The Lookout

     I was invited to be a GDT at the Outlawz Sunday CAS challenge the next two Sundays and I was delighted to say "Yes."  Big changes are in the wind on the Sunday but all I can do is tell you that much and nothing more.   For this week, the challenge theme is "Image with a Tree or Trees." 

Of course, I was perfectly happy to include a darling feline.  :-D

     Please don't ask me who did the image.  That was in my file of printed or stamped images and I had put no kind of identifier on it.  But it was perfect for this theme so I decided to use it.

     I colored only the tree trunk with polychromos pencils, leaving the rest in black and white.  I know some people will look at this card design and wonder if it really fits into the CAS category but one of my favorite things to do is to use a die cut for some visual interest but leave lots of open space and no embellishments so I think it fits in just fine.

     I used a Spellbinders' die to cut two different shades of tan CS, then sliced those cut pieces in two - one lengthwise and the other across the width.  Since each one would have been smaller than the image, I adhered the sliced die cuts to both sides and both ends, then added that entire piece to a dark brown card front which had been embossed with my "Linen" folder.

     I didn't think it even needed a sentiment.  That kitten is clearly the lookout for a band of stealthy, feline, vagrants who are out to create as much mischief as possible!  He's watching to see when their human will discovered their escape from the house into the great outdoors and to sound the warning to get back inside before the door shuts forever!

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Friends
Di's Digi Designs
Everybody Art
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
SUYP Cats
TTCRD

     We'd love to see you playing along at The Outlaw this week.  If you're not already a member, join us.  It's free and there are fun challenges each day of the week, plus a progressive challenge each month.  See you over there!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Summer Joys

     For all of you down under in the Southern Hemisphere, including cousins of mine in Sydney, I hope your summer is warm and wonderful but not overwhelmingly hot.  I've done a card with all of you in mind for my GDT spot over at the Outlawz Sunday CAS challenge with a theme of "Summer."  This is a refreshing change from the "Snow" theme of last week and I imagine those of you in the north of the US and in Canada will agree.  Are any of you tired of winter yet?

     I used another House Mouse image and kept my card very CAS, even with the double layer on the card.

     I colored the mouse, the crab, and beach ball with ProMarkers and everything else was done with watercolor/polychromos pencils.  I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders and then cut a dark brown mat for it with a Pinpoint Rectangle die from Memory Box.

     I layered those together and added them to a yellow card base, deliberately putting them at an angle to add a little visual interest.  The sentiment I printed, hand cut, and put on top of the image.  There you are - totally CAS and easy to male.  It's going in my stash of masculine cards for one of the summer birthdays celebrated by several of my family members.  :-D

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafting with Attitude
Crafty Friends
Digi Choosday
House that Stamps Built
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Penny's Paper Crafty
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feed the Snowmouse

     Today I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the next two Sundays at the CAS challenge at The Outlawz.  Today we have a theme of "Anything Snow Related." I chose this darling House Mouse image as the focus of my card.

     It's a pretty simple design because this is the Clean and Simple challenge, calling for lots of open white space.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, adding a touch of white gel ink for highlights.  I cut the image with a Gina Marie "Chain Link" die.  I mounted that piece onto an embossed card front (used my "Linen" folder) and then started looking through my ribbon stash.  I found two different sheer blue ribbons and used one to wrap the card front and the other to tie a quadruple loop bow.  That was it - done!

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Addicted to Stamps
Angie's Digital Stamps
Crafty Sentiments
Cutie Pie
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Stamping Sensations
TTCRD
Unicorn

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bright and Brilliant (?) Christmas Animals

     This week I again have the honor of being a Guest Designer at The Outlawz CAS challenge and I chose an image from Bugaboo Stamps for my card.  I'm not sure just how "brilliant" these two critters are standing out in the snow with nothing to eat but a candy cane but they do look pretty 'merry' if not all that bright.  lol

     I printed the image on kraft CS and colored it with ProMarkers.  I used white gel ink for the snowflakes and snow.  I love the way white becomes so bright against the kraft.

     In the interests of keeping it CAS, I added the sentiment in white and decided on only one small bow plus a metallic brad in each of two opposite corners.    I used a white card front, added two small strips of red CS, then layered on the image piece.  Voila'!  Lots of open space, even though it's not white space.  :-D

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Catch the Bug
Come and Get It
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Delicious Doodles
Di's Digi Designs
Imagine That
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM

     I'll have another post later this afternoon.  I'm playing in the week-long Holiday Chaos daily challenges at Catch the Bug and one or two days this week, I'll have more than one post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Last Leaves of Autumn

     Today it's my pleasure to be a Guest Designer for the CAS Challenge at the Outlawz.  The theme, in addition to being CAS, is to use at least one button.

     I have no idea who made the image for this since I forgot to properly label it when I saved it into my collection of miscellaneous images.  I printed it twice in slightly different sizes, then colored both with ProMarkers.  I used rectangle dies from Spellbinders and QuicKutz to cut them, then layered them with dimensional tape to make a kind of pyramid stack.

     I added tiny buttons to the corner and did the sentiment on mini Pop Dots.  This one is CAS in design but with a more complex look.  This card has to be my salute to the end of fall and with perfect timing.  Our temperatures are expected to take a 25 degree drop between yesterday and tomorrow!

     Challenges:
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Digistamps4Joy
Let's Craft and Create
Paper Creator's Crafts
Scribbles Designs

     If you decide on a CAS card this week, add a button and come play in the CAS challenge at the Outlawz.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Cuddles

     My third week as a Guest Designer on the Sunday CAS challenge at The Outlawz and I'm truly enjoying it.  I've done a couple of very simple cards so far, and this week is also CAS but with some layers and dimension used in the design.  We have a new theme this week and it's one everybody loves - Anything Goes!   I used an image from Sweet Pea Stamps called "Sugar and Snowball" and took the opportunity to add one more card to my Christmas stash.

I started with a sketch from Pals Paper Arts

and colors taken from Color My Heart.

   

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image and then cut it into a square.   The red CS I used for the die cut frame has been hiding in my Christmas stash for nearly 3 years.  It's very heavy duty and one side is polished so that it shines.  This time, I chose to use the matte side because it worked better with the image colors and was much easier to photograph.

     Once matted, I added the entire piece to the card front, giving me layers but without a lot to distract the eye.  Afterall, I was after a CAS design but I wanted some layers and texture.  The sentiment is printed, hand-cut and matted, and adhered with dimensional dots.

     Challenges:
ArtbyMiran
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Hanna & Friends
Incy Wincy 
Jingle Belles
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Minutes

     It's been fun Guesting at the CAS challenge and I'm looking forward to one more week before it's over.  Any time I can work on mastering the magic of CAS, I grab it.  I'm just honored that they asked me to be Guest Designer this month.   :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Music for the Soul

     This is my second card as Guest Designer for the CAS challenge at The Outlawz.  Our theme this week is "Musical" -- and that can have a wide interpretation.  I chose to use a rubber stamp image from Sparkle n Sprinkle, one I've had for a long, long time (before I even started blogging!) but still love.  In fact, this card is overwhelmingly filled with Sparkle n Sprinkle goodies -- embossing powder, glitter, and image.

I started with the sketch from The Outlawz

and colors came from Connie Can Crop.

    

     Before stamping my image, I used chalks to color and blend the background and then I stamped the image with embossing ink, used black EP and heat set it.  I used ProMarkers to add a bit of color to the butterfly in the image.  I die cut it with one of my favorite types of dies (framing) from Spellbinders, making a fancy frame for it.  The three little butterflies are die cut negatives and I added glitter to two of them.  I mounted the image onto a pre-made, colored card front, added the bit of sheer ribbon and the corner brads.  Another lovely, CAS design.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Cards in Envy
City Crafter
Crafty Gals Corner (mid row)
Everybody Art
Inspiration Destination
Not Just Cards
Papertake Weekly
Pencil Case
{Pin}spirational
Scrap & Craft
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Stamplorations

     Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll have another Guest Designer post in a few hours.  Shhhh, it's a secret until then.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Can a Witch Fly Backwards?

     Edited to add:  This is posting sooner than I  had planned but since the challenge is already live at The Outlawz, I doubt that I'll be breaking any rules.  :-D

     I'm so tickled and honored to be a Guest Designer this month in the CAS challenge at The Outlawz.   Some of you know that I'm constantly working to improve my CAS designs so being asked to Guest Design on a CAS challenge was really thrilling.  Our theme this week is "Use Geometric Shapes."  I chose hexagons and cut everything using dies from QuicKutz.

     I've used a cute silhouette image from MHK Designs and I love the fact that the witch is flying her broom backwards. Too funny!  But, since flying a broom is a strange form of transport anyway, I guess if she's magical enough to fly a broom, she can probably handle it forward or backward.  :-D

     I colored the moon with ProMarkers, then printed and die cut the sentiment (also from MHK Designs.)  I die cut lavender and yellow CS and layered the image and the sentiment.  I figured the shapes were enough embellishment so added nothing else.  After all, this is a CAS challenge so less is more.

     Challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore
Craft Your Passion
Cuttlebug Mania
Little Red Wagon
Outlawz PAM
Passion for ProMarkers
Petal Lu
Silhouette Challenge
Simon Says Stamp
Through the Craft Room Door
Unicorn Challenge
Your Scrapbook Place

     That's it for me today and I'll have another post early in the morning.  Be sure to check back, won't you?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Puppy Love

     OK, I admit it -- I'm addicted to QKR Stampede images!   I find myself reaching into my collection of them whenever I want something fun or quirky or gently humorous.

     Since I'm a Guest Designer at The Outlawz CAS challenge this month, not only am I getting lots of practice on doing CAS (which I'm really loving!), I get to put on my thinking cap, too.  Our theme this week is the movie "6 Days, 7 Nights" and Pryn's advice is to "think of islands, planes, pirates, castaways, etc."  What I remember most about the movie is that when you take all those things away, it's really all about falling in love.  That meant this adorable image from QKR Stampede was perfect!

There are lots of challenges with an "autumn" or "fall colors" theme this week so

I started with the inspiration photo from Chocolate Baroque.

     The image is colored with a combo of ProMarkers and chalks.  In die cutting the image, I decided to do an out-of-the-box technique with the smaller scalloped rectangle die.  I used a larger scalloped die to cut the brown mat.  The sentiment is cut and matted with the same die set (Spellbinders) but I had to adjust the die to get the right size (cut one side, then move the die and line up the scallops.)

     Everything on the card, including the card front piece, was done using scraps of leftover CS and those scraps have been in the basket for nearly a year.  It was about time to get them used up.  No embellishments; the die cuts and CS mats were enough and this is a CAS challenge.  :-D

     Challenges:
AAA CAS Cards
Bloom Girl
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Sentiment Designs
Creative Craft Cottage
Creative Moments
Cuttlebug Mania
Oldie but a Goodie
Outlawz PAM
Vandicrafts Artistry

     Enjoy the last half of your weekend and I hope we're going to see you playing along at the Outlawz CAS Challenge.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Autumn Naps

     It's the second Sunday in September and I'm Guest Designing this entire month over at The Outlawz CAS Challenge.  This week we have a challenge theme of "Girly" or "Feminine."  All right, I've done my share of feminine cards so that's no big deal -- except that I make feminine cards with tons of lace and ribbon and flowers and bling and...  Yeah, you get the idea but this card has to be CAS.

     In case you're wondering, yes, I did have a conversation with myself and it went this way, "OK, I made a commitment to do CAS at Outlawz for this entire month and I'm going to do it!"   First I want to share the card and then I'll tell you the other side of the story.

BTW, those of us who are in the "Autumn" of our years know how sweet an afternoon nap can be.  :-D

     The image is from Rick St. Dennis and he's a great sponsor of challenges at Outlawz.  I knew I wanted to use this image since the pumpkin is a great symbol of fall and harvest and Thanksgiving.  But fall colors are hard for me when I'm trying to think "girly."  For me, pink is the color that says "Feminine," not orange or brown.

     Then I remembered -- a couple of years ago my daughter saw some pink pumpkins for sale.  Not painted or dyed but real pumpkins that are pink when they grow.  The lady selling them was donating the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research.  That was near and dear to my heart since I'm a BC survivor (13 years this month!  :-D )   My daughter and I have already decided that next year we are going to grow pink pumpkins and sell them to donate funds to Breast Cancer Research, too.  You can find more info on the Pink Pumpkin Foundation by clicking on their name.

     So, with pink pumpkins in mind, I looked around and found this wonderful color combo over at Creative Craft Cottage:  

                                                                  

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then die cut and matted.  Because I wanted a feminine feel, I decided that some lace with pink ribbon woven through it would make a good single embellishment.  After all, this is CAS not vintage!  :-D  I laid it diagonally across the card front, than added the image piece, popped up on dimensional dots.  I have it on good authority that despite the lace and ribbon this card still qualifies as CAS -- minimal embellishment, lots of open space, and clean lines.

     Challenges:

Bastel-Traum

Bunny Zoe's

Crafts Galore Encore

Ladybug Crafts

Lia Stampz

Paper Sweeties

Ppinkydolls

Scribbles Designs

Vintage Stamping

     Well, my friends, if I can do a feminine CAS card (even without using a really girly-girl image!) anyone can do it.  Won't you come along and show us what it is that makes you think feminine?  Is it colors, images, certain embellishments, maybe flowers?  Challenge yourself as I did and make a girly card, keeping it CAS.  See you at Outlawz.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cinderella Cat

     I am delighted to announce that I've been asked to be a Guest Designer for September on the Sunday CAS Challenge at The Outlawz!   All I can say is that someone has a much better opinion of my ability to create Clean and Simple card designs than I have myself.  I think I still need loads of practice but every once in a while, I get one right.  :-D  Let's hope I get a few of those this month.  Our challenge theme this week is done in honor of the lovely fall colors which will be taking over the northern hemisphere soon, so Use Your Favorite Colors.  But they can be from any season.  I chose to use fall colors because I'm so ready for cooler weather.

     This one uses a darling image from Squigglefly.  I know it's been around for a long time (last year? two years?) but this is my first time actually using it.  Those two kittens with the pumpkin just made me think of what would have happened to Cinderella's coach right after midnight.  Hence, the silly sentiment.

I used the colors from Mema's.

     This is a single layer card, colored with water colors, and I added faux stitching with an orange pen.  The only embellishment comes from the three tiny stars.  Not much more to say given how simple this is.

     Challenges:
A Girl Who Crafts
Bearly Mine
Bastel- Traum
Card and Scrap
Crafting from the Heart
Crafts Galore Encore
Cutie Pie
Inky Chicks
Oldie but a Goodie
Miriam's Crafting
My Heart Pieces
Paper Sweeties

     Time to put on your CAS hats and get something done to play along with us this week.  I can't wait to see what you create and post at the Outlawz.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie