Spring Flower Basket

     One of the things I love about spring is that my garden begins to bloom with flowers, which I cut and arrange on my dining table.  Each type of flower comes in its own time and I get to measure the progression of spring by what flowers are on the table.  My daisies are just beginning to put on buds but in a couple of weeks, they'll be in full bloom and then I can put a huge basket of them on the table.

     When I found this image in my collection of Stamper's Delights (previously Scrapper's Delights), I just had to print and color it.  It'll have to do until my daisies bloom.

Colored with polychromos pencils and ProMarkers
Image and frame cut with QuicKutz dies
Satin ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Grosgrain ribbon for bow from Crafty Ribbons

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Fingers
Creative Inspirations
Double D
Outlawz Festive Fri
TTCRD

     I'm off to get caught up on at least two other posts which need to be written and pre-scheduled today, then I need to read some of the emails which have been piling up.  I think I need a vacation from all this 'stay at home' time so that I can get some things done!  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Daisy Kind of Day

     Before I show you my card for today, I want to tell you the back story as I heard it.  A neighbor of mine asked me to make an anniversary card for friends of hers and it had to have daisies on it.  Why daisies instead of romantic roses wrapped in diamonds?

     This couple went to see a movie on their first date and she said she decided he was "The One" that very evening because he chose the movie and it was a chick flick just for her!  He took her to see "You've Got Mail" and she loved the line in the movie about 'daisies being her favorite flower because they are so friendly.'    She had two little daisies tucked into her wedding bouquet and every year on their anniversary, hubby gets her daisies - even if he has to pick them from their own garden.  :-D  What a sweetheart of a man.

     So, here's my card done for their anniversary.  The image is from Di's Digi Designs.  I wasn't really sure about a woodland mouse as the main character on an anniversary card but, while I haven't had a report from the couple yet, my neighbor who commissioned it absolutely loved it.

I started with the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

     I used watercolor paints and polychromos pencils to color the image, then die cut it with a die from Sizzix.  The two main dp pieces are scraps from my basket and were cut with rectangle dies from Spellbinders and QuicKutz.  The yellow strip is hand-bleached CS.  All of those pieces and the sentiment pieces were inked with a distressed ink pad from Tim Holtz.

     In my stash, I found three white daisies for embellishment and added them to the lower corner.  Everything is put onto textured, gold CS which I used for the card front.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cute N Crafty
Crafting from the Heart
Get Creative
Mod Squad
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Songs & Rhymes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls

     That's all I have for today but I have yet another post pre-scheduled for tomorrow and a twofer for Friday.  Hope you'll be checking each day.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Focus on the Sentiment

     It's been a long time since I did a card where the focus was on the sentiment rather than a hand colored image and, since I've been hiding out in my craft room most of the day today, I want to share this one with you.  It's pretty simple and straight-forward with some texture and dimension.

     The sentiment and the yellow mat for it are cut with dies from Spellbinders and the daisies are stickers made 3D with large Pop Dots.  I added the sentiment and flowers to a deep brown, stitched die cut, rectangle (Die-Namics) then put everything onto a pre-made, yellow card blank and called it finished.  :-D

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Creates and Makes
Creative Moments
Inspiration Destination
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     Back to my craft room for the rest of the day.  If I haven't visited your blog yet this week, I'll be around to see all of you this evening.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie