Cold Hearts

It is still fridgidly frigid! The sun was out today. Highs in the negative numbers....Brrrrr! So in my head it felt warmer... Time to gear up for Valentine's Day.

Sending Love
~Base card Kraft card stock
~Layer of The Paper Studio Classic Christmas
~Coordinating piece of Paper Studio Classic Christmas
~Black dots around polka dot strip
~Paper punched white card stock envelope (the envelope punch is an oldie but goodie)
~Paper punched and die cut hearts some highlighted with Wink of Stella
Challenges/Inspirations
Just Us Girl - photo inspiration
Retro Sketches - sketch

Thanks for clicking by. I hope you are all staying warm!
Nancy in Iowa

Penguin Poppies

The challenge at {PIN}spirational is a photo with penguins (or penguinies as friend Mary Lee's granddaughter refers to aquatic flightless birds). I was given the task of selecting any digital image from Aurora Wings one of the generous sponsors for this challenge at {PIN}. A definite perk of being on the design team! I decided to go with the colors in the penguin photo for inspiration and went with her lovely hydrangeas. You just never know where inspiration will pop from!

Friends
~Base card - coral card stock
~Layer of We R Memory Keepers Anthologie design paper
~ Strip of coordinating We R Memory Keepers Anthologie design paper
~Sentiment stamped on Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags 2
~Digital image of hydrangeas from Aurora Wings - colored with Copics and SU Watercolor Wonder, highlighted with SU Crystal Effects
~Two pearls colored  with Sharpie
Challenges
{PIN}spirational - photo inspiration
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Squirrel and the Fox - new stuff (new digi)

Winter Flowers

Flurries, drizzle, wind, cold! It is totally IOWA. Totally winter. All that is really important is that I made it home from work in time to have time in the Bubble! I decided to check out some of my favorite challenge blogs and see what I could pull together. JUGS color combo: check; Mojo Monday sketch: check; Southern Girls use something new: check.

Winter Bubble
~Base card - linen
~Background layer of Colorbok French Country
~Layers of brown and ocean blue card stock
~Die cuts: Tim Holtz Tattered Flower Garland (NEW!!! Christmas gift!) and my Cuttlebug
~Brads
Inspirations/Challenges
Mojo Monday - sketch
Southern Girls - use something new
Just Us Girls - color combo

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Blizzard, Bubbles, and Beverages

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know I work at a small, private liberal arts university and probably know I love having students hang out in my office. Unfortunately there have been some changes including a new boss and new office location. I don't have nearly the student traffic that I used to have, so when students (and alum) do stop by I am so happy!

Well today was a happy day with "kids" and alum stopping by and chatting, laughing, playing on their 'devises', texting one another from across the room. My favorite kind of day!

My favorite kind of day except for the raging blizzard outside! Fifty-sixty mile an hour winds! Total white-out! Good time to stay inside in The Bubble. I was supposed to meet up with friends for a few adult beverages...but I am a total 'weather weenie'! Sister Gail has a need for a few St. Patrick's cards...Can't get enough of Sami Stamps!

I  decided to add a watermark to my cards. Not sure why. Mostly because I wanted to know if I could figure out how to do it. Now...will I remember to do this added step?

Blessings and Shamrocks
~Base card - green card stock
~Layer of striped design paper - Veranda by Colorbok
~Washi tape
~Sentiment by MelJen's Designs
~Image by Sami Stamps colored with Copics, orange breast is paper pieced and embossed with Swiss Dots
Challenges and Inspirations
Aud Sentiments - any sentiment
Make it Monday - anything goes
Without Words - spots or stripes

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa (where it is COLD and WINDY)

Chemical Shamrocks

We are in J-Term right now - a 2 week (optional) mini-semester. Classes meet everyday during the week from 8 am until noon. I visited the chemistry class to take photos for the university FaceBook page. The class is Chemistry in Magic. It was great fun to see them create all their experiments - evidently I missed the best day....where they blew up stuff!

Card time...time to get ready for St. Patrick's Day!

Shamrock Blessings
~Base card - orange card stock
~Layer of orange check design paper
~Strip of green card stock topped with layer of green striped design paper
~Square scalloped die cut
~Digital image by Sami Stamps - paper pieced with green and orange design papers (the original image has holly hanging from the strings - I decided to 'shamrock' him up
~Digital sentiment by MelJens - colored with Copics
Challenges/Inspirations
Mojo Monday - sketch
Just Us Girls - paper piecing technique
Pile it On - holidays/celebration
MelJens - centered
Addicted to Stamps - any holiday

Erin Go Bragh!
Nancy in Iowa

Hot Cocoa and Warm Coats

I told you I would be posting this cute digi again. This was the first card but second successful attempt at using paper piecing with this Sami Stamp. (We won't talk about the mishaps that ended up in the oops pile.) Here is the previous posting with this same Sami Stamp digital image. What a fun photo challenge over at {Pin}spirational. Very timely for those of us in the upper Midwest with chilly weather and even chillier winds! Brrrrrrr! Nothing like a piping hot cup of cocoa to warm from within! I love how this card turned out - and I don't say that about many of my cards. I sent this to my sissy Judy in Atlanta. Wonder if she remembers frigid cold Midwestern temps.... Of course to talk to her it IS frigidly cold in Atlanta. Or as she noted "it may be 43 degrees (did I mention that would be ABOVE zero not minus 43 degrees) but it feels as cold as Iowa because we don't have coats." 

SERIOUSLY?! You have been in the south way too long my sweet sissy! Way too long!

Lots of paper piecing on this one. Lots of cutting. Lots of fun to make! You may see this image pop up again. She is so fun! Winter Cocoa from Sami Stamps. I received this image for free as a design team member at {PIN}spirational. But because I like it so much I clicked over there and bought some images. She has the cutest little owl wearing a striped scarf. Check out her site on Etsy - you won't be sorry! This is another of her images that I posted previously. 

Cozy
~Base card coral card stock
~Layer of glittered snowy design card stock
~Sentiment printed with laser printer - die cut and dotted with pearls colored with Sharpie
~Image by Sami Stamps - paper pieced with design paper, face/hair colored with Copics; fur and cocoa whipped cream puffed up with Marvy Liquid Applique, die cut with Spellbinder/Cuttlebug
Inspirations/Challenges
{PIN}spirational - photo inspiration
The Squirrel and The Fox - anything goes
All Sorts - free and easy
Challenges and Candles - warm
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes + pearls
Eureka Stamps - blue and bling
Kaboodle Doodles - let it snow
Stamp and Create - winter wonderland
Sami Stamps - anything goes

Warm thoughts, hot cocoa, winter coats, and mittens,

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Ghost of Warmer Temps

Tryin' to stay warm in sub zero temps - I guess it's only natural to have thoughts of the North Pole - even post Christmas. I won't complain about our current minus 9 degrees. Compared to other Midwest podunks this is balmy!

Ironically Atlanta, GA where my sister Judy resides is the one under a Wind Chill Advisory. REALLY!!! Their current temp is 43 degrees. Our HIGH tomorrow is supposed to be a whopping minus 3 degrees and THEY have a Wind Chill Advisory? Oh please..... (Fools don't even own a decent wool coat, knitted scarves, long johns, ear muffs...) (Sister Judy in Atlanta just email me...I'm supposed to feel sorry for their 43 degree temp because they don't have winter coats....) SERIOUSLY?!

Anyway....about the card.....
Had to play along with the sketch over at Just Us Girls! I love an excuse to pull out the vellum and use a new Christmas gift tool! (Thanks to Lynn for using this folder so I could add it to my Amazon wishlist! I actually have a few more items because of her! Thank you Lynn for posting the details about your lovely cards. I hope you are staying warm down there in Texas!)

I was pretty fortunate this year! Daughter Amy and sissy Gail bought some fun items for me to use in The Bubble! Distress Markers, Distress Stains, embossing folders, design paper, dies, washi tapes....can't wait to use it all!

Ghost of Christmas Past
~Base card off white linen card stock
~Layer of My Mind's Eye snowflake cardstock
~Layer of Santa face from same MME collection
~Three pieces of Vellum embossed using Hero Arts Dots embossing folder
~Snowflake brad by Spare Parts (HUGE MARK DOWN at Hobby Lobby!)
~Label die cut by Spellbinders/Cuttlebug, sentiment printed with laser printer
Inspiration/Challenges
Just Us Girls - sketch
Jungle Belles - something old something new (old card stock, new embossing folder)
Polka Doodles - anything goes
Emergency Crafters - cold
Our Creative Corner - shopping sins (HAD to have this collection of My Mind's Eye...and yes...I hoard it.)

Thanks for clicking by - Stay WARM!!!!

Nancy in the Tundra of Iowa

Wind Chills and Hot Beverages

I really wanted to play along with the challenge over at Just Us Girls. Great photo inspiration over there. Another Sami Stamp. This is the second actual card I've made with the cocoa girl. You'll see another version later at {Pin}spirational. Note I said the second ACTUAL card...I had many mis-steps in between...my layer of paper piecing...totally messed up...wow... I have about 4 of these in the scrap heap in various stages of OOPS!

I went with the 'time' feature of the photo inspiration and worked it into the digi stamp. With high temps in the single digits (we won't mention the wind chill factor) and it is always time for hot cocoa, or hot tea, or hot toddies!

This card is actually yellowish golds, beiges, and blacks...it looks totally different here! The color is yellows on my iPad - but they are completely different here on my laptop. Ahhhh the mystery of technology, resolution, pixels, and Pantone!

Brrrr....
~Base card black card stock
~Layer of Prima design paper Paper Tray
~Two tone twine
~Clock face stamped in lower right corner - Versamark with gold embossing powder
~Digital image stamped on colored paper - colored with Copics, paper pieced, highlighted with Stickles and Marvy Liquid Applique
~Sentiment laser printed and die cut with Spellbinder layered labels
Challenges and Inspirations
JUGS - photo inspiration
Pink Elephant - anything goes
Digi Galore - girly
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by! Stay warm!!!!!

Nancy in (very chilly) Iowa