Herding Chickens

      My first born grandson is now raising three children of his own and I know he'll understand this sentiment perfectly!  lol  This is the 3rd Father's Day card I've shared in a week and it may be my favorite so far.  I'm still working on one more which I'll send to my son (who is my eldest child.)  

     The image is from a vintage, digital coloring book, reduced in size to fit an A2 card.  I started with the image in grayscale but changed it to blue with my computer software before I printed it.  I cut the image and the top sentiment with QuicKutz dies.  The lower sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  The plaid paper came from that Paper Studio stack which is still on my crafting desk and which seems to have so many wonderful masculine papers in it.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

Cupcake Inspirations

Double Trouble (blue/mono/plaid)

Outlawz Thurs

Pammie's IP

Paperminutes

Paper Shelter

Penny's P-C

     I'll be back tomorrow with my DT card for Crafty Catz. Hope to see you then.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Pumpkin Witch

      I've used 3 other vintage Halloween images this month but those were all from Lilli Rin and this one is from Taylor Made.  I've already entered the Taylormadecards4u challenge this month but I still wanted to share this card.  

     The image is pre-colored and I cut it to size with my Fiskars paper cutter.  The polka dot ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the small pumpkin is fabric.  Pretty CAS design on this card.

This is also my Day 22 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Double D

Double Trouble (circles + Halloween)

Inspiration Station (large pumpkin)

Pammie's Inky ...

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Santa

      A second post today, something I haven't done in a while, but I wanted to let you see the freebie image from Beccy's Place for this month's challenge.  Isn't he a fantastic old time Santa?

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds (#197)

turned 1/4 turn.

Colored w ProMarkers & silver sparkle gel ink

     (following the pattern on Beccy's pre-colored image)

Image & sentiment cut w Unbranded dies

Papers from Love to Craft

Snowflake embellies cut w mini punch

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Knockouts

Cute Card Thurs

Incy Wincy

Let's Craft & Create

Outlawz Greetings

Paper Funday

Penny's Paper-Crafty

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Outlawz Guest Designer for Songs and Lyrics

     Today I have the honor of being an invited Guest Designer for the Songs and Lyrics challenge at The Outlawz.  Every fortnight they choose a new set of lyrics to use as their challenge theme and the lyrics for today are from the old song "Anything Goes."

Song:  Anything Goes

In olden days, a glimpse of stocking 
Was looked on as something shocking. 
But now, God knows, 
Anything goes. 
Good authors too who once knew better words 
Now only use four-letter words 
Writing prose. 
Anything goes. 
If driving fast cars you like, 
If low bars you like, 
If old hymns you like, 
If bare limbs you like, 
If Mae West you like, 
Or me undressed you like, 
Why, nobody will oppose. 
When ev'ry night the set that's smart is in- 
'Truding in nudist parties in 
Studios. 
Anything goes.

     Yes, after all of that, all it means is that the theme is "Anything Goes" but I decided to try something that fit in with the lyrics.  I found this digital image over at TLC Creations.

     I printed out the image, enhancing the sepia tone with tools in Word, then cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  Once it was cut, I used Ivory and Vanilla ProMarkers to color the frame parts of the die cut, leaving the image itself in sepia.

     I added a dark brown mat to it which had been embossed with my ScorPal and stylus to add a bit of texture.  Unfortunately, it doesn't show up that well in the photo but if you look at the very top of the brown piece, you can see how close I put the score lines.

     I printed the lyrics, cut out the first two lines and used those for the sentiment.  The background piece is paper-thin cork and everything is mounted onto a light brown card base.

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Aloha Friday

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Jo's Scrap Shack

More than 1 Score

Scrappy Land

TTCRD

     Almost half of your weekend is gone but you still have time to tuck away in the craft room and enjoy some time just for yourself.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Yellow Easter Rose

     I absolutely love the vintage feel of this card and I know exactly who's going to get it for Easter.  I have one friend in particular who adores anything vintage and this will be perfect for her.  She also loves yellow roses so, of course, that was the color I chose for the main focal point.

     I printed the image in gray scale, then colored it with ProMarkers.  I printed the sentiment and cut both image and sentiment with Unbranded, oval, dies.  I found a strip of scrap lace, trimmed it to size, and added it to the left edge of the card front.

     I used one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, which I 'dyed' yellow to match the main rose, then added a tiny button.

      Challenges:
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Friends
Dare 2B Artsy
Dragonfly Dreams
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Southern Girls
Take It, Make It
Unicorn
Word Art Weds.

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

My Happy Valentine

     I've done a few Valentine cards using recycled and vintage images since things are still not completely accessible after all the boxing up and reorganizing.  Most of the markers and colored pencils are still put away and my printer use is somewhat limited.  But I am loving the entire box of vintage Valentines which were given to me several years ago and which got set aside during the last move.  I found them a few weeks ago and they have been put to great use during this year's turmoil.

     Expect to see several vintage Valentine cards over the next couple of weeks.

     I thought this image was adorable with the little girl and her faithful dog.  I cut the old card, used a Spellbinders die to cut the image into a rectangle, then punched it with a Fiskars' corner punch.  I used scraps of red paper on a kraft card base, and layered on a scrap piece of wide, wired, sparkly, silver ribbon before adding the image piece.  That ribbon and the flowers gave the card some really great texture!

     The ribbon of embroidered daisy flowers with pink centers came from my stash.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Cardmakers
Cupcake Inspirations

Cute N Crafty
Get Creative
Incy Wincy
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls
Simon Says Stamp & Show

     See you later.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spring Roses

     I have the most exciting announcement - I was selected to join the DT at World Wide DT Open !!  As I type up this blog post, it dawns on me that I need to calculate the time difference between California, in the USA and Sydney, in AU.  My apologies to my teamies for being so late getting this post up and live.  I'll be on time next month, I promise.

     Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but you must be a member of a Design Team somewhere or a member of the Julia Spiri FB group in order to enter.  We are sponsored by Julia Spiri and that means we get to use the fabulous images she supplies to us.  Anyone cans be a winner but if you also use one of her images, you qualify to be one of our "Spotlight Winners."  I started by using "The Victorian Hat."

     I printed the image and the sentiment directly onto the card front since I knew I wanted a fairly CAS card design.  I used my favorite purple and lavender ProMarkers to color this image, adding skin tones and hair color ProMarkers as well.

     For a touch of vintage, I found some lovely lace, added a violet ribbon behind it, and wrapped it around a bit of CS before adding it to the card front.  I tied one of my bow-tie bows, using lavender satin ribbon.

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy
Crafter's Castle
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Polkadoodles
Take It, Make It

     I hope you'll come and join our challenge this month.  It's open for entries from the 15th of each month until the 13th of the following month, but remember those are Sydney, NSW, Australia times.  See you soon.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Valentine Kids

     When I found this darling image in my collection from TLC Creations, I just knew I had to use it for a Valentine card this year.  I don't even know how long I've had it but I've never used it so the money for that purchase has gone to waste until now.  :-D  I can't believe I went that long without using it as much as I love vintage images!

     I decided that I really liked the black and white of the pencil sketch image so I colored only the heart and the sentiment with ProMarkers and gel ink.  I die cut the image and the red mat for it with dies from on of my earliest sets by Spellbinders.  I layered those together and then started looking for some dp.

     I'm a person who saves scraps of this and that, and in my stash I had a paper bag with an old newsprint pattern which had held one of my craft purchases who knows how long ago.  I cut a scrap of it and added it to dark brown CS.

     I added a brown doily to one side, then layered on the image piece.  I dug out the red, polka dot ribbon, tied a bow, and trimmed another strip of it to fit the card front.  Fairly CAS design which looks more complex than it is.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Angie's Digital Stamps
Aud Sentiments
Crazy Challenge
Frilly & Funky
Mod Squad
Quick Quotes
Star Stampz
Victorine Originals

     Thanks so much for visiting me today.  Take a stroll around while you're here and maybe something will spark your own creativity.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Christmas

     We're at the first Friday in November and that means a new challenge over at Emerald City Crafts.  This month I used a beautiful vintage, Christmas image from the "Joyeux Noel" ephemera collection by Linda Simpson Designs.  I love all the winter/Christmas images in this collection (see at the bottom) but this sweet little girl seemed to call out to me to be used first!

    I loved the icy blues combined with the green holly and red berries so carried that through the card design by laying white lace over a strip of blue CS and adhering that to the card front.  I put the image piece on top of that and added the sentiment below it.  

     The dove is die cut (Memory Box) from flocked paper to which I had added the tiniest bit of glitter for some sparkle.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Hazelnut's
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra
Digi Choosday
Merry Monday
Outlawz Festive Friday
Send a Smile 4 Kids
     I hope we're going to see you play along this month.  It's an "Anything Goes" theme as always.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beach Combing

     Happy 4th of July, USA!

     Summer is upon us and that means travels to the mountains for some of us or off to the beaches for others.  Today I chose to celebrate the beaches (where I'll be next week!) and chose this fun and fabulous set from MHK Designs.  Beach combing was a bit different back in the day.  :-D

     I actually used two different images from that set and blended them together.  I colored with my ProMarkers, and then hand cut the images to put them together.  They are layered onto a die cut and embossed frame (Amy Designs die) and that went directly onto the card front.

     The textured ribbon is from my stash, as is the sheer ribbon I used to tie the triple-loop bow.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Addicted to Stamps
Crafty Catz
Delicious Doodles
DL.ART
Fussy and Fancy
Hiding in My Craft Room
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Ribbon Girl

     I hope your day is as cool and restful as I'm sure mine will be.  Nothing like getting away from it all.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Sympathy Violets

     I've actually done a sympathy card before I need one and that's a very rare thing for me.  I don't enjoy them and nearly always wait until they're needed, which then makes them even harder to do.  But I found a couple of really beautiful, vintage, flower images over on Angela's "Crafting with Jack" blog and saved them right away.

     Angela is on my DT for the new "2 Crafty Critter Crazies" challenge (see my Saturday post here) and she almost always does one or more Friday Freebies.  Be sure to check out her blog.  Thanks, Angela!

     I kept it pretty simple other than using three die cut layers (all from scraps of CS) plus a simple rectangle layered onto a pre-made card base.  The image is pre-colored and I simply printed it, adding the sentiment beforehand, then die cut it.

     I found two scrap pieces of sheer ribbon, layered them together and wrapped them across the rectangle before adhering everything to the card base.  The double bow is also sheer ribbon and I tied it using a bow maker.

     Challenges:
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Addicts
Creates and Makes
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Pixie's Snippits
Simon Says Stamp

     I hope your weekend is going well and that you have had some fun crafting time.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Hat Stands

     Once again, I'm playing along in the Rick St. Dennis Progressive Challenge at Sparkle and Glitter.  I love this image with the vintage hats and stands.  Can't you just see the Gay 90s Lady packing her best hats for a trip to Paris?

I started with the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

     I used a combination of ProMarkers and Tim Holtz Distress Markers to color the image and used a die to cut it.  I matted it with pale pink CS and punched the corners.  The background papers are beautifully textured and both are from pads by DCWV, chosen to pick up the soft yellows and neutrals in the image.

     For embellishment, I chose a scrap of left over ribbon, and layered the sentiment onto it.  The die cut leaves (Cheery Lynn) were in my stash from some previous project so I used those and finally added the butterfly and gem.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
As You Like It
A Vintage Journey
Catch the Bug
Colour Your World
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Creative Corner
Digistamps 4 Joy
Let's Color Saturday
Mod Squad
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Scrapper's Delights
Stamping Boutique

     Have you survived all the holiday weekends?  Are you ready to get back into the routine of  daily living?  Much as I love the holidays, it's always a relief to be in my own home, doing my usual weekend chores, and finding time in the craft room to recharge the batteries.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Classic Mom

     I absolutely love this Rick St. Dennis image!  I'm using it to do this classic Mother's Day card and to enter it into Part 1 of their May/June Progressive Challenge.  It was a wonderful image to color and, of course, that sweet little feline sharing favorite, cuddly moments with mom didn't hurt either.  :-D

     I decided on a beige and pink color combo after seeing the inspiration photo from Kit and Clowder and also because it was something I hadn't done so far as I could remember.

     I colored her with ProMarkers and then added the strip of ribbon which runs behind the image.  I added another strip of it to a lovely bit of beige lace I found in my stash and that became the border along the left side of the card.  I didn't want any other embellishments taking attention away from the lace or that gorgeous image so I left it at that.  The sentiment is computer printed and then die cut (Spellbinders) before adding it to the corner.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
ABC Challenge
A Creative Need
A Vintage Journey
Brown Sugar
Come and Get It
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Ribbons
Fairytale Stampers (1st column)
Glitter and Sparkle
In the Pink
One Stitch at as Time
Paper Creator's Crafts
Pile It On
Ribbon Girl
Simon Says Stamp
Whimsy Inspiration

     I hope your day is going well even if it is a Monday.  Think positive thoughts and before you know it, it'll be the weekend again.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Lucky Irish Lass

     My second St. Patrick's card for this year and I have another three in the pipeline.  Most people don't make a big deal of St. Paddy's but I make cards and send them to all my grandchildren in honor of the fact that I'm Irish on both sides of my family tree and I celebrate my birthday on St. Patrick's.  :-D

     As soon as I saw this image at AuroraWings, I knew I wanted to use it for a spring green card.  I also knew that the card was going to be vintage and highly embellished, unlike the CAS you've seen from me over the weekend.  Yes, I love learning to do CAS (and do it well) but I also love vintage so when I get to do 'fussy,' I love it, too.

I based my design on the sketch at Crazy 4 Challenges,

but ran my lace and ribbon the other way 

because the card is a vertical A2.

I took my colors from DRS Designs 

but made her a redhead 'cause she's Irish. :-D

  

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, and cut with one of my framing dies from Spellbinders.  The sentiment was printed with a computer font and hand cut.  All of the embellishments came from my stash; ribbon and lace from Really Reasonable Ribbon, gold mesh recycled from gift wrapping at Christmas, and the bow came from a craft store originally but has been in my stash for quite a while.

     Challenges:

Artbymiran

As You Like It

Catch the Bug (1st column)

Crafting for all Seasons

Crafty Catz

Di's Digi Designs

Graph' It

Inky Impressions

My Time to Craft

Paper Shelter

Red Rubber Inspirationals

Simon Says Stamp

We Do Doobadoo

     That's all I have for today.  We got a good rain last night and we have bright sunshine today, but it's cold outside despite that.  Not freezing or anything near that, but windy so there's a bite in the air.  Still, I should be able to get some plants in the beds this weekend, unless it rains again.  At least I don't have to water before planting.  And, yes, I'm thinking of all my friends buried under six foot snow drifts.  I'll even put in a tomato, squash, or carrot just for you.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Save the Eagle

     Did you know last Tuesday (January 10) was national Save the Eagle day?  Neither did I until I read about it over at Outlawz.  I can't enter this card in their challenge because that's a color challenge (and I didn't use those colors) but I have to give credit to them for the inspiration to use a feather or two on a card.

Sketch from Fetch a Sketch.

     This is another of those vintage images which seem to have me hooked lately, printed onto parchment paper, then die cut with one of my new die sets (hexagon), and matted with chocolate CS, cut one size larger.  I cut the background dp with scissors (after adhering it to the card front - cut all the way through the card), turned the cut off piece and adhered it to the back edge of the card.  Then I added a strip of brown CS to set off the wavy front edge and complement the wavy back edge.

     The striped dp is another piece from that same dp mat stack, Linen Closet - DCWV, matted with brown CS and wrapped with sheer brown ribbon.  I added the feathers (no, those aren't eagle feathers!) and punched a hole for the pearl brad before mounting the strip onto the card front.  Pearls were added to the image panel and then it was mounted last.

     TIP:  Here's a tip for getting feathers adhered to a card without having them glued down the entire length of the feather.  I scraped the tip of the "feather stem" with a craft knife to flatten it as much as possible, then put down a tiny drop of craft glue right where the feathers were to go.  Before adding the feathers, I punched a tiny hole for the brad right next to the glue spot.   Then, I added the feather tips to the glue spot, and put the brad in place.  The brad overlaps the feather tips and holds everything in place while the glue dries.  It's also securely glued in place.

     The eagle feeding new chicks is so symbolic of New Beginnings and certainly has lots to do with saving the eagles.  Without offspring, there will be no eagles left to save.

     Challenges for this card:
Anything Goes Challenge -- Anything Goes week
Bunny Zoe's - inspiration photo - lots of pastels and browns
Card Makin' Mamas -- Something New
Craft Garden -- monochromatic
Crafty Cardmakers -- no floral embellishments
The Crazy Challenge -- Pearls or lace
Daisy Doodles  -- New Beginnings
Divas by Design - New Beginnings or Thanks
House of Gilli -- Anything Goes
Ooh La La -- New Beginnings
Party Time Tuesday - Save the Eagle Day
Top Tip Tuesday -- Anything Goes
Truly Madly Crafty -- Anything Goes

     Hope your week is going well and that you may have found some inspiration while browsing around.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie