Happy St. Patrick's Day !

      My favorite day of the year because I get to celebrate my birthday and that's especially fun since it's not only St. Patrick's Day but I'm Irish on both sides of the family tree.  :-D  I celebrate by making St. Pat's cards for everyone in my family.

     Remember, on St. Patrick's Day, everyone gets to be Irish.  Just put an "O' " or a "Mc" in front of your last name and you're in.  :-D

     The image featured on this card is another clip art which I printed in light grayscale, then colored with a combo of pencil, watercolors, and Sanjoki markers.  White highlights were done with a gel pen.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, then matted it with green glitter paper for a wee bit o' sparkle, also cut with a Spellbinders die.  The background paper is from a K & Co. stack. 

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

Creative Knockouts

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Pattie's Creations

Star Stampz

WordArt Weds

Worldwide Crafters

ZieloneKoty

     Wishing you the best today and may the Luck of the Irish be with you!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Lazy St. Patrick's Day

      I'm one of those lucky individuals who celebrates her birthday on St. Patrick's Day but I'm also of Irish decent on both sides of my family tree!  My way of celebrating my Irish heritage is to make St. Patrick's cards for all the kids in my family; a way of reminding them that they, too, have an Irish heritage.  :-D

     Those of you who follow my blog probably already know about the running "cow" theme with my youngest granddaughter and St. Patrick's makes no exception.  I searched for cow images related to St. Paddy's Day and found an entire collection of them in digital coloring book form.  I've used many of the pages for cards this month, reduced to accommodate my need for card size, and colored most of them with either water color pencils or Sanjoki markers.  Those same images also come in pre-colored versions, but I print those in grayscale and color them myself.  I do that because the shading and highlights are still there and that gives my own coloring a marvelous 'finished' look!  Try it, you'll be delighted with the results.

     I cut this image with an old QuicKutz die, then snipped off the corners with deliberately different sizes, although the angle is the same on each corner.  I managed to do that by using one of my quilting mats, penciling in the line I wanted to cut, then cutting those with scissors.  The background paper is from K & Co.   Pretty CAS except for the design in the paper. 

     Challenges:

Colorful Options 

Daisy Chain

Double Trouble

Inspiration Station (St Pat's celebration)

Inspired By

LeighSBDesigns

Outlawz Friday

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Simply CAS

     I'll share another couple of these with you later in the week.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

An Irish Gnome

      Today I have a St. Patrick's Day card to share and I'll have another later this week.  Between the two cards, I made a total of 30 cards, 15 of each.  

     These were for another of those "Care Packages" which a group of moms puts together to send off to their out-of-state, college kids.  Each month, a group of about 30+ moms get together and each of them brings 30-35 all-the-same items which fit into a particular theme chosen the month before.  Each mom then takes 1 of the various items, and puts it into a box which they then mail off to their own collage kid.  

     My daughter and I got involved with this group when my youngest granddaughter went off to attend Texas Tech last fall.  The theme for the March box was obviously St. Patrick's Day and I did two versions of the cards.  This is the first one I'm sharing.

     

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Classic Design

Colorful Options

Crafter's Cafe

Crafts Galore ...

Creatalicious

Double D

Morgan's ArtWorld

Outlawz Friday

     That's it for today.  See you tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Luck o' the Irish

     It's the second Monday of the month and that means a new challenge is starting at Jan's Digi Stamps!  Our theme is always Anything Goes and you may use any image from any company.

     Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day (also my birthday!) and since my heritage is Irish on both sides of the family tree, I'm using an image & a sentiment from the JDS set called "Lucky Charm 776J."

     I celebrate my heritage each year by sending St. Paddy's cards to my grandkids, reminding them that they are Irish.  As my father used to say, "Irishmen never father anything but Irishmen, regardless what's on the other side!"  lol

Colored with ProMarkers & gel inks
Cut with Memory Box die
Sentiment printed and hand cut
Shamrock ribbon by Paper Studio
Everything mounted onto kraft card base

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Coloring in Scrapland
Cutie Pie
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Colors
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Path of Positivity
TTCRD
Tues Throwdown

     I want to share with you another card which uses this beautiful Lucky Charm image (combined with one of her birthday cake images), made by the artist herself, who sent it to me to celebrate my birthday!  Isn't this gorgeous?

     Come play with us before April 5 when the JDS Challenge #10 closes.  We love being inspired by you!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Guest Designer at Arty Divas

     If you're looking for my QKR Stampede DT post, please click HERE or scroll down one post.

     LeAnne's World is sponsoring the latest challenge at Arty Divas, where the theme is "Anything Goes" and I'm a Guest Designer!  I used one of my favorite LeAnn's images, Katy, to make this card for St. Patrick's Day.

Colored with ProMarkers & gel pens
Cut with Spellbinders die, embossed edges
Paper strip from scrap basket - Recollections
Ribbon from local crafting store
Hand tied bow

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on the Blog
CCC Digi Creations
Classic Design
Craft-Dee BowZ
Creatalicious
Die Cut Divas
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pearly Sparkles
Prika Crafts

     Come play along with us this fortnight and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweet Annabelle Celebrates March

     One more of my GDT cards for Conie Fong and this one is a nice blend of green and gold in honor of both Spring, which will arrive this month, and St. Patrick's Day, with colors of the Emerald Isle. I used a fantastic Conie Fong image called "Sweet Annabelle" and she's 25% off right now!

I used the sketch found at Crafting Vicky's Sketch Challenge.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Image fussy cut with Scissors
              & mounted on Pop Dots
Gold mat cut with Tonic Studios die
Glitter paper by Recollections
Light green, dye based, ink pad used to create background
Strip of dp from K&Co.
Green 'flower' cut from ribbon
Pearls added to 'flower' center
   
     Challenges:
A Gem of a ...
Artsy Stamper
Arty Divas
Coloring in Scrapland
Cuttlebug Mania (mid column)
Colour Crazy
Double Trouble (with H2H))
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls

     Don't forget that Conie Fong has a challenge each month on their FB page.  It's always Anything Goes as long as you use a Conie Fong image. Come play!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Luck o' the Irish

     I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE House Mouse stamps and when I downsized everything in the big move, I got rid of most of my rubber stamps.  But not the House Mouse!  I kept every one of those, even though there's not enough room without storing them in boxes which have to be tucked neatly away until it's time to dig through all of them to find that one particular stamp wanted for a particular project, like this one!

I started with the colors from My Favorite Things

and the sketch found at C.R.A.F.T. this week.

 

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it and distressed the edges a tiny bit.  I matted the image with deep green CS which had been cut with a Tonic Studios die. 

     I used Tonic Studios dies to cut each of the pieces of dp (all scraps), although I had to adjust the placement of the dies and cut each piece twice in order to get the shapes I wanted.  I printed and then die cut the sentiment and the CS mat for it, doing the same adjustment process to get the size and shaped I wanted.

     There were so many shapes and patterns in the dp that I felt the card didn't need any additional embellishment.  There was already enough to please the eye and anything more would have just been a distraction.

     Challenges:
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Happy Craft
House Mouse
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Southern Girls

     Wishing you a very green March and all the luck you may need.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

An Irish Fairy!

     Welcome!  Today I'm sharing a DT card I made for the newest challenge at Crafting with an Attitude.  Our theme is "Anything Goes" (as always) and we're being sponsored by Digi Doodle Studios.  They generously supplied images for the DT to use, and I chose "Pepper Bella Flora."

     Although she wasn't intended to be a St. Patrick's image, I colored her in greens (all pulled from their challenge color palette - see below) and suddenly she passes for an Irish fairy!  Isn't she adorable?

Here's the Digi Doodles color palette for their challenge.

I used all the greens and the palest pink for her skin,

plus bits of gold here and there.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, and each of the gold flowers has a center made with golden Nuvo Crystal Drops.  The image and the darker frame are each cut with dies from Cottage Cutz, one stitched and the other pinpoint.  The lighter green square behind those was cut with a stitched, square die from Lawn Fawn.  The lattice piece was cut with one of my newest dies, one from the Memory Box "Distressed Windham Collage" set.

     I printed the sentiment and used one of smaller Cottage Cutz dies to cut it, adjusting the die after I cut the top edge so that I could cut the bottom edge.  The die is actually square (with rounded corners) but I managed to get that shape for the sentiment piece simply by moving the die and cutting twice.  I matted that piece with green CS, hand cut it and added it to the lower corner of the card front.

     Challenges:
Creative Inspirations
Double Trouble  (all 3)
Heart 2 Heart
House that Stamps Built
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Greetings
Scrappy Land
Tales from the Craft Room
Work It Weds.

     Come play along with us this month.  We love being inspired by you.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Edward Elephant for St. Patrick's

     I promised you another post today if I got the card finished and I did!  This is my second or third St. Patrick's card and I make them every year for all my grandkids to remind them that they have an Irish heritage on my side of the family.  It's also a fun turn-around on birthday cards since I celebrate my birthday on St. Paddy's Day and it's fun to send out cards on my birthday.  :-D

     This image came from Bugaboo Stamps and is so adorable.

My colors came from the board at Color My Heart Color Dare

and used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

       

     I colored Edward with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with a Memory Box, scalloped, stitched die.  All the papers and CS were scraps and snippets from my desk, even the three little flowers were die cut from a scrap of mulberry paper (Spellbinders dies.)

     I used my Linen embossing folder on the gold CS at the top and used my Scor-Pal to score the lines on the deeper green scrap of CS at the bottom.  I added gems to the flower centers and called it finished.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Colour Crazy
Crafting with Friends
Cute Card Thurs.
Cut It Up
Dare 2B Artsy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 
Pixie's Snippets
Scor-Pal

     OK, that's it for today.  I'll be back tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

My Heart is Irish

     Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and tomorrow is also the day I turn another year older, which is really fun since my family roots on both sides reach all the way back to Ireland.  I hear you asking, "Does she really mean being another year older is FUN?"  Absolutely!  Hey, getting older beats the alternative and I'd lots rather be over the hill than under it.  :-D

     Over at QKR Stampede, we have another "Anything Goes" challenge starting today and I'm celebrating St. Paddy's a day early with this adorable image, "Bouquet 13301."

     This is another of those images which really has nothing to do with St. Patrick but I colored it so that it looks like it was meant to be a specific holiday image.  I colored the 'flowers' as if they were shamrocks or 4 leaf clovers and that really cemented the illusion.

I started with the sketch from Feeling Sketchy

but I turned it a quarter turn so that the ribbon stripe

was vertical on a square card.

     This is a pretty simple design but I did have fun putting it all together.  I colored the bear with ProMarkers and watercolor pencils.  I cut the image and the white, stitched frame with dies from Die-namics.  Then I found the golden CS and cut it to the size of the card front, and ran it through my 'Linen" embossing folder.  Next, I used one of the Die-namics dies to cut a stitched 'window' in it and then I inlaid the image and frame pieces.  Instead of having layers, it's actually all in a single layer.

     I added glittered washi tape as though it was ribbon and made one of my tiny, hand-sewn bows.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it under the image.

     Challenges:
Creates and Makes
Cuttlebug Mania
Everybody Art
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Color
Passion for ProMarkers
Sparkles

     The weekend is nearly upon us and I hope you have plans which will bring you great pleasure, even if it's just to lie like a veggie on the couch!  :-D  If you have time, make a card and come pay with us at QKR Stampede.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Top o' the Mornin'

     For all my good intentions of working on things for an upcoming yard sale, I got hit with a flu bug and have spent most of the last 48 hours either in bed or hugging the porcelain throne!   However, I had this card made and thought I had pre-scheduled the post but when I dragged myself out of bed to link it up to the various challenges, I discovered I hadn't even written the post.  Arrrg! 

     The image is from Rick St. Dennis and is one of most most delightful of my "leprechaun" images.  I know I haven't used it before even though I've had it a while.

I started with the sketch from Feeling Sketchy

but I turned it a quarter turn and

 then flipped it side to side.

     I colored him with my ProMarkers, then cut him with a stitched die from Die-namics.  I cut the frame with another die in that same set, using a scrap of dp from the leftovers basket.  The striped background paper was also a scrap.

     I used glittered washi tape to make the gold stripes and added on of my hand-sewn bows with a tiny pearl.  Finally, I printed the sentiment, hand-cut it, and layered it onto the image piece so that it went out-of-the-box.

     Challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft
Crafts Galore Encore
Cards in Envy
Createful Heart
Die Cuttin' Divas
DL.ART
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pattie's Creations
Scribbles Designs
Star Stampz
Sum More Fun

     OK, I've taken more than 2 hours to type up this post but it was punctuated with more than a few ache-y muscles and a wave or two of nausea, so I'm going to crawl back in bed and see if the world will just go away for a while.  If I'm MIA for a couple of days, you'll know why.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Be Irish

     St. Patrick's Day in America is the one day each year when everyone wants to be Irish (or at least join in the parties which flourish.)  I have the honor of actually having an Irish heritage along with celebrating my birthday each March 17th.  Life is good! :-D

     When I saw this darling March Hedgie with his shamrocks from Bugaboo Stamps, I grabbed it right away. 

I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

        I started by coloring the image with my ProMarkers , then I cut it with an octagon die from Spellbinders.  I inked the edges with a ProMarker.  I dug through my stash of green papers until I found that gorgeous plaid.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the perfect paper for a monochromatic, green, St. Patrick's card.  I checked my basket of scraps and found the striped paper which went across the middle.

     I printed, hand cut, and inked the sentiment before applying it.  The final touch was the quadruple loop bow which I made using my bow maker. 

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft Extra
Catch the Bug
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafty Animals
Crafty Awesomeness Bugaboo
Crafty Creations
Cuttlebug Mania
Hiding in My Craft Room
Outlawz PAM

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Lucky Bird

     I think this will be my last St. Paddy's card, at least the last one which has to go in the mail.  The image is from the progressive challenge at From the Heart Stamps and it was just perfect for one last "Luck of the Irish" salutes.

I also used the sketch I found this week at I (heart) Sketches.

     I colored with my ProMarkers and cut with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn.  The green CS for the mat is also cut with a Lawn Fawn die.  The little dp flags were cut with a die from Spellbinders, and shortened on the back end as needed.  I printed the sentiment and used one of the Lawn Fawn dies to cut it, moving the die as needed to get the narrow flag shape, but the dovetail end was cut with scissors.

     The polka dot ribbon was in my stash and I used the last of it to tie the bow.  I love that particular shade of green and have already begun searching online stores to try to find more of it.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Colour Crazy Craft

Cut It Up

Outlawz Festive Friday

Outlawz Twisted Thurs.

Pattie's Creations

Polkadoodles

Take It, Make It

     Happy Stamping and I hope you'll return again tomorrow for the latest challenge at QKR Stampede.   NanaConnie

My Kind of Leprechaun

     We have a new challenge starting today over at Ike's World.  Our theme is our usual "Anything Goes" but our optional twist is "Over the Rainbow" under which we would include Wizard of Oz, music, rainbows, gold, luck.  

     Many of you already know that St. Patrick's Day is my birthday and that my family tree is Irish on both sides so, for me, nothing is luckier than a leprechaun and his pot of gold.  You may also know that each year I make St, Paddy's cards for all my grandkids to remind them of their Irish heritage.  However, this year I've made a card just for myself and this St.Pat's Hunk is my present to me.  A gal couldn't get any luckier than finding a leprechaun like him! :-D

     I used my Shin Han markers to color the image, then fussy cut the hat and added it to the image using dimensional dots.  I framed the image with a Sue Wilson die cut.  The green ribbon was in my stash and the pot of gold was cut with a die from QuicKutz.  I added one of my hand-sewn bows which I 'dyed' gold using a Shin Han marker.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Delicious Doodles
Glitter n Sparkle
MarkerPOP
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
Unicorn
Work It Weds

     Come play in our challenge this fortnight, won't you?  It's "Anything Goes" but if you want to do something using the optional twist, the interpretation is really pretty broad.  For more inspiration, go check out all the DT creations over on Ike's World main blog.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Always Irish

     When you have a St. Patrick's birthday, you're always Irish !  In my case, my heritage is Irish on both sides of my family tree so I'm the most Irish member of my American family.  :-D   I celebrate my birthday by making St. Pat's cards for all my grandkids.

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds.2

turned on its side.

     I colored the image (Bugaboo Stamps) with my ProMarkers, then fussy cut her.  I used dies from Spellbinders to cut the frame and mounted it, with the image, onto a pre-made card base.  I added ribbon from my stash and a lace bow and called it finished, a nice CAS design.

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Catch the Bug
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz CAS
Paper Girls
Scrapy Land
Sweet Stampin'

     Well, I have a full day ahead of me, including a second poast later this morning, so for now I'm going to thank you for stopping by and then wish you Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Magic of a Leprechaun

     The magic of Spring is right around the corner and, for those of us who are Irish (and a few who are Irish one day a year!), the month of March also makes us think of leprechauns, with a magic all their own.  This fun image is from Fabrika Fantasy and, with my Irish heritage, I just had to use this fantastic leprechaun on a card.

     This is going to be a really fast post and I'll pre-schedule it to go live while I'm sleeping.  Colored with ProMarkers, cut with a Memory Box stitched, scalloped-circle die, and mounted onto a ribbon background.

     The dark green ribbon is covered in glitter and sparkles beautifully  I used most of that ribbon for Christmas projects.  Both of the ribbons were just scrap pieces left in my ribbon box from other projects.  The striped ribbon was from a sewing project I did over a year ago.

     I added no embellishments at all so that it would remain very CAS and easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Come and Get It
Crafty Cardmakers
Inspiration Destination
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pixie's Snippets Playground
Ribbon Girl
Scrapy Land
Work It Wednesday

     OK, I'm heading to bed.  It's raining again and I can hear the wind blowing outside but it's snug and cozy under the covers so the fur babies and I are off to get warm.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Pigwit for St. Pat's

     OK, I was going crazy doing all the things needed to get the new challenge blog ready for it's April 1st debut (2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com) instead of doing some actual crafting so this morning I simply stole an hour out of my scheduled tasks to make this St. Patrick's Day card.

     I was born on St. Paddy's and my heritage is Irish on both sides of the family tree so you know I make St. Paddy's cards for all the grandkids.  Afterall, I want them celebrating their heritage, too.  :-D

Both the Pigwit image and the sketch can be found at From the Heart Stamps.

     I colored Pigwit with my ProMarkers, then cut him, the green mat, and the sentiment with oval dies from QuicKutz.  I added leaves, flowers, and the bow to the lower part of the card.  The flowers seemed to need gem centers, so I added those and then die cut the butterfly from a scrap of burlap paper and added another gem to it.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs

Crafting from the Heart

Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Sentiments
Crazy Challenge
Cuttlebug Mania
Die Cuttin' Divas
Lemon Shortbread
Scrapy Land

      Well, since I'm on a roll with this one, and since I can stay up late tonight and work on the blog updates when it's quiet, I think I'll try to get one more card made for one of the progressive challenges I do each month.  Have a great afternoon and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

100% Irish Bear

     Friday means a new challenge at QKR Stampede and you should all know by now how much I love their images!  This week the theme is "Bring on the Green" so I had to do another St. Patrick's card in honor of both my heritage and my St. Paddy's birthday.  :-D  (Digi 10003 - Irish Bear & Digi 16907 -100% Irish)

I took inspiration from the photo at {Pin}spirational.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image which was printed onto the card front for a single layer, CAS card.  The only embellishment I added were the three die cut flowers and the gems in the middle of them.  I really wanted the image to say it all and I think it does.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
2015 World Wide DT
Artistic Inspirations
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Creative Card Crew
Die Cut Divas
Emerald Faeries
Great Impressions
Melonheadz Friends
Monday Morning
Open-Minded
Simon Says Stamp
SLS Lines
Whoopsi Daisy

     Won't you please come play with us at QKR Stampede this week?  All we want to see is some green on your card and how hard can that be?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie