Cross Stitch Love

     Nothing cuter than House Mousies and these three are totally adorable!  I tried something new on this card.  Since I was lucky enough to win one of the House Mouse challenges and wouldn't have to spend any money (thereby keeping with the "Just Stash January" commitment - see paragraph below), I ordered a set of their 3D card kits which I've never used before.  

     It takes the old fashioned fussy cutting and layering of images to get a great card with lots of layers and dimension, so very time consuming but wonderful fun!   Here's a perfect Valentine card.

     I'm following a great "challenge-yourself" idea being promoted by my blogging buddy, V.  It's called "Just Stash January" and it involves using nothing but things already in your stash throughout the entire month of January!  There are a few reasonable exceptions (all of which mean that no money has come out of your pocket) and you can read about those on her post.  Just click on the link above to find out all about it, then start counting those coins and bills you'll be 'stashing' in your pocket this month instead of crying about even more charges on the credit cards after the holiday season.  :-D  Everything on this card came from the stash! 

Bottom layer of image cut with Tutti Designs die

All other layers cut w scissors

     2 layers of cross stitch and stitching mouse

     1 additional layer of 2 other mice

     2 layers of scissors

     3 layers of embroidery threads

Sentiment cut w scissors

All layers put onto red card base

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

House that Stamps Built

Incy Wincy

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz PAM

Scrapping4Fun

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Decorated Window

     This is my 4th card in the 30 Days of Holidays challenges at Beccy's Place.  Beccy is using the alphabet for themes this year and today we have the letter "D."  Let's see, I used decorating, die cuts, dimension (3D), and digital stamp.  There may be more that I'm just not seeing.  :-D

I based all of this on the colors found at House of Cards.

     This image is Beccy's "Winter Window" and I colored it with ProMarkers and added white gel pen and glitter gel pen to the snow on the window and tree branch.  The image is cut with a die from Spellbinders, the I cut the light red frame with a Lawn Fawn stitched die.

     The deep red CS, which I used for the background, was embossed with my "Linen" folder (hey, there's another one - dry embossing!)  I printed and hand cut the sentiment.  It seemed to go so well with the candle in the window - a sign of wishing someone home.  The bow is hand sewn with that tiny pearl on it.

     My final touch for decorating was the string of Christmas lights above the window.  Of course, in a salute to reality, one of the lights had to be 'burned out."  lol

     Challenges:
Beccy's Place
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Create and Inspire
Creative Fingers
Creative Ladybirds
Delicious Doodles
Morgan's Artworld
Outlawz PAM
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.

     I'll have another post in a very little while but must get this one posted now so that I can go to bed.  It's been a long, long week and I've not had enough sleep, having wakened at 3:00 this morning!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Summer Geraniums

     I have to admit that geraniums are one of my favorite flowers to grow.  They're so easy and can be grown from a simple cutting.  Where I live, they grow and blossom nearly year 'round.  I was delighted to be able to use both the "Geranium Pot" and the "Greek Window" images from Ike's Art in our newest Ike's World challenge which begins today.  We have a delightful optional photo inspiration for you.

  Isn't that a gorgeous Greek scene?   I turned it into this:

I based this design on the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds.

but I made everything more vertical because that better fit

the shapes of my window image and the

embossed brick background pieces.

     I started by printing out one window image and three geranium pot images, two the same size and one slightly smaller.  I colored the geranium pots and the window with my ProMarkers, then fussy cut everything.  It took some time to cut out the geraniums but it was worth it when I stacked them all together on dimensional dots for a fabulous 3D effect.

     Next, I took two scraps of CS, one gray and one deep burgundy, and ran them through my "Brick Wall" embossing folder.  I layered those together for the background, then added the image pieces and the printed sentiment.

     For the final embellishment, I added a hand tied bow with a glittered flower.  The design has lots of dimension but is still fairly simple and will mail easily.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Classic DT Open
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Gals Corner
Inspiration Destination
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Southern Girls
Word Art Weds.

    I hope you're going to come and play along with us this fortnight.  Let your imagination run with whatever inspires you from that photo or just play using the "Anything Goes" theme which is there every time.  Don't forget that Ike always offers a freebie image which you can find on the challenge post and use if you wish.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie