Christmas Fairy

     This sweet little Christmas Fairy comes from Sweet Pea Stamps and is for their Progressive Challenge.  Sadly, this may be the last of the challenges since Sweet Pea Stamps is going to be closing this month.  But it gives me a chance to get one more Christmas card done so I'm happy to use it.  :-D

     I colored her with ProMarkers, a touch of watercolor on her hair, and added sparkle gel ink to her fairy wand, her wings, to the little stars and to the Shiney Stuff can.  Unfortunately, the sparkle doesn't show up very well in the photo but it's really wonderful IRL.

     I used one of my framing dies from Spellbinders to cut out the image and also to die cut the sentiment.  After I embossed both of those, I rounded the corners of a red card blank and mounted the image directly onto the card front.  I tied the lovely little red bow and adhered it to the top corner.  I really wanted to let that fancy die cut do all the work so I did no other embellishment.

     I'm not sure if this little fairy travels by flying or by a wave of her magic wand but I'm sure happy she traveled to my house this month.  :-D

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
ABC Christmas
Allsorts
Cardz for Galz
Christmas at Sweet Stampin'
Craft for the Craic
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Girls Creations
Graph'It
Inspiration Destination
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Papertake Weekly
Passion for Promarkers
Quick Quotes
Scrapy Land

     I hope your weekend is going well.  I'm spending lots of time with my oldest granddaughter doing fabric shopping and then starting on a sewing project for her.  She's just learning to sew and I'm having the time of my life teaching her some of the tricks and techniques that I learned over the many years of sewing I've done.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

No Rectangles at Pile It On

     New challenge starting early in the morning at Pile It On and our theme is "No Rectangles."  Our wonderful sponsor is Sweet Pea Stamps and the prize package includes 4 images of the winner's choice.  I did this shaped card using one of my favorite SPS images, called "Cinders."  I know I've used her before but she's just so great for anything fall or autumn.  :-D

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then die cut it with a simple circle die (Spellbinders.)  I cut the shaped card with a hexagon die (QuicKutz) and added the dp (Perfect Prints by Forever in Time.)  I chalked the edges of the circle, added the sparkly ribbon and the sentiment, and then left it alone.  It was clearly 'done' without any further embellishment.  :-D

Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Craft Your Passion
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Cardmakers
Creative Fingers
Di's Digi Designs
Eureka Stamps
Everybody Art
Love to Scrap
Melonheadz Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Simply Papercrafts
Through the Craft Room Door

     I hope we're going to see you playing in the Pile It On challenge this fortnight.  Make something wonderful without using any rectangles and enter it into our challenge.  Remember, part of the fun is to also enter (pile on) as many challenges with that one project as you can.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Little Cat Witch

     The image on this card (yes, another card for Halloween because I fell in love with the image) is from Sweet Pea Stamps and it was just so much fun to color!

     I decided to stick with the usual Halloween colors and used my ProMarkers.  I die cut the image with a rectangle die from Spellbinders.  The dark background dp was cut with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn and the purple dp was cut with my newest Spellbinders die.  Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the bow was hand tied using lace.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Bunny Zoe's
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts 4 Eternity
Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Catz
Fussy and Fancy
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Morgan's ArtWorld
Paper Girls
Stamping Boutique

     I hope the second half of your weekend is going well.  We have a gorgeous day starting and the weather is going to be no more than 80 degrees, a lovely relief from the mid- to high-90s we've had all month long.  I'm going to play outside a bit, tidying up the garden and getting it ready for winter.  Can you believe I still have 3 watermelons on the vine?  Not as big as they were in August and September but ripe enough to cut and eat.  I feel a fruit salad will be in order for dinner.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Clowning Around

     I decided to try something I haven't done in many, many months and used this darling little clown which I got for playing in the Progressive challenge at Sweet Pea Stamps on their FB page.

I took my colors from Color Throwdown.

     Instead of my usual ProMarkers or chalk markers, I used a brush and watercolor paints.  Not as much shading detail but then that isn't what watercolors are meant to do.  Once the clown was painted, I cut it with a rectangle die from Spellbinders and adhered it to the card front.

     Then, I dug out one of my Cheery Lynn border dies and used it to cut border pieces from two different papers, both of which came from my scrap stash.  I had to trim some of the inside parts of the border because they overlapped the image far too much, making it look cluttered instead of bordered.

     I haven't decided if this is going to be a birthday card or something else but it was a fun image and I had fun digging out the watercolors.

     Challenges:
Inspiration Destination
Julia Spiri
Simon Says Stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters
Sweet Stamps
Through the Craft Room Door
Vintage Stamping/Flonz
WordArt Weds.

     Hey, it's a Saturday and we should all be sleeping in!  OK, for those of you who are like me and you awake early no matter what, sneak into the craft room and have some time just for you while everyone else is snoozing.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Spooked on Halloween

     When I found this image at Sweet Pea Stamps, I knew I'd use it over and over again.  This time, I thought it would make a great Halloween card but I can also see it for a general autumn card, or Thanksgiving, or even a card about mice or other unexpected things.  :-D

I started this card with inspiration from Sweet Sketch Weds. 2

but did just the bow instead of a ribbon across the middle.

     The only coloring this time was on the little mouse and her eyes, both of which were colored with ProMarkers.  I really liked the pencil sketch look of this image and wanted those muted colors that we see after the garishly-hued leaves have all dropped and died in the late fall.  The image and the sentiment were printed directly onto the card front so what looks like a mat of brown CS behind the image is actually layered on top of the image and a window is cut so the image shows.

     I didn't know I was going to do a frame around the image when I printed the card front and it was a challenge just getting the window cut in the right spot.  Not only did I have to get the image framed, I had to make sure the sentiment still showed.  That's a process I'll think all the way through before trying it again.  :-D  I added three score lines at the top for a little texture and interest.

     It wasn't until I was editing the photograph that I noticed the misprint on the sentiment.  I corrected the missing stem on the "p" in 'Spooked' with a black ink pen but couldn't correct the photograph and didn't have time to photograph it again..

     Challenges:
ArtbyMiran
Crafty Girls Creations
Creative Corner
Digital Delights
Dragons Lair Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
House That Stamps Built
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Simon Says Stamp
Simply Papercraft
Sisterhood of Crafters
Stamping Boutique
Sweet Pea Stamps Progressive Challenge
Whimsy Inspiration

     OK, I may be a bit absent off and on this week.  I do have a post for tomorrow and for Friday but I'm not sure what else I may get done.  I'm busy with diabetes classes and will be out of town a couple of days in the middle of that, but I'll see what else I might be able to do.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Christmas Cuddles

     My third week as a Guest Designer on the Sunday CAS challenge at The Outlawz and I'm truly enjoying it.  I've done a couple of very simple cards so far, and this week is also CAS but with some layers and dimension used in the design.  We have a new theme this week and it's one everybody loves - Anything Goes!   I used an image from Sweet Pea Stamps called "Sugar and Snowball" and took the opportunity to add one more card to my Christmas stash.

I started with a sketch from Pals Paper Arts

and colors taken from Color My Heart.

   

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image and then cut it into a square.   The red CS I used for the die cut frame has been hiding in my Christmas stash for nearly 3 years.  It's very heavy duty and one side is polished so that it shines.  This time, I chose to use the matte side because it worked better with the image colors and was much easier to photograph.

     Once matted, I added the entire piece to the card front, giving me layers but without a lot to distract the eye.  Afterall, I was after a CAS design but I wanted some layers and texture.  The sentiment is printed, hand-cut and matted, and adhered with dimensional dots.

     Challenges:
ArtbyMiran
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Hanna & Friends
Incy Wincy 
Jingle Belles
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Minutes

     It's been fun Guesting at the CAS challenge and I'm looking forward to one more week before it's over.  Any time I can work on mastering the magic of CAS, I grab it.  I'm just honored that they asked me to be Guest Designer this month.   :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Fairy Hats

     I love fairy images and when I find a new one, I just have to grab it.  This one I bought at Sweet Pea Stamps so that I could begin entering their Progressive Challenge on their FB page.  I missed out on playing last month so I'm starting this month.  The image is called "How Do I Look?" and I love that she's trying on various flowers as hats.  Obviously, her tiny bunny friend is offering an opinion.  What do you think?

I was influenced by the simple sketch at Die Cut Divas, turned on end.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and a couple of chalk markers and then cut with a Cheery Lynn die.  These are my favorite kinds of dies -- the ones which make a fancy, delicate frame around the image allowing a CAS design which doesn't look at all CAS.   Usually, I separate the inside and outside pieces, and use a colored piece for the outside frame.  This time, I kept both pieces together and mounted them on top of forest green CS, cut to size.

     For embellishments, I kept it minimal by adding only three small pearls on the left side and one bow, handmade and 'dyed' with marker to get the shade of green I wanted.

     Challenges:
Artistic Stampers
As You Like It
Cheery Lynn
Crafting with Friends
Digitally Sweet
Inspiration Destination
Little Red Wagon
Lunagirl Moonbeam
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Petal Lu
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Simply Papercraft
Time Out
WordArt Wednesday

     I hope your weekend went well.  Yesterday, we finally got a break from the 100+ degree temps and it looks like we'll be out of the high 90s in a day or two.  I'm so ready for fall with that chill snap in the air, saying summer is really gone and the weather will be livable once again.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

"Bad" Witch?

     I started coloring this fabulous witch I found at Sweet Pea Stamps, having nothing more in mind than using typical colors for a Halloween card.  Originally, I had the usual orange, purple, green, black, etc. in my mind, but kept looking at the color palette offered by Our Crafty Corner (see below).  I loved how spectacular her clothing looked at this point (a rather wonderful surprise) so I left off the purple and green.  Besides, I remember when Halloween colors were just orange and black!  :-D

I was inspired by the colors from Our Crafty Corner.

     The image is colored with my Copics (where I have a better selection of fall colors) and then I used one of my framing dies from Spellbinders to cut it.  I popped up the sentiment on dimensional dots and added a tiny bit of glitter to the tip of her hat.  I didn't want to take away from that fancy frame or the image so there's no other embellishment at all.  I like it just the way it is, frilly and feminine looking while actually CAS.

     Challenges:
ArtbyMiran
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
City Crafter
Crafty Catz
Dragonfly Dreams
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Great Impressions
MarkerPOP
One Sweet Challenge

     In case you hadn't figured it out, I'm really happy with today's card!  :-D  It's odd how much I love doing Halloween, Thanksgiving or other fall cards since yellows and oranges are colors I rarely use at any other time of the year.  I did manage to incorporate them into a few of my other cards this past year but I really tend much more toward the purples, pinks, blues, and greens when choosing color combos for my cards.  Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie