Birthday Roses in Black and White

     OK, so I woke up at 4:00 in the Oh, God! morning today and there was no going back to sleep.  Nothing to do but get on the computer, check e-mail, and see what new challenges might bring some inspiration.  I found the new challenge at AAA Cards which I've missed for the last 3 weeks due to being so busy.  I did the first few challenges over there because it's a great way to practice on CAS cards, since that's always the primary requirement regardless of the theme for that week.

     Well, this week's theme was a challenge all by itself to get everything included and still do a CAS card!  Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to add 14 other challenges to it and do one card to fit all the themes.  Let's start with the "MacGyver" recipe at AAA Cards:  string, corrugated paper, plastic, a stamp, and a hole.  Don't forget, we still have to keep it CAS!!  So, what do you think?

   

     The image is from Artbymiran and the coloring on her hair is done with ProMarkers; the 'frame' is actually cut into the card front.  The paper behind the sentiment is corrugated but it just doesn't show up in the first two photos so I took another shot with a bright light shining on it.  

     The button is plastic and I used my string to make the bow (threaded through the button.)  So, I got all the MacGyver items -- but it was a struggle to keep it CAS.  It does have minimal embellishments and lots of open space even though the space has tiny polka dots instead of being all white.  At least give me credit for taking on the challenge and getting something made -- to say nothing of also including the following challenges and themes.  :-D

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Artbymiran

Craft for the Craic

Crafting by Design

Creative Corner

Delicious Doodles

Docerela Creations

Jo's Scrap Shack

Our Daily Bread

Paper Creator's Crafts 

Sister Act

Sisterhood of Crafters

So Artful

Stampin' with the Dragon

     Thanks for visiting, my friends.  Hope your weekend has been filled with inspiration and beauty.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Baby Brother

     I was asked to make a card for a little guy who's waiting for his baby brother to arrive.  He's 3 and adores dinosaurs.  That fit in perfectly with the new challenge starting today at Tuesday Throwdown, sponsored by My Grafico who supplied digis to all the team members.  Even though I'm on leave from the TT team this summer, since I had a My Grafico digi available, I decided to get this made and the post scheduled during a lull in the "busy, busy, busy!"  :-D  My teamie, Lynn, will love this one, too, since it done with lots of blue.  :-D

     Colored with ProMarkers and die cut.  Can you believe that's the first Spellbinders die set I ever purchased?  No wonder it's still my sentimental favorite.  :-D  Papers are from the Linen Closet stack by DCWV and the polka dots are embossed.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

     Challenges:
4 Krafty Girlz
A Gem of a Challenge
A Little Bit Crafty
As You Like It
Bearly Mine
Brown Sugar 
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafting Musketeers
Delightful Challenges
Ladybug Crafts
Little Miss Muffet
Paper Crafting Journey
Red Rubber Inspirationals
Sister Act
Stamping Boutique

     Quick post today, but I really hope we'll see you playing along this week at Tuesday Throwdown. Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Moonlight Walks on the Beach

     I originally made this card for my daughter to give to her husband for Father's Day but she decided on something different.  I just love the way it celebrates love for Dad in a really masculine style but with humor.  Don't these two look like they're strolling down the beach? Well, that's what the sentiment says anyway.  :-D

     I colored the cats using my ProMarkers, cut a simple rectangle, then corner punched it.  The sketch was an old one I found at Meljen's Designs, where their theme this week is "Dads," and the image is also from Meljen's.

     DP is from the Linen Closet stack by DCWV, probably my favorite papers of all time.  Not only are the colors subtle, they work for either masculine or feminine projects.  This time I used some that I've had in my stash for more than 2 years because I keep stocking up on it when I find it on sale and then the old ones get pushed to the back of the shelf.  In reorganizing the week after I got home, I pulled all the old pads to the front and put the newer ones in the back.

     The flower is handmade from punched flower-petal layers.  I thought that added just a splash of color to what is otherwise a pretty neutral color combo.  No other embellishment because I wanted to keep it CAS.

     Challenges:
2 Sisters -- Make your own embellies
Art Impressions Stamps -- Hip to be square
Crafting Cafe -- Love and marriage
Craft Room -- Sun, Sand, Surf
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned dp -- A/G with dp
I {heart} ProMarkers -- Stripes
Ladybug Crafts Ink -- For him
Natalie and Amy's -- 4 legged friends
Oldie But a Goodie -- Masculine
Sassy Studio Designs -- All about men
Through the Craft Room Door -- A/G
Twisted Tuesday -- 2 animals and dots (around the cats and in the stripes)

     If all goes as scheduled, I should have another post for you this evening.  If it doesn't show up, then I'm going to have to get someone to feed the gremlin in my computer so that he'll let my posts show up on time instead of eating them!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Rick St. Dennis Steam Punk II

     OK, here I am trying my hand at another steam punk card (something I do very rarely and not very well) but at least I'm far enough away that I can't hear you laughing at my attempt.  Of course, the card does have a wry humor so maybe that's why you're laughing.  The image is a progressive freebie to all who used an Rick St. Dennis image and played in the first part of the steam punk challenge last month.

     This is the card folded flat and ready for the envelope but I did a new-to-me fancy fold technique called Dutch Fold or Dutch Door.  Here's a photo of the card opened and standing.

     OK, a few card details and then I have a close up to show you.  I colored this fun little monster, called "Nyner," with my ProMarkers.  While Rick's images are very detailed and can be somewhat intimidating to color (especially when you see the gorgeous coloring done by his entire DT!), his shading already drawn onto the image gives you great direction for getting shadows and high lights in all the right places.  As I was working with this image, I grew to love this creepy character more and more, and by the time I finished coloring him, I was truly in love.  :-D

     I still wasn't sure exactly what to do with him but his "Winner" sash made me think of a prize winner and the sentiment (printed on my computer) just popped into my head.  I die cut the image and did the card base (following tutorial instructions which I now can't find or I'd give you the link.)  The papers are from the "Loolah" stack by Iron Orchard.  Then I began searching through my embellishment stash for some steam punk appropriate cogs or gears.  Sigh... Those were seriously lacking because I do so little steam punk but I did find the two metal cogs you see above the image.

     Now, the great part of the story -- On his hat are drawn a few tiny cogs and gears.  I tried coloring them with silver and gold markers but they just didn't show up.  OK, let's go back a couple of weeks.  I was a challenge winner and the sponsor was 7 Kids College Fund.  I used my voucher to order a couple of Elisabeth Bell stamps (you'll be seeing those next week probably) and some little charms in a package called "Watch Parts."  I had no idea of the sizes but it was a collection of metal goodies that would work on steam punk cards.  Those just happened to arrive as I was finishing up the card and voila, perfection!  Let me show you what I mean --

     All those tiny embellies on his top hat came from the bag of Watch Parts.  Aren't they fabulous?  There are other items in the bag which are larger but I just love these tiny ones because they work on the actual images, not just the card.  Scroll back up to see the full card and compare the size with the larger metal embellies.  I'm already doing another card where I'm making a whole pile of the tiny ones to look like a single embellishment.

     Challenges:
Country View Crafts -- Only men allowed
Crafting at the Weekend -- A/G
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper -- A/G w/ dp
Ditzie Digi Designs -- A/G
Ladybug Crafts -- Something for the boys or die cuts
Outlawz PAM -- Junk in he Trunk (use metal)
Rick St. Dennis Progressive -- Use freebie digi provided
The Squirrel & the Fox -- Use metal

     I hope by now you've fallen in love with Nyner, too.  Personally, I'm going to train him to be the watchman around the house when I'm gone.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

For All the Guys

     I have a few masculine/ Father's Day cards to share with you this morning and will also have another one tomorrow.  Each of these cards uses an image from Doodle Pantry, a couple of which are new and one I've had in my collection for probably 3 years, but this isn't the first time I've used it.  OK, here's the first card:

     Since my SIL is an avid fisherman, one of my granddaughters laid claim to this one as soon as she saw me making it.  I hadn't even finished it yet when she said she wanted to give it to him for Father's Day.  This one is a pre-colored image but I used ProMarkers to darken the water and his coat and to make the tackle box a bit more orangey-red.  The background is done with corrugated paper and the baker's twine is from my stash.

     Challenges for this card:
Artistic Inspirations -- All about Dad
Craft Your Passion -- For the boys/Father's Day
Crafty Boots -- Sport
Digi Makeover -- For the men
Digi Sketch -- For the men
Doodle Pantry -- Make it Manly

     Next card, also a Doodle Pantry image --

     I love these fishing lures and this time I hand colored them using Copics and gel pens.  I've used them several times before and even did another card with this same image but used a pre-colored image on that one.  Maybe I'll get time to share it tomorrow.  This one is pretty simple -- hand colored, cut with a rectangle die, edges distressed, and mounted onto another strip of that same corrugated paper.  The stars were in my stash and I thought they worked as reminders of starfish.  :-D

     Challenges for this card:
Crafty Sentiments Designs -- Father's Day
Going Grey w Scrap Creations -- Father's Day
MarkePOP -- A/G
Melonheadz Friends -- Summer fun
Ooh La La Creations -- For a man/boy
Paper Nest Dolls -- A/G
PaperTake Weekly -- For the boys
Pink Elephant -- Father's Day
Sweet Stamps -- For Dad

     OK, if I have a favorite out of these three images, it's probably this wonderful classic car.  I can't tell you if that's a Model A or a Model T, but my dad would have known.  I'm old, but I'm not old enough to have driven one of these.  But they always remind me of my dad who just loved to see one of these marvels driving down the street.  That would bring on stories from him of his younger years and learning to drive (around the family farm) about the age of 12 in one of those early Fords.  Even tho' he's been gone for many years, I still miss him.  :-D

     Pre-colored image again from Doodle Pantry.  This is another one which got claimed by a granddaughter for her dad.  She likes the blue with all the neutral beige and she's a great fan of all things vintage or classic.  I would have bet my fortune (if I had one) that she would chose this card for him.  :-D  

     Papers are from the Linen Closet stack by DCWV and the sheer ribbon was in my stash, probably from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I know for sure that's where I got the polka dot ribbon.

     Challenges for this card:

Aud Sentiments -- Any sentiment for a man

Frilly and Funky -- Special Man  

Hobbybook -- Dad/Special Man

The Male Room -- Father's Day

MFP Simple Salutations -- Father's Day

MilkCoffee -- Father's Day

Penny's Paper-Crafty -- A/G

Rhedd & Rosie's -- Back in time, vintage style

     Well, I hope you've enjoyed this long post which salutes masculinity.  I enjoy making guy cards; always have, always will.  I know, I know, I can hear some of you groaning out there from the bottom of your toes.  lol  Ah, well, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Humbug Owl

     Having not blogged anything in more than a week, I have a ton of cards to share and I'm setting scheduled posts for all this week.  On Saturday and Sunday, I'll be sharing with you several cards I did for Father's Day or with a masculine theme.  But for today, I'm going to share my first Christmas card of the year.  I haven't done anything about Christmas up to now because I made so many Christmas cards last fall that I still have more than enough for family and friends this year!  But, I saw this mopey looking owl over at QKR Stampede and couldn't resist him so doing a Christmas card was necessary.  :-D

     With that look on his face, the sentiment was a natural.  I colored him with Promarkers, corner punched the image piece and mounted it onto two layers of torn CS in red and kraft.  The dp is from SU and I added sparkle to the snowflakes on it.  The bow is tied with gingham ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  Very CAS in design, even with the three metal brads.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More -- CAS
City Crafter -- For the birds
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas -- A/G Christmas
Fan-Tastic Tuesday -- A/G
Fussy and Fancy -- Things with wings
Jingle Belles -- Red & green
Loves Rubber Stamps -- CAS
Moving Along with the Times -- CAS
Scrappers' Delights -- A/G + Layers
Squigglefly -- Christmas
Stampin' for the Weekend -- A/G

     OK, I'm off again and will be visiting all your blogs when I return and have some time that's really all mine!  That may actually not be as soon as I'd like but I haven't abandoned you, honestly.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie