MHK Designer Inspiration Card for July

 In keeping with all the fantastic Christmas sets Mynn at MHK Designs has released this month, I've done a Christmas card using one of her older sets, "Christmas Silhouettes."  This happens to be the 'Wise Men' image from that set and the sentiment I chose is from the "Holiday Deer" set (one of my favorites for masculine cards year round.)

     It's a very simple design, really.  I printed out the silhouette (I love that these are done in reverse!), then cut and matted it.  I did the same with the sentiment.  I layered each of those onto sparkle CS and added a strip of satin ribbon and a bit of holly as an embellishment.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Brown Sugar
Christmas Cards
C.R.A.F.T.
Dream Valley
Fussy and Fancy
Hiding in My Craft Room
Kitty Bee Designs Aloha Friday
Melonheadz Friends
Whoopsi Daisy

     Here are photos of the complete sets I used and links to them are up above.

  

     Don't forget to play along in our challenge which runs until August 20.  Happy Stamping.



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Christmas Kisses

     Another Christmas card for the stash and I'm finally beginning to feel like I might get the 75 cards done that I will need for family, friends, and donating to the senior center this year.   Today's card uses an image by From the Heart Stamps, and adorable little snowman blowing Christmas Kisses.  Are you humming "Frosty, the Snowman" yet?   :-D

I used the sketch at I {Heart} Sketches.

     I colored that cute snowman with my ProMarkers and then die cut it with a stitched circle die from Die-namics.  The doily die behind it was cut with a Cheery Lynn die.  I cut the little banner pieces from dp that has been in my Christmas/Winter stash nearly forever (like 5 years!)  Finally, I added the sentiment and the sparkly gem snowflakes and called it done.

     Challenges:
Cheery Lynn
Country View Crafts (July)
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Digistamps 4 Joy
Holly Jolly Christmas
Melonheadz Friends
Penny's Paper-Crafty
{Pin}spirational
Sparkles Forum
Sparkles Forum Christmas

     Hot weather is back again so I'm hoping some Christmas/Winter projects will make it feel cooler.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Lighthouse

     Those of us who play in the Progressive challenge were given this image and I thought it would make a wonderful encouragement card.

     This time I used watercolors to color the image and I framed it with a die cut which was in my "save it and hope to use it someday" stash.  I think that was cut with a Spellbinder's die but it was the negative piece between two framing dies that is usually discarded.

     I kept the design very CAS by mounting the framed image onto a piece of distressed and curled CS, then putting that directly onto a pre-made card front.  I added a bit of brown twine, then added the encouraging sentiment.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Color Crazy Craft
Crafter's Cafe
Delicious Doodles
Dies R Us
Digistamps 4 Joy
Emerald Faeries
Kreativeinkauf
Paper Creator's Crafts
Stempelsonnen

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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A Little Bit Batty

      Yes, I know it's only the fourth Friday in July and, yes, this is a Halloween card!  I've been doing Christmas all month long so I thought I'd throw in something a bit unexpected.  Actually, this is a perfect card for the new theme in our latest challenge at QKR Stampede, "Up, Up, and Away."

     The image is Digi 16309 "Blind Bat" and the sentiment is Digi 8902 "Happy Halloween."  I colored both of those with my ProMarkers and fussy cut them.  The bat is mounted onto foam dots for some dimension.

     The moon was cut from harvest gold CS using a stitched circle die which has the stitching both inside and outside the circle.  I used the same die to cut the background purple CS, then inset the gold moon into it.  I think stitched dies have become my favorite "go to" dies, but then, using dies is my favorite thing to do on cards anyway.  I used two different gray ProMarkers to make the shadows on the moon.

     For embellishment, I added a black bow and three little silver/gray pearls.  A very CAS design which works to showcase the image.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Colour Your World
Corrosive
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Craft Your Passion
Creative Moments
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Little Claire's
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Pile It On
Simon Says Stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters

     That's all I have today and I hope we're going to see you playing along in our "Up, Up, and Away" challenge this week,  Just use anything that goes up into the sky -- the possibilities are endless.  While there's no requirement that you use an image from QKR, if you do, your card will be entered into a separate drawing just for QKR Stampede users and that really increases your chances of being a winner.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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July/August Challenge at MHK Designs

     Good Thursday morning!  Today we start a new challenge over at MHK Designs and, as usual, we have an inspirational idea with colors and a photo.  You can use either of those as your inspiration; however, if you use an image from MHK Designs, then you can do an Anything Goes card without having to follow the inspiration at all.  First I'm showing you my card and then the inspiration photo/colors.

     The cranberries in the photo made me think of other berries so I chose to use the Raspberry Branch from the "Fabulous Fall" set and a sentiment from the "Butterfly Wisdom" set.  I also used digital paper from MHK Designs, one of the Delightful Daisies options from the "Flower Power Brights" set.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers, then fussy cut it.  I added 3 layers of CS matting, fussy cutting each one of them as I went along.  I did the same thing with the sentiment.  I printed the background dp and added it to the card front.

     Next, I dug out my favorite leaf die (Cheery Lynn) and used it to cut leaves from two different shade of gray CS.  Then I die cut the little flowers with a die from Sue Wilson.  I added the image, the sentiment, scattered the leaves, and finally used the flowers to enhance the leaves.  I do think die cuts are my favorite form of embellishing a card.  :-D

     I love bows and tied this simple one using satin ribbon.  I tied thread around it to cinch in the center.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Allsorts
A Vintage Journey
Cheeky Challenge
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Create and Inspire
Digi Choosday
Glitter n Sparkle
Scrapper's Delights
Through the Craft Room Door
Tuesday Throwdown

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this time.  You have until August 20 to enter your projects.  I hope to see you there.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Fabulous Fall  Butterfly Wisdom

   Flower Power Brights

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Framed Butterflies

     This is my second post as a GD at Scrapy Land and we have a new challenge starting today with a theme of "Emboss It," either dry or heat embossing.  While I usually do dry embossing, this time I decided to do heat embossing so that I could try some really new, glittery EP that I got from Sparkle n Sprinkle.  As promised in my first Scrapy Land post two weeks ago, this card is much more complex and fancy than my first card which was very much CAS.  :-D

     For this card, I used a die set by Sue Wilson called "Delicate Garden Frame."  There are a total of six dies in the set and I used them all to get the different layers (there are seven if you count the card base) and three of the layers are mounted on pop dots for some dimension.  The papers are from Stampin' Up.

     I cut the butterflies and then heat embossed them with "Cerulean Star" glittery EP.  I used a Versamarker pen on the darker flowers in the frame and heat embossed them with the same EP.   In the center of each of those flowers, I glued one of the tiniest flowers and added a dot of glitter to their centers.

     The ribbon was in my stash and I tied the bow, then next to it I added the three tiny flowers with glittered centers.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Butterfly Challenge
Classic Design Team Open
Crafty Awesomeness
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Creatalicious
CCC Digi
Die Cut Divas
Nordsalten Hobbyklub
Petal Lu
Sisters of Craft
Sparkle n Sprinkle

     Dig out your EPs and heat gun or your embossing folders and come play with us this week.  Remember to use dies from one of the more than 40 companies sold by Scrapy Land.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Chicken Soup

     I needed a quick Get Well card and had this cute image by Sandra Caldwell which I'd never used before so it seemed the perfect time.

I took my colors from House of Cards.

     I colored with my ProMarkers and Copics, fussy cut the image and layered it onto some striped dp to give a 'wallpaper' look to the background.  I added a die cut frame (Cheery Lynn), a bow and a flower plus the sentiment and called it finished.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Allsorts
Animal Friends
Cheery Lynn Designs
Come and Get It
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Creatalicious
Glitter 'n Sparkle
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Petal Lu
Scrapper's Delights
Sweet Stamps
Take It, Make It

     Now that you've gotten past the dreaded "Back to Work Monday," how's your week going?  Mine is going to be busy again but I got lots of crafting done this weekend so I have some things to post for you.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Kitten Stack

     I've been seeing images from Sasayaki Glitter around the blogs I visit regularly and finally joined their FB site, then went on a shopping spree at the Etsy store.  Of course, I found kittens and had to have them so they went into making my first card with a Sasayaki image.  :-D

    I colored the image with my ProMarkers and then cut it with a Cheery Lynn die.  I added golden backing paper to show through the frame.  I corner punched a rectangle, and set it behind the image at an angle.

     I knew I wanted the kittens to take center stage so planned a very CAS design.  But then there were those scraps of dp that matched up with the kitten's stripes and called out to be used plus bits of lace which tied in with the fall colors.  I was really concerned that I'd lose the simplicity but when I layered it all together, the kittens still jumped off the page and there seemed to be lots of open space so I just went with it.  In any case, it does fit with the style I love to create - something simple which looks more complex because of fancy die cut frames.  What other excuse do I have to keep using all my fancy framing dies?   :-D

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Fingers
Creative Moments
DRS Designs
Morgan's Artworld
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Sisterhood of Crafters
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Thanks in Purple and Turquoise

     I've been making lots of Christmas cards this month (having finally gotten a rather late start compared to most years) and that made me think about needing a small stash of Thank You cards as well.  So this morning I've been busy making about a dozen of them because what I don't use myself, I donate to a couple of non-profit organizations who are always in need of Thank You cards to send to their donors and volunteers.

     I chose to share with you the brightest card I made today, since it utilizes a rather neon shade of turquoise for the sentiment and flower.  The card front was made using CS in my favorite color, purple.  I love that purple and turquoise combo; a definite favorite of mine!  :-D

     This is a really wonderfully simple design, showcasing only a die cut sentiment and a hand-colored, flower embellie from my stash.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Creations
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Sentiments
Fab 'n' Funky
Little Claire's
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Pile It On
Through the Craft Room Door

     OK, I'm heading back to the craft room to work on a couple of progressive challenge cards which I want to get done this weekend.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Gator in the Ocean

     Another Friday so another challenge is starting at QKR Stampede.  Our theme this week is "By the Seaside"  and we want to see projects with images of oceans, beaches, sand, sandcastles, seashells -- you decide what to use that meets the theme and then come show us your creations.

     I got a bit silly and used two cute QKR images:  Digi 5602 "Floating Gator" and Digi 6702 "Wondering" and then added my own sentiment.

     I did a really simple design, coloring the images with my ProMarkers, then cutting them and placing them in appropriate positions on scrap strips of blue dp which I had added to the card front as background.  I used the strip with the sentiment as a divider to differentiate the above and below parts of the ocean.

     I had already wrapped the ribbon around the card front and I tied the bow separately, adding the anchor charm before attaching the bow.

     I love the expression on the face of the octopus!  He really does seem to be wondering about the gator, doesn't he?

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Colour Your World
Come and Get It
Corrosive Challenge
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Sentiments
Delicious Doodles
Great Impressions
One Stitch at a Time
Passion for ProMarkers
Through the Craft Room Door

    Come play with us this week, won't you?  We love being inspired by your creations.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Santa's Helper

     One more Christmas card for the stash.  Image by Scrapper's Delight, for the July Progressive Challenge on their FB page..

     The image is printed directly onto the card front and colored with my ProMarkers.  I used strips of glittered CS for the upper corner.  The sentiment is printed and hand cut.  Final touch is the red bow.  Very CAS design.

     Challenges:
Christmas Cards
Creative Fingers
Crimbo Crackers
Crafting with an Attitude
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz CAS
Sasayaki Glitter
Take It, Make It
Tuesday Throwdown

     Another short post but this is such a busy week for me.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Jungle Jaguar

     I love this magnificent jaguar (Morgan's Artworld) and had a wonderful time coloring him.

I started with the sketch from The Outlawz.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then die cut it with a rectangle die from Spellbinders.  Both of the mats for the image were also cut but the dies are from QuicKutz.  I used distressed dps and scored and tore the papers by hand to get a rough edge on them.  All the papers were in my scrap pile which is why I have that particular combo of yellow, gold, and greens.

     The gold ribbon is from my stash and I used a five inch scrap of yellow satin ribbon to make the bow-tie bow.  The butterfly is cut with a Cheery Lynn die.  Finally, I added some punched snowflake shapes, but punched them from green CS so they'd look like flowers instead.  The sentiment is mine.

     Challenges:
Butterfly Challenge
Creative Corner
Creative Fingers
Creative Moments
Cut It Up
Dragon's Lair
Little Claire's
Morgan's Artworld FB
Outlawz PAM
Pixie's Crafty Workshop
Simply Papercraft
SUYP Cats Only

     My week has been so productive already it almost feels like I should be able to take the rest of the week off.  :-D  Oh, well, two more days like the last two and I'll find a way to reward myself for everything that has gotten done.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Cute Critter

    This has to be one of the most adorable critters I've ever seen.  I did have a long discussion  with my neighbor about whether it was a skunk or a hedgehog but either way, it's pretty exotic and obviously, being a skunk won out.  :-D  The image is from Drawn by Krista.

     I colored with my ProMarkers, then die cut it with one of my Sue Wilson dies.  I made the background by cutting black CS with a die from Memory Box.  It's a stitched die but that's hard to see in the photo.  The delicate circles are a separate die, also by Memory Box, and those were cut from a scrap bit of CS which was on the desk.

     I used a bit of scrap, blue ribbon from my stash and added the burlap butterfly.  The critter himself defined the sentiment which is cut by hand.  Who can resist a cute little guy like that bringing flowers to his lady?

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Aud Sentiments
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Ribbons
Creative Moments
Lemon Shortbread
Tuesday Throwdown
Word Art Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

     Short post this morning but it's very late (or very early depending on how you look at the middle of the night!) and I have appointments in  the morning so I need some sleep.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Rose Girl for a Birthday

     I haven't colored up an ArtbyMiRan image in a while but this one was such a delight and she's going into my stash of birthday cards.

I started with the color challenge at Connie Can Crop.

     I colored this image with my Koh-I-Noor pencils and gamsol.  I learned some real lessons about blending and shading.  I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with it but maybe in my head I'm still just comparing it to coloring with alcohol markers.

     The two papers are both from the same Authentique pad and I used sparkly, black ribbon over the join point.  The image is cut with a die on the top and two sides, and then hand cut across the bottom to keep the sentiment where it was printed.

     I matted the image with seafoam CS and tied a "bowtie" bow from satin ribbon to pull out some of the darker salmon shades in the paper.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Crafty Sentiments
Deep Ocean
Fab 'n Funky
Lemon Shortbread
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     That's it for me today.  Hope your weekend is going well and that you've found some wonderful "me" time for restoring your soul and feeding the creative muse.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Way Too Long

     Another winter-y, Christmas card which I plan to use as a long-distance holiday greeting for a friend who lives out-of-state and whom I've not had the opportunity to visit in many years.  Hence, the outside sentiment of "Way too long..." runs into one inside which says "...since we shared coffee."

I started with the sketch from I {heart} Sketches

and a From the Heart image.

I turned the sketch a quarter turn so that the

 3 snowflakes could be at the bottom instead of the side.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image and then played with a die from Spellbinders which was much longer than I wanted based on the size of my image.  I cut the image and then moved the die so that the top of it was at the bottom of the image and what was the "outside" edge of the die was what cut the bottom line of the image.  Wish I had taken a photo as I did it so that it could be more easily understood.

     Next, I used the same die to cut the sentiment, turning it upside down to get the 'mirror image' cut along the bottom.  I trimmed away unwanted parts with scissors to get that shape and inset the top of it into the bottom of the image piece.  Everything is mounted onto navy blue CS.

     I added the three little snowflakes (also die cuts) and popped a dab of glitter into the center of each one.  It took a bit of figuring to get the die to work out but I do love the end result.  Even the planning was fun, although time consuming.

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Aud Sentiments
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Boots
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Craft Your Passion
Crimbo Crackers
Di's Digi Designs
Great Impressions
Moving Along with the Times
Sweet Stampin' Christmas
Time Out

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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Waitin' for a Train

     Friday always means there's a new challenge at QKR Stampede and this week our theme is "Transportation."  Cars, trains, boats, planes, horses or other 4-legged critters - if it's used for transportation, we want to see you use it on your project for our challenge.  I used this fun old train  (Digi 19205 - "Train") for a masculine travel card.  Doesn't this train remind you a little bit of The Polar Express?  Maybe I should have done it as one more Christmas card.  :-D

      I used ProMarkers and chalks to color the image, then die cut it with a Spellbinders' die.  I also cut the mat with a larger die from that same set.  The papers are both from SU.  The sentiment is computer printed and hand cut, with punched corners to match the look of the die cut pieces.  The twine is sparkly, metallic, fibers and I frayed the ends just because I loved the look of it that way.

     Clean, simple, masculine and monochromatic.  I love it!  :-D

     Challenges:
Card and Scrap
Classic Design Team
Crafts and Me
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Dream Factory
Emerald Faeries
Lunagirl Moonbeam
Paper Creator's Crafts
Southern Ridge Trading Co.
Stempelsonnen

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  Remember, you can use any image by any company, not just QKR Stampede.  But if you do use a QKR image, you'll be entered into a separate drawing just for people who used them and that will increase your chances of winning by a very high percentage!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie     

Holly Fairy

     One more Christmas card to add to my annual stash which is now growing slowly but steadily.  Today's card has a really fun Holly Fairy from Bugaboo Stamps.

     I kept this design really CAS because so many of my Christmas cards have to be mailed and CAS is the best style for slipping into an envelope.

     She's colored with ProMarkers, then I cut the image using two different corner dies from Cheery Lynn.  I matted it with red CS and corner punched it.  That entire piece was mounted onto the card front at an angle and I used red ink on the card edges.

     Finally, I added the sentiment and the 'bow tie' bow made with red ribbon for a touch of embellishment.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
A Bit More Time to Craft
Catch the Bug
Cheery Lynn
Christmas Card
Christmas Cards All Year Round
Come and Get It
Crafter's Cafe
Crafty Boots
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Creatalicious
Crimbo Crackers
Digistamps 4 Joy
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Holly Jolly
Ike's World
Open-Minded Crafting Fun
Robyn's Fetish
Whoopsi Daisy

     Well, this is going to be a good month for getting several more cards into my Christmas stash; there are just so many "Christmas in July" challenges out there.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie 

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Thank You for Scrapy Land

     I have the most exciting news - I'm a Guest Designer with Scrapy Land for the next 3 months!   They have challenges every fortnight and this is the first one in which I've participated as a GDT.   I've been playing in their challenges regularly for more than two years.

     Scrapy Land has the most incredible collection of die sets created by 40 different makers.  If you're a regular visitor to my blog, you know how I love using die cuts on my cards so I think this is a natural fit for me.

     Our challenge theme this time around is "Anything Goes" but you do need to use a die from one of the companies sold in the Scrapy Land store.   I kept my first card very CAS because I wanted the die cut to be the focus.  I know the cards will get fancier and more complex because I'm already working on the next one, although it's all in my head so far.  Who knows what will happen between now and the time I actually sit down to make it?  :-D

     That lovely green die cut is "Verona Bouquet" by Memory Box.  It worked marvelously by itself against the light green card base but you know how I love all shades of purple so I added some mulberry paper flowers for a bit of dimension and texture.  The sentiment is hand stamped and I added three, small, hand-punched dots to co-ordinate with the colors in the flowers and to bring some attention to the sentiment.

     A completely CAS design which really focuses attention on the bouquet.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Fairy Tale
Just Us Girls
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
One Stitch at a Time
Simply Papercraft
Take It, Make It

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our Scrapy Land "Anything Goes" challenge this fortnight.  Dig through your die sets or head over to the store and treat yourself to something new, then come play along.  Happy Stamping (and cutting).  NanaConnie

Memory Box Verona Bouquet die

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Pretty in Purple

     I'm back and my normal routine should be back in place in another day or two.  I did stay up late last night and made this card using a Ching Chou-Kuik image which has been in my collection for a while.  It just begged to be colored.  :-D

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image in my favorite color - purple - and then die cut a lacy frame with my newest die from Cheery Lynn, which is mounted on dimensional dots.  Oh, let me assure you this die set will get a lot of use!

     I continue to try new forms of coloring (watercolor, pencils, pastels, chalks) and enjoy most of them but I truly love my alcohol markers the best for blending and saturation of color.  I really missed them while I was gone because I only took chalks and pencils with me, space being a consideration.

     I added just the rose and the leaf stem (also Cheery Lynn) for a wonderful 3-D effect so I think this might still be considered a CAS design even though it has a more complex look with the lace frame.  But how can you go wrong with just one image, one frame, and one embellie?

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Cheery Lynn Designs
Ching Chou-Kuik
Coffee, Chocolate, & Cards
Crafty Awesomeness
Creative Fingers
Cut It Up
Fussy and Fancy

     It's good to be home, sleeping in my own bed and able to sit down to the computer whenever I choose.  :-D   I'll have a few vacation photos for you over the next couple of weeks but I need to download all of them from the camera and do a bit of cropping and editing.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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4th of July Honor for Servicemen

     HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY!

      This gorgeous image of our flag was released by MHK Designs just in time for the Fourth and I decided to use it as a way to say Thanks to all our service people who protect us and serve in the Armed Forces.  What better way to celebrate the birth of our country?

     I used my Koh-I-Noor pencils to color the flag and add the shadow, then die cut it with my stitched circle die set (Die-namics) to cut it and the sentiment.  I also cut the navy blue background with a stitched circle die and inset the flag into it.

     I wrapped the card with twine before adding the sentiment and, after that, decided to leave it very CAS.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Cute Card Thurs
House That Stamps Built
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Southern Girls
Work It Wednesday
   
     I hope you've had a wonderful, long weekend and I get home late today.  Then I get to face all the laundry, unpacking, and basic household chores that didn't get done while I was gone.  Once finished with that, I can start my weekly routine and rest up from my vacation.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie


 Forever Wave

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New Driver on the Road !

     A couple of weeks ago, my eldest granddaughter took and passed her driving test, and now she's a fully licensed driver!  I had already decided that I had to do a card for her, that being a huge milestone in the life of any teen.  I had already decided to use this image I won at From the Heart Stamps but before I got the card finished, an incident occurred which also needed to be memorialized.

     The story goes like this: on the second day after getting her license, her mom asked her to run to the grocery store and pick up a couple of items needed for dinner.  The store is two blocks away from home.  She did as asked and was on her way back home when she saw red lights flashing behind her!  She pulled over and was scared to death, totally unable to figure out what she could possibly have done to merit being stopped by the police.  Keep in mind, she's driving her mom's car, not yet having one of her own.

     The officer asked to see her license and registration, then advised her that she had a tail light which was out.  When she told him that she'd only had her license for two days and that it was her mom's car, he told her to make sure it got fixed but was nice enough not to write her a ticket.

     Here's how I changed the planned card design following that incident.  :-D

     Colored with my ProMarkers and the police officer is clip art I found online, fussy cut and mounted on dimensional dots.  I used a stitched die to cut the image and inlaid it into black CS, also cut with that same stitched die although the stitching doesn't show on the black.  The checkered flag is another image from the race car set, printed, fussy cut, and added on a dimensional dot.  Sentiment was computer printed.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Catch the Bug
City Crafter
Crafty Addicts
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thursday
Pencil Case
Scrapper's Delights
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     Congrats again, #1 Granddaughter.  I'm so proud of you!  Happy Stamping to all.  NanaConnie

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A Little Down Time

     Another precious feline fur baby to share with you today, one who has sense enough to know that naps equal "down time" and that down time is vital to both serenity and creativity, especially in hot summer weather.  :-D

     Colored with ProMarkers and die cut with a pierced rectangle die (Memory Box.)  Two more rectangles from light and dark green CS were also cut with larger dies from that set.  I added a punched butterfly to the green bow and thought a single, white rose in the corner would be enough embellishment.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Boots
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Crazy Challenge (R is for "Rest")
Cuttlebug Mania
Lemon Shortbread
One Stitch at a Time
SUYP Cats Only

      I'm definitely enjoying my "down time" and will see you when I return next week.  I will have a couple of cards scheduled to show you in the meantime.  Happy Stamping.    NanaConnie

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Christmas in July

     QKR Stampede has a new challenge starting today and we're celebrating "Christmas in July."  Last month, I finally started my stash of Christmas cards and this challenge gives me the opportunity to add to it.  Most years, I have at least half of my cards made by this time but I'm really behind this year.

     I started with two wonderful digis, a Santa for the chimney (Digi 16714 "Santa Bear") and a snowman for the yard (Digi 8715 "Merry Christmas.")  I colored with my ProMarkers, cut with dies from Spellbinders, and added offset, die cut, mats to each image.  The grosgrain ribbon was a scrap in my stash and snowflakes were left over from last year's Christmas cards.  This was a pretty fast and simple design and I have added one more to the stash.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Christmas Cards All Year Round
Colour Your World
Crimbo Crackers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Winter Wonderland

     Come play along this week, won't you?   You don't have to use QKR Stampede images, but if you do, your card will be put into a separate drawing and that will increase your chances of winning.  Hope to see you playing.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

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