Patriotism

      Our greatest National holiday in the US is undoubtedly July 4th, Independence Day, (right around the corner!) but the image I used on this card would work for Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, even Labor Day, I suppose.  The image and the sentiment come from a Jan's Digi Stamps set called "Star Spangled Wreath" and it was a delight to color.  It also happens to be on sale right now.  :-D

     I used Sanjoki markers and a gold paint pen to color a gray scale image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  I 'distressed' the edges with a craft knife and layered it onto a blue CS rectangle, also distressed along the edges.  The image itself was so beautifully detailed that I didn't want anything to distract from it so no embellishments of any kind.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Aud Sentiments

Double Trouble (summer, red, blue, gold)

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Passion for Markers

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

     Wednesday will mark the official first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and trips to the beach, family and friends around the BBQ, the rising heat can't be far behind.  So unpack your shorts and swimsuits, grab your flip flops, and get ready!  If you're not traveling, then head for the craft room and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Love on a Fence

     I'm doing Valentine cards as well as birthday cards this month and I want to share this one with you before I forget to post it.  I'm making a total of 18 of these (and 18 of another hedgie Valentine card) because they are going to go into "care package" boxes sent by a local group of moms who have sons and daughters away at college.  

     Each month, they get together as a group and fill boxes with goodies each person has brought, then they ship the boxes off to their college kids.  There are 36 moms in our group (although I make #37 because my youngest granddaughter is away at college but my daughter is the 'mom' sending her box.)  I make different cards each month and the moms can pick one to include in their box if they choose.

     This is the first design and tomorrow I'll share the second one.  I chose images and sentiments which would work for a parent sending Valentines to a college kid.  The sweet hedgie painting the fence is a Penny Black stamp, watercolored, and distress cut using an old blade on my Fiskars paper cutter.  All the CS and papers are from the scrap basket.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and I mounted the image on dimensional dots.

     Challenges:

Double Trouble

LeAnn's World 101

Lil Patch of ...

Penny Black Sat

There's a Stamp ...

Word Art Weds

     See you tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Pretty Calf for a Lovely Thank You

      I noticed the other day that my stash of  Thank You cards was getting pretty low and, just in time, this DOTM showed up from Imagine That!  Along with the sweet calf image, there are sentiments and one of them was perfect for adding to my stash of Thank You cards.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a die from Tattered Lace.  The die is actually made for cutting a shaped card so it has a blank space at the top without any cutting, but after cutting once, I turned the piece in the die and cut a second time so that I had a complete circle.  

     The sentiment is cut with an Unbranded die and the bottom corner of the flocked paper was cut with a Poppy Stamps die.   The corner die also embosses but that doesn't show up very well on the flocked paper.   I used a craft knife to distress the edges of the flocked paper but it's very heavy paper and the distressing doesn't show up very well in the photo.  I didn't want to cover any more of that gorgeous Doodlebug paper so I let the design and the die cuts be their own embellishment.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Crafts Galore Encore

Cute Card Thurs

Lemon Shortbread

Lil Patch of ...

Mod Squad

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Polkadoodles

Poppystamps

     Hope your week is going well and that you can find some 'down time' just for you.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie