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