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

Coneflowers

     I had such a great time making this DT card for the newest challenge starting today at Tuesday Throwdown.  Our theme is "Use Die Cuts" and our fabulous sponsor is Sweet n Sassy.  I'm using an image called "Coneflowers and Butterfly."

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and cut with a framing die from Spellbinders.  I use another framing die to cut a second frame and inlaid the image into it.  I added sparkle tulle trim and layered the sentiment onto it.  A lovely, feminine card, I think.  :-D

     Challenges:
2 Creative Chicks
A Bit More Time to Craft
Addicted to Stamps
A Vintage Journey
Country View Crafts
Creative Corner
Fussy and Fancy
Great Impressions
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Stamping Boutique
Stamping Sensations

     That's all I have for today but I've posted three days in a row now and have several more coming up over the weekend and next week.  Can hardly wait to share them all with you but I still have to get things ready, including all the posts.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

"Cool" Cat

     I'm pleased to announce that I'm a Guest Designer this week at Eureka Stamps.  They have a sketch theme this week which is just so much fun to use!

   

and here's my card:

Using Digi 23902 Cool Cat with Shades

and Digi 10003 Ignored by Cat

     I used my ProMarkers to color Joe Cool Cat, added a touch of white gel pen for reflection on the glasses, then used one of my newest stitched die sets (Die-namics) to cut him and the frame.  The image piece is inlaid into the frame.  The die cut strips are cut with a die from Spellbinders.  

     The sentiment was cut into a simple rectangle using my paper cutter.  Everything was layered onto dark blue CS and then adhered to the card base.  As an embellishment, I used black polka dot ribbon to make a bow tie for Joe Cool.  :-D

     Challenges:

Craft-Dee Bowz

Crafting for all Seasons

Crafting from the Heart

Crafting with an Attitude

Craft Your Passion

Creative Fingers

Critters and Creatures

Cut It Up

Inspiration Destination

My Time to Craft

Outlawz Festive Friday

Scrapy Land

Show Us Your Pussies Cats Only

     Hope we see you playing along this week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

It's a Pastel Spring at Open-Minded Crafting Fun

     April is my favorite spring month.  It's the one that has mild weather even if it's raining.  Snow and violent storms are gone and the hot weather has yet to arrive.  I don't mind April showers at all, especially in the midst of the severe drought we've had out here for 4 years.

     For our April challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Fun we have a theme of "Pastel Colors," another of my favorite spring things.  We're being sponsored by A Random Fan, Crafty Sentiments Designs, Lacy Sunshine, and Maria Medel Illustrations.   I used a sweet Crafty Sentiments image called "Nature Watching."

     I colored it with chalks and ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I wrapped striped ribbon through it and then layered it onto another die cut to frame it, also Spellbinders.  That went onto the card front and I used a Fiskars corner punch to decorate all four corners.

     Challenges:
A Beautiful Mess
A Gem of a Challenge
ArtbyMiran
Brown Sugar
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Docerela
Imagine That!
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Pattie's Creations
Scrapper's Delights
Scrapy Land
Simply Papercraft

     I hope you're going to dig into your supplies, find something wonderfully pastel to fit with our theme, and then come play with us.  We love being inspired by each and every one of you.  Happy Stamping. NanaConnie
     

Spring Has Sprung

     New weekly challenge starting today at QKR Stampede and our theme is "Spring Has Sprung."  We want to see new baby animals, kites, gardens -- any of those clear signs of spring.  For me, Spring always means baby bunnies and chicks so I chose to use Digi 7406 "Bunny with Bow."  Isn't she adorable?  I'm using this as a new baby card.

      Don't you just love that yellow-with-a-shot-of-purple color for a spring card?  I colored the image with my ProMarkers, then used my "Stitched Scalloped Circle" dies (Memory Box) to cut it and the sentiment, plus the offset backing circles.  The butterflies were hand punched (Fiskars) or die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  Everything was mounted onto a yellow card front.

     Challenges:
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Creations
Cre8tive Hands
Creative Moments
Double D
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspiration Destination
Julia Spiri
Little Miss Muffet
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Paper Shelter
Scrapy Land

     Please come play along with us this week.  You are NOT required to use an image from QKR but if you do, your entry will be put into a separate drawing just for QKR products.  That increases your chances of winning drastically.  :-D   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Spring Birthday Greetings

     Really quick post this morning because I'm running waaay behind on things I have to do.  It's a birthday card for a kid who adores animals.  Inside it says, "Make a wish and get the party going!"

Image and sketch From the Heart Stamps.

     Colored with ProMarkers (my favorite way to color), die cut and matted (Spellbinders), glitter added to all flower centers, including the punched embellishment flower from my stash.  Leaves are cut with a Cheery Lynn die and the papers are all from Paper House.

     Challenges:

Clear It Out

Crafting from the Heart

Craft Your Passion

Critters and Creatures

Digi Chooseday

Incy Wincy

Lemon Shortbread

Love to Scrap

Melonheadz Friends

Not Just Cards

Our Crafty Corner

Passion for ProMarkers

Scrapy Land

Where the HeART Is

     I know it's a really short post but I have to throw on some clothes and get out the door.  Happy Stamping.  :-D  NanaConnie

Posies for Mom

     This delightful image is the April freebie for the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz.  Right before printing this image, I was looking out my front window at the two large daisy bushes which are overflowing with pale yellow flowers everywhere.  My coloring was influenced by them.

     I colored with chalks, then die cut both the image and the mat with dies from Spellbinders.  Actually, this time it's a frame more than a mat since the smaller die cut is inlaid into the larger one.  The doily was in my last order from 7 Kids College Fund and I think they're made by Bo Bunny.

     I added only the little bow for embellishment, keeping this one CAS for mailing.

     Challenges:
7 Kids College Fund
CAS on Sunday
Chalk N Stock
Colour Your World
Cupcake Inspirations
Di's Digi Designs
Glitter n Sparkle
Great Impressions
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
My Time to Craft
Pencil Case
Scrapper's Delights
Stamping Sensations

      Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Feed Me !!

     Today's card is not only super CAS, it's one which was definitely inspired by feline behavior around my house.  It's also my DT card for the new April challenge at Quirky Crafts, sponsored by Crackerbox Palace.   Our theme this month is "Raining Quirky Cats or Dogs."  Just use either a cat or a dog or both on a card and come enter the challenge.

     The image is called "Peeking In" and I'm not going to give you any hints as to how I managed to get a 'spotlighted' black and white image on kraft paper.  Let's just say it took both clever printing and careful coloring.

     I did use my ProMarkers to dye the ribbon and the bow, each of which started out white.  The sentiment was my own and I printed it directly onto the card front.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
ArtbyMiran
Brown Sugar
Crafter's Cafe
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with Friends
Creative Fingers
Dragon's Lair
Hannah and Friends
Jo's Scrap Shack
Morgan's Artworld
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Simply Papercrafts

     Hope to see you playing along with us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

#1 in Agriculture

     There is such a wonderful story behind this card and I really want to share it with you.  A friend who has ordered lots of cards from me has asked me for one more, this one for a very special occasion.  One of his high school Agriculture teachers is celebrating a 100th birthday!   WOW!  Several of  his former students have gotten together to throw him a birthday party.  Isn't that a fantastic thing to do?   He was so beloved by so many in the high school where he taught for 40 years.

     Anyway, knowing he was an Ag teacher, I found these two images from QKR Stampede, reversed one of them, and made a card for my friend to give him.

     I love being able to share QKR Stampede images with you two days in a row.  :-D  Because it's a masculine card, I kept it very CAS, printing directly onto the card front and then coloring it with my ProMarkers.  The only thing I added is the stitched ribbon.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations
Catch the Bug
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Calendar
Let's Color Saturday
Little Claire's
Love to Scrap
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Scrapper's Delights

     Hope your weekend is fantastic and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Marriage Made in Heaven

     It's Friday and that means a new challenge at QKR Stampede.  We have a really fun theme this week; "Foolish Thoughts" which means we want to see some humor and delight.  My card is a sample of Foolish Thoughts made by combining the Digi 5701 "Moon Cheese" with the sentiment 12703 "Made in Heaven."

     I printed the sentiment and the image together onto the card front, then colored the image with some of my favorite pastel color ProMarkers.  All of the ribbon came from my stash and the double bow was made using my Bow-It-All.  I learned how to do those through a YouTube video.  Very helpful !

     Challenges:
A Beautiful Mess
Artistic Inspirations
Craft-Dee BowZ
Craft Your Passion
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Fussy and Fancy
Get Creative
Let's Color Saturday
Love to Scrap
MFP Stamps
Not Just Cards
Our Crafty Corner
Simply Papercraft

     I hope you're inspired to find some humor and come join our challenge this week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

More Thank You Cards

     Today, and over the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing with you various "Thank You" cards which I'm making.  Since I have to make a total of 45 (!) for Teacher Appreciation Day at my grandson's school, I'll choose some of the best to post.   These are going to be signed by parent volunteers involved in the Parent Teacher Association at his grammar school.  Here's my first one.

     This one is fairly CAS but still has a feminine touch of ribbons and a bow.  The sentiment is a negative cut from white CS and mounted onto a black card front.  I saved the white words and will use them on a colored card front.  I added a small brad to the bow.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Gals Corner
Inspiration Destination
Through the Craft Room Door
Unicorn

    Quick post this evening but I have to get back to the dies and card stock and get several more of these made before the week is over.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Using Lace with Tuesday Throwdown

     Today we start a new challenge at Tuesday Throwdown and our theme is to "Use Lace."  Our wonderful sponsor is The Ribbon Resource and they were so generous in providing lace to our DT members for use on our inspiration cards.  They will be providing the prize for this challenge as well.

     Isn't that pink lace gorgeous?   The image is by Anne Fenton and I've had it in my collection for a while.  It seemed time to use it.  Since I'm getting my stash of birthday cards and Mother's Day cards stocked up, I decided on a color combo of kraft, pink and white.

    I colored with ProMarkers, stamped the sentiment, then matted the image with dark pink CS.  Because I wanted the lace to really pop, I layered it across white CS because it showed better than against the kraft CS, and then I added the two rows of pearls.  The butterfly is die cut from burlap paper and I added two pearls for the body.  Even with those embellishments, the card design is still very CAS, showcasing the image and the lace.

     Challenges:
2 Creative Chicks
A Bit More Time to Craft
Card and Scrap
Connie Can Crop
Creative Card Crew
Just Keep on Creating
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Creator's Crafts
Petal Lu
Sisters of Craft
Sparkles Forum
Through the Craft Room Door
Unicorn Challenge
Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope you're going to dig out some lace from your stash and come play in our challenge this week.  We'd love to see how you're inspired to add lace to your projects.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mother's Day Rose

     I spent this morning getting my first Mother's Day card made and it's a fun combination of recycled, re-colored, and both die and hand cutting.  A couple of months ago, a friend gave me a stack of retro cards which I've been recycling into vintage cards.  This is another one of those.

     The rose and buds were originally white with gray shadings and I wanted them to be pink so I colored them with my ProMarkers and a touch of gel pen.  I fussy cut the image, layered it onto pink CS, and fussy cut it again.  

     I die cut the doily with a Spellbinders die, offset the image, and added that to background dp from SU.  I put the sentiment onto another piece of the dp I had used for the doily, and die cut it.  I trimmed it by hand to fit into the corner.  The final touch was the pink bow and the glitter on the doily.

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create

As You Like It (Diagonal - I love fancy for girlie cards and purple/pink are fav colors)

Aud Sentiments (1st column)

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafting by Designs

Craft Rocket

Crafty Girls Creations

Creative Moments

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Mod Squad

Outlawz Greetings

Whimsy Inspiration

     That's all I have for today.  Be sure to check back tomorrow when a new challenge starts at Tuesday Throwdown.  You'll love it.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie 

New Glasses

     A very happy Easter morning to all of you.  Have you ever seen the Easter Bunny wearing his glasses?  He only puts them on after a long night of hiding eggs and goodies for children to find on Easter morning.   Working in the dark creates such eye strain!  :-D  This card will be going to a young lady who just got her first pair of glasses and whose favorite color is red.

     The image is the Progressive Challenge Freebie from The Outlawz and is by Gerda Steiner Designs.

     I started with the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

        The image is colored with ProMarkers and die cut with one of my Stitched Rectangle dies from Die-Namics, as is the red frame.  Other CS pieces are cut with stitched or pin point dies from Lawn Fawn and Memory Box.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the tiny bee is embossed with gold and white EPs (on clear sticker paper) and fussy cut.  Everything is layered onto kraft CS.  The dots in the corner and the curly cue below the bee are done with a glue pen and gold glitter.

     Challenges:

2 Creative Chicks

A Bit More Time to Craft

CCC Digi

Connie Can Crop

Craft and Smash

Digistamps 4 Joy

Petal Lu

Scrap N'

Sisters of Craft

Sunsational Stamps

Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope your day is filled with the Blessing of Easter and that you have time for lots of Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Canine Style Gardening

     My card today is for a gardening friend of mine who also happens to be a dog lover extraordinaire.  The image is the monthly progressive challenge freebie at From the Heart Stamps and the sketch is also from one of their challenges.

Here's the sketch.

     I colored with my ProMarkers and then dug through the scrap pile to find the CS and the ribbon.  The pawprint is a stamp from Sweet Stamps.  The sentiment is mine, printed with a computer font and fussy cut.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments (top row)
Craft Rocket
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Creations
Crafty Girls Creations
Creative Moments
Inspiration Destination
Little Miss Muffet
Moving Along with the Times
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Star Stampz

     Last year I had my garden in and had sprouts a few inches high by now, but I don't know if I'll get to making a garden this year.  I'm just so far behind on everything and it doesn't look like planting is going to work its way into my schedule any time soon.  Sigh, I will miss the fresh veggies all summer long. :-(  Oh, well, Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Just a Peek...

     IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MY QKR STAMPEDE CARD

SCROLL DOWN ONE POST.

    For my MHK Designs inspiration card, all I'm going to show you is a little peek at today's card.  If you want to see the entire thing, you'll have to go over and visit the MHK Designs blog where my Designer Inspiration card is being featured.

Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Easter at QKR Stampede

     My first Friday back and this morning I'm posting my DT card for the latest challenge at QKR Stampede.  Our theme is "Easter" -- how simple is that?  And Easter is only 2 days away!!

     I used the image "Happy Easter" (digi 14903) and colored it with ProMarkers.

     Because it didn't have a lot of coloring, I added some delightful papers from SU, inlaying the die cut image into the die cut, striped background.  That layer is laid on top of the second paper and then I added the lace and the bow.  Very CAS but looking very complex.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Artistic Inspirations
Colouring in Scrapland
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Boots
Crafty Cardmakers
Cut It Up
Dragonfly Journeys
Eureka Stamps
Great Impressions
Love to Scrap
Outlawz Monday Greetings
Robyn's Fetish
Where the HeART Is

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Birthday Garden

     I've been sorting through my huge collection of dies, trying to get them organized into some sort of order.  Well, you know what happens during forays into the crafting room to "get things organized" -- we get distracted by wanting to create something with the hidden goodies we find.  This card is the result of one of those distractions.

     This one is a bit different from my usual colored image and embellies.  Instead, it's all done with die cuts.  The primary die cut was done with a die called "Gardening" from die-namites.  I cut white CS, then red, and then green, and used pieces to inlay the design.  The sentiment is printed and fussy cut.  The flower and the butterfly are also die cuts but not cut by me.  They were embellies I found hiding in my stash.

     I love that stitched ribbon, and I think it's from Really Reasonable Ribbon but it might be from a local craft store.  It was in my stash but not labelled in any way.

     Challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafty Calendar
Fussy and Fancy
Imagine That
Outlawz Paper ala Mode
Quick Quotes
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrapper's Delight
Simply Papercraft
Stamping Boutique

     Boy, does it feel good to be back in my routine again!   Mostly, it feels so good to be crafting again.  :-D  Thanks for stopping by, my friends.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mad Hatter Tea Party

     I finally get to share with you things I made for my granddaughter's birthday party.  She wanted a Mad Hatter Tea Party theme and we did the best we could to accommodate that theme while hand-making the invitations and decorations.  My daughter came up with most of the ideas and I applied myself to the creations.

     First, we did invitations:

Challenges:

Crafting with Friends

Dragonfly Dreams

Imagine That

     Each one was an original in that we used stitched scalloped dies to cut various papers and then combined them into odd and quirky combinations so that no two were alike.  We used simple brads to attach them to the actual "date, time, place" info and they were all hand delivered so no envelopes needed.  :-D

     Next, my daughter decided that we had to have Mad Hatter Top Hats.  Holy Cow, I had no idea what it would take to make them!  One is fabric and the other is cardstock and cardboard.

 

 

Challenges:

Brown Sugar

Corrosive Challenge

Really Reasonable Ribbon

     I found a wonderful digi stamp of a female mad hatter and we made up a matted poster which each of the guests could sign.  We're having it framed so my granddaughter can hang it on her wall.

Challenges:

Art by Miran

Color My Heart

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Little Claire's 

      Croquet was a must, of course, so I made these and my daughter posted them on stakes at each of the "arches" through which the players had to move their ball by hitting it with a mallet.

     My daughter also had a brilliant idea of incorporating the caterpillar and we made one using round Japanese lanterns.  While we couldn't figure out how to make a hookah for him, we gave him a simple face using die cuts for the eyes and mouth and my daughter tied the lanterns to the tree branch.  Isn't he fantastic?  That's my granddaughter in the photo, dressed as the Red Queen and laughing as she discovered the caterpillar.  :-D

        Finally, we made little boxes of party favors and had them waiting at the door for guests to take as they left.  Using the same image as had been on their invitations tied the beginning and ending together.

Challenges:

Crafty Friends

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

New Challenge at MHK Designs

     Good Heaven's, it's been more than a month since I posted or created anything and I have truly missed it!  It feels so good to be back and it's wonderful to share with you my DT card for the newest challenge at  MHK Designs.  As always, we have an inspiration photo for you and you can use whatever part of it inspires you -- the colors, the photo, a combination of both -- anything at all.

     And here's my card using the Wild Rose image from the "Easter Blessings" set which was released last month.

     This is a really CAS design with the image printed directly onto the card front, then colored with ProMarkers.  I added a strip of dp and the ribbon, tied a bow, and it was finished.  Not bad for my first card in a month.  :-D

     Challenges:

Brown Sugar

Colouring Without Boundaries

Colour Your World

Crafty Friends

Glitter n Sparkle

Inkspirational

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Little Claire's

My Time to Craft

Outlawz CAS

Ribbon Girl

Stamping Sensations

     I hope you'll come and play along this month.  You could win a wonderful stamp set from MHK Designs, plus gorgeous digital papers!  Don't forget, you can join the FB group, too.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie