Feed the Birds

      I'm honored to be a guest designer for Penny's Paper-Crafty this fortnight and the sponsor of the image I used is All Dressed Up.  They supplied images for the DT and GD to use.  I used an image called "Feeding the Birds."  I thought it made a perfect winter card.  

     Colour of Love is the second sponsor for the challenge this month.

     I colored the image with a combination of Sanjoki and ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I used a Fiskars punch on the four corners.  That piece was mounted onto a rectangle of deep blue CS.  I cut the sentiment with a QuicKutz die and framed it with a scrap of the blue CS that framed the image.

     The snowflake dp came from a DCWV stack and I added some texture by dry embossing it with a brand new folder from Sizzix (thank you, Santa!)  My final touch was to embellish the card with a hand-tied, double loop bow made with simple red twine.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Creative Moments

Dream Valley

Make My Monday

Outlawz Tues

Pammie's IP

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope we see you playing in the challenge this time around.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Summer Garden

     Another Friday and we are starting a new 2-week challenge at Crafty Catz.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme but we also give you an OPTIONAL theme if you'd like to use it and this week, that option is "Summer."  We are sponsored by All Dressed Up and I used their adorable image called 'Garden Wheel Barrow.'   I reversed the image before printing it.

     The image was colored with Sanjoki alcohol markers, then cut with  die from QuicKutz.  I inked the edges with  brown marker.   The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.  Although it's difficult to see in the photo, the paisleys in the background paper were heat embossed with sparkle EP.  Rather CAS but for the fancy paper.     

(EDITED to add this photo of the heat embossing)

     Challenges:

As You Like It  (for spring or summer, always soft colors because they just say pastels!)

Craft-alnica

Creative Inspiration

Double D

My Favorite Things

Outlawz Thurs

Simon Says Stamp

Triple B

     That's all I have for today but I'll be back in a day or two with another couple of posts for the FarmQuest challenges.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Most Magical Time November Challenge

      Here we are on the first Friday of November and that means another new challenge at Most Magical Time of the Year where we celebrate both Christmas and Halloween all year around.  Our sponsor this month is All Dressed Up and they supplied the cutest images for us to use.  I chose to use both images (Christmas Tree Fairy and Magical Day) and make two cards.  Our theme is "Magical Fall Colors."

      Both are colored with watercolors but Christmas Tree Fairy has glitter on her wings and is cut with a QuicKutz die.  Unfortunately, when I photographed the Fairy card, the orange colors I used look more red than orange.

     The Magical Day image and the lavender frame are cut with dies from Dare 2B Artzy.  The background paper on the Christmas Tree Fairy card is from a K & Co. stack.  The bow is hand-tied using orange and gold corded ribbon.

     The Magical Day card has one of my signature, hand-sewn bows made with sheer ribbon and a pearl.  The background on that one is from DCWV and the pumpkin & flowers are heat embossed with sparkly EP.

     Challenges:

All Dressed Up

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

     Challenges:

2 Sisters ... Blog

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creatalicious

Dare 2B Artzy

Happy Li'l Stampers

There's a Stamp ...

Two Old Bats

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our November challenge.  Check out the Most Magical Time blog for all the details.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feeling Pretty

      I'm happy to announce that I was selected as a GDT for the Paper Dragonfly challenge and I'm using an image from All Dressed Up which I won in a previous challenge at Paper Dragonfly.  The image is called "Pretty in Plaits."

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a rectangle die from QuicKutz.  I used a Fiskars punch on 3 of the corners and a Uchida punch on the last one.  The dragonfly was hand drawn and is NOT part of the original image.  The background piece was done with water color paints and the ombre is rather subtle but can still be seen.  The sentiment was printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die.  I tied a double loop bow using my bow maker.  The wide ribbon behind the image was a scrap and I used it up on this project.  Everything on this card came from my stash - nothing new purchased.  :-D

I reversed the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

 

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Knockouts  (bow and ribbon)

Double Trouble

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of  ...

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

Your Scrapbook Place

     It would be great to see you playing in the challenge this month.  I look forward to seeing your projects.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Rainbow Valentine

      A really quick post today because I wanted to share a card I did for the Outlawz Progressive challenge with an image provided by their sponsor, All Dressed Up.  Isn't she a darling fairy, painting a pink rainbow in the sky?

     I colored with my ProMarkers, cut the image with a QuicKutz die, and added narrow ribbon plus a gingham bow.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut with scissors.  Very CAS for a child's Valentine.

Based on the sketch from My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Calendar

Creative Inspirations

Cutie Pie

Digi Choosday

Mod Squad

Outlawz SAR

We Love Stamping

     That's it for today.  I have to get back to the craft room and finish some DT projects which have due dates looming! :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

What a Magical Day is Halloween

      It's Thursday so it must be time for another challenge at Creative Knockouts!  Our theme is "Halloween" or just use the color combo of "Black/Purple/Orange."  Our sponsor this week is All Dressed Up and I've used an image called "Magical Day."  Isn't she adorable with her little kitten and her jack-o-lantern bucket?

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a die from Dare 2B Artzy.  I matted the image with a circle cut with another die from that same set.  The starry paper scrap was cut with a Spellbinders die.  The Recollections border strip is glittery, but that's hard to see in the photo. 

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Cute Card Thurs

House...Stamps Built

Mod Squad

Paper Shelter

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

     Come play with us this week!  You can enter anything Halloween themed or with the color combo if you don't do Halloween cards.  Happy Crafting,  NanaConnie

Wishing it was Spring

      While I know just how this little gal from All Dressed Up feels, I also know that right after spring comes the miserably hot temperatures of summer in my part of the world and I could do without those for as long as possible!   This is the freebie image from the Progressive Challenge at Outlawz this month.

I based this on the sketch at Sketch Saturday

but reversed, side to side.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz die

Papers from Doodlebug

Small rectangles cut w QuicKutz die

Bow tied with bow maker

     Challenges:

Angie's Digitals

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Calendar

I {heart} ProMarkers

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Greetings

Stamping Sensations

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Happy Spring

     I found this image in my collection of images from All Dressed Up and realized I've never used it!  It's called "Butterflies" and believe it or not, it's currently a freebie on their challenge blog site!  The challenge theme this month is "Favorite Color" and my favorite color combo for anything spring is green and .....  :-D

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds. #178

Colored with ProMarkers & gel inks
Cut with Spellbinders square die
K & Co green papers (scraps)
Sheer green ribbon
Hand tied bow
Sentiment printed and hand cut
Green card base

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Butterfly (Use Dies/Use Flower dp)
Colour Crazy
Crafty Catz
Creative Inspirations
Double D
Paperbabe Stamps
Paper Funday

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Best Friend Puppy

     Today I'm working with the All Dressed Up image provided for the Outlawz Progressive challenge.  This sweet little gal with her darling puppy just called out for a bright, spring card.  All the papers and CS are from old stash or scraps.

I used the sketch from Crafting Vicky,

which I turned 1/4 turn and I played a bit with the triangles.

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut with Spellbinders die

Triangles cut w/ Memory Box dies

Butterflies - Spellbinders die & Fiskars punch

Faux stitching

Polka dot washi tape from old stash

     Challenges:
Butterfly (Sky blue, Salmon, Sage, Spots, Stitching)
Crafty Sentiments
Double Trouble (+ Use Your Stuff)  (all 3)
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Warm Hat Girl

     This sweet image is from All Dressed Up and it's a wonderful image for staying warm on a cold, winter-y day.  I love the play in the sentiment (which is part of the image) on the old saying "Cold hands, warm heart."  This time, both are warm.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers

Image and frame cut with  Tonic Studio dies

Glitter paper from Recollections

Everything die cut came from scraps

Doodlebug dp - also scraps (My favorite designer papers always have small prints so that they enhance the image instead of overwhelming it.  If they are somewhat monochromatic, that's even better.)

White CS embossed with Linen EF

Signature bow with snowflake gems

    Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs.

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Pixie's Snippets

Scrappy Land

TTCRD

Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mushroom Fairy for Fall

     This adorable little fairy, sitting in her mushroom garden enjoying the cooler days of fall, is from All Dressed Up. 

     The weather has stayed pretty hot where I live until today when they are predicting 83 instead of 93, and my blogging buddy, Lynn, a Texan from head to toe, says it's stayed awfully warm in her area, too.  So this card celebrates the arrival of fall and if it hasn't cooled off for her yet, maybe the weather is heading from my house to hers.  Hang in there, Lynn!

I chose colors from the middle column of color board #363

at Color My Heart Color Dare, plus I used "Ballerina"

for her face and arms.

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut image & frame with Sizzix dies

Gold CS base

Gold, glittered flower

CAS design

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Outlawz SAR

Pattie's Creations

Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

To the Stars and Back

     There's a delightful new image from All Dressed Up given to us for the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz.  The sentiment about "Love You to the Stars and Back" is part of the image.

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter added to the stars and hat tassle
Image and frame each cut with Spellbinders dies
Signature bow, hand-sewn + gem

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Brown Sugar
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Crafty Gals Corner
Lemon Shortbread
Words to Craft By

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Unicorn Love

     When this image from All Dressed Up begged to be used as an expression of love, I had a moment of doubt but then I remembered a saying from my childhood when my dad said, "Love from a puppy is the best kind of love" and I knew that had to be true about unicorns, too.  Maybe even better than puppy love since unicorns are so rare.      :-D

      I did my usual coloring with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a die from QuicKutz.  The background paper is the last scrap of a 12x12 scrapbooking paper from my stash.  I'm sad to see it used up and will have to look for more.  I love that it has hearts and flowers and is PURPLE!!!

     I knew I wanted a really different kind of bow for this one so I used a scrap bit of lace, rolled and pinched it in the middle, then wrapped with satin ribbon.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut, then added to the bottom.  Not quite CAS but not overdone either.

     Challenges:
All Dressed Up
Angie's Digital Stamps
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Calendar
Cute N Crafty
Dare 2B Artzy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Path of Positivity
Stamping Sensations

     Happy Tuesday to all of you and thanks so much for stopping by.  If I haven't visited you in the last week or so, hang in there and be patient with me.  I'm getting there in between home school projects for my grandson, trips to the doctor for my daughter (torn tendon in her ankle & can't drive), grocery runs for everyone, plus celebrating my oldest granddaughter's birthday this week!  I can't remember when I've been so busy day after day after day.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Keeping Warm with Gratitude

     I've become so hooked on the images at All Dressed Up and my Wish List for these long-legged gals is growing each week!   Today I used an image called "All Wrapped Up" so it was perfect for a fall card.  I turned it into a Thanksgiving card with the sentiment.

I used colors from House of Cards.

     I think this is a pretty simple design but one with lots of visual interest.  I started by coloring the image with my ProMarkers, then cut it with an Unbranded, oval die.  I had a scrap of plaid paper in my autumn stash and grabbed it for the card front.

     While searching for the dp, I came across the silk leaf and knew it would make a perfect textural piece.  So, I adhered it to the plaid paper, then layered on the image oval, using dimensional tape.  I printed the sentiment, matted it, and used more dimensional tape to mount it onto the card.

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Crafts Dreamy
Crafts Galore Encore
Cupcake Inspirations
Cute N Crafty
Die Cut Divas
Double Trouble
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

     I hope your week is going well.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bicycle Birthday

     Another birthday card for my stash, this one using a cute image from All Dressed Up.

I started with the sketch I found at Carlin's Card Paradise.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then die cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I framed it with another die cut, also Spellbinders.  The dp came from the scrap basket and I layered everything onto a kraft card base.

     I printed, hand cut, and inked the sentiment.  The lace butterfly seemed perfect for this sweet card.  Because I am always interested in 'using up' instead of 'tossing out' things from my craft table, I took two of the tiny strips which dropped out of the frame and added them to opposite, diagonal, corners, then added three tiny pearls beside each of those strips.

     Challenges:
All Dressed Up FB
Butterfly (Apricot/Amethyst/Add Layers + Lace butterfly)
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Cute Card Thurs.
Penny's Paper Crafty
Scrapy Land
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     See you again tomorrow with a new DT card for QKR Stampede.  Be sure to visit.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Flower of the Family

     Since I was the baby and only girl among the siblings, my dad always said I was the "Flower" of the family.  In my teen years, my older brother said that was because I was a "bloomin' idiot!"  lol  Whatever the reason, I used that phrase as the sentiment on this card which features an image from All Dressed Up.

I was inspired by the colors at House of Cards.

     This one is colored with a combo of polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, then cut with an Unbranded die.  I matted the die cut image piece with light blue CS and trimmed the corners.  I mounted that onto dark blue CS and put that onto a kraft card base.

     I dug through my stash of ribbon and found two, matching-in-color, ribbons from completely different companies.  I used one to wrap the card front and the other to make a 'ruched' bow to which I added a row of pearls.

     I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, then matted it with a scrap of kraft CS.  I added that to the bottom of the dark blue CS.

     Challenges:
All Dressed Up
A Perfect Time to Craft
Carlin's Card Paradise
CCC Digi Creations
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Joy Clair
Let's Craft and Create
Morgan's ArtWorld

     Have a wonderful, crafty day and Happy Stamping!   NanaConnie

Thinking of You

     I think this is my first, or maybe second, time using an image from All Dressed Up and I think she's just as cute as a bug!

I started with the sketch from Try Stampin' on Tuesday

even though I missed the deadline for their challenge.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image and cut it with a die from QuicKutz.  The small, red, hexagon was also cut with another die from that same set.  The card front is dry embossed.  The bits of dp are from my scrap basket.  I love the CAS design allowed by that sketch.

     Challenges:
All Dressed Up FB
CARDZ TV
Crafter's Castle
Crafting with Friends
Creative Fingers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     I hope your week is going well and that you're finding some time to relax in the heat of summer.  My home town is in the midst of a heat wave defined as 3 or more days of temperatures over 100 F.  Not my favorite kind of weather.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Flowers for You

     It's been a long, long time since I used an image from All Dressed Up and I decided it was time to correct that.  I'm sending a packet of wildflower seeds to a friend of mine for her blog anniversary and needed a card to enclose with them.  This adorable image of the two mice seemed perfect.

     I started with a dry-embossed, lavender card base.  I had already decided to make this really CAS since I have to mail it and there will be a packet of seeds inside it.  I didn't want to add to the thickness of the envelope by adding lots of embellishments.

     This time, I colored with my watercolor paints and a brush.  I know, I know - I always use my ProMarkers but this image just lent itself to water coloring.   However, if it makes you feel better, I used a ProMarker to ink the edges of the image and the sentiment.  :-D

     When it came to the sentiment, I decided to add a bit of glam by heat embossing it with silver EP.  I printed the sentiment, then used a Versa-Mark pen to write over the letters, and then added the EP.  Here's a close up since it doesn't show really well in the photo above.

        Challenges:
AAA Cards
CCC Digi Creations
Crafter's Cafe
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs.
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pattie's Creations

     Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to browse around while you're here.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Life's Surprises

     I love the idea of looking out for Life's Surprises, like seeing butterflies in the middle of winter!  This image from "All Dressed Up" is the freebie for the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz, and it's a perfect example of what I mean.

     I started by coloring with my ProMarkers, then used Pinpoint Rectangle dies (Memory Box) to cut both the image and the dp mat behind it.  I bought that set over a year ago, used it a couple of times and then bought two or three sets of stitched dies and this one got relegated to the bottom of the pile.  I dug it out to use it on this card and can't imagine why I haven't used it more!

     I chose two different ribbons from my stash, one a patterned satin and the other a sparkly sheer, layered them together and wrapped them around glittered CS from a new-to-me paper stack by DCWV.  I tied the bow using more of the sheer ribbon.

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy Craft
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Creative Corner
Creative Fingers
Cut It Up
Glitter n Sparkle
In the Pink
Scrapy Land
Take It, Make It
Word Art Weds.

     I hope you've managed to dig out from under the snow or rain or whatever the weatherman brought to your part of the country the last few days.  Out here on the West Coast, we've had a day of rain, then a day of light clouds or even sunshine, then another day of rain.  There may be two more storms coming in over the rest of this week.  If so, I'll use the rainy days as excuses to stay in and craft.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie