Blue Zinnias

      This beautiful image was drawn by Sandra at The Outlawz for their monthly Progressive Challenge.  I spent a lot of the month trying to decide between another Valentine card or a birthday card for my annual stash.  For the second day in a row, birthday won out.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and white gel pen, then carefully fussy cut the image with scissors.  I wanted to use the sketch I found at There's a Stamp for That, so I added a delicate frame, cut from glittery, sticker paper with a die from Sue Wilson.  That frame is so detailed it's nearly impossible to add glue to the back so cutting from sticker paper is the only way to go.  Before cutting, I used Versamark clear ink, then added glittery, yellow embossing powder, and heat embossed the entire sheet.  

     I used textured fiber paper from DCWV which has been in my stash for so long, I had completely forgotten about it.  I added the glittery frame (deliberately tilted on an angle), then layered on the zinnia image, using an out-of-the-box technique with the leaves.  The sentiment was printed and cut with dies from Avery Elle.

Here's a shot of the sketch:

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Screechy Witch

      This fun but spooky witch is a freebie image from the Beccy's Place challenge this month and it's just too good to miss!  I was also invited to be a Guest Designer for the Tic  Tac Toe Challenge and the Board for this challenge looks like this:

and here's my card using the top row of Sparkle/ Embossing/ Any shape die:

     Everything was made using scraps, including the CS on which I printed the image.  I colored the witch with my ProMarkers, giving her skin a slight greenish tinge and making the band on her hat a dirty purple so that you know it's as old as she is and had never been cleaned.  lol

    The black paper with the bats was cut with a Cheery Lynn doily die.  I stamped the bats with Versamark ink and heat embossed them with shiny gold EP.  The pumpkins (Die-namics die) were heat embossed with glitter EP and I added yellow Stickles to the faces.  It was fun getting both the sparkle and the embossing done with embossing powder.  :-D

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Calendar

Creative Embellishments

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz PAM

Paper Shelter

Taylormade ...

     If you've never played at Tic Tac Toe Challenge before, this would be a great week to start!  Hope to see you there.  NanaConnie

Mother Earth

     OK, yesterday I did the Element of "Fire" for AuroraWings and today it's another card but this time with the Element of "Earth."  This AW image is called "Autumn Rose."

I was influenced by the colors at Outlawz,

well, pretty much, all but the blue. 

Fortunately, they only wanted 3 colors out of the 5

and a vintage flavor.

     I've colored this image several times before in bright reds and pinks, even a deep purple one time, but since this card was being used to represent the element of Earth, I colored her in the rich but subdued tones of autumn with woodsy tans, browns, and olive greens.

     I colored her completely with ProMarkers, then cut her with a stitched die from Die-namics.  I cut the deep brown frame from a scrap of CS with another of those same dies, and then did an out-of-the-box (literally) layering of the image piece onto the frame.  I used a scrap bit of text dp behind both of those die cuts and wrapped it all with left over scraps of forest green ribbon.

     I tied a quadruple loop bow using my bowmaker and added two metallic brads above and below the bowtie.  The sentiment is written with a VersaMark pen and heat embossed with white EP.  Ask me if I feel proud of myself for using up all those scraps!  :-D

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Day Dreamer
Delicious Doodles
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Paper Shelter
Pixie's Snippets

     We're halfway through the weekend.  Have you had your crafting fix yet?  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Shoveling Beats Shivering!

     I didn't grow up in a part of this country where it snows in the winter so spending the better part of two years in Anchorage, Alaska, came as a real shock to my system!  Eight months of winter every year made me shiver clear into the summer months.  Usually, along about January hubby would tell me that if I shoveled the driveway, it would stop the shivering and make me warm.  lol

     I was reminded of that when I saw the theme for our latest challenge over at QKR Stampede this week, "Warm Thoughts."   I knew I could use this darling image (Digi 9207, "Shoveling") and it would be a perfect reflection of that memory.

     I colored the image with my favorite ProMarkers and added his shadow on the snow by heat embossing with a VersaMark pen and gray-blue EP.   The die cut was made with one of my new dies from Spellbinders and I can already tell you that the dies in that set are going to get lots and lots of use.  I LOVE them!

     Once it was cut, I added the image piece to glittered light blue CS and layered that onto dark blue glittered CS.  Unfortunately, the glitter really doesn't show up in the photo.  I did the sentiment and then I decided that the intricacy of the frame was something I wanted to showcase, so all I added were a few glittery snowflakes and tiny blue stars.  Now it's a CAS design that doesn't really look too simple.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
House That Stamps Built
Inspiration Destination
Kraftin' Kimmie
Mod Squad
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Work It Weds.

     Come play with us this week.  We'd love to see your interpretation of "Warm Thoughts."  Will you do something that focuses on a fireplace or maybe dream of warm, tropical beaches?   Enter it into our challenge and inspire all of us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie