Easter with Pattie's Creations

     With Easter only a few days away, I want to share with you a card I made for the "Easter" challenge at Pattie's Creations.  It features a digi from Pattie's called "Decorated Easter Egg."   Did I mention that I've joined the DT at Pattie's?  I'm so tickled.  :-D

     This is a new type of fancy fold card which I first saw on my friend, Teresa's, blog.  I was so intrigued, I knew I had to try it.  If you go to Teresa's blog, you'll find a link to a tutorial on how to make these fun cards.  Here's what the card looks like when it's open.

     The dp came from a stack by The Paper Studio.  I colored the egg with ProMarkers, then fussy cut it with scissors.  The gold netting, the flower, and the bow were all in my stash.

     Challenges:
Crafty Boots
Crazy Challenge
Design Team Showcase
Glitter n Sparkle
Hiding in My Craft Room
Monday Morning
My Sheri Crafts
Outlawz PAM
Perfectly Rustics
Pile It On
Pink Elephant
Stamp and Create
Sweet Stampin'

     I hope you'll come play along this month.  Show us the cards you made to celebrate Easter this year or the ones you're making for next year.  There's no requirement to use an image from Pattie's Creations but we'll certainly be tickled if you do.  We're a month long challenge which starts on the first Friday of each month, UK time.  If you're in the US, you'll find the challenge starting on the Thursday evening before.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Tulip Bunny

     I'm getting close to the end of my Easter cards and have begun using images which could be for a birthday, for Mother's Day, or for a general spring theme.  Today, our challenge at Outlawz Twisted Thursday has an "Easter/Spring" optional theme (we're always 'Anything Goes') so this darling image worked perfectly.  Can you tell I'm finally using those Lily of the Valley stamps I got more than a year ago and hadn't used until this last couple of weeks?  I'm on a roll with them now.  :-D

I used the basic sketch at The Sweetest Thing

but flipped it from top to bottom.

     To color this one, I used a combination of chalks, Copics, and ProMarkers, then I die cut the image and two mats.  That's an older die set from QuicKutz which I haven't seen in the shops for a while so it may have been discontinued.  I love the lacy, 'doily' look of it.  I added satin ribbon for an embellishment and the bow is tied separately, then adhered.  Very CAS and easy to make.  Can you believe everything came from scraps on my work table?

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Allsorts
Come and Get It
Corrosive Challenge
Crazy 4 Challenges
Di's Digi Designs
My Sheri Crafts
My Time to Craft
Robyn's Fetish
That Craft Place

     Come play with us this week, won't you?  It's "Anything Goes" but you can add the optional twist of "Easter/Spring" if you like.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

What Kind of Wedding Card is That?

     This card should give you a smile.  I hope the title of this post has piqued your curiosity enough to read the explanation.  I got a phone call from one of my kids asking if  I could make a quick wedding card for her to give (she's a bridesmaid) and she needs it in less than two hours!  My mind immediately fills with lots of frilly die cuts, maybe glittered flowers, and white-on-white (which I don't do well) along with lace and satin ribbon.

     Just coming up with a design is going to fill up the two hour time slot and I'm about to say "That's not enough time" when she says, "They aren't frou-frou people; they love baseball and their wedding colors came from their favorite baseball team.  Could you do a combination baseball and wedding theme?"    Oh, boy!

     Here's the result -- it's for a wedding but could just as well be a birthday, or any kind of special celebration or congratulatory occasion.  :-D

I chose colors from Catch the Bug.

     The image is from LOTV (another of those more-than-a-year-old stamps I've never used) and is colored mostly with chalks but also with some watercolor pencil for the kitten's stripes and fur.  I die cut the image and the sentiment, then corner punched the sentiment to give it the look of a baseball diamond.   The dp is from The Paper Studio and I embossed it with a "Lattice" folder from SU.  The stitched ribbon was a scrap from my stash.  I tied a cord bow through the "LOVE" charm and added it to the sentiment.

     Once the idea began forming in my brain, it took me an hour and a half to get the card made, including coloring.  I really was proud of it and my daughter loved it.  I told her the next time she wanted a special occasion card, she had to give me a bit more notice.  I mean, it isn't like she didn't know about the wedding months ago or had forgotten that I make cards. lol

     Challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Ribbons
FHL- Throwback Thursday
Inky Impressions
Inspiration Destination
Simon Says Stamp
Simply Papercraft
Sister Act
Word Art Weds.

     If you're reading this post, that means my old computer held together long enough for me to get this post written and scheduled, and that's a good thing.  I'm going to be replacing the computer but it'll be a few days (I hope days, not weeks) before that happens.  Stretching the budget, don'cha know.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Birthday Bear

     Well, it seems my internet connection isn't as reliable as I had hoped.  Nevertheless, I'm able to connect right now so will get my QKR Stampede card posted, even if it is two days after the challenge began.  :-D  Our theme this week is to "Add a Sentiment."

     Another very CAS, single layer card using digi and sentiment from QKR Stampede: digi 24181 "Birthday Bear" and Digi 23902 "Birthdays are..."   The image and sentiment are printed directly onto the card front, then colored with ProMarkers.  I added some yellow to the top of his face as reflection from the candles.

     Both yellow ribbons were in my stash and I used lace to make the orange bow behind the yellow one.  The inside is decorated with dp from DCWV, carrying through the touch of orange in the design.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Ribbons
DRS Designs
Inspiration Destination
Just Inspirational
Mema's
Party Time Tuesday
Scrapper's Delights
Time Out

     Short and sweet today but I have to get this posted before my internet connection is gone again.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Twisted Thursday Easter Bunny & Chicks

     I'm back online, at least temporarily, and am going to try to get the DT cards posted that have been missing for Thursday and Friday.  Then I'll try to get posts written and pre-scheduled for my DT commitments next week.  I could get punted at any minute and I have no guarantee that this faithful, but old, computer will continue operating.  It needs to be replaced.  :-(

     Here's the card I did for the Outlawz Twisted Thursday challenge -- theme this week is "Anything Goes."

     Another LOTV image, this time watercolored and chalked, then die cut and matted with a Spellbinders hexagon die set.  The ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I used my new bow maker from Craft-Dee BowZ (love it, love it, LOVE IT!) to make a double bow.  Very CAS this time and the "Happy Easter" sentiment is on the inside.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations
Cards in Envy
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Design Team Showcase
Get Creative
Melonheadz Friends
Not Just Cards
Outlawz CAS
Perfectly Rustics  These eggs are hatched!
Stamp and Create

     Hopefully, I'll have another post shortly sharing my QKR Stampede DT card for yesterday.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Tiger or Lily?

     A new challenge starts today at Aud Sentiments and our theme is "Anything goes" (but your card/project must have a sentiment on it.)   Our sponsor this fortnight is Lacy Sunshine and I'm using a sweet image called 'Veronica Pin Up Girl.

     I colored her using ProMarkers, then die cut her with a die from Spellbinders.  I cut the sentiment using that same die but shifting it after the first cut to get the size I needed.  Both the ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the dp is done with scrap pieces that were on my desk.  The dark CS looks almost black but it's actually a deep forest green.  All the flowers are punched with hand punches, and I added beads or gems to the centers.  The white flowers have glitter applied, too.

     Challenges:
Country View Crafts
Creatalicious
Creative Craft Cottage
Dragonfly Dreams
Emerald Faeries
My Artistic Adventure
Natalie and Amy's
One Stitch at a Time
Robyn's Fetish
Scrappy Hands
Sentimental Sundays

     I hope your week has been going well and that you are seeing sure signs of spring.  I have real plants in my vegetable garden now, as opposed to just tiny seedlings.  Maybe I'll find time to take some photos of the raised beds before I run off for the weekend but time is getting short.  If not, I'll try to take some early next week to share with you.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Computer Crash!

Just a quick post to let you all know that I've had a total crash on my computer and can't yet predict when I'll be able to post again.  Hopefully, it won't be long.  Nana

Kitten with Flowers

     This is one of the images I was coloring over the weekend and it's by Lily of the Valley.  I have so many LOTV stamps and I hate to admit that I rarely use them.  I fell in love with the images last year, ordered a bunch of stamps, paid the shipping to have them sent from the UK to the US, and I think I've only used one of them one time.  Sigh...

     But this weekend, I must have colored more than half a dozen of them and they are now waiting to be made into cards.  This one has no sentiment yet because I haven't decided if I'm going to use it as a Mother's Day card or a birthday card.  My guess is it'll end up being for a birthday because I have more need of those.  Isn't this an adorable image?  Knowing how I love cats, you can see why I just had to have this one. Shame on me for not using it before this.   :-D

I used the sketch from Outlawz, but I reversed it.

     I used a combo of ProMarkers and Copics, then die cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  I matted it with a hexagon die cut (QuicKutz) and matted that with a doily.  The background dp is from one of the scrapbooking stacks by DCWV.  I also used that same dp on the inside and on the envelope liner, but I forgot to photograph those.

     The ribbon was in the prize I won last month at Craft-Dee Bowz challenge.  Quick story here and I apologize ahead of time for sounding like a commercial.  No, I have no monetary interest whatsoever in Craft-Dee BowZ.  :-D  Back up the story to the fact that part of the reason I make all those little 'hand-sewn' bows that I make by the dozens is because I have no talent whatsoever when it comes to making tied bows.  :-(  I've tried all sorts of 'magic' methods for bows and purchased several products which all but guarantee that using them will make all your bows perfect.  Yeah, right!  Well, not in my hands anyway.

     When I won the ribbon over at Craft-Dee BowZ, I finally decided to order one of their bow makers.  I'd been seeing them ever since they first started marketing them.  In fact, the first couple of times I entered their challenges, it was in hopes of winning one of them.  Now it was time to just order the bow maker and see how it worked.

     I LOVE IT !!!  I tied two dozen perfect bows yesterday and put them in my stash.  I may never sew another bow!  :-D  I even played with a double bow and it came out exactly the way I wanted it so I added it to this card.  I'm so happy.  If you have trouble with bows, order one it these.  You won't be disappointed, I promise.  Here's a link to the Craft-Dee BowZ site where you'll see a photo of it.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Corrosive Challenge
C.R.A.F.T.
Craft for the Craic (middle row)
Crafty Ribbons
Creative Moments
FHL- Throwdown Thursday
Fussy and Fancy
In the Pink
One Stitch at a Time
Paper Shelter
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrap & Craft
Scribble & Scrap


     Happy Stamping, my friends.  NanaConnie

Paint Mushrooms

     I spent the day yesterday coloring stamps and digis and now I have several which are ready to be made into cards on a moment's notice.  Some of them are even die cut and matted already.  Since coloring takes the most time for me when it comes to making cards, it's nice to have some images colored and ready.  Who knows how they'll get used?

     The card I'm sharing with you today has an image from A Day for Daisies.  It's a card of encouragement for a friend who's feeling overwhelmed at the moment and who loves fairies so this was a perfect image.

     This is a single layer card with the sentiment and the image printed directly onto the card front, then colored.  I added a bit of glitter to the wings.  The polka dot bow is the only embellishment and is one of those I sew by the dozens.

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Artbymiran

Brown Sugar
Come and Get It

Crafting for all Seasons

Crafting with an Attitude

Crafts 4 Eternity

Crafty Catz
Fairytale Stampers

Fan-Tastic Tuesday

Frosted Designs

Graph'It

Really Reasonable Ribbon

Sister Act

Time Out

Word Art Weds

     I'll have more for you throughout the week.  Next weekend, I'm running away for 3 days with my granddaughters.  Their spring break starts when they get out of school on Friday and we're going to spend 3 says in Orange County where Disneyland and a couple of other theme parks reside.  I'll have to work ahead on my DT commitments so that I can spend fun time with them.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Bunnies for Sale?

     Here we are, another challenge Friday at QKR Stampede and our theme this week is "Think Spring."  I used Digi 10605 "Basket of Bunnies."  I admit the sentiment is mine alone and I have to take full responsibility for the silliness of it.  I just thought the expression of her face looked like total surprise!  lol  Do you think she's trying to sell those bunnies the way some of us would try to sell (give away) a basket of puppies or kittens?

My design is based on the sketch from Digi Sketch but my square is an oval.  

I put my embellishment bow at the top instead of flowers at the bottom.

I used colors from the inspiration photo at House That Stamps Built.

     

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image and then die cut it with one of my framing dies from Spellbinders.  The sheer ribbon is recycled from something -- don't remember what but it had been wrapped around something like a small box or flat package.  The bow was already tied.  I cut it from the rest of the ribbon, added some Tacky Glue to the knot so it wouldn't come apart, and used the straight piece as my background strip.  Waste not, want not.  And when you love ribbon embellishments (favorites of mine) as much as I do, that can be important.  :-D

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations
Corrosive Challenge
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafter's Cafe
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Gals Corner
Craft Your Passion
Creative Card Crew
Get Creative
Going Grey with Scrap Creations
Inky Impressions
Inspiration Destination
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Shelter
Pink Elephant
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp

     I do love Fridays because I get to play with the fun and fabulous images from QKR Stampede.  Remember, you don't have to use one of our images to play but if you do, you'll be in a separate drawing just for QKR players and that really increases your chances of winning.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Hell of a Spring !

If you're looking for my Twisted Thursday post, please scroll down to the next post.

     So the northeast has record snow and storms all winter and now the temperatures warm up, the snow melts, and the floods start.  This card is a bit outside my norm but I'm sending it to relatives who live near the Ohio River.  Of course, with the flooding, there are a lot more people who are 'near' the Ohio River than usual.  So I guess this has to be for all of you who are facing the massive northeastern snowmelt with a bit of trepidation.  :-D

     The image is from Rick St. Dennis; a little bit 'dark,' maybe brightened a bit with the sentiment.     :-D

     I used ProMarkers to color, then die cut both the image and the mat.  The black ribbon is threaded through two, photo-corner punched spots.  The sentiment is hand cut and matted.  I added three pearls on each side of the sentiment and layered it all onto a black card front.  I love the CAS, masculine look of it.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
Corrosive Challenge
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Inspiration Destination
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Mema's Crafts
Sisters of Craft

     Check back tomorrow for the new challenge from QKR Stampede and my DT card for it.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Favorite 'Somethings' at Twisted Thursday

     It's Thursday and I'm sharing another DT card for Twisted Thursday at The Outlawz.  Our challenge is always an "Anything Goes" theme but we also have an optional twist.  This week, our twist is "Your Favorite...".  It can be anything but when you enter our challenge, you have to tell us what 'favorite' you used.

I used my favorite color (purple) and my favorite butterfly die from Cheery Lynn Designs.

     The daffodil image is from Pattie's Creations (another favorite) and I colored it with ProMarkers, then die cut it with a circle die but left some of the daffodil petals outside the circle.  I did a double cut on the butterfly and layered them together, then added glitter to the body.

     The striped dp came from my hoarded stash of purple papers.  The lace has also been hoarded but seemed appropriate for this card.  The fold of narrow purple ribbon under the butterfly is all but the last of that, again something tucked away in my stash and hoarded for fear of running out of it.  :-D   The tiny flower embellies are punched and I added pearls to the centers, then put glitter on the pearls to complement the sparkle on the butterfly and on the lace.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Artistic Inspirations

Card Mania

Cards in Envy

Clear It Out

Crafty Boots

Die Cuttin Divas

Dragonfly Dreams

Not Just Cards

Pile It On

Scrappy Hands

Send a Smile 4 Kids

Speedy Fox & Friends

Stamp and Create

     That's it for me today.  I hope you'll come play with us at The Outlawz.  There's a different challenge every day of the week, plus a month long Progressive Challenge with freebie images from a different artist each month.  If you get he first one, and play along, you get the one for hte following month free of charge. The site wide prizes are awarded once a month and many of the individual weekly challenges also have prizes or Top Picks.  It's a wonderful, friendly, helpful group of crafters over there and you'll love the encouragement and warmth you'll find.  If you don't belong, join now.  If you belong but haven't been there for a while, come back and play agian.

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Birthdays and Mother's Day

     I have two cards to post today; one is a birthday card for my BIL and the other is a Mother's Day card which one of my grandkids will no doubt claim to give to their mom in May.  Here's the birthday card.

My color inspiration came from ShowCASe Your Style.

     The image is Lily of the Valley.  I rounded the corners with a corner punch, and added two squares of CS, also corner punched.  All the edges were distressed as I went along.  The sheer ribbon was a left-over bit hidden in my stash, and the silver ribbon for the bow was also a scrap.  The sentiment is rubber stamped.

     Challenges for this card:

Addicted to Stamps

Artbymiran

Cardz 4 Guyz

Crafting from the Heart

Craft Your Passion

Hiding in My Craft Room

Outlawz Tuesday

Through the Craft Room Door

     My second card uses an image from AuroraWings and I stayed with the green and gold theme to honor St. Paddy's Day (yes, also my birthday! ;-D)

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then die cut, embossed, and chalked.  I embossed a dark green CS scrap and layered everything together on a card blank from DCWV.  The lace ribbon used for the bow is yet another scrap.

     Challenges for this card:

Catch the Bug

Craft for the Craic (top row)

Crafts 4 Eternity

Crafty Cardmakers

Di's Digi Designs

DRS Designs

Fairy Tale

Little Claire's

Moving Along with the Times (1st column)

My Time to Craft

One Stitch at a Time

Ribbon Girl

     Happy Stamping and enjoy your day of green.  NanaConnie

Spring Garden is In !

        

     No card today but those of you who follow my ramblings here know that I've been itching to get my raised beds planted but had to settle for seeds in peat pots because it decided to spit rain on us out here in otherwise-dry-and-drought-stricken California on the weekend I had managed to set aside for garden planting.

     Well, now we're suffering record high temperatures for March throughout most of the state and I decided that it was time to get the little peat pots into the raised beds.  Most of them have seedlings but tiny ones.  I went out early this morning to get at it before the temperatures rose to anywhere near the low 90s which are being predicted.  By the time I finished, it was both hot and humid.  Yuck!

     Everything is in now, and I've watered and weeded the few unwanted volunteers which have come up since my thorough weeding a couple of weeks ago when I was preparing the raised beds.  I'm just waiting for the pink pumpkin seeds from my daughter so that we can sell our small harvest of pink pumpkins in October to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness.  I think the seeds have been ordered (that's dear daughter's department) but they haven't arrived yet.

     I can hear all those of you who are still facing snow in your yards or flooding due to the rapid melt off -- you're groaning and saying bad things about the fact that I'm bragging on my garden.  Please, let me enjoy it while I can.  This summer, when it's 110 day after day after day, and I'm struggling to keep my garden even slightly damp so the plants don't wilt away, you'll get yours back.  You can then post comments about how your temps were in the high 70s and you were wondering if it was warm enough to head to the lake, river, beach, but that it was wonderful weather for a family picnic.  :-D

     Have a wonderful and safe weekend, whatever your weather.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

"Milestone" Congratulations

  OK, so this may not be a 'milestone' in the overall scope of things world-wide but for my 8 year old grandson, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes 8 months ago, it's HUGE!  He has to take 4 insulin injections a day, each and every day (I shudder at the thought of that, being terribly phobic about needles, shots, and having blood drawn.)

     Getting him past his normal childhood fears of shots and up to the point of accepting the shots from mom or dad, and even occasionally a big sister, has been a long but successful process.  Kids can learn and adjust to anything, I guess -- better than we adults do.  But the really big news is that for the last two weeks, he's been giving himself the injections!  WOW!  I'm just so proud of him.

     When a little bird brought me that news, I decided that a congratulations card from Nana was in order.  As I was browsing through my collection of stamps and images, I found this fun and rather wonderful digi from A Day for Daisies and knew it would be perfect.  :-D

     I think it's time for me to admit that I've become totally addicted to digis.  My first instinct when I'm searching for an image is not to open the drawers of old rubber stamps but to go straight to the computer and 'dig' through the files of digis.  The storage space for digis is nominal (they're all on a flash drive) and I never get a blurred or partially missing image from too much or too little ink.  Besides which, there's the advantage of being able to make it whatever size I need for the space I want to fill.  Yep, I'm hooked.

    The image is gently colored with ProMarkers, and then I added a bit of Stickles to each flower and to the cat's eye.  I found the perfect ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon, matching both the bow I wanted to use and the color in the bird and flowers.  Talk about pulling everything together!   Really light on the embellishments for this card but, afterall, it is for a boy.

     Inside, I've written a personal message explaining what it was the birdie told me (that he's doing his own insulin injections) and how proud I am of him.  A little pat on the back for a rather large accomplishment.  :-D

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Cards in Envy
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Gals Corner
Hanna & Friends
Inspiration Destination
Mema's
Party Time Tuesday
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrapper's Delights
Simon Says Stamp (bird, bow, boy)
Sister Act
Through the Craft Room Door

     I'm so happy with the way this turned out.  I'm putting it in the mail even though my grandson and I live in the same town.  He loves being the one who checks the mail every day and it's even more exciting when there's something in the mailbox addressed to him.

     Now, one last thing -- my dear blogger buddy and friend, Lynn (CreativeCraftsbyLynn), posted the cutest birthday card complete with a darling feline on it (unusual for her since she's definitely a dog person despite allowing a "useless" -- her word -- cat to live with them) and I fell in love with the card!  Imagine how absolutely tickled I was when that very card showed up in my mailbox (translate -- HUGE SMILE!!) even though my birthday is still a couple of days away.  Thanks so much, Lynn.  You are a dear friend and the card is going to be framed and hung on my wall.  :-D  Here's a picture I took of her card:

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Boy's Gift !

     I admit when I first saw this image from QKR Stampede (Digi 12806 'Little Boy'), I knew I was going to use it for a Mother's Day card.  Every year, I make cards for my daughter, my wonderful DIL, and my Granddaughter-in-law.  I also make cards for their kids to give to them.  The fun part is that each of them have boys so I get to use some fun, boyish images.  :-D

     A new QKR Stampede challenge starts today and this time our theme is "Stitching - Real or Faux."

I was inspired by the colors at Cosmic Colors.

I used a sketch I found at Sketchtanten but I'm not entering that challenge since they don't allow the use of digital images.  I reversed the sketch because it fit better with the direction my image was facing.

  

     This time I colored the image with chalks but most of the shading is done with Copics.  It's difficult to get enough chalk in the right places to make good shadows.  I hand cut the image, leaving a good margin around it for the faux stitching.  It's adhered with Pop Dots for a bit of dimension.

     Both of the papers came from a stack by The Paper Studio and I did stitching around the edges of the argyle design and the white CS mat behind it.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the twine came from my stash.  The tiny flower was punched and I added a small gem to the middle of it.  The stitching, the flower, and the bow are my only 3 embellishments.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
2015 World Wide DT
Chalk-Ah-Lot Cafe
Come and Get It
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
DT Showcase
Really Reasonable Ribbon
That Craft Place

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this week at QKR.  You can use any digital or rubber stamp but if you choose to use an image from QKR Stampede, you'll qualify for a separate drawing to win images.  That really does increase your chances of winning so think about it, won't you?

Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Three Wishes

     If you're looking for my Outlawz Twisted Thursday Post, 

please scroll down to the next post.

     My second post of the day and another card using my favorite technique of putting just a fancy, framing die cut around the image for a really CAS card that doesn't look simple.  This one was made for the new Aud Sentiments challenge (Use a 2 word sentiment) using an image from our wonderful sponsor, Scrapper's Delights.  This image is called "Genie 1" and if you're lucky, she'll grant you '3 Wishes.'  :-D

     I used Copics to color the image this time.  I got the transparent look on her genie pants by adding blue chalk over the pinkish skin tones done with Copics.

     The frame is cut with a die from Cheery Lynn and cut from some old dp that's been hiding in my stash.  I cut the image itself with a rectangle die from Spellbnders, then rounded the corners with a hand punch.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut, with the edges inked.

     The only embellishments are the punched flowers in the corners.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Cardmakers
Digi Galore
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
MarkerPOP
Open-Minded Crafting Fun
Scribble & Scrap
Through the Purple Haze
Tuesday Throwdown

     Think up your own "2 Word Sentiment" and come play with us at Aud Sentiments.  That's it for me today.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

High Fashion Spring

     It's Thursday (OK, Wednesday night but I have a second post for morning, each with a DT project.)  This first one is for Twisted Thursday at The Outlawz.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and this week our optional twist is "3 of the same thing."  I chose to use this fun Lacy Sunshine image with a spring fairy showing off her latest in high fashion.

My colors were inspried by Color Sisters.

     The fairy is colored with ProMarkers and then I used a die from Spellbinders to cut her out.  I also die cut the sentiment.  Those were adhered to a green card front and I added three sets of three gems each for the only embellishment.

     This is another of my favorite CAS styles -- using the fancy die cut frame for what is otherwise a very plain and simple design.  My second card , which you can see in about 5 hours, uses that same style so check back to see it, too.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations
Card Mania
CAS on Sunday
Craft Your Passion
Fairytale Stampers
Get Creative
Great Impressions
Karleigh Sue
Kreativeinkauf
One Stitch at a Time
Pile It On
Shabby Tea Room
Stamp and Create

     Be sure to come play along at Outlawz this week.  We'd love to see your work.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Birthday for a Friend

     I had to wait until today to get this posted because I wanted to make sure Cely had gotten the card before it went up on the blog.  She e-mailed to say she got it on Saturday, which was her birthday.  I was thrilled since I had mailed it late and was sure it would be a day or two behind.  Her son also has a March birthday, as do I.  All these wonderful Pisces people. :-D

I used a sketch which I found at The Outlawz Sketch challenge. 

     The image is the Gerda Steiner freebie for the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz this month.  I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a die from QuicKutz.  The blue dp and the yellow card base were both in my stash.  The ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  The paper flower was 'dyed' that color by using a ProMarker that matched up with the darker yellow on the birdie in the image.  I added a flat gemstone to the center of the flower.  I was trying to keep it as flat as possible for mailing.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Connie Can Crop
Craft for the Craic - Top row
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Mema's
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Sister Act
Sisters of Craft

     After a couple of days of no crafting, no posting, and no driving, my back is feeling better and I hope that's the last of it.  I much prefer being up and around and active.  But I am going to spend most of today in traction by doctor's orders so wish me luck. :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mom's Day Post Card

     I decided to try something new today by making a post card for a Mother's Day card.  My mom has been gone for many years but she did love post cards, especially when they had been sent to her by family or friends who were traveling to foreign places.  Over the years, I've done the same thing, asking friends to send me a post card when they're traveling.  I have quite a collection and looking through them always reminds me of my mother.

The image came from Sassy Cheryl's

and I based this on the sketch from Die Cuttin Divas.

     I dearly love this darling little gal and I actually got her more than a year ago but never have used her.  Clearly, it was time.  :-D   She's colored with ProMarkers, cut into a rectangle, corner punched, and the edges are first sponged with chalk, then distressed with scissors.  The sentiment is hand cut and chalked.  That whole piece is layered onto a die cut frame (Spellbinders) and that's adhered to a post card size piece of heavy white CS.  I then distressed the edges of the post card.

     Challenges:
Crafting for all Seasons
Digi Choosday
FHL- Throwback Thurs
I {heart} ProMarkers
Just Inspirational
Natalie and Amy's
Pattie's Creations
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrap & Craft
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.

     That's my post for today.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Carousel Seahorse

     My term on the DT has ended over at Doodle Pantry but I just can't stay away from Laurie's digis.  And now I can enter the challenges over there again.  :-D

I chose to use the sketch from Digi Sketch

and the colors from CAS: Colors & Sketches

 

          Not only is the image from Doodle Pantry but so are the papers; both the solid and the patterned dp are from the same set as the seahorse image, as is the sentiment.  I die cut the pieces (except the sentiment is hand cut) and then used distress inks on all the edges.  I do love this purple/ turquoise/ green combo!

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with an Attitude
Creative Moments
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Hanna & Friends
Inspiration Destination
Lia Stampz
Not Just Cards
Party Time Tuesday

     Short and sweet post today.  I'm still having some back problems and can only sit to type up a post in brief spurts.  Can you believe I started on this post almost two hours ago?  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

It's a (broken) Mouse Tail

     When I saw this digi over at QKR Stampede, I knew I wanted to use it but couldn't figure out exactly where or how.  So, when the opportunity arose for a Twisted Thursday at Outlawz challenge without an assigned image, I decided it was the perfect opportunity and made another "Get Well" card for my stash.

     Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and this week our optional twist is "Texture."

      The image is colored with ProMarkers and fussy cut by hand.  I used a Darise embossing folder on black CS to make the frame, then sanded the embossing so that the white core shows through.  The one word sentiment is my own.  I added the blue bow for a bit more texture and called it finished, a nice CAS design.

     Challenges:
ABC Challenge
Cards in Envy
Come and Get It
Crafting from the Heart
Crafts Galore Encore
Design Team Showcase
Get Creative
Mema's
Nordsalten Hobbyklubb
Not Just Cards
Paper Nest Dolls
Robyn's Fetish
Sentimental Sundays
Sisters of Craft
Through the Craft Room Door

     I hope we're going to see you playing along at The Outlawz this week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Bird Flu?

     I have to share a silly kind of "Get Well" card with you today, using some of my recent favorite digis, "Birdbrains" found at From the Heart.

     There's no particular reason for this card other than my stash of "Get Well" cards is seriously depleted and this image just cried out to be on such a card.  :-D

     This time I used colored pencils to color the image but I did use a ProMarker to ink the edges of the die cut.  The doily is made with a die from Cheery Lynn, cut from Dark Chocolate CS.  The polka dot ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I tied the lace and satin bows from scrap bits in my stash.  The little heart button has also been in my stash quite a while -- for some reason I forget to use buttons as embellishments, don't ask me why.

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Cheery Lynn
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafty Catz
Cutie Pie
Love to Scrap
Paper Minutes
Polkadoodles
Stempelsonnen
Stamping Boutique
Tuesday Throwdown

     I hope this one brings a smile to your face and have a great day.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Spring Mouse

     It's time for spring to be here and I'm doing all I can for you folks still buried under the snow, including getting a garden started, praying for sunshine, and doing cheerful, flowery, spring cards!  This one uses an adorable little mouse, clearly ready for spring with all those flowers, from Rick St. Dennis. I think I may use it for an Easter card.

I chose colors from the challenge at Color My Heart.

     The image is printed right onto the card front for a single layer card, then colored with my ProMarkers.  While I wanted this to be a CAS design, I also wanted a bit of embellishment so I used Cheery Lynn dies to cut the blue leaves and the butterfly.  Both were cut from a scrap bit of dp.  I used another larger scrap of it for the inside of the card.

     The little flowers were hand punched (again, a scrap piece of CS) and colored, then I added glitter and a bead to each one.  I put one flower in the bouquet the mouse is carrying and another one on his hat.   Finally, I added a bit of glitter to the butterfly.  I also added dp and a pocket to the inside for a gift card.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Brown Sugar
Card Mania
Clear It Out
Crafty Catz
Deep Ocean
Digitally Sweet
DRS Designs
Friends of Speedy TV
Glitter n Sparkle
Jo's Scrap Shack
Love's Rubber Stamps
My Sheri Crafts
Papertake Weekly
Party Time Tuesday
Perfectly Rustics
Sister Act
Stamp and Create
Sweet Stampin

     I know I was MIA all weekend as far as posting went but I was having back problems and just couldn't sit at the computer or craft desk for long enough to get anything accomplished.  Today, I'm feeling much better, though I still have limits on how long I can sit in one position.  Still, it beats how I felt on Saturday so I'm thankful.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie