Yellow Rose of Texas

     I occasionally have to salute the great state of Texas since 3 of my grandchildren were born there and I have a couple of very dear blogging buddies who live there still.  These delightful roses from LeAnn's World 101 seemed a perfect image to accomplish the purpose.  I know we've all heard of The Yellow Rose of Texas and now you have that tune running through your head.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and Card shape cut with QuicKutz dies
Lace was a scrap
Computer font sentiment, hand cut.

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Catz
Dies R Us
Do Al(l) Creatives
Outlawz PAM
Southern Girls
Stamping Sensations
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dancing in Your Mind

     I remember 6 years of childhood ballet classes (and more than a few performances) and, all these years later, my mind tells me I could still do it.  My body, however, rebels at the idea so the dancing is only in my mind.  Today's sentiment was inspired by that.  :-D

     The card features an image from Fabrika Fantasy - I think it's called Fire Fairy.  I colored it with a combination of polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, trying to keep an underlying 'sepia' tone, highlighted with bright yellow.  I cut the image with one of my newer stitched dies from Cheapo Dies.

     I matted it with black CS and shaped the corners with a Fiskars' punch.  The card itself was shaped with one of my extra large dies from Spellbinders, then folded in half.  I added the glittered ribbon and laid down a row of bronze pearls to accent the sepia look. 

     I put one, tiny, bronze, pearl on the opposite side and then added the sentiment.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Di's Digi Designs
Fabrika Fantasy
I {heart} ProMarkers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Unicorn

     Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate all your comments.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

It's a Purple Spring

     This seems like a good day to think about spring and Morgan's Artworld has a new challenge starting today.  Our theme is "Add Flowers" and that certainly fits right in with spring.  One of the ways I know spring is arriving is the advent of my irises peeking out of the long green leaves on their plants and the blossoms bursting forth on the almond and apricot trees.

     I chose this image (Fae 37) because of all the spring flowers in it and it just seemed to shout "Spring!"  :-D

     The image is colored with chalks, applied with a cotton swab.  The shading is done with polychromos pencils.  I matted the image and decided that it called for a round card so used one of my QuicKutz dies to cut the card shape, then added the image piece.

     I dug through my stash, found the purple layer of flower petals, then pulled out a bit of sheer green lace to make the second layer of petals.  That was done by hand sewing a loose running stitch along one edge of the lace and then pulling on the thread until the petal shape was achieved.  I sewed the two layers together, adding a clear bead to the center to hide the running stitch.

     The sentiment is printed, hand cut, and matted with the same CS as the image mat.

     Challenges:
Classic DT Open
Colour Crazy Craft
Crafty Creations
Double D
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz PAM
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Petal Lu
Stempelsonnen

      Morgan's also has two new releases this month and here's a quick look at them.

  Oberon & Titania   Fae 6

     That's it for me today.  I do hope you're going to dig out some flowers and come play with us this fortnight.  This is my last post as a DT member for Morgan's but I'm looking forward to being inspired by what you submit.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Guest Designer at Crimbo Crackers

     I'm proud to announce that I'm a Guest Designer for Crimbo Crackers this challenge and the theme is "Shaped Cards."  Once again, I tackled white-on-white which is NOT something I do very often.  For some reason, I just can't leave it all white.  I end up adding something every time but this time I'm really pleased with the silver sparkle.  What do you think?

     I cut the card shape with a die from QuicKutz and the tree is one of my newest dies from Spellbinders.  I cut it twice out of white, embossed the top one, and I fussy cut both of those before I layered them onto each other with dimensional foam.  I die cut the bottom layer of the tree from silver sparkle paper.   Now you see why I trimmed up both of the white layers.  I wanted that silver to show up.

     The snowflake flurry was cut out of the card front with a die from Memory Box.  I cut sparkle paper with the same QuicKutz die I used for the overall card shape, but cutting only a single layer this time which is adhered to the back side of the card front, showing through the negative space of the die cut.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Christmas Cards
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Get Creative
Kraftin' Kimmie
MFP
Outlawz Greetings

     Come visit us on Crimbo Crackers and play in the challenge.  All you need is a Christmas or Festive Holiday card which is shaped -- something other than rectangle or square.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Home Tweet Home

    I don't do shaped cards very often because I only have a few dies which lend themselves to card shapes but for today's card, I cut the card by hand to loosely fit the shape of the birdhouse image.  It comes from QKR Stampede (Digi 23601 "Birdhouse") and today starts our latest weekly challenge with a theme of "Shaped Cards."

     I colored the image with my brand new, never-before-had, Lyra Rembrandt Polychromos colored pencils.  OK, so I have quite a bit to learn about blending polychromos pencils and maybe even about color selections but I remember back when I was first learning about alcohol markers, and I think I'll get it with more practice.  :-D  Pencil coloring gives a much softer, more pastel look to the finished product and sometimes, for what I want to do, that's perfect.

     Everything is hand cut this time and the only embellishment is the one mulberry paper flower.  Very CAS design.  It fits into a standard square envelope and since I had some black envelopes on hand, I used one of those.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Addicted to Stamps and More
Colour Your World
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with an Attitude
Craft Your Passion
Glitter n Sparkle
Lemon Shortbread
Pencil Case

     Come play with us this week!

     I'll have another post in about an hour so be sure to check back.  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.

Measure Twice...

     This is a second post for today but I have to get this one posted or I'll be out of time before I run away for a couple of weeks.  This is for the FB Progressive Challenge at Scrapper's Delights.  She reminded me of one of my dad's favorite sayings, "Measure Twice, Cut Once."  He had three professions; chef, tailor, and fine cabinet/furniture maker.  He was a perfectionist and believed in quality products, regardless of what product it was.  Each of those professions required careful measuring and now that I'm a card maker, I realize how true that maxim can be.  Dad, you'd be pleased to know I've adopted that motto as a way of life.  :-D

     Before I started, I knew I wanted to do a shaped card but I wanted something a bit different.  I started planning by looking at my newest set of Spellbinders dies, Labels Seventeen.  I knew I could use the largest die to cut the actual card shape, and then repeat it in both the image shape and a frame.

     Having decided on that, I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then started die cutting all the various pieces.  The polka dot dp is from SU and I cut a long rectangle then punched the corners.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut.   I added the bow which was made from white, satin ribbon, dyed blue with a marker.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Bit More Time to Craft
Card and Scrap
Colour Your World
Corrosive Challenge
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting Techniques
Craft Your Passion
Creative Ladybird Creations
Glitter n Sparkle
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz Greetings

     Hope your week has started well.  If I get caught up on laundry, housework, and sewing a new blouse which I need to take on my upcoming travels, I'll be around to visit, hopefully to catch up on my belated visits to your blogs.  :-D  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.

Smooshy Cat

     Those of you who follow my blog have heard me talk about my blogging buddy, Teresa, of Tickell Expressions.  Although we have never met face-to-face because we live on opposite sides of the North American continent (she in Eastern Canada and I in western USA), in the past we've served together on a DT or two, and have just become really good friends over the years.

     She's such a wonderful artist and is always stretching into new media and techniques to polish and perfect her skills.  I've done other cards using several of her images which she so kindly posts as freebies on Sundays.  As a way of improving her art, she offers anyone who uses one of her images the opportunity to ask her for something specific.

     I used one of her really elegant stags a few weeks ago and, when she asked me what I'd like for a new image, I asked her for something inspired by Sebastian, the adorable, ragdoll kitten who lives with her family, and that he be doing something cute.  Yesterday, she sent me an early preview of the digi, and said the kitten is named "Smooshy."

     I was so "Tickell"ed, I jumped right in and made this card.  (Sorry for that horrible pun, Teresa!)

I used colors from the challenge at Sketchy Colors.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then die cut it and the CS mat with one of my die sets from QuicKutz.  The shaped card and the background dp were cut with another QuicKutz die.  The "Smooshy Says..." sentiment is also Teresa's and comes along with the Smooshy image.  I added the rest of the sentiment about "Play" using a computer font.  The bow is one of those I make and toss into my stash for later use but it started as white ribbon and I 'dyed' it with ProMarker.

     Challenges:

Cat's Pajamas

City Crafter

Crafting for all Seasons

Crafty Cardmakers

Crafty Sentiments

Create and Inspire

Creative Card Crew

Creative Inspirations

I {heart} ProMarkers

Not Just Cards

One Stitch at a Time (top row)

Outlawz Twisted Thursday

Ruby's Rainbow

     I hope you find Smooshy as adorable as I do and that you'll want to use him for something sweet.  Remember, if you use him and post it to your blog, let Teresa know and she'll no doubt give you the opportunity to request an image you want.  :-D  

Here's the actual image and you can get it today simply by visiting Teresa's blog.

     Look around her blog while you're there and if you like her artwork, become a follower so that you won't miss any of it.  I follow her via email so that I get a reminder in my mailbox whenever she has posted something new.

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Happy Mother's Day with a Lavender Lady

     I want to start by wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are celebrating today, either as mothers or as daughters.

     A couple of days ago I shared a Gibson Girl image with you and today I've used another similar image but this time it's a digital image and it's by the sponsor of our latest challenge at 613 Avenue Create, Rick St. Dennis.  This image is called 1935 Hat.  Isn't she just marvelous?
   
     This week, we'd love to see you do shaped cards.  Of course, our challenges are always "Anything Goes" but we always have an option, too.  So, do a shaped card, or come play along with just the "Anything Goes" -- we want to be inspired by your creativity.

     I used a brand new Grand Caliber die set from Spellbinders to cut the card shape from heavy duty CS, folded it in half, and then layered on another die cut of the same shape but one size smaller.  The smaller shape is embossed with a "Linen" embossing folder, and both layers are embossed around the fancy edge.  I bought this die set, the first for my Grand Caliber, specifically because I thought it would make really great shaped cards.  I was right, wasn't I?  Rather different from the usual round or oval or scalloped-something card, wouldn't you say?

     I colored the image with Promarkers, then die cut it, and inked the edges before adhering it to the card front.  The flower embellishment in made by layering together silk petals, silk ribbon, and then a large, mulberry paper rose.  The ribbon was recycled from an old gift bag on which it served as the handle.  

     Challenges:
As You Like It -- Favorite die or punch
Crafting for All Seasons -- Monochromatic
Crafty Creations -- Something old (ribbon), Something new (dies)
Crafty Ribbons -- No designer paper
Divas by Design -- Anything goes
Hanna & Friends -- Mother's Day
Live and Love Crafts -- 50 Shades of ... Lilac
Little Red Wagon -- All about Mom
Penny's Paper-Crafty -- Die cuts/punches
Whimsy Inspiration -- Anything goes

     By the time you see this, I'll be starting my last day at the coast with my daughter and three of my grandkids.  We're going to take a leisurely drive home, winding our way through some of the coast redwoods, and then through some of the most beautiful wine country anywhere in the world.  I have my camera so if I get some really magnificent shots, I may share them with you this upcoming week.  That will mostly depend on how the weather was.  In the meantime, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie