Hello Stamplings!
How are you? I hope you've had a good week! I'm being distracted by a baby hawk sitting on the fence outside my window. They fascinate me, but so do my little "pet" fence lizards on the garden wall. I hope he just wants to say hello and doesn't need a snack.🫣
But that's not why I called. When I wasn't being squirreled this week, I was happily submerged in dies and die cuts for this week's I.D.E.A.S. schedule. Lots of holidays and holly days called out to me. Here are a couple of the simple designs I made:
Onefer
The Mister is one hunnert percent Irish, divided by two, so we observe St. Patty's Day. I haul out the ol' crock pot to make a delicious corned beef with all the fixins. The crock pot was a wedding gift in 1971 and it still works a charm. (Shoot, I prolly shouldn't have said that.🤞)
But I digest. I seem to have donated my only shamrock image, so I called a conference with Hammy and Stanley. Between Stanley's British accent and my aaackronyms, it is slow-going, but we are all enjoying the process of getting to know each other. Together we made our own shamrock using a heart die from Cottage Cutz. I free-cut the stem.
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Cool, huh? I used temporary tape to adhere it to the card front as a mask and then blended soft green ink around it. The "happy" is from Memory Box (Happy Script), cut from glittery green paper and the scalloped rectangle frame is from Pink & Main.
Twofer
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I have several Easter cards in the works, but (no surprise!) I got squirreled again and made my first 2024 Christmas card instead. I've been wanting to do a hidden word stencil design, so I did. The Joy is from Concord & 9th and the snowfall stencil is from Sarah's Funky Fossil Designs. I did an ombre blending with CP inks. It was easy and fun!
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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! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
*Life is too short!
Challenges:
Shamrock: Cardz 4 Galz (Use some green), and Colorful Options (Celebrating green).
Joy: Stencil Fun (A/G), The Paper Funday (A/G), Christmas Craft Creations (Stencils or embossing folders), Jingle Belles (Holiday cards to die(cut) for).
Joy: Stencil Fun (A/G), The Paper Funday (A/G), Christmas Craft Creations (Stencils or embossing folders), Jingle Belles (Holiday cards to die(cut) for).
Clever idea to construct a shamrock for St. P's day. Great cards as always
ReplyDeleteHi Darnell, we had a sparrowhawk, attempt to take a topknot pigeon, I don't think it would try our water dragons, they are about 3foot long. Love how you created your shamrock. Thank you for the inspiration... Megan
ReplyDeleteYou are so clever to create your own shamrock and stencil around it! I love the resulting card. I too used to fix a crock pot full of corned beef but it's too much food for one person now, so I just have a corned beef sammich instead to celebrate St Patrick's day. I've never tried the hidden word stencil technique yet, but yours looks great! Well done, now have a good week ahead. Hammy looks cute in his lil green hat too :)
ReplyDeleteGreat cards !!!!!!
ReplyDeletegroeten Ineke
Great job on the cards, Darnell. Love your workaround for the shamrock. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThat background on card one looked just like premium designer paper, Darnell - stenciling perfection on that shamrock!! And I love the inverted scallop frame with it too!! The hidden joy looks fabulous in the snowfall too - must try that one sometime. Thanks for the inspiration with dies!! I plan to dive in sometime this week - might even be today if I get busy....
ReplyDeleteCrafting ingenuity at its best -- a shamrock from a heart! Cute cards, and definitely good to add to your stash, but maybe you'll be handing that shamrock to the Mister. You're rocking this IDEAS self-challenge
ReplyDeleteHi Darnell, great idea making your own shamrock with the heart die, and then using it as mask! Lovely sweet card with it!
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Stanley is a good hand/paw, such great team! :D
Beautiful Christmas card too, love the hidden Joy!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Fabulous cards and very creative with your shamrock!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful horse meat, especially since it was so cleverly created by you. As you can see, you can cope with extreme situations. And the second card - I admire your beautiful ombre pattern. The JOY card pops out and looks so amazing.
ReplyDeletehugs,
BożenA xx
Beautiful cards, Darnell. Great work around for the shamrock! xoxo
ReplyDeleteYour heart dies and free-cut stem make the perfect shamrock, Dolly! So very create and fun. Happy upcoming St. Paddy's Day to you and Mister!! Your JOYful Christmas card is adorable. Sweet! Love, Lolly
ReplyDeletethis is a great simple card for St. Paddy's day. thank you for sharing this card with us at C4Galz
ReplyDeleteGreat improvisation with those hearts, it worked a treat. Love the simplicity of both your cards. Well done for making a Christmas card, you are one ahead of me! xx
ReplyDeleteWowie, I like how you did your shamrock! I've made shamrocks with hearts before, but never in this manner as a mask. The results are expertly fabulous! One would never know. BTW, I had that same avocado green crock pot and only recently got a new one with a removable crock. The other one was still going strong. Your joy card is cute with the polka dotty snowfall! Happy upcoming St. Patrick's Day. I love me a yummy pot of corned beef and cabbage for the occasion.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to make a shamrock stencil using heart dies to make your beautiful St Patrick's Day card. Love your hidden word card too.
ReplyDeleteLiz xx
Wonderful St. Pat's day card. You and Hammy are never short of inspiration and how-to information for me. Thanks!! Hugs to you.
ReplyDeleteYou three makes a great team, your shamrock is oodles of fun! Terrific cards today, Darnell!
ReplyDeleteI love your St. Pat's card. I made a few this year--some for the thrift store and one for me to send to my half-sister who's biological dad was Irish.
ReplyDeleteYour Christmas card also tickled my fancy. One of my very favorite things to do is ink a design using a stencil. Your ombre affect looks fab. That might be a card that could be made in quantity. I'm always on the lookout for those kinds of designs.
you are one clever woman creating your own shamrock from those hearts :) Love both cards especially your hidden word die cut xx
ReplyDeleteYou struck gold with this twofer Darnell! Love how you not only constructed a shamrock, but then used it as a mask. Ida just stuck it on, whereas you’re a genius. I love a hidden message card, and now need to have a go, so thanks for the I D E A xxx
ReplyDeleteYour shamrock is ingenious Darnell, so glad Stanley is settling in across the pond! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the shamrock from the heart dies very clever...great use of dies Darnell
ReplyDeleteAnne
This must have been a squirrel weekend, Darnell, because I was the same way. Darting from one thing to another and never finishing anything. But I digest too. lol So creative of you to make your own shamrock with the hearts. I guess three brains are better than one.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully creative, Darnell! Love both cards! If he hasn't done his DNA, your hubby might be surprised what ethnicity it comes back with. We found that out with hubby thinking he was mostly German and not so. But I'd keep celebrating with the Corned Beef meal no matter what--sounds good!
ReplyDeleteGreat use of die cuts on both cards, Darnell! I especially love the blue dotty "Joy" - wonderful snowfall!
ReplyDeleteLove your stenciling on the JOY card - great ombre effect. Thanks for joining us at Christmas Craft Creations. Check back soon for our next challenge.
ReplyDeleteBoth cards are so creative and beautiful! Very clever design on the first one and love the ombre effect on the second, I still have my 'avocado' since forever too, but have bought about 5 new ones too, well we used to have a lake house, so I was well suppled, most went in the garage sale, but not that oldie!! Have a happy St Patrick's Day!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining our challenge at Stencil Fun!
Diane SF Co-Owner
{Nellies Nest}
{Stencil Fun}
Beautiful card and a FAB version of the both ombre and the hidden word stencil technique... I realllllly love this! So pleased you could join our diecutting fun at Jingle Belles!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I love your shamrock and am a bit embarrassed that I called a friend to borrow her clover die cuts to make a shamrock card. The card should be in your IDEA "box" by the end of the week. :-)
ReplyDeleteyour hidden word design is super-fun ... so very glad you shared your die cuts with us at Jingle Belles.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Darnell for IDEAS... I'm on a roll AND for your inspiration... I haven't made a hidden word card so that might be on the to do list now... your cards a fabulous too. And have to share that I have a Nutmeg Finch pair nesting in the Native Frangipani outside my craft area window - so special. Have a great day Robyn
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea to create the mask, Darnell. It does have a designer paper feel to it. I too love the blue snow with your camo joy. Have a wonderful week and Happy SP in advance.
ReplyDeleteDarnell, I'm thinking that baby hawk needed a snack! I like you Simply holiday design, it's very effective and just lovely. Thanks for joining us at The Paper Funday Challenge and please share again soon.
ReplyDeleteDonna xx
Inspiration Station Challenge
Paper Funday Challenge
Beautiful Blossoms Challenge
Two lovely designs sis! So very clever in creating your shamrock - love the soft green and scalloped frame! And I love all the blue dots fading down and your hidden JOY! Julia xx
ReplyDeleteWow Darnell two fabulous cards l love the shamrock l love seeing sparrowhawks we have them around my neck of the woods xx
ReplyDeleteA very ingenious way of making a shamrock on the first card Darnell using a heart die and a very clever DIY stem, and such a pretty background green and finished perfectly with the inverted scallop frame, also love glittery green 'happy' and some lovely green gems too. I love the second card with lots of wonderful blue ombre falling snowflakes, and love the embedded 'JOY' with some great dimension which makes it stand out beautifully. I have made a card using this week's prompt, and having this each week has definitely helped me to keep up better with the cards I need for birthdays etc. so thank you for this fun mix of prompts throughout the month. x
ReplyDeleteOK, what a smart way to make a shamrock! Very cool! I wish my crockpot would last that long-my kids keep cracking mine when they wash it and I probably buy a new one every year or too. Sheesh. ANYWAY, thanks for joining us at The Paper Funday Challenge!
ReplyDeleteHi Darnell your blog does cheer me up LOL fabulous cards..my Auntie used to send my mother shamrock from Ireland every year..sadly they are both not with us anymore ( she married an Irish man) and I adore Ireland can't wait to go back in the Summer all being well..take care and once again thank you so much for the card you sent us hugs Sue x
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ReplyDeleteAren't you the clever one, making your own Shamrock out of hearts and making it look fantastic. And then sneaking in a Christmas card. Lovely cards, Darnell. Have a great day.
Happy St Patrick's Day to you and Mister! I love your shamrock card and well done for coming up with the hearts for your design, it is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteYour Twofer is beautiful, I really must try that design sometime, you have me thinking now.... Hope you have a good week ahead. Hugs, Annie xxx
So so clever to use the hearts to make a shamrock. Trust you didn't jinx the slow cooker.
ReplyDeleteFirst Christmas card! You are amazing! Well done.
Good to hear Stanley and Hammy are getting along - I have a vision of the communication obsticles.
Hi Darnell, your creativity never ceases to amaze me. Well done with the shamrock. Love the ombre ink blending too xx
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards!
ReplyDeleteThanks for playing along at Cardz 4 Galz
Debbie - C4G DT
Debbie's Dash of This and That
What a great St Patty's day card Darnell - well done on making your own mask!!
ReplyDeleteThat JOY card is spectacular - well done on a great use of the technique
Blessings
Maxine
Darnell thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous green card with us at Colorful Options I love this beautiful Cas sensation and it fits our green challenge just perfectly.
ReplyDeleteMarie