Coldest Day of Winter

     We start a new challenge over at Crafting with an Attitude and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  Our wonderful sponsor this month is Lacy Sunshine (Colour of Love) and I'm using a darling image called Rory's Winter Day.

My colors came from My Favorite Things.

     I decided to do a card using the 'spotlight' technique so I printed the image twice, cut one with a rectangle die from Spellbinders, and colored the second one with my ProMarkers, adding just a touch of sparkle with some glitter on the snowflakes.

     Once colored, I used a circle die (QuicKutz) to cut just the portion of the image where I wanted to focus attention.  I inked the edges of both cut pieces, then layered the colored circle on top of the black and white image to create the 'spotlight.'

     I found an icy-blue card base, wrapped it with sparkly, silver and white ribbon, then added the image.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it to the lower section of the card front.  I think this is a delightful CAS design with just enough sparkle to celebrate the cold chill of early January!

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Cute N Crafty
Cutie Pie
Double Trouble
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Whoopsi Daisy

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow and then I'll be back to my post holiday activities.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

White Christmas?

     This is the third post of the day and I'll have a total of 4 so be sure to check them all. :-D

     It's the first Thursday of the month (and the first of the month!) so we have a new challenge at Crafting with an Attitude!  Our theme is always "Anything Goes"and this month our sponsor is Lacy Sunshine.  I used a darling LS image called "Christmas Snowflake" from their Strayz collection.  Unfortunately, I can't find it in the current online shop so it may have been retired.  If so, it's a great shame because this is one of Heather's most precious Christmas images.

    I colored with ProMarkers and sparkle gel ink.  I cut one side of the image with a border die from Poppy Stamps.  After adding the sentiment piece, I found both red and shimmery green CS and cut layers of those with that same border die.  I layered those onto one side of the image piece, then added red ink to the shaped outside border.  The card front is shorter than the card width so a bit of the inside show when the card is closed.

     The large, embellishment snowflake was cut with a die from Spellbinders and I added loose silver glitter to it.  Not exactly CAS but not overwhelmed with embellishments, either.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Hazelnut's
Outlawz Greetings
Passion for ProMarkers
Polkadoodles
SUYP Cats
TSOT Technique
TTCRD

     We always appreciate seeing you enter out monthly challenges at Crafting with an Attitude and I hope you'll be playing along this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie   

Christmas Snowflake

     I was visiting the Lacy Sunshine store the other day and saw this darling Christmas cat totally enthralled by a snowflake so you know I had to get it and make something right away.  In fairness to my impulse, I haven't been over there in a long time and besides, I've been so focused on Autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving these past couple of weeks that I completely forgot I have to make at least two cards per week between now and December if I'm going to get enough made for all my holiday needs.  :-D

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers, then die cut and matted it using two dies from Spellbinders.  I added some textured, red ribbon, lacing it through and behind the die cut.  I also used a leftover snippit of it behind the sentiment.  I added one of my hand-sewn white satin bows and a silvery snowflake as embellishments.  The final touch was a drop of Glossy Accents on the snowflake in the image.  The design is still pretty CAS despite the fancy die cuts.

     Challenges:
A Snowflakes Promise
Cards in Envy
Colour Your World
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Ribbons
Crafty Sentiments
Crimbo Crackers
Cuttlebug Mania
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie...
Sasayaki Glitter
Through the Craft Room Door
Winter Wonderland
Word Art Weds.

     OK, today you've gotten two for the price of one - two posts in one day.  It's been a couple of weeks since I did that and I hope you enjoyed both posts.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

It's a Pastel Spring at Open-Minded Crafting Fun

     April is my favorite spring month.  It's the one that has mild weather even if it's raining.  Snow and violent storms are gone and the hot weather has yet to arrive.  I don't mind April showers at all, especially in the midst of the severe drought we've had out here for 4 years.

     For our April challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Fun we have a theme of "Pastel Colors," another of my favorite spring things.  We're being sponsored by A Random Fan, Crafty Sentiments Designs, Lacy Sunshine, and Maria Medel Illustrations.   I used a sweet Crafty Sentiments image called "Nature Watching."

     I colored it with chalks and ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I wrapped striped ribbon through it and then layered it onto another die cut to frame it, also Spellbinders.  That went onto the card front and I used a Fiskars corner punch to decorate all four corners.

     Challenges:
A Beautiful Mess
A Gem of a Challenge
ArtbyMiran
Brown Sugar
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Docerela
Imagine That!
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Pattie's Creations
Scrapper's Delights
Scrapy Land
Simply Papercraft

     I hope you're going to dig into your supplies, find something wonderfully pastel to fit with our theme, and then come play with us.  We love being inspired by each and every one of you.  Happy Stamping. NanaConnie
     

Sleepy Lamb Agnes from Lacy Sunshine

          We have a new challenge starting today over at Aud Sentiments.  Our theme this time is "Make it Cute" and you must use a sentiment.   Our sponsor this fortnight is Lacy Sunshine.  They generously supplied images for the DT to use on their inspiration cards and I used 'Sleepy Lamb Agnes.'  Isn't she precious?

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then die cut and matted with a larger die cut.  The dp came from a stack by Paper Studio.  The bow is one of those I found at Hobby Lobby and the little flowers were punched and glittered.  The leaves are cut with a die from Cheery Lynn.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug (center column)
Craft and Smash
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's
Crafty Ribbons
Di's Digi Designs
Glitter n Sparkle
Hanna & Friends
Mema's
Natalie and Amy's
Paper Creator's Crafts
Robyn's Fetish
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Simon Says Stamp (yellow)
Stamp and Create
Wags 'n Whiskers

     You have two weeks to get a "Cute" card made, making sure it has a sentiment on it, and enter it into the challenge.  I hope we're going to see you playing in this challenge.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Newest Fur Baby

     I cheerfully admit that this card was inspired by a new fur baby who has come to live at my house.  I'll have some photos of her later in the post and the story of how she came to adopt me.  In the meantime, this card is done for the challenge at Lacy Sunshine, where the theme is "Sparkly and New."  This is one of Heather's sweet animal images, just too cute for words and perfect for anyone celebrating a new fluffy member of the family.

     I wanted a completely CAS card so I printed the image right onto the card front and added the sentiment above it.  I did no coloring at all because I like the black and white of the drawn image.  I did brush some glue onto the bow she's wearing and the flower centers, then added loose yellow glitter.  I brushed glue onto the flower petals and added clear glitter.  Finally, I added some glue to the shadowed portions of the bow and added copper glitter.  What a great way to have lots of sparkle and bling but still have a very CAS card.  :-D

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Card Mania
City Crafter
Corrosive Challenge
Crafter's Cafe
Crafting from the Heart
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations
Inspiration Destination
Little Miss Muffet
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls
Quirky Crafts
Scrap & Craft
Sparkle N Sprinkle
Top Tip Tuesday

      OK, now for a peek at my new fur baby, whose name is Molly B Katniss, but she prefers to be called just Molly.  She's about 8 months old and had to find a new home when her previous owners moved.  Through one source or another (translate that to read 'my daughter'), Molly and her humans became aware that I was a sucker for being adopted and that there was already a good start on a 'pride' if she could just manage to be cute and sweet and lovable so that the other two (Cleo and Honey) felines would accept her.

     It took two nights and a full day before Cleo and Honey were willing to fully accept that there was an unfamiliar feline sharing the living space, but here's Molly, checking out the very spot where Honey likes to sit and stare out the craft room window.

     Once she decided that the nesting site was the proper shade of purple and soft enough to suit her delicate paws...

     ...she checked me out (I was at the craft desk about 2 feet away) to see if I was going to give her any verbal grief about being up there.

     Receiving no objections from me, she settled in, perhaps hoping for a quick bath and a long snooze.  Unfortunately, before either of those could happen, Honey voiced an opinion and they had a long conversation about who gets to sit in the window and when.  Although considerably smaller in size, Molly is not to be intimidated and she stood (sat?) her ground.  I don't think the issue has been completely resolved but for the time being that's where she likes to be whenever I'm in the craft room.  More to come, I'm sure.

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Ve Vant Candy!

     The title of this post is the name of this image from Lacy Sunshine and I'm using it for their "Halloween" challenge.  Eleanor and Pickles are out "Trick or Treat"ing so they're perfect for the theme.

I chose to use the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds 2

and I took my colors from Simon Says Stamp.

  

     The image is colored with my favorite ProMarkers, then die cut and I inked the edges of the die cut.  I also die cut the mat and inked the edges of it.  I die cut the computer-generated sentiment and inked those edges, too.  I do love my Spellbinders!  :-D

     Everything was layered onto kraft CS and I wrapped ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon around the kraft piece.  I used a scrap of the wide, wired ribbon, cut swallow-tails into the ends, then twisted it twice in the middle to create the 'butterfly' shaped 'bow.'   I added a button to the middle and adhered it to the polka dot ribbon.

     Challenges:
A Little Bit Crafty
Crafting for all Seasons
Digi Chooseday
Double Click
Ladybug Crafts
Little Red Wagon
Paper Nest Dolls
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrapy Land
Seemacrafts
Sisters of Craft

     I'll have a second post this afternoon if I get the card done.  I want to show off another of the Doodle Pantry sets released this month and remind you that there are still a few days left to play in the October challenge over there.  See you later and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Rainy Days for Spring

     OK, so southern California is still in the midst of a huge drought but maybe another rainy day card will bring us some of that moisture from the sky that so many of the rest of you have had.  If not, then this card will be celebrating typical spring days everywhere else.  :-D

I took my sketch from  Tuesday Morning Sketches,

turned sideways to accommodate my tall image.

     The image is from Lacy Sunshine (theme: Feminine) and I colored her with ProMarkers.  Although it's very difficult to see in the photo, the raindrops and the puddle are made sparkly with a glitter gel pen.  I used three different dies from one of my framing sets (by Spellbinders) to cut the image and the fancy frame.  Everything is mounted onto a black card base.  The flower is handmade with three layers of petals and a black brad in the center.  The leaf is another Spellbinders die cut.  Can't see it?  It's cut from navy blue CS and just blends into the black border in the photo.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- Monochromatic
Bearly Mine -- Spring
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards -- Spring
Corrosive Challenges -- Pretty pastels
Crafting Musketeers -- Monochromatic
Craftitude -- Spring
Crafty Catz -- "B" is for... blue
Crazy Challenge -- Spring is here
Creative Card Crew -- Spring
Creative Moments -- Girly
Delightful Challenge -- Add a flower
Digi Haven -- Black, white +1 color (blue -- just for you, Lynn!))
Love to Scrap -- A/G
Ooh La La -- Spring
Paper Shelter -- Spring
Party Time Tuesdays -- Die cuts
Scrapping4fun -- Digi or stamped image

     First card of the weekend and I've already started on the garden.  I have flowers in but am not sure if I'll get veggies in this year.  There's just so much to do, including a complete re-vamp of the sprinkler system all around the yard.  I can always water with a hose but would prefer not to spend hours standing out in the heat this summer to keep the garden watered so the less planted, the better.  Once the sprinkler system is up and running again, I'll plant more if it isn't too late in the season.  Ah, well, no sprinklers means I'll have to craft more and garden less.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Candy Corn Halloween

     I'm getting close to the end of my Halloween cards, thank goodness, and will have to mail some of them really soon since they are going overseas to Japan.  The others can wait until after the move and by that time, some of them won't even have to be mailed.  I can hand-deliver them to the grandkids who already live in my soon-to-be new city.  After all, being close to family is the whole reason for this move.  :-D

    On this card, I used an image from Lacy Sunshine, "Candi Corn Sticky Wings", and I think she's just adorable!   The theme for their challenge is "Stitching, real or faux."

The sketch came from The Outlawz

and the colors from the challenge at Color Throwdown.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and I used glitter gel ink on her wings.  The embossing folder is by Cuttlebug but I don't remember the name of it.  I've had it at least 2 years and this is the first time I've used it (hanging head in shame.)  Papers came from my 12 x 12 scrapbooking papers and they just really worked for that color combo.  The sparkly bats were in my stash from last year and the bows are some of those I sewed up myself.

     Challenges:
Allsorts -- Autumn colors
Card Makin' Mamas -- Trick or Treat
Challenges and Candies -- Colors of Autumn
Crafting by Designs -- Anything goes
Crafty Catz -- Anything goes
Crazy 4 Challenges -- Halloween
House That Stamps Built -- Happy Fall
Just Inspirational -- Think Pink or Halloween
Moving Along with the Times -- Anything goes
Penny's Paper Crafty -- Anything goes
QKR Stampede -- Fall
Shelly's Images -- Inspiration photo w/ fall colors
Stamping Chef -- Stitching

     OK, that's the end of my break today -- now it's back to work.  I have files to organize and label for the office and very few days left to get it all done.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Beware of Saber-Tooth Smilidon!

     Oh, my, what a fierce creature!  Just look at those vicious fangs!
   
     I'm really crazy about Heather Valentin's digis and use them as often as possible but I found this one in the $1.00 Retiring section on Sunday and without any doubt, it's my favorite of anything she's ever drawn!  I'm sorry to see it retired and am so glad I got it before it was gone forever.  I wish I could talk Heather into doing an entire series with this darling Sabrina Smilidon!  Without further ado --

     Sabrina is colored with ProMarkers and I added clear embossing powder (heat embossing) to the flowers and her little butterfly for the shine.  The image is die cut with a Deckled Rectangle die from Spellbinders.  I ran the card front through my "Linen" embossing folder, then adhered the matted image.  The largest flower has layers punched from hand-made paper and embossed by using a stylus to make the lines in the petals.  The other flowers and leaves were in my stash and I added the tiny pearls and the gem stone for a little bit of girly flash.  CAS but for the flowery embellishments.

     Challenges:
ABC Challenges -- 2 kinds of embossing
Crafty Boots -- Animals
Creative Creations -- Anything goes
Friends of Speedy TV -- No patterned papers
Lacy Sunshine -- Anything goes (must have LS image)
My Craft Creations -- Anything goes
Outlawz Greetings -- Embossing
Path of Positivity -- Caring
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner -- Fantasy creatures (saber-tooth smilidon!)
Through the Purple Haze -- Flowers

     I hope you love this frighteningly adorable smilidon as much as I do.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie