It's All About the Stretch

     This is one of those cards that 'shows up' unexpectedly and drives you crazy for hours!  Let me tell you the story and you'll see why.  I got up this morning and was going to work in the craft room on some additional cards for the Cat Lovers Blog Hop going on between now and Saturday.

Haven't played before and interested in joining?

Click HERE.

     I looked at the desktop and there's a card lying on it which wasn't there yesterday when I finished playing.  I remember very clearly making the card but it was back a ways, maybe even six or seven months ago.  So I searched back through the posts on my blog and it wasn't there.  

     Hmmm, could it have been as much as a year ago?  I search back further, all the way back to last year's Cat Lovers Hop but nothing.  OK, go back even further - I covered every post for the last two years and more (wasting a good two hours of what could have been productive time - grrrrr.)  I have never blogged about this card!  

     Well, lucky you, folks.  You get to see it today and I get to enter one more card into the Hop.  :-D  This card was done in honor of one of my childhood cats who was named "Stretch."  He was black and always stretched before every activity.  Even when he awoke hungry and thirsty, he had to take time to stretch every muscle and tendon in his sleek body.  

     Please don't ask me who made the cat image because I don't remember.  I do remember sizing the two cat images and reversing one to print them both on the same piece of CS.

Eyes done with red glitter

Cut with square die (QuicKutz) and distressed

Red mulberry paper

Ribbon scrap from Crafty Ribbons

Hand tied bow tie bow

Sentiment hand cut and mounted on dimensional tape

     Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments
Cutie Pie

Dare 2B Artsy
Double D
Dragonfly Dreams
Dream Valley

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Scrappy Land

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meowl-loween

     Hey, the 2019 Cat Lovers Hop starts today

 and this is my first project for it!

This is year #5.

Haven't played before and interested in joining?

Click HERE.

     Ready for another silhouette card?  This one was pretty quick and simple, and qualifies as a CAS card, I'm sure.  Have you noticed a fascination for cats in these silhouettes?   Back in the days when I was still buying rubber stamps instead of using digis (a looooong time ago!), I think I bought every single stamp I saw that had a cat in it.  Of course, when it comes to Halloween stamps, cats are easy to find, especially black cats which makes silhouettes a natural.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with a Sizzix die
Stitched black ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
Bow tie bow added to the middle cat
Embossing on card front - Darice EF

     Challenges:
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Knockouts
Double D
Dragonfly Dreams
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
I {heart} ProMarkers
LeighSB Designs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
SUYP Cats

     Happy Monday and Happy Crafting!  NanaConnie

Sneezes and Sniffles

     I've done a Get Well card using a House Mouse image and I have no doubt it'll get used rather quickly although, at the moment, it's in my stash.  Cold season is just around the corner and I've learned those can go through the entire household very quickly (and predictably!)

Colored with ProMarkers and colored pencils
Frame cut with Spellbinders die
Stripes created with ribbon
2 polka dot, bow tie bows (tied on my bow maker)
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Crafter's Cafe
Creative Moments
Digi Choosday
Dream Valley
House Mouse
Papercraft
Simon Says Stamp & Show (Sniffles, Sneezes)
TTCRD
Tues. Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cuddle a Kitty

     Common wisdom says when you're feeling down, you probably need a hug.  At my house, it's a sure sign you need to cuddle a kitty.  :-D

     The April challenge has started over at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies (no April Fool gag!) and our theme (as always) is Anything Goes with a Critter featured.  Our delightful sponsor this month is Digi Doodle Studios.  Although they generously supplied the DT with images to use, I chose one I already had in my collection, called "Kitty."

     I used ProMarkers, chalks, and gel inks to color the image, then cut it with a die from Sizzix.  I printed and cut the sentiment with a die from QuicKutz.  I used a larger Sizzix die to cut the mulberry paper, then dampened the edge and 'feathered' it.

     The satin ribbon was the last piece of it I had in my stash and I wrapped it around the card front.  I used my bow maker to tie the double layer, bow tie bow, using gingham ribbon.

     Challenges:
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Mod Squad
SUYP Cats
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     I hope you're going to come and play with us this month.  Remember, you are not limited to cards for your entries.  You can enter anything which features a 'critter' on it.  We love being inspired by your creations.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Ladybug Whisperer

     Good Friday morning to all of you!  As you know, if it's Friday, I'm showcasing a card for the new challenge at QKR Stampede.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes."  This week, I got charmed by another gnome image ("Knome and Ladybug" - unfortunately misspelled in the shop but you can click on the link to get there) and I thought he looked like a Ladybug Whisperer.  Or maybe that's just his pet.  :-D

     I used ProMarkers and water colors to color the image, then used Sue Wilson dies to cut the image and the delicate, flowery, frame.  I inlaid the image into the frame and matted them both with a die cut piece of green CS.  I printed and matted the sentiment before adding that entire piece to a "linen" embossed card front.

     The polka dot ribbon came from my stash and I dug out one of the wrapped, burlap twine, bow tie, bows that are in my basket.  I made several dozen of those over a weekend and am still finding them useful when I want a bit of extra texture.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.

     Come play with us this week and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Hedgehog Taxi

     I love this adorable image from Di's Digi Designs which makes me think of a taxi ride for a hedgie.  This little girl pulling her garden cart is so sweet.

I did something new for me - a Double Z Fold card.

Here's a side view photo to show how the two pieces are put together.

     I colored with ProMarkers and watercolor pencils, then cut the image with a Gina Marie die.  I layered the image onto the top portion of the pink CS, and scored it twice to make the Z fold.  I took the white confetti CS (5 3/4" x 11"), scored it twice, and folded it into a larger Z fold.  The largest part (below the middle fold) is 5 3/4" x 5 3/4", making it a square card when all is folded together.  It will fit perfectly into a 6" x 6" envelope.

     I put the two Z fold pieces together, using double sided tape first at the top of the card, then folded them up together to determine where the bottom of the pink CS should be.  Once I had that, I removed the covering strip from the double sided tape on the bottom of the pink CS and pressed them together.

     I tied a bow tie bow from a bit of leftover lace, wrapping the center with satin ribbon and I added that to the bottom of the pink CS.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it to the bottom of the inside Z fold.

     It took me a little experimenting to figure out how to do the Double Z fold but I quite like it and will undoubtedly do more of them.

    (Edited to add:  As I was adding the challenge links to this, one of my grandkids told me I could have searched PINterest or YouTube for instructions on Z fold cards but I didn't think of that when I was making it.  I checked and both of those are filled with instructions.  lol  Check them out if you think you might be interested in doing one of these.  :-D )

     Challenges:
Allsorts
CARDZ TV
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Catz
Fussy and Fancy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Polkadoodles

     That's it for me.  I'm really enjoying my time away and hope you are enjoying the pre-scheduled posts.  I'll have another one on Friday for my DT project at QKR Stampede.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Guardian Angel

     Time for the June challenge at World Wide Open DT Challenge.  You'll want to check out the winners post, too, just in case you might be one of them.  For my DT card this month, I've used the Julia Spiri image, "Ofelia Angel."  Isn't she lovely?

     The coloring of the image is done with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  I used dies from a Spellbinders set to cut both the image and the sentiment.  I used one of my ProMarkers to ink the edges of the die cuts.

     The dp is from the Linen Closet stack by DCWV (my favorite stack ever!)  The card front is embossed with my "Linen" folder.  For embellishment, I used a 'bow tie' bow.  I can't tie those by hand - I have to use my bow maker.  :-D

     Challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft
Aud Sentiments
CARDZ TV
CCC Digi Creations
Color Sisters
Craft-Dee BowZ
Creative Craft Cottage
Morgan's ArtWorld
My Favorite Things
Paper Nest Dolls

     Come play with us this month, won't you?  Our theme is always Anything Goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

On Top of the World !

     On Top of the World is how I feel this morning!  It's my first official day as a member of the DT at Crafting with an Attitude.  We have a new challenge which begins on the first Thursday of each month and runs throughout the month.  Our challenges are always "Anything Goes."

     This month, we are sponsored by Di's Digi Designs.  The image I used is from my own collection and is called "King of the Castle."  However, when I searched the store I found only a different version of this stamp.  It has a butterfly instead of the little birds.  Still, it's really adorable so well worth checking out.

I was influenced by the colors in the Incy Wincy challenge.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image and cut it with one of my border dies from Spellbinders.  I cut three scraps of CS with the same border die and layered them all together for some texture and dimension.  I did my best to match those to colors in the image.

     I made a "bow tie" bow from scraps of lace (dyed pink with a ProMarker) and satin ribbon for the wrap, then printed and hand cut the sentiment.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Creations
Creative Moments
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp & Show
SUYP Cats

     I hope you'll come and play along in our challenge.  Remember, it's Anything Goes so you can literally do anything for your entry.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie