Kittens for Birthdays

     I guess my card yesterday with green hair on the image was just practice for the new challenge theme at Tuesday Throwdown this week, which is "Wild Colored Hair!"   Our wonderful sponsor is The Paper Shelter and they provided an image for the team to use.  You need to check out the Tuesday Throwdown blog to see all the different inspiration and colors of hair.

     My card is for a wonderful friend who's celebrating her 79th birthday on Friday, and, no, she won't see it here before then.  I doubt if she even knows I have a blog although she does know about my cards and loves them.  What a sweetie.  :-D

Here's the inside sentiment.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and glitter gel ink.  I used one of my framing dies to cut the image and then used the same die to cut a negative from dark pink CS.  I used that to 'frame the frame.'  It took a bit of planning because I wanted to have the image framed on an angle instead of vertical but I also wanted to angle the darker pink CS on the card base, which is a lighter pink.  

     The butterflies are punched and I added pearls to the bodies, plus I added three pearls to the bottom corner.  Speaking of corners, I used a punch on all four of them.  The bow is made from two separate ribbons, one tied into a triple bow and the other into a double bow and then tied together with a butterfly in the middle.

     Challenges:

4 Krafty Girlz -- A/G

A&T Emerald Faeries -- Flowers, ribbon or lace

A Creative Need -- For a woman

A Creative Romance -- Girly creations

Brown Sugar -- A/G

Craftitude -- Use a die

Fairies -- Ladies

Hanna & Friends -- Dies

Little Miss Muffet -- A/G

Outlawz Twisted Thursday -- A/G

Red Rubber -- More precious than pearls

Sister Act -- A/G

Stamping for the Weekend -- For the girls

Sweet Pea Stampers -- Things with wings

The Squirrel & the Fox -- Girls

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  We had so few entries last week (probably because of the Memorial Day holiday and everyone getting their summer started instead of crafting) that we didn't even have enough people to choose a Top 3!  Of course, that makes your chances of winning the sponsor prize that much greater.  :-D  See you at Tuesday Throwdown.  NanaConnie

Escaping the Doctors

     A week or so ago, I told you how much I dearly love the bears from QKR Stampede (challenge theme: dies or punches) and today I'm using another one for a Get Well card.  I hope this brings a smile to your face.

My design sketch came from the CASE card at

AAA Cards and it has to be CAS.  

I tried to stick with the colors, too, but dulled my background pink quite a bit.

       I colored the bear with ProMarkers, then die cut the image with a square die and used a corner punch on all 4 corners.  The background piece I made myself, using an old piece of plastic netting (like you get with a fruit or vegetable bag) and coloring across it with the chisel tip of the ProMarkers.  Aside from the fact that I wanted something close to the background on the CASE card, I really like that effect and will use it again, I'm sure.  That piece is also die cut and punched.

     I dry embossed the brown CS strip with the "Lattice" folder from SU.  The sentiment is my own, printed with a computer font.  My only embellishment on this CAS card is the die cut swirl in the lower corner.  No ribbon, no twine, no string, no flowers, no gems or pearls -- I think I'm finally getting the hang of CAS!!  :-D

     Challenges:

A Creative Romance -- 1 for the boys

Artistic Inspirations -- Dies or punches

Come and Get It -- Bingo: Texture/ Free/ No dp

Crafting from the Heart -- A/G

Fan-Tastic Tuesday -- 1 for the guys

Glitter n Sparkle -- For men or male colors

Graph'It -- Warm colors

Hiding in My Craft Room -- Embossing

Paper Nest Dolls -- A/G

Papertake Weekly -- Ooh, so cute!

Passion for ProMarkers -- die cuts

Speedy Fox & Friends -- No design paper

Wags 'n Whiskers -- 1 for the boys

     Well, this was fast and simple so you did get a post today after all.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Roses for Love

     I have the honor of being a GDT at Through the Craft Room Door this week, where the challenges are always "Anything Goes."  I got to use a digital image drawn by Sandi Huggett, one of my favorite artists.  I first got to know Sandi and her work over at The Outlawz.  Here's one of her incredible flower images.

     I colored the roses with my ProMarkers, then die cut it with one of those wonderful framing dies by Spellbinders.  I cut another frame with the die one size larger, using some dusty pink CS, and embossing it.  The dp is from Crafts, Etc., the "Sweet Pea" stack.  The lovely, sheer, polka-dot ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and is one of my favorites.  I wish I had more of it in my stash.  The frames are so decorative and detailed that I decided to limit embellishment to just the ribbon.  That way, the focus is on the gorgeous roses!

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create -- A/G
A & T Emerald Faeries -- Flowers + ribbon or lace
Addicted to Stamps -- Song inspiration (Paper Roses)
Bearly Mine -- Flowers
Challenges 4 Everybody -- A/G
Dream Valley -- A/G
Fairies -- Mothers
Glitter & Sparkle -- Female
One Stitch at a Time -- Use a digi
Outlawz Greetings -- Flowers
Outlawz PAM -- For a special lady
Outlawz Twisted Thurs. -- die cuts
Robyn's Fetish -- Flowers in the image

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in the challenge this week.  With an "Anything Goes" theme, how can you go wrong?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

"Beary" Godmother

    Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in Canada and the US!

      I have to admit that my favorite silly bears are the ones from QKR Stampede.  They're just so quirky and full of attitude.  :-D  Today I combined the "Baking" bear with one of the QKR sentiments about a "Beary Godmother" and I think this is such a fun and funny card!  Here's the card front.

and the inside...

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and die cut it with one of my Spellbinders dies, then distressed it with one of the Ranger inks.  The inside sentiment is cut with a die from QuicKutz.  The A2 card base is made from colored CS.  I used two pieces of scrap brown CS for neutral colored layers (wanting a monochromatic feel to the card), tearing each of them and embossing one.  The blue gems are on ribbon and I wrapped them around the card front.  The bow is one of the ones I make and stash away until they're needed.

     Challenges:
Artbymiran -- A/G
As You Like It -- Favorite fur or feathers & why
Crafting at the Weekend -- A/G
Crafting for all Seasons -- Lots of layers
Digi Chooseday -- Make it for the kids
Di's Digi Designs -- Use markers
Hiding in My Craft Room -- Scraps (all the CS)
Pile It On -- Fuzzy
QKR Stampede -- A/G with twist of gems/rhinestones
Quick Quotes -- Tear it up
Savvy Handmade Cards -- Zoo animals
Sister Act -- A/G
Through the Craft Room Door -- A/G
We Do Doobadoo -- Layers

     How's your weekend going?  I'm having a fantastic time with lots of playing and lots of family.  If you seem to be seeing less of me over the summer months it's because I'm taking a leave of absence from one of my DT positions; 2 of my DT terms are ending, and I'm working ahead as best I can on another team.  I'll be doing my best to make cards and schedule posts when I'm home and can craft but I may be a bit hit or miss between now and mid-September.  Hope you'll continue to visit when you can.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Daisies in a Bottle

     It's been a while since I used an image from A Day for Daisies (add a doily or twine) but when I saw this one while scrolling through my collection, I immediately printed it (which is a story in itself!) and turned it into a birthday card.  I know I've been doing a lot of those recently but my birthday card stash was down to nil, zero, nada so it's time to make several and get stocked up again.

I used the sketch from Sketch & Stash

but it's turned 1/4 turn.  See below for the explanation on that.

     OK, when I went to print the image, I knew I wanted to print directly to my card base because I am going to enter the first challenge at AAA Cards and their challenge theme calls for only 2 layers, plus glitter and "Happy."   Well, only 2 layers means CAS to me (despite the fact that I love to mat everything and have many layers on most of my cards.)  Anyway, back to the printing story -- I thought I had the printing all figured out so that the image would print on the card front with a left hand fold for an A2 card.  Unfortunately, when the card came out of the printer, I hadn't planned it properly or I forgot which way the printer would print onto the paper.  In any case, the only way I could make it work for the sketch was to turn the sketch 1/4 turn and have a top fold, tent card.  OK, so I just went with it.  Next time, I'll practice on plain copier paper before printing on my good CS. :-D

     I colored the flowers and vase with watercolor pencils, and then added Stickles to the vase and flower centers.  I die cut the frame and layered it onto the card front, encircling the image (making my second layer.)  I added twine in two colors, punching a small hole in the top fold so that I could wrap the twine.  That's it.  Totally CAS and other than the time messing around with how to print it, it took me less than 20 minutes to make.  Of course, I had to wait a good 45 minutes before taking the photo so the Stickles would dry.  :-D

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- A/G or Mom
Crafting from the Heart -- A/G
Die Cut Divas -- At least 1 embellie (twine)
Digi Makeover -- A/G (with a digi)
Love to Create -- Flowers
My Craft Creations -- A/G
My Craft Spot -- Spring
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Use 5 things total (CS/glitter/image/frame/twine)
Stampin' with the Dragon -- Flowers
Sweet Peas Stampers -- Birthday

     What a wonderful Wednesday this has been!  And that means only a day or two until the weekend.  Remember this Sunday is Mother's Day here in the States.  I hope you have your plans all made.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie