Snowman (From the Heart Stamps)

     Edited to add:  Blogger is messing with me!  This was scheduled to go live earlier today and it didn't post.  Grrrr.

     This is a tag for a Christmas gift, believe it or not.  Instead of doing it as a typical tag shape, I did it as a mini card style.  This is about 2.75 inches 'square.'  The inside has the typical "To:  From:" so that the receiver of the gift can be identified.

      The image was the August digi for the monthly progressive challenge at From the Heart.  I played in that challenge for a month or so last winter, I think, and then kind of fell off and didn't do it for a while.  I'm starting up again, and I promise that I'll be better at playing each month.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and I added loose glitter to the snow on the ground.  I cut the shape for the mini card with a die from Spellbinders.  The ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the little bow was tied using my bow maker.  It's a simple tag so there's not much else to say but I do love that cute image.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafting by Designs
Crimbo Crackers
Fab n Funky
Kitty Bee Designs
Moving Along with the Times
Paper Shelter
Polka Doodles
Stempelsonnen

     That's all I have today but there's another post scheduled for tomorrow with a new challenge starting at Tuesday Throwdown.  Hope to see you then.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Coffee Klatch

     I've done a set of simple note cards using new coffee mug designs from Paola at My Whimsical Little World.  She's also working on a set of Tea Cups and I plan to grab those as soon as they hit her shop for another set of note cards.  I've done 3 of each design for a set of 9 cards and I'll probably use them as gifts during the holidays.

     Two of the mugs are paper pieced and the third is colored with Copics.  Copics were also used to color the coffee and the donut on the paper pieced designs.  I used the same dp from the paper piecing to frame the images.  Because these took some time to color and piece, and because they probably will have to go in the mail when used, I left them very CAS - no embellishments at all.

     Challenges:
Artistic Stampers
Crafts Galore Encore
Digistamps 4 Joy
Inspiration Destination
MarkerPOP
Petal Lu
Sugar and Betty

     I hope your weekend is going well and that your weather is perfect.  Did you find time to craft at all?  You may still have time to find something relaxing and refreshing to do with the rest of your Sunday.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Winter Beauty

     A quick bit of background for this card:  I played in one of the games at Dragon's Lair FB page this past week and was one of the players who won a freebie image (of my choice.)   Dragon's Lair used to be Stamping with the Dragon and I have many of their darling dragon images.  But this time I fell in love with this glorious "Winter Beauty" digi the instant I saw her.

     I got her this morning and immediately started planning a hugely fancy or vintage card with the image done in lots of sparkle and shimmer and glimmer and embellishments all over.   Then I printed her and started coloring and suddenly I knew this had to be a totally one-layer, CAS card with the image done as simply as possible.

     I colored her with ProMarkers and used chalks to burnish the edges of the card front.  The sentiment just belonged at the top (though I usually put them at the bottom of single layer cards) and the only adornment is done with the three tiny pearls, added mainly so I could enter the challenge at Dragon's Lair, "Three of a kind."  I inked the edges of the card front so that there would be some sort of 'frame.'

     Challenges:
A Snowflakes Promise
Chalk n Stock
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Friends
Crafty Girls Creations
Cutie Pie
Dragonfly Journeys
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspiration Destination
Jo's Scrap Shack
Not Just Cards
Outlawz CAS
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Friday Coloring
Simon Says Stamp
Simply Papercraft
WordArt Weds.
   
     This is a second post today but I was just so excited about getting this beautiful image turned into another card for the Christmas stash that I couldn't wait to post it.  I may have another post for tomorrow if I get the card pieces lying on my desk finished.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Magical Dragon Day

     Is it OK if I start this post by saying that I LOVE THIS CARD! ?

     This is one of those that just came together after I made my list of more than a dozen challenges I wanted to enter (not counting A/G challenges.)  The list included themes like fancy folds, vintage, pockets, die cuts, lace, layers, flowers, sentiments, animals... you get the idea.  Most of the time, when my list of challenge themes is that long, the card is finished long before I get all the challenges included and I end up eliminating some of them.  Not this time!  I used them all and I think they really worked.

      The card is made from a piece 12 x 5.5 inches, cut on angles from the top to the outer corners, then folded to make the front flaps cross.  The bottom is sealed to make a pocket and the image piece slips into the pocket.  Here's a close-up of the image piece.

     I wish I knew what I did differently in photographing this time so that my purples stayed purple.  Well, come to think of it, I used red violets and now they look purple and lavender.  :-D  Maybe that's the secret -- use red-violet instead of purple to get purple in the photographs.  When I use purples, they turn blue in the photographs.

     I've used this image at least twice in the two years I've had it but this time I colored the dragons ("Dragon Babies" from AuroraWings) with ProMarkers, adding glitter to their wings before I cut them with one of my new Pinpoint Rectangle dies from Memory Box (Scrapy Land purchase.)  The mat is also cut with another die from that set.  All the papers are from Stampin' Up (old and from my stash) and I think the lace came from one of my local craft stores, but it's been in my stash for so long that I really can't remember.  

     The gem swirl has been in my stash for well over a year and the butterfly was cut with a die from Cheery Lynn.  I had cut that as an extra several months ago and put it into a drawer full of die cut bits and pieces.  It worked perfectly on this card, so I dug it out, colored the body, and added glitter to the wings and body.  The small flowers are punched (Fiskars punch), colored, layered, and added on top of the lace.  The sentiment is printed, hand cut, and edged with a marker.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Vintage Journey
ArtbyMiran
AuroraWings
Cheery Lynn
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Clear It Out
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Card Crew
Creative Moments
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Love to Scrap
Lunagirl Moonbeam
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Paper Nest Dolls
Paper Shelter
Passion for ProMarkers
Scrapy Land
Stamp and Create
Vintage Stamping

     I hope your weekend has started well and that you have lots of crafty plans for the weekend.  The weather predictors say that we're going to "cool down" to the upper 90s (is that some kind of a joke?)  I guess that's better than the 101 and 102 we've had for the last 4 days, but I'd love it even more if the cool down was going to be into the low 80s with a chance of a shower.  :-D  Maybe next month.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cowboys

     I don't pretend to know anything about cowboys but my dad did hail from Montana, my SIL is from Texas, and three of my grandkids were born in Texas.  I live in the cow-filled Central Valley of California and I've been known to date a cowboy or two in my time.  However, since most cowboys are the strong, silent type, I still don't know anything about cowboys except that in the Old West movies, they were good at moving cows around.  lol

     We are focusing on "Cowboys" in our new challenge at QKR Stampede and there are some really fun cowboy or cowboy-related images over there.  Check some of them out by visiting the QKR Challenge blog and see what the DT ladies have put together.  I've used a digi called "Whistling Cowboy" (digi 16010) and a sentiment called "Moove Me" (digi 15518.)

     I colored this whimsical cowboy with my ProMarkers and added a bit of color to the printed sentiment.  I used one of my old (but sadly, somewhat forgotten) die sets from Spellbinders to cut and mat the image and the sentiment.  I also used some jute cord in both black and white, then added the three metal brads in the bottom corner.  Very CAS, which seemed appropriate for a 'silent type' cowboy.  :-D

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More

Colour Your World

Come and Get It

Crafty Boots

Crafty Cardmakers

Get Creative

Lacy Sunshine

Not Just Cards

Robyn's Fetish

Through the Craft Room Door

     That's it for me today.  Come play with us this week, won't you?  We'd love to see what you do with our "Cowboys" theme.  Be sure to check out all the DT inspiration over at QKR Stampede.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Drop to Drink...

     Out here on the West Coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, most of you know we've had a 4-year drought and are suffering the effects of raging wildfires, though about 25% of those are now out or under control.  Still, we are hoping for an El Nino fall and winter which will bring water to the parched land.

     So, what does all that have to do with today's card?  This is what most of us out here feel like, waiting for one little drop of water, for the opportunity to quench our thirsts.  LOL  On the other hand, that one drop is a huge mouthful of water for that tiny mouse so maybe it's all how you view it.   In any case, how could I resist an adorable little mousie like this one?  I think this is Monica (from House Mouse) but they do tend to all look alike so who really knows?

I was inspired by the colors in the 

inspiration photo at Sketchy Colors.

Unfortunately, all my lilac/purple tones turned blue in the photograph.

     House Mouse image colored with ProMarkers and chalk markers, papers from Stampin' Up, and ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafts 4 Eternity
Crafty Boots
Crafty Catz
Cutie Pie
Gruffies & Guests
House Mouse
One Stitch at a Time
Paper Nest Dolls
Path of Positivity
Robyn's Fetish
Sister Act
Sweet Stampin'

     I don't know if I'll have anything else before Friday but do check back then for my QKR Stampede DT card.  New challenge and new theme which you should enjoy.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cow and Kitty -- True Friends

     I have started collecting images from a new artist -- well, new to me at least.   A Teamie friend of mine was kind enough to add me as a member of the FB page for MHK Designs and that started my love affair with these new digis.  I went on a shopping spree after Mynn's newest release and this is the first time I've been able to use one of them.  It's called "Animal Friends" and it's the main image in the "Friendship" set.  The sentiment is from the "Beauty" set.

I took my inspiration for the colors from the

Outlawz Coloring Challenge 

and I think both the image and the colors 

reflect a perfect, late-summer, lazy day.  :-D

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a rectangle die from Spellbinders.  I matted that with dark brown CS and added brown ribbon at the top.  The bow I hand-tied using my bow maker and that ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I kept it pretty CAS because this card is going to the father of a friend who asked for a card that had animals on it.  They live on a farm and have a whole passel of farm cats in the barnyard.

     Challenges:
ArtbyMiran
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Digi Choosday
Di's Digi Designs
I {heart} ProMarkers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Just Add Ink
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
My Sheri Crafts
One Stitch at a Time
Sassy Studio Designs
Scrapper's Delights
WordArt Weds.

     Thanks, Asha, for introducing me to Mynn's beautiful work.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Big Apple

     Just in case the post title made you think you'd see something from or about New York -- nope, we're talking real apples, the kind a kid takes to his teacher.  At Pile It On this fortnight, our challenge theme is "Animals Dressed Up" and our fabulous sponsor is QKR Stampede, where you'll find dozens of cute images of animals in human clothing.  I happen to adore QKR images, and they have both rubber stamps and digis.  This one is a digi called, appropriately enough, "Big Apple."  Go find a "dressed up animal" image and then come play in our challenge.

   
     My daughter actually requested a card that would go along with a gift basket of classroom supplies she's donating to my youngest grandson's school.   I did a super CAS, single-layer design, and the image is hand-colored with ProMarkers.  The only embellishment is the little red bow.

     Challenges:
Animal Friends
Crafty Creations
Crafty Friends
Creative Craft Cottage
Digistamps 4 Joy
House That Stamps Built
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspiration Destination
Little Miss Muffet
Melonheadz Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Paper Shelter
Petal Lu
{Pin}spirational
Simon Says Stamp
Sisters of Craft
Through the Craft Room Door

     Is everyone in your family already back  to school?  Or does your school district start after Labor Day?   When I was a kid, we always started on either the Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day Monday, which seemed to mark the 'official' end-of-summer, at least for the kids.   Of course, we didn't get out of school until the end of the second week in June.  My grandkids all start in mid-August now, and get out sometime in May -- always before Memorial Day, in any case.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this time.  Just get your animals dressed up and come play.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Rockin' G'Maw

     I'm so tickled about the image I used for the new challenge at QKR Stampede this week.  Our theme is "Use Die Cuts."   Both my image (Digi 17202 Rocking and Reading) and my sentiment (Digi 22902 Birthday Candles) are from QKR Stampede.

I loved the inspiration photo at Shabby Tea Room.

     I'm convinced that lady in the rocking chair is a retired, first-grade teacher -- can't you just hear her reading aloud to a classroom of 6 year olds?  lol  Or maybe I just see in her my mother, a grammar school teacher for 37 years before her retirement.  In any case, I'm going to send it to another retired school teacher for her birthday, hence the fun, birthday-related sentiment.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, and cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  The sentiment is printed, hand cut and inked on the edges.  The ribbon has been in my fall stash for more seasons than I care to admit and the pearls just called out to be used here.  I added a little twist to my otherwise predictable designing by finding and using that little wooden leaf for another touch of fall and maybe more thoughts of returning to school.  I used a ProMarker to color the leaf.

     Challenges:
Craft-Dee Bows
Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Sentiments
Die Cuttin' Divas
Melonheadz Friends
Not Just Cards
Outlawz GC
Paper Minutes
Papertake Weekly
Simon Says Stamp
Stamp and Create
Through the Craft Room Door
Vintage Stamping/Flonz

     I hope you'll come and play along this week.  Dig out those dies, make a few cuts, and put something together that you'll want to enter into our fun challenge.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Happy Pelican

     Pelicans and the shore just go together for me, and they always remind me of beach vacations.   You may have already noticed that this is the second pelican image I've used this week.  :-D

     We have a new challenge starting today at QKR Stampede and our theme is "Day at the Beach."
I used this image and this sentiment from QKR: Digi 18511 "Happy Pelican" and Digi 15103 "Ruffle Feathers".

     The image is colored with my ProMarkers, then die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  Another larger die from that same set was used to cut the mat piece.  I used the smallest die from that set to cut the sentiment but I had to adjust it, cutting the top first and then sliding the die up to cut the bottom because it was larger than I wanted.  I used the same blue CS (but hand cut it) to mat the sentiment.  The small blue bow was hand tied.  Everything went onto brown CS embossed with my "Linen" folder and then onto the card front.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Colour Your World
Crafter's Cafe
Crafty Boots
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
House that Stamps Built
Incy Wincy Designs
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Male Room
Passion for ProMarkers
Ribbon Girl
Robyn's Fetish
Scrapy Land
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     Come play with us this week won't you?  Just show us something that you'd find on a "Day at the Beach" and enter it into our challenge.  Remember, you don't have to use QKR images to enter but if you do, your card will be put into a separate drawing just for QKR Stampede users and that increases your chances of winning significantly.  See you there.  Happy Stamping  NanaConnie

It's a Beaver Christmas

     OK, ok, I know the whole "Christmas in July" thing is over now that it's August but since our challenge theme at QKR Stampede this week is "Anything Goes," and since I adore this image, it just seemed a good day to add one more Christmas card to my stash.  I used both an image (Digi 9802 "Fresh Cut Tree") and a sentiment (Digi 8717 "Merry Christmas") from QKR Stampede on this card.

     I knew I wanted an absolutely CAS card this time so I printed both the sentiment and the image onto what would become the card front, then cut the card to size (5.5 x 5.5), and colored it with my ProMarkers.  That was it -- no embellishment of any kind; no ribbon, no bows, no washi tape, no brads or bling.  And you know what?  I love it!  I think this is the first time I've done a single layer with absolutely NO embellishment of any kind.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Animal Friends
Colour Your World
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Glitter n Sparkle
Great Impressions
Karleigh Sue
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Not Just Cards
Outlawz CAS
Sparkles Forum Christmas
Sister Act
Sisters of Craft

     Not posting every single day is kind of fun.  :-D  Other than pre-scheduled DT cards, I'll see you when I'm back and into my old routine.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Hawaii Mouse

     Look what I did last night!  Too many "vacation" days without crafting and I begin to twitch.  :-D  I used this darling little traveling mouse from Rick St. Dennis.  It's the image we got for playing in Part 1 of the Progressive Challenge over there last month.  This is Part 2, using the image.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and then hand cut it for that out-of-the-box look.  The really fun part is that all the papers, including the black CS for the matting, were scrap pieces.  Even the two ribbons were scraps.  That's what I had with me so...  Because I had those scraps, I had decided on a pink color palette for the image but then discovered I only had yellow and blue card bases and everything looked better on the yellow than the blue.  The image is popped up on dimensional dots.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Animal Friends
Clear It Out
Country View Crafts
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Boots
Creative Craft Cottage
Deep Ocean
DL.ART
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Outlawz Coloring
Ribbon Girl
Stamp and Create
Tinker-Dream
Whoopsi Daisy

     OK, I'm gone again (until Friday with DT posts for Pattie's Creations and QKR Stampede.)  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie