Pink and Red Christmas with Penny Black

     I just have to share another Christmas card with you because I love the stamp so much.  It's one of my favorite Penny Black stamps and it doesn't even have one of the Hedgehogs in it (which just happen to be my favorite PB critters)!   Don't you just love the little bird bringing a gift for the girl in the swing?  Too precious!

     I'm not sure how I decided black, white and reds for the color combo but it just seemed to work.  The image is stamped and heat embossed, which gives it some sparkle, and then colored with watercolor pencils and Copic markers.  The card base is metallic maroon-red CS.   The sentiment paper was colored with a broad tipped, gold-metallic paint pen before adding the sentiment.  Afterward, I painted over the sentiment with Creative Inspirations "Fairy Dust" paint for some shimmer, and then fussy cut the sentiment.

     The best part of this card is that it's going to be given to a young girl who's getting a swing set from Santa, so the card is perfect!

     Challenges:
Color Me Creative Challenge -- Metallic gleam
Come and Get It -- Anything Christmas
Crazy Challenge -- Christmas Time
Cutie Pie Challenge -- Cute Christmas
Creative Inspirations Paints -- Christmas Gifts
Dream Valley -- Christmas
Friends of Speedy TV -- Happy Holiday
Kaboodle Doodles -- Christmas
Penny Black and More -- It's your choice
Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Glitter and sparkle
Send a Smile 4 Kids -- Winter fun 4 kids
Stamptacular Sunday -- Christmas Time
The Squirrel and the Fox -- Christmas
Without Words -- Monochrome Christmas

     We're creeping closer to the big day and Santa's really under pressure to get everything packed into his sleigh for Christmas Eve.  I'm having a wonderful time and feeling no pressure at all since my preparations were done by last weekend!  All that's left is enjoying family time and grandkids.  :-D  Happy Stamping, my friends.  NanaConnie   

Beating the Christmas Rush?

       This card is one of those that just worked exactly the way I had it visualized in my head.  That doesn't happen all that often, I'm afraid.  Anyway, that means I'm inordinately pleased with it.  :-D

The digi is "Turtle Santa" from QKR Stampede, where their theme is 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas', and the sketch I used is from Seems a Little Sketchy.

     I chose to use the Play Date Cafe challenge of "Black and white with a splash of maroon."  He's colored with maroon gel pen, which is hard to 'shade', but since I had one pen about to run out of ink, I managed to get some light maroon on one side of the bag and hat.   DP is from DCWV's Le Creme stack, and both the dp and the maroon CS I used for matting were pieces left over from other projects.  The flower was the last one I had of that color and it's been hiding in my stash for who-knows-how-long.   I'm still on a campaign to use up leftovers and bits.  You know the ones -- too big to throw out but too small for most projects.  :-D

    The tulle is from SU and I folded it to get a double layer for a bit more color.   I made it into an easel card, something I haven't done for a while, but I have a granddaughter who just thinks they are the 'kewl'est thing ever, so...

     Challenges:
A&T Emerald Faeries -- Easel card
Catch the Bug -- Anything goes
City Crafter -- Christmas Easel card
Creative Stamp Friends -- Christmas
Cupcake Craft -- Black & white + one color
Eureka Stamps -- Holiday fun
Jackson's Digital Expressions -- Photo inspiration colors
LEJ Designs -- Favorite technique (easels)
Lexi's Creations -- Christmas
Ooh La La -- Spots and dots
Shopping Our Stash -- Odds and ends

     I hope your weekend has been going well.  We've had rain, and wind, and a bit more rain so it's a good crafting weekend.  I'm all caught up on my DT cards for next week but I have a couple more 'just for fun' projects I want to finish.   Maybe I'll be able to share them with you later in the week.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Victorian Christmas Card

     The Pink Team is posting this week for the Eclectic Ellapu Challenge and our theme was chosen by this week's marvelous Hostess, Berni.  She wants to see creations done in Pink and Cream.  Since she didn't limit it by saying "and no other colors", I had to have a bit of Christmas green.

     That incredible heart-shaped image is a freebie I found over at Graphics Fairy.  I printed it, then fussy cut it with scissors, and added the lace and pearls.  Quick note:  I bought two little containers of those beaded pearl strings simply because they were on sale, with no idea how I might use them.  I'm sure you've never done any impulse purchases like that, right?  Uh huh.  But now that I've used them here with lace, I see all kinds of possibilities.  I used liquid glue and they seem to be pretty permanently affixed.

     Since the sentiment in the image says, "With Best Christmas Wishes,"  I chose holly leaf paper in cream, pink, and green, and a complementing deep pink CS (which I distressed slightly by sanding it) for the background.  I added the corner holly leaves and berries, and felt it just didn't need more embellishment than that.  I didn't want to take away from the heart and the lace.

     I think this is deliciously vintage, though others may feel it doesn't have enough embellishment for true vintage.  I'm very pleased and satisfied, however, and I know just who will receive this card for Christmas.  :-D  Nope, don't ask -- I'm not telling!  She might read this blog post.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas -- V is for Vibrant colors
Bearly Mine -- Anything goes
Creative Craft -- Special occasion NOT a birthday
Digi Haven Monthly -- Anything goes
Ooh La La -- C is...Christmas
Papertake Weekly -- Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash -- Had to buy it, it was on sale!
Stamp & Create -- Lace
Sweet Stamps -- Christmas
Whoopsi Daisy -- Christmas cards

     Less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving (for those of us in the US), and I wish I could tell you I was totally ready.  NOT!  But, most of my cards are done and ready to mail.  In fact, those which are destined for Japan went in the mail yesterday.   The rest of them will be mailed this week for delivery to their various locations around the States.

     Enjoy your weekend and Happy Stamping.  (Edited:  Thank goodness this one was scheduled before I got so sick!)  NanaConnie

'Gnome' Place Like Home

     OK, so the post title is a little 'punny' but I love both the image I used and the theme for the new Tuesday Throwdown challenge this morning, which is "Fall Leaves."  Our fantastic sponsor is Robyn's Fetish and the image is called "Gnome."  In addition to the image, the background paper is also a digital from Robyn's Fetish and I printed it, then turned it so that I could use the 'leaves' (which are probably a flower) as a pile of leaves for him to sit.  Let me show you my card, and you'll see what I mean.

The sketch is from Outlawz, turned on it's side.  

     Isn't he just precious?  And isn't that paper fantastic?  Oooo, I really love it!

     He's colored with Copic and Spectrum Noir markers, then die cut using the 'out-of-the-box' technique so I could get him to 'sit' on the leaves.  I outlined him and the die cut with distress markers.

     The yellow and red leaves are punched from mulberry paper and the brown one with the gold highlights was an old Jolee's I had in my stash.  The fancy corners are the 'negatives' from a Cheery Lynn fancy corner die.  "Never throw it away", is my motto!  :-D

     Challenges:
Allsorts -- For Men Only
Card Cupids -- Happy Fall, Y'All
Color Me Creative Challenge -- Anything with a twist of Orange
DRS Designs -- Autumn greetings
Fresh Brewed -- Thinking of you
Heck of a Challenge -- 50 Shades of Autumn
Ladybug Crafts -- Monochrome or tonal
Lia Stamps -- Autumn Colors
My Sheri Crafts -- Fall
Pixie Dust Studio -- Leaves
Robyn's Fetish -- Cards for Men

     I hope you had a great weekend and that your week is going well so far.  The autumn chill is back after a couple of days in the low 80s and my poor fur babies don't know whether to cuddle up with me or search around for a cool spot.  lol  Poor kitties.  Soon the winter weather will settle in and then they'll be longing for spring and spot of sunshine on the carpet where they can lie down and bask.

     Are you going to join us this week at Tuesday Throwdown and find some fall leaves of your own?  We'd love to see you playing along.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Winter Fawns

     New releases at Doodle Pantry today and I chose to use the two fawn images from the "Small Deer" set shown right below my card.

  While I didn't happen to use any of the fabulous papers or sentiments, they are included with the set and it also has the outline images, which I did use.  I printed and colored my two fawns (somewhat darker than those in the set but I tried to get the same shading) and then fussy cut them and adhered them to a parchment paper background, overlapping them just slightly.  I added the coloring for the sky and the snow, and used white gel ink for the snowflakes in the sky.

     My papers and the mat for the image (all corner punched) came from Basic Grey and have been in my stash for at least last year, maybe longer, so don't ask me which stack.   The two larger snowflakes are punched from foam and then glitter is added. The smallest snowflake is punched from acetate (I punched 3 of them and glued them together then added a gemstone brad) and I drew with silver gel ink on the top one.

     The sentiment is also from my stash, something I did last year and didn't use.  It was heat embossed in red on special embossing acetate (which doesn't wrinkle up under heat), then outlined with gold paint pen.  I fussy cut it and adhered it with clear, super sticky, double-sided tape.   Pretty CAS design, considering what I often do with Christmas cards.  :-D

     Challenges:
52 Card Throwdown -- Punched or die cut embellishments
Basic Grey -- Anything goes
Crafty Ann's -- Christmas
Crafty Catz -- Male card
Divas by Design -- Festive (Christmas)
Hotshot Crafts -- Bling it on
Outlawz Copics -- Anything goes
Southern Girls -- Animal Crackers
Stampin' for the Weekend -- Anything goes
Winter Wonderland -- 3 different punches (corners and snowflakes)

     There are many more fantastic releases today over at the Doodle Pantry website so be sure to check them out.  I'll be using a few of them in the upcoming month, and I hope you'll find some inspiration from those posts.

This is the set you'll get free just for entering the challenge this month.  

 And this is the set you can get free with any purchase between now and November 24.

Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

It's No Costume!

     I have an old college friend (a guy) whose birthday falls on Halloween.  It's hard to do cards for him year after year without falling into the trap of just sending a Halloween card.  But this year, Sassy Studio Designs came to the rescue without even knowing it.  While they have "Halloween" as their theme, this wonderful sorceress just filled the bill for what I wanted to do.  Since it's a guy card, it had to be CAS.

     I did it all in just black and white because adding orange would have made it even more Halloween.  I grant you, I'm entering this into several Halloween theme challenges, but my purpose is really a birthday card for a 'dirty old man' who will love this image and the sentiment.  Sorry, Bobbie!

     The papers are from DCWV's 'Le Creme' stack and I've had them in my stash for well over a year.  I used Promarkers, glitter gel ink, and Sakura Glaze pen to color the image.  The sentiment is mine.  The three buttons are very sparkly because they are faceted but I had to tone that down in the photo.  They've also been in my stash for a long time.  Why I tend to forget about using buttons as embellies, I just don't know, but I do.

     Challenges:
Craft Your Passion -- Witches
Celebrate the Occasion -- Male birthday (+ tall card.  This is tall but the photo software "squashed" it!  Unfortunately, it makes most of my cards look like square cards.  This one is business envelope size.  Sorry)
Creatalicious -- Halloween
Everybody Art Challenge -- Add bling
Heck of a Challenge -- Spooktacular
Ladybug Crafts -- Halloween
Lia Stamps -- Halloween
Papelitos Stamps -- Witches
Raise the Bar -- Witches
Shopping Our Stash -- Trick or Treat
Through the Craftroom Door -- Anything goes

      Today may be another "twofer" day but if not, I'm sure to have something for tomorrow.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Eclectic Is Finally Here!

     I know you've all seen the Eclectic Ellapu DT badge on my sidebar and probably wondered why you hadn't seen me posting cards for their challenges.  After all, that's what we do when we serve on a design team, right?  Well, today begins the first challenge and I have the honor of serving on the Pink Team which is posting this week.  We have two teams, Pink and Purple (yes, I know, I know, a purple freak on the Pink Team!) and we will have weekly challenges, with each team serving every other week.

     Our new challenge blog is all about FUN, FUN, FUN.  We are purely a badge awarding challenge blog rather than being sponsored.  That means the DT members, and anyone wanting to join in our weekly challenges, have the autonomy to create whatever they wish just as long as it fits the theme for that week.  What freedom! Our challenge this week is "Anything Goes" and that means you have no restrictions on what you create.

     This being the birth of a new challenge, I've done a birthday card and I did it in purples!  lol

Sketch by My Time Made Easy, leaving off the vertical strip, which just took away from that wonderful background dp.   Apologies to MTME.  :-D

     Everything on or about this card came from a drawer, pile, or stash with forgotten or hoarded items.  Can you believe I used a rubber stamp and not a digi? Yep.  I've had this "Cherry Blossom" stamp by Rubber Stampede for at least three years and have never used it.  I colored it with Copics, and added Stickles to the flower centers.  The Stickles bottle was in my drawer of glitters, and had been used only once before.

     The purple paper was in the dp stash and I can't even tell you how long it had been there, unused, but it was in my 12 X 12 scrapbooking papers so that means at least 3 years!  The neutral dp onto which I stamped the cherry branch is an old scrap piece left over from another project long ago (from SU.)

     The round rhinestones I've had since I got them at an estate sale and I've always thought they would be just too big to use on a card.  Now that I used them, I think they're perfect.  The bow is one I made from ribbon scraps and put in my stash several months ago, probably last spring.  Finally, the butterfly gem -- I had several of those in different colors but I keep hoarding the purple ones!   What's the point in having them if they are never going to see daylight?  The sentiment is also a rubber stamp, this one from Sparkle n Sprinkle.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. -- Monochromatic
Craftymess -- Anything goes
Delicious Doodles -- Monochrome
Divas by Design -- Anything goes
Hiding in My Craftroom -- Super Scraps Saturday
My Heart Pieces -- Monochromatic
Outlaws Paper A La Mode -- Use what you don't (hoarded or forgotten items)
Paper Crafting Journey -- Add some bling
Whimsy Inspirations -- All things sparkly

     Now, we really want to see you play along with us at the Eclectic challenge this week.  You are completely unfettered as to what you can create and enter since our Anything Goes theme leaves it wide open.  Hope to see you there.  Happy Stamping. NanaConnie  

Boot Scootin' with Doodle Pantry

     Today's card uses another of the newly released images from Doodle Pantry.  I always knew I could easily get addicted to Doodle Pantry digis and now that I'm on the DT -- Oh, My!!  I have to discipline myself or I'd be doing nothing but coloring up Doodle Pantry images all day long, whether I had a specific purpose for them or not.  :-D

     I love these boots from the "Cowboy Gear" set and actually thought about my daughter when I saw them.  While she rarely wears boots, she's really into line dancing and West Coast Swing, so the sentiment, "Time to Boot Scoot" (also from the set), really reminded me of her.  I've done this one as a masculine card with lots of layers, pieces that are die cut and punched, and dp suitable for a guy, but is still a CAS design.  Why does everyone say masculine cards are hard to do?  They are easy in design planning, and usually quick to make.

     I colored the digi with Promarkers this time, then die cut a piece of CS and used the negative piece as the frame for the boots.  That's matted with black CS.  The background dp was in my stash of "autumn" papers and I have no idea who made it.  Too bad, because this is almost the last of it and I'd love to get some more.  The sentiment is corner punched, then matted twice and both mat pieces are corner punched also.   The double twine bow is the only embellishment, in keeping with the CAS idea.

     Challenges:
Bearly Mine -- Fall colors
Divas by Design -- Lovely layers
Lady Anne's Technique Wednesdays -- Anything goes
Papalitos Stamps -- Anything goes
Papertake Weekly -- Autumn colors
Passion for Promarkers -- CAS cards
Stamp n Doodle -- Anything goes
Stamptacular Sunday -- Less is more
Sweet Stamps -- Shades of autumn
The Crafty Pad -- Autumn colors

     Well, it's now the weekend and work chores are behind us (except for the household drudgery we all face!)  It's time to relax, have fun, and be creative.  Our weather has cooled considerably this past week (must be all that wishing and hoping I was doing) and I'm just soooo happy about that.  I shall not mourn the end of the hot summer weather and am delighted with the onset of fall.  Thanks for visiting, and please feel free to browse around while you're here.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Gratitude is Where You Find It

     Our new challenge at the Perfect Sentiments Challenge this week is do a card with a Thanksgiving or Autumn sentiment, and add some Baker's twine.  Our prize this week is offered by Shelly's Images.

My sketch came from A Die for a Sketch, and the image is from Digi Doodles, called "Hobo's Thanksgiving."  The Digi Doodle shop is going to be closing soon (sniff) so I went over there and bought a bunch of digis before they're gone forever.

     I thought this image was a great reminder that we all need to be grateful for what we have, because it's probably a lot more than many others have.   I didn't do a lot of coloring, wanting to leave the hobo looking a bit vague and 'empty', but I did use pastel Promarkers on the crates and for shadowing around the figure.  I had to use a fine point, black pen on the line drawing so that it would show up a little better.  It tended to fade out without coloring.

     The sentiment is printed with a computer font.  I loved the brown, gingham check dp and found another complementary dp for the background, both from DCWV.  I pulled the tiny bits of golden orange from the background dp by matching CS for the stripes down the left side.  I added the Baker's twine, the layered flower and the leaf plus pearls, and knew it was finished.  This will make a perfect Thanksgiving card for one of the guys in my family this year.  Guys outnumber gals in my extended family more than 2 to 1, just in case you're wondering why I learned to make masculine cards!  :-D

     Challenges:
ABC Challenge -- W for Wishes (called prayers on this card)
Card and Scrap -- Use a die
Cards for Men -- Going Digital
Creative Craft Challenge -- All about the Boys
Hooked on Crafts - Cards for men
Love to Create -- Ribbon or twine
Paper Playtime -- gingham and die cut
Raise the Bar -- Celebrate fall

     I hope you're enjoying this mid-week-Wednesday.  It'll be the weekend before you know it and then you'll have time to craft something to submit to our "Thanksgiving/ Autumn with Baker's Twine" challenge.  Don't forget the sentiment!  Happy crafting.  NanaConnie

Nature Calls at Doodle Pantry

     The other day, a dear friend from Blogland posted a card to her blog that featured an outhouse and fabulous story about her husband building a meat smoker in their back yard which, to her eye, looked just like an outhouse.  You can see her card and read the whole story here.  To that, I can only say, "Thanks for the inspiration, Lynn!"

     Shortly after seeing her card, the new release came out at Doodle Pantry and what had Laurie designed?   My very own "Nature Calls" outhouse set, complete with sentiments!  I couldn't wait to color it up.  :-D  Without further ado --

     The image (which you can find here) is colored with Spectrum Noir markers, and chalked around the edges.  I distressed the edges of the image, the sentiment (also part of the Nature Calls set) and the mat piece.  The dp is from the scrap pile which was on my table.  I added twine and cord from deep in my stash, and left the rest of it completely plain.    

     I'm sending this to a cousin in Australia who always claims to live in the Outback with no conveniences.  Since he sang at the Sydney Opera House for a good many years and still has a Sydney address, I have grave doubts about his story!  :-D

     If I wasn't on the Doodle Pantry DT, I'd be entering this into their September Challenge.  It's always an 'Anything goes' theme, but you do have to use a Doodle Pantry digi.  If you enter the challenge this month (it runs until September 24), you'll get this set as a freebie just for playing.  You can't beat that!

    Since I can't enter the Doodle Pantry challenge, I'm going to enter this card into the following challenges (all of which, except the Anything Goes, I selected BEFORE I started making the card; yes, really!):

A Gem of a Challenge -- A Boy Thing

ATCs & Cards with Attitude -- Anything goes

Crafty Calendar -- Browns and creams

Creative Stamp Friends -- Distress

Cutie Pie Challenge -- No flowers

Dream Valley -- Something old (papers), something new (digi)

Fat Pages & Cards with Attitude -- Anything goes

Hooked on Crafts -- Cards for Men

Lexi's Creations -- Fall colors

One Stitch at a Time -- Use a digi

Paper Crafting Journey -- Anything goes

     That's it for this post.  I hope you're enjoying the short week and already looking forward to the upcoming weekend.  I do have a question -- if summer is 'officially' over, why is the weather still so hot?  Did someone forget to tell the sun it can move southward now and warm up all my Aussie, NZ, and South African friends?  Sheesh!  Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to browse around while you're here.  See you tomorrow with something new.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

When Summer Leaves...

        At the Perfect Sentiment Challenge this week we are being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and we have your favorite "Anything Goes" as a challenge theme.   Bugaboo generously supplied us with images and sentiments and I chose to use "AKV (A Kid's View) Fall Leaves."

I chose to use this sketch from Operation Write Home (where this card will be going so that it can be used by one of our troops to write to loved ones back home) and the colors are from Shelly's Images.

  

     My image is colored with a combination of Copic, Promarker, and Spectrum Noir markers, then matted with CS and layered onto two dps from the Jillibean Soup 'Dutch Mustard' pad.  I did my sentiment so that the "leaves" in the image became part of the sentiment -- "When Summer Leaves."

     The twine came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I wrapped it three times before tying a double bow.  The flower was made from different punched layers with  a brad to hold them together.  Again, clean-and-simple and easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Inspired by -- photo inspiration (fall)
Oozak -- Fall
Sparkles Forum Challenge -- Nature

     Thanks so much for visiting today.  I hope you have time to browse around a bit, and it would be great if you'd pop over to the Perfect Sentiment Challenge and see what all the others have by way of inspiration for you.  Remember to use a sentiment, and come play with us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Vintage Moment

     I've been into doing CAS cards for a couple of weeks now and I've almost forgotten what it feels like to add on an entire bouquet's worth of flowers to a card!  But the challenge at Digi Haven this week is "Days Gone By" and they'd like us to do something Vintage so I scoured around and found this gorgeous digital freebie over at Graphics Fairy (click here for the freebie).  Remember that one of the things you must do for the Digi Haven challenge is to find and use a freebie which will be available throughout the week of the challenge.  This one is permanently available.  Oh, yes, -- they are also having a DT call and I am soooo tempted to apply because I just love the whole idea of using freebies found on the web to enter the challenges.  We'll see.  It isn't like I'm not already serving on enough design teams.  :-D  OK, here's the card:

Sketch from Digital Tuesday.

     The image was already colored so I fussy cut it and layered it onto the pea soup dp, then layered that onto a lacy square doily, die cut from pale lavender dp.  Don't ask me who made either of the dps -- they were just scraps left on my table which needed to be used.

     All the flowers are roses from Prima and the leaves have been punched from a sheet of sparkly foam.  Sounds weird, I know, but it looks really great IRL, and not bad in the photo, either.  Finally, instead of pearls or gemstones which would have worked well with vintage, I thought the purple ribbon with the little gold stripe was the perfect thing so I tied a tiny bow for the doily corner.  No sentiment because I haven't decided how this card will be used.

     Challenges:
A&T Emerald Faeries -- Punches/dies
Can You Digi It? -- Purple, please
Cheery Lynn -- Use doilies
Eureka Stamps -- Anything goes
LEJ Designs -- Vintage
Lollipop Crafts -- Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash -- Use any sketch, old or current
The Cutie Pie -- Borders and frames

     So, half your weekend is gone.  I hope you've been using it for fun and enjoyable activities.  No point in stressing on your days off.  :-D  Thanks for the visit, and I'll have another post tomorrow, then start the week with DT cards and new challenges for you.  Hugs and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Back to School - Hookey !

     My youngest grandson starts school for the very first time this year and I was thinking of him when I did this card.  His dad is a great fisherman and I know that Wm would much rather be 'going fishing' than sitting in a class room.  So, for all the Back to School challenges I've entered this week, yes, I do consider this to be right in line with that theme.  :-D

I used the sketch I found over at MFP Speedy TV, sketch-with-a-twist, my first time playing there.  

     This week the twist is to use fabric and I used white felt for one of the die cuts that's folded (Spellbinders).  The other die cut (also folded) is paper from SU, as is the background dp.  Can you believe that it nearly killed me to dig that out of my hoard and cut into it?  Of course, you can!  You have things just like that, don't you?  Admit it!

     The stamp is from QKR Stampede -- ("End of Summer" challenge) and I think it's called "Gone Fishing."   When I finally got the QKR digis this morning, I was so excited!  I just thought this one was so adorable and perfect for that last minute fishing trip before summer ends (or for playing hookey -- lol).

     I used colors from the challenge at Just Add Ink.  I colored it with Copics this time, except the flashy bit of orange on the fishing bobber, which is florescent highlighter.   The twine is actually hemp cord.  I used a sparkly brad in the center of the folded die cuts for a bit of bling.  Again, I'm trying to get back to CAS but am finding it harder to leave off all the embellishments so a few find their way onto the cards.

     Challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge -- Summer Days
Clearly Inspired -- Circles
Copic Marker Europe -- A summer card
Crafty Catz -- Animals
Fussy and Fancy -- Orange, Lime, Citrus
Little Red Wagon -- Dog Days of Summer (use an animal)
My Sheri Crafts -- Back to School
One Stitch at a Time -- Back to School
Outlawz PAM -- Paper Folding
Penny's Paper-Crafty -- Back to School
Raise the Bar -- Back to School
Ribbon Carousel -- Celebration of Summer
Simon Says Stamp -- Animal Antics
Simply Create Too -- Back to School
Use It Tuesday -- All About School

     I think that's going to be it for the weekend, but you never know what might inspire another card.  I am going to do a bit more re-organizing in the craft room so I could find get hit with something that just has to be made.  :-D  Meantime, enjoy your visit and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Hydrangeas & Doodles for Tuesday Throwdown

     Good day to all of you!  At Tuesday Throwdown this week, we have a new challenge and a really special sponsor.  Our theme is "Delightful doodles" and we want to see some creative doodling on your card.  You can get as fancy or as simple as you like (mine is very simple but fits the card) -- let your imagination soar.  Our sponsor is Kim Sherrod, the fantastic lady who established the Tuesday Throwdown challenge in the first place.  These days, Kim makes and sells her own incredible purses and handbags, and she's offering a $25 gift certificate to the lucky random winner this week!  WOW!  That almost makes me wish I wasn't on the DT so that I had a shot at being the winner.  :-D  Be sure to check out the challenge blog for a link to her shop.

I used the sketch at Sketches by Carly.

     The hydrangea image is a rubber stamp from Rubber Stampede and I colored it with a combination of Promarkers and my new Spectrum Noir markers.  Believe it or not, there are 9 different blues and lavenders used to color the image.   It's fussy cut and matted once, fussy cut again, and then I tied the bow on it.  It's popped up on dimensional dots.

     The little butterflies are gems, and my swirly doodling is their fight trails (gel inks.)  The butterfly dp is a scrap I had left over (from the Dreamcatcher stack by First Edition.)  The pearls were in my stash.

     Challenges:
Charisma Cards -- Monochrome
Fat Pages & Cards with Attitude -- Anything goes
Outlawz Copics and Promarkers -- Anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey -- Pearls and swirls
Poodles Parlour -- Anything goes
Stemplesonnen -- Anything goes
Totally Gorjuss -- Pearls
Willow Sketchie -- (sketch OR) Anything goes

     OK, that's it for this week's Tuesday Throwdown challenge!  Come play along, doodle your heart out, and I'll see you at the challenge.  I think the new DT members have been chosen and are being notified, so next week, we'll be revealing our new team members.  We'll also have two teams starting next week, even though Tuesday Throwdown will continue to be a weekly challenge with fabulous sponsors.   So I'll be seeing you there every other week instead of every week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Beautiful Music

     The new digital images for the Creative Freebie Challenge at Outlawz arrived in my e-mail late last night and I stayed up to get this made.  The instant I saw Sandi's image, I started thinking "opera" and, since there were a couple of wonderful challenges which had music in their themes, I put a list of challenges together and ended up with this card.

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday but didn't follow it quite so literally this time (a great feat for me!)

     I colored her with Touch Twin markers and heat embossed her neckline and sash.  I die cut the image and matted it with a die cut oval.  The dps are from DCWV's "Performance" matstack, including the piece with the sentiment "Sing your heart out", which I cut from the same piece as the oval frame.  I've had that stack at least a year and I keep hoarding it as though it must be saved.  lol  Better to use it, I think.  The pearls have also been in my stash quite a while but the flowers are relatively new, from Kaiser Craft this time.

     Challenges:
Clear It Out -- Something yellow
Di's Digis Designs -- Pile on the Flowers
Guylou's Inimitability -- Music or Dance
It's All about the Vintage -- Anything (vintage or retro) goes
Oldie but Goodie Challenge -- Flower Power
Paper Play -- Music
Skipping Stones Design -- Inspiration photo (woman holding flowers)
Use It Tuesday -- Emboss

     Ooops, Blogger forgot to post this as scheduled so I'm doing it myself now.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie
     

Cat Bath

     It's another beautiful Bugaboo summer day and today I want to share an image called "Cat Birdbath" which I used for my Guest DT card.  The theme at Catch the Bug this week is the easiest in the world -- Anything Goes!  So, I want to see you playing along.

      Isn't this the cutest little digi stamp?  I'm not sure kitty planned on getting wet when he went sneaking around the birdbath, but he probably deserves whatever he gets!  :-D

    Sketch (with some slight modifications) came from Digi Darla's and this is the second time I've used it.
 
      I colored the image with water color pencils and alcohol markers, die cut the circle and the black CS mat, then framed it with a doily (Spellbinders.)  The ribbon is sparkly and comes from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  All the flowers are Prima.  Clean and simple design with flower embellishments.  The card came together pretty quickly once the coloring was done.

     Challenges:
Creative Craft -- Tweet, Tweets
Flourishes -- Summer
Jackson's Digital Expressions -- Anything goes w/ optional flowers
LEJ Designs -- Fabulous flowers
Paper Pretties -- Summer fun
Scrapbook Sisters -- Use only 1 stamp on your card
Shopping Our Stash -- Triple Threat: ribbon, die cut doily, flowers
The Paper Girls -- Colors from the photo inspiration

     Don't forget that Bugaboo's "Christmas in July" starts in just another week and there will be ooodles of games, mini-challenges, and prizes.  I hope you're going to play along as much as possible.  I'm going to use it as an excuse to finally get a start on my Christmas cards.  Hope we see you at our Anything Goes challenge this week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Tammy Says, "Anything Goes - Any Artist"

     This week at Tammy's Scrapin Corner, we have a challenge theme of Anything Goes -- use stamps/images by any artist you choose.  We're sponsored this time by MarkerPOP (formerly ICopic) and by Scrapper's Delight, and there are fantastic prizes awaiting the winner.  You can't be a winner if you don't play along, right?

   

I used a sketch from Sketches by Carly but reversed it.

     I colored the roses (Floppy Latte) with Copic markers, leaving the stems and leaves plain black and white.  I wanted a red, black, and white color combo for this card and felt that even a touch of green in the image would distract from that.  I used four different sizes of Scalloped Oval dies (Spellbinders) to cut the image and the matting CS.

     I used a plain, bright-white CS for the card base, and added a shimmery, glittery ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.   I layered on the image piece at an angle, then added the large red pearls (more of those I got in a box of goodies at an estate sale which I'm finally using after maybe 2 years!)  The polka dot bow is layered onto a flower-petal shape cut from a bit of black, flocked paper and I added a white pearl to the center of the bow.  A simple design, easily done with a sketch as the starting point.

     Challenges:
365 Cards -- Nature
Allsorts -- Dies to Die For
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days -- Girly
Crafts and Me -- Anything goes
Crafty Calendar -- Flowers in Bloom
Crafty Ribbons -- CAS
Delightful Challenges -- Anything goes
Divas by Design -- "To Die For": Die Cuts
DRS Designs -- Flowers
Great Impressions -- Die Cuts
Lollypop Crafts -- Flowers in Bloom
Love to Create -- Anything goes
Outlawz CAS -- Summer (Roses always say "Summer" to me)
Paper Play -- Use a die
Shelly's Images -- Anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend -- Show Your Style (mostly CAS with a bit of embellishment)
Totally Stampalicious -- Red, White, & ? (Black)

     I hope you're all going to play along at Tammy's this week.  After all, how can you go wrong with an Anything Goes theme?  Be sure to stop by the challenge blog and see all the inspiration from the entire design team.  We're looking forward to seeing all your creations.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Day at the Beach

     Remember when you were a kid and a day at the beach was the absolute most fun that could be had anywhere, anytime?  This marvelous digi stamp from Digi Darla's ("Kids Beach Scene") just took me back to those days, long ago.  Of course, I had to steal some time and make a card.  Since I don't work on Fridays at my day job, the best option seemed to be to get up really early and steal time.  Of course, I still have to teach tonight.  :-D

     The rest of the story is that I serve on a DT with a wonderful lady who also happens to be on the Digi Darla's DT.  I've never played in their challenges before and she teased and tormented me until I did a card for their "How do you LAYER up?" challenge, so this card is really all Vicky's fault!  lol  Not that it matters -- I love the way this turned out.  Doesn't the scene look like a moment on a cloudy day, when the sun breaks through and sparkles the ocean but there are still clouds shading the beach?  Click on the card photo to enlarge it and it really shows the sparkles!

Sketch came from Sketch and Stash, where this week you can choose any sketch from their entire collection.  I chose #10.

     The image is colored with Copics and gel pens, then die cut and matted with black CS.   The darker blue dp is from my stash and it was just a scrap so I don't know the maker (could be DCWV.)  The polka dot and light blue dp are both from DCWV's "Linen Closet" stack.  They were also scraps but since that particular stack is my favorite DCWV ever, I'm totally familiar with it.  I buy an additional stack of it whenever I find it on sale.  :-D

     Each dp layer is also matted with a layer of black CS, making a total of 9 layers on this card, not counting embellishments as a layer.  I dug out some old eyelets which have been hiding in my stash (unused, for decades), and punched those in before I layered everything onto the card front.  The final touch -- the three red bows with hand sewn pearls.  Although it has tons of layers, it still seems relatively open and simple, taking nothing away from the main image.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks -- By the sea
Crafting by Designs -- Jump into Summer & Use Your Scraps
Creative Mondays -- Summer
Cupcake Craft Challenge  -- Something in the Eyelet
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge -- Anything Goes
Deep Ocean Challenge -- Welcome Summer
House That Stamps Built -- Head for the Beach
Kaboodle Doodles -- Celebrate your country's colors
Love to Create -- Summertime fun
Made Especially for You -- Use 3 eyelets

     OK, now I have to get everything ready for my class tonight.  Lots of handouts to finish and copy, plus papers to grade so they can be handed back to the students.  I hope your upcoming weekend is going to be smashing and that you have lots of fun and crafty things planned.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Butterflies, Roses, and Bugaboo

     This is another of the cards I found time to make last Sunday.  It's frilly, feminine, and has tons of glittery bling!  The digital image is from Bugaboo Stamps (Catch the Bug -- Anything Goes theme) and I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

     Colors came from the inspiration photo at Stamptacular Sundays and the image is colored with Touch Twin markers, matted with black CS and polka dot dp from DCWV - Linen Closet stack.  In fact, all the dp happens to be from that same stack, and the background dp is embossed and glittery.  The sentiment is a clear sticker from who-knows-where!  To bling everything up, I added Sparkle 'n' Sprinkle glitters to the roses and the butterfly, "Fascination" and "Misty Blue," respectively.

     Other challenges:
Art Impressions Stamps -- Seeing Spots (polka dot dp)
Come and Get It Challenge -- Flowers and Butterflies, Oh My!
Charisma Cardz -- Bling
Crafty Ann's -- Butterflies and Flowers
One Stitch at a Time -- Use a digi
Sentimental Sundays -- Show me your spots (polka dot dp)

    By the time you read this, I'll be well underway with my summer teaching and loving it!  I have missed the classroom these past few years and I know I'm going to love being back at the blackboard, so to speak.  :-D  I hope your week is going well and that you're finding plenty of crafting time.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

You Can't Be Too Purple!

     The post title is my overall motto and apparently, it's Effie's too!   She's a digital stamp from Sassy Studio Designs (challenge theme is You've Been Framed) and she's totally dolled up with a gorgeous trinket on her finger (that's a tiny rhinestone.)

I took the sketch from Sweet Stop, except I used an oval frame instead of a circle.

     "Effie Trinket" is a freebie at the Sassy Studio Designs group at Paper Craft Planet where they want us to use the freebie and help them celebrate 600 members.  They also want to see Embossing, Flowers, Full of color, Ink, and Embellishments (EFFIE).

     Effie's hair and skin are colored with alcohol ink markers, and her dress and hat are completely paper pieced with 3 different dps.  The flowery background dp was in my stash and I have no idea who made it.  I used an oval die to cut the image plus two larger sizes for framing, a total of 3 layers on the image.  The dark frame is metallic paper which has been embossed.  The card base has also been embossed with a CB "Linen" folder.  All the embellishments, including the ribbon for the bow, were in my stash.

     I punched the corners with a decorative punch and added three pearls to each side of the frame.

     Other Challenges:
2 Sisters -- Anything goes
Crafts and Me -- favorite color combo: anything with purples
Crazy Amigo -- Flowers
Divas by Design -- Monochromatic
Little Darlings -- Flowers
Paper Pretties -- Flowers
Poodles Parlour -- Anything goes
Speedy & Friends -- 3 of something (pearls, image layers, papers for piecing)
Stamp Man -- Favorite technique: paper piecing
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle -- Ribbons and Bows
Stampin' for the Weekend -- 4 or more layers (there are 5)

     Hope you're having a great start to your week and that your weekend was fun, relaxing, and filled with creativity, whatever the weather may have been.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tuesday Throwdown #96 with Robyn's Fetish

     (Editor's Note:  For those of you who had a glimpse of this a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't supposed to publish until today.  I removed all comments and set it to republish at the proper time.  Sorry for any confusion.  Thank you.)

     Our challenge theme at Tuesday Throwdown this week is "In the Garden" so let's see those flowers, veggies, trees, bugs, birds, -- whatever you might find in your garden this month.  We're sponsored by Robyn's Fetish and the digi I used is "Birdie Nest" from Robyn's.  Nothing more fun than seeing birds building their nests and raising their babies in my garden, especially when they eat all the bad bugs!  :-D

     The digi is colored with  Copics markers, and the plaid paper is from Bearly Mine.  The pink striped paper is from SU.  I added only cord and rhinestones (which have been in my stash forever or maybe longer!) because I wanted another CAS card, which I'll put in the box for Operation Write Home.  It's almost full and ready to send off.

     If you don't know about OWH, click on their badge on the right side of my blog and read about them.  A fantastic organization which can always use more cardmakers willing to make and donate cards for our troops to use to stay in touch with loved ones at home.

     Challenges:
Copic Marker Europe -- Monochromatic
Creative Belli -- Animals
C.R.A.F.T. -- Animals
Cute Card Thursday -- Animal
Digi Doodle Shop's Best -- Pink and brown

     Won't you come play with us at Tuesday Throwdown this week?  Take a look around you garden and then check out your stamps and supplies, and let your imagination run.  We want to see what's in your garden this wee!

      Hugz and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Katie's Green, Garden & Gorgeous

     Finally after a long break, due partly to my being gone for more than a week earlier this month, I'm back posting a new card for the challenge at Cooking It Up with Katie.  Our theme this time is "Green, Garden, Gorgeous."  My card uses an image from Cornish Heritage, and I've done an Outside/Inside card this time.

     The image is colored with Copics and ProMarkers, then fussy cut and layered onto a metallic paper die cut and then onto a CS die cut a size larger.  I used lace ribbon and a doily on the card front (linen textured CS), layered on the image piece, and added a bow from the same lace ribbon.  One flower with a rhinestone in the middle, plus rhinestones in two of the card corners, and it was finished.

     The sentiment inside is from a vellum sticker and I added the two little flowers.

     Challenges:
2 Sisters -- Flowers
Card Makin' Mamas -- Getting Girlie
Catch the Bug -- Flowers and colors from inspiration photo
Clearly Inspired -- Go Green
Delicious Doodles -- Loads of Layers (there are 6)
Digi Doodle Shop's Best -- Paper lace
Fairy Fun Fridays -- Anything goes
Lily Pad -- Flowers
Outlaws Paper Ala Mode -- In the Bloom
Stamp Man -- Vellum (inside sentiment)
Sweet Stampin' -- Girly but no pink
Wags & Whiskers -- Anything goes

     I hope you're going to join in our challenge at Cooking It Up with Katie this week.  Gardens are much in mind with spring finally here, and I know your creations are going to be simply gorgeous.  Looking forward to what you submit.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie