Playing in the Puddles

      I feel like I've been running behind all month long and when I discovered that I hadn't posted my card for Imagine That ! DOTM yet, I confirmed that feeling.  Sigh...  But here it is and the month isn't over so I'm  good.  :-D

     I loved the whole idea of playing in puddles after the storm, especially because where I live we've had nothing be severe drought and a serious lack of rain for more than 2 years no.  Weather forecasters say we're due for heavy rain this upcoming Monday, and I can only hope that's true.  

     I colored this precious image (called "Lizzy's Umbrella") with ProMarkers and cut it with a Cuts die.  The sentiment is part of the set and I printed it and cut it with a corner punch from Uchida.  I added one of my signature bows with a pearl and mounted everything onto a mango-orange card base.  Very CAS.

     I love coloring critters and use far more critter images then people images but I'm trying to improve my coloring on people so I've begun looking for and using images which combine critters and people.  :-D  To me, coloring fur or feathers is easier than coloring human faces and hair.

      Challenges:

As You Like It

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cute Card Thurs

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ain't No Sunshine...

      This image took me quite a while to color but that was because I had to take several rest breaks during the process.  I've had a couple of 'not-so-good' days with low oxygen levels and a bit of dizziness now and then but I did manage to get this card finished.

     The image is from Bugaboo Stamps and I think she's just adorable!  In my part of the world, we're wishing we had rain instead of the drought conditions we've had most of the winter and the short bit of spring so far.

I was inspired by the sketch from The Outlawz

although you can see I twisted it a bit.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz dies

Frame dp is a scrap

Flag pieces cut w Impression Obsession dies

Metal Brads

     I also decorated the inside:

Umbrella cut w Spellbinders die

     Challenges:

Catch the Bug

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Creations

Crafty Gals Corner

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Taylormade...

Word Art Weds

     I'm keeping this short because I'm ready to rest again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Singing in the Spring Rain

      Let's start by saying Happy Easter to all who celebrate it !

    My card today has nothing to do with Easter but it is a celebration of spring.  The image is from  House Mouse, of course - nobody who has ever used a House Mouse stamp could miss that.  :-D  

      Do you like my new hologram CS from Lawn Fawn?  It was part of my latest shopping trip over there. 

Colored w ProMarkers (my fav coloring medium)

Glitter gel ink added to raindrops

Image & frame cut w Tonic Studios dies

Frame is hologram CS from Lawn Fawn

Card base is metallic CS from stash

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

     Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble (2 out of 3)

House Mouse

Lawn Fanatics (Song: Singing in the Rain)

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Greetings

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     That's all for now but I'll have a DT post late tonight and another one a couple of hours later so be sure to check back first thing in your morning.  I don't expect you to set an alarm to get up at midnight and have a peek at my blog.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Snakes and Rainy Days

     I'm not sure there's really any correlation between snakes and rainy days, other than the fact that I feel pretty much the same about both of them; I don't mind them but they can be annoying if they happen every day.  :-D

     It's Friday again so that means it's time for a new challenge at QKR Stampede.  We always have a theme of "Anything Goes" so there's no reason for you not to enter.  You could win some fun and funny images from QKR Stampede.

     The one I used today is called "Wrapped Up" and the sentiment is called "A Little Rain."  I'm sure this little snake would adopt that sentiment as his life's philosophy!  After all, there's probably nothing nastier than trying to navigate across wet and slippery tree branches.

     I colored with ProMarkers (my absolute favorites for coloring because I love the way alcohol ink blends), then cut the image with a stitched die from My Favorite Things - Die-namics.  The background pieces are cut with a die from Sue Wilson.  I cut two and offset them behind the image because the cut pieces were too small for just one to frame the image.  One more way to make my smaller dies more flexible.

     I added green jute cord, wrapped around the card front, then tied into a bow.

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
As You Like It
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting by Designs
Crafts Galore Encore
Creatalicious
Die Cut Divas
Let's Craft & Create
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     That's all I have for today.  I hope you're looking forward to the weekend.  It's officially spring now (in the Northern Hemisphere) so get out and enjoy the outdoors.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nature's Rain

     Our new challenge starts today at Ike's World and our theme is "Anything Goes with an optional twist of  Nature."  That's pretty wide open and just to show you how wide, you should go over to the Ike's World blog and check out the variety of what all the other DT gals have done.

     I have been inspired by the weather nature has been giving us out here in California.  After a terrible 5 year drought, we've had a winter of rain, rain, and more rain.  Flooding in lots of areas, yes, but in the part of California where I live, during the last two weeks we've had very warm, spring-like rains -- the kind you want to walk through wearing shorts.   So, I chose Ike's Rain Girl image and here's the end result.

I started with the sketch from Creative Sketchy Girls.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and then, instead of cutting the image, I cut the frame with a stitched die from Die-Namics and trimmed it to fit the image.  I chose three different papers from the Madeline stack by Prima Papers.  I matted everything with navy blue CS including the hand cut sentiment.

     I added leaves, flowers, and a feather but there was still something missing. Where was the rain?  I grabbed one of my Spellbinders dies which has a decorative edge, cut two different papers and used some of the little pieces that drop out to make the raindrops.  Perfect!  Yes!  Now it was definitely finished.  :-D

     Challenges:
Crafting with Dragonflies
Creates and Makes
Creative Inspirations
Everybody Art
Jo's Scrap Shack
Word Art Weds.

     I hope you're going to come play in our challenge this week.  We get as much inspiration from you as you do from us.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Sunbathing?

     I don't know how many of you really expect to sunbathe in April but it sure isn't happening in most of the country out my way.  I love this Birdbrain image by From the Heart Stamps and I followed their latest sketch to make the card.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image but instead of die cutting it as I usually do, I used a leftover negative from a Cheery Lynn doily die to make the curved piece.  That's layered on top of the image piece.  I also die cut some clouds (Memory Box) and then added gingham dp.  Those all came from the scrapbox on my table.  The ribbon is white satin from my stash and I made the bow using that same ribbon.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Animal Friends
Card Mania
Crafting Musketeers
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Enjoyments (1st column)
Crafty Time
Cuttlebug Mania
Dragonfly Journeys
Hiding in My Craft Room
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Ribbon Girl
Robyn's Fetish

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Trash or Treasure?

     It's the first Friday in April and I simply can't believe how fast 2015 is moving along!  Friday means a new challenge at QKR Stampede and this week our theme is "April Showers."  The possibilities with that theme are endless.  I decided to see if  I could find an image that was seemingly unrelated (meaning no baby ducks, umbrellas, or cloudy skies) and then work the theme into it.  What do you think?  I used an image (Digi 7102 "One Man's Trash") and an inside sentiment (Digi 16411) which are both from QKR Stampede.

     The snail image is colored with ProMarkers and mounted onto a sea blue card front.  That front sentiment is mine.  I used blue gems to make the raindrops.  I printed the QKR sentiment onto paper and added some aqua lace before adhering it to the inside of the card.  A simple card with a delightfully CAS design.

     Challenges:
Cardz 4 Guyz (snail)
Cards in Envy
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Everybody-Art
Melonheadz Friends
Not Just Cards
Outlawz Greetings
Party Time Tues.
Simon Says Stamp
Through the Craft Room Door

     I absolutely love this silly card, mostly because of that crazy snail.  Don't you just love his expression?  I'm thinking of using this same image for some kind of tea party or coffee klatch card, but with different sentiments, of course.  :-D

     I really hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  Remember, you can use any image by any company but if you use a QKR image, you'll be entered into a separate drawing just for those who have used QKR stamps.  That increases your chances of winning by quite a lot!  See you at QKR Stampede.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Rainy Days for Spring

     OK, so southern California is still in the midst of a huge drought but maybe another rainy day card will bring us some of that moisture from the sky that so many of the rest of you have had.  If not, then this card will be celebrating typical spring days everywhere else.  :-D

I took my sketch from  Tuesday Morning Sketches,

turned sideways to accommodate my tall image.

     The image is from Lacy Sunshine (theme: Feminine) and I colored her with ProMarkers.  Although it's very difficult to see in the photo, the raindrops and the puddle are made sparkly with a glitter gel pen.  I used three different dies from one of my framing sets (by Spellbinders) to cut the image and the fancy frame.  Everything is mounted onto a black card base.  The flower is handmade with three layers of petals and a black brad in the center.  The leaf is another Spellbinders die cut.  Can't see it?  It's cut from navy blue CS and just blends into the black border in the photo.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- Monochromatic
Bearly Mine -- Spring
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards -- Spring
Corrosive Challenges -- Pretty pastels
Crafting Musketeers -- Monochromatic
Craftitude -- Spring
Crafty Catz -- "B" is for... blue
Crazy Challenge -- Spring is here
Creative Card Crew -- Spring
Creative Moments -- Girly
Delightful Challenge -- Add a flower
Digi Haven -- Black, white +1 color (blue -- just for you, Lynn!))
Love to Scrap -- A/G
Ooh La La -- Spring
Paper Shelter -- Spring
Party Time Tuesdays -- Die cuts
Scrapping4fun -- Digi or stamped image

     First card of the weekend and I've already started on the garden.  I have flowers in but am not sure if I'll get veggies in this year.  There's just so much to do, including a complete re-vamp of the sprinkler system all around the yard.  I can always water with a hose but would prefer not to spend hours standing out in the heat this summer to keep the garden watered so the less planted, the better.  Once the sprinkler system is up and running again, I'll plant more if it isn't too late in the season.  Ah, well, no sprinklers means I'll have to craft more and garden less.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie