Thin Enough

      I have a sweet granddaughter-in-law, mother to my first two great-grandchildren, and she's been working out at a gym regularly since the first of the year.  She's been amazingly dedicated and has not only toned up but has lost pounds and clothing sizes.  She says she can now fit into her high school cheer leader outfit!  I'm really proud of her and everything she's accomplished but when I dug through my stamps and found this Art Impressions image (and sentiment), I just had to use it to make her birthday card.  She and I share March as our birthday month but hers is about 10 days before mine, and this stamp is much more reflective of me than she!  lol

     I colored this with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a QuicKutz rectangle die.  I cut the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The background dp is from Recollections stack which my youngest granddaughter gave to me at Christmas.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Friendship

I Love ProMarkers

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Crafty-holics!

     This was such a quick card, due mostly to the Art Impressions image being made into a sticker for easy assembly of the card.  The card base is pink CS, the purple ribbon is from  Really Reasonable Ribbon, and the bow was hand-tied using a bow maker.

     I know these ladies are having the time of their lives!   It makes me miss my crafting group horribly and I can't wait until we can all get together again.  I remember when the lock down started and we cancelled the first meeting, then the second, and finally we were saying, "Well, we'll try for the first week next month" and that was nearly 6 months ago!  We're all feeling like we've been imprisoned and penalized just because we breathe.  :-(

     And to think this is what we did for fun on all the hottest days of summer when staying inside in the air conditioning was the thing we desired most.  There were times when we'd meet 3 days in a row just to share the cool air and friendship of crafting together.  

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Creative Knockouts

Double Trouble

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

     Find some fun in your life whether or not you need air conditioning today.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Quilt for Encouragement

     One of my dearest blogging friends is taking a break from card making and blogging while she does other things including making her first ever quilt!  I'm so excited for her and, remembering back to my "first quilt" days, I wanted to share a bit of encouragement and kindness with a dear friend.

     My first quilt was anything but perfect because I made the mistake of assuming that because I'd been sewing since my childhood days, I could certainly quilt!

     Little did I know how much I had to learn about exact measurements - not just in cutting but in seam allowances and layouts.  When the instructions say 3/8 inch seam, it means 3/8 inch exactly, without variation anywhere along it.  And you never, under ANY circumstances, decide on a quilt pattern that has curves for your first ever quilt!  lol  My first attempt was taken apart so many times, the pieces were worn out before it ever got fully put together.  I personally tossed it into the dust bin, disgusted but still determined to conquer the craft.  :-D

     Anyway, here's the card I sent her.  Her favorite color is blue, obviously.  The image is from Art Impressions.

Image is on vellum
Image mounted onto white CS
     & cut w/ Unbranded die
Quilt pieces cut w/ Gina Marie die
Faux stitching from each die
Twine from The Twinery

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Arty Divas
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Sentiments
Dare 2B Artzy
Dragonfly Dreams
Gem of a Challenge
Lil Patch of ...
Simon Says Stamp

     I hope Lynn shares her quilt on her blog.  There's a wonderful story that goes with it but it's not mine to tell.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ugly Sweater Time

     One thing we all know is that the holidays will come around no matter what so for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the cold months mean Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Ugly Sweaters!  lol  It's almost a national craze here in the USA and Art Impressions has helped us celebrate that craze with this fun and funny stamp!

Colored w ProMarker
Glitter added to the snowflakes on her sweater
Cut with QuicKutz die
Snowflake embellies are sparkly
Card base is shiny, pink CS

     Challenges:
All Fun
Cardz TV
Crafty Hazelnut's
Crafty Sentiments
Dragonfly Dreams
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty...
Outlawz Festive Fri

     Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Party with a Fire Permit

     This is the kind of party I want on my next birthday!  I've worked really hard to earn all those candles and I think the family should do whatever it takes to get the fire permit and then throw the biggest, wildest party anyone has ever seen.  lol  I'll probably be sleeping in the corner of the couch.

     This stamp is from Art Impressions and I think it's hysterically funny.  :-D

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Sizzix die
Polka Dot paper cut with QuicKutz die
Both papers from DCWV
Hand tied bow

     Challenges:
A Gem of a ...
Aud Sentiments
Allsorts
Coloring in Scrapland
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of ...

     Be sure to stop by in the morning when I'll have another DT card for the challenge reminder at Jan's Digi Stamps.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Home Concert

     We all know there's no place like home; songwriters have given us lyrics about it and poets have written sonnets saluting home.  But my piano-playing spinster sings out her version in concert with her fur & feather babies from the living room, even if they are all a bit off key!  :-D

     Art Impressions stamp.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and card cut with QuicKutz dies
Strip of dp from scrap basket
Pearls for embellishment

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Creations
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs
Get Creative (middle column)
Paperbabe Stamps
Penny's Paper-Crafty
SUYP Cats 
Tales from the Craftroom
Time Out (home)

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Latte Good Wishes

     What could be better than a morning latte with the girls?  Nothing, as this fun stamp from Art Impressions shows!

ProMarkers for coloring
QuicKutz dies for card shape and circle cuts
Art Impressions die for snowflake

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Color Crazy
Crafty Calendar
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs.
Di's Digi Designs
Dragonfly Dreams
Polkadoodles
Time Out

     I'll have a second post later today so be sure to check back.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mr. Froggy's Christmas Party

     This card is one of the ones I made over the weekend for a progressive challenge, this one on the Sasayaki Glitter FB page.  I've never thought about frogs celebrating but why not?  lol

     I used my ProMarkers to color the froggy and used a silver paint pen to color the present.  The image is cut with an Unbranded die - one of my favorite rectangles because of the rounded corners.  I added silver ribbon from my stash and a red bow, then used a set of snowflake dies from Art Impressions to cut the snowflakes.  They seemed so perfect with the snowflakes already in the ribbon.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Digi Choosday
Incy Wincy
Inspiration Destination
Kraftin' Kimmie
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     I've pre-scheduled my posts for this week and will be catching up on my commenting and blog visits over the weekend but I'm always happy to see your comments when I get home in the evenings.  If I'm lucky, I can get online during the lunch break and link up to the challenges I'm entering but when I can't get a connection, I have to wait until I'm back home in the evenings.  Hmmmm, this really doesn't feel like retirement!  Hope you're all doing well.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie