Thank Your Teacher

     Having grown up with a school teacher for a mother, and also having spent many years beyond high school in various classrooms getting my own education, saying thanks to a teacher comes high on my list.

     Tuesday Throwdown has a new challenge starting today and our theme is "Thank Your Teacher."  We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, who generously supplied images to the DT members.  I'm using "SBTeacher", and Sun Bonnet is one of my favorite characters at Bugaboo.

     I'm playing with the green/brown combo again and I still like it.  :-D  Sun Bonnet is colored with Promarkers, then die cut and matted with two different mats.  Both ribbons and all the flowers are from my stash.   The sentiment is computer generated and die cut.  Everything is mounted on a blank card base of spring green.

     Challenges:
Crafty Ribbons -- Anything goes w/ ribbon
Delightful Challenges -- I appreciate you
Docerela -- Flowers
DRS Designs -- Pastel colors
Fairies Challenges -- For a lady
Paper Crafting Journey -- Use a sentiment
QKR Stampede -- Favorite things (school)
Sassy Studio Designs -- Special Lady (or Mother's Day)
Southern Girls -- buttons, badges, OR Flair!
Stampin' for the Weekend -- die cuts/punches
Tammy's Scrappin Corner -- Layers

     OK, now we want to see you playing along with us at Tuesday Throwdown this week.  I know there are teachers who need to be thanked, and even if you don't have anyone in school in your own house, there are always others who need a card to give. My youngest granddaughter has already claimed this card to give to her teacher.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mother Nature's Baby

     This is the third card I've done in the CDAC Progressive Challenge, where the images are supplied free to those who are participating in the challenge.  This image is by Nana Vic's.  Isn't it adorable?  It feels almost magical.

I used a sketch I found at Sweet Sunday.

     I used Promarkers to color the image and have discovered that green and brown is fast becoming another favorite color combo.   The image is die cut and then stippled with Walnut Stain distress ink.  The brown lattice ribbon, originally white, was also stained with that same ink.  The polka dot dp is digital paper from a set by Doodle Pantry.  It was a scrap I packed with my supplies and it was perfect for this card.

     Challenges:
Art Impressions -- Layer it up
Bearly Mine -- Digital image and paper
Crafting by designs -- Anything goes
Creative Moments -- Spring
Everybody Art Challenge -- 2 colors (green and brown)
LEJ Designs -- Mystical, magical, mysterious
Memory Nest Whimsical Weds. -- Anything whimsical
Moving Along with the Times -- Baby
Outlawz Paper ala Mode -- Anything goes
Scrappy Frogs -- Think Spring
Sugar Creek Hollow -- Baby face
That Craft Place -- For a child

     All right, I'm posting this and then starting for home.  I doubt that I'll get much internet time until I'm back in my own surroundings later this afternoon, but I do have a couple of things to post for next week and I might even get something done over the weekend.  See you later.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Fancy Shoes for Mom

     I'm doing Mother's Day cards for my DD and DILs.  My own mom has been gone many years now but I know she'd just love that I have daughter/daughters-in-law/granddaughter-in-law who get handmade cards for Mother's Day so I do that to please not only the younger generation gals, but to honor my own mom.  :-D

     Today's card is made using an image from the mid-month release at Doodle Pantry.  This is from the set "Fancy Shoe" and I love the Victorian feel of it.  This isn't a new set, but it is newly colored instead of just the black outline drawing.  It made for a fast card once I had the dies, papers, and embellishments chosen.

I used a sketch from A Die for a Sketch, turned 1/4 turn 

clockwise and using a square image instead of an oval.

     Is that a gorgeous image or not?  It comes in two different colors in the set, plus the outline drawings, plus sentiments, plus digital papers!  I'll add a photo of the set at the bottom of this post.

     I chose papers which were scraps, but I'm pretty sure they came from the DCWV "Linen Closet" stack -- at least I know the chevron pattern is Linen Closet.   The image and the sentiment are both die cut with a set from Spellbinders, and I stippled them with azure ink, then layered them together.  The sheer brown and blue ribbons were in my stash (who knows how long!) but they came originally from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  That flower has been hanging around, waiting to be used, since last fall.  I don't do much with browns and when I do, it's usually for a masculine card, so brown roses rarely get used.

     I'm terribly pleased with this card.  :-D  I love the vintage look even though it has relatively little embellishment.  I love vintage -- I'm just still practicing on perfecting it.

     Challenges:
A&T Emerald Faeries -- 1 image, 2 dp, 3 embellies (2 bows,1 flower)
Cards Galore -- Vintage
Card Mania --  Punches/Dies
CDAC Challenges -- Anything goes
Deep Ocean -- Flowers & Fantasy
Docerela Creations -- Mother's Day
Fashionista -- Mother's Day
Really Reasonable Ribbon -- Mother's Day
Simply Create, Too -- Use your stash
Sparkle N Sprinkle -- Use a digi

   Go check out the rest of the new, mid-month releases at Doodle Pantry.  I know you're going to find something you love!   And there's still time to get something entered into the Doodle Pantry challenge (ends April 24th.)  Yes, you have to use a Doodle Pantry image, but then you get a free set (Berry Sweet Mice) just for entering.  And there's still a sale going on at the Doodle Pantry store.  How can you lose?  Go, run, don't delay!  See you at the challenge.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

       Free for entering the challenge

New DT Member at 613 Avenue Create

     I'm so excited that I get to announce a new DT position I have with 613 Avenue Create.  What a wonderful group of ladies over there.  Some of them I already know and share other teams with them, and others are new to me but they are all so full of inspiration and encouragement.  Thanks for inviting me, Kathi and Chana!

     A new challenge goes up every Sunday morning and this week we have a sketch for you.  I love this sketch and stayed pretty close to it, though I have learned that sometimes interpreting sketches not quite so literally is also OK.  ;-D  Our sponsor is the wonderful Bugaboo Stamps, a company I simply adore, and they generously supplied images for the DT to use.  I happened to use one I already had in my collection (I have tons of Bugaboos!), called "Ava Swing."  I don't know who's more adorable, Ava or her kitten.

Here's the sketch, drawn by Kathi.

  

     I took my colors from Ooh La La where the challenge is to use 'Orange and Green.'  This time my image is colored completely with Promarkers, then die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The lacy mat is also made with a die from Spellbinders.  Can you believe that all the papers and card stock on this card were cut from stuff in my scrap pile?  I'm on a mission to get scraps used up and to actually throw out the pieces which truly are too small for any effective purpose.  I've managed to get myself into that "only-4-square-inches-of-working-space" on my desktop again so I need a remedy.  lol

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- Anything goes
Creative Creations -- Spring
Cupcake Craft -- Cats or dogs
Forever Friends Biweekly -- Die cuts &/or punches
Marker POP -- Anything goes
Mema's Crafts Monday -- Anything goes
Pink Elephant -- Spring colors
Sarah Hurley -- Projects with Character
Stamp and Create -- At least 1 die cut

     So, if you've never played at 613 Avenue Create, why not come join in.  If you have played there before, you'll love this week's challenge.  It's a fun and fanciful sketch and you can be as literal or as interpretive as you like, as long as we can see the basic sketch in there somewhere.  :-D  Hope to see you over there.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Delicious Doodles Kingfisher

     Good Friday morning to you all, and that means it's another new challenge at Delicious Doodles.  This week we want to see "More than one fold" on your cards.  I've done an offset-left, gate fold card, using one of the "Kingfisher" images.  There are two images in the set, this is the more feminine of the two.  The more masculine one doesn't have the butterflies.

Sketch from Sunday Sketch and Stamp.

     Isn't he magnificent?  I colored him with Promarkers, then fussy cut the image and layered it onto an oval mat allowing the butterfly to be outside the frame.  I die cut a larger oval from digital paper, and then punched three small butterflies from that same dp.

     The card base is embossed with a folder which was in the blog candy I won over at Amanda's blog (more on that later today) and I really love it!  That one's going to get lots of use this spring.  :-D I took a piece of white CS 5 1/2" X 8 ", scored it at 1 3/4" and again at 6 1/4" for the folding.   That puts the front opening slightly left of center.  I embossed it by putting one side into the folder and embossing, then put the other side in (inserting it from the oposite side of the folder), lined it up so that the butterfly meets exactly, and embossed it.  That took some work and some pre-planning (because I wanted the butterflies flying in an upward direction) but I managed it.  :-D

     Finally, I adhered the punched butterflies over three of the embossed butterflies and decided it was finished without any further embellishment.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps -- White card (color in image OK)
A Little Bit Crafty -- Anything goes
CDAC Anything Goes -- Anything goes
Digi Makeover -- Anything Goes
Emma's Cards UK -- Butterflies
Lia Stampz -- Birds, nests, or eggs
Little Claire's -- Cards with folds
Marker POP -- Anything goes
Mema's Crafts -- Anything goes
Natalie and Amy's -- Monochromatic
One Stitch at a Time -- Spring
Sparkle n Sprinkle -- Use a digi
Sparkles Forum -- Birds
Stamp and Create -- Use a die cut

    OK, now, I want to see you playing along in our "More than one fold" challenge this week at Delicious Doodles.  You can be as fancy as you choose (step cards, easel cards, twisted easels, accordians, etc.) or do something more simple like my gate fold.  No excuses -- just come play along.  Remember, it's one entry per person (unless you use a Delicious Doodles image) and you could win 5 of Teri's gorgeous digis!   See you there.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Recycling at Its Best!

     For any of you who are regular followers of my blog, or even for those who are visiting for the first time but have seen the feline photos I have, it must be obvious that I'm a cat lover.  I use that to preface what I'm going to say next.

     Someone in my neighborhood has an orange tabby cat who must weight 50 pounds, can raid garbage cans better than a raccoon or a bear in a national park, and for some reason he has decided that my particular can has the best 'recycle-ables' around!   There is no keeping him out if he decides to get in, and he doesn't clean up his messes!  Grrrrrrr  This card is done in his honor.  :-D

     The image is from QKR Stampede, where the challenge theme is "Animal Antics." I colored it with Promarkers and Spectrum Noirs, then die cut it with a Wonky Squares die from Spellbinders.  The chevron and the striped papers are from DCWV, "Linen Closet" stack again.  Told you it was a favorite of mine. :-D  

     I used a stippling brush and three different Tim Holtz distress ink pads on the card base and the image.  Ever since I saw someone using a stippling brush at one of my monthly craft get-togethers, I find that I like the effect even better than sponging.  I'm hooked!  I added the three hand-punched flowers with centers hand-colored as the only embellishments.  This is a masculine card so I prefer lots of layers to lots of flowery or glittery embellies.

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create -- Anything goes w/ flowers

Cards for Men -- Humorous

CDAC 1, 2, 3 -- 1 sentiment, 2 dp, 3 embellies (flowers)

Crafty Cardmakers -- Humour

Created with Love -- Funny cards

Digi Darla's -- Laughter is the Best Medicine

Glitter n Sparkle -- Cute

Pile It On -- Handmade flowers (punched and colored)
That Craft Place -- Animals

     BTW, if you do a card for the 1,2,3 Challenge over at CDAC this quarter (see link above), you'll get a set called "Watermelon Ants" from Doodle Pantry after the challenge closes just for playing in that challenge.  The challenge runs for an entire quarter (April through June) but since I'm on the Doodle Pantry Creative Team, I just wanted to give you a heads up.  :-D  

     Halfway point in the week, and it's supposed to be a gorgeous day, nearly 80 degrees F!  How's that for making those of you still buried under the snow pea-green with envy?  lol  Well, if it makes you feel better, they are saying rain for tomorrow.   Glad you stopped by and if I'm not here, I'm playing in the garden.  Pour yourself a cuppa whatever, and enjoy a browse around.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie