Trolling for Hearts

     I have yet another Valentine to share and this one was so much fun since I used an image not intended for a Valentine.  Take a look; you'll see what I mean.  :-D   This little troll (or gnome, I suppose, but for the sentiment to work, I need him to be a troll!) is from Beccy's Place.

I used the sketch from the Outlawz.

     I started by coloring the image with my ProMarkers, deciding right away that I wanted to do mostly neutrals in the image itself but planning on lots of red in the card design.  I needed just the red on his huge hat and all the rest of the image could be blacks, grays, and browns.

     I cut the shape of the image using a curved die from Spellbinders.  I thought I had the die which also pierces holes the paper but I didn't so I did my own paper piercing to make the holes along the outer cuts.  The sentiment was printed at the same time as the image so all I had to do was make sure I included it when I did the cutting.

     The red hearts were cut with a die from Lawn Fawn, and the butterfly is a combo of one of those hearts and a cut with a Cheery Lynn die.  All of these pieces were cut from scrap bits on my desk.  I added little gems for the body and head.  The ribbon was in my stash and the bow is made from wrapped burlap.  Finally, I added the tiny rose bud to the bottom.  With all of that, it's still a pretty open and simple design.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Art Impressions
Aud Sentiments
Aussie Digital Artists Open
Butterfly Challenge
Come and Get It
Crafty Calendar
Glitter N Sparkle
Hiding in My Craft Room
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie
Julia Spiri
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pile It On
Quick Quotes
Sasayaki Glitter
Sweet Stampers

     I think I've pretty much finished posting all my Valentines now.  It was fun making them for others who wanted to share them with grandkids and friends.  We'll see if that trend continues.  Word has gotten out in my neighborhood that I make cards and more and more of my neighbors are asking me to make cards for them for special occasions they want to celebrate.  I don't mind at all.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Grandma's Cookies

     This may not look like a typical Valentine card but I assure you, as a very knowledgeable Nana of 6 and Great-Nana to 2, that home baked cookies are the favorite Valentine treat of any grandchild and a huge number of "favorite grandma" points can be scored with a simple plate of them every February 14!  :-D

     The image (from Paper Nest Dolls) is actually intended as a Christmas image, supposedly Mrs. Claus, but I modified it a bit by covering up a sprig of holly in the image and it worked perfectly for a child's Valentine.  Since it's a new image for me which I got just this month, I wanted to find a way to use it without having to wait for Christmas to roll around again.

     I colored her face, hand, hair, and the plate of cookies with my ProMarkers, then paper pieced her dress, apron, shoes, and bonnet.   The holly sprig I mentioned was originally on her apron and it's covered with one of the paper-piecing bits.

     I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders, then cut the card front with the same die and inlaid the image, backing the entire card front inside with darker pink CS.  Die cutting the card front and doing an inlay is a new technique for me and for my first time using it, I think it turned out pretty well.

     I printed the sentiment, matted it with a scrap of the plaid dp and layered it on at the bottom of the card.  The pink bow was white but I 'dyed' it with a pink ProMarker to match the CS as best I could.  There's also embossing and piercing around the image.

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy Craft
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs
In the Pink
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Polkadoodles

     The more I look at this card, the more I love it and am impressed with the new die cutting technique.  I'm sure you'll see lots of it from me in the future.   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie