It's a Baby !?!

      Today I'm sharing a very different type of  'Baby Shower' card in all it's CAS glory.  :-D  I know this excited and curious little pup isn't a typical "Cutsey" animal often found on baby cards, but he just seemed perfect for a baby boy.  One of my granddaughter's long time friends (they were in competitive Cheer together since before they were in 5th grade and now they are both in their early 20s) is having her first baby, a boy.  I made this card at my granddaughter's request.

     The image is from a digital coloring book, reduced in size before printing.  I used my Sanjoki markers to color him, added white highlights with a gel pen, then cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I added powder blue mats behind each piece and put them on an A2 card.  No fuss, no embellishments, just a sweet, simple card for a baby boy.

     Challenges:

AAA Cards

Classic Design

Crafts Galore ...

Creatalicious

I Love Markers

Paper Shelter

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puppy Greetings

      I'm sharing a card today which I made for my daughter's birthday.  A few months back, she and her family adopted a stray puppy who was a few months old.  He's white and gorgeous, and was so big when they took him in that she thought he was fully grown.  A trip to the vet for a basic check up and vaccinations confirmed that he was about 5 months old and that he was a Great Pyrenees, easily destined to weigh in at over 100 pounds!

     He fell in love with my daughter, instantly becoming "her" puppy, although he's very loving and will happily accept attention from anyone in the family.  He's 'enthusiastic' about everything he does, with tail wagging at top speed, and with his entire body overcome by wiggles.  

     When I saw this image in a friend's collection, I begged for a print of it so that I could use it on this card.  The image was colored with water color paints and cut with a Tonic Studios die, as was the frame around it.  The papers are from DCWV and the bow is one of my hand-sewn, signature style bows which I sew up by the dozens and toss in my stash for future use.  I make them all with white ribbon and then use ProMarkers to 'dye' them the color I want for each individual card.  This time, I wanted rusty orange and brown autumn tones.

     Challenges:

Crafts Galore ...

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creatalicious

Die Cut Divas

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Happy Li'l Stampers

Pammie's IP

Rabisco

Your Scrapbook ...

     I just had to share a photo of Ranger so that you can understand his size.  He's not even a year old yet!  This is how he "sits" on the couch.  He just backs up to it until his rear end is secured but keeps his front feet on the floor.  That "child" behind him is my college-age (junior) granddaughter.  lol 

     Here's another of him sprawled across a patio table which seats 10 people.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spotlight Puppy

     It's time for you to check out the new weekly challenge at Creative Knockouts where we are sponsored by Fabrika Fantasy and our theme is "Winter Wonderland."  I'm using a sponsor image from my own collection called Happy Puppy and it can be found in their Christmas coloring book.

     I know my card isn't filled with snow and ice but, for me, this image of the Christmas puppy brings back childhood memories of the Christmas when I got a puppy and that was all I needed to make the whole living room a 'wonderland' !  My dad had to sleep with the puppy the night before to keep him from whining all night and possibly waking up two, not-so-sleepy, kids who were waiting for Santa.  I think for the puppy that night in a new (and strange) house had the effect of imprinting my dad into the puppy's mind as the human who "rescued" him because he really was my dad's dog from that point on.  Oh, I don't mean that he never came and played with me or slept on my bed, but Dad was always the favorite person for that little pooch.  We named him "Buster" and he had exactly these colors on him - brown body, dark ears and nose, and white feet/legs.  :-D 

     I did a spotlight technique with my coloring.  I printed the image twice, colored a section on one of them with my ProMarkers, cut the section with a round die from Tonic Studios, and layered it onto the black and white second printing of the same image.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  

     I matted both the image and the sentiment with red CS.  I sewed one of my signature bows but this time without any adornment (I usually add either a pearl or a sequin.)  The background dp was a scrap left over from another project I posted yesterday and it came from a Graphic 45 stack.

My card was inspired by the sketch at My Favorite Things,

but I flipped it top to bottom, turned it sideways, and used the area

with the three dots for my sentiment.

     Challenges:

Country View

Crafty Creations

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creative Inspirations

Dies R Us

Kerst Christmas

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

      We look forward to seeing you play in our challenge this week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puppy in a Boot

      It's time for the latest weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and we have a theme this time instead of our usual anything goes because this is a 5th Monday.  So, this challenge we want to see "Animals."  Our fabulous sponsor is Sweet N Sassy and I used one of their images called "Christmas Puppy" which I already had in my collection.  Isn't he darling?  

     I colored with my ProMarkers and water color pencils, then cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  I colored the outside border of the image piece so that it looks like a separate frame.  The background dp is from an old Graphic 45 stack, and the two different gold ribbons are both metallic, wired on the edges, and sparkly!  I tied the bow using my bow maker.  The sentiment was printed and cut with Tonic Studios die and I inked the edges.

     Challenges:

ABC Christmas

Christmas w Cuties

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Incy Wincy

Mod Squad

Paperminutes

Penny's Paper Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our "Animal" theme challenge this week.  I know it seems odd since you are probably used to it always being anything goes, but remember, every 5th Monday challenge (they happen 3 or 4 times a year) has a theme instead.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge

      Today is July 3, 2021, and I've amended my post about the new challenge which started on July 1 at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  This month the challenge is sponsored by Jan's Digi Stamps and I've finally gotten a card made with one of her newest, fantastic images.  This is from the set called "Splish Splash" and I merged two of the .png images to get this.  This set is on sale this month, too!  Go check it out.

     I've injured my wrist and it's in a brace so hand-crafting activities are difficult at the moment, as is typing at the keyboard.   It took me well over 20 minutes just to type these first two  paragraphs.  But I worked on this over a 3 day period and it's finished.  Quick rundown:  ProMarkers, QuicKutz die, dp from DCWV Linen Closet stack, sparkly with glitter, ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I used all six colors on the Color Dare #451 board

plus one neutral and a single embellishment of the bow.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz PAM

Paperbabe

Three Room Studio

     I did manage to get other DT cards done before the wrist injury, so check the other posts which will be live on my blog today.  Thank for visiting. 

Puppy Hugs

     I'm sneaking into the computer room, having shut the door so that the cats can't get in, because I'm posting a card I made in the middle of the night when they weren't watching.  Despite the fact that I'm really an animal person (all sorts and species), many of my friends (and all three of the cats who let me share their abode) see me as a cat person.  Well, truthfully, the cats see me as their human, put on this earth just to feed them, to clean their litter box, and to cuddle them when they feel the need for human contact (but not otherwise.)  They would make life miserable for me if they knew I had done a card featuring a Dog!!

     I don't know how long ago I got this sweet image from Lili of the Valley but it was some weeks ago and this is the first time I've used it.  I've been trying to improve my highlighting and shading with watercolors but it's not easy.  I have a friend who does spectacular free hand watercolor paintings and she keeps telling me, "Let it dry, let it dry, then go back over it to make it darker."  I'm impatient, I guess, trying to darken it while the first layer is still damp.  Sigh... I'll just have to keep trying.

Image and sentiment printed together
Colored with water colors
Cut and framed with Memory Box dies
Sheer ribbon for the wrap and the bow

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
Lemon Shortbread
Paperminutes
Path of Positivity
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown (bow/green/image)

     Enjoy the rest of your weekend, although if you're like me, the weekdays and weekends all seem to be running together and are hard to distinguish.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

It Feels Like Spring!

     We've had such beautiful weather out here in central California this last week (in the low 80s) and everything is blooming, bursting, or popping!   In the midst of all that, I simply had to do cards that have springtime images on them, including this one which is my DT card for Digi Doodle Studios, where our newest challenge theme is "Use Ribbon or Lace."  I added ribbon to my lace.  :-D

     The image is called "Keira" and I think she's fabulous with her shy, little puppy behind her.

I based this on the sketch at Tuesday Morning, running the division the length of the card

and offsetting it slightly. I also used the middle row of TicTacToe colors from Color Dare.

  

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and mat cut with dies from QuicKutz
Background dp scrap embossed with 'Linen' EF
Lace woven with satin ribbon
"Pearls" added to ribbon with Pearl Drops
Sentiment printed and cut with Avery Elle die

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Colour Crazy
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Colors
Outlawz Twist Thurs
Passion for ProMarkers

    I hope we're going to see you playing along in our challenge this month and don't forget to check out our Facebook page, too.  Over there, we have a "Forever" challenge each month which is always "Anything Goes with a DDS image."

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Best Friend Puppy

     Today I'm working with the All Dressed Up image provided for the Outlawz Progressive challenge.  This sweet little gal with her darling puppy just called out for a bright, spring card.  All the papers and CS are from old stash or scraps.

I used the sketch from Crafting Vicky,

which I turned 1/4 turn and I played a bit with the triangles.

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut with Spellbinders die

Triangles cut w/ Memory Box dies

Butterflies - Spellbinders die & Fiskars punch

Faux stitching

Polka dot washi tape from old stash

     Challenges:
Butterfly (Sky blue, Salmon, Sage, Spots, Stitching)
Crafty Sentiments
Double Trouble (+ Use Your Stuff)  (all 3)
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wanna Be Friends?

     I decided to do a second, but very quick, post today because I adore this image and the card.  The image is this week's Friday Freebie from Bugaboo Stamps and I colored both grass and sky to turn it into a scene.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a framing die from Spellbinders.  I cut the mat with a larger die from that same set.   The background paper was made with watercolors.

     I printed, hand cut, and matted the sentiment, then tied a bow tie using my bow maker.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Catch the Bug
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafty Calendar
Dream Valley
Jo's Scrap Shack
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     That's it for today.  Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puppy and Cupid Valentines

     I have to get this post written up very quickly before the feline fur babies awake and see me posting something featuring a puppy!  Here are two more of the Valentine cards I've done by recycling vintage Valentines from the box I found hidden under who know how many tons of supplies when the craft room was getting packed up and reorganized.

     I especially love these two and put in quite a bit of work on them.  Let's start with the puppy.

     Starting from the card base and working upward, the background dp came from Paper House, trimmed to fit the front of an A2 size card.  I had some lovely, glittered ribbon scraps in my stash which I think came from Crafty Ribbons.

     I dug out a set of doily dies from Spellbinders, and cut alternating layers of white and pink doilies (all cut from scraps), offsetting them as best I could.  Once all those were layered together with foam tape, I added the hand cut puppy to the top of the stack.  

     I added one of my signature bows to the bottom of the card front and called it finished.

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Aud Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs

Cut It Up

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Pixie's Snippets

Southern Girls

     Here's the second card with a sweet cupid image.

     I put silver glitter on his wings, and I used a rectangle die from QuicKutz top cut the image from the front of the old card, then inked the edges with ProMarkers to enhance the distressed look.  I 'dyed' a white doily with a dark brown ProMarker so that the image piece would pop.  I had two scraps of ribbon, one in hot pink and the other a golden brown.  I decided to put the doily between them and then wrap them around a piece of background dp (also Paper House.)

     The image went on top and I make a double bow but sewing two hand crafted bows together.  The final touch was a tiny, epoxy flower in the bottom corner of the image.  I hand wrote the sentiment in the opposite corner.

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
Brown Sugar
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Happy Craft
If You Give a Crafter...
Polkadoodles
Time Out

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Christmas Wreath Besties

     This is an unexpected second post today but I want to share a warm and wonderful story, and the card which resulted from it.

     I first saw this new AuroraWings image when Donna Mundinger posted her card using it over at the Outlawz challenges.  I had to go check out her blog post for more info and I fell in love!  On the Outlawz post, I left a comment that if I wasn't so broke I'd be over at AuroraWings buying it right then.  I also opined that if I was really good, maybe Santa would bring it for me.  :-D

     A few hours later, it arrived in my mailbox with a note that it had been sent to me by my Secret Santa!  Somebody at the Outlawz has the most generous heart in the world!  Thank you, Secret Santa.  You are truly blessed.

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a Sizzix scalloped die.  The frame was cut with a die from QuicKutz.  I layered those together and went looking for ribbon.

     I found that gorgeous, sparkly gold, wide ribbon in my Christmas stash and wrapped it around the card front, adding the image piece on top of it.  The sentiment was cut with a Die-Versions die and I used a glue pen to adhere the words to the slate gray card front and the ribbon.  I used a white gel pen to outline the two words on the gray CS.  That made them pop.  Before that, they were a bit hard to read.

     The final touch was the snowflake which is covered in glitter but that just doesn't show in the photo.

     Challenges:
Cookie Challenge
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Cutie Pie
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Pile It On
Simon Says Stamp
SUYP Cats

     I think that's all I have for today but I am headed back to the craft room so who knows what may get created that demands immediate posting.  lol  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puppy in a Stocking

   I want to send heartfelt Christmas Blessings to each and every one of you.

     I also have one simple card for Christmas.  Earlier this month, I did a card using the Nov/Dec Limited Runs progressive challenge image with a dear kitten in a stocking and now we're doing the same for puppies. 

     I colored with my usual ProMarkers, then used a Sue Wilson die to cut the image and the delicate frame around it.  I put that onto a deep red card front and added the sentiment.  For embellishment, I used some sparkly silver twine and a row of silver pearls.  Much simpler in design than it looks.

     Merry Christmas to all.

NanaConnie

Last Bit of Halloween for 2017

     Yes, yes, I know Halloween was over last night but I had to share with you my final Halloween card for the year.  This is my DT card for the new challenge beginning today at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies and running through the entire month of November.  The sponsor is Sparkle n Sprinkle and they generously supplied images for the DT to use.

     The puppy is the image ("A Puppy's Halloween") and the cat is a die cut (Cheery Lynn.)  The only reason the cat is on the card is because my two feline fur babies objected loudly (and constantly) to a dog even being in their house, much less getting a solo spot on the card.  lol

     I used ProMarkers to color the pup, then cut him with a die from Cottage Cutz.  The sentiment was part of the set from Sparkle n Sprinkle and I cut it with another die from that same set.  The paw print paper I made by stamping a scrap of white CS with a rubber stamp, trimming it to the size I wanted, and adding it to the card front.  The orange strip was another scrap and I layered it on, then added the image and sentiment pieces.

     The final touches were the black, bow tie, ribbon bow which I tied using my bow maker and the die cut cat.  I did color the cat's eyes with a green ProMarker after I put it on the paw print paper.  That really made the cat come alive.  :-D

     Challenges:
Cards in Envy
Color Inspiration
Crafting from the Heart
Digi Choosday
Incy Wincy
Passion for ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our challenge this month.  Remember, it's Anything Goes as long as it Features a Creature.  How can you miss out on that one?   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Collie Christmas

    I'm not done with doing Christmas cards quite yet and since there's still more than a week left in July, I guess I can continue to increase my stash of Christmas-in-July cards.  :-D

     For this one, I used a darling image from AuroraWings.  The minute I saw it, I knew I had to color it as a collie puppy.   I have a friend who has raised and bred collie show dogs for many years and this will make a perfect card for her this year.

     The puppy is colored with ProMarkers, then die cut and framed (die from Spellbinders.)  The background is embossed with Swiss Dots.  Both ribbons came from my stash and the sentiment is from QKR Stampede, hand cut and matted with a scrap of the embossed CS.  This is a small card, only 4" x 4".

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Christmas Card
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Di's Digi Designs
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Friday
Ribbon Girl
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     I'm off now to get errands run, do some shopping, and then come home and get some of that dreaded housework done.  No time for crafting today but I do have a post already scheduled for tomorrow, a result of staying up late last night.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Paw Prints on the Heart

     I know I tend to use more felines than canines on my cards but this adorable pup (by Tiddly Inks) reminds me of a little Scotty dog we got when he was about 10 weeks old and I was about 10 years old.  He promptly got dubbed "Puffball" and despite some outrageously long, elegant, and highly proper name which was shown on his pedigree papers, he remained "Puffball" for the rest of his life.  :-D

     I colored him with my black, gray, and lavender ProMarkers, die cut him with my largest stitched squares set (Cheery Lynn) and then cut a mat from purple CS with a larger die from the same set.  Before framing the image with it, I ran it through the embossing machine using my "Linen" embossing folder.  

     The ribbon is from my stash and the butterflies have been waiting to be used for way too many moons.  A nice CAS design to showcase this wonderful puppy.

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create

Cheery Lynn

Crafting from the Heart

Craft Your Passion

Dragonfly Journeys

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Outlawz PAM 

Send a Smile 4 Kids

Tiddly Inks (die cut, image, ribbon)

     Well, another five days and I'll be back from my vacation.  I hope you've enjoyed what I've posted while I was gone.  Tomorrow is another card for the new challenge at QKR Stampede.  Hope you'll come by and see what we're doing for next week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX.  SORRY.