This time Hammy insisted that Nellie be given her turn in the spotlight! What a considerate guy!
~~~
Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy, and keep safe! 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 and please let me know if you have any problems receiving this post.
*Life is too short!
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Two lovely cards made with the same image and its amazing how different they look...So sorry to hear about Kevin..hopefully you can enjoy your trip when he's fully recovered....as you say thank goodness for crafting...
ReplyDeleteAnne
Two fab takes on the theme Darnell, I will try to join in this month.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that The Mister has back trouble, I totally sympathise as I did something to mine a month back and it was agony.
What a lovely pic of you and Nellie, I thought perhaps Hammy had climbed onto your craft desk to take the photo! How thoughtful of him to let Nellie have the limelight. ;)
Keep safe and sane and hope the OH is back to his best soon. :)
The schparkle in your cards is rivaled only by the lovely sparkle in your eyes in your new beautiful profile picture Darnell. You and Nellie make a lovely pair. I think you did a marvelous job on the two fer. That Zigified hummingbird is just lovely. So happy it worked for you. I think you were very clever mixing up the other hummingbird. You might need some shades for that shine. :) I am sorry the Mister messed up his back. So hard on you both! I hope he gets more relief soon. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute card with a timely message. Thank you for sharing. You are so talented. Sending love and hugs your way. Have a beautiful weekend and stay safe.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
So sorry to hear about your husband's back. Unfortunately I can relate as of right now. It's starting to ease up.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday. I'm sorry I missed it.
It's a lovely new picture of you and Nellie. Also, I love the hummingbirds. Especially the sparkly one. Beautimous. [Bunny]
Oh my goodness, life sure is challenging to say the least! I'm so sorry you didn't get to go on your trip and I'm really sorry The Mister's back went out again!!! Mine comes and goes too, no rhyme or reason for it either. I'm super glad that he is slowly getting better, sitting, standing and walking for short periods. My prayers go out to The Mister! Life is a series of curve balls alright!
ReplyDeleteThis year is flying by way to fast. Loving your twofers, as I too, love my hummers that visit. But enjoy all birds, hummers are just my fav. Loving how sparkly your first hummer is. That is such a cool stencil, and that sparkle looks so pretty against the blue "sky". Hammy was right, I love it on the glitter mat! But this rainbow one is my favorite! Your little hummer is so beautiful...I love how it came out with the rainbow watercoloring. I'd had a huge mess with watercolor all under the stencil. lol This little guy looks so light and airy, just like they are! Love the rainbow ribbon too, glad you hung on to it as it is perfect for this card! Love, love, love!
Love the new photo of you and Nellie! You are so photogenetic Auntie and so is Nellie. She is posed perfectly in your arms! Pretty Auntie and pretty Nellie! Again, I'm so sorry you didn't get to go on your trip. I am hoping that good things come to those who wait!
Sending love and hugs to you and The Mister and of course to Nellie and Hammer. Brenda
Two beautiful cards, Darnell. I love the first one with this amazing color scheme and a beautiful glitter frame. The other tab is cute CAS, your rainbow hummingbird looks amazing. I also love this rainbow ribbon, I've never seen one like this before.
ReplyDeleteThe new profile picture is beautiful. You look phenomenal, Darnell!
hugs,
BożenA
These are beautiful cards. I'm glad I don't have to choose a favorite. So glad to hear the Mister is feeling better and you can put away your Nurse Ratchett uniform soon. Enjoy your day.
ReplyDeleteSending healing vibes for hubby's recovery. Your cards a fabulous I too love Hummingbirds they are facinating. Awesome job with the two-few I have only come up with something for that challenge once.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to be playing with birds this month:-) So sorry to hear you and mister missed your trip to the North Rim, Dolly. The good news....he was home and not on a hike in the canyon...oh my! Take care both of you. LOVE your new beautiful photo of you and Nellie..so sweet of hammy to give Nellie the limelight:-) Please give Kevin a soft healing hug from me and then you can go back to being Nurse Ratchet! BTW...I loved your hummingbird cards...the glitter on the 1st card and the soft and pretty rainbow colors on your 2nd with the perfect ribbon. TFS and choosing another fun challenge, my friend. Love and BIG HUGS to you:-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful hummingbird cards and the shine is awesome. I'm glad to hear hubby is able to sit for a bit. That is a great picture of you and Nellie. That Hammy is a sweetheart!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear that the Mister is improving a bit. Bits of progress are always appreciated by the resident nurse. I wish him well.
ReplyDeleteThink these bird cards are brilliant, literally. Love the sweet hummer and how different he/she looks on each card. The glittery silhouette color is so unique and dramatic. Weren't you lucky that you kept that ribbon...it's perfect on the second card. I'd say you aced this Twofer.
I love hummingbirds (and all birds) too! Your cards are so pretty! Your new photo is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous hummingbird cards, Darnell - especially love the pastel one!! Ugh - poor Kevin - glad he's feeling better each day! Love your new photo with Nellie - fun to see your new do!
ReplyDeleteHi Darnell, Hope your hubby is soon back on his feet. Also hope you can do the Grand Canyon soon.
ReplyDeleteCards are lovely.
Rally nice photo of you with Nellie.
Take care
Sue
Two gorgeous cards with a fantastic focal - hummingbirds! I think they're pretty universally loved, so when handmade by your, the recipient will be thrilled!
ReplyDeleteI sure hope the Mister continues on his upward climb healing -- backs can be such pains, literally. Don't overtax yourself, one MUST be healthy at a time...
Two wonderful cards, Darnell, especially the second one. So softly colored. Am hoping Kevin continues on the mend. I also love the new picture of you and Nellie. Hugs to you all!
ReplyDeleteOh no, poor Mister! Sound's like he's been in good hands. Wishing him the speediest of recoveries. Wonderful hummer cards!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear that progress is being made, even if it is a bit slow and how lovely to see an apt to date photo, you look very happy despite all the trials of life. It is about time I updated my photo but somehow can't bring myself to, I look so much older now! 2 wonderful cards, love the sparkle on the first one and the delicate rainbow painting on the second. Very clever, that just would not work if I tried it. Hope the progress continues and speeds up a bit xx
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cards Darnell and love the glitter, yep! notorious for not wanting to be photographed! Poor hubby, I sympathise with him, such a painful thing to have. Good to hear he is up and around if only slowly, he has taken a very attractive photo of you, shows he loves you. Even if he did his back out not to take you away for your birthday. Don't tell I said that ;D Happy Belated birthday
ReplyDeleteFaith x
Poor Mister, backs are so finicky :(, keep up the good work nurse Rachet ♥
ReplyDeleteLove your Twofer, I'm in awe of your stencil painting and your looking good in the new photo :)
Hi Darnell, what a bummer that The Mister put his back out again, and your missed what sounds like would have been an amazing trip, ah well life is just like that sometimes. I do hope your Hubby continues to get better.
ReplyDeleteYour cards are so pretty, it's a beautiful hummingbird stencil and you've created with it beautifully, lovely colours and designs. Take care hugs Kate x
Who's a pretty birdy? oh wait wrong bird ;-) great card though. Thank you for playing at AAA Cards
ReplyDeleteI like your new profile photo, Darnell. So cute! Both girls in the photo. :-) The day I first saw a hummingbird will always be one of the best in my memories. Your Twofer is awesome. Fantastic work with rainbow sparkles of nouvo glimer paste. And coloring hummingbird thru stencil is innovating and well done. You won't believe, but I did something similar a few days ago. :-) Happy to hear good news about Mister's health. Grand Canyon will stay there and will wait for both of you. :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend! Hugs, Sonja
Two fantastic hummingbird cards Darnell and love the bright glittery look of the first with that wonderful blue background, and then the simpler look with the rainbow ribbon and a soft multi colour look for the hummer. I hope the mister continues to make progress with his back and that your trip can take place at some future time...so disappointing for you to miss it. I also love your photo with the sweet Nellie, you make a very pretty pair. x
ReplyDeleteWOW! You have done fantastic work with this stencil, Dolly! Love the schparkle of the first card! I need to try that! The watercolor hummer is so sweet in his pastel colors! Great job of doing that without any leakage! I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful new profile picture, Darnell. I'm sure the smile wouldn't have been as big post-Ratchet days. I'm so stoked that I can enter this Twofer challenge. I did bring a bird stamp with me to the lake. Your hummers are beautiful. I'm especially taken with the watercolor one. So ethereal.
ReplyDeleteYour hummingbirds are so beautiful! I love hummingbirds, too, but they're not so plentiful where we live. We see more cardinals, chickadees and sparrows here. I'm glad your hubs is on the mend. Back pain is tough to deal with.
ReplyDeleteDarnell, Such gorgeous hummingbird cards! I really love the pastel one! Why is it when you finally have plans to go away these things happen? Poor hubby and you...the caretaker. I hope he continues feeling better each day! Love your new photo with Nellie, you are so beautiful! Big Hugs! Thanks for joining us at Seize the Birthday! I love that the hummingbird matches your ribbon perfectly!
ReplyDeleteLovely photo of you and Nellie!! What a shame the Mister put his back out and messed up your trip to the North Rim - hopefully you can reschedule! Two great hummingbird cards, especially the first one - love the sparkle. I might even be able to do this Twofer Challenge as I love bird stamps!
ReplyDeleteTwo fabulous cards ...... your hummingbirds are so cute.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the Mister, hope he's feeling better now. And I hope you get to reschedule your trip.
Lovely new profile picture too! xx
Oh no - so sorry to hear that the Mister is mainly prone, but good to know he is recovering, albeit slowly.
ReplyDeleteHammy is such a sweetie, insisting that Nellie take the limelight in your photo, and working so hard with you doing all that winking, and making suggestions too - obviously good ones as you have used them!
Loving the cards, especially the rainbow hummer. Awesome work Darnell (and Hammy)
Stay safe
Blessings
Maxine
Pretty cards and I love your new photo! Sorry to hear about you hubbys back. My Hubby is having a lot of back issues also. Suppose to have another procedure done on his back next week
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Marilyn💖
Both of your Hummer cards are FABULOUS Darnell!! We love watching the little guys too, and our feeder is right outside our patio doors which are in our dining room, so every time we sit down to eat, we can watch them dine too! I can just imagine how sparkly your square card is, and what a perfect representation of how iridescent some of those Hummers look! That PTI sentiment is still one of my favorites too, and just perfect for your card! Your QACAS card is absolutely beautiful in it's simplicity Darnell!! Beautifully water colored, and that ribbon just couldn't be any more perfect for this card! Two lovely, lovely cards for sure!! Hope the hubby is doing better today, and continues to heal at a QUICK pace!! Take care my friend!! Hugs. :0)
ReplyDelete2 gorgeous cards. I love the sparkly bird. It will certainly bring joy to someone. The pastels one is fabulous. I can't believe you did that with watercolor. Mine would have looked like just a big splotch on the page. Hope your mister is better soon.
ReplyDeleteFabulous cards Darnell. Your picture is gteat!! Glad Mister is on the mend. Take care and happy belated birthday!
ReplyDeleteOh, my word! I love both cards, but that use of the stencil and how you did it is fabulous. Thanks for joining us at Seize the Birthday Challenge. Hope to see you again.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry your trip was cancelled, hope the Mister is better and you can reschedule. Love your cards and your new pic xxx
ReplyDeleteOoh poor you and the mister l hope the back is improving and that you will get away at some point .....both your cards are absolutely gorgeous as always the watercolours are stunning your really are a talent in many ways take care and a speedy recovery for the mister xx
ReplyDeleteWell there's nothing like a hummingbird. Michael and I wait for them to return in the Spring, and enjoy watching them at the feeder. Yours are gorgeous. I'll bet the one hummer just shimmers in real life. I love that Hammy suggested a glitter mat, too - it really works on this sweet card. But the rainbow hummer...OH! Soft and delicate, and terribly wonderfully CAS!! So glad you found that ribbon, too.
ReplyDeleteSorry that you've missed your trip. And poor Mister! Poor Nurse Ratchet, too! Hope you have the chance to actually go soon. Such a sweet new profile pic, too. Awesome shot of Miss Thang, and Little Nell, too! Miss ya! xo Bev
So good to hear that Mister is feeling a bit better. Sounds like it's going to be a slow go for him, but any improvement is good. I hope the pain has lessened as well.
ReplyDeleteTwo beautiful hummer cards. Love that gorgeous schparkly embossing paste you've used for the first card. It's gorgeous and all the colours in it show through. Your watercoloured hummer is amazing. I love the soft colours. Perfect with the rainbow ribbon!
Wonderful new profile picture Dolly. So happy that Nellie joined you. Love, Lolly
Well darn ... my first comment seemed to go nowhere so I'm adding my comment again.
ReplyDeleteSo happy Mister is feeling better and starting to move around. I hope the pain has lessened as well.
Fabulous hummer cards. The sparkly paste used on the first card is so pretty, especially with all the colours showing through. The watercoloured hummer is gorgeous with the soft watercolouring. Great work my friend!
And fabulous new profile photo that includes Nellie! :) Love, Lolly
Just love your hummingbirds. So pretty. I am sorry about the Mister and hope he continues to improve.
ReplyDeleteyour cards so pretty Darnell. Thanks for adding your second one to our Challenge at Watercooler Wednesday. The soft colours of your bird are so delightful and how fortunate that your ribbon is just the perfect match.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about DH painful back, so debilitating and yes always happens on holiday weekends x.
ReplyDeleteYour hummingbirds look fabulous on both of your beautiful cards Darnell x. All glittery on the first and subtle on the second. Great effect with the water colouring on the second and through a stencil too....fabulous x.
What a beautiful photo of you and Nellie x.
I hope you've received my birthday card on time but with the postal these days you never know? x. Sending hugs x.
Beautiful cards, Darnell, and it's great to see you xoxo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards, Darnell! I especially love the wonderful hummingbird - it's so perfect. Great picture of you! That reminds me that I keep thinking I should add a new one to my blog, since the one I have is about a year and a half old. Pre-pandemic - seems like a lifetime ago!
ReplyDeleteGreat pair of cards Darnell; especially love that CAS one with the rainbow bird. Thanks for joining us at the WWC. Tristan DT.
ReplyDeleteWhat terrific cards! I love the rainbow ribbon with the beautiful rainbow bird... And I love your new photo!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about the mister.. Mine is driving me insane! And I'm so sorry I missed your birthday! Oh my ... Belated birthday wishes, I can only blame it on my fuggled brain, courtesy of my mister. Sending hugs
What wonderful cards - both so different and both so beautiful! I love your new photo - your hair looks fab! I hope the Mister's back feels better soon. Take care my friend. Hugs xxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love your new profile picture! You and Nellie both look great! Your cards are fantastic, and I'm especially loving the 2nd version with the rainbow ribbon and pastel-colored bird! Lastly, I'm so sorry to learn you weren't able to take that long-awaited trip you had planned. Life is nothing but curve balls lately. We got a big one thrown our way a couple days ago too. Seems Walmart is no longer going to sell the affordable insulin my husband has been on for years, and now we're scrambling to find an affordable alternative almost overnight. We haven't suffered any catastrophic weather so we're good in that regard, but those wild fires in CA and floods in NJ have everyone living in peril. Here's to a better week ahead and quicker healing for the mister so you can take that long awaited trip! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful projects you have done! So glad you've shared it at Make My Monday.
ReplyDeleteWow, that glitter paste looks stunning. I bet it's even more so in real life. Thanks for joining my challenge at Make My Monday. Love Dawn x
ReplyDeleteA stunning result with the glitter paste. Thanks for playing along with us at Make My Monday. Caz. DT.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to read about your husband's back issues. I have struggled with my back for years, but have had peace for over a year now.
ReplyDeleteLove these two cards too. A hummingbird stencil is a great idea. I live the rainbow you did. Great job on applying watercolors without it seeping under the stencil.
Hugs Monica
What a cute set of cards! I hope your hubby feels better soon! Thanks so much for joining us at Addicted To Stamps and More!
ReplyDeleteLove the sparkly "choose joy" card. The smooshed blue background is gorgeous on its own but with the sparkle, just made it spectacular. Thanks for joining us at Addicted to Stamps and More!
ReplyDeletesue n.
Two pretty cards - I really love the first one a lot. So bright and cheery. And then on to #2 - the rainbow ribbon definitely made this card - it is lovely. I've been thinking about a set of zigs for a while just haven't bit the bullet yet. Tried cheaper knockoffs with very little success. TFS two pretty cards.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear hubby is improving! Such a bummer! Love the new picture with Nellie & good for you going natural with the hair color--looks great! My new hairdresser suggested I do that, but last time I tried I felt 10 years older, so we'll see. What a great stencil which worked for totally different cards! That rainbow ribbon is amazing & perfect for the card!
ReplyDelete