Here Kitty, Kitty

     I still haven't heard from the part of my family in Virginia but they could be among the nearly 2 million who are without power.  I'm keeping them in my prayers.  I did chat briefly with another friend who said the only thing they suffered was a missing kitty in the midst of heavy rain.  Their daughter went out looking for him as soon as it was safe but before the rain had stopped.  Since their daughter is 23, she pretty much knew how to avoid danger but she was so worried about Max she just had to go looking.  Yes, she found him.  :-)  So, this card is for her, and I'll put it in the mail tomorrow.

     Remember yesterday when I said I'd probably do another card from the inspiration photo at 4 Crafty Chicks?  This is it.  I used a sketch from Fussy and Fancy and colors from CR84FN.

 

     Paper Sundaes wants us to use Magnolia stamps this week and my mini Tilda with Umbrella was perfect for searching for a kitty in the rain.  She's colored with Copics and matted with sparkly black and turquoise CS.  In fact, I used turquoise and black card stocks to mat everything on the card, including the dp strip across the middle and the pawprint digi dp.  Delightful Challenges asks that we use digital papers this week and, since I had the pawprints, that fit perfectly for their challenge.

     Each layer (except the pawprint dp) is adhered with pop dots so there's lots of dimension on this card.  The bow is tied from lace hem tape and Mark's Finest Papers wants to see lace on our projects.  The flowers are all from my stash but I've layered them and added pearls, sequins, stamen, rhinestones, or a bit of color to them.  Sentiment is printed with a computer font and the three pearls below the dp were the final touch.  Magnolia Down Under wants to see texture this week so I'm submitting this to their challenge  also.

     I adore this card and I know Sandy is going to love it, especially since she found Max.  She said he was wet and bedraggled looking but none the worse for wear.  He was just glad to be back in the house and out of the weather.  I'll bet he thinks twice before running outside again!

     I hope the storm has passed you with little damage if you're on the East Coast but I'm keeping prayers going for everyone back there.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I love having folks visit.  Feel free to browse around while you're here.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Tuesday Throwdown -- I'm on the DT !

     Good morning all my friends and followers.  Hope your day is bright and happy.  Mine definitely is since this is my first day as a Design Team member at Tuesday Throwdown.  :-)  You know I'm excited and honored to be part of the new team.  The challenge this week is sponsored by McMahon 5 , where you could win a $10 coupon, and the challenge is to use a non-stamped sentiment.

     The image I used is Dog Watching and I thought he looked like he wanted to join his fish friend and have a cooling swim.  The sentiment is my own ("Can I come in & swim?") and, instead of using a stamped sentiment, I printed this one from my computer, using using one of the many handwriting fonts I have.

     I started with a sketch from Pixie Cottage,  and the colors from  Play Date Cafe.    

    Do You Stack Up wants to see embossing and I embossed the front of the card base with circles and dots (although it's hard to see in the photo), then added the rectangles of dp (DCWV), which had been matted with black CS.  I colored the Dog Watching image with Copic markers and sparkle gel pen on the fishbowl.  I fussy cut it and adhered it to a Spellbinders, scalloped circle die cut (blue CS), matted with a larger die cut from kraft CS.  I cut a much smaller scalloped circle of kraft CS to mat the sentiment which I had printed and cut into a long, narrow oval.

     I used a black marker to highlight the outside edges of the large, kraft die cut, the sentiment, and the die cut matting the sentiment.  The final touch was the brown twine (The Twinery) around the card front and the flowers. Pixie Cottage wanted us to do their sketch and add some flowers and 4 Crafty Chicks wants us to use twine.

     It would be great if you'd join in on the challenge this week at the Tuesday Throwdown.  You don't even have to make up your own sentiment -- just print one instead of stamping it. You can print it with your own handwriting so you don't even need a computer, printer, or old typewriter (does anyone besides me still have a typewriter???)

     Thanks for stopping by to visit today and I hope to see lots of you at the Tuesday Throwdown challenges from now on.   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Boy's Birthday

     I'm thinking male birthdays today because I got a call this morning that my GDIL is in labor and my new great grand should be arriving sometime today.  My grandson so wants a boy!  They have a little girl, so we're all cheering for a boy this time.  Maybe by tomorrow I'll have big news I can share.

     Anyway, today's card is actually for a friend of mine who's celebrating his 61st.  He's not particularly fond of animals, at least not the 'pet' kind, so I thought this sentiment might be fun.  The image is from Hambo but I missed the deadline for their progressive challenge.  Maybe next week.  I used a sketch from Unscripted Sketches.

     The image is colored lightly with Copic markers, then matted with black CS.  Two of the background dps (been in my stash forever!) are also matted with black before being adhered to the card front.  The sentiment is printed, then matted in black and layered onto the dp.  The only embellishment is the gingham ribbon bow.

     I like the turquoise and washed denim blues on this card - they make it masculine without making it dark or heavy looking.  That cute cat needed something light and busy, since he's rather simple and plain himself.  Shopping Our Stash has a challenge of "dogs OR digis OR denim."  I did a digi image and denim blue, but that's definitely NOT a dog.  :-)  Incy Wincy wants to see the Old and the New.   The papers are old and the image is a new one for me.

     The final two challenges for this card are Top Tip Tuesday for straight edges, no circles, or ovals, and I have a tip to add.  When you have a great sentiment you thought up but don't have a stamp for it, and you don't want to write it in your own handwriting, search for computer fonts that look like handwriting and print the sentiment. There are dozens available out there and many of them are free downloads.

     Pixie Dust Studio has a challenge of "Boys Will be Boys".

     Hope you're having a great week.  Please visit again tomorrow to see whether we have a new great grand-son or -daughter.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  (or should it be Great NanaConnie this week?  lol)