Ruff Day?

     Shhh, don't tell the feline fur babies that I did a card with a pooch on it!  They get so jealous and behave outlandishly for hours afterward.  :-D

     This adorable little pup is from Crackerbox Palace and I'm entering their new challenge.  They are now combined with So Suzy Stamps and you can find the challenge by clicking on this LINK.

     Naturally, I colored with my ProMakers, then I cut the image with an octagon die from QuicKutz.  I cut a mat from red CS with a die one size larger.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, inked over it with a ProMarker and mounted that right onto the image piece.

     I added that to brown CS, embossed in my "Linen" folder.  I wrapped twine around it and added the metal bird charm which is popped up on dimension dots.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Crafty Friends (beagle, brown, bird)
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Path of Positivity
Penny's Paper Crafty
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown (die cut/digi/ribbon)

     I'm having a marvelous weekend ! It's quiet in my neighborhood because so many people are away for the long Memorial Day weekend and I've played in my garden, crafted, made a couple more cards, lazed with the cats, and generally been totally selfish for the last 36 hours!  It's wonderful.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Rick St. Dennis Christmas - Winter Friends

     I love my collection of Rick St. Dennis images which is still growing and, while I've used thisone several times, it looks different each time I use it.  This time, I did a bit of Christmas red, some icy winter blue and gray, and some metal snowflakes and ornaments.  What do you think?

I based my card on the sketch at Sketch Saturday.

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut it with a die from QuicKutz.  I printed the sentiment and added it to the bottom of the image.  I put two long, silver-metal, ornaments over the tiny round ones which had been on the dp, then added a metal snowflake charm to the image.

     Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fridays
Sparkle and Glitter
Sweet Stampin' Christmas
Through the Craft Room Door
Winter Wonderland

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

What's Your Birthday Number?

     I had such a delightful encounter in the grocery line yesterday and it inspired the sentiment on this card.  I was behind a mom with two kids, the older a girl of 7 and the younger a boy of 4 who was riding in the cart.   As we stood there, he engaged me in conversation to let me know that it was his birthday and he was now 4!  Obviously, he'd learned that before that momentous day, he was 3 (and could say so) but now he was trying very hard to figure out the magic of suddenly being 4 and having to learn that instead.

     Toward the end of our conversation, he asked me, "What's your birthday number?"  His mother tried mightily to shush him but it was a question to which he clearly wanted an answer.  I smiled at mom and, turning to him, fessed up my actual age, which is knocking on the door of the 70s.  :-D   He thought for a brief moment and then asked, "Is that a lot?"  I had to laugh out loud and admitted that, yes, indeed, it was a lot.

      Driving home, I decided that it was a number of which I should be very proud!  There are lots of people in this world who never make it this far.  So, I made this card and added the sentiment in celebration of my own birthday which is next month and, yes, I'm proud of my 'birthday number.'

     This cupcake kitten image is from the Sasayaki #7 Progressive Challenge.  I used my polychromos pencils and a couple of ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with QuicKutz oval dies.  I also cut two mats for it from scrap pieces of CS left on my desk from making Valentines over the last couple of weeks.  I'm trying to use up all the scraps of red rather than just tossing them in the trash.

     Other scraps include the dp and the twine.  I added the cat charm for a bit of interest and texture.  I also used one of my satin bows to cover a blemish on the card front where I had attached the charm.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Catch the Bug (ribbon/red/charm)
Crafty Cardmakers
Digi Choosday
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pixie's Snippets
Sweet Stampers
TTCRD
World Wide Open DT

     More clouds and more gray sky but the weather people are saying no rain today.  However, tomorrow is a different story and we will have rain again.  Another great excuse to stay in and craft.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie