Shoot for the Moon

     Another Friday and another Anything Goes challenge at QKR Stampede.  As always, we also offer you an optional twist on the theme if you want to use it and this week the twist is "Up, up and Away."  I chose this cute QKR image called "Star Catcher" and a QKR sentiment called "Shoot for the Moon."

     I colored with ProMarkers (astronaut) and chalks (sky and stars), then cut the image with a stitched rectangle die by Die-namics.  The frame is cut from dark blue CS with another stitched die from that same set.

     I used a kraft card base and a scrap of dp which has text on it but the text is very hard to see.  I added glittery twine and a sparkly gold star to which I added a blue gemstone star.  I thought that amount of sparkle was OK on an otherwise cute but sort of masculine card.  Or maybe it's just that it's so CAS.

     FYI, this is the 'blue card' I promised as a way to make up for the green one I did when I had in mind my blogging buddy, Lynn.  I knew when I did that other card that blue is her favorite color but that card just needed to be green.   This one works with blue, obviously.  :-D

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Chalk n Stock
Crafting From the Heart
Cutie Pie
Die Cuttin' Divas
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Ribbon Girl
Through the Craft Room Door
Time Out
Tuesday Throwdown

     Tomorrow is the first of the month and I'll have three posts for you!  They are all DT creations so please stop by to see each one.  You won't want to miss any of those challenges including the new one for celebrating "Critters."  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Going Home

     One more Mother's Day card, this time with a whole scene and lots of texture.  :-D  I adore images from Di's Digi Designs and have been slowly collecting them.  This is yet another image from them and I'm entering the card in their challenge.  Isn't that just the sweetest bear?  I love all his little forest friends, too.

I took most of the colors from Catch the Bug's color challenge.

 
     I colored the image with my ProMarkers, and cut it with a stitched die from Memory Box.  I do love my ProMarkers, and for all of my practicing with pencils, chalks, and other media, I love the way alcohol markers flow and blend.  They just do that better than anything else I've found.

     The sentiment was also cut with a smaller die from that same set, as was the cloud.  I die cut several tiny mice in two different colors, cutting them from heavy CS, which added to the texture on the card.  I used two different ribbons which I found in my stash, one deep Navy blue and one polka dot for the bow.  Again, more texture!  The tiny butterfly was saved in my stash and, off the top of my head, I don't remember who made that die but I think it's from Presscut.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
Crafting When We Can
Cut It Up
Glitter n Sparkle
Outlawz Festive Friday
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Southern Girls

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cute (?) Easter Chick

     I have such fun playing along in the Progressive Challenges at Limited Runs (their Facebook page) and the most recent image from there has me smiling from ear to ear.  I decided that it should be used on an Easter card.  What do you think?

     I colored the silly emu, named Elmo, and his background with ProMarkers then used a die from Cheery Lynn to cut both the image and the frame.  I mounted them onto a green card base and added the sentiment.

     I knew I wanted this card to be CAS so the only embellishment I added was the little black bow.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Addicted to Stamps
Angie's Digital Stamps
Come and Get It
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz CAS
Polkadoodles
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     We've reached the half-way point in our week and it's all downhill now to the weekend.  Hooray!  I don't know if you have plans for the weekend but I have a long list of spring things to do and not one of them includes cleaning in any form!  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Corner Full of Roses

     I'm going to start by telling you that I LOVE THIS CARD!!  You know how every once in a while you create something and the more you look at it, the more it grows on you?  Well, this is one of those.  It wasn't what I had in mind when I started coloring the image, but it evolved into something I consider nearly perfect.  :-D

     We're starting a new challenge today at Ike's World and, as always, our theme is Anything Goes but we offer an optional twist if you want to use it: 'In the Garden.'  I chose Ike's gorgeous "Rose Corner" image and my favorite color, purple.  If you look at the image in the store, you'll see that Ike designed it to go in the top corner but it works just as well in a bottom corner.

     I colored it with ProMarkers, using chalk markers on the leaves, and cut it with a large square die from Spellbinders.  I wrapped the top half of the square with wide, lace ribbon and added two layers of both sheer and very narrow, polka dot ribbon, tying a triple bow with the narrow ribbon.

     I bordered the square on two sides with mulberry paper and layered that entire piece onto a background made from white CS and a triangle of scrap dp.  I hand-stamped the sentiment.  At first, I wasn't sure it was 'finished' but I set it aside to look at it again the next day and, at that point, it definitely looked finished.  I looked at it again a few days later and realized that I liked it even more than I had the day I made it.  Taking it out again today to write up this post, I find that it pleases me as much as any card I've made in the last 7 years and that's saying something!

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Chalk n Stock
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Creative Ladybirds
Kreativeinkauf
Morgan's Artworld
Not Just Cards
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Worldwide DT Open

     I hope you're going to come and play with us in this challenge.  It's open until April 2 so you have plenty of time.  You can use any image from any company but we'd love it if you chose to use one of Ike's Art images.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Unicorn Moon

     The spring equinox is always special, bringing a subtle change from the dark days of winter but even more magical is the first full moon of spring.  I always knew it was a time of fantastical creatures and now we have proof!  :-D

     The unicorn image is from Dragon's Lair Designs and, once again, I colored with polychromos pencils.  If I keep practicing with them, I might actually get good.  I did add a few glittery stars to the sky with a sparkle gel pen but they just don't show in the photo.  After coloring, I cut the image with a plain square die (QuicKutz) and mounted it in the center of a larger blue CS square, which I put on the front of the card base.

     All the leaves were cut from scrap CS with a die from Cheery Lynn and they are embossed, giving the card some great texture.  The orchid flowers were in my stash.  I have no idea how long I've had them but I don't think I've ever used them so it definitely was time.  They, too, added texture.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy Craft
Come and Get It
Di's Digi Designs
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Polkadoodles
Take It, Make It

     That's all for me today.  Have a wonderful Monday and may your week be filled with creative pursuits.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Hatched Just in Time

     I've been working on Easter cards since it does arrive in  April this year and I want to make sure I have enough done to get them in the mail on time.  Here's another one for today's post, using a stamp from Angie's Digital Stamps.  Doesn't he look like he hatched out just in time to be an Easter chick?

I used the sketch from Crafter's Cafe.

     The image is colored with a combination of polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, and I cut it with stitched circle dies from Die-namics.  The dp for the background strips all came from scraps and I matted them with dark green CS.

     The flowers are some of those I made up a few weeks ago by pulling up a running stitch I had sewn through one side of sheer ribbon.  There are beaded pearls in the centers. I also added three pearls beside the sentiment piece.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Color Sisters (center column)
Crafting When We Can
House of Cards
Path of Positivity
Pixie's Snippets
Ribbon Girl
Stamping Sensations

     I hope your weekend so far has been filled with good weather and creativity, and that you find plenty of time to rest and recharge.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Butterfly Spring

     Grab a cuppa, this is a long read today but I do want to share it all.  :-D   I have to brag on both my granddaughters today!  A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you about my younger granddaughter's Competitive Cheer team taking First Place in their division and her gym program taking overall Grand Champions at the competition held that weekend in our state capital, Sacramento.  This week, her team received an unexpected invitation to "The Summit," for the national Cheer championships held in Orlando, Florida, the first weekend in May!

     As it turns out, each team from her gym which competed throughout the season has now received an invitation to one level or another at the national championships.  Some of those invitations are fully pre-paid and others are just the invitation to compete.  My granddaughter is on a team which must pay their own way so we're now scrambling around, doing fund raising since that trip will cost about $3,000 for each child (with their chaperone) on the team.  Yikes!   Makes me wish we lived in Florida instead of California.  Or at least had more time to raise the funds.  We have barely three weeks before everything has to be paid.

     But she has worked so hard this year, keeping up with the team's choreography and practices despite an injury which sidelined her for almost all of the fall schedule, and despite facing changes in the entire coaching staff at her gym, and losing several team members who had been with the program for the previous 3 to 5 years.  Everyone expected this to be a "building" year for all the teams so their high scoring so consistently that it led to getting invitations to the national competitions is really incredible!   Somehow, we have to find a way to send her to Florida!  She's gone above and beyond everything asked of her and her academics have stayed above a B+ throughout the year.  She's a freshman in high school so there was also the adjustment to new school, new teachers, new curriculum, and all the other things which go with turning 15.  :-D

     If you're interested in reading more about her goals, you can find a letter she's written on her "Go Fund Me" site.  Here's a link: https://www.gofundme.com/summit-2017-rebeccas-wish

     Now, as for the older granddaughter, she's the one who spends time coloring with me and she's truly an artist in her own right.  She's a senior in high school and will be graduating in May.  She's already focused on college and a career working with Special Needs kids.  She's so caring, so gentle, and has an inner strength that always amazes me!   For several years, she has saved every card I've made for any of her family members, treating them as though they are some kind of golden treasure.  :-D

     Last week, I posted a card with an image she and I had colored together.  I was pretty impressed with what she did because it was really the first time she had worked with colored pencils.  Today, I've made a card with an image from Ching-Chou Kuik which she colored entirely by herself.   See what I mean about her being an artist?  She's fantastic!

     I took her colored image, cut it with a Gina Marie die, and mounted it onto a pink card base.  I added sheer polka dot ribbon and bow.  The sentiment is computer printed and hand-cut, then matted.  The butterfly is double layered (dies from Presscut) and adhered as a complement to the butterflies in the image.

     The die cut frame is so elegant and lovely that I let it be the primary embellishment, minimizing the other things to some degree.

      Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
A Perfect Time to Craft
Card Mania
Ching-Chou Kwik 
Craft-Dee BowZ 
Creative Ladybirds
Cute Card Thursday
Dies R Us
Do-All Creatives
World Wide Open DT

     Thanks for bearing with me during that long read but you know how 'proud Nanas' can get!  I'd love it if you'd pass along the info about my granddaughter trying to get to Florida.  Every little bit helps and I will be heart broken if we can't raise enough for her to go.  She's worked so hard and she deserves it.  The entire team deserves it. :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Armadillo Spring

     I have to dedicate this card to my dear blogger buddy, Lynn, who lives in Texas.  I know the card isn't done in blues, her favorite color, but maybe she'll forgive me for that part if I do another card later in all blues just for her.  :-D

     Since this is Friday, you must be looking at my DT card for our latest challenge at QKR Stampede.  Of course, our theme is always "Anything Goes" but each week we have an optional twist that you can use if you choose.  This week the twist is "Spring" so I thought of baby animals.  Not the normal bunnies, chicks, & lambs that show up on all our Spring and Easter cards.  Oh, no -- I had to choose baby and mama Texas armadillos!  lol

     I combined two QKR images - "Armadillo" & "Baby Armadillo" - but I reversed the Baby Armadillo image so that they would be looking at each other.

     I used ProMarkers to color the images, then die cut them with a Sue Wilson die.  Can you believe that everything on this card was made with items which were in my scrap basket (with the exception of the big bow)?  

      Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Come and Get It
Crafty Calendar
Creative Fingers
Glitter n Sparkle
Fussy and Fancy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Ribbon Girl
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     That's all I have for today.  I'd love to see you playing along at QKR this week.,  Remember, you can use any image from any company but if you happen to use an image from QKR Stampede or it's sister company, Eureka Stamps, your entry will be put into a separate draw just for those cards and that increases your chances of winning by a huge percentage!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Way to Go, Graduate!

     I'm having to do several graduation cards this year.  There's a group of ladies at a nearby Senior Center (where I donate many of my cards) who have asked about graduation cards for their grandkids and even twin nephews in one case.  I've been trying to find out what the school colors are for each of our middle and high schools in my town but so far, I only know the colors for one school.

I took my sketch from the challenge at I {heart} Sketches

and the image also belongs to From the Heart Stamps.

     I had forgotten how much I love red and yellow as a color combo on cards but this is definitely a favorite of mine.  I colored this image with ProMarkers and a gold paint pen.  I cut the image and the red mat with my newest die set from Gina Marie.  The polka dot triangle was cut with another Gina Marie die, then trimmed to fit the card corner.

     I added one tiny, red, bow and left it rather CAS.  I don't know if this card is going to a girl or a boy so I wanted it to be appropriate for either one.

     Challenges:
Colour Crazy Craft
Crafting from the Heart
Cutie Pie
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Pattie's Creations
Scrapper's Delights
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Simon Says Stamp

     That's all I have for today but I'll be back tomorrow with another DT card for QKR Stampede so be sure to stop by.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Flower Boot

     I'm a huge fan of Bugaboo Stamps and I can't even tell you how many I have in my collection but it has to be in the high hundreds.  This is one I've never used before making this card but it seems so clearly an image for spring.  Despite being sick, I'm so glad it's spring!  I know my allergies will kick in soon but I'm not going to let even that get me down.

    I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with a die from Cheery Lynn.  The background "Chicken Wire" die is also by Cheery Lynn.  Both of the papers came from SU and the bow is one of the bowties I learned to make as few months ago.

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Catch the Bug (3rd column)
Colour Crazy Craft
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Inky Chicks
Inspiration Destination
Outlawz Festive Friday
Time Out

     This week is flying by, or maybe it's just that I'm lacking sleep and have no real sense of time.  I know I've only been able to sleep in 2 or 3 hours blocks and then wake up because my head is so congested, I can't breathe.   I'll be glad when the cold progresses into the chest and I can breathe through my nose again.  :-D   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Flower Ant

     I don't normally like finding ants in my spring garden but this one is just too cute to dislike.  :-D  The image is from Sasayaki Glitter and it's the freebie for their latest Progressive challenge on their Facebook page.

I started by using the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2,

although I took a bit of liberty with the shapes.

     The image is hand colored with ProMarkers and I played around with my newest set of border dies from Spellbinders.  I love the amazing shapes I got and the delicate embossing that was possible on each piece.  I layered all the pieces onto a kraft card base (which is actually recycled from a cracker box insert!) after I added the ribbon.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut, and I added a tiny gem to each of the four corners.  Complex looking but very simple in design.

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

Aussie Digital Artists

Brown Sugar

DL.ART

Inky Chicks

Sugar Pea Designs

Unicorn

Word Art Weds.

     Here we are on the second day of Spring and I'm suffering all the symptoms of a severe winter cold.  Stuffy sinuses, runny nose, cough, chest congestion ...Yuck!  Colds shouldn't be allowed during spring or summer.  I think I'll talk to someone about passing a law!  Who's with me?  We'll get a petition going.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Freesia for Mother's Day

     It's March 20th and our Facebook challenges for Sheepski Designs always begin on the 20th of each month.   Our theme is Anything Goes but, for me, this seemed like a good time to get to work on some Mother's Day cards.  This gorgeous "Freesia" image seemed perfect for a mom.

   
    I used a combination of things to color the image this time.  Chalks on the flowers, watercolor pencils on the vase, water and stems, and finally, ProMarkers to add the shadow effect on the right side.  I used a set of stitched dies from CUTplorations to cut the image and both matting layers.  

     I added ribbon to the darker pink mat, then layered it onto the base layer and put the image on top before adding the hand tied bow.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, and then left it alone.  I wanted the image to have center stage and chose not to cover it with embellishments other than the sheer bow.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Come and Get It
Crafty Calendar
Dragonfly Dreams
Glitter n Sparkle
Great Impressions
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Ribbon Girl
Sweet Stampin'

     I hope we're going to see you playing in our Facebook challenge this month and don't forget that Andrea is starting up a new blog challenge on April 1.  You can find that challenge on this blog.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mermaid's World

     I had a fun couple of coloring days and the best part was sharing them with my eldest granddaughter.  She colored a couple of images which you'll see on cards later on and then, on this Mermaid from Fabrika Fantasy, I colored the background and she did the mermaid.  It seems our coloring styles are very much alike.  Other than knowing which of us did which part, I don't think I'd be able to tell any difference.  We were both using polychromos pencils.

In putting the card together, I used the sketch

from The Outlawz.

     Rather than using dies to cut the image, this time I did the old tried-and-true tearing on the image and again on the mat.   The wide strip is dp from K & Co. and the narrow strip at the top is ribbon from my stash.  The fish charm is actually a shank button with the shank removed.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Dragonflies
Digi Choosday
Fairy and Unicorn
House of Cards
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Nest Dolls
Through the Craft Room Door

     We're nearly half-way through the weekend (depending on when you started counting it as the 'weekend') and mine has been productive and busy.  Hope yours is going well.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Bouquet for Mom

     Greetings on a wonderful Saturday morning!  We've had such beautiful spring weather for the last week and it makes me think of flowers, gardens, butterflies...  It seemed like a good weekend to make bright sunshiny cards, including one for Mother's Day - a favorite holiday only now I celebrate them with my daughter, DIL and GDIL since my mom has been gone for many years.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image (from Di's Digi Designs) and a die from Amy Designs to frame the image.  This is only the second time I've used this relatively new die and I really love how it looks.  It's a bit hard to adhere but I used a glue pen and it went fairly quickly.

     The ribbon is from my stash and the bow is one of those I sew by the dozens and toss in my stash for future use.  Again, it was made with white, satin ribbon but I dyed it with a ProMarker.

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Inky Chicks
Inspiration Destination
Kraftin' Kimmie
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds

     I hope you have a fantastic weekend planned and that the weather is nice wherever you are.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

New Baby Congratulations

     I had so much fun making this card for the new challenge starting today at QKR Stampede.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme but we also toss in an optional twist if you want to use it.  This week, we're doing "Congratulations" and I decided that a card for a new baby would be perfect for that twist.  I used the QKR Stampede image "Ewe and Lamb."

     I think QKR stamps are my favorites of all the ones I love.  The artist put so much detail into them that it makes the shading and highlighting so easy.  Even if no shading is done, the coloring looks fantastic and makes me feel like a true artist.  :-D

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and then started using dies from a set by QuicKutz.  I cut the image, a light blue mat, and a dark blue mat.  After cutting all of those, I decided to make a shaped card by cutting white, folded CS for the base.

     The shape had so much texture and dimension that I thought it would be best to do minimal embellishment so I added one, simple, little bow with a pearl on it.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
As You Like It
Crafting with an Attitude
Dream Valley
Lil Parch of Crafty Friends
Morgan's ArtWorld
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Polkadoodles
Scrapper's Delights
Stamping Sensations

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Lucky Bird

     I think this will be my last St. Paddy's card, at least the last one which has to go in the mail.  The image is from the progressive challenge at From the Heart Stamps and it was just perfect for one last "Luck of the Irish" salutes.

I also used the sketch I found this week at I (heart) Sketches.

     I colored with my ProMarkers and cut with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn.  The green CS for the mat is also cut with a Lawn Fawn die.  The little dp flags were cut with a die from Spellbinders, and shortened on the back end as needed.  I printed the sentiment and used one of the Lawn Fawn dies to cut it, moving the die as needed to get the narrow flag shape, but the dovetail end was cut with scissors.

     The polka dot ribbon was in my stash and I used the last of it to tie the bow.  I love that particular shade of green and have already begun searching online stores to try to find more of it.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Colour Crazy Craft

Cut It Up

Outlawz Festive Friday

Outlawz Twisted Thurs.

Pattie's Creations

Polkadoodles

Take It, Make It

     Happy Stamping and I hope you'll return again tomorrow for the latest challenge at QKR Stampede.   NanaConnie

Topsy Turvy Cake for a Snake

     I'm playing along in another fun, progressive challenge, this time at Dragon's Lair.  I guess if you can have Snakes on a Plane, I suppose they must have birthdays to celebrate, too.  But how would they blow out the candles on their cakes?

I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch and

colors from House of Cards.

  

     I used  Koh-I-Noor pencils to color the image and discovered that they are significantly different from the ones I have been using so I'll have to practice more before I feel really comfortable with them but I do like the 'creaminess' of them.  It might also help if I wasn't using them on watercolor paper.

     The green stripes at the bottom were cut from scraps and the image just fit a plain square die from Spellbinders so I cut it with that die.  The ribbon is sparkly and was in my stash.  I punched the three flowers out of sparkle CS, put pearls in the centers, and then found the three golden pearls for the upper corner.  The silly sentiment about "Hiss Out the Candles" is my own, of course.

     Challenges:
Craftaholics
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Catz
Glitter n Sparkle
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Paper Nest Dolls
Simon Says Stamp

     That's it for today except to wish you Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

My Kind of Leprechaun

     We have a new challenge starting today over at Ike's World.  Our theme is our usual "Anything Goes" but our optional twist is "Over the Rainbow" under which we would include Wizard of Oz, music, rainbows, gold, luck.  

     Many of you already know that St. Patrick's Day is my birthday and that my family tree is Irish on both sides so, for me, nothing is luckier than a leprechaun and his pot of gold.  You may also know that each year I make St, Paddy's cards for all my grandkids to remind them of their Irish heritage.  However, this year I've made a card just for myself and this St.Pat's Hunk is my present to me.  A gal couldn't get any luckier than finding a leprechaun like him! :-D

     I used my Shin Han markers to color the image, then fussy cut the hat and added it to the image using dimensional dots.  I framed the image with a Sue Wilson die cut.  The green ribbon was in my stash and the pot of gold was cut with a die from QuicKutz.  I added one of my hand-sewn bows which I 'dyed' gold using a Shin Han marker.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Delicious Doodles
Glitter n Sparkle
MarkerPOP
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
Unicorn
Work It Weds

     Come play in our challenge this fortnight, won't you?  It's "Anything Goes" but if you want to do something using the optional twist, the interpretation is really pretty broad.  For more inspiration, go check out all the DT creations over on Ike's World main blog.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Columbine Sprite

     Well, since nothing was posted over the weekend if you guessed that I took a couple of days off and ran away from home, you'd be correct.   I went to my granddaughter's Cheer competition and watched her team take 1st place in their division (Junior Level 3) and, combined with all the teams from her gymnasium program, they took Grand Champions of the entire meet with a total combined score of 97.5 (out of 100) !! Am I excited for them, or what?

     Three of the teams from her gym have already gotten invitations to the World Championship competition and/or the Summit Championship competition (which will be in Orlando, FL) and her particular team will find out either late today or next weekend if they will also receive an invitation.  We're all on pins and needles.  :-D

     OK, I did manage to make a card very early this morning when I couldn't sleep because of all the excitement and I'll share it with you now.

     This sweet little image (Columbine Sprite) came from AuroraWings and I colored her with my polychromos pencils.  I cut her with a stitched, scalloped die from Die-namics, then framed her with two cuts using dies from QuicKutz.  Everything on this card came from scraps, including the piece of white CS on which the image is printed; it was a half-sheet left over from printing another image and I grabbed it, slid it into the printer and saved that from going into the trash.

     The sentiment was printed with a computer font, then die cut.  I added a bit of lace I found in my scrap box and called it finished.  I didn't want it overwhelmed with too much embellishment, although I'm perfectly capable of doing that.  :-D

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Colour Crazy Craft
Crafty Calendar
Creative Corner
Creative Moments
Dragonfly Dreams
Hiding in My Craft Room
Quick Quotes
Sisterhood of Crafters

     I'll be posting again tomorrow - no more skipping days - with my DT card for the latest challenge over at Ike's World.  Be sure to stop by and see what we have in store for you then.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

You're a Star !

     I do love Fridays because I get to play with images from QKR Stampede or Eureka Stamps (sister companies) for our weekly challenge at QKR.  Remember, we now have an "Anything Goes" theme every week but we throw in an optional twist if you want to use it.  This week the twist is "Thank You" cards.

     I chose an image I'd not used before, "Full Moon," and I added my own sentiments.

     I used a combo of ProMarkers and Copics to color this image (thinking about my blogging friend, Lynn, and how much she loves blue!), then used a Sue Wilson die to cut it.  I used other dies from that same set to cut the dark blue frame.  Unfortunately, that inlaid frame was the same size as the image piece so I used a new technique - I cut it lengthwise down the middle, spread it apart, and layered the image on top.

    I added the matted sentiment pieces and a small bow (dyed from white to that shade of blue with a ProMarker) and called it finished.  This is going to be used for a grammar school secretary on Secretary's Day next month.

     Challenges:
Classic DT Open
Colour Crazy Craft
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Dies R Us
Not Just Cards
Scrapper's Delights
Scrapy Land
Stempelsonnen
World Wide DT Open

     Remember, you can use any images you like in our challenges but if you use an image from QKR Stampede or Eureka Stamps, your entry will go into a separate draw for those image users only.  That increases your chances of winning by a huge amount and then you'll have more QKRs for future challenge entries.  It's a win-win all the way around !  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

One Egg in the Basket

     You've all heard the old adage about not putting all your eggs in one basket but this card shows what happens when there's only room for one egg in your basket!  :-D  The image is for the March Progressive Challenge image at Scrapper's Delights, another of the progressives I play regularly.

     This time I colored it in pastel shades with my Copics and then cut it with a die from Spellbinders.   I used a larger die from that same set to cut the bright pink mat.  The sparkly ribbon was the last bit in my stash.  The pink satin ribbon for the bow was recycled from an old child's dress.

     Everything was layered together and adhered to a deep purple rectangle, then added to a pre-made card blank.

     Challenges:
Colour Crazy Craft
Dream Valley
Fussy and Fancy
Moving Along with the Times
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Take It, Make It

     I'm getting close to being finished with my Easter cards for the grandkids but still have to make a few for friends to use.  Fortunately, I still have plenty of time.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

It's Your Day !

     This is a card which celebrates anything and everything, but mostly lets the recipient know that I'm thinking of them.  I suppose it could be used as a birthday card but is has so much more potential with the sentiment written that way!  :-D

I found the sketch over at Cheerful Sketches.

     I used a combo of ProMarkers and my polychromos pencils to color this fun image which happens to be the freebie from the Progressive challenge at Sasayaki Glitter.  I used stitched dies from Die-namics to cut all the pieces.

     The blue ribbon was in my stash and the bow is one of those I make by the dozens and toss in my stash for future use.  This one was white until I dyed it with a ProMarker.  I wanted this to be as CAS as possible, given the layered look of the sketch.

     Challenges:
Animal Friends
Aussie Digital Artists
CCC Digi
Crafter's Cafe
Crafty Awesomeness
Creative Sketchy Girls
Sasayaki Glitter Blog
Sasayaki Glitter Progressive
Tuesday Throwdown

     We're halfway through the week and the weekend will be here before you know it!  I'm thinking about running away this weekend -- taking some time away from the computer, away from blogging, away from crafting, away from the fur babies -- ooops, I may have to rethink that.  They both glared at me as soon as they read that last part.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

No Calories in Easter Chocolates

     If the subject line on this post grabs you as much as it does me, I am hoping there's truth in the sentiment on this Easter card.  :-D

The image, sentiment and sketch are all by

From the Heart Stamps

and I tried to use the colors as well.

     Colored with my ProMarkers and die cut with a die from Die-namics.  I cut a frame by using the same Die-namics die inside a die by Memory Box.  That's a new technique for me - layering dies from different sets and even different companies together to make frames for the image pieces.  I really like the results so I'm going to be doing a lot more of that.  :-D

     I added just ribbon and the small handmade bow for embellishment and and now I have another Easter card which will be easy to mail.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
A Perfect Time to Craft
Cards in Envy
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with an Attitude
Cute Card Thursday
Double D
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Word Art Weds.

     You get a 2 for 1 today so if you missed my first post, please scroll down to the next post to see it.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Always Irish

     When you have a St. Patrick's birthday, you're always Irish !  In my case, my heritage is Irish on both sides of my family tree so I'm the most Irish member of my American family.  :-D   I celebrate my birthday by making St. Pat's cards for all my grandkids.

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds.2

turned on its side.

     I colored the image (Bugaboo Stamps) with my ProMarkers, then fussy cut her.  I used dies from Spellbinders to cut the frame and mounted it, with the image, onto a pre-made card base.  I added ribbon from my stash and a lace bow and called it finished, a nice CAS design.

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Catch the Bug
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz CAS
Paper Girls
Scrapy Land
Sweet Stampin'

     Well, I have a full day ahead of me, including a second poast later this morning, so for now I'm going to thank you for stopping by and then wish you Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Magic of a Leprechaun

     The magic of Spring is right around the corner and, for those of us who are Irish (and a few who are Irish one day a year!), the month of March also makes us think of leprechauns, with a magic all their own.  This fun image is from Fabrika Fantasy and, with my Irish heritage, I just had to use this fantastic leprechaun on a card.

     This is going to be a really fast post and I'll pre-schedule it to go live while I'm sleeping.  Colored with ProMarkers, cut with a Memory Box stitched, scalloped-circle die, and mounted onto a ribbon background.

     The dark green ribbon is covered in glitter and sparkles beautifully  I used most of that ribbon for Christmas projects.  Both of the ribbons were just scrap pieces left in my ribbon box from other projects.  The striped ribbon was from a sewing project I did over a year ago.

     I added no embellishments at all so that it would remain very CAS and easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Come and Get It
Crafty Cardmakers
Inspiration Destination
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pixie's Snippets Playground
Ribbon Girl
Scrapy Land
Work It Wednesday

     OK, I'm heading to bed.  It's raining again and I can hear the wind blowing outside but it's snug and cozy under the covers so the fur babies and I are off to get warm.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Dragon Friend

     This darling little dragon from Sasayaki Glitter has been in my collection of images for many months without ever being used.  I decided it was time - in fact past time! - to get him colored up and onto a card.  Since Sasayaki Glitter wants us to "Use Purple" for their current challenge, he's decked out in his best purple and green for spring.  :-D

I started with the sketch from Outlawz.

     I colored him with my ProMarkers and cut him with a die from Spellbinders.  The butterflies are cut with dies from QuicKutz and I layered two different sizes to make a double layer butterfly.  The white butterfly bodies are made from the bits which dropped out of the Spellbinders' die.

     The ribbons were in my stash and are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I found the butterfly charm in my stash and it just seemed to be perfect for this card.

     Challenges:
Aussie Artists Open
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Gals Corner
Crazy Challenge
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Fairy and Unicorn
Tuesday Throwdown

     Happy Sunday and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie