"My Way" Dragon

     It did cool down somewhat on Sunday but I still stayed in and made cards.  This one had me smiling and thinking of my granddaughter who adores dragons.  The sentiment fits her pretty well, too, and it just seemed to express in words what's on the dragon's face.  :-D  The image is from QKR Stampede and their challenge this week is "Ribbons and Bows."

The sketch came from Sweet Stop.

     I used my Promarkers to color the image and added Stickles to a few spots on his wings and body.  He's die cut, then matted with a die cut a size larger.  The dp is from DCWV, Juniper Berry stack.  The sentiment is mine, done with a computer font and then die cut with a lacy die.  The lace ribbon was in my stash and the bow is one of those I make and keep ready in my stash.

     I know those can be found at Joann's and other fabric shops but they're so expensive that way, and since my mom taught me how to sew those together years ago, I prefer making my own.  That way, I have more variety in colors than I can get at the craft stores.  I did notice that I'm in need of more pearl beads soon, though, so have added that to my shopping list.  What a great excuse to head off to the craft store.  :-D

     Challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards -- Fantasy or fairies
Crafty Calendar -- Things with wings
Digi Haven -- Anything goes
Digistamps 4 Joy -- To be young again
Heck of a Challenge -- Bingo: lace/ ribbon/ pearls
Natalie & Amy's -- Fantasy
Rhedd & Rosie's -- Ribbons and lace
Scrap It Girl -- Use your dies
Send a Smile 4 Kids -- Anything goes for kids
Sister Act -- Anything goes
Totally Papercrafts -- Punches/dies

     We're starting the new work week today and I wish I could stay home instead of going to the office.  Ah well, it's the work days that make the days off more special.  Have a browse around while you're here and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

You Can't Be Too Purple!

     The post title is my overall motto and apparently, it's Effie's too!   She's a digital stamp from Sassy Studio Designs (challenge theme is You've Been Framed) and she's totally dolled up with a gorgeous trinket on her finger (that's a tiny rhinestone.)

I took the sketch from Sweet Stop, except I used an oval frame instead of a circle.

     "Effie Trinket" is a freebie at the Sassy Studio Designs group at Paper Craft Planet where they want us to use the freebie and help them celebrate 600 members.  They also want to see Embossing, Flowers, Full of color, Ink, and Embellishments (EFFIE).

     Effie's hair and skin are colored with alcohol ink markers, and her dress and hat are completely paper pieced with 3 different dps.  The flowery background dp was in my stash and I have no idea who made it.  I used an oval die to cut the image plus two larger sizes for framing, a total of 3 layers on the image.  The dark frame is metallic paper which has been embossed.  The card base has also been embossed with a CB "Linen" folder.  All the embellishments, including the ribbon for the bow, were in my stash.

     I punched the corners with a decorative punch and added three pearls to each side of the frame.

     Other Challenges:
2 Sisters -- Anything goes
Crafts and Me -- favorite color combo: anything with purples
Crazy Amigo -- Flowers
Divas by Design -- Monochromatic
Little Darlings -- Flowers
Paper Pretties -- Flowers
Poodles Parlour -- Anything goes
Speedy & Friends -- 3 of something (pearls, image layers, papers for piecing)
Stamp Man -- Favorite technique: paper piecing
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle -- Ribbons and Bows
Stampin' for the Weekend -- 4 or more layers (there are 5)

     Hope you're having a great start to your week and that your weekend was fun, relaxing, and filled with creativity, whatever the weather may have been.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

My Funny Valentine

    That song, "My Funny Valentine" has been running through my head all morning and I don't know how to get rid of it!  But it's appropriate for the card I want to share with you, which was inspired partly by the sketch with a twist challenge over at The Sweet Stop.  The twist is to make a 'non-traditional Valentine.'   So, I used a newly released digi from Sweet 'n Sassy (make an easel card) and added a silly sentiment for a bit of humor.  :-D

Here's the sketch, but I turned it on it's side.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers (Passion for ProMarkers -- Humor), and added the computer-printed sentiment, modifying the digi slightly to make it work.  The digi is from a new set called "Cheer Up" and only the question mark is actually in the "text balloon."  I adhered my sentiment next to the question mark and then made the balloon surround the entire thing.  Papers are from DCWV (I think -- they've been in my stash for a while), and the twine is the only embellishment.  I tied big loopy bows from blue and brown twine (with one gold) and added them to the blue and brown twine wrapped around the card front before attaching it to the easel.  I'm fairly new at doing easel cards, and this is the first one I've done with an A2 style card which is folded on the 4 1/4" side.  So, new image and new technique.

     I think this is a perfect Valentine for a kid -- not too sloppy or smoochy, and with a bit of fun.  It seems to me that's exactly the kind of thing a kid would think if the girl who liked him (oooh, yucky) ate his chocolate Valentine heart!  lol

     Challenges:
Corrosive Challenge -- I {heart} you
Crafty Ann's -- "What's New, Pussycat?"  (New image, new easel style)
Crafty Creations -- Valentine
Crafty Pad -- Something for the Boys
Digi Doodle Shop's Best -- Blue & Brown
PanPastel UK -- 2 of something: 2 cats, 2 twines, 2 patterned papers
Paperminutes -- Anything Goes
Pattie's Creations -- Fancy folds
Pixie Dust Studio -- We're going dotty
Poodles Parlour -- Valentine
Scrap It Girl -- C, H, A -- cats, heart, appetite or animals
Send a Smile 4 Kids -- Anything goes for kids
Simply Create, Too -- Love is in the Air
Squirrel and the Fox -- Critters
Stampin with the Dragon -- Anything Goes
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday -- Have a heart
Wags 'n Whiskers -- Valentine
Whimsy Inspiration -- Blue & Brown

     I hope you found a smile somewhere in today's post.  The weekend is nearly over and by the time this one posts, I'll be on my way to watch the 49ers football playoff game.  I hope it's not going to be a long evening!  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and I'll see you tomorrow, right here in Grammy's Attic.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie
  

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge

   Edited to add:  This card was featured on The Sweet Stop.     

     It's Tuesday, that old Back-to-Work-Monday is now behind us and it's time for another challenge at Tuesday Throwdown!  This week we are celebrating "Fall Days" as our theme, and our sponsor is Sweet 'n' Sassy stamps.  They have some really wonderful images, and I chose Rubarb Scarecrow.  Isn't he a sweetie?

     Sweet 'n' Sassy also has a challenge with an inspiration photo this week.  You have to go over to the site and check it out, but it has a little girl who seems to be crying out for new toy.  I thought Rhubarb in his autumn scarecrow outfit would make a perfect new toy for her!  

           I used a sketch from The Sweet Stop where they also have a spin on it this week -- "Starstruck", which you can interpret any way you like.  I chose to add ribbon which had stars in it.  The ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon (part of the September monthly ribbon club selections) and they also have an "Autumn" theme for their challenge.

     Catch the Bug Challenge wants us to "Make a Scene" and Rhubarb made that one easy!  He's a scene all by himself with the pumpkin, the bird and the sign.   Crazy 4 Challenges would like us to do projects which have pumpkins on them.  Rhubarb's colored with Copics, then fussy cut and matted with die cuts from Spellbinders.  The Corrosive Challenge wants us to use punches or dies.  For the colors, of course I used the "Fall Days" theme from here at Tuesday Throwdown, but the following challenges also had us use either specific colors which fit in with fall or autumn colors as their theme: Pile It On (and don't forget they want us to pile on the challenges, too.), The Ribbon Girl (green and brown), Our Daily Bread (fall colors),  Send a Smile for Kids (fall or Halloween cute card).

     The papers are mostly from DCVW, but have been in my stash more than a year.  I'm going to be so sad when that dp with all the leaves and acorns is used up.  (sniff)  For embellishments, I used the ribbon, the pearls, the paper roses, the ribbon roses, and the yellow foam petals beneath the flowers.  Crafty Emma's CES Challenges wants us to "Embellish it more" by using 4 or more different types of embellishments.  The Emerald Faerie Garden asks for pearls this week, and Little Miss Muffet wants "Things with Wings" -- the bird.  Creative Craft would like us to use something New, and Rhubarb is my new image along with the new ribbon.   My Time to Craft wants us to use things starting with the letter "L" and I have done leaves and layers.

     Di's Digi Designs (a brand new challenge blog) says Anything Goes, and Cardmadfairy wants Lots of Layers (I have ten not counting the embellishment layer.)  Finally, Scrappy Frogs (my first time playing over there) wants Vintage.  Rhubarb looks just like one of the Halloween post card images that were so popular from the early 1900s through the 1920s.  All the roses give him an even more vintage look, I think.

     OK, I've piled them on again.  I hope when you pile up your challenges this week that Tuesday Throwdown will be one of them.  Obviously, there are a ton of challenges out there that all have some connection to fall, autumn, or colors that celebrate the season.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie