Paw Prints on the Heart

     I know I tend to use more felines than canines on my cards but this adorable pup (by Tiddly Inks) reminds me of a little Scotty dog we got when he was about 10 weeks old and I was about 10 years old.  He promptly got dubbed "Puffball" and despite some outrageously long, elegant, and highly proper name which was shown on his pedigree papers, he remained "Puffball" for the rest of his life.  :-D

     I colored him with my black, gray, and lavender ProMarkers, die cut him with my largest stitched squares set (Cheery Lynn) and then cut a mat from purple CS with a larger die from the same set.  Before framing the image with it, I ran it through the embossing machine using my "Linen" embossing folder.  

     The ribbon is from my stash and the butterflies have been waiting to be used for way too many moons.  A nice CAS design to showcase this wonderful puppy.

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create

Cheery Lynn

Crafting from the Heart

Craft Your Passion

Dragonfly Journeys

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Outlawz PAM 

Send a Smile 4 Kids

Tiddly Inks (die cut, image, ribbon)

     Well, another five days and I'll be back from my vacation.  I hope you've enjoyed what I've posted while I was gone.  Tomorrow is another card for the new challenge at QKR Stampede.  Hope you'll come by and see what we're doing for next week.  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.

Pocket Dragons

     Do you know about Pocket Dragons?   I remember when I first heard about them.  I was in my pre- or early teens and, as we sat around the campfire on a family camping trip, I commented that the fire looked like dragons when the tops of the flames were blown horizontal by the evening breeze.  My dad said he didn't know about campfire dragons but he did know about Pocket Dragons.

     Pocket Dragons are very, very small and never seen by humans.  The only way you even know they exist is by finding their bedding or pillows.  If you have ever reached your hand into one of your pockets and found a bit of lint, perhaps shaped gently into a tiny pillow, then you know you have a Pocket Dragon living with you and you should treat it oh, so very kindly because they are loyal and good friends, even tho' you can't see them.

     All of that being true, I believe this may be the first ever picture of a Pocket Dragon!

     Colored with watercolor pencils and ProMarkers, cut with a die from Spellbinders, framed with another die from that same set and still a third die used for the filagree in the background.  Ribbon from my stash and burlap ribbon used for the bow.

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
ArtbyMiran
Brown Sugar
Craft for the Craic
Creative Fingers
Dragon's Lair
Jo's Scrap Shack

     That's all for today and I'll see you when I get back home.  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.

Another Sympathy Card

     On my blog last Thursday, I shared with you a sympathy card I had to make for family friends who lost their 'special needs' daughter at age 19.  This is a second card for the same family at the request of my own daughter who has been a close friend of theirs for 25 years.  I chose image, sentiment, and digital dp from MHK Designs and am going to use this as my Designer's Inspiration card this month.

I based this on the sketch at Feeling Sketchy

turned 1/4 turn for horizontal design.

     Sympathy cards are never easy to make but these frames from the new "I've Been Framed" set give lots of options for simple but elegant cards.  I chose the "Tree Frame" from the set.  The background is dp from the "French Country" set and the sentiment came from the "Beginnings and Endings" set.

     I die cut the sentiment, backed it with blue CS, cut it again, and added it to the inside of the frame with dimensional dots.  The two flowers were in my stash and have just a touch of glitter on them.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Classic Design Team
Crafty Hazelnut's Design Paper
Great Impressions
Not Just Cards

      Below you'll find photos of the three sets I used.  Have a great day and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

  I've Been Framed

 French Country

 Beginnings and Endings


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.    

Teddy Bear Love

     Our theme for the new challenge at QKR Stampede this week is "Paper Piecing."  I love this technique but it's been a while since I used it.  So this week, I paper pieced everything on the image (Digi 15101 Love Bears.)  I added the sentiment but edited it in PS so that it was white on black, looking like chalk board writing (Digi 17606 Knock Me Out.)

I used the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds 2

but put the embellishments in the upper corner

as though the sketch was turned 1/4 turn..

     All of the papers are digital papers, printed out and then run through the printer a second time to print the image onto them.  Obviously, I had to print the image four times to get it onto each paper, then I hand cut each section and adhered it to a copy of the image printed onto white CS.  Very different from my usual coloring on all my QKR images.  The ruffle part of the heart is colored with distress ink.

     Once everything was paper pieced, I die cut the image with a stitched, scalloped-circle die from Memory Box.  Those stitched dies are all time favorites of mine.  They make the stitching look so neat and tidy.  My own stitching, either by hand or machine, never looks this good.  :-D

     I cut the sentiment with a smaller die from that same set.  Both of those pieces were added to a beige card front, and then I tied a bow from pink, satin ribbon and added the three little hearts which have been in my stash since I was making Valentine cards last winter.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Crafty Girls Creations
Creative Inspirations (center column)
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Word Art Weds.

     By the time you read this, I'll be off on my vacation travels for the next couple of weeks.  My internet may be a bit intermittent so if I don't visit as usual, I promise to get caught up with each of you when I get back.  Enjoy and 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.