Back to School

      The three most dreaded words for any school kid who hasn't yet drained the last drops out of summer are "Back to School"!!    My youngest granddaughter claims to be ready for school instead of summer but then, she's in college and has spent her summer working to earn money to come home for a few days this month and again at Christmas break.

     I'm going to give her this card right before she heads back into classes.  It's my DT card for the August blog challenge starting today over at LeAnn's World 101.   The image is called "Bookworm" and you can find it in the store by clicking on the name.

     I colored the image with my Sanjoki markers, cut it and the frame behind it with QuicKutz dies.  I used 2 pieces of embossed CS to make the background and I used a Darice EF on the top piece with the diamond pattern, and a Sizzix EF for the leaves on the bottom.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut, then "framed" by inking the edges.  

     I used some fall ribbon from my stash to wrap the card front and to hand tie the bow.

I pulled colors from the challenge at My Favorite Things

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...?

Creative Inspiration

Double D

Outlawz Thurs

Penny's P-C

Thru...Purple Haze (center column)

Word Art Weds

     I hope we're going to see you playing in our Blog Challenge.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and it runs until the end of the month.  Don't forget that our Progressive Challenge has also restarted on our FB site and it goes live on the 5th of each month.  Go check out the post and you'll find all the rules in the August Progressive album.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Country School Girl

     Remember the good old days when we could send the kids off to school in the morning no matter what the weather and have a few hours to ourselves to get things done?  Here's a salute to real school, when the kids took their lunches and books and left home for the school room!  :-D

     The image is from Mo's Digital Pencil.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut w/ Spellbinders
Background paper is a scrap
Grosgrain ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Bow is 4-loop, made w/ bi-color, sheer ribbon
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Dies R Us
Double D
Double Trouble
I {heart} ProMarkers
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Funday
Paper Shelter
Tues Throwdown

     Thanks for your visit and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

GDT at Connie Can Crop

HAPPY LABOR DAY !     

     Good morning!   Today I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the Anything Goes challenge at Connie Can Crop - September challenge.  

     The sponsor for this challenge is Treasure Box and they have some really marvelous digital stamps, papers, and cutting files.  You can learn more about them and find a link to their website on the challenge post at Connie Can Crop.  

     I chose to use this darling little kitten from the "Pound Pals One" set of images.  They also have some cute little birds in some of their sets, but when it came to a choice between fur or feathers, I had to go with fur or my own feline fur babies would have been pouting.  Besides, it's easier to color fur than it is to get really good feathers.  :-D

     From the look on his face, I just knew that he was feeling alone and left behind when his human kids went back to school and didn't take him along and that generated the sentiment.

     This card took off in an unplanned direction while I was working on it.  Ever have that happen to you?  I got it all colored using my ProMarkers, cut it with a simple rectangle die (Spellbinders), and then saw a scad of bits and pieces which were on my desk, left over from a previous project.  Because the golden yellow seemed to fit right in with his calico colors, I added the die cuts (all Impression Obsession dies), framed out the printed sentiment, and added the corner triangle.  Voila'!  The card layout was done and all it needed was a bit of ribbon for a bow.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
As You Like It
City Crafter
Creative Moments
Cute Card Thurs.
Outlawz Festive Fridays
Paper Shelter
Polkadoodles
Star Stampz
Take It, Make It

Enjoy, and come play at Connie Can Crop this month, won't you?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Time for School

     Well, August is gone and September has arrived so that means another monthly challenge has started at Pattie's Creations.  Our theme is a salute to all those who are returning to another school term, "Back to School."  Personally, having taught college classes for many years, I think that theme includes teachers as well as students.  :-D

I based this on the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

     Both the Pocket Watch and the Bookworm are images from Pattie's Creations.  I thought combining them really emphasized the "Time for School" aspect of the card.  The watch is printed onto lavender paper and Mr. Bookworm is colored with ProMarkers and pencils.  I printed the sentiment onto a piece of scrap CS, then hand cut it and layered it on.   The rosette is made from two layers of punched flower petals (also from scraps) and bits of left over ribbon.

     I trust Pattie will forgive me for adding the rosette in the middle of her lovely pocket watch but the actual time shown on her image is 6:00 and that was just too early for the school day to begin so I covered the hour hand with the rosette and added another one at the 9.  :-D

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Artistic Inspirations
Clear It Out
Colour Your World
Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Get Creative
Inspiration Destination
Lacy Sunshine
Melonheadz Friends
Oddball Art Stamps
Sisterhood of Crafters

     Dig out your school related images and embellies and come play with us.  :-D  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

Back to School - Hookey !

     My youngest grandson starts school for the very first time this year and I was thinking of him when I did this card.  His dad is a great fisherman and I know that Wm would much rather be 'going fishing' than sitting in a class room.  So, for all the Back to School challenges I've entered this week, yes, I do consider this to be right in line with that theme.  :-D

I used the sketch I found over at MFP Speedy TV, sketch-with-a-twist, my first time playing there.  

     This week the twist is to use fabric and I used white felt for one of the die cuts that's folded (Spellbinders).  The other die cut (also folded) is paper from SU, as is the background dp.  Can you believe that it nearly killed me to dig that out of my hoard and cut into it?  Of course, you can!  You have things just like that, don't you?  Admit it!

     The stamp is from QKR Stampede -- ("End of Summer" challenge) and I think it's called "Gone Fishing."   When I finally got the QKR digis this morning, I was so excited!  I just thought this one was so adorable and perfect for that last minute fishing trip before summer ends (or for playing hookey -- lol).

     I used colors from the challenge at Just Add Ink.  I colored it with Copics this time, except the flashy bit of orange on the fishing bobber, which is florescent highlighter.   The twine is actually hemp cord.  I used a sparkly brad in the center of the folded die cuts for a bit of bling.  Again, I'm trying to get back to CAS but am finding it harder to leave off all the embellishments so a few find their way onto the cards.

     Challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge -- Summer Days
Clearly Inspired -- Circles
Copic Marker Europe -- A summer card
Crafty Catz -- Animals
Fussy and Fancy -- Orange, Lime, Citrus
Little Red Wagon -- Dog Days of Summer (use an animal)
My Sheri Crafts -- Back to School
One Stitch at a Time -- Back to School
Outlawz PAM -- Paper Folding
Penny's Paper-Crafty -- Back to School
Raise the Bar -- Back to School
Ribbon Carousel -- Celebration of Summer
Simon Says Stamp -- Animal Antics
Simply Create Too -- Back to School
Use It Tuesday -- All About School

     I think that's going to be it for the weekend, but you never know what might inspire another card.  I am going to do a bit more re-organizing in the craft room so I could find get hit with something that just has to be made.  :-D  Meantime, enjoy your visit and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie