Magical

      We're a third of the way through September and I'm finally getting my card done using the new image for the Progressive Challenge at Moondrea.  She's called Lilly Cinderela and I flipped the image side to side before printing it for coloring.

     Once printed, I colored her with a combination of Ohuhu and Sanjoki alcohol ink markers.  Once I finished that, I die cut her with a Tonic Studios die.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  I chose that single word sentiment because of all the magic associated with Cinderella's Godmother.

     I used a scrap of glitter CS for the background.  You know how hard it is to toss out scraps, even those with holes from precious die cuts?  That's especially true for me with glittery sparkle papers.  Believe it or not, beneath the image piece, there's a hole!  lol  I added the mulberry paper flower as a single embellishment and it seemed to just be a perfect finish to the card.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Colorful Options

Digi Choosday

Get Creative (Cinderella)

Let's Craft & Create

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

     I now have nearly a dozen Thanksgiving cards and another more-than-a-dozen Halloween cards made and I'll be sharing those with you over the next month or so.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Talking to Flowers

      This sweet little lady (fairy? pixie?), who's talking to the "spring flower," is an adorable image from Star Stampz, who just happens to be our challenge sponsor this week at Creative Knockouts.  Our theme this time is "Spring is in the Air."  

     I loved working with this image.  It colored so beautifully.  I used my ProMarkers, then cut a frame using a Sue Wilson die.  In this case, it's the frame which was cut, not the image piece.  I used another Sue Wilson die to cut the frame around the sentiment, and used a QuicKutz oval die to cut the actual sentiment piece.  I do love using dies - clearly one of my favorite things to do!  

     I added a mulberry paper flower to the sentiment frame.  I went a little crazy earlier this week cutting and embossing flower petals from mulberry paper and turning out finished flowers.  I think I've used one on every card this week.  :-D

     Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Creative Inspirations

Outlawz SAR

Paper Shelter

Simon Says Stamp

Simon Says ... & Show

Stamping Sensations

Star Stampz (cranberry CS)

We Love Stamping

     We'd love to see you playing in our challenge this week.  "Spring" is such an easy theme this time of year when most of us are so tired of cold, rainy, snowy weather and are longing for those flowers to pop from the earth.  :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Water Lily Bowl

      Another Wednesday and that means a new challenge at I Love ProMarkers.  Our theme this time is "Leaves or Flowers" and we are being sponsored by Colour of Love.  I used an image of theirs which is called "Water Lilies - Flower Pot Pretties."

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  The edges were inked with an ink pad before layering it onto a scrap of butterfly dp.  I stamped the sentiment directly onto the image piece and added glitter to the wings of the fairy.  I added a mulberry paper flower and called it finished.   A bit more than CAS and a bit short of fancy.  :-D

     Challenges:

Butterfly (lettuce, lavender, light pink)

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspiration

Outlawz Festive Fri

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Taylormade ...

Word Art Weds

     Come play in our challenge this time.  Dig out those spring time images with flowers and /or leaves and enter them for a chance to win images from Colour of Love!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Easter Delivery

      I'm sharing another Hetty Clare image on this card - a mid-month reminder of our challenge at Your Scrapbook Place which is sponsored by Hetty Clare.   This is such an adorable gnome delivering a stack of Easter eggs to someone who is staying "Gnome for Easter."  lol  The image is called "Easter Delivery" and it's ON SALE!

     I used ProMarkers and gel pens to color the image, then cut it with a Dare 2B Artzy die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The dp came from a Recollections paper stack.  I used iridescent cord to tie the double loop bow and the flower is made from die cut & embossed, mulberry paper with a bead center.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Allsorts

Crafty Catz

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Dragonfly Dreams

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

Taylormade ...

Your Next Stamp

     Be sure to check out our March challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friends and Flowers

      We're starting a new challenge over a Pammie's Inky Pinkies and our theme is "Anything Goes."  Our marvelous sponsor this week is Lee Holland and the DT received images to use.  I love this "Woodland Floral Border" and the detail on the stamp is incredible!

      I realized recently that when I color with whatever medium, I tend to use just one or two colors with a neutral or two thrown in.  Often my coloring is unintentionally monochromatic.  But I happened to be inspired by both this image and the photo at the Inspiration Station challenge (see below in challenges list) and dug out a wide array of ProMarkers.  Although most of the colors are based on pinks and greens, you'll find blues, purples, even yellow and a tiny splash of light orange.

      Once colored, I cut the image with an octagonal die from QuicKutz.  I used a pink card base and added a diagonal scrap of green CS for the background, then rounded the corners of the card with a Fiskars punch.  The satin ribbon came from the scrap basket, and the flowers (both the white lace and the purple mulberry paper flowers) have been hanging around in the embellishment drawer for a couple of years now.  It was time to use them.  :-D

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Butterfly  (ribbon, Russian green, rose pink)

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs

Dragonfly Dreams

Ike's World

I Love ProMarkers

Inspiration Station

Outlawz SAR

Word Art Weds.

     I hope you'll think about playing in our challenge this week.  With a theme of Anything Goes, how can you lose?   You might even win some Lee Holland images.  As a side note, I'm just discovering Lee Holland and have fallen in love with the dragons in the shop - all of them!  I've already put a serious dent in my budget this month just THINKING about buying 10 or 20 of them.  lol  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Vienna Waltz

      Are you tired of seeing dance themed cards yet?  I hope not but I will try to give you a break from them for a few days.  :-D  This is the one with the image completely water colored, no markers or gel pens or other inks.  It's also done with lots of my favorite color, purple, but I was definitely inspired by the photo inspiration at Inspiration Station.  

     After water coloring, I let the image dry, then ironed it with my clothes iron.  I always iron on the back side and cover the image with a thin dish towel because water color paper tends to curl when it dries.  I used a medium heat on the iron so as to not scorch the paper.  I let it get completely cold before I pick it up or move it around.  I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz.  The image is framed with another rectangle die cut from white CS.   

     The dp is from Recollections, and I cut the corner with a Memory Box die.  The satin and sheer ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I chose it because of the sparkly gold line on each border.  I wanted to emphasize the variety of purples in the image so I chose those two mulberry paper flowers for the upper corner of the image.

     Challenges:

Angie's Digital ...

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Digi Choosday

Get Creative

Inspiration Station  (All those lovely color options!  Delicious.)

Lemon Shortbread

Lil Patch of ...

Outside the Box

Three Room Studio

     I promise a few days with no dance themes.  :-D   Meanwhile, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Red Panda

      Today's card is for the Progressive Challenge over at The Outlawz.  The image provided for the challenge is from Fabrika Fantasy and it's called Red Panda.  I thought it was lovely and intriguing and decided to do only partial coloring on it.

     I colored with my ProMarkers and cut it with my paper cutter.  The frame behind it was a leftover from a Sue Wilson die cut for another project and I cut the scrap with a QuicKutz die, making it a rectangle with the cut out shape on the inside.  The background paper was a scrap from SU.  I made a mulberry paper flower and added a sparkly, red, Dew Drop to the center.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a QuicKutz die.

I based this on the left-hand sketch at Three Room Studio.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Lil Patch of ...

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Taylormade ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Plant a Kiss

       Half way through the month of May and very close to half way through the year!  How did that happen?  We're starting our mid-month challenge at QKR Stampede today and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  You can use any images from any company on your projects but if you choose to use a QKR image (or one from our sister company, Eureka Stamps) then your entry qualifies for a separate draw only for QKR/Eureka images.  That increases your chance of winning by a huge amount, so think about it!  :-D

     I did a lovely spring card using the image "Flower Girl" and the sentiment "Plant a Kiss" both of which are from Eureka Stamps.

I pulled my colors from the top row at Color Dare.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz oval die

Lace trim added to image

Sentiment fussy cut

Row of pearls for embellishment

Mulberry paper flower w pearl

Card base made w shiny CS

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

LeAnn's World

Paperbabe Stamps

Pattie's Creations

Taylormade ...

     Come play with us.  The challenge runs for the rest of May and a new challenge starts on June 1.  We'd love to be inspired by you and your creations.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Jellyfish

     I'm having fun today.  I woke up with a smile, smelled the coffee already brewing, and immediately decided it was a good day to be alive!   I took coffee in hand, went to the computer, scrolled through my digi files, and found this humorous image from Bugaboo Stamps.  It tickled my funny bone so I printed it and headed right to the craft desk.

I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

Colored with ProMarkers

Image cut with QuicKutz die

Scalloped circle cut w/ Sizzix die

Grosgrain ribbon

Mulberry flowers w/ Nuvo centers

     Challenges:

2 Sisters ... Blog

A Bit More Time...

Catch the Bug

Classic Design

Crafty Sentiments

Ike's World

Morgan's ArtWorld

TTCRD

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Top Hat Teddy Bear

     I somehow got inspired by a color palette at Outlawz Color challenge, which is surprising considering that I rarely use yellows and oranges except for autumn cards.  They just aren't in the range of my favorite colors.  Nope, I'm a cool colors person for sure, loving purples, blues, and greens.  I often pair yellow with one of those colors when I want a particular color combo of cool and warm colors but beyond that, it's rare to see yellow or orange in my creations.

     But today, this just called out to me.  I used a sweet teddy bear image from Bugaboo Stamps and the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

  

Colored with ProMarkers w/ glitter on flower
Image cut with oval die from QuicKutz
Frame cut with Spellbinders
   & overlapped to get rectangle shape
Sentiment cut with Avery Elle die
Background scrap paper from DCWV
2 layers of ribbon - both scraps
Mulberry flowers dyed, glitter added, & gem in center

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Cardz TV
Crafty Sentiments
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of ...
Outlawz SAR
TTCRD

     Have yourself a fabulous day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dragon Rider

     My oldest granddaughter has a passion for dragons (something she no doubt gets from me!) and I thought this would make a perfect birthday card for her.  Personally, I think dragons are the most perfect creatures in the world, especially my favorites, Pocket Dragons. 

     You haven't heard about pocket dragons?  I referred to them in a post a long while back but let me tell you again why they are favorites of mine.  Pocket dragons are so tiny they are nearly invisible.  They always come in your favorite color, whatever it is.  People are rarely aware that they are hosting pocket dragons because the dragons are so quiet and peaceful.  They sleep in the pockets of your clothing, which is generally what they are doing when they spend time with humans.  If you reach your hand down into the pocket of your coat or your jeans and find a tiny bit of lint, puffed into a soft pillow shape, for sure you have a pocket dragon who's been napping in your pocket!

     I'm not sure if this is a pocket dragon in his daytime form but he's in my favorite color so he might turn into one at night when he's sleeping.  :-D  The image is from LeAnne's World 101.

I used colors from House that Stamps Built

and the sketch from the Outlawz.

  

Colored with ProMarkers & gel inks
Image and mat cut with dies from QuicKutz
Leaves cut w Cheery Lynn die (scraps)
Mulberry flowers cut w Memory Box die (scraps)
Gems added to flowers

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Colour Crazy
Creative Inspirations
I {heart} ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Life Can be a Breeze

     I love this fabulous image from Conie Fong where I am still doing projects as a Guest Designer.  Her challenges can be found on the Facebook page where you can enter either just colored Conie Fong images or completed projects which feature Conie Fong images.  This image is called "Serenity."

     I thought a soft pink, monochramatic theme would work for her and I love the way it turned out!  I did allow one, tiny, purple, butterfly.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers and gel ink
Image cut with Spellbinders framing die
Leaves cut with Cheery Lynn die
White flowers die cut from mulberry paper
Gems added to flower centers
Background was made by stamping a pattern with gray ink
        and coloring over it with an ink pad

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Creations in Pink
Creative Inspirations
Cuttlebug Mania
Do Al(l) Kreatives
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Lemon Shortbread
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD
Tues Throwdown
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie