Empty without You

     It's time for another new challenge over at FarmQuest and our theme is all about Mason Jars!  I found this image in my collection of digital images and I suspect it's an old Doodle Pantry image but I'm not totally sure about that.  Doodle Pantry closed a few years back so there's no way for me to pop over to their store and check it out.  

     I colored the jar with ProMarkers and metallic gel pens, then fussy cut it with scissors.  I printed the sentiment, fussy cut it, and added it to the tag (which is part of the image.)  I mounted those onto a deep blue card base.  The tiny hearts were cut with Memory Box dies and added to give it a touch of love since this is Valentine's Day!  :-D

     Challenges:

CRAFT-alnica

Crafty Gals Corner

Crafty Friends

Cupcake Inspiration

Get Creative

Incy Wincy

Outlawz Friday

Outside the Box (Memory Box heart dies)

Paper Shelter

There's a Stamp ...

     I hope you'll come and play with us at FarmQuest.  The challenge runs until the 28th of February so you have a full two weeks to enter something which fits the Mason Jar theme.  

    

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gift Card Holders for Christmas

     Last week when I was doing cards for the Christmas in July challenges, I made a money folder specifically for cash but it could have been used for gift cards as well.  However, it was longer than needed for a gift card so I rimmed the height and made these. 

     It seems every holiday season (well, all year round, actually) my family members and several of my friends come to me asking for gift card holders.  I guess we use a lot of them.  So, this year, I'm trying to get ahead of the game and get a couple dozen made up before the first request comes in.  :-D

     To make these, I start with card stock which is 4.5" high x 8" long and I score along the length of it at 1", at 4", and at 7", then fold on the 1" and 7" score lines, using double sided tape to close those folded ends so that they won't flip open.  On one side is where the gift card goes and on the other there is room for a short note or for "To:/From:" tag.

     Here's what they look like when the gift cards are safely tucked inside and they are folded up and tied with the ribbon which runs under the image and wraps around the back to tie on the right hand side.

Images are pre-colored or colored w/ ProMarkers
Images from Bugaboo Stamps & Doodle Pantry
Die cut images = QuicKutz
Die cut sentiments = Die-Versions & A I

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Christmas w Cuties
Crafty Hazelnut's
Die Cut Divas
Dream Valley
Outlawz Festive Fri
SheepSki Designs
Star Stampz
Winter Wonderland

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 6 at Beccy's 30 Days of Christmas - BINGO Board

     This is the first of the 'thrown curves' from Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and instead of using an alphabet prompt, today she has designed a wonderful Bingo board! 

      I've used both the top row, the center column, and the diagonal from bottom left to top right.

     This cute Beccy's Place image is Finn's Bells and I think he's darling!  This is one of those times when I started with a pre-colored image, then used my ProMarkers to change some of the colors and to add shadows and emphasis to others.  The sentiment is also from this set.

I based this on the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches, reversed.

Coloring with ProMarkers
Image cut with Sue Wilson die
Ring of bells was fussy cut
Ribbon is a scrap
Striped dp - digi from Doodle Pantry (closed)
Silver sparkle paper from DCWV "Twinkle Glints" stack
Bow hand-tied from strip of tulle

     Challenges:
Christmas Kickstart
House that Stamps Built
Passion for ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown
   
     Happy Crafting to all of you.  NanaConnie

Easter Morning

     Another card for Easter, this time using an old image from Clear Dollar Stamps (now closed) back when they were handling Doodle Pantry images.  I was on  the Doodle Pantry DT for a couple of years and I really miss them.  It's sad that they are also closed now.  :-(

I was inspired by the colors at The Outlawz.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image and the background dp, which is part of the set.  I cut both the image and the sentiment with pinpoint dies from Memory Box.  The flourish is a corner die cut (Spellbinders) and the bow is made from wrapped twine.

     On this card, I did several layers and also use Pop Dots for the image and the sentiment.  I do multiple layers because I like having dimension and texture on a card.

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments (dp/stamp/fav color)
Butterfly Challenge (burgundy and bow)
Crafty Creations
House that Stamps Built
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp

     The weekend is flying by and those two days each week are when I do the majority of my crafting these days.  I may have an additional post for you this afternoon but if I don't get the project done, I'll post it tomorrow or Tuesday.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"Impossible" Fold for a Witch's Stew

     Beccy, from Beccy's Place, has done a couple of fancy fold tutorials this month and I'd never made either kind of card before so I tried them.  The Dutch Door fold I posted a week or so ago and now this one, an "Impossible Card," for today.  I followed her Tutorial exactly and discovered that despite the "Impossible" name, it's really quite simple to make. 

     The image is - make that WAS available as a digi through Sparkle n Sprinkle, and may still be available as a rubber stamp but I haven't checked that.  In any case, I'm using it for their challenge.

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image piece with a square die from Spellbinders.  I inked the edges and mounted it onto the middle flap.  The sentiment is part of the image set and I printed, cut, inked, and mounted it onto a scrap piece of embossed, beige CS.

     That beige piece (and the one like it at the back of the card) was layered onto a scrap of the main dp, then onto black CS, and each of those was cut to size for the card.  That checkered dp is digital paper from Doodle Pantry (now closed. :-(  )   I love that paper because it has my favorite fall color combo and works with most fall/autumn projects.

     I used a die from Impression Obsession to cut the bats from scraps of black CS and added them last.  The stand-up flap folds down for mailing.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Creates and Makes
Cutie Pie
Die Cuttin' Divas
Passion for ProMarkers
Pixie's Snippets

     I hope you are enjoying your weekend and getting a bit of relaxation/"me" time and not spending it all doing household chores.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cotton Candy Ants

     The ants in cute, cute image are not something I'd want to find happening in real life but the ants  by Doodle Pantry are my favorite critters over there.  Our weather has been so hot here for the last week that I'm thinking about mid-summer county and state fairs, and that brings to mind fair foods, cotton candy being one of the best, according to my childhood memories.  I don't think I've eaten it at all in my adult years but I loved it as a kid.

     As I was planning this card in my head, I thought about how much fun it would be to contrast the casualness of a day at the fair (with or without eating cotton candy) with a design which was fussy, fancy, and somewhat vintage.  I inlaid die cuts (black and pink) from a set by Spellbinders, added black lace which gives some great texture, and put everything onto a white card base.  The sentiment is printed and matted, then the bottom of it is cut into a wavy pattern with a punch (Fiskars.)

     Challenges:
A Vintage Journey
Aud Sentiments
Crafting for All Seasons
Crafting with Friends
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Fairy Tale
Inspiration Destination
In the Pink (1 image, 2 die cut layers, 3 colors)
Lemon Shortbread
Little Red Wagon
Scrapy Land
Through the Craft Room Door
WordArt Wednesday

    I'm going to brave the heat today and cook something on the outdoor BBQ.  However, I'm planning to do it fairly early in the day and cook for a brunch or lunch instead of dinner.  That way, I can avoid the hottest part of  the day.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Old Wagon

     I love this old wagon image from Doodle Pantry.  While it wasn't designed as a winter image, I did my best to make it look like it was out in a field after a morning of falling snow.

     It reminds me so much of an old, broken-down wagon which had been left in a grazing area on my aunt's ranch up in Montana.  I was lucky enough to have been able to stay with her one fall and early winter when I was 15.  She bred horses on her ranch and also used a few acres of her land for a family farm.  That was a learning experience for a city girl !  Feeding livestock and hauling water for them from the river in 50 gallon drums three times a week, plus picking vegetables and digging potatoes for the dinner meal were things I'd never done but I learned quickly that not everything came from a grocery store.   That's where I learned about root cellars to store veggies for the winter.  :-D

I based my card on the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds.

I also used these photos for inspiration:

                       Double D                      House That Stamps Built

                   

      The image is colored with ProMarkers and gel ink, then die cut with a Memory Keepers stitched die.  Both the sentiment and the dp for the mat are also cut with dies from that set.  The mat dp is made using chalk on watercolor paper.

     The twine and glittered snowflake were both in my stash and the brads have been hiding in a drawer for a couple of years or more.  Definitely time to use some of them.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Enjoyments
Creative Moments
Di's Digi Designs
Graph'It
Inspiration Destination
Morgan's Artworld
Paper Creator's Crafts
Petal Lu
Simply Papercraft
Sisters of Craft
Stamping Boutique
Your Scrapbook Place

     Thanks for stopping by.  Kick off your shoes and stay a while.  Warm cookies should be out of the oven momentarily and you're more than welcome to sample some.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Holly and Berries

     A very CAS design on today's card which has an image from Doodle Pantry.

I started with a favorite sketch from Die Cut Divas,

(from May, 2015), turned upside down and modified to add the image.

I took my colors from the photo at {Pin}spirational.

  

     The sentiment is done with a die from Memory Box and it's actually the negative left behind from cutting out the word "Christmas" for another project.  I decided to use that left over scrap instead of throwing it away.  I paired it up with a scrap of dp I'd saved from last Christmas and the two were perfect for a 5.5" x 5.5" square card.

     I cut the holly image, added glitter to the berries, and inked the edges with distress ink before layering it on top of the papers.  I left it completely unembellished because I wanted that beautiful image to take center stage.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
ArtbyMiran
Cardz for Guyz
Come and Get It
Clear It Out
Crazy Challenge
Crazy 4 Challenges
Creative Fingers
Digi Choosday
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Papertake Weekly
Simply Papercraft

     More posts every day this week, I hope.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Celebrate Any Holiday with Pile It On

     It's time to "Celebrate Any Holiday," the theme for the newest challenge at Pile It On this fortnight.  We are sponsored by Doodle Pantry, one of my favorite places to find images, sentiments, and papers, all in the same set.  Having once served on the DT over there, I was so delighted to get this image out of my stash and use it.  These are the pumpkins from the "Pumpkin Birdie" set, and the "Happy Fall Y'all" sentiment is also from that same set.

I used colors I found at Outlawz Color Challenge.

 

     This is a pre-colored image, die cut with a framing die by Spellbinders and matted with another framing die a size larger.  The larger frame is colored with chalks which I applied using a cotton ball.  The diagonal strips are washi tape.  The bottom sentiment is computer printed and punched.  I added wooden leaves colored with ProMarkers, a hand tied bow which was 'dyed' with a ProMarker, and a punched, layered flower also colored with ProMarkers.  The sparkly gold mesh was a leftover scrap found in my stash.

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create

Corrosive Challenge

Craft-Dee BowZ 

Crafty Creations  

Crafty Gals Corner 

Crafty Time 

Fan-Tastic Tuesday (brown)

Inspiration Destination 

Lacy Sunshine (1st column)

Lemon Shortbread 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 

Little Red Wagon 

Lunagirl Moonbeam 

Melonheadz Friends (top row)

Not Just Cards 

Scrapy Land 

Through the Craft Room Door 

WordArt Wednesday 

     I hope we'll see you playing with us this challenge.  Just decide on a holiday, any holiday, and make a project to celebrate it.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cornucopia and Turkey

     I'm almost done with my Thanksgiving cards but I don't have all the posts scheduled yet so you'll be seeing them throughout the next couple of weeks.   This one I did using one of my favorite cornucopia images which comes from Doodle Pantry.  I love that it's combined with a turkey.

I based this on the sketch from Try Stamping on Tuesday, 

but flipped and the horizontal strip (I used ribbon) is higher.

I also used scallops instead of flags.

     This is a pre-colored image which I die cut using two different curved border dies from Spellbinders.  I layered it onto some orange CS which had been run through my Linen embossing folder.  I rounded the corners with a hand punch.

     The leaf embellies were also done with a hand punch.  The ribbon is glittered and has been in my autumn stash for who-knows-how-long?  The striped background is actually fabric.  I used iron-on interfacing on the back to make it more stable. The sentiment is also from Doodle Pantry, hand cut and matted with dp from DCWV.

     Challenges:
Cards in Envy
Classy Cards n Such
Corrosive Challenge
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Boots
Di's Digi Designs
Dragonfly Dreams
Glitter n Sparkle
Graph'It
Julia Spiri
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Moving Along with the Times
Not Just Cards
Ribbon Girl
Sweet Stampin'

    Can you tell I'm actually getting back into my routine?  I did lots of crafting and cardmaking over the weekend so I finally have a chance to post each day.  Happy Stamping. NanaConnie 

Carve a Smile

     I love Doodle Pantry stamps!  This one is from a couple of years ago and I don't think I've used it before.  Shame on me!   But it's just too cute to languish in the stash any longer.

I added my sentiment to the inside, wanting to keep the outside as CAS as possible.

It's also from Doodle Pantry.  This time, I guess my "white" space is black.

I took my colors primarily from House That Stamps Built.

     

     The doily is cut with a die from Cheery Lynn, from paper by Lawn Fawn.  The bow is one of those I make myself and toss in my stash for use as needed.  It was made from white satin ribbon and I used my ProMarkers to 'dye' it the shade of purple I wanted.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Catch the Bug
Cheery Lynn Designs
Come and Get It
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Crafting for All Seasons
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Creative Corner
Creative Moments
Di's Digi Designs
DL.ART
DRS Designs
Fussy and Fancy
Little Miss Muffet
Mod Squad
My Time to Craft
Outlawz CAS
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrap and Craft
Stamping Boutique
That Craft Place
Time Out

     It's the start of  new week and for those of us in the US, we're celebrating Columbus Day today.  It's not a huge holiday as celebrations go but most of the city, county, state, and federal offices are closed, along with most of the banks and some of the schools.  Me?  I'll take any excuse to stay home and craft all day, especially after being gone a good share of last week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Christmas Magnolia

     I was looking through my huge collection of images from Doodle Pantry, and ran across this Magnolia Blossom.  I've had that image for more than three years and this is the first time I've used it.  It just struck me that, as a lovely white flower, it could make a beautiful Christmas card.

     I printed it twice, once on green CS and again on white.  I outlined the one on CS with white gel ink.  I also printed the sentiment onto the same green CS and then went over it with white gel ink, too.  The colored flower was fussy cut and mounted atop the green CS flower on Pop Dots.  I matted both the image and the sentiment with white CS and layered them together set at angles to each other.

     I found the background dp in my Christmas stash (something else in my stash for more than a year.)   The ribbon and the twine were scrap pieces just waiting to be used, and the holly leaves are actually shank buttons.  So, don't you agree this was a good image for Christmas?

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Snowflake's Promise
Christmas Cards All Year Round
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Catz
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas  (posy)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Digi Galore
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jingle Belles
Love to Scrap
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Minutes
Papertake Weekly
Petal Lu
Scrapper's Delights
Simply Papercraft

     My stash of Christmas cards is growing and, since I know that I'll have several more of them to do for DT projects as Christmas gets closer, I'm feeling good that there won't be any last minute rush for getting cards done in mid-December.  :-D  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

Strut Your Stuff -- A Birthday Card

      Good morning and welcome to February!  My gosh, 1/12th of 2014 is already gone.  But the good news is that the first of a new month means a new release of digi sets at Doodle Pantry.  Laurie always does wonderful sets but I am just so excited by the releases this month.  It was a really tough decision as to which one to use first.

     Let me introduce my card by telling you two things; I love peacock images and they intimidate me because I never know where to start on the coloring.  I'm always afraid I'll get the blues and greens in the wrong spots and there just no way to really capture the magical quality of the feathers.  But, this peacock comes fully pre-colored as well as in black and white outline form and that ended my intimidation.  :-D

I chose to use the sketch from Sunday Sketch & Stamp

and the colors are perfect for Sketchy Colors, blue, green and white.

  

     The dp is also from Doodle Pantry and comes with the "Pretty Peacock" set, along with several sentiments, one of which I used (see below.)  Inside I added a Happy Birthday sentiment but didn't photograph it.  The bow is one of those I make by the dozens, however, this time it was white and I needed it to be that particular green so I colored it with a marker.  I always have white ribbon and bows on hand in case I need to color them to match dp or the colors of an image.  And that's your tip for the week.  :-D

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- A/G or Animals
Creative Creations -- Less is More
Digi Makeover -- Shades of blue
Dream It Up -- CAS
Eureka Stamps -- Anything goes
Going Grey w/ Scrap Creations -- Favorite embellie (the bows I make)
Nutcrafters -- CAS
Outlawz Greetings -- Anything goes

     Be sure to check out the Doodle Pantry challenge this month.  It runs through the 24th of February and if you use a Doodle Pantry digi (not just a sentiment), you'll get a free set just for playing.  If you win the draw, you can get another set of your choice.  And, finally, there's a free set with any purchase.  Below, I've added pictures of the challenge Freebie and the Free with Purchase sets.  Check out the entire new release collection -- more than worth your time!  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

 I used this set

 Challenge Freebie for using DP image

  Free with purchase

Pumpkins Are Fruit

     Yes, my friends, pumpkins are fruit, not veggies!  If you don't believe that, just check Wikipedia.  Or simpler yet, read the sentiment on my card and I'm sure you'll agree.  :-)

     We had a late start with our usual 1st of the Month New Releases at Doodle Pantry but it's here now and to make it up to you, Laurie is running a sale at the Doodle Pantry store.  BTW, if you get over there and get some weird error message, be patient.  The server had a major crash just as Laurie was getting ready to load all the new sets.  Try again in a short while.

     My card today uses both an image and a sentiment from the new "Pumpkin" set.  There is also a single pumpkin, several sentiments, and some gorgeous papers!  This particular set will be the freebie with any purchase made by Sept. 24th.  Aren't these gorgeous?

Sketch came from 2 Sisters.

     This is a pre-colored image which I stippled after I die cut it, then I mounted it onto that lacy frame die cut (Spellbinders).  The papers have been in my fall colors stash for a year and are from DCWV.  Everything is layered onto a kraft card base.  The white CS on which I printed the stamp and the orange bow are both recycled from a Thanksgiving card I received last year.  The white CS was an insert to keep the card flat and the bow tied the envelope shut.

   I thought the little pearls on each side of the frame were exactly the right amount and size of embellies since this card has to be mailed.  I wanted it relatively flat so that it would fit into a regular envelope.

     Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments -- Fav fall colors (green, orange, yellow, brown)
Hobbycutz -- Recycle
Oldie but a Goodie -- Spots & stripes
Pattie's Creations -- Anything goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty -- Spooled items
Pumpkin Spice -- Anything goes
Speedy Fox & Friends -- Frame it
Sweet Stampin' -- Spots & stripes
Whimsy Inspirations -- Masculine

     Scroll down for a peek at the whole Pumpkin set, then go check out all the rest of the new releases.  Some adorable Christmas sets, and a couple more of Laurie's "Ants."  You know what an absolute hoot they always are!

     And don't forget the challenge which starts at 10 a.m. Eastern time today.  You must use a Doodle Pantry image (not just a sentiment) but you'll get a free set just for playing.  A photo of that set is below also.  Happy Stamping  NanaConnie

 Free w/ Purchase Sept 5 - 24

  Free for playing in the challenge

Pig in a Punkin'

     Have you ever had one of those experiences when you see an image and think, "mmm, cute but..." and go on your way.  Then, you'll see that same image on a card or scrapbook page someone else has done and suddenly it becomes a "have to have that!" and ideas begin to flow?

     Well, that's what happened with this delightful Doodle Pantry set called "Pumpkin Peeps" which happens to be the freebie set you can get just for playing in our Doodle Pantry challenge before August 24th.  That's only 2 days so get going!   You will need a Doodle Pantry image to play along, but then you get a set free just for playing!

     I used the piggy but there's also a darling panda bear, some great digital papers, and lots of fun sentiments.  I'll show you a photo of set at the bottom of this post.

I used the sketch found over at Crafting Musketeers (although I'm not entering that challenge because it's sponsored by Delicious Doodles and I happen to be on the DD DT.  :-) )

and the colors came from Annabelle Stamps.  I love the colors and have already used them once before.

  

     The sentiment is part of the set also.

     Challenges:
Animal Friends -- Summer
Cards Galore -- Bingo: sentiment/ summer/ ribbon
Catch the Bug -- Bingo: No dp/ sewing/ flower
Creatalicious -- For the boys
Send a Smile 4 Kids -- Animals cards 4 kids
Totally Gorjuss -- Die cuts/ punches

     That's it for today and I'm going away today for the entire weekend.  I doubt that I'll have anything to post again before Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  I'm going to see what I can find in the way of a new home some 300 miles away from where I live now.  I'm going to miss my old Victorian house but will be so happy to live in the same town as some of my grandkids.  Family is so important to me and my one disappointment is that all my kids/grandkids and their families live so far away.  That's the brightest part of this move.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Summer Blackberries, Yummmmm

     Doodle Pantry has a secondary release this month of some older sets, now available in a colorized version, and a set of fabulous digital papers, called Country Flavors!  Oh, I'm in love with nearly every one of the papers, and since blackberries are probably my favorite summer fruit, I had to do a card using blackberries for my image and two of the new papers.   This just brings back great memories of heading out into the wild with buckets in hand and then picking wild blackberries until we had pounds and pounds of them for eating, freezing, baking pies, and finally making jams and preserves.  Mmmmm, definitely the best of summer!

     Here's my card using the "Blackberries" set.  That set has its own papers, but I chose to use papers from the new Country Flavors set.

I chose my sketch from Sketch Saturday, turned sideways,

and my colors from the challenge at Inkspirational.

  

     The image is printed twice in different sizes, then fussy cut and layered together.  The same thing could be done merging .png images together but I'm still working on how to do merging so fussy cutting is my best option at this point.  The images are layered onto a die cut which is mounted onto another larger die cut, made with one of the Country Flavors digi dp.  That one is backed with white paper.

     I used a second County Flavors dp for the vertical strip and added sheer purple ribbon with a great sparkle in it, then tied a bow.  The sentiment is also from the Blackberries set and it's just printed and cut free hand, with scissors.  It may be hard to see but I hand embossed two lines down the left side of the card, and then used the "Lattice" embossing folder on the right side of the card front.  Obviously, those embossings were done before I started layering everything onto the card.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge -- Lots of layers
Allsorts -- Favourite things (blackberries)
4 Crafty Chicks -- Dry emboss
Clearly I Stamp -- Summertime
Jellypark Friends -- Celebrate summer
One Stop Craft -- Anything goes
Rhedd & Rosie's -- Here comes summer
Scrapper's Delights -- Die cuts  
   
     Check below for a photo of the new Blackberries colorized set, and be sure to check out the Doodle Pantry store to see all of the new releases.  Don't forget our challenge.  If you enter by July 24 (must use a DP image), you'll get a free set and you can get another free set with any purchase made by July 24.  There's also a new freebie set called "Viola Ants" on the Freebies page at the store.  How can you lose?

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Baby Shoes

     Today's card is one I ended up really liking but wasn't sure about it when I first started designing it.  I used an adorable new release digi set from Doodle Pantry (see photo below) and believe me when I say that the image wasn't the problem!   In fact, this set came to the rescue and saved the day!  :-D  OK, let me give you the background first --

     I have a new neighbor who moved in next door last weekend (more about her on another post I'll get up this week).  I intended to get a plate of cookies made to take over but my extra busy work week last week just got in the way.  Anyway, she came over, introduced herself, and asked if I might have a light bulb to spare since she couldn't find the box containing hers and she had none for her bedroom lamps.  I had been working at the dining room table and she saw a couple of cards I was making.  I immediately got an order for a new baby card.  :-D

     However, her friend's daughter (the one expecting the baby) is having a boy and hates blue!   She refuses to do the whole 'blue for a boy' thing and is doing the nursery completely in neutrals, which works fine for a boy, but just isn't what we normally do for baby cards.  So, Doodle Pantry to the rescue!

I found the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches.

     Laurie included wonderful digital papers with the "Baby Shoes" set, including the two I used which are in wonderful neutral tones.  I die cut the image with a die I bought more than a year ago and haven't used recently and also die cut the sentiment (part of the Baby Shoes set) and matted them both with brown CS which has been in my stash for a good, long time.  I also matted the dp with it.

     I added a strip of sheer brown ribbon and adhered the three little pearls to it.  I thought that was still a very CAS design, lots of open space (though not white space,) and with an overall masculine feel to it.  I wasn't sure I was going to like a baby boy card without blue on it, but I am very pleased with it after all.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge -- Male birthday (the actual birth!)
Art Impressions Stamps -- Masculine
City Crafter -- Clean and neutral
Craft Lovin' -- Anything goes
Crafting for all Seasons -- Masculine
Digistamps 4 Joy -- Masculine
Little Claire's -- Male theme
Pollycraft -- Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash -- Geometric shapes
Sisterhood of Crafters -- Masculine
Top Tip Tuesday -- Masculine

     Half the weekend is now gone and I've done nothing but spoil myself !  I've done no laundry, no house chores beyond fixing something to eat when I got hungry, and haven't even run a dishwasher.  Guess what, the world hasn't ended and I've not been struck by lightening.  How refreshing.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Rooster for Father's Day Birthday

     I had no idea when I first saw this new release "Rooster" set at Doodle Pantry that I'd be making it into a Father's Day card !  Quick story  and then I'll show you the card.

     I was very short on time, having been gone so much of last month so I printed a pre-colored version of the rooster (doesn't Laurie do a great job of coloring?)  I had it lying on my computer desk when an out-of-town friend dropped by unexpectedly.  I was thrilled to see her because it's been nearly 6 years since she moved and we've only been able to e-mail and talk on the phone occasionally.  

     She saw the rooster, asked what I was going to do with it and, when told about my card making, asked if she could get a card for her husband.  His birthday falls on Father's Day this year and she wants to give him a card that works for both occasions.  :-D

     They live in a high-population, suburban area close to Seattle.  It seems that someone, some years ago, let some chickens go free in the hills of their neighborhood and her husband is frustrated by being awakened at the crack of dawn every day by an extremely proud and loud rooster!  LOL

     As soon as she told me this, I had to go back and print the sentiment I used, which is also part of the "Rooster" set.  I hope Rich has a sense of humor about this card.  :-D

Sketch is from Sketch n Stash.

     I die cut the image and matted it with brown CS.  The background dp was in my stash and it was a leftover scrap.  The sheer brown ribbon came from my local craft store.  The sentiment is die cut also and threaded with that same ribbon.  Although it's a bit hard to see in the photo, I just tied the ribbon ends in a know and cut them on an angle before attaching the sentiment piece.

     Since it's a masculine card, I added three brads to each of two corners and called it finished.

     Challenges:
Cards for Men -- Dad
Crazy Challenge -- Use sentiments
Created with Love -- At least 3 layers
Cupcake Craft - Boys
Digi Darla's -- Father's Day
Melonheadz Friends -- Father's Day or male
Ooh La La -- Inspired by Nature
Outlawz Greeting Cards -- Vintage masculine b'day
Songbird -- All creatures, great & small

     OK, that's it for today.  I hope your weekend is going well and that you're finding lots of "me" time, with things fun and relaxing.  If you want to see a photo of the entire Rooster set, see below.  Don't forget that our new Doodle Pantry challenge starts today at 10:00 EDT.   You are required to use a Doodle Pantry image on your entry, but then you get a free set ("Quirky Stork" - see below) just for entering the challenge.  In addition to that, you will get "Vintage Cooking" (see below) as a freebie with any purchase made before June 24.  How can you lose?  Buy a set, get a freebie, use one of the images to enter the challenge and get another freebie set.  Three sets for the price of one, and they all include digital papers, too!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie