May Flowers the 'Quirky' Way

     New month, so new challenge at Quirky Crafts and since it's May, we're doing "May Flowers" for our theme.  How much better can you get than a festive flowery card?  With Mother's Day right around the corner, it's a great way to get those cards done and to have something to enter into our monthly challenge.  We have three sponsors this month:  Bloobel Stamps, Delicious Doodles, and Ike's Art.

     My first card this month uses an image from Bloobel Stamps called "Thanks for the Flowers."  That was such a fun and funny image that I had to add that silly sentiment.  :-D
   

I started with Sketch #249

from Sketch Saturday, turned sideways

and was inspired by the colors

at Just Add Ink.

  

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it and the offset mat with a die from Spellbinders.  I used ribbon and twine along the side, then added two butterflies.  The bottom one is colored with ProMarker and the top one is glittered.

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Crafting with Friends

Di's Digi Designs

Hannah and Friends

Hiding in My Craft Room

Outlawz PAM

Scrapy Land

     I've also done a second card using an image from another sponsor, Delicious Doodles, called "Daisies + Butterfly."

     On this card, I colored with ProMarkers and Copics, then hand cut the image.  The flowers, the butterfly and the frame all make up the image.  I added it to yellow polka dot paper and made that the card front.  Very CAS design, just the image and the background but I really like showcasing the image instead of a pile of embellies.  :-D  

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More

ArtbyMiRan

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Fingers

Delicious Doodles

Double D

Inspiration Destination

Kitty Bee Designs

Outlawz CAS

     This will be my last month on the DT for Quirky and I want to say a warm goodbye to my Teamies.  Waving to all of you.  :-D  Happy Stamping,  NanaConnie

Raining Cats and Dogs Mid-Way Challenge Reminder

    If you're looking for my MHK Designs post, please click here.

     We're mid-way through our challenge for April at Quirky Crafts and I want to share with you another card using an image from our sponsor, Crackerbox Palace.  This one is called "Cat and Dog" and, obviously, the cat is focusing all his attention on the dog.  :-D

I used the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds 2 (turned 1/4 turn)

and I took my colors from the challenge at Color Q

but the only pale pink is on the cat's ears and mouth.

    

     Image is colored with ProMarkers, then cut with a Spellbinders die.  The two mats are lightly embossed with a "Linen" folder and then punched to round the corners.  I used three ribbon scraps from my stash for embellishment, two of them to tie the double-color bow.  It's hard to tell but the sheer, gold ribbon is sparkly with bits of micro-glitter on it.  The background dp is a leftover scrap (My Mind's Eye.)

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Crafting for all Seasons (1st diagonal)

Crafting with an Attitude

Crafty Friends

Crafty Gals Corner 

Creative Moments

House That Stamps Built

Outlawz PAM

Scrapper's Delights

Star Stampz

     Don't forget to come play along in our Quirky Raining Cat and Dogs challenge before it ends on April 28.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Feed Me !!

     Today's card is not only super CAS, it's one which was definitely inspired by feline behavior around my house.  It's also my DT card for the new April challenge at Quirky Crafts, sponsored by Crackerbox Palace.   Our theme this month is "Raining Quirky Cats or Dogs."  Just use either a cat or a dog or both on a card and come enter the challenge.

     The image is called "Peeking In" and I'm not going to give you any hints as to how I managed to get a 'spotlighted' black and white image on kraft paper.  Let's just say it took both clever printing and careful coloring.

     I did use my ProMarkers to dye the ribbon and the bow, each of which started out white.  The sentiment was my own and I printed it directly onto the card front.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
ArtbyMiran
Brown Sugar
Crafter's Cafe
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with Friends
Creative Fingers
Dragon's Lair
Hannah and Friends
Jo's Scrap Shack
Morgan's Artworld
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Simply Papercrafts

     Hope to see you playing along with us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Quirky Red OR Pink + Black AND White

     It's time for the February challenge at Quirky Crafts!  Remember, all our challenges will begin on the first Sunday of the month and end on the 28th day of that month.  We will also publish a reminder on the third Sunday of each month.   We have a new theme this month:  Let's "Quirky use Red OR Pink + black AND white."  How easy is that?

     This month, we have "The Cutting Cafe" as our fantastic sponsor and they generously supplied digis and .svg files to the DT.

Out theme fit perfectly with

the colors from the challenge at The Outlawz

so I used them and added hearts for their twist.

     I used the basic wheelbarrow, colored it with ProMarkers, then die cut it (stitched die - Lawn Fawn, scalloped circle die - Spellbinders).  I fussy cut the hearts (part of the sets from The Cutting Cafe) and added them to the wheelbarrow (since I don't have anything that uses .svg files.)   I also fussy cut and added the wheel which has a heart on it.  I love that these Cutting Cafe files can be used either with a machine or by fussy cutting!

    The heart with the sentiment is another die cut (Spellbinders) as are the leaves (Cheery Lynn.)   I made the little flowers by punching the shapes and adding a gem to the center of each one.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Art Impressions
Artistic Inspirations
Aud Sentiments
Cheery Lynn Designs
Craft Rocket
Crafty Boots
Crazy Challenge
Fairy Tale
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Ike's World
Incy Wincy
Inky Chicks
In the Pink
Julia Spiri
Mod Squad
Not Just Cards
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Scrapy Land
Star Stampz
Through the Craft Room Door
Unicorn

     I really hope we're going to see you playing along with us this month.  Just use our color combo on any kind of project -- not just Valentines, although those are fine, too.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Pretty in Pink

     It's time for our January mid-challenge reminder at Quirky Crafts and I'm using another Stitchy Bear image called "Pretty in Pink."   She reminds me of all the sewing I used to do for my two granddaughters (and myself.)   I'm afraid these days, I spend more time doing cards and paper crafts than sewing but the satisfaction that comes from a project completed in just an hour or so is such an 'instant reward' that now I much prefer paper to fabric.  Don't you just love the tiny hearts swirling near the hem of her dress?  :-D

     This card is a combination of old and new:  the frame's die set (Cheery Lynn) is an old one that I've had for a while but haven't used very much and the wider ribbon is new.  I colored the image with chalks and my ProMarkers, then die cut it and added the die cut frame.  I matted those with burgundy CS die cut with a rectangle die (Spellbinders) and used a Swiss Dot folder to emboss the background paper.   I did the multi-loop, single-layer bow using my new bow maker.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Bunny Zoe's
Cheery Lynn Designs
Crafting with an Attitude
Get Creative
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspiration Destination
In the Pink
Julia Spiri
Not Just Cards
Our Crafty Corner
Paper Minutes
Paper Nest Dolls
Scrapy Land
Sisterhood of Crafters
Through the Craft Room Door
Unicorn

     That's all for today.  I hope your weekend is going well and that you've gotten in lots of crafty time.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Lake Winter

     I'm so tickled to announce that I'm now designing for the challenges at Quirky Crafts!   We're now a monthly challenge instead of every two weeks, but we'll do a reminder post each mid-month so that you don't forget to play along.  :-D  We'll start on the first Sunday and each challenge will end on the 28th of the month to give the team time to choose the winners.

     This month our fabulous sponsor is Stitchy Bear and our challenge theme is "Celebrate."  I'm celebrating "New Snow" for all of you who didn't have a white Christmas but got snow by New Year's Day.  I used a beautiful image from Stitchy Bear called "Lake Winter."

Color choices came from Digitally Sweet.

     I used my ProMarkers to add touches of color to the image, and used gel ink to make the snowflakes.  The image is matted with textured CS and the background paper is done with alcohol inks.

     The ribbon bow is my first ever dual-color bow and I'm really celebrating having gotten a new Zutter bow maker for Christmas!  I'm having so much fun checking out all the instructional videos available on You Tube.  Instructions for this one came from Bonnie at Really Reasonable Ribbon, and the ribbons are also from RRR.

     Challenges:
Artistic Stampers
Card and Scrap
Card Mania
Crafter's Cafe
CCC Digi
Digistamps4Joy
Paper Creator's Crafts
Petal Lu
Southern Ridge Trading Co.

     I hope your weekend is going well and that you are enjoying the New Year.  Hope we're going to see you playing along at Quirky Crafts this month.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mid-Challenge Reminder at Quirky Crafts

     We're at the mid-way point of the challenge at Quirky Crafts where I'm one of the Guest Designers this time around.  They have two marvelous sponsors; last week I used an image from Sweet Pea Stamps and this week, I'm using Bugaboo Stamps.  The theme is "Animal Magic" so I thought this fun Halloween silhouette (called Skull Tree) from Bugaboo, with a cat, an owl, and  a couple of bats was perfect.

     This is a really CAS design.  It's also a new design technique I've not tried before.  I printed the silhouette image and the sentiment directly onto colored CS, then cut it to size for the black card front.  That gave me a single layer card which looked like two layers.

     There was no coloring involved (extremely unusual for me and part of doing something new) but I added a blingy look by using three different colors of glitter on the skull faces, the jack-o-lantern, the animal's eyes, plus a tiny touch of red on the spiders' tummies.

     I used a fine point, white, gel pen to add eyes to the bats.  I  added absolutely no ribbon or embellies making it very flat and perfect for mailing but very blingy and eye-catching nonetheless.  I like it, yes, I do!  :-D

     Challenges:
Animal Friends
Artistic Inspirations
Artistic Stampers
Aud Sentiments
CCC Digi Creations
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Boots
Digi Choosday
Incy Wincy Designs
Melonheadz Friends
Outlawz PAM
Papertake Weekly

     OK, this is my last "Sunday" post today - even though one actually went live late last night.  Two guest designing spots on the same day isn't something I planned but it has been fun.  This is my last post for Quirky Crafts  and it's been loads of fun.  Thanks, ladies, for allowing me to join all of you.  For my friends and followers, why not go by the Quirky challenge blog and check out what all the DT members have done, both last week and this.  Then find something magical in one of your animal stamps and make something to enter in their challenge.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

The Magic (of) Animals

     Today, and for the next two weeks, I have the honor be being a GDT at Quirky Crafts.   Their challenge has two sponsors, Bugaboo Stamps and Sweet Pea Stamps.  The theme is a fun one, "Magic of Animals," which I interpreted as animals which may have magic, like dragons!  :-D

     This darling dragon is from Sweet Pea Stamps and it's called "Snowflake Wonder."  I colored the image with ProMarkers and then used pale blue chalk to color in the snowy sky.  I added the darker blue clouds because that snowflake had to come from somewhere; I've never seen one fall from a clear sky!  :-D

     I added some sparkle to the snowflake and cut the image piece by using a square die as a border die on two sides.  What you're seeing is the 'outside' of the die cut.   I added a large, die cut snowflake (Cheery Lynn die), and put some sparkle on it before layering on the sentiment.  The tiny snowflake embellie was in my stash.  I added the bling of two rows of small rhinestones to the lower corner.  Lots of glitter and bling on this card which celebrates every child's wish for snow on Christmas.

     Challenges:
Artistic Stampers
Aud Sentiments
Card Mania
Craft and Smash
Crafting by Designs
Crafting for All Seasons - mid column
Crafting with Dragonflies
Crafty Friends (blue)
DRS Designs
Inky Impressions
Moving Along with the Times
Simply Papercraft
Unicorn Challenge

     I'll see you again next week with another card for the Quirky Crafts mid-challenge reminder.  In the meantime, find something showing the magic of animals and come play along, won't you?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie