Empty Dish

     Hmmmm, chickens on Friday and cats on both Saturday and Sunday!  But then, I love cats -- and I love Sami Stamps, and I love card making so this one was a natural.  It also reminds me of Honey Cat (see sidebar) who has gotten rounder and rounder and rounder and still gives me 'that look' !

     I colored Fat Cat, excuse me, Round Cat with my ProMarkers and cut the image with a simple circle die from QuicKutz.  I used another QuicKutz die to cut the polka dot dp and a Memory Box die to cut the bright pink dp, then inlaid them behind the cat.  The sentiment and both matting pieces behind it were cut with a smaller die from that same Memory Box set.

     I added everything to a black card front, found three tiny, sparkly flowers and a bright pink butterfly (also very tiny) and used those for embellishment, leaving the overall design pretty CAS.  This was one of those quick and easy, git 'er done cards that I am going to send to a kid I know who is also a cat lover and who will appreciate it with childish delight.  :-D

     Challenges:
A Perfect time to Craft
Colour Crazy
Die Cut Divas
Love to Scrap
Not Just Cards
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Paper Creator
Polkadoodles
Sami Stamps
Take It, Make It

     I hope you're having a fantastic weekend and that the weather is good wherever you are.  If it's lousy in any way, use that as an excuse to stay inside and be creative!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Joy Every Day

     My fur babies were so happy when I came home after being gone for another week that they actually greeted me at the door and followed me around while I unpacked and did some laundry.  After about an hour, they got bored with telling me how neglected they had been while I was away, and piled themselves together for a nap.  The image on this card (Sami Stamps) kind of reminds me of them except there aren't that many (unless they're secretly inviting friends over when I'm gone!)  :-D

     The image and sentiment are printed together and I colored the kitties with my ProMarkers.  I cut the image into a 5.5" X 5.5" square  and then corner punched it.  I had that red ribbon left on the desk from all the Christmas cards I've been doing so I grabbed a piece of it and wrapped it around for a really simple embellishment.  I inked the edges, then put the image onto a black card front and called it finished; very CAS.

     Challenges:
CCC Digi Creations
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Awesomeness
Crea Chicky's
Paper Creator's Crafts
Sami Stamps
Stempelsonnen
SUYP Cats

     I have a lazy day planned with a bit of crafting and some sewing, and maybe even a nap with the cats during the hottest part of the day.  Today my time is all mine, with no obligations or responsibilities to or for anyone else and I'm going to make the most of it.  I may even stay in my jammies all day!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Coffee Cat

     My second post this morning.  Be sure to scroll down for the first one.

     This sweet image from Sami Stamps is perfect for the Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  Although I prefer my coffee iced in the summer months, this little feline would settle for any kind of coffee at this point!

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then fussy cut.  Although it doesn't show up very well, the lightest part of the coffee mug is covered with Wink of Stella for some shine.

     The background is made using textured dp from that same, really old, DCWV stack with a missing cover so I still don't know the name.  These were all three scrap pieces which I had tucked away in the middle of the stack (probably left over from a Valentine card) and I distressed the edges to hide the fact that the scraps were a bit tattered-looking already.  :-D

     I tied twine around the card front and left it CAS.

     Challenges:
Coffee Loving Cardmakers
Crazy Challenge
Glitter n Sparkle
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Pixie's Snippets
Ribbon Girl
TTCRD

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cool Winter Friends

     I was browsing around Sami Stamps earlier this month and saw this delightful image of a snowman and his feline friend.  Of course, I don't need to tell you that I fell in love with it!  I bought it right away and this is the first time I've had to play with it.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and added a bit of glitter for some sparkle.  I cut it with a die from Spellbinders, then matted it with periwinkle CS which I had cut with an oval-octagon die.  That die is a very old one, not originally designed for cutting paper but rather for cutting heavy fabrics.  It was made in the late 1920s and belonged to my mother (perhaps even my grandmother.)  I have no idea how she used it or for what purpose.  I had to put together 5 layers of CS to get a clean cut on the top one.

     I trimmed off the four corners of the card base to add a shape to the card that echoed the image shape.  I used dp from Studio Five and the satin ribbon was in my stash.  The bows are those I sew up by the dozens and toss in my stash for future use.  They were made from white satin ribbon, but I 'dyed' them the color I wanted with my ProMarkers.  Finally, I added some holographic snowflakes.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy Craft
Cookie Challenge
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Ribbons
Cute Card Thursday
DL.ART
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz PAM
{PIN}spirational
Sami Stamps

     Happy Monday to all of you.  Hoping your week starts well and that there will be some sunshine in it.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

In Your Cups

     I've been working very hard at getting something done for the Coffee Lover's Blog Hop but each time, this was the kind of thing I found!  Obviously, I share my home with (two) too many felines.  :-D

I based this card on the sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday

but I did take a couple of small liberties.

     The image came from Sami Stamps but the silly sentiment is my own.  I colored that image with my ProMarkers, then die cut it with a Stitched Rectangle die from Die-namics.  I cut another, larger piece for the mat.  All the polka dot papers were leftovers found in my stash and I tied the striped bow with a snippet of ribbon.

     I decided to keep it relatively CAS so it could be used for a masculine card.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Boots
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Di's Digi Designs
Lemon Shortbread
Passion for ProMarkers
SUYP Cats

     That's all I have for today. Thanks for visiting.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" BOX 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.

Teacup Kittens

     A second post today!  I went on a shopping binge at Sami Stamps a couple of weeks ago and this is the first chance I've had to do anything with the images I bought.   I fell in love with this one and you can, no doubt, guess why.  :-D

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds.2

and my colors came from Just Add Ink.

   

   
      The image is colored with ProMarkers, then cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I distressed the edges with ink.  The papers are from my stash and they were scraps from craft packaging but worked so well together that I decided to use them for the corners.   I had a leftover piece of flower ribbon in the basket and trimmed it to fit behind the image.  I tied the bow (5 loops) using sheer ribbon and added a pearl.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Craft and Smash
Crafty Hazelnut's 
Creative Fingers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Sami Stamps
Show Us Your Pussy Cats 
Stamping Boutique

     I'm off to do some errands today and will return tomorrow if I get a card done.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Just Peeking In

     This is my last post as a Design Teamie on the Outlawz Twisted Thursday challenge.  I'll still be playing in challenges over there because I love the people and the challenges but this is the last day of my DT term.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but the optional twist this week is "Flowers," either in the image or added as embellies.

     Our sponsor for the month of May is Sami Stamps and they generously supplied images to each of the DT members.  This one is called "Flower Hat."  Doesn't she look like the most special lady in the world wearing her fabulous spring hat?  :-D

I used the sketch I found over at Sketch Saturday

modified a little to keep it more simple.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers.  I found that luscious sparkly ribbon in my stash and also the narrow 1/8" ribbon I used to make the double bow.  I think they both came from The Ribbon Girl.   The sentiment is printed with a computer font and fussy cut, then matted with the same CS that I used for the card front.  The pearls were also in my stash.

     Challenges
CAS on Sunday
Catch the Bug
Come and Get It
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with an Attitude
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Boots
Digi Choosday
Digi Sketch
Eureka Stamps
Great Impressions
Not Just Cards
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz PAM
Paper Girls
Pile It On
Ribbon Girl
Sami Stamps
Scrapper's Delights
Stamp and Create
Top Tip Tuesday

      A fond farewell to all my DT mates at Twisted Thursday and I hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  Don't forget, it's all about "Flowers" if you decide to add the twist which allows you to enter two projects instead of only one, increasing your chances of winning.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Long Stretch...

     It's Thursday and we have a brand new challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday where our theme is always Anything Goes but we offer an optional twist.  The twist this week is "Add a Charm."  We have a terrific sponsor this entire month, Sami Stamps.

     The image is printed on a piece of scrap CS and then colored with ProMarkers.  Both the sheer ribbon and the twine are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, but they've been in my stash for a long time.  I decided that it was definitely time to use them.  I used three pieces of twine to tie the bow.  The kitty charm was in my stash.

     CAS and quick to complete.  As my friend, Lynn, (who loves cards done in blues,) would say, "Just git 'er done!"

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Artistic Inspirations
CAS on Sunday
Clear It Out
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Digi Chooseday
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Not Just Cards
Paper Minutes
Papertake Weekly
Perfectly Rustics
Scribble & Scrap
Sisterhood of Crafters
Through the Craft Room Door

     I hope we're going to see you playing in our Twisted Thursday "Anything Goes" challenge this week.  If you don't belong to The Outlawz yet, use this link to get to the main page and join up.  It's free and you'll find a different challenge each and every day plus a Progressive Challenge once a month.  The crafters over there are so warm and wonderfully friendly; you'll love the people you meet.  Come join us, won't you?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie