She Sells Sea Shells...

     This one is for the July Crafting with an Attitude challenge and the image was donated by our sponsor, Colour of Love (formerly Lacy Sunshine.)  It's called "Sandi Boo Collecting Sea Shells."

ProMarkers
Alcohol ink used for the hand made background paper
QuicKutz oval dies
3 gems on each side of oval

     Challenges:
Archi-Scraps
Colour Crazy
Crafty Creations
Crafty Friends (beach, babe,blue)
Creative Fingers
Di's Digi Designs
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz SAR
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp & Show

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Just Chillin' at the Seaside

     Here's it is the first Thursday in August and we're starting a new challenge over at Crafting with an Attitude.  Our sponsor this month is Beccy's Place and I've used this magnificent Gull from her "Smooth Seas" set.

     I started by coloring with my ProMarkers and then did the background using a dried out marker as a water color 'paint brush.'   I dipped it into the water color, let it absorb quite a bit, dabbed it once on a paper towel, then used it to 'paint' both the sky and the water.  I had to dip several times to complete both the sky and the water.

     The marker I chose was actually an old blender so I didn't risk any color being left in the marker.  Old alcohol markers don't mix well with the water, even when they are dried out.  I really like the broad, chisel-tip look it gave me which I can't get with any of the water color paint brushes I have.

     I used a white gel pen to make the foam around the pilings.

     I cut the image with a stitched, Cheery Lynn, die.  I did the same with the printed sentiment but I trimmed off the top since the small square die was larger than I wanted.  Both of those pieces were mounted onto a confetti CS base.  I dug through my ribbon stash, found that blue ribbon, and used the last I had to wrap around the card front and then make the multi-loop bow with my bow maker.

     I think this made a wonderful masculine card and I'll have it in my stash for future use.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Bastel-Traum
Beccy's Place
Carlin's Card Paradise
Country View
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafter's Cafe
Crafts Galore Encore
Digistamps4Joy
Scribbles Designs

     Come play in our challenge this month.  Our theme is "Anything Goes" and we can't wait to be inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ice Cream at the Beach

     Want to know the perfect remedy for hot weather?  Yep, you guessed it - ice cream at the beach!  And I thought this cute little image from Bugaboo Stamps showed that off perfectly.  :-D

I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel inks (white, silver, and sparkle), then die cut the image and the frame with two of my new dies from Tonic Studios.  I found scraps of dp in my basket, cut the ends of them with one of the scalloped dies from Tonic Studios, and added them underneath the framed image.

     I tied the multi-loop bow using two ribbons on my bow maker.  Finally, I printed the sentiment, hand-cut it, matted it, and added it, offset below the image.

     Challenges:
CARDZ TV
Catch the Bug
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Catz
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beach Weather

     Well, they said the really hot weather would arrive last weekend but we jumped from 84F on Thursday to 100F on Saturday and 102F on Sunday!  I know it'll get hotter over the upcoming summer but an almost 20 degree jump over a single weekend nearly wiped me out.  I'm ready for a month at the beach!

     The image from Bugaboo Stamps was in my collection and I grabbed it to use for the Stella Says Sketch challenge (see below.)

Here's the sketch I followed.

     I use ProMarkers to color the image and added some sparkle gel ink to her sunglasses.  Unfortunately, it doesn't show in the photo so it looks like I did nothing.  :( 

     I cut the image with a Bo Bunny die which included the delicate frame that allowed me to inset the image.  The patterned, blue, dp is a left over scrap from a Recollections stack and the chevron dp is also a scrap but I can't remember the maker.  The textured, brown CS came from the scrap pile.  Come to think of it, even the image was printed onto a scrap.

     The bow is one of the wrapped-burlap bows I make but I 'dyed' this one with a purple ProMarker to match her bikini and flip flops.  Overall, this is a pretty CAS design but the dp patterns and fancy die cut make it look much more complex.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Crafting from the Heart
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Pixie's Snippets
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Stamping Sensations

     Weatherman says we will "cool down" to the high 90s until next weekend when the 100+s will hit us again.  Thank goodness for air conditioning!  I can stay inside and do some Happy Crafting.  :-D  NanaConnie

Beach Weather

     The fur babies and I have been melting in 100 degree heat for the last 2 days and even though the weatherman is promising that we'll be back in the high 70s (F) today, I'm heading for the beach.  The felines can stay home and play in their sand box, pretending they're at the beach.  lol

     Maybe this card will help if I leave it out where they can see it, do you think?   No, they'd just be mad because she took her kitty with her and I left them at home.  :-D

I started with the sketch from My Favorite Things

but I flipped it top to bottom and reversed it as well.

     I colored it with my ProMarkers and cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I made a pink denim background by photographing an old  pair of jeans with my new closeup lens.  I printed the photo onto watercolor paper for a bit more texture and then tore some kraft CS for the bottom to go with the sand.  I added gold satin ribbon to one side of the die cut frame and then tied two, simple, pink bows (no pearls this time) for a bit of embellishment.

     Challenges:
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Animals
Fab n Funky
Fussy and Fancy
Sasayaki Glitter
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
World Wide Open DT

     OK, I'm not actually heading for the beach.  I'm staying home in the air conditioning to watch a live streaming of my granddaughter's National Cheer competitions in Florida.  It runs over both days this weekend.  I'm already aware of how tight the competition will be.  One of the earlier teams I was following placed 12th out of  36 teams in that division and they had a "no deduction" score, meaning that they were technically perfect!  The difference in total scores between 1st and 36th was less than 1.21 points (out of 100.)  It feels like the Olympics where competitors are only hundredths of a point apart!

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

June/July Challenge at MHK Designs

     Hello, and welcome to our SURPRISE Birthday Beach Blog Hop for the lovely Asha!  You should have arrived here from MYNN KITCHEN's blog.  If not, start at the MHKDesigns blog to complete the hop for more chances to WIN !  We are celebrating a very special lady today, and we're doing so by creating beachy birthday cards to wish her many happy returns!

Here's our Inspiration Photo for this challenge which runs from June 21 to July 17.

 

And here's my card using the Anchor from the "Serene Seaside" set available at MHK Designs.

I originally intended this for a Father's Day card but realized it would
also make a great birthday card for either gender.  So, Happy Birthday, Asha !

     The personal greeting is on the inside.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the anchor and then cut it with a stitched scalloped circle die from Memory Box.  The plain circle is done with a die from Spellbinders.  I used a Darice embossing folder on the blue diamond and the brown CS strip.

     The ribbon is from my stash and the 'bow-tie' bow was made using yellow satin ribbon.  The sentiment is from the set, also die cut with a (Memory Box) stitched die and matted with a small circle (Spellbinders.)

     Challenges:

Brown Sugar

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards

Craft-Dee BowZ

Crafty Ribbons

Create and Inspire

Creative Fingers

Double D

Inky Chicks

Scrapy Land

     Thank you so much for joining in our hop to say "Happy Birthday" to a dear friend!  Your next stop on the hop is ROCKY CRAFTER's blog!  

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Serene Seaside


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.

Life at the Beach

     Early last month I used this beach pail image (From the Heart Stamps) because the weather had turned hot, hit the high-90 degrees, and I thought something from the beach might make it seem a bit cooler.  It didn't.  Last time, I did the whole card including the image in all black and white for a monochromatic effect.  This time I colored it and did a 'cool blue' palette.

I started with the sketch at I {heart} Sketches.

     I used ProMarkers to color and, since the optional twist is to fussy cut the image, I die cut the bottom half and fussy cut the top half of the image.  I adhered the image so that I could get an out-of-the-box effect.  The stitched die is from Memory Box and the plain circle dies used to cut the mats are from QuicKutz.

     All the papers were in my scrap basket, including the navy blue for matting the rectangles.  They were all waiting for me to find an excuse to use them.  With all those layers, I decided that a simple bow made from burlap ribbon would be enough embellishment.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Friends
Die Cuttin' Divas
Dragonfly Dreams
Incy Wincy
Lemon Shortbread
Love to Scrap
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Ribbon Girl
Scrapy Land
Stamping Sensations
Unicorn

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Happy Pelican

     Pelicans and the shore just go together for me, and they always remind me of beach vacations.   You may have already noticed that this is the second pelican image I've used this week.  :-D

     We have a new challenge starting today at QKR Stampede and our theme is "Day at the Beach."
I used this image and this sentiment from QKR: Digi 18511 "Happy Pelican" and Digi 15103 "Ruffle Feathers".

     The image is colored with my ProMarkers, then die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  Another larger die from that same set was used to cut the mat piece.  I used the smallest die from that set to cut the sentiment but I had to adjust it, cutting the top first and then sliding the die up to cut the bottom because it was larger than I wanted.  I used the same blue CS (but hand cut it) to mat the sentiment.  The small blue bow was hand tied.  Everything went onto brown CS embossed with my "Linen" folder and then onto the card front.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Colour Your World
Crafter's Cafe
Crafty Boots
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
House that Stamps Built
Incy Wincy Designs
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Male Room
Passion for ProMarkers
Ribbon Girl
Robyn's Fetish
Scrapy Land
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     Come play with us this week won't you?  Just show us something that you'd find on a "Day at the Beach" and enter it into our challenge.  Remember, you don't have to use QKR images to enter but if you do, your card will be put into a separate drawing just for QKR Stampede users and that increases your chances of winning significantly.  See you there.  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