Daisies in a Bottle

     It's been a while since I used an image from A Day for Daisies (add a doily or twine) but when I saw this one while scrolling through my collection, I immediately printed it (which is a story in itself!) and turned it into a birthday card.  I know I've been doing a lot of those recently but my birthday card stash was down to nil, zero, nada so it's time to make several and get stocked up again.

I used the sketch from Sketch & Stash

but it's turned 1/4 turn.  See below for the explanation on that.

     OK, when I went to print the image, I knew I wanted to print directly to my card base because I am going to enter the first challenge at AAA Cards and their challenge theme calls for only 2 layers, plus glitter and "Happy."   Well, only 2 layers means CAS to me (despite the fact that I love to mat everything and have many layers on most of my cards.)  Anyway, back to the printing story -- I thought I had the printing all figured out so that the image would print on the card front with a left hand fold for an A2 card.  Unfortunately, when the card came out of the printer, I hadn't planned it properly or I forgot which way the printer would print onto the paper.  In any case, the only way I could make it work for the sketch was to turn the sketch 1/4 turn and have a top fold, tent card.  OK, so I just went with it.  Next time, I'll practice on plain copier paper before printing on my good CS. :-D

     I colored the flowers and vase with watercolor pencils, and then added Stickles to the vase and flower centers.  I die cut the frame and layered it onto the card front, encircling the image (making my second layer.)  I added twine in two colors, punching a small hole in the top fold so that I could wrap the twine.  That's it.  Totally CAS and other than the time messing around with how to print it, it took me less than 20 minutes to make.  Of course, I had to wait a good 45 minutes before taking the photo so the Stickles would dry.  :-D

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- A/G or Mom
Crafting from the Heart -- A/G
Die Cut Divas -- At least 1 embellie (twine)
Digi Makeover -- A/G (with a digi)
Love to Create -- Flowers
My Craft Creations -- A/G
My Craft Spot -- Spring
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Use 5 things total (CS/glitter/image/frame/twine)
Stampin' with the Dragon -- Flowers
Sweet Peas Stampers -- Birthday

     What a wonderful Wednesday this has been!  And that means only a day or two until the weekend.  Remember this Sunday is Mother's Day here in the States.  I hope you have your plans all made.  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

         

A Day at the Beach

     Remember when you were a kid and a day at the beach was the absolute most fun that could be had anywhere, anytime?  This marvelous digi stamp from Digi Darla's ("Kids Beach Scene") just took me back to those days, long ago.  Of course, I had to steal some time and make a card.  Since I don't work on Fridays at my day job, the best option seemed to be to get up really early and steal time.  Of course, I still have to teach tonight.  :-D

     The rest of the story is that I serve on a DT with a wonderful lady who also happens to be on the Digi Darla's DT.  I've never played in their challenges before and she teased and tormented me until I did a card for their "How do you LAYER up?" challenge, so this card is really all Vicky's fault!  lol  Not that it matters -- I love the way this turned out.  Doesn't the scene look like a moment on a cloudy day, when the sun breaks through and sparkles the ocean but there are still clouds shading the beach?  Click on the card photo to enlarge it and it really shows the sparkles!

Sketch came from Sketch and Stash, where this week you can choose any sketch from their entire collection.  I chose #10.

     The image is colored with Copics and gel pens, then die cut and matted with black CS.   The darker blue dp is from my stash and it was just a scrap so I don't know the maker (could be DCWV.)  The polka dot and light blue dp are both from DCWV's "Linen Closet" stack.  They were also scraps but since that particular stack is my favorite DCWV ever, I'm totally familiar with it.  I buy an additional stack of it whenever I find it on sale.  :-D

     Each dp layer is also matted with a layer of black CS, making a total of 9 layers on this card, not counting embellishments as a layer.  I dug out some old eyelets which have been hiding in my stash (unused, for decades), and punched those in before I layered everything onto the card front.  The final touch -- the three red bows with hand sewn pearls.  Although it has tons of layers, it still seems relatively open and simple, taking nothing away from the main image.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks -- By the sea
Crafting by Designs -- Jump into Summer & Use Your Scraps
Creative Mondays -- Summer
Cupcake Craft Challenge  -- Something in the Eyelet
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge -- Anything Goes
Deep Ocean Challenge -- Welcome Summer
House That Stamps Built -- Head for the Beach
Kaboodle Doodles -- Celebrate your country's colors
Love to Create -- Summertime fun
Made Especially for You -- Use 3 eyelets

     OK, now I have to get everything ready for my class tonight.  Lots of handouts to finish and copy, plus papers to grade so they can be handed back to the students.  I hope your upcoming weekend is going to be smashing and that you have lots of fun and crafty things planned.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie